For many years, state and local income and property taxes (SALT) have been deductible by taxpayers who itemize. However, the SALT deduction limit was set at $10,000 by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). This limit was a concern for members of Congress from states with substantial income taxes. Taxpayers in those states who face high state or local income taxes and significant taxes on their homes were not able to deduct the full amount of those tax payments.

After a stirring debate in Congress, a compromise was reached, and the SALT limit increased to $40,000 in 2025 and $40,400 in 2026. It will be scaled up by an additional 1% each year until 2029. This higher limit will permit most taxpayers who itemize to deduct their full state and local income tax and the property tax on their home.

The new $40,000 SALT limit applies for 2025 through 2029. However, high income taxpayers will have a reduced deduction. If your 2025 income is over $500,000, your deduction is reduced by 30% of the excess amount. A couple with joint income of $550,000 would have a reduction of 30% of the $50,000 excess. Their SALT limit would be reduced by $15,000 and they could deduct $25,000.

The increased SALT deduction may benefit taxpayers in all 50 states, but the largest benefit will be states with higher taxes. Some top states are New York, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois and Minnesota.

Editor’s Note: The increased SALT deduction will cause more taxpayers to itemize. Some friends of nonprofits may discover that the SALT increase and charitable “bunching” could be helpful. The charitable “bunching” strategy is to give double the amounts to charity in one year and itemize deductions. The next year, the donor uses the standard deduction. This will be especially popular for those who benefit from the new $6,000 Senior Deduction (added to the standard deduction).

Are there any resources available to assist those aged 50 and above in locating senior discounts?

One of the great perks of growing older is the many discounts that become available. There are literally thousands of senior discounts on a wide variety of products and services including restaurants, travel and lodging, entertainment, retail, health, grocery stores and automotive services. These discounts, typically ranging between 5% to 25% off, can add up to save you hundreds of dollars each year. Here are some tips to help you locate senior discounts.

Always Ask

It is important to understand that most businesses do not advertise senior discounts. If you are comfortable disclosing your age, however, many businesses will offer a discount if asked. Therefore, you should ask about their availability. Be aware that some discounts are available as soon as you turn 50, but many others may not kick in until you turn 55, 60, 62 or 65.

Search Online

Because senior discounts frequently change and can vary depending on where you live and the time of year, the internet is the easiest way to locate them. There are websites targeted towards seniors that provide lists of discounts in different categories including restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores, prescription medications and travel.

You may also look for discounts using a particular business name. Using a standard search engine, type in the business or organization you are interested in, followed by “senior discount.”

Join a Club

Another avenue to locate senior discounts is through membership organizations like AARP, which offers its members a wide variety of discounts through affiliate businesses. While anyone over 18 can join AARP, discounts are focused on those aged 50 and older. You can see details of what is available at AARP.org/ViewMyBenefits.

There are other organizations you may be able to join that also provide discounts including the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC.us), the American Automobile Association (AAA.com) or the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE.org).

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Types of Discounts

Seniors can find discounts in a wide range of categories, from restaurants and retail stores to travel and entertainment. Below is a summary of different discounts that you can expect to find.

Restaurants: Senior discounts are common at restaurants and fast-food establishments including Chili’s, Denny’s, Golden Corral, Outback Steakhouse, McDonald’s and Sonic. The benefits range from free or discounted drinks to a discount on your total order.

Retailers: Many thrift stores such as Arc, Goodwill and Salvation Army as well as certain retailers like Kohl’s, Michaels, Ross, Petsmart and Walgreens offer a break to seniors on certain days of the week.

Supermarkets: Many locally-owned grocery stores offer senior discount programs. Some chains like BI-LO, Piggly-Wiggly, Fry’s, New Seasons, Fred Meyer and Hy-Vee offer discounts on certain days of the week.

Travel: American, Delta and United Airlines provide discounted senior fares for select destinations in the U.S. to passengers 65 and older. British Airlines offers AARP members $65 off economy seats. Amtrak provides a 10% discount to travelers 65 and older. Most car rental companies give discounts to travelers 50 and over or to AARP members. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival cruise lines offer senior rates to cruisers 55 and over on select cruises. Most hotels also offer senior discounts, usually in the range of a 10% to 20% discount.

Entertainment: Most movie theaters, museums, golf courses, ski slopes and other public entertainment venues provide reduced admission to seniors over 60 or 65. The National Park Service offers a lifetime senior pass for those 62 and older for $80.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

On August 6, 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reminded employers that student loan payments can be included as part of their educational assistance programs. Employers may pay up to $5,250 each year toward educational benefits.

The Federal Student Aid data indicates that an average student loan balance at graduation is $38,375. This loan amount will be lower for a bachelor\'s degree and higher for a master\'s or doctoral degree. The average student debt for a bachelor\'s degree is now $29,300. Because there are additional costs for a master’s degree, the average debt for those students is $66,000. Finally, the largest debts are generally for individuals who have attended medical school. The average debt for doctors who graduate after eight years of education is $264,000.

Student debt is generally lower for individuals who attend public universities. Since tuition is higher at private colleges and universities, attendees frequently graduate with larger debt.

The estimated total student loan debt is now approximately $1.77 trillion. This debt is spread among thousands of students. The average annual payment on student loans is $6,432. The Education Data Initiative reports that many borrowers take up to 20 years to pay off student loan debt. The approximate interest rate for student loans is currently 6.5%.

With substantial amounts of student loans, the employer loan payment is welcomed. The educational assistance of $5,250 is usually allocated towards tuition, books, or other educational expenses. However, the employer may allocate up to this amount to repay student loans. If the employer repays the student loan, the time for repayment of the loan balance may be greatly reduced.

I took an ambulance to the emergency room after I had a fall at home and just received a bill from the ambulance company. Does Medicare cover ambulance rides?

Medicare covers emergency ambulance services and, in certain limited situations, nonemergency ambulance services. However, Medicare will only cover ambulance services when they are deemed medically necessary and reasonable. Here are some useful details to know about Medicare’s transportation coverage.

“Medically necessary” means that your medical condition must be serious enough that you need an ambulance to transport you safely to a hospital or other facility where you can receive care that Medicare covers. If a car or taxi could transport you without endangering your health, Medicare will not pay. For example, Medicare will likely not pay for an ambulance to take someone with an arm fracture to a hospital. But if the patient goes into shock, or is prone to internal bleeding, an ambulance transport may be medically necessary to ensure their safety on the way.

The ambulance must take you to the nearest appropriate medical facility. If you choose to be transported to a facility located farther away because the doctor you prefer has staff privileges there, expect to pay a greater share of the bill. Medicare will only cover the cost of ambulance transport to the nearest appropriate facility.

Medicare may also pay for an emergency flight by plane or helicopter to the nearest appropriate medical center if the trip takes too long on the ground and would potentially endanger your health.

Nonemergency Situations

Medicare may also cover ambulance transportation in some cases when you are not facing a medical emergency. To receive this coverage, your doctor must provide an order stating that an ambulance is medically necessary because other forms of transportation could endanger your health. For example, if you have been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, Medicare may cover the ambulance trips to and from a dialysis center if you have a doctor’s order that certifies that this mode of transportation is required for your safety.

You also need to know that, in nonemergency situations, ambulance companies are required to give you an Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) if they believe Medicare may not pay. An ABN notifies you that you will be responsible for paying if Medicare denies coverage.

Ambulance Costs

Ambulance rides can vary from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on where you live and how far you are transported. Medicare Part B pays 80% of the Medicare-approved ambulance rides after you have met your annual Part B deductible ($257 in 2025). You or your Medicare supplemental policy (if you have one), are responsible for the remaining 20%.

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, it must cover the same services as original Medicare, but it may offer additional transportation services. You will need to check with your plan for details.

How to Appeal

If an ambulance company bills you for services after Medicare denies payment, but you think the ride was medically necessary, you can appeal. To appeal, visit Medicare.gov, click on “Providers & Services” followed by “Claims, Appeals, & Complaints.” To help with your case, ask the doctor who treated you for documentation specifying that you required an ambulance.

If you need help filing an appeal, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for assistance. Visit ShipHelp.org or call 877-839-2675 for contact information on your local SHIP provider.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.