Ashlea Ebeling
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Personal Finance Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
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Articles by Ashlea Ebeling
Inflation Jump Will Push Social Security Benefits Up 3.6%
Amount of earnings subject to Social Security tax will rise to $192,300 Inflation is on the rise, and retirees will get more money to help offset it. Their Social Security benefits will increase by 3.6% in 2027, reflecting higher inflation and boosting the average retiree’s annual benefits by about $900. This cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is the highest since 2023, and it follows this year’s 2.8% increase. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
A guide to buying bonds when yields are on the rise
With 10-year Treasury yields hitting multidecade highs, some investors are looking to add more fixed income to their portfolios. They are moving cash to 2-year Treasurys , building ladders of Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities and buying target-maturity bond funds Bonds can offer income, safety and diversification. But for those wading in, they also come with a unique set of risks. One mistake novice buyers make is chasing yields for yields' sake.
Surprise, your child has a ‘Trump account.' Here's what to know.
The Treasury Department has now created Trump Accounts for every eligible child, raising a host of considerations for parents and guardians. The new type of savings account is a custodial individual retirement account for children, with special rules until the year the child turns 18. For the next few years, the Trump Accounts come with $1,000 of seed money from the Treasury Department for newborns. That money will grow tax-deferred, with income taxes due upon withdrawal.
Trump accounts' extraordinary expansion puts individual stocks into kids' holdings
With two sweeping late-September changes, the Treasury Department transformed the Trump Accounts program into something new and extraordinary: A universal child investment vehicle where millions of kids will receive donated stocks in individual companies that they can't reject and can't sell for five years. Before last week, Trump Accounts were a novel, optional index-fund investment for children with about seven million sign-ups. The government was seeding newborns' accounts with $1,000.
Trump Accounts’ Extraordinary Expansion Puts Individual Stocks Into Kids’ Holdings
Latest shift ties children’s wealth building directly to the fate of particular companies With two sweeping late-September changes, the Treasury Department transformed the Trump Accounts program into something new and extraordinary: A universal child investment vehicle where millions of kids will receive donated stocks in individual companies that they can’t reject and can’t sell for five years.
Trump Accounts’ Extraordinary Expansion Puts Individual Stocks Into Kids’ Holdings
Latest shift ties children’s wealth building directly to the fate of particular companies With two sweeping late-September changes, the Treasury Department transformed the Trump Accounts program into something new and extraordinary: A universal child investment vehicle where millions of kids will receive donated stocks in individual companies. The catch? Children and their parents can’t pick the stocks or reject donated shares, and they can’t sell for five years.
School-Choice Tax Credit Gets Big Boost From Treasury — WSJ
School-Choice Tax Credit Gets Big Boost From Treasury — WSJ By Richard Rubin and Ashlea Ebeling WASHINGTON-The Treasury Department will let married couples count as two taxpayers for a novel school-choice tax credit, significantly expanding a program that is expected to funnel tens of billions of dollars to private and public schools. Under rules proposed Thursday, married couples who donate $3,400 to certain scholarship granting groups can get a full dollar-for-dollar tax credit.
School-Choice Tax Credit Gets Big Boost From Treasury
Married couples can donate double, making tax break worth $3,400, not $1,700 WASHINGTON—The Treasury Department will let married couples count as two taxpayers for a novel school-choice tax credit, significantly expanding a program that is expected to funnel tens of billions of dollars to private and public schools. Under rules proposed Thursday, married couples who donate $3,400 to certain scholarship granting groups can get a full dollar-for-dollar tax credit.
Treasury will auto-enroll 60 million children in Trump accounts
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Treasury will auto-enroll 60 million children in Trump accounts
The Treasury Department will automatically enroll tens of millions of children in the government's new Trump Accounts as soon as this week, replacing the previous structure that required parents or guardians to sign up, the agency said in rules published Tuesday. The shift to automatic enrollment will ensure much broader access to the child investment accounts, creating them for more than 60 million additional children under age 18, according to the Treasury Department .
Treasury Will Auto-Enroll 60 Million Children in Trump Accounts
New rules also ease path for wealthy donors to contribute stock The Treasury Department will automatically enroll tens of millions of children in the government’s new Trump Accounts as soon as this week, replacing the previous structure that required parents or guardians to sign up, the agency said in rules published Tuesday.
Treasury Will Auto-Enroll 60 Million Children in Trump Accounts
“Stakeholders have expressed that eligible donors prefer that their contributions reach all children, not just children whose parents have the awareness to opt in,” the rules say. The administration rolled out Trump Accounts with fanfare in early July, pushing them as a way for children to save and invest well before they could typically qualify for some other tax-advantaged accounts. As of the end of July, the Treasury Department had processed 5.6 million forms to open the accounts.
The IRS Is Cracking Down on a Favorite Way the Ultrawealthy Pass On Money
One family fights $736 million gift tax bill on its GRATs while popular trusts proliferate Wealthy Americans have for years used a popular type of trust to transfer fortunes to their children without paying hefty gift and estate taxes. Now they are on high alert. The Internal Revenue Service is calling foul on an heiress who used the strategy—and is slapping her and her husband with a $736 million tax bill.
The IRS is cracking down on a favorite way the ultrawealthy pass on money
Wealthy Americans have for years used a popular type of trust to transfer fortunes to their children without paying hefty gift and estate taxes. Now they're on high alert. The Internal Revenue Service is calling foul on an heiress who used the strategy—and is slapping her and her husband with a $736 million tax bill.
The IRS Is Cracking Down on a Favorite Way the Ultrawealthy Pass On Money
They Gave the Kids the Lake House and Filed a Gift-Tax Return Showing Nothing Owed. Three Years Later the IRS Lost the Right to Ever Argue About What the House Was Worth A gift tax return sitting in your file cabinet may be the most valuable piece of paper you own, not because it reported tax you owed, but because it …
特朗普承诺取消对爱尔兰威士忌的10%关税
美国总统特朗普周日在爱尔兰高尔夫公开赛上出人意料地宣布了一项贸易决定，他在颁奖仪式前表示，计划取消美国对爱尔兰威士忌征收的10%关税。 “大家一直缠着我问：‘能帮个忙吗？现在的情况太不公平了。能不能取消对爱尔兰威士忌的关税？’”特朗普在将奖杯颁发给沙恩·劳瑞(Shane Lowry)之前说道。特朗普表示，劳瑞和他谈过这件事，爱尔兰总理米哈尔·马丁(Micheál Martin)也谈过。 Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
トランプ氏、アイルランド産ウイスキーへの10％関税撤廃を表明
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.
Trump pledges to rescind 10% tariff on Irish whiskey
President Trump made a surprise trade announcement at the Irish Open golf tournament on Sunday, saying before the trophy ceremony that he plans to rescind the U.S.'s 10% tariff on Irish whiskey. “Everybody's been bugging me about this one thing: ‘Would you do me a favor? It's so unfair what's going on. Could you possibly take the tariffs off of Irish whiskey?'” Trump said before handing the trophy to Shane Lowry.
Social Security COLA Is on Pace to Rise About 3.4% for 2027 — WSJ
Social Security COLA Is on Pace to Rise About 3.4% for 2027 — WSJ With one month to go until the official estimate, Social Security recipients are on track to pocket a bigger raise in 2027 because of inflation. If inflation climbs in line with its recent trend in the next month, recipients' monthly checks will rise by about 3.4% in 2027, according to estimates from the nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. AARP expects a 3.6% increase.
A Guide to Owning Bonds When They Are Selling Off
Advisers say fixed income still has a place in a diversified portfolio The Treasury Department in Washington. Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg News A global bond market rout stretching from the U.S. to Japan is making investors skittish, but it doesn’t erase the value of fixed income in a diversified portfolio. For those thinking of buying, the market ructions have made bond yields more attractive, financial advisers say. Over 80% of the global bond market now yields above 4%, according to BlackRock.
A guide to owning bonds when they are selling off
A global bond market rout stretching from the U.S. to Japan is making investors skittish, but it doesn't erase the value of fixed income in a diversified portfolio. For those thinking of buying, the market ructions have made bond yields more attractive, financial advisers say. Over 80% of the global bond market now yields above 4%, according to BlackRock. The asset manager says the average yield in a bond portfolio it tracks has more than doubled from five years earlier.
A Guide to Owning Bonds When They Are Selling Off — WSJ
By Veronica Dagher and Ashlea Ebeling A global bond market rout stretching from the U.S. to Japan is making investors skittish, but it doesn't erase the value of fixed income in a diversified portfolio. For those thinking of buying, the market ructions have made bond yields more attractive, financial advisers say. Over 80% of the global bond market now yields above 4%, according to BlackRock.
A Disinherited Niece Takes On Her Aunt’s Care, and Is Now Facing Theft Charges
Aug. 29, 2026 12:03 pm ET Rhonda Lynn Orr was written out of her aunt’s estate in 2013. By the time the pandemic rolled around, she had turned up again in her aunt’s life and taken charge of her care. Soon after, authorities say Orr drained at least $690,000 from her aunt’s accounts. Now, Orr is in jail facing charges of theft from a vulnerable adult. Her aunt is under the care of a court-appointed guardian. In an interview from jail, Orr disputed the charges.
Was his home Connecticut or Florida? The difference is a $13 million tax bill
After Jack Anderson died in 2015, an unexpected bill arrived. The state of Connecticut said his estate owed $13.2 million in estate and gift taxes. The executor of Anderson's estate, a longtime family confidant named Les Daniels, disagreed. How could the estate be subject to these Connecticut taxes when his late friend's official home was a 9,700-square-foot oceanfront mansion in Vero Beach, Fla.? That is where Anderson pursued his astronomy hobby and had a custom observatory.
Was His Home Connecticut or Florida? The Difference Is a $13 Million Tax Bill
The pool at the Anderson home in Vero Beach, Fla. Supreme Court of the State of Connecticut After Jack Anderson died in 2015, an unexpected bill arrived. The state of Connecticut said his estate owed $13.2 million in estate and gift taxes. The executor of Anderson’s estate, a longtime family confidant named Les Daniels, disagreed. How could the estate be subject to these Connecticut taxes when his late friend’s official home was a 9,700-square-foot oceanfront mansion in Vero Beach, Fla.?
'Trump accounts' are now live. Here's what to know.
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硅谷痴迷“信托叠加”引发美国国税局不满
一项深受公司创始人和天使投资者青睐的热门税收减免政策规模正迅速膨胀，以至于引起了特朗普(Trump)政府的不满。 争议焦点在于所谓的“信托叠加”，这种做法将小企业投资者的税收减免福利成倍放大，达到两倍、三倍、四倍甚至更多。“合格小企业股票”(Qualified Small Business Stock, 简称QSBS)税收减免政策允许创始人从应税收入中扣除最高1,500万美元的资本利得。但人们正试图通过将股份转移到以亲属名义设立的信托中，来扣除6,000万美元甚至更多收益。 Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Silicon Valley Is Obsessed With ‘Trust Stacking,’ and the IRS Doesn’t Like It
June 29, 2026 12:00 pm ET A hot tax break beloved by company founders and angel investors is expanding so rapidly that it is drawing the ire of the Trump administration. At issue is what is known as trust stacking, which multiplies the benefits of a tax break for investors in small companies by two, three, four or even more times. The Qualified Small Business Stock tax break, or QSBS, allows founders to exclude up to $15 million in capital gains from their taxable income.
The Unanswered Questions About Trump Accounts That Parents Need to Know
Updated June 11, 2026 2:45 pm ET Children won’t be able to access the money until the year they turn 18. Ramsay de Give for WSJ The launch of Trump Accounts for children is rapidly approaching, but parents eager to set them up are still waiting for some key details on how they will work. The investment accounts are set to launch July 4, and they could be a good way to kick-start retirement savings for children.
スペースX社員の「資産運用」集中講座
米宇宙開発企業スペースXの従業員らは、間もなく手にする巨額の臨時収入をどうすべきか急いで検討している。 スペースXで働いていたある人物は、ハイテク企業の従業員を顧客とする資産アドバイザーのエリック・フランクリン氏と議論を続けている。この元従業員が保有するスペースX株の価値は、同社が先週設定した新規株式公開（IPO）価格を基にすると2140万ドル（約34億3000万円）に上り、同氏の世帯の投資可能純資産の93％に相当する。フランクリン氏はこの元従業員に、同社の上場後に保有株を減らすことを勧めている。 Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
SpaceX Employees Get a Crash Course in How the Rich Handle Money
SpaceX employees are racing to figure out what to do with their coming bonanzas. One person who used to work at the company has been in a debate with Eric Franklin, a wealth adviser who caters to tech-company employees. The former employee has company shares worth $21.4 million at the IPO price SpaceX set last week, which represents 93% of his household’s investible net worth. Franklin wants his client to whittle down his holdings once the company goes public.
SpaceX Employees Get a Crash Course in How the Rich Handle Money
SpaceX employees are racing to figure out what to do with their coming bonanzas. One person who used to work at the company has been in a debate with Eric Franklin, a wealth adviser who caters to tech-company employees. The former employee has company shares worth $21.4 million at the IPO price SpaceX set last week, which represents 93% of his household’s investible net worth. Franklin wants his client to whittle down his holdings once the company goes public.
SpaceX employees get a crash course in how the rich handle money
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A Breakdown of the Deal Protecting Trump From IRS Audits
President Trump’s settlement with the IRS comes with an extraordinary addendum. The one-page document gives Trump immunity from Internal Revenue Service audits for past tax returns and extends the protections to his family and others in his circle. Here’s a line-by-line look at the deal: Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
One Small Fortune, 36 Grandkids and an Inheritance Stuck in Limbo
A family’s fight over a retirement account shows the pitfalls around updating beneficiary information Valerie and Edward Lyon were married for 68 years and had 12 children and 36 grandchildren. Alice Lyon Ed Lyon, a pioneering urologist at the University of Chicago, wanted his retirement account to go to his 36 grandchildren. Seven years after his death, his heirs are still fighting to make that happen.
Readers Share Their Advice About Divorce
Child custody hacks, therapy sessions and financial awareness can pave the way for a smoother split Patty Chadwell, Jarrod Jacobi and Kristine Arlitt. Patty Chadwell; Chuck Fitzgerald; Desiree Cofino The Wall Street Journal recently explored the financial repercussions of divorce, including on lifestyles, retirement plans and how children come to view money. Readers’ response to the series was powerful.
If you think divorce is messy, try splitting up when you're not married
Ashlea Ebeling, Annie Ng This week, we're bringing you stories about the financial impact of divorce. Soon after Sharareh Moazed and her partner were married in a religious ceremony, she said she moved into his Los Angeles condo and quit her job in engineering management to take care of him and his daughter. After their split eight years later, she sued for financial support and a share of a multimillion-dollar home. A court dismissed her complaint.
If You Think Divorce Is Messy, Try Splitting Up When You’re Not Married
April 20, 2026 5:30 am ET This week, we’re bringing you stories about the financial impact of divorce. Soon after Sharareh Moazed and her partner were married in a religious ceremony, she said she moved into his Los Angeles condo and quit her job in engineering management to take care of him and his daughter. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8 Continue reading your article with a WSJ subscription Subscribe Now Already a subscriber? Sign In
Americans Are Getting Big Tax Cuts, Whether They Know It or Not
Refunds are bigger this year, but if you’re not getting one it is hard to know how much the new law helped you Americans are getting bigger refunds or owing less this tax season, but they might not know it. The Republican tax law passed last summer is set to dole out over $100 billion in relief this year, including to the many people scrambling to meet Wednesday’s tax-filing deadline. Americans are getting new tax deductions for overtime, tips and being over the age of 65.
Americans are getting big tax cuts, whether they know it or not
Ashlea Ebeling Americans are getting bigger refunds or owing less this tax season, but they might not know it. The Republican tax law passed last summer is set to dole out over $100 billion in relief this year, including to the many people scrambling to meet Wednesday's tax-filing deadline. Americans are getting new tax deductions for overtime, tips and being over the age of 65. They are also getting a bigger deduction for state and local taxes.
BNY, Robinhood win contract for running Trump accounts
Ashlea Ebeling, Jack Pitcher Bank of New York Mellon and Robinhood are the early winners in Wall Street's race to play a role in setting up and running Trump accounts, a new savings tool for children created under last year's tax law. The Treasury Department is announcing Monday that it has designated BNY as a financial agent to manage the initial accounts.
Treasury Taps BNY, Robinhood to Help Run Trump Accounts for Children
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/treasury-taps-bny-robinhood-to-help-run-trump-accounts-for-children-1e9caf92
Workers Are Claiming ‘No Tax on Overtime’—Maybe a Bit Too Much
Number of filers taking the new deduction surges past expectations, raising worries about overstated claims April 4, 2026 11:45 am ET Workers might be seeking more overtime shifts to take advantage of the new deduction. Eduardo Barraza/Zuma Press The new tax deduction for overtime pay is working overtime. The break is on track to be claimed by about twice as many people as projected when it was created last year, new data show.
Blue-state residents are reaping big refunds from Trump tax law's SALT cap
Richard Rubin, Ashlea Ebeling President Trump's tax cuts are delivering bigger refunds and smaller tax bills to high-income Democratic-leaning regions that didn't vote for him. Millions of taxpayers—largely those who earn between $150,000 and $600,000—are starting to reap the benefits of a change that lets them deduct far more of their state and local taxes, or SALT, from their federal taxable income. In last year's tax law , Congress raised the cap for that deduction to $40,000 from $10,000.
Blue-State Residents Are Reaping Big Refunds From Trump Tax Law’s SALT Cap
Raising deduction limit to $40,000 eases burden in higher-tax states such as New York New York is known for high state income taxes. Kylie Cooper/Reuters President Trump’s tax cuts are delivering bigger refunds and smaller tax bills to high-income Democratic-leaning regions that didn’t vote for him.
Blue-State Residents Are Reaping Big Refunds From Trump Tax Law’s SALT Cap
Raising deduction limit to $40,000 eases burden in higher-tax states such as New York New York got a break from last year’s tax law. Kylie Cooper/Reuters President Trump’s tax cuts are delivering bigger refunds and smaller tax bills to high-income Democratic-leaning regions that didn’t vote for him.
The hack that turns Trump accounts into multimillion-dollar tax-free nest eggs
Ashlea Ebeling The Trump accounts coming this summer let parents jump-start tax-advantaged retirement savings for a child at birth. By the time the kids retire, they could end up with giant retirement accounts. The real power play is for parents to contribute $5,000 a year for 18 years, then help them convert the account to a Roth IRA so that it can ultimately be accessed tax- and penalty-free.
The Hack That Turns Trump Accounts Into Multimillion-Dollar Tax-Free Nest Eggs
The Trump accounts coming this summer let parents jump-start tax-advantaged retirement savings for a child at birth. By the time the kids retire, they could end up with giant retirement accounts. The real power play is for parents to contribute $5,000 a year for 18 years, then help them convert the account to a Roth IRA so that it can ultimately be accessed tax- and penalty-free. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
WSJ readers share how they are using AI for tax prep
Ashlea Ebeling ChatGPT failed an advanced exam to become a volunteer tax preparer. To be able to do taxes as an AARP Tax-Aide volunteer, you have to pass an IRS test in two tries. But when Brian Segnit, a retired marketing manager for Xerox, uploaded the test into ChatGPT as an experiment, the chatbot failed. For the second attempt, Segnit tried the test on his own and scored a 97. “I would not want AI to do even a simple return,” said Segnit.
WSJ Readers Share How They Are Using AI for Tax Prep
From capital gains to Roth conversions, people reveal how artificial intelligence is helping them—and where it’s falling short ChatGPT failed an advanced exam to become a volunteer tax preparer. To be able to do taxes as an AARP Tax-Aide volunteer, you have to pass an IRS test in two tries. But when Brian Segnit, a retired marketing manager for Xerox, uploaded the test into ChatGPT as an experiment, the chatbot failed. For the second attempt, Segnit tried the test on his own and scored a 97.
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