Medicare Open Enrollment
Note: Updated to add the ONLY and BEST Medicare supplement plan for all NEW applicants: Plan G! It’s that time of year again, when seniors face the challenges of Open Enrollment in Medicare, starting...
View ArticleCollege Application Time
High school seniors and their parents are thinking past Homecoming to CollegeGoing! This is the moment when families should start strategizing for college applications and financial aid. A quiet family...
View ArticleCalculating your RMD
If you have a retirement account – and IRA, 40l(k), 403(b) or other “qualified” retirement account — and you are, or have have reached, the age of 73 this calendar year, it is time to calculate and...
View ArticleDisadvantages of Medicare Advantage
As Medicare open enrollment continues through December 7, it appears those media commercials for Advantage plans are working. Now, more than half of Medicare participants have left traditional Medicare...
View ArticleThe Wizard of Fed
Every Fed meeting is second-guessed by the markets –and the latest is no exception. No one can deny the power of the Fed to impact the economy by increasing or cutting interest rates. But not even an...
View ArticleI-Bond Rate Update (and some advice!)
Remember when you rushed to buy Series I bonds a year ago, before November 1, 2022, to get that astounding 9.62% rate? You did earn that rate – for the next 6 months. And then, as inflation dropped,...
View ArticleSocial Security Horror Stories — The Book & Website
Social Security is clawing back $21.6 Billion in mistaken overpayments to elderly retirees and disabled people because the agency miscalculated benefits, often for decades! It could happen to you – or...
View ArticleCharity Contributions from IRA RMD
It’s the season of the year when thoughts turn to charitable gifts and IRA required minimum distributions. With deference to turkeys, this is a classic case of being able to kill two birds with one...
View ArticleThanksgiving — and beyond
At this time of year the headlines are filled with “holiday shopping deals” as stores advertise the best prices on everything from clothing to electronics. Your in-box is filled with “flash sales” on...
View ArticleKnow What You Own
Long ago, when Americans mostly owned stocks and mutual funds in accounts outside of retirement plans and IRAs, December was known as the tax-loss selling season. This was the practice of “harvesting”...
View ArticleKnow What You Own
Long ago, when Americans mostly owned stocks and mutual funds in accounts > of retirement plans and IRAs, December was known as the tax-loss selling season. This was the practice of “harvesting”...
View ArticlePlanning for a Disabled Child or Adult
Could you make a financial plan to provide for three instead of just two life time retirements? That’s exactly the challenge facing parents of children with disabilities, according to Mary Anne Ehlert,...
View ArticleStudent Loan Year-End Deadline
Don’t miss out on the December 31st deadline for consolidating your Federal student loans – and possibly saving a fortune in interest, or having your balance completely forgiven! It’s called the One...
View ArticleThe Gift of Financial Organization
The gift of financial peace of mind is priceless. And it all starts with organization. Instead of waking up in the middle of the night worried about money and bills, wouldn’t it be amazing to feel in...
View ArticleFraud vs. Scams
Don’t count on your bank to replace your money if you’ve been taken by a scam. It all depends on the bank’s investigation of how the money was removed. And most major banks are taking a tough line on...
View Article10 Money Tips to Do NOW!
You started the year with such good intentions. But did you write down the most important things to accomplish in 2024, financially. Did you set some goals? Or were those fleeting ideas that faded with...
View ArticleNew FAFSA
There’s a problem with FAFSA. If you’re a high school senior now applying for college, you should already be in the process of applying for financial aid. In fact, as acceptances start to roll in, the...
View ArticleIs Bitcoin for You?
Bitcoin is making headlines, as the regulators have finally approved a way to “invest” that doesn’t require a crypto wallet, an unregulated “exchange” intermediary, and a “crypto key” that might be...
View ArticleAll Good News . . .But
The good news is in the headlines. On the same day that the S&P 500 stock index hit all-time highs, consumer confidence (the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index) climbed dramatically...
View ArticleAdvantage Crunch Arrives
Medicare Advantage is causing huge losses for insurers like Humana, which recently reported a surprising loss, attributed to higher spending in Advantage plans than anticipated. The company’s stock...
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