It may be one of the biggest misconceptions people have about Medicare—thinking that when they’re eligible they can enroll and then they’re set for life—set it and forget it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Never changing your Medicare plan can be a costly mistake.
Every year, insurance companies...
You’ve worked hard to get your estate plan in place. The appropriate documents have been created and signed. You’ve named the person who’ll carry out your final wishes. But have you completed the final piece of the estate planning puzzle? If this last piece is in place, it will...
I owe, I owe, so off to work I go! Everyone wants to be debt-free, but only a small percentage of us ever achieve that coveted status. According to the Experian credit reporting agency, Americans owe $13.3 trillion. Of that, $4.1 trillion is credit card debt. Discover Card breaks...
Hunting season is open again and you’re the target. According to the Internal Revenue Service, there is a new IRS impersonation email scam trying to con you out of your personal information with the end game of stealing your identity.
There are variations of what appears in the email subject...
For years now, there’s been lots of talk about what happens if you claim Social Security benefits before full retirement age (FRA) or even waiting until the maximum age of 70. Claiming early means you’ll receive less money, permanently, than if you waited. In spite of the warnings, only...
For most folks heading into retirement, there’s always that time of reflection, deciding if you can actually retire. “Do I have enough saved?” “Will I run out of money?” “Can I count on Social Security?” “How can I make some extra retirement income?”
InternationalLiving.com has come up with some out-of-the-box...
No matter your belief structure, or whether you’re reluctant to admit your own mortality, it’s a fact that none of us will live forever. And since no one knows if their demise will happen quickly or be proceeded by a lengthy illness, it’s good to be as prepared as...
How many times have we heard, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar”?
Ok, but if you carry that line of thinking a little farther, don’t give Caesar,
or the IRS, MORE than they’re supposed to get.
If something is in the IRS code, and it applies to you, then use
it....
It
sounds crazy, but if you’re healthy you probably need to save more for
retirement than people with a battery of health issues. Why? Statistically,
people who are healthy will live longer. That means more years paying for
healthcare in a system where costs continue to increase exponentially. So, the
longer you live the...
It’s
the end of an era, at least for Baby Boomers. Some have already retired; many
more can see the finish line of their working years. For Boomers with highly
appreciated company stock in their 401(k) a major decision is whether to do an
IRA rollover, leave the money in the employer plan,...