A distant view shows a mountainous landscape with sloping peaks, green trees in the foreground, and a cloudy sky above.


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As the year wraps up, we’re taking a look back at the articles that captured the attention of <em>PERA On The Issues</em> readers in 2025. Here are our most-read articles of the year.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size">1. Congress passes Social Security Fairness Act and repeals WEP and GPO</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Social Security’s Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) have long been topics of interest to <em>PERA On The Issues</em> readers. It’s no surprise that news about Congress passing the Social Security Fairness Act, which repealed both WEP and GPO, drew a great deal of attention. Our articles on the <a href="https://copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/president-biden-signs-wep-gpo-repeal-bill-into-law" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bill’s signing</a>, initial estimates that the bill <a href="https://copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/social-security-fairness-act-rollout-could-take-a-year-or-more" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">would take a year or more to implement</a>, and then the announcement that the Social Security Administration was <a href="https://copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/social-security-administration-expediting-benefit-processing-for-those-affected-by-wep-gpo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expediting benefit processing</a> together accounted for more than a quarter of all visits to the blog this year.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size">2. IRS updates contribution limits and other tax provisions for 2026</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">With 2025 winding down, many people are already looking ahead to 2026 and making financial preparations for the new year. Our article <a href="https://www.copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/irs-releases-2026-tax-brackets-contribution-limits-other-tax-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">highlighting inflation adjustments</a> for retirement plan contribution limits, health savings accounts, tax brackets, and other tax provisions quickly became one of our most-read articles of the year.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size">3. Lawmakers propose and pass PERA-related legislation</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">During the 2025 legislative session, state lawmakers introduced seven bills that pertained to Colorado PERA, and our article <a href="https://www.copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/2025-proposed-pera-related-legislation-status" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tracking those bills throughout the session</a> was the second most popular article of the year. Of those seven bills, <a href="https://www.copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/colorado-legislature-passes-four-pera-related-bills-in-2025-session" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">four passed and became law</a>.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size">4. New tax deduction for seniors included in federal legislation</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The tax and spending bill commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) included <a href="https://www.copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/news-you-should-know-how-the-new-6k-deduction-for-seniors-works" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a new tax deduction for older Americans</a> that takes effect for the 2025 tax year. The deduction—up to $6,000 per eligible taxpayer—applies to taxpayers who are 65 or older and begins to phase out for individuals with modified adjusted gross income over $75,000.</p>



<h2 style="color:#000000;" class="wp-block-heading has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size">5. The OBBBA makes changes to health and food assistance programs</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In addition to the new senior tax credit, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act <a href="https://www.copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/what-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-means-for-retiree-health-care" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">made changes to federal assistance programs</a> like SNAP and Medicaid. In particular, the bill established stricter guidelines for who can qualify for assistance under those programs. It also changed some enrollment processes for people who shop for health insurance on their own instead of receiving coverage through an employer.</p>



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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We want to thank everyone who subscribes and reads&nbsp;<em>PERA On The Issues</em>. We appreciate your readership, and we look forward to helping you stay informed in the new year.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If you haven’t already, be sure to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.copera.org/pera-on-the-issues/subscribe">sign up for our biweekly newsletter</a>&nbsp;to stay in the loop in 2026.</p>


Year in Review: Our Top Articles of 2025