Buying insurance to fill Medicare’s gaps
Each year, older adults have important decisions to make regarding their Medicare coverage. Original Medicare provides a number of great benefits to enrollees, but this coverage does have some gaps. For instance, Part B will cover only 80% of your medical expenses after you hit the deductible, with no out-of-pocket maximum. That means you could be on the hook for a significant bill if... READ MORE
Meet Virtual Expo’s Social Security expert
Economist Mark J. Warshawsky, a keynote speaker at this year’s Virtual 50+Expo, has been focused on the coming insolvency of Social Security for most of his career. “Changes are needed. It’s an old-fashioned program,” said Warshawsky, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. “Action needed to be taken years ago, but our system is pretty... READ MORE
Now is your chance for Medicare changes
Despite what you might think — based on the year-round onslaught of Medicare commercials and the flyers arriving in the mail — you can’t just make changes to your Medicare coverage any time you want. Most people who want to make adjustments must wait for the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), which runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year. That’s when you can do things... READ MORE
What to do should a financial crisis arise
As the economy struggles to regain its footing after the pandemic recession, many Americans are facing serious financial problems. If you are one of them, I recommend an excellent new book by Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary. It is very easy for individuals facing financial problems to make poor decisions. For such people, What to Do with Your Money When... READ MORE
The smarter way to pay estimated taxes
If you’re still working, you probably don’t need to worry about estimated tax payments. Withholding on your paychecks should ensure compliance with the tax system’s pay-as-you-earn demands. But if you’re retired, chances are you need to make estimated payments. You’re basically supposed to figure how much tax you’ll owe for the current year and send it along to the IRS in... READ MORE
Replace funeral with a celebration of life
Some older adults tell their families, “I don’t want a funeral; I want to have a party.” Others request no funeral or party at all. But some families feel that doing nothing isn’t quite right. In any of these circumstances, a funeral celebrant can help create a “celebration of life” tribute ceremony that can be a beautiful, healing experience for everyone who... READ MORE
Volunteer options you may not know of
My earlier column on fulfilling ways to spend retirement continues to generate inspirational responses from readers, many of whom have sung the praises of volunteering. You also named service groups that you have found rewarding. I’ll cite a number of them for those of you in search of a cause that strikes a chord. Many of your efforts focus on children. After working for more than... READ MORE
Should you stay in the stock market?
Many readers have written recently asking if they should be reducing their allocation to the stock market because of the excellent performance over the last few years. I have always recommended re-balancing your portfolio once a year. I do re-balance myself, sometimes more than once a year. Stock markets rarely go up continuously, so it does pay to be prudent and not become too... READ MORE
Why (and how) to buy umbrella insurance
An umbrella insurance policy typically covers the same things as your home and auto policies, plus a few more — including lawsuits that arise when you’re driving abroad or operating rented watercraft, or from alleged libel, slander or defamation of character. Umbrella coverage picks up where the liability limits of your homeowners and auto policies leave off. It’s usually sold in... READ MORE
Billions in lost pension, retirement funds
For years, members of Congress have been trying to pass legislation that will allow the federal government to establish a centralized database to help retirees locate their pension and 401(k) plans. There are billions of dollars in retirement accounts that have been lost, for a variety of reasons. Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., re-introduced the Retirement... READ MORE
