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How Much Should You Really Count on Social Security for Your Retirement?
Are you counting on Social Security to provide most, or even all, of your post-retirement income? If so, you should know that the average monthly Social Security benefit right now is less than $1,300. Mind you, that’s just an average…
How to Complain to Medicare
How Medicare handles complaints and appeals is no trivial matter — the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says it reviews more than 100,000 of them a year. Beneficiaries file roughly 16,000 annually related to hospital care (mostly contesting discharges)…
This Is What $1000 of Monthly Retirement Income Really Looks Like
There is a lot of talk about how much money one should save for retirement and what percentage of assets retirees can withdraw each year. However, many retirees hope to preserve their principal, living off just their investments. That sounds…
Phased Retirement: Case Studies
With all the news lately about the upcoming phased retirement option for federal employees, many people are considering whether it makes sense for them. To help clarify the issues at stake, let’s look at a couple of case studies, one…
How to protect yourself against identity theft
The elderly are often specifically targeted for identity theft. Identity theft and fraud against the elderly is a particularly insidious problem because in many instances, once the senior realizes that he or she has been scammed or made the victim…
Reform Update: Ascension deals signal new economic reality in healthcare
Ascension Health, one of the nation’s largest hospital owners, is expanding rapidly with a string of announced deals that its CEO says will grow its reach beyond hospitals to keep pace with rapid Obamacare-induced changes in the marketplace. But notably, Ascension…
Ice Bucket Challenge offers great lessons in healthcare fundraising
While social media is deluged with videos of people dumping buckets of ice water on their heads in the name of ALS advocacy and philanthropy, other healthcare not-for-profits can find marketing lessons in the challenge that they can use for their own fundraising…
The Social Security solvency dodge
There is probably only one widely accepted fact in the debate about Social Security reform: The Social Security system will pay full benefits until 2033. Comically enough, that one fact is not true. The very bedrock of the debate about Social…
This Doctor Posts All His Prices. And His Business Is Booming.
About a year before the birth of Obamacare, Dr. Keith Smith, director of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, posted all the prices for his center’s surgeries online. Today he’s expanding, looking to build two more operating rooms. His fastest-growing group of patients? Obamacare enrollees. Though…
Ringleader in massive Social Security disability scam case pleads guilty and agrees to testify against others
One of the ringleaders in a massive Social Security disability scam involving dozens of retired NYPD and FDNY members pleaded guilty Wednesday and has agreed to cooperate with authorities. Joseph Esposito, 70, is set to get as little as 1 ½…