Niagara Movement members begin meeting on the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls. This all-African American group of scholars, lawyers and businessmen came together for three days to create what would soon become a powerful post-slavery Black rights organization. Although it only lasted five years, the Niagara Movement was an influential precursor to the mid-20th century civil rights movement.

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Article Title

Members of the Niagara Movement meet for the first time

AuthorHistory.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/members-of-the-niagara-movement-meet-for-first-time

Access Date

July 10, 2022

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 21, 2021

Original Published Date

July 8, 2020

BLACK HISTORY

BY

 HISTORY.COM EDITORS

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.

Often considered one of the most consequential amendments, it addressed citizenship rights and equal protection under the law and was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War. The amendment was bitterly contested, particularly by the states of the defeated Confederacy, which were forced to ratify it in order to regain representation in Congress.

The amendment, particularly its first section, is one of the most litigated parts of the Constitution, forming the basis for landmark Supreme Court decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education regarding racial segregation, Roe v. Wade regarding abortion, Bush v. Gore regarding the 2000 presidential election, and Obergefell v. Hodges regarding same-sex marriage. The amendment limits the actions of all state and local officials, and also those acting on behalf of such officials.

Source: Wiki

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Story by Adam Palasciano

 Contribution limits for 401(k)s and similar retirement accounts are increasing

The IRS raised employee contribution limits for 401(k)s, 403(b)s, governmental 457 plans, and the federal Thrift Savings Plan to $24,500 for 2026, up from $23,500 in 2025. Workers age 50 and older can make catch-up contributions of $8,000, up from $7,500 in 2025, bringing their total annual contribution limit to $32,500.

In addition, participants ages 60 through 63 may qualify for an even higher catch-up limit of $11,250 instead of $8,000, under SECURE 2.0 rules. These higher limits can help older workers accelerate savings in the final years before retirement.

Maximum contributions for IRAs will also increase

IRA contribution limits rise to $7,500 for 2026, compared with $7,000 in 2025. The catch-up contribution for individuals age 50 and older increases to $1,100, up from $1,000 in 2025.

This adjustment reflects inflation indexing introduced under SECURE 2.0 rules. While IRAs have lower limits than workplace plans, the increase still expands tax-advantaged saving opportunities for retirees and late-career workers.

New paper statement requirements

Starting in 2026, defined contribution (DC) retirement plans must provide participants with at least one paper statement per year unless electronic delivery is explicitly chosen. Meanwhile, defined benefit (DB) plans must issue paper statements at least once every three years.The rule aims to ensure participants receive clear, accessible information about their retirement balances. For retirees, paper statements may improve oversight and reduce the risk of missed account changes.

SS COLA will increase benefits

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits will rise by 2.8% in 2026 thanks to the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). This change means increased monthly payments for roughly 71 million Social Security recipients and 7.5 million SSI recipients next year. Increased benefits can modestly improve retirement income. However, they may also increase taxable income for some households, which can make retirement account withdrawals and tax planning very important.

The standard deduction is going up

For tax year 2026, the standard deduction increases to $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and surviving spouses, up from $31,500 in 2025. Single filers and those married filing separately will see the deduction rise to $16,100, up from $15,750 in 2025, while heads of household receive a $24,150 deduction, up from $23,625 in 2025.

A higher standard deduction could reduce taxable retirement income for filers who do not itemize. This change may also affect how retirees sequence withdrawals from taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts.

How these updates could influence withdrawal timing

IRS adjustments in 2026 may subtly affect when retirees choose to withdraw from different types of accounts, and changes to contribution limits may shift taxable income from year to year.

Reviewing withdrawal timing across taxable, tax-deferred, and Roth accounts can help maintain flexibility. Even small adjustments may reduce tax drag over a long retirement horizon.

Bottom line

The IRS changes taking effect in 2026 touch nearly every stage of retirement — from final contribution years to benefit collection and tax reporting. Higher limits, updated deductions, and benefit adjustments can subtly shift how retirement income is taxed and managed.

Understanding how these rules work together can help retirees align withdrawals, savings, and timing decisions more effectively within a long-term retirement plan.

More from FinanceBuzz Money

William Blount (March 26, 1749 – March 21, 1800) was an American statesman and land speculator who signed the United States Constitution. He was a member of the North Carolina delegation at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and led the efforts for North Carolina to ratify the Constitution in 1789 at Fayetteville.

He then served as the only governor of the Southwest Territory and played a leading role in helping the territory gain admission to the Union as the State of Tennessee.

He was selected as one of Tennessee’s initial United States Senators in 1796. Born to a prominent North Carolina family, Blount served as a paymaster during the American Revolutionary War. He was elected to the North Carolina legislature in 1781, where he remained in one role or another for most of the decade, except for two terms in the Continental Congress in 1782 and 1786.

Blount pushed efforts in the legislature to open the lands west of the Appalachians to settlement.

As governor of the Southwest Territory, he negotiated the Treaty of Holston in 1791, bringing thousands of acres of Indian lands under U.S. control. An aggressive land speculator, Blount gradually acquired millions of acres in Tennessee and the Trans-Appalachian West. His risky land investments left him in debt, and in the 1790s, he conspired with Great Britain to seize the Spanish-controlled Louisiana in the hope of boosting western land prices.

When the conspiracy was uncovered in 1797, he was expelled from the Senate and became the first federal official to face impeachment. However, Blount remained popular in Tennessee and served in the state senate during the last years of his life.

Source: wiki

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