Retirement

There aren’t many absolutes in financial planning. There are, however, many—MANY—opinions. Advisors, personal finance gurus, and online opine-ers regularly die on the hills of passive vs. active investing, ETFs vs. mutual funds vs. individual stocks, traditional vs. alternative investing, good debt vs. bad debt, term vs. permanent life insurance, traditional vs. Roth IRAs, the roles

Many pre-retirees and retirees make serious mistakes regarding their retirement income and spending for living expenses. This is very understandable, since building sources of lifetime retirement income can be complicated and beyond someone’s skill set. Preparing retirement budgets can also be time consuming and frustrating. As a result, either you might spend too much, which

Estimated tax requirements are a frequent problem for retirees, with many incurring penalties for underpaying their estimated taxes. Fortunately, there’s a little-known strategy that can help avoid penalties when a retiree realizes late in the year that estimated tax payments have been too low. Income taxes have to be prepaid during the year. If they

Since January 1, 2023, there has been a cap on insulin for Medicare beneficiaries. The cap applies to those who have Part D prescription drug coverage, whether through a stand-alone plan or as part of a Medicare Advantage plan. (The cap also applies to insulin administered via a pump under Part B, medical insurance.) P

By Bev O’Shea, Next Avenue Susan Nilson was hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains near Los Angeles with her pit bull-Labrador rescue dog, Maggie, when a rattlesnake bit her pet in the face. A frightening few hours followed, as Maggie was transferred from Nilson’s regular veterinarian to a specialty animal hospital, where she required four

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP, M3P or MP3) will take effect January 1, 2025. It will allow those who have Part D prescription drug coverage to spread the costs out over the year, instead of paying all at once. As with anything that is brand-new, this plan can be confusing. Because drug plan enrollees

Vice President Kamala Harris said she wants to create a home-based long-term care benefit under Medicare. She’s suggesting an historic change in the health care system for older adults and some younger people with disabilities. But the Democratic presidential candidate’s idea raises important political and policy questions. Harris describes the broad outlines of her plan

As expected, the start of Medicare Open Enrollment Period revealed major changes in the availability of plans and pricing. The biggest changes are in Medicare Advantage plans and Part D prescription drug plans. We knew significant changes were on the way because of announcements from major insurers and policy changes from the Centers for Medicare

Introduction So, I joined a new gym and am working with a personal trainer. During any workout trainers and clients always shoot the breeze and somehow it came out that I was an estate planning attorney. So, Tom asked “Can I have a card my mom needs a simple will?” I replied that I doubt

“Evaluating your life through the lens of your death is raw, powerful, and perhaps a bit scary,” writes author and entrepreneur, Shane Parrish, in his excellent book, Clear Thinking. But despite our hesitation to consider our inevitable demise, he thinks it’s worth exploring because, “What matters most becomes clear.” Clarity around what matters most is

By Chris Farrell, Next Avenue Mention college and the conversation swiftly turns to student loans — with good reason. The current loan-based system to pay for postsecondary education is failing too many students, including a surprisingly large number of debtors nearing or in their retirement years. For one thing, $1.6 trillion worth of student loans

This year’s hurricane season brought a stark reminder that nobody is safe from the traumatic impacts of severe weather. Hurricane Helene brought devastating once-in -1000 years flooding to part of Appalachia considered relatively safe from those effects. In fact, Asheville, NC, was called a “climate haven” before the hurricane. Hurricane Milton quickly followed, wreaking havoc

With October in full swing many people are grabbing their favorite pumpkin-spiced drink and re-watching their favorite horror movies featuring ghouls, ghosts, and other creepy supernatural creatures. However, for many people, the spookiest and scariest things in life are closer to home. Recently, Paul Long of New Way Forward wrote an article titled “Retirement Isn’t

By Vanessa Infanzon, Next Avenue In 2001, a YMCA in Brooklyn hired a husband-and-wife team of television producers, Stephanie Walter and John Williams, to help 15 high school students pull together a film about retired seamen living at the YMCA’s residential facility. The class’s final project, a one-hour documentary called “Sea Story,” was so well

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, also known as MPPP, MP3 or M3P, is a brand-new program that will take effect on January 1, 2025, the same day as the $2,000 cap on Part D out-of-pocket drug costs. The MPPP is like an installment payment plan for those who have Part D prescription drug coverage. They’ll

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has backed an earth-shattering idea: For the first time, traditional Medicare would pay for personal assistance at home and related long-term care. Currently, only Medicaid and certain Medicare managed care programs provide long-term care benefits. Harris endorsed the idea in an appearance on the television show The View and her

By Lucy Lazarony, Next Avenue A generous inheritance. A booming investment. A big raise. What should you do with a large sum of unexpected money you discover coming your way? In particular, how should you handle such a windfall when you are aged 50 and up? Surprise! Some of it can be used for fun.

By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell, Next Avenue A friend with whom I had previously worked with instant-messaged me on Facebook a couple of years ago and asked, “Hey, have you applied for your pension?” We had worked together 35 years ago in the credit department of a major bank. I replied, “Pension? We get a pension?” She

I was challenged recently by a quote that has been ringing in my head ever since. Perhaps it stuck with me because it first seemed to contradict my own conviction—that the missing ingredient in most financial plans is thoughtful intention, bringing a greater sense of purpose to our planning—but I now see the quote more

By Lucy Lazarony, Next Avenue Kathi Balasek was still grieving for her late husband when she decided to buy a new car. She soon learned why people discourage recently bereaved family members and friends from making big financial decisions like buying a car while still grappling with their loss. “I bought a car I didn’t