Medicare Changes You Can Expect in 2023
A New Year brings new changes to many insurances… this includes Medicare. Whether its changes to the premiums, deductibles, and cost sharing (copays and/or coinsurance) amounts to the actual underlying coverage of services it is hard to keep up sometimes. On top of the normal changes, there are some huge changes to Medicare due to […]
The True Cost of Do-It-Yourself Financial Planning
There are many things in life that make sense to do on your own: driving a car, getting dressed, eating, brushing your teeth, shopping for clothes. There are also activities that always are best left to professionals such as filling a cavity, setting a broken bone, or preparing a legal defense to a criminal charge. […]
So You’re Thinking of Being a Snowbird
As I left home this morning, I peered through the fog at the pond in our backyard. Our friend, the Great Blue Heron, was looking for breakfast. My wife and I have been awed by his patient gracefulness coupled with unexpected speed and agility as he pursues his next meal. But this won’t last. The […]
Traditional Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage
Are you being bombarded with Medicare Advantage commercials or mailings? If it hasn’t started yet, I’m sure you’ll start receiving or noticing them soon. This is because we are now in the Open Enrollment period for Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans. Do these messages seem too good to be true? Are you wondering […]
Are You Maximizing Your Employer’s Retirement Benefits?
It’s no doubt that making these type of decisions can be nerve-racking and reviewing your benefits can be very complicated. Although capable, sometimes it’s hard to find the time to digest all your options and analyze all the various benefits. Making the wrong election can have financial consequences for you, either now or in the […]
So You’re Thinking About Retiring
Are you counting down the days, or is retirement still a nebulous concept of some far off Neverland, or are you somewhere in between. Wherever you are in your process, retirement demands answers to a host of questions. The better your answers, the more enjoyable your retirement years will be. Why are you retiring? […]
Beware Escheatment
The letter took me by surprise. I was the treasurer for our volunteer fire department. We had a checking account for day to day activities and a savings account for future use. I had let the savings account sit untouched for several years and received a letter from the bank that the account was about […]
I’ve Retired. Now What?
When asked several months after retiring from a long career in higher education how her retirement was going a client replied, “I made the classic mistake”. I asked, what was the mistake? “I retired from something instead of to something,” she said. She went on to explain that she really did not have a lifestyle […]
Talking About Cognitive Decline
Written by: Brandi B. Graham, CTFA, CFP® Talking about cognitive decline may be difficult, but avoiding the topic can be financially devastating. We have all heard stories about the elderly person who paid thousands of dollars to “help a grandchild who was in an out of state accident” only to find out the grandchild was […]
Is a Health Savings Account Right for You?
Written by: Pete Winnett, CFP® Are your considering health insurance plans offered by your employer for 2022? Are you wondering if a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) combined with a Health Savings Account (HSA) might be a good idea for you and your family? The answer will depend on your individual circumstances, however, HSAs can […]