Reason Financial
Giving in 2026: What the New Charitable Rules Change Before December 31
Charitable rules change in 2026 for itemizers, non-itemizers and QCDs. What changed, and what families should review with Reason Tax before December 31.
Read MoreThe Longest Commute in San Diego: Gray Whales, Point Loma, and a 10,000 Mile Round Trip
Gray whales pass Point Loma each winter on a roughly 10,000-mile round trip. When to look, how to spot them, and why San Diego gets the best front-row seat.
Read MoreWhich Cars Hold Their Value (and Which Don’t)
A 2026 ranking of 950,000+ used cars shows the Porsche 718 Cayman loses 9.6% over five years and the Nissan LEAF 63.1%. See which models hold their value best.
Read MoreAmerica at 250: A Birthday Worth Sitting With for a Moment
The United States just turned 250 — and the story reads surprisingly well as a series of 50-year check-ins. Founding-era population the size of San Diego County, two presidents with impeccable dramatic timing, a telephone demo in Philadelphia, quarters you’re still finding in your change — and one compounding machine that started counting in 1926.
Read MoreAmerican Teens Aren’t Working Summer Jobs Like They Used To
This Chartr line chart tracks the share of U.S. 16- to 19-year-olds who were employed from 1950 through 2025, split into summer (May to July, orange) and the rest of the year (blue). Both lines drift lower over the decades, and the familiar summer-job bump between them has narrowed. In pandemic-hit 2020 the gap nearly…
Read MoreHybrid Long-Term Care: Coverage That Isn’t Wasted + Tax-Smart Way to Fund It
Long-term care keeps coming up in client conversations, usually when someone is helping a parent through it and starts thinking about their own plan. The good news is that the use-it-or-lose-it policy most people remember is no longer the only choice: asset-based coverage repositions an old annuity or idle cash into care benefits worth a multiple of what you put in, and a Pension Protection Act rule lets an annuity’s gains fund qualified care income-tax-free instead of coming out as ordinary income. We walk through how it works, a worked example, and who it fits (and doesn’t).
Read MoreIt’s Now More Common To Have A Baby In Your Thirties Than In Your Twenties
This Chartr multi-line chart plots annual U.S. births by maternal age group from 1995 to 2025 (under 20, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, and over 40), with CDC as the source. Younger age lines fall over time while the 30-34 line rises and finishes as the highest series. A callout marks 2007 at 4.3 million total…
Read MoreWhen Does Refinancing Actually Make Sense? A 2026 Reality Check
If you locked in a mortgage at 7% or higher in 2023 or 2024, you’ve probably been watching rates with one eye open for a while now. Thirty-year fixed rates have settled into the low 6% range. Freddie Mac’s weekly average hit 6.23% as of April 23, 2026, down from 6.30% the prior week. That’s…
Read MoreRobot Umps, Cap Taps, and the New Game Within the Game
By Team Reason | Reason Financial & Tax If you’ve watched a baseball game this season you’ve noticed something new. A batter freezes on a called third strike, pauses for a beat, then reaches up and taps his helmet. The stadium screen flashes an animated pitch trajectory. The crowd holds its breath. And then: ball…
Read MoreHow Valentines Day is like Tax Day
ROSES ARE RED, TAXES ARE DUE: HOW VALENTINE’s DAY IS BASICALLY APRIL 15th IN DISGUISE At first glance, Valentine’s Day and the tax deadline seem like opposites. One promises romance, chocolates, and candlelit dinners. The other delivers receipts, spreadsheets, and mild panic. But look a little closer, and you’ll realize they have more in common…
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