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Investors who sell an investment at a profit in a taxable account incur a capital gain that they must report on their tax returns. For investments held longer than one year, the long-term capital gains tax applies. In both the 2025 and 2026 tax years, federal tax laws impose three different rates on long-term capital gains based on income. The major tax changes enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier in 2025 had no impact on long-term capital gains taxes, and the changes to the income thresholds for long-term capital gains tax rates are the result of inflation-related adjustments, The Motley Fool reports.

Note: Tax rates are always subject to change. There have been numerous occasions when the U.S. Congress and state lawmaking bodies have made changes to tax laws in the middle of a year or even retroactively to a previous year. Be sure to check the latest sources at the IRS and your state tax department for the most up-to-date information.

What is a capital gain?

A capital gain is the increase in value between what you paid for a capital asset and what you received when you sold it, subject to adjustments in certain cases. Most of the things you own count as capital assets, including investments, real estate, and personal property.

What is capital gains tax?

The federal government imposes taxes on capital gains for assets held in taxable accounts, like a brokerage account. Sales of assets inside tax-deferred accounts, such as IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k)s, don’t generate capital gains tax.

Capital gains tax: Short-term vs. long-term

Federal tax laws break down capital gains into two categories based on how long the owner held the asset. Short-term capital gains tax applies to sales of assets held for one year or less. For assets held longer than a year before sale, the federal government imposes long-term capital gains tax.

What is the long-term capital gains tax rate?

Long-term capital gains tax at the federal level is taxed at three different rates: 0%, 15%, and 20%. The tax rate applied to each taxpayer depends on the amount of long-term capital gains and other gross income, as well as the taxpayer’s filing status.

Long-term capital gains tax rates for 2026

These are the rates and income brackets governing federal taxes on long-term capital gains for assets sold during the 2026 tax year and reported on the 2026 tax returns due in April 2027.

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In the modern era, where phone numbers are portable and geography is less tied to a person’s culture, area codes still hold a surprising amount of social weight. While the seven digits following an area code will likely be forgotten by anyone besides your friends and family, the first three digits tell a story of prestige, belonging, and influence.

The area code of one’s phone number has become a shorthand for culture, status, and even success in some cases. As the world continues to grow ever more connected, PeopleWin analyzed various research to show how deeply these identifiers continue to influence people’s personal and professional lives.

The psychology behind area code prestige

Something as simple as an area code may not seem like it would carry much weight on the surface, but the truth may surprise you. An area code still holds cultural anchors as they indicate where someone is from, much like accents.

Social persona and geographic attachment

As outlined by Ask.com, area codes function as a market of regional loyalty. This goes so far as to even influence how people are perceived in business or social spheres. As unlikely as it may seem, this attachment impacts people in both an emotional and psychological manner as these three little digits can encapsulate the essence of a place.

Take 212 or 310 as examples. Most people likely recognize those as the area codes for New York and Los Angeles, respectively. With that recognition comes thoughts of bustling streets or glamorous studio sets. This completely unconscious association goes to show the regional influence and prestige that area codes can carry.

With smartphones, messaging apps, and social media dominating the internet today, many people may think area codes have become irrelevant. However, they still are a status symbol the same way a luxury handbag or high-end car are signals of social standing. The difference is more subtle with area codes, though. Much like a limited-edition product, desirable area codes are finite and, once exhausted, newer codes are introduced that carry less social importance.

America’s prestigious area codes in 2025

Whether or not you realize it already, there are likely a few area codes throughout the U.S. that you already recognize. Taking a look at the most prominent can help draw the connection between their location and the associations that they bring about:

The elite tier: 212, 310, 415

There are some area codes in the United States that carry a certain prowess not just in the U.S.but also globally. The three most influential include:

1. 212: The beating heart of New York City, a 212 area code is a signal of power, finance, and cultural gravitas.
2. 310: Synonymous with the entertainment capital of the world, wealth, and influence, the Hollywood 310 area code stands out.
3. 415: Finally, the 415 area code stemming from San Francisco is associated with tech-forwardness and is linked to innovation, startups, and Silicon Valley as a

Courtesy of Houston Area Women’s Center

When the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) began exploring the idea of an open domestic violence shelter — a shelter with a publicly listed address — no one was more wary than the person put in charge of leading the effort.

“I was probably the perfect person to do the research, because I was not for it,” says Sonia Corrales, interim president and CEO at HAWC. What if an abuser showed up and hurt someone? How do you ensure survivors’ safety and confidentiality?

“I was like, this is not going to happen, there’s just no way,” Corrales told Next City.

But after a few months, she found reason to believe. Research shows that survivors feel more empowered when they don’t have to stay hidden in shelters. Traditional domestic violence shelters are isolating and can feel oppressive to survivors, in some cases recreating the dynamics that existed in the abusive relationship.

That’s because traditional shelters have strict rules that are supposed to ensure the safety of residents. If survivors don’t follow them, they risk getting kicked out. As a result, traditional shelters often cut survivors off from their support networks. The isolation that results from this, and the secrecy of their living situation, can result in survivors feeling more shame about their situation.

In March, after years of research and coordination, HAWC opened One Safe Place, an expansion of their 5.5-acre campus in South Houston supported by a $16 million injection from the city. Here, survivors can leave campus to visit friends and family without penalty. And if survivors share where they live with their support network, they don’t risk being asked to leave the shelter.

These open shelters go by different names — disclosed, unconcealed, listed — but the idea is the same. It’s a model slowly gaining popularity across the United States. Similar shelters exist in Fort Bend, Texas; Bozeman, Montana; and Park City, Utah.

More than a third of women and a quarter of all men in the United States experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. In Texas, domestic violence has steadily risen since 2017. Out of 205 intimate partner homicides in 2023, 38 took place in Harris County, where Houston is. Thirty-five of those people were women.

At One Safe Place, survivors walk outside with their children in tow and enjoy the butterfly garden, or the playground and basketball court. Residents can get their hair done at the salon on site, talk to an attorney or access health care on their own time.

One Safe Place has space for 360 adults and children. For families, there are 90 emergency one-bedroom apartments, and about 90 beds for single people seeking shelter. Each guest receives thr

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One in four Americans ages 18 to 24 now runs a business, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. That marks a historic shift in who starts companies and when. For over two decades, entrepreneurial activity peaked among people in their 30s and 40s. Today, it’s the youngest adults leading the charge.

And they’re moving faster than any generation before them. Instead of treating formation as a distant milestone or waiting on investor rounds and MBA credentials, Gen Z founders are forming LLCs before earning their first dollar.

This isn’t just paperwork. It signals a cultural redefinition of business ownership. Side hustles that once stayed informal are becoming incorporated ventures, and content creators are stepping into CEO roles before turning 25.

Together, these shifts are blurring the boundaries between gig work, small business ownership, and startup culture.

InCorp discusses the LLC Generation: a movement where young entrepreneurs view business formation as the first real step toward financial independence. And their approach to risk, legitimacy, and long-term planning is reshaping entrepreneurship from the ground up.

Why are Gen Z and Millennials forming LLCs earlier than previous generations?

The answer starts with access. Digital platforms have removed traditional barriers that once kept entrepreneurship out of reach for young adults.

Today, a 21-year-old can launch an e-commerce brand from a laptop, build a six-figure content business through TikTok, or offer freelance services on Fiverr without corporate backing or inherited capital.

According to Grand View Research, the creator economy reached $205 billion in 2024 and is projected to surpass $1.3 trillion by 2033.

Business formation, tax strategy, and legal structuring now live on YouTube and social media, not just in law offices. That democratization of knowledge has made LLC registration feel less like an advanced business move and more like a logical first step.

It has also made financial boundaries nonnegotiable. Nearly 70% of Gen Z workers are either freelancing or planning to, according to a Fiverr and Censuswide study conducted in January 2024.

For those juggling multiple clients and income streams, separating personal assets from business liability is not a future consideration. It is an immediate priority. “I talk to people my age every day who are already thinking three steps ahead,” says Xochitl Gutierrez, an orders team lead at InCorp. “They’re not calling because someone told them to. They’ve done the research, watched the YouTube breakdowns, and now they want to make sure they’re doing it right. There’s this real sense of ‘I’m building something, and I want it to last.’”

And that knowledge has made younger founders more aware of what can go wrong. They have wa