{
  "dataset": "money-numbers",
  "title": "The 2026 money numbers",
  "taxYear": 2026,
  "asOf": "2026-09-17",
  "refreshSeconds": 21600,
  "figures": [
    {
      "id": "401k-elective-deferral",
      "label": "401(k) / 403(b) / most 457 plans",
      "section": "retirement",
      "sectionTitle": "Retirement contribution limits",
      "amount": 24500,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$24,500",
      "note": "up $1,000 from 2025",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: DEFERRAL_LIMIT_401K_2026",
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-notice-2025-67",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Notice 2025-67 — retirement plan cost-of-living adjustments for 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-retirement-limits"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "401k-catch-up-age-50",
      "label": "401(k) catch-up, age 50+",
      "section": "retirement",
      "sectionTitle": "Retirement contribution limits",
      "amount": 8000,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "+$8,000",
      "note": "$32,500 total",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: CATCH_UP_401K_2026",
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-notice-2025-67",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Notice 2025-67 — retirement plan cost-of-living adjustments for 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-retirement-limits"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "401k-catch-up-age-60-to-63",
      "label": "401(k) super catch-up, age 60 to 63",
      "section": "retirement",
      "sectionTitle": "Retirement contribution limits",
      "amount": 11250,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "+$11,250",
      "note": "$35,750 total",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: CATCH_UP_401K_60_TO_63_2026",
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-notice-2025-67",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Notice 2025-67 — retirement plan cost-of-living adjustments for 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-retirement-limits"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "ira-contribution-limit",
      "label": "IRA (traditional or Roth)",
      "section": "retirement",
      "sectionTitle": "Retirement contribution limits",
      "amount": 7500,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$7,500",
      "note": "up $500 from 2025",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: IRA_LIMIT_2026",
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-notice-2025-67",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Notice 2025-67 — retirement plan cost-of-living adjustments for 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-retirement-limits"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "ira-catch-up-age-50",
      "label": "IRA catch-up, age 50+",
      "section": "retirement",
      "sectionTitle": "Retirement contribution limits",
      "amount": 1100,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "+$1,100",
      "note": "$8,600 total",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: IRA_LIMIT_50_PLUS_2026",
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-notice-2025-67",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Notice 2025-67 — retirement plan cost-of-living adjustments for 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-retirement-limits"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "roth-catch-up-wage-threshold",
      "label": "Roth catch-up rule",
      "section": "retirement",
      "sectionTitle": "Retirement contribution limits",
      "amount": 150000,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$150,000+",
      "note": "earned over $150k last year? 401(k) catch-ups must now be Roth",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-notice-2025-67",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Notice 2025-67 — retirement plan cost-of-living adjustments for 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-retirement-limits"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "hsa-limit-self-only",
      "label": "Self-only coverage",
      "section": "hsa",
      "sectionTitle": "HSA limits",
      "amount": 4400,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$4,400",
      "note": "up $100 from 2025",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-rev-proc-2025-19",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — HSA inflation-adjusted amounts for 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-19.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "hsa-limit-family",
      "label": "Family coverage",
      "section": "hsa",
      "sectionTitle": "HSA limits",
      "amount": 8750,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$8,750",
      "note": "up $200 from 2025",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-rev-proc-2025-19",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — HSA inflation-adjusted amounts for 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-19.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "hsa-catch-up-age-55",
      "label": "Catch-up, age 55+",
      "section": "hsa",
      "sectionTitle": "HSA limits",
      "amount": 1000,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "+$1,000",
      "note": "set by statute, not indexed to inflation",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-pub-969",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Publication 969 — Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/publications/p969",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "standard-deduction-single",
      "label": "Standard deduction, single",
      "section": "taxes",
      "sectionTitle": "Tax year 2026",
      "amount": 16100,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$16,100",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: STANDARD_DEDUCTION.single",
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-rev-proc-2025-32",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — inflation-adjusted items for tax year 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-32.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-inflation-adjustments"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "standard-deduction-married-filing-jointly",
      "label": "Standard deduction, married filing jointly",
      "section": "taxes",
      "sectionTitle": "Tax year 2026",
      "amount": 32200,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$32,200",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: STANDARD_DEDUCTION.married",
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-rev-proc-2025-32",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — inflation-adjusted items for tax year 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-32.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-inflation-adjustments"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "standard-deduction-head-of-household",
      "label": "Standard deduction, head of household",
      "section": "taxes",
      "sectionTitle": "Tax year 2026",
      "amount": 24150,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$24,150",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: STANDARD_DEDUCTION.hoh",
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-rev-proc-2025-32",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — inflation-adjusted items for tax year 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-32.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-inflation-adjustments"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "senior-deduction",
      "label": "Extra senior deduction, 65+",
      "section": "taxes",
      "sectionTitle": "Tax year 2026",
      "amount": 6000,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$6,000",
      "note": "per person, 2025 through 2028; phases out above $75k income ($150k joint)",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "usc-26-151",
        "publisher": "Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives",
        "document": "26 U.S.C. § 151(d)(5)(C) — deduction for seniors",
        "url": "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title26-section151&num=0&edition=prelim",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "gift-tax-annual-exclusion",
      "label": "Annual gift exclusion",
      "section": "taxes",
      "sectionTitle": "Tax year 2026",
      "amount": 19000,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$19,000",
      "note": "per recipient, no tax or paperwork",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "irs-rev-proc-2025-32",
        "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
        "document": "Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — inflation-adjusted items for tax year 2026",
        "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-32.pdf",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "irs-inflation-adjustments"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "social-security-cola-2026",
      "label": "2026 benefit increase (COLA)",
      "section": "social-security",
      "sectionTitle": "Social Security",
      "amount": 2.8,
      "unit": "percent",
      "display": "2.8%",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "ssa-cola-2026",
        "publisher": "Social Security Administration",
        "document": "Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations for 2026, 90 FR 49047 (Nov. 3, 2025)",
        "url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/03/2025-19763/cost-of-living-increase-and-other-determinations-for-2026",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "social-security-wage-base"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "social-security-cola-2027-projected",
      "label": "Projected 2027 COLA",
      "section": "social-security",
      "sectionTitle": "Social Security",
      "amount": 3.4,
      "unit": "percent",
      "display": "~3.4%",
      "note": "two of three CPI-W months are in; the official figure lands in October",
      "projected": true,
      "basis": "Far Better Off's own projection, not a published figure. SSA's increase is the Jul-Sep average of CPI-W against the same quarter a year earlier (42 U.S.C. § 415(i)), rounded to 0.1%. July (327.104) and August (328.481) 2026 are published; holding September at August's level against the 2025 Q3 average of 317.265 gives 3.39%, which rounds to 3.4%. On the two published months alone it is 3.3%.",
      "source": {
        "id": "bls-cpi-w",
        "publisher": "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
        "document": "CPI-W, all items, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted (CWUR0000SA0)",
        "url": "https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CWUR0000SA0",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "social-security-wage-base",
      "label": "Wage base (earnings taxed for SS)",
      "section": "social-security",
      "sectionTitle": "Social Security",
      "amount": 184500,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$184,500",
      "note": "up from $176,100",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: SS_WAGE_BASE",
      "source": {
        "id": "ssa-cola-2026",
        "publisher": "Social Security Administration",
        "document": "Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations for 2026, 90 FR 49047 (Nov. 3, 2025)",
        "url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/03/2025-19763/cost-of-living-increase-and-other-determinations-for-2026",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
        "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
        "vintageId": "social-security-wage-base"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "social-security-full-retirement-age",
      "label": "Full retirement age",
      "section": "social-security",
      "sectionTitle": "Social Security",
      "amount": 67,
      "unit": "years",
      "display": "67",
      "note": "for everyone born in 1960 or later",
      "projected": false,
      "library": "@calcwise/finance: SS_FULL_RETIREMENT_AGE",
      "source": {
        "id": "usc-42-416",
        "publisher": "Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives",
        "document": "42 U.S.C. § 416(l)(1)(E) — retirement age",
        "url": "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section416&num=0&edition=prelim",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "i-bond-composite-rate",
      "label": "Series I savings bonds",
      "section": "savings",
      "sectionTitle": "Safe places for cash",
      "amount": 4.26,
      "unit": "percent",
      "display": "4.26%",
      "note": "for bonds bought through October 31, 2026 · 0.90% fixed portion",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "treasurydirect-i-bond-rates",
        "publisher": "TreasuryDirect, U.S. Department of the Treasury",
        "document": "I bonds interest rates",
        "url": "https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/i-bonds/i-bonds-interest-rates/",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "i-bond-annual-purchase-limit",
      "label": "I bond purchase limit",
      "section": "savings",
      "sectionTitle": "Safe places for cash",
      "amount": 10000,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$10,000",
      "note": "per person, per year (electronic)",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "treasurydirect-i-bonds",
        "publisher": "TreasuryDirect, U.S. Department of the Treasury",
        "document": "I bonds — how much can I buy",
        "url": "https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/i-bonds/",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "fdic-deposit-insurance-limit",
      "label": "FDIC insurance limit",
      "section": "savings",
      "sectionTitle": "Safe places for cash",
      "amount": 250000,
      "unit": "usd",
      "display": "$250,000",
      "note": "per depositor, per bank, per ownership category",
      "projected": false,
      "source": {
        "id": "fdic-deposit-insurance",
        "publisher": "Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation",
        "document": "Deposit Insurance",
        "url": "https://www.fdic.gov/resources/deposit-insurance/",
        "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
      }
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "irs-notice-2025-67",
      "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
      "document": "Notice 2025-67 — retirement plan cost-of-living adjustments for 2026",
      "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-25-67.pdf",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
      "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
      "vintageId": "irs-retirement-limits"
    },
    {
      "id": "irs-rev-proc-2025-32",
      "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
      "document": "Rev. Proc. 2025-32 — inflation-adjusted items for tax year 2026",
      "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-32.pdf",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
      "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
      "vintageId": "irs-inflation-adjustments"
    },
    {
      "id": "irs-rev-proc-2025-19",
      "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
      "document": "Rev. Proc. 2025-19 — HSA inflation-adjusted amounts for 2026",
      "url": "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-19.pdf",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
    },
    {
      "id": "irs-pub-969",
      "publisher": "Internal Revenue Service",
      "document": "Publication 969 — Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans",
      "url": "https://www.irs.gov/publications/p969",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
    },
    {
      "id": "usc-26-151",
      "publisher": "Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives",
      "document": "26 U.S.C. § 151(d)(5)(C) — deduction for seniors",
      "url": "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title26-section151&num=0&edition=prelim",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
    },
    {
      "id": "usc-42-416",
      "publisher": "Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives",
      "document": "42 U.S.C. § 416(l)(1)(E) — retirement age",
      "url": "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title42-section416&num=0&edition=prelim",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
    },
    {
      "id": "ssa-cola-2026",
      "publisher": "Social Security Administration",
      "document": "Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations for 2026, 90 FR 49047 (Nov. 3, 2025)",
      "url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/03/2025-19763/cost-of-living-increase-and-other-determinations-for-2026",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17",
      "supersededFrom": "2027-01-01",
      "vintageId": "social-security-wage-base"
    },
    {
      "id": "bls-cpi-w",
      "publisher": "U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
      "document": "CPI-W, all items, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted (CWUR0000SA0)",
      "url": "https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CWUR0000SA0",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
    },
    {
      "id": "treasurydirect-i-bond-rates",
      "publisher": "TreasuryDirect, U.S. Department of the Treasury",
      "document": "I bonds interest rates",
      "url": "https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/i-bonds/i-bonds-interest-rates/",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
    },
    {
      "id": "treasurydirect-i-bonds",
      "publisher": "TreasuryDirect, U.S. Department of the Treasury",
      "document": "I bonds — how much can I buy",
      "url": "https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/i-bonds/",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
    },
    {
      "id": "fdic-deposit-insurance",
      "publisher": "Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation",
      "document": "Deposit Insurance",
      "url": "https://www.fdic.gov/resources/deposit-insurance/",
      "retrieved": "2026-09-17"
    }
  ],
  "caveats": [
    "Transcribed figures, not computed ones. Every amount here is what the cited document says; the one exception is the projected 2027 COLA, which carries projected: true and states its own arithmetic in basis.",
    "A limit is not a rule. Most of these have eligibility tests, phase-outs and edge cases a single number cannot carry — the Roth catch-up threshold is a prior-year wage test, the senior deduction phases out on modified AGI, and the FDIC limit is per depositor, per bank, per ownership category.",
    "Tax year 2026 figures, which are the numbers on the return filed in early 2027 — not the return filed in 2026.",
    "Educational information, not financial or tax advice."
  ],
  "citation": "Far Better Off, \"The 2026 money numbers\", https://farbetteroff.com/money-numbers (figures for tax year 2026, last checked September 2026).",
  "meta": {
    "source": "https://farbetteroff.com",
    "page": "https://farbetteroff.com/money-numbers",
    "docs": "https://farbetteroff.com/api/v1",
    "library": "@calcwise/finance",
    "license": "MIT — the library. The figures are published federal facts; quote them freely.",
    "disclaimer": "Educational information, not financial or tax advice."
  }
}