medicare
How does Medicare affect your Health Savings Account?
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a type of savings account that lets you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses. By using untaxed dollars in a Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for…
Will the debt ceiling affect your finances?
What is the debt ceiling? The debt ceiling is the maximum amount the federal government is able to borrow to finance obligations that lawmakers and presidents have already approved. What happens if the United States defaults on its debt? U.S…
Should you claim Social Security at 65?
Full retirement age is when you become eligible for unreduced Social Security retirement benefits. Your full retirement age is determined by the year and month you were born. The retirement age gradually increases by a few months for every birth…
You’re not stuck with a bad Advantage plan
Are you unhappy with your Medicare Advantage health plan? If so, this is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period which runs from January 1 – March 31 each year. You can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch…
What you need to know about health savings accounts as you near retirement
Because of the “triple tax advantage” that HSAs offer, it is highly recommended people contribute the maximum every year. An HSA not only gives you a medical emergency fund, but you are gaining money through the tax benefits you experience.…
Re-thinking the Term “Retirement” and Its Impact on Social Security and Medicare
As we’ve pointed out frequently on this website, the tempo is beginning to increase in the media regarding–finally–a serious look at correcting Social Security’s long-term financial woes. Many pundits and news sources have begun to step up their coverage of…
Ask Rusty – For Some Simple Guidance About Medicare
Dear Rusty: I’m nearing 68 years old, have never signed up for Medicare but thinking that I should look into it. I’m currently covered by my wife’s health insurance through her employer. I would greatly appreciate some simple guidance regarding…
We require a far more serious conversation about Social Security and Medicare
As both Social Security and Medicare programs are facing financial challenges in the near future, we–as Americans–deserve to have a constructive conversation about the future of Social Security and Medicare. Unfortunately, as we get closer to election day, we are…
Do you want to ditch your Advantage Plan?
The open enrollment period allows people already on Medicare to switch to a different plan that suits their needs better or add prescription coverage to their existing plan. Should you drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go to the original…
Are there trade-offs to Medicare Advantage plans?
How does Medicare open enrollment work? The open enrollment period allows people already on Medicare to switch to a different plan that suits their needs better or add prescription coverage to their existing plan. Should you enroll in a Medicare…