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Evaluate the individual, not their age
Average life expectancy is on the rise. According to the International Longevity Center, we’ve gained roughly 30 additional years of life in the twentieth century. Data from the Social Security Administration shows that a person currently 65-years-old can expect to…
Medicare Advantage Patients Likely to be Paying for More of Care in 2014
I wouldn’t get too excited by the findings in a recent study that included the surprising results that patients’ share of health care costs had fallen over a roughly three-decade period. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Associationearlier this…
Thanksgiving: Why we need to save a place at the table for the Middle Class
Finally, a few voices are being raised in support of Social Security, Medicare and hardworking Americans. And Sen. Patty Murray has a big role on the budget. Thanksgiving makes me think of my late father, and this year it puts me…
The Boom in Medicare Managed Care
Despite the fears of consumer advocates and the predictions of many insurance companies, seniors are flocking to Medicare Advantage managed care plans. It shouldn’t be a surprise since premiums for these policies are a fraction of the cost of traditional…
CMS can improve investigation of Medicare fraud, says GAO
recent report on the Medicare Integrity Program by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals that its contractors have generated savings but that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could improve its oversight. “Given the vulnerability of the Medicare…
Annuities and Social Security: What retirees need to know
For retirement planners, two of the most common concerns among clients involve annuities and Social Security. We recently spoke with three top producers about how they handle both topics. Here’s their advice. Read more… Notice: The “Read more…” link…
Surviving Retirement: How Shirley Martin Stays Afloat
Preparing for retirement is daunting for anybody. Without an inheritance, a hefty pension or a 401K, it can be tough to just get by. Take Shirley Martin. She’s 72, she lives in Desoto and she’s struggling to make ends meet. One…
Self-employed individuals still need to save for retirement
The self-employed can be their own worst enemies when it comes to retirement planning. About 40 percent of self-employed Americans are not saving regularly for retirement, compared with 12 percent of those who work for others, according to a TD Ameritrade Inc. survey…
Mark Halperin’s epic fail: Actually, nuclear option will save Medicare
When Harry Reid invoked the “nuclear option” last week to permanently prohibit filibustering judicial and executive branch nominees (SCOTUS excepted) he invited a brief surge of ritualistic navel gazing by a class of political pundits who also tend to spend…
Social Security for the Life-Cycle
As Congress nears the month-long mark of budget negotiations, a recent poll by Public Policy Polling found that voters in key swing states and districts both overwhelmingly oppose reducing social security and support expanding the long-time federal social insurance program. The findings,…