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Medicare for 2015: 3 Key Facts You Should Know
More than 55 million Americans will participate in Medicare in 2015, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and more than 80% of those program participants receive Medicare benefits because of their age. With…
Is Your Financial Advisor Wrecking Your Retirement?
Recently, a close friend of mine rolled over a 401(k) account from a former employer into an IRA through a well-known brokerage. The events that followed are a scary reminder of how Wall Street salesmanship can stealthily rob you of…
How to be a happily working retiree
An abrupt end to paid work may not be the right solution for every retiree. Some people need the income from a post-retirement job. Some are looking for jobs with medical benefits to bridge the gap until they’re eligible for…
Insurance policy’s fine print trumps 96-year-old’s good faith
On her 96th birthday earlier this month, Elaine Tollefson celebrated with a visit from out-of-town grandkids to her home, an assisted living center in central Nebraska. But there’s one birthday present she still wants from Minneapolis-based Thrivent Financial: Checks to…
Sanity-Saving Secrets For Caring For Your Aging Parents
Three questions to ask your parents right now. 1. Do you have a living will? Roughly 72 percent of seniors have advance directives specifying end-of-life medical wishes, according to a recent study funded by the National Institute on Aging. 2. Where’s…
New Medicare Advantage rules benefit seniors
Starting next year, the government will offer some seniors enrolled in private Medicare Advantage insurance an opportunity to leave those plans if they lose their doctors or other health care providers. Last year, thousands of seniors in at least 10 states…
The Biggest Problem With Social Security Isn’t Shrinking Reserves — It’s This
Social Security, the program designed to provide a financial safety net for low-income workers, the disabled, and family members of deceased workers, needs to change. Currently, the Social Security Trust Fund is on pace to burn through its remaining reserves by…
Sony hack: Obama pledges proportional response; Insider: ‘We’ve been outsmarted at every move’
President Barack Obama said Friday that Sony Pictures Entertainment “made a mistake” in shelving a satirical film about a plot to assassinate North Korea’s leader, and he vowed the United States will respond proportionally “in a place and manner and…
With Caregiver Pay Hike, States Warned About ADA Obligations
As new rules roll out mandating better pay for in-home care workers, federal officials say states must not compromise the rights of people with disabilities in the process. Starting in January, home care workers will qualify for the first time for…
Federal Judge: Obama Immigration Actions Unconstitutional
A federal judge today ruled that President Obama’s executive actions on immigration are unconstitutional—the first time a court has weighed in since the president’s Nov. 20 announcement. “President Obama’s unilateral legislative action violates the separation of powers provided for in the…