On Thursday, the IRS released its annual adjustments for the 2024 tax year, which include changes to income tax brackets and a higher standard deduction. These shifts happen every year to account for “bracket creep,” which causes people to pay more in taxes due to inflation without actually earning more income.
Tax day 2024 is not until Mon, Apr 15, 2024, and also right around the corner. The luxury of time doesn’t mean you should wait until the last minute to figure out how you’re going to file your 2023 taxes—especially when you can save some money if you plan ahead.
We’re still a ways out from the winter holidays, but they’ll be here before you know it—so now is the time to mark your calendars so your gifts arrive on time. The major shipping services—USPS, UPS, and FedEx—each have deadlines for sending mail and packages if you want them to arrive ahead of Dec. 25.
It’s almost time to fall back for Daylight Saving Time, but who came up with this bizarre practice? And why? If you just answered “Benjamin Franklin” and “to help farmers,” you don’t know the real history.
The Department of the Treasury announced last week that the new rate for I bonds issued between November 2023 and April 2024 is 5.27%. This number includes a fixed rate of 1.30%. With inflation causing concerns for your investments across the board, U.S. savings bonds are considered a safe bet, since they’re fully…
Welcome to Evil Week, our annual dive into all the slightly sketchy hacks we’d usually refrain from recommending. Want to weasel your way into free drinks, play elaborate mind games, or, er, launder some money? We’ve got all the info you need to be successfully unsavory.
Law enforcement officers and agents will hide who they are for all kinds of reasons, from catching speeders to infiltrating extremist political groups to preventing the kidnappings of state governors. It’s often hard to recognize undercover cops, but there are some tells, so here’s a rough guide to recognizing cops…
Leftover cornbread is a sad, dusty thing. It’s hard to believe it could ever even be left over—the stuff is so exquisite when fresh—but Thanksgiving leads to leftover everything. Whether you made too much for your famous stuffing, or the cornbread muffins were forgotten at dinner, there’s a way you can give stale…
Good news for savers: The IRS announced yesterday that next year’s contribution limits for 401(k)s and other tax-advantaged retirement plans are being increased to account for inflation. Since it’s always a good idea to max out your retirement contributions, let’s take a look at what these new limits are for the 2024…
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines your eligibility for need-based financial aid for college. In previous years, the FAFSA asked families about the amount they contributed to employer-sponsored retirement accounts like 401(k)s each year, and factored it into households’ overall yearly…
Making a cake is never easy. With all the bowls, whisks, and measuring cups involved, it can feel a lot more like a chemistry experiment than a celebratory snack. “One bowl” recipes can make the process less of a chore, but all I really want to do is just dump everything in a dish and bake it. Turns out I’ve been in…
Hot chicken has foodie virality at the moment, but it isn’t a passing fad. This spicy fried poultry has been searing the taste buds off of Nashvillians for generations. You can give large chicken cuts the hot chicken treatment, or shrink it down to party snack size. Bring a tiny piece of Nashville into your home with…
Picture perfect apples are tumbling into grocery stores with no sign of stopping. Make the most of this bounty by cooking up one of the more concentrated iterations of apple—apple butter, with a twist. It’s always been a dippable, spreadable, velvety smooth fall favorite, but take it a step further with a dose of…
Paramount+ has a handful of original titles worth watching in November. On one end is Lawmen: Bass Reeves (November 5), a Wild West drama starring David Oyelowo as the real-life Bass Reeves, the first Black deputy U.S. marshal to work west of the Mississippi. On the other is Colin From Accounts (November 9), an…
Being self-employed gives you the freedom and flexibility to be your own boss. However, one major drawback of being your own boss is securing your own affordable health insurance.
Sadly, we did not manage to abolish Daylight Saving time changes during that brief, hopeful moment last year, so in less than two weeks we will be going ahead with our usual ritual: Wake up early, forgetting that the time changed during the night, then get confused that the clock on our phone doesn’t match the one on…
Max has a handful of original series worth streaming in November, starting with season two of the Issa Rae comedy Rap Sh!t, which stars KaMillion and Aida Osman as estranged friends turned rap partners (November 9) followed by season two of Julia, the comedy-drama based on the life of Julia Child (November 16). At the…
Saving for retirement is a crucial part of everyone’s financial planning. I’ve recommended before that dividing your money into multiple accounts helps you see all your saving goals separately. A big part of that is taking advantage of retirement-specific accounts in order to invest in your future. So, how can…
I’ve had TSA Precheck for years, with no regrets. The fee works out to just $15 annually, and every time I’ve taken a trip by air and faced shorter lines at security, I’ve been glad I signed up. The only real hassle was that I had to take several hours out of my day to drive to the airport for an in-person interview.…
The Roth IRA is a powerful retirement savings tool. For young people especially, it’s the best way to take full advantage of compound interest while minimizing your tax exposure. The money you contribute grows tax-free, and most people can withdraw funds in retirement tax-free, too. However, make some wrong moves…
Lots of people are hearing about Novavax, the fourth COVID vaccine option in the U.S., for the first time, but it’s been authorized for use as a primary vaccine series since early 2022. Previously, it was only available for those who hadn’t received a mRNA vaccine—an alternative for those who either couldn’t or…
The 2000s, in some ways, feel, culturally, neither here nor there: They don’t have the strong neon vibe we associate with the 1980s, and lack the grunge appeal of the ‘90s. There’s plenty to appreciate, however, in movies over the decade that was bookended by blockbusters: Lord of the Rings in the early years, and Iron…
“Naked pizza” might sound confusing at first, if not slightly scandalous. After all, half of the fun is adding flavorful toppings, so what is the allure of nude dough? A naked pizza is more than its title; think of it as a starting point for alternative toppings. The technique is simple, but you’re going to need some …
The word “chili” can mean a lot of different things, depending on where you are in the country. Setting chili peppers aside, the dish known as “chili” can take a few forms, most commonly a mess of meat or beans or some combination of the two, usually swimming in a base of tomato, garlic, onion, and (of course) chili…
Spicy food is a lifelong adventure. Even for the wary, the sensitive, the adamantly spice-less, there’s usually a moment when unexpected spice makes its way into the hors d’oeuvres at an event or at a family gathering–and it’s pretty good. Fear strikes, but after that moment passes, you kind of don’t hate what just…
Having a higher credit limit on your credit card can be beneficial in several ways. It can help improve your credit score by lowering your credit utilization ratio. It also gives you more purchasing power and flexibility with your spending. But automatic credit limit increases aren’t automatic—you have to ask your…
Before the explosion of streaming services, watching a rousing cricket match could be a sticky wicket in the United States, but these days, it’s easy, mate. Badgers (extreme cricket fans) can watch all 48 matches from cricket’s ICC ODI World Cup from their living rooms, even if they don’t have cable TV, so there’s no…
Open enrollment for the next U.S. healthcare plan year kicks off Nov. 1—and the process can be overwhelming, to say the least. As you review your employer-provided health insurance options, it’s easy to make mistakes that could negatively impact your coverage and costs for the next year. Even if you consider yourself…
If you’re looking to get a jump on your student loan application for next year, you’re going to have to wait: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) won’t open until sometime in December. Since 2016, the FAFSA for the upcoming academic year has opened on Oct. 1—however, the process is currently being…
When facing what feels like a crushing amount of debt, you may be tempted to resign yourself to feeling hopeless and alone. This is understandable, given how society tends to treat debt like a personal problem—your mistake, your job to deal with the consequences. But debtors’ unions are trying to change that.
Get ready for a little chaos on Wednesday afternoon, because a test of the national Wireless Emergency Alerts will happen between 2:20 and 2:50 p.m. EDT. (That’s 11:20 to 11:50 a.m. on the West Coast.) If you have a burner phone that needs to stay hidden, or a baby who sleeps during that time, you may want to be…
International travel is about to get a little easier for the more than 12 million members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Global Entry program. Earlier this month, GBP announced the launch of a new mobile app which would allow Global Entry members to complete their arrival processing on their phone…
From the beginning, Raspberry Pi’s mission has been to offer capable computers to beginners and experts alike, at a remarkably affordable price. That doesn’t change with the company’s latest device. Yes, after years of processor shortages and supply chain disruption, the Raspberry 5 is nearly here, and you can…
Air fried key lime pie is a cheater’s pie if I ever saw one. It doesn’t contain any true key limes, just your average, run of the mill, bottled lime juice. The batter is made in a food processor, and it bakes up in 10 minutes or less with the help of the air fryer. Is this even a baking project? Who can say? What I…
Student loan bills are due once again after a pandemic hiatus (yes, even if the government shuts down). The Biden administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan allows many borrowers to lower their monthly payments—some all the way to $0—but some people may also qualify for grants or loan forgiveness…
The 2023 college football season is in full swing, and it’s the end of an era. Division I is in the midst of a historic realignment—the once-mighty Pac-12 is now down to only four teams, and there are currently 18 teams in the “Big 10.” All this shifting around will leave college football’s 2024 season looking …
Some podcasts have fans, and some podcasts have super fans. A show has to be really great to entice its listeners to join its Patreon and subreddit, buy its merch and attend its live events. These are fans who self-identify as members of the podcast’s community, taking on names like “Thought Leaders,” “Spoon Nation,”…
There’s a new COVID booster at pharmacies, and the simple thing to say about it is this: It’s good, it’s free, and you should get it. Unfortunately, the process of getting one of these shots isn’t going smoothly for everyone, with some people being told they’ll need to pay for it, and some having appointments canceled…
A health savings account (HSA) is a smart way to store away extra cash, tax free, to pay for approved medical expenses. Essentially, it’s a personal savings account that can be used only for medical expenses. While the option to open an HSA is typically offered by your employer, you still have options even if you…
Thinking about our healthcare system gets me so worked up, I need to take a hit from the inhaler that I can barely afford. Although I’m lucky to be employed and (mostly) healthy, budgeting for healthcare is still a nightmare. Unexpected health expenses can take a devastating bite out of your budget if you don’t plan…
Inbox management, like so much else, is a necessary evil in our day-to-day lives. As such, it’s best handled with the use of a strict system. Also like so much else, finding the right system is time-intensive and adds a new layer of stress onto an already annoying task. Here’s a system that’s simple, doesn’t take a…
The biggest original title coming to Paramount+ in October may be the revival of Frasier, with Kelsey Grammer reprising his role in the new series set in Boston. There are 10 episodes expected to be released this fall—the first two are dropping on the streaming service on October 12.
Max’s October slate includes the second season of the 19th-century period piece The Gilded Age (October 29), as well as season two of the 18th-century pirate drama Our Flag Means Death (October 5). Docu-fans may also enjoy The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring featuring the then-teenagers responsible robbing…
Much of the time, language evolves in subtle ways. New words and phrases enter our collective vocabulary through pop culture and current events—like “wardrobe malfunction” or “masking.”