The United States Supreme Court could soon give greater clarity to how intellectual disability is determined. On December 10, 2025, the Court will hear oral arguments in Hamm v. Smith, a case that involves an Alabama death-row inmate who may escape the death sentence depending on whether he is found to be intellectually disabled. At issue is whether IQ test scores alone are sufficient when determining if a person is intellectually disabled — a designation that under U.S. law can make someone ineligible for the death penalty.

Last month, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving published a joint report titled Caregiving in the U.S. 2025: Caring Across States. According to the research, an estimated 63 million Americans are serving as family caregivers. That is roughly one in four adults providing often unpaid care for a relative or friend with a disability, chronic illness, or other serious condition. The report also shows how caregiver experiences can vary across states.

Social Security wasn’t meant to be a primary source of income for retirees when it was first created in 1935. It sought to provide an umbrella of protection for people who couldn’t save enough for retirement. Most Americans didn’t think much about Social Security, perhaps because they were living shorter lives and relying on guaranteed incomes.

Nowadays, however, you might wonder how you can increase your Social Security retirement benefits. In fact, you may be able to double or even triple your monthly checks. Read on for potential strategies available to you.

As the calendar turns to January, we are often inundated with messages about New Year’s Resolutions. While the sentiment is good, resolutions tend to be vague wishes (I want to save more money).

For 2026, we encourage you to move beyond resolutions and focus on SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

As the year winds down, it is easy to get swept up in the holiday rush of gift-giving, travel, and celebrations. However, the end of the year is arguably the most critical time to pause and take the pulse of your financial life.

Think of this as your annual physical, but for your wallet. A systematic review now can uncover gaps in your coverage, identify opportunities for savings, and set the stage for a prosperous New Year.

We often treat estate planning as a one-and-done task. You sign the papers, file them in a safe deposit box, and breathe a sigh of relief knowing your affairs are in order.

However, an estate plan is meant to be a living strategy, not a static archive. As your life evolves, your documents should evolve with it. An outdated plan can sometimes be just as complicated for your loved ones as having no plan at all so it's time to pull those documents out of the drawer and give them a thorough review.

More than one in three people with disabilities rely on Medicaid, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Jointly funded by states and the federal government, Medicaid is a public assistance program that provides health insurance to people with limited income and resources, including those with disabilities.

A slight raise in benefits payments is coming in 2026 for Americans who rely on Social Security disability benefits programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Every October, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announces the next year’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).