If you’re a cash-strapped senior, you may find it a little easier to manage your taxes next spring thanks to the “big, beautiful bill” that became law last month. Contrary to what some sources have said, it’s not because the law eliminated Social Security benefit taxes. Those remain exactly the same as when the government first created them in the 1980s.

Instead, the law adds a new senior tax deduction worth up to $6,000 for a single adult or $12,000 for a married couple. This can significantly reduce your taxable income — and your tax bill — for the year. But before you get too excited, you’ll need to qualify for the savings by meeting both of the qualifications below.

1. You’re at least 65 or older

The new senior deduction, like the previous senior tax deduction, is only available to adults 65 and older. If you’re younger than this at the end of the year, you will not qualify for the deduction in 2025, even if you’re claiming Social Security benefits. On the plus side, you may be eligible for the deduction even if you haven’t signed up for Social Security yet.

2. You aren’t a high earner

This tax deduction has income phaseouts that limit the savings available to high earners. If you’re a single adult with an annual income of $75,000 or less in 2025 you’ll qualify for the full $6,000 credit. The same goes for married couples with an annual income of $150,000 or less.

After this, the credit is subject to a 6% phaseout. So it drops by $60 for every $1,000 your income exceeds the above threshold for your marital status. For example, a single adult earning $76,000 would only qualify for a $5,940 deduction instead of the full $6,000 deduction.

If your income exceeds $150,000 for a single adult or $250,000 for a married couple, you will not be eligible for any new deduction under the law for the 2025 tax year. However, you will still qualify for the standard deduction and the existing senior tax deduction of $2,000 ($1,600 each for a married couple).

How much will the new deduction save you?

A tax deduction is basically income the government doesn’t tax you on. So if your income was $60,000 this year and you qualify for a $12,000 tax deduction, you’ll only pay taxes on the remaining $48,000.

The exact dollar amount you’ll save depends on several factors, including your annual income and tax filing status. A Council of Economic Advisors report estimates that the average senior who qualifies for the new tax deduction will see an increase of $670 in after-tax income. But it’s possible that you may save slightly more or less than this.

If you want a better idea of how much money you’ll save under this new law, talk with an accountant who can give you advice on your specific situation. Also, keep in mind that if you end up earning more than expected during the rest of 2025 or withdrawing more from your tax-deferred retirement accounts, like your 401(k), than you planned, this could increase your tax liability for the year.

You should also bear in mind that, according to the law, the new senior deduction will only remain in effect through tax year 2028. After that, it’s slated to go away unless the government chooses to extend it or make it permanent. So this is something to pay attention to if you don’t want to be caught off guard in future tax years.

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Whether you’re planning to buy a new Mac or you got one as a gift, your current Mac doesn’t need to end up in a closet. So what do you do with it? If you aren’t planning to give it to a lucky friend or family member, you can trade or sell it to help pay for that new Mac. Here’s how to get every last bit of value out of your old Mac.

Apple has a support document that has good instructions on what you should do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac, and we also discuss how to prepare an old Mac for sale in a separate article. But we have some experience in that department that can help you get the most out of your trade-in or sale.

Treat your Mac well

Your Mac’s physical condition plays a key role in what you can get in return during a trade-in sale. If you have a Mac that you plan to keep for a while but know that you’re going to eventually trade or sell it when you upgrade, do what you can to take good care of it.

Desktop Macs like the Mac mini and iMac are easy to maintain since they won’t move from their location very much, if at all. Wipe off the dust that accumulates over time. Dust build-up can make your Mac work harder to keep itself cool, so regular dusting also makes sure your Mac runs efficiently. If you have an iMac, make sure your display remains pristine by cleaning your screen with a soft cloth every few weeks. Screen protectors are also available, but they require a great deal of patience and a good amount of skill to put on properly.

Laptop Macs are more prone to damage since they’re meant to be brought with you to work remotely. Use a good quality laptop bag, and always keep in mind that you’re using a pricey investment–we’ve all seen plenty of people at our local coffee shop handle their laptops carelessly. Don’t be that person. Speaking of coffee shops, try to keep beverages and food away from your MacBook in case a spill happens.

Be careful with how you use it. For example, if you’re connecting a USB device, try not to blindly plug it into a port. Feeling around the Mac’s port with a connector can scratch up the case, leaving an unsightly look of wear that can leave a bad impression on someone evaluating your computer.

Keep the original box (you don’t need the shipping box) and documentation. If you have the original cables and adapters, save those, too. People sometimes upgrade to faster chargers or longer cables, so keep the originals with the box. If you don’t have these items, that’s okay, you’ll still be able to trade or sell your Mac. But you’ll probably get more with them, especially if you sell it privately.

Wipe your data from the Mac: The steps

Save your data

When you’re ready to trade or sell your old Mac, make sure you back up the data that’s on it. If you haven’t backed up your Mac previously, we recommend getting an external storage device.

The easiest way to back up is Apple’s built-in Time Machine. Using Time Machine is ideal because you can use it to perform a data restore on your new Mac, which then pulls over all of your old settings, files, and apps, so your new Mac will be configured just like your old one. You can also use a third-party backup service or cloud storage like iCloud or Dropbox to save important files, such as your Documents folder, photos, and media files. You’ll be able to restore those files to your new Mac, but any apps will need to be downloaded from the App Store or the developer’s website. You’ll also need to redo your settings on your new Mac.

Deauthorize your Mac from your Apple ID

This is an important step. Apple tracks what devices you use, and if you don’t sign out, the new owner of your old Mac may not be able to set it up. To sign out, use your iPhone, iPad, or another Mac and go to your Apple ID account at appleid.apple.com, then log in with your username and password. Go to the Devices section of the webpage, where you’ll see a list of devices associated with your Apple ID. Click on the Mac you want to deauthorize, and a pop-up appears. Click the Remove from account button. A confirmation dialog will appear, and you’ll need to confirm that you want to perform this action.

Once that’s done, on the old Mac, make sure it is logged out of iCloud by checking System Preferences/System Settings. You’ll also want to make sure it is logged out of Messages, which you can check in the Messages app. 

Reset the NVRAM on Intel Macs

Intel Macs use NVRAM to quickly access certain settings. To reset the NVRAM, turn off your Mac. Then hold down the Option, Command, P, and R keys on the keyboard and power on the Mac. Keep holding down those keys as your Mac boots and then boots again. If you hear the boot sound a second time or you see the Apple logo appear, disappear, and then reappear, you can let go of the keys. This isn’t necessary on M-series Macs.

Erase the storage device and reinstall macOS

Make sure your data is saved and you’re connected to Wi-Fi before you proceed with erasing the storage and reinstalling macOS using macOS Recovery. Here’s how to start the process:

• On an Intel Mac, hold down the Command+R keys while turning on the computer.
• On an M-series Macs, press and hold down the power button while turning it on.

The macOS Recovery menu will appear. You can then use Disk Utility to wipe your Mac’s drive. (Apple has detailed instructions on how to do this for Intel and M-series Macs.) When Disk Utility is finished, quit the app, and then click on Reinstall macOS in the Recovery menu to install the operating system.

Sell your Mac

Okay, now that your old Mac is ready to go, you need to decide where you’re going to sell it. There are several third-party sites that you can go to, though you may not get as much as you could from selling directly to someone through eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist. But selling to a reseller can be ideal if you want to avoid the hassle of dealing with other people. Here are some of the more popular buyback sites and what they offer.

We also discuss the best place to sell a Mac or MacBook in a separate article.

Gazelle

Gazelle buys (and sells) MacBooks only–its website does not appear to allow you to sell them a desktop Mac. After letting them know the condition of your item, they provide a quote that’s good for 30 days and covers shipping. After receiving your Mac, they’ll examine it and may make you a new offer if the Mac doesn’t match the initial evaluation. If you turn down the new offer, you can get your Mac back, but you have to pay for shipping. They pay you with a check, through PayPal, or an Amazon gift card.

Swappa

Swappa is a marketplace where you sell directly to other people. To make sure transactions are secure, Swappa verifies listings, handles PayPal-only payments, and organizes shipping. The fees Swappa charges are included in the posted prices. If you’re hesitant about posting on eBay or Craigslist, Swappa is a good alternative.

Trade in your Mac

You may not get as much as you could by selling your Mac to a person or third-party service, but trade-ins are almost hassle-free and convenient. Trade-ins are also often available when a Mac isn’t in sellable but working condition. You usually get compensated with a gift card, store credit, or credit toward your purchase.

Apple

The trade-in process with Apple is quick and easy. Apple asks a few questions about your machine’s condition (you need to provide the serial number), and then the offer can be applied to a new purchase. Apple will contact you if it needs to revise its offer after inspecting your Mac.

Amazon

Amazon has a Trade-In program, but as of this writing, it does not seem to be open to Macs of any kind. You can submit iPads, iPhones, or other non-Apple devices, and they pay you with an Amazon gift card. It takes a while to process your trade-in, and you can get more at other sites, but if you shop at Amazon frequently, it’s an attractive service.

Best Buy

Best Buy has a trade-in program, but you’ll need to find your exact model before you can start the process. You get a Best Buy gift card.

Walmart

Walmart has a program in partnership with CExchange, but it’s only for Mac laptops. You get a Walmart eGift card.

The following article is a guest post and opinion of Ting Peng, Head of Ecosystem at SkyX Network.

What do you do when the weather app says light rain, but a flash flood tears through your town instead? You blame the app. Your rightful ire is a bit misplaced, though: It could very much be the data, or rather the lack thereof. In May 2023, deadly floods tore through parts of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing hundreds of people. Most had no idea the water was coming. Not because no one cared, but because the systems meant to warn the local communities simply didn’t have enough data to sound the alarm in time.

This wasn’t just a tragedy, it was a wake-up call. If we want to build real climate resilience in the 21st century, we have to start by rethinking how we gather weather data. The good news? We already have the tools. The combination of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) and artificial intelligence may be the best way we can keep up with a climate that no longer plays by the rules.

Too Far, Too Late: Why Weather Warnings Miss the Mark

Most people don’t realize how patchy our current weather infrastructure really is. In many parts of the world, forecasts are based on data from just a few official weather stations which are often miles away from the people they’re supposed to protect. That’s fine if you live near a station. But what if you don’t?

What made the 2023 Lake Kivu floods so deadly wasn’t just the water, but also the total lack of early warning. Rwanda had at least some meteorological data. Across the border in eastern DRC, there was virtually none. No local sensors. No alert systems. Just thousands of people living in flood-prone areas with no idea they were in danger.

This isn’t rare. Around the world, hundreds of millions of people live in what could be called “data deserts” — places where weather patterns go unmonitored, unreported, and unpredicted. According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), 60% of the African population is not covered by any early warning systems. As climate change supercharges storms, droughts, and floods, those deserts are becoming death traps.

AI Can’t Stop the Rain — But It Can Help You See It Coming

So how do we tackle this? What if instead of relying on a handful of government-run weather stations, we tapped into thousands of small, distributed weather sensors? That’s what DePIN enables: Community-powered networks where individuals contribute to physical infrastructure, and are incentivized to do so.

When paired with AI, the potential becomes staggering. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s technical paper on AI for climate action points out that AI can aggregate and analyze real-time data from decentralized sources, identify hyperlocal patterns, detect anomalies like sudden temperature drops or unexpected rainfall, and help issue alerts that are actually relevant to people where they are. 

It’s the combination of scale and intelligence that makes this model so powerful. Centralized systems will always be limited. But decentralized networks can grow organically wherever people are willing to plug in.

Don’t Replace the System. Upgrade It.

Skeptics might argue that decentralized data and the use of AI is messy or unreliable. That it needs strict oversight. But AI can actually excel at filtering out bad data, spotting inconsistencies, and learning from patterns across thousands of sources. This isn’t about replacing national meteorological agencies — it’s about helping them. 

A weather agency can only install so many stations. But tap into a decentralized network, and suddenly their coverage multiplies. Their forecasts improve. Their warnings get sharper. Everyone wins. Climate disasters are becoming more frequent and more intense. The people most affected are often the least connected. If we keep relying on centralized systems alone, more lives will be lost.

We Can’t Control the Climate — But We Can Control What Happens Next

When people die not because of a storm, but because they didn’t know it was coming, we’ve failed as a global community. That failure isn’t inevitable. Climate extremes are hitting the world’s most vulnerable people the hardest. And the cruel irony is that in many of these places, sufficient weather warnings could have been issued… We just haven’t bothered to rethink the current model.

We already have the tools to change the outcome. But tools don’t work unless we use them. We just need to decide: Do we want weather systems that serve everyone, or only the few within range of the radar?

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