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Struggle to build engagement and trust with Medicare Advantage members
The JD Power 2026 U.S. Medicare Advantage Study found “the overall satisfaction with Medicare Advantage plans declines for the second consecutive year.” They also reported that 43 percent of plan members say their plan is a trusted partner in their…
The role of education in retirement planning
The Department of Labor’s 2024 National Compensation Survey found that only about half of U.S. small employers offer a retirement plan, compared with nearly all large employers. Although millions of private sector workers still lack access to workplace retirement savings…
How COLA affects your Social Security benefits
The Social Security Administration will announce the official 2027 COLA on October 14, 2026. The COLA equals the percentage increase in the average CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers) for July, August, and September 2026…
The Medicare at Home Act
Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Medicare at Home Act. The Medicare at Home Act aims to expand Medicare to include a home care benefit for beneficiaries who need assistance with daily living activities. Currently,…
Consider transitioning to retirement slowly
We all have our own version of what our retirement will look like. Of course, having enough money is generally the first thing people plan for, according to all the experts; however, retirement can be a shock to your system.…
Social Security’s silver lining is in play
A recent survey found that about 39 percent of retirees say Social Security provides “the entirety” of their income. The same survey found that 73 percent of seniors depend on Social Security for more than half their income. With so…
Should you wait until age 70 to claim Social Security?
If you follow these pages at all, you are already aware that you can claim reduced Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, or wait until you are 70 to claim your maximum SS amount. And, for the…
About Claiming Social Security
In this short video on CBS Money Watch segment, business analyst Jill Schlesinger explains the fundamentals of claiming your Social Security benefits. She explains that claiming retirement benefits at age 67 will result in a 30% reduction of benefits, but…
Looking forward to 2027 COLA
This, the 3rd quarter of each year (July, August, and September), is the period of time that next year’s Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is determined. The average inflation rate over this 3 month period becomes next year’s COLA rate,…
“Medicare Advantage” plan participants experiencing disruption
“Medicare Advantage” plans are offered by private insurers and provide healthcare insurance coverage in lieu of traditional government-run Medicare plans (Medicare Part A, Part B, and Part D). Long touted as somewhat of a healthcare panacea, Medicare Advantage plans have…