Any increased revenue will fund infrastructure improvements, the White House said

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• President Donald Trump has ordered higher national park fees for foreign visitors to prioritize access for Americans.

• The order revokes Obama-era diversity and inclusion efforts in public lands management.

• Extra revenue from international tourists will fund infrastructure improvements across federal recreation sites.

Visiting Americas national parks is about to become more expensive for international travelers under a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which also reverses diversity and inclusion policies from previous administrations.

The order, issued on July 3, directs federal agencies to raise entry and recreation fees for non-U.S. residents. This includes higher costs for the popular America the Beautiful annual pass, which grants access to national parks and other public lands across multiple federal agencies.

From the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon to the tranquility of the Great Smoky Mountains, Americas national parks have provided generations of American families with unforgettable memories, Trump said in the order.

It is the policy of my Administration to preserve these opportunities for American families in future generations by increasing entry fees for foreign tourists, improving affordability for United States residents, and expanding opportunities to enjoy Americas splendid national treasures.

According to the order, revenue collected from the higher fees charged to foreign visitors will be reinvested into infrastructure projects and enhancements across national parks and federal recreation sites. It also mandates a review of maintenance needs and instructs the Secretary of the Interior to address any deficiencies.

Preferential access for U.S. citizens

Trumps order emphasizes that Americans should receive preferential treatment with respect to any remaining recreational access rules, including permitting or lottery rules, ensuring domestic visitors have priority over foreign tourists for access to popular sites and limited-entry attractions.

Rollback of diversity policies

Beyond the fee hikes, the executive order rescinds a 2017 presidential memorandum issued by then-President Barack Obama, which promoted diversity and inclusion in the management of national parks and public lands. The Obama-era directive sought to improve access for all Americans and encourage input from diverse communities to protect at-risk historic, cultural, and natural sitesa focus that continued during President Joe Bidens administration.

The move marks a significant shift in policy for the National Park Service and related federal agencies, pivoting away from broad inclusion efforts toward prioritizing American citizens and addressing financial sustainability through increased revenue from international tourism.

The Interior Department is expected to issue further guidance in the coming weeks outlining how the new fee structure and access priorities will be implemented.

The move may stir some two-tier tensions

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• Costco has launched a new 9 a.m. club, giving early shopping access exclusively to its Executive Members.

• The perk aims to ease peak-hour congestion and deliver added value after last years membership price hike.

• Some standard members feel left behind, while rivals like Sams Club already offer similar early-entry benefits.

Costcos legendary opening rush a retail stampede for rotisserie chickens, giant packs of toilet paper, and cheap gas has a new wrinkle: only its highest-tier customers now get first dibs.

As of June 30, the warehouse giant has rolled out a 9 a.m. club, a golden hour reserved for shoppers holding the $130-a-year Executive Membership. Its the first time Costco has split its famously egalitarian shopping hours. Standard Gold Star cardholders now find themselves arriving to half-filled carts and echoing announcements that the store has already been open for an hour.

The details include digital sweeteners

Under the new rules, Executive Members can enter Costco warehouses at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday and on Sunday. On Saturdays, their exclusive window runs from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Meanwhile, regular members must stick to the traditional 10 a.m. opening time (or 9:30 on Saturdays).

Costco has added digital sweeteners to justify the black-card upgrade. Each Executive account now automatically receives a $10 monthly credit usable on Same-Day or Instacart orders over $150. Other perks include discounts like 15% off Figo pet insurance, extra savings on the Costco Auto Program, and occasional exclusive tech deals.

While none of these benefits individually dent Costcos bottom line, together they help polish the black cards allure and keep high-spending households feeling special.

Costco did the math

The math speaks for itself. Although Executive Members represent 47% of U.S. households, they drive a whopping 73% of Costcos global sales. Theyre also incredibly loyal, renewing at a 92.8% clip. After raising the Executive fee from $120 to $130 last fall, CEO Ron Vachris promised customers visible returns on their investment. Early shopping hours and digital credits are the first tangible signs of that pledge.

Theres a practical reason too: crowd control. Costcos weekday mornings and Saturday openings can snarl parking lots and stretch checkout lines into theme-park territory. Giving top spenders a head start eases congestion without forcing the retailer to hire more staff. Fewer carts jammed into produce aisles at 11 a.m. is good for both shoppers and store optics.

Mixed member reactions

Some Gold Star members arent thrilled. I paid my $65, and now I watch them wheel out the beef tenderloin before I get through the door, one Phoenix shopper vented on Reddit.

Others shrug off the change, happy to trade the early rush for a few more minutes of sleep. Inside the stores, early birds relish quiet aisles, full bakery racks, and easy parking.

Costcos move isnt entirely original. Rival Sams Club has offered Plus members an 8 a.m. entry for years, splashed prominently across its help-desk pages. BJs Wholesale tested a similar Express Entrance for its Elite tier in New England last winter. Costcos version is a strategic catch-upalbeit with a later, coffee-friendly hour and enticing Instacart credits.

Will it drive more upgrades?

Chances are good. The $65 price gap between Costcos membership tiers disappears once a household spends about $3,250 annually, thanks to the 2% Executive rebate. Factor in $120 in delivery credits, and the break-even point drops to closer to $2,500. A family of four making biweekly Costco runs could hit that mark easily.

Early entry also changes the stores internal dynamics. More staff are needed by 8:45 a.m., while mid-morning crews may shrink. Costcos IT teams are refining entrance scanners that instantly display membership tiers, cutting down on awkward card-color confrontations. Insiders suggest the early hours may also serve as a testing ground for scan-and-go technology that could eventually soften Costcos longstanding no-phones-on-the-floor policy.

Costco built its empire on the thrill of a treasure hunt equally open to all. Now, its inching toward first-class boarding privileges for those who spend the most. For Executive Members, the hush of empty aisles might be priceless. For others, a little extra sleep is worth more than snagging the first strawberries. Either way, the warehouse wars have entered a new phaseand the black card feels more exclusive than ever.

The Supreme Court nixed a humanitarian parole program for migrants

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

Trump's 'one big bill' provides some tax relief for older middle-class taxpayers

• Lots of changes in store for Social Security recipients as more people rely on a system that's operating above capacity.
• Full retirement age (FRA) will increase to 66 years and 10 months next year for Americans born in 1959.
• The FRA reaches 67 in 2026 for those born in 1960 or later, capping decades of gradual changes.

This is shaping up as a year for older taxpayers to remember. Besides the changes mandated by President Trump's "big beautiful bill," many Americans are facing achangein Social Security's full retirement age (FRA) that will have a big impact on their retirement planning.

Any change to Social Security creates anxiety as the program has come to be a primary source of retirement income for as many as 40% of retired Americans. This is largelydue to the disappearance of pensions from the corporate workplace and to the low savings rate by U.S. consumers and is putting a massive strain on Social Security, which was originally designed to replace about 40% of a workers pre-retirement income.

For generations, Congress has passed the buck on finding new sources of revenue for the program, leaving the Social Security Administration to stretch its resources by upping the age at which it pays full benefits.

The latest increase will come in November 2025, when the FRA the age at which individuals are eligible to receive 100% of their Social Security benefits will increase to 66 years and 10 months for those born in 1959.

This is the latest step in a gradual schedule set in motion by the 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act, aimed at reflecting longer life expectancies and reducing the financial strain on the program.

By 2026, the FRA will reach 67 for Americans born in 1960 or later a threshold that will mark the culmination of the decades-long shift. The retirement age was fixed at 65 for decades prior to these reforms.

What's a tax break and what isn't?

You may not like the FRA change but it's at least easy to understand. That's not the case, however, with taxation provisions in Trump's bill. You may recall that Trumphad promised to eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits. That didn't happen, although his bill does include a temporary increase to the standard deduction for older people, which might lower the taxable income for some recipients.

Here's a summary of the changes. Read carefully, it's complicated.

• Enhanced Tax Deduction:The bill includes a provision to temporarily raise the standard tax deduction for individuals aged 65 and older. The Senate version would increase the standard deduction byup to $6,000 for tax years 2025 through 2028.
• Income Limits for the Deduction:The full $6,000 deduction is available to individuals with up to$75,000 in modified adjusted gross incomeand married couples filing jointly withup to $150,000. The deduction phases out for those above these thresholds and will not benefit the wealthiest seniors.
• Impact on Taxable Social Security:This enhanced deduction can indirectly help lower or middle-income retirees by potentially shielding more of their Social Security benefits from federal taxes. Some sources state that the majority of older adults receiving Social Security will pay no federal income tax on their benefits due to this change.
• Does NOT Eliminate Social Security Taxes:Despite campaign promises and claims from the Trump administration and SSA, the billdoes not fully eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits. Policy experts have clarified that the bill provides tax relief through a deduction, not a repeal of the tax.
• Limited Scope and Exclusions:The enhanced deduction istemporary, lasting through 2028. Additionally, not all Social Security beneficiaries will benefit, including those under 65, and those with higher incomes exceeding the phase-out limits.

Early retirement getsexpensive

Returning to the FRA, although Americans can still claim benefits as early as age 62, doing so comes with significant consequences: monthly payments can be reduced by as much as 30% for those who claim early. On the other hand, delaying benefits past ones FRA can result in a higher payout, increasing by up to 8% per year until benefits max out at age 70.

The changes come as Social Security faces growing financial pressures. Recent projections indicate the programs trust funds could be depleted by 2034, potentially forcing benefit cuts unless Congress takes action. Without reforms, beneficiaries might receive only 81% of promised benefits after that date, according to estimates.

Lawmakers are debating potential solutions, ranging from raising payroll taxes to further increasing the retirement age. Some proposals under consideration could push the FRA as high as 69 between 2026 and 2033 a move that would impact millions of workers currently aged between 30 and 55.

Proponents argue such changes are necessary to keep the system solvent without directly cutting benefits, while critics warn that delaying retirement disproportionately affects those in physically demanding jobs or with lower life expectancy.

For individuals hoping to plan ahead, the Social Security Administration offers a retirement age calculator and personalized benefit estimates through its My Social Security accounts, allowing Americans to model how these changes could impact their financial futures.

While the FRA increase in 2025 is certain, the debate over further hikes is likely to remain front and center in Washington as lawmakers grapple with how to protect one of the nations most vital social safety nets for decades to come.

Trump's 'one big bill' provides some tax relief for older middle-class taxpayers

• Lots of changes in store for Social Security recipients as more people rely on a system that's operating above capacity.
• Full retirement age (FRA) will increase to 66 years and 10 months next year for Americans born in 1959.

• The FRA reaches 67 in 2026 for those born in 1960 or later, capping decades of gradual changes.
  

This is shaping up as a year for older taxpayers to remember. Besides the changes mandated by President Trump's "big beautiful bill," many Americans are facing achangein Social Security's full retirement age (FRA) that will have a big impact on their retirement planning.

Any change to Social Security creates anxiety as the program has come to be a primary source of retirement income for as many as 40% of retired Americans. This is largelydue to the disappearance of pensions from the corporate workplace and to the low savings rate by U.S. consumers and is putting a massive strain on Social Security, which was originally designed to replace about 40% of a workers pre-retirement income.

For generations, Congress has passed the buck on finding new sources of revenue for the program, leaving the Social Security Administration to stretch its resources by upping the age at which it pays full benefits.

The latest increase will come in November 2025, when the FRA the age at which individuals are eligible to receive 100% of their Social Security benefits will increase to 66 years and 10 months for those born in 1959.

This is the latest step in a gradual schedule set in motion by the 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act, aimed at reflecting longer life expectancies and reducing the financial strain on the program.

By 2026, the FRA will reach 67 for Americans born in 1960 or later a threshold that will mark the culmination of the decades-long shift. The retirement age was fixed at 65 for decades prior to these reforms.

What's a tax break and what isn't?

You may not like the FRA change but it's at least easy to understand. That's not the case, however, with taxation provisions in Trump's bill. You may recall that Trumphad promised to eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits. That didn't happen, although his bill does include a temporary increase to the standard deduction for older people, which might lower the taxable income for some recipients.

Here's a summary of the changes. Read carefully, it's complicated.

• Enhanced Tax Deduction:The bill includes a provision to temporarily raise the standard tax deduction for individuals aged 65 and older. The Senate version would increase the standard deduction byup to $6,000 for tax years 2025 through 2028.
• Income Limits for the Deduction:The full $6,000 deduction is available to individuals with up to$75,000 in modified adjusted gross incomeand married couples filing jointly withup to $150,000. The deduction phases out for those above these thresholds and will not benefit the wealthiest seniors.
• Impact on Taxable Social Security:This enhanced deduction can indirectly help lower or middle-income retirees by potentially shielding more of their Social Security benefits from federal taxes. Some sources state that the majority of older adults receiving Social Security will pay no federal income tax on their benefits due to this change.
• Does NOT Eliminate Social Security Taxes:Despite campaign promises and claims from the Trump administration and SSA, the billdoes not fully eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits. Policy experts have clarified that the bill provides tax relief through a deduction, not a repeal of the tax.
• Limited Scope and Exclusions:The enhanced deduction istemporary, lasting through 2028. Additionally, not all Social Security beneficiaries will benefit, including those under 65, and those with higher incomes exceeding the phase-out limits.

Early retirement getsexpensive

Returning to the FRA, although Americans can still claim benefits as early as age 62, doing so comes with significant consequences: monthly payments can be reduced by as much as 30% for those who claim early. On the other hand, delaying benefits past ones FRA can result in a higher payout, increasing by up to 8% per year until benefits max out at age 70.

The changes come as Social Security faces growing financial pressures. Recent projections indicate the programs trust funds could be depleted by 2034, potentially forcing benefit cuts unless Congress takes action. Without reforms, beneficiaries might receive only 81% of promised benefits after that date, according to estimates.

Lawmakers are debating potential solutions, ranging from raising payroll taxes to further increasing the retirement age. Some proposals under consideration could push the FRA as high as 69 between 2026 and 2033 a move that would impact millions of workers currently aged between 30 and 55.

Proponents argue such changes are necessary to keep the system solvent without directly cutting benefits, while critics warn that delaying retirement disproportionately affects those in physically demanding jobs or with lower life expectancy.

For individuals hoping to plan ahead, the Social Security Administration offers a retirement age calculator and personalized benefit estimates through its My Social Security accounts, allowing Americans to model how these changes could impact their financial futures.

While the FRA increase in 2025 is certain, the debate over further hikes is likely to remain front and center in Washington as lawmakers grapple with how to protect one of the nations most vital social safety nets for decades to come.