The annual Open Enrollment Period ends December 7, just 30 days from now. Traditionally, fewer than 30% of drug plan enrollees pay attention to how their coverage will change in the new year. They’re happy with the plan and it’s just too much hassle. However, this year is not just…

The Federal Reserve just cut interest rates for the second time this year, a move that was largely expected as inflation continues to drop. The Fed lowered rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.5% to 4.75%. The decision came on the heels of the lowest rise in…

Voters in Washington State have decided to keep the state’s first-in-the-nation public long term care insurance program. On Tuesday, they easily rejected a ballot initiative that would have killed the far-reaching law. The WA Cares law provides up to $36,500 in long-term care insurance benefits, with the amount increasing with…

Semi-retirement has significant advantages for your financial security, health, and enjoyment of life. It’s a powerful strategy to consider as you approach your retirement years, or even if you’ve recently retired. Let’s take a look. What Is Semi-Retirement? Semi-retirement is when you transition from full-time paid work to part-time paid…

Mortgage rates marched higher for the sixth straight week while purchase demand continues to decline in the stagnant housing market. Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage surged to 6.79% from last week’s reading of 6.72%. The average…

In the famous 2022 Supreme Court Case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned the national law that an abortion was a private matter between a woman and doctor, the petitioners insisted that there is “no causal link between the availability of abortion and the capacity of women…

The author and his wife have enlisted the help of a free consultant to guide them until Medicare’s December 7th deadline. My wife and I have been covered by traditional Medicare since we each turned 65. In addition, we have had a secondary insurance plan that was heavily subsidized by…

A longtime industrial plant manager was eager to retire. He even had numbers written on his truck’s visor that no one, not even his wife, knew what they meant. It was his retirement date. He saved, planned, and dutifully attended all his company’s retirement readiness seminars. He was in the…

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is notifying almost 950,000 Medicare beneficiaries that their personally identifiable information was compromised in late May 2023. In a press release, CMS reported details of the situation. Here’s a Readers Digest summary. In May 2023, Wisconsin Physicians Service identified a vulnerability in its…

Blended Families May Be At Greater Risk For Family Disputes Sometimes money and the need to care for aging parents can bring out the worst in people. This can happen in blended families with aging parents. When the adult children are faced with issues over their aging parent in common,…