Tally is a plain-English guide to what life really costs in the United States after 40.
We cover the money questions that come up in your 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond: what retirement costs in your state, how Social Security and Medicare work, what long-term care and home insurance cost, how property taxes change after 65, and what a realistic monthly budget looks like at every stage.
Why Tally exists
Search for almost any money question and you will find answers that contradict each other. One site says eight states tax Social Security, another says six. One gives a national average for home insurance, the next gives a number a thousand dollars higher. Many pages are years out of date, and plenty end with a sales pitch.
We started Tally to do the slow, careful work of adding up the real numbers and explaining them clearly. That is where the name comes from: we tally the costs so you can see the full picture.
Who we write for
Tally is written for Americans who are planning for or living in the second half of life, including:
- People in their 40s and 50s planning for retirement, often while helping their parents at the same time
- Retirees and near retirees working out a budget on a fixed income
- Adult children helping a parent with Medicare, care costs or a move
You do not need a finance background to use this site. If we use a technical term, we explain it.
How we research
Every article is built from primary sources wherever possible, including:
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (consumer spending and prices)
- The Social Security Administration
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- The Internal Revenue Service
- State revenue departments, insurance departments and appraisal districts
- The Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Established research such as the CareScout Cost of Care Survey
When we use estimates or our own calculations, we say so and explain the method. When official numbers are not yet published, such as next year’s Medicare premiums, we label projections clearly and update the article when the official figures arrive.
Our editorial standards
- Accuracy first. We cite our sources at the end of every article and show the date the information applies to.
- Regular updates. Many costs change every year. We review our most important articles when new government data is released.
- Independence. Advertisers do not decide what we write, how we rank options, or what we recommend.
- Plain language. No jargon for its own sake, and no clickbait headlines.
- Corrections. If we get something wrong, we fix it. You can report an error through our contact page.
Important note
Tally provides general information to help you understand your options. It is not personal financial, tax, legal, insurance or medical advice. For decisions about your own situation, please talk with a qualified professional. See our Disclaimer for more.
Who is behind Tally
Tally is published by Peek Coding. We started it because the people we know in their 40s, 50s and 60s kept asking the same questions about Social Security, Medicare, property taxes and what retirement really costs, and the answers online were scattered, outdated or buried under sales pitches. Our team researches each article from official government sources and updates the numbers when new data is released.
Get in touch
We read every message. If you have a question, a suggestion for a topic, or you spotted something that needs correcting, please contact us.