Key takeaways Use retirement tax forms to complete tax returns, not file them back to the IRS. Consider that both Form 1099-R and Form 5498 fall into this category. Note that Form 1099-R tracks every […]
The FHA-insured reverse mortgage program got its annual reset for 2026: the HECM maximum claim amount is now $1,249,125, up from $1,209,750 in 2025. The new limit applies to FHA case numbers assigned on or […]
The refinance boom that shaped the last decade of household borrowing has effectively ended, and the numbers behind consumer behavior now show what replaced it. Over the three months through August 2026, home-equity products — […]
Why emergency funds feel hard to build Building an emergency fund sounds simple when the advice is reduced to a few words: spend less, save more, and leave the money alone until you need it. […]
The median tracked home value in New Orleans, LA rose 4.7% between August 1, 2026 and September 1, 2026 — the largest move, in either direction, across the 101 cities where RateZip tracks enough homes […]
Homeowners who bought or refinanced when money was cheap have largely stopped asking about a new mortgage. They are asking about the one they already have. That shift shows up plainly in RateZip’s Mortgage Demand […]
Key takeaways In the labor market, physical labor occupations retire earliest while professional and executive careers retire latest. For example, construction workers, miners, and agricultural workers typically leave the workforce in their early-to-mid 60s. Relatedly, […]
Every November, federal regulators reset the maximum loan sizes for government-backed mortgages, and the 2026 numbers are now in effect. If your target loan amount was just above last year’s cutoffs, these increases may move […]
Key takeaways There are several types of 401(k)s. Traditional, Roth, Safe Harbor, Solo, and SIMPLE 401(k)s; each playing by its own rules. And the differences matter a lot when it comes to taxes, contribution limits, […]
Several large lenders shaved their posted mortgage rates Wednesday morning, but the more consequential number for anyone shopping a loan wasn’t the cut. It was the distance between lenders. As of 9:50 a.m. ET, the […]