Breaking Down The Basics Whether your 65th birthday is on the horizon or decades away, understanding the different parts of Medicare is critical, as this government-sponsored program may play a role in your future health care decisions. Parts A & B: Original Medicare. There are two components. In general, Part A covers inpatient hospital care, [...]
Hold onto your hats, folks, because big tax changes are making their grand entrance! Spoiler Alert: taxes are going up! Guess what? Starting in 2025, prescription drug prices are getting a bit of a makeover. Picture this: a fancy price cap on prescription meds! If you're on Medicare, here's the lowdown: they're proposing a [...]
Seven age milestones that will impact your retirement planning As you travel the savings road toward retirement and beyond, certain key dates will pop up. Some of these dates are critically important to your retirement planning efforts. Taking the right retirement planning steps as you reach each of the following age milestones could help [...]
With longer life spans come extended healthcare needs — and significantly more dollars required to pay for them It’s more likely today that you’ll live longer than your grandparents did. The flip side is that you may spend far more on doctors’ bills and treatment for chronic illnesses than previous generations. With healthcare costs continuing [...]
A key goal of investing for retirement is making sure you save enough to make your money last throughout your lifetime. On this score, women may need to save more than men. The current life expectancy of a female at birth is roughly 81.3 years, compared with 76.5 years for a male.1 Although five years [...]
What questions do you need to answer before you're sure you're financially ready? The day is finally approaching. You've been saving and investing most of your adult life for this moment, but now you're not so sure you're really ready to retire. It's a predicament faced by many employees that we work with. [...]
The Social Security Administration has stopped mailing out most yearly statements, but you can estimate your retirement benefit online. With growing uncertainty about the future of Social Security funding, the Social Security Administration (SSA) suspended most mailings of its annual statements. Previously, the SSA had sent all working Americans an annual statement about three months before [...]
Breaking down the enrollment periods and eligibility. Medicare enrollment is automatic for some. For those receiving Social Security benefits, the coverage starts on the first day of the month you turn 65. Your enrollment is also automatic when you are under 65, disabled, and receiving benefits from Social Security for 24 months. The [...]
Five years before they retire, older workers start focusing seriously on the big changes ahead, says Emily Guy Birkin, in her book, The 5 Years Before You Retire: Retirement Planning When You Need It the Most. In those last few years, you can get a lot done. Here is a countdown of some of the tasks [...]
Most adults become eligible for Medicare on the first day of the month they turn age 65. Whether you need to sign up, and how to go about doing so, depends on the type of coverage you select and whether you collect Social Security benefits prior to becoming eligible for Medicare. Medicare Eligibility If you [...]
