Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance to retired individuals, regardless of their medical condition, and some younger people with disabilities or certain health conditions. You can receive Medicare coverage either by enrolling in Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan (typically an HMO or a PPO). Original Medicare is divided into hospital
What is the Medicare Open Enrollment Period? The Medicare Open Enrollment Period is the time during which people with Medicare can make new choices and pick plans that work best for them. Each year, Medicare plan costs and coverage typically change. In addition, your health-care needs may have changed over the past year. The Open
One of the most confusing Medicare provisions is the prescription drug coverage gap, often called the “donut hole.” It may be clearer if you consider the gap within the annual “lifecycle” of Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage. This also applies to drug coverage that is integrated into a Part C Medicare Advantage Plan. Annual
One advantage of term life insurance is that it is generally the most cost-effective way to achieve the maximum life insurance protection you can afford. Many people first purchase term life insurance to protect their family’s financial interests after a significant life event, such as getting married or the birth of a child. You may
Buying a home can be a major expenditure. Fortunately, federal tax benefits are still available, even after recent tax reform legislation, to help make homeownership more affordable. There may also be tax benefits under state law. Mortgage interest deduction One of the most important tax benefits of owning a home is that you may be
It’s a fact: People today are living longer. Although that’s good news, the odds of requiring some sort of long-term care increase as you get older. And as the costs of home care, nursing homes, and assisted living escalate, you probably wonder how you’re ever going to be able to afford long-term care. One solution
529 plans were created 22 years ago, in 1996, to give people a tax-advantaged way to save for college. Roth IRAs were created a year later, in 1997, to give people a tax-advantaged way to save for retirement. But a funny thing happened along the way — some parents adapted the Roth IRA as a
Term life insurance is “pure” insurance. It offers protection only for a specific period of time. If you die within the time period defined in the policy, the insurance company will pay your beneficiaries the face value of your policy. Term insurance differs from the permanent forms of life insurance, such as whole life, universal
GDP, or gross domestic product, measures the value of goods and services produced by a nation’s economy less the value of goods and services used in production. In essence, GDP is a broad measure of the nation’s overall economic activity and serves as a gauge of the country’s economic health. Countries with the largest GDP
Inflation is one of the key factors you will need to consider when planning for retirement. Not only will the cost of living rise while you’re accumulating assets for retirement, but it will continue to rise during your retirement, which could last 25 years or longer. This, combined with the fact that you will not
