Good morning. Some of the biggest threats to your money aren't dramatic, they're unnoticed gaps: a phone call, a missed tax bill, a new tax rule. Today's stories show how fast those small openings turn into real losses, and what closes them before they do.
On The Money Today:
A GOP senator broke ranks on a Social Security fix most of his party has avoided for years
One unpaid tax bill that cost a family their $200K home
Scammers called back mid-investigation, not knowing who was sitting in the room
Let's get into it.
Without a fix, automatic cuts hit your benefit by 2032. Bernie Moreno and Elizabeth Warren, who rarely agree on anything, are co-sponsoring a bill that could change that math. The catch is in who picks up the tab.
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Isabella County seized the Pungs' house, auctioned it for $76,008, and the buyer flipped it 18 months later for $195,000. The Supreme Court sided with the county, and the ruling spells out exactly what could've saved the family's home before it ever got that far.
A 79-year-old Florida woman had already lost $200,000 to a crypto scam when the same crooks called back to arrange another pickup, not realizing detectives were sitting right there. Americans 60 and older reported $7.7 billion in losses last year alone, and investigators say one simple habit shuts this scam down before it starts.
MONEY IQ
What percentage of U.S. property owners were behind on their taxes last year?
ALSO MAKING THE ROUNDS TODAY
MONEY IQ ANSWER: HOW DID YOU DO?
The answer is C) 5% — Cotality's 2025 Property Tax Delinquency Report puts the real national rate at 5.1%, the highest it's been since 2019. That's the same exposure that cost the Pungs their home.
That's a wrap for today! Before you go, we'd love to know what you thought of today's newsletter. Hit REPLY if you have more to share — we read every one.
See you soon with another quick roundup of the financial news that matters.
