Read This Before You Take Social Security Early Social Security is a bit like the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment, the one where they place elementary-aged kids in solitude with a tantalizing marshmallow on a plate in front of them. “If you wait until I come back, I will give you another marshmallow,” the researcher tells them,… Read more »

How to avoid the #1 Mistake on Medicare’s Request for Employment Verification Form How many of you dread filling out Medicare forms?  Please raise your hand if you’ve ever had to correct the Medicare “Request for Employment Information” form (CMS-L564) for your employee.  When you complete the form, you’re hit with a fear that you… Read more »

Investing Fact Check: No One Can Predict the Future Not the common investor. Not your financial planner. Not even the “big wig” finance-savvy gurus.   I get it. It’s alluring to think you might have a competitive edge. The seductive power of huge yields in a short amount of time is almost magnetic. And it’s… Read more »

5 Ways to Keep Your Mind Active and Memory Sharp in Retirement As inspiration for this post, I would like to thank my grandma. I called her to ask if she had any funny memory-loss moments she would like share. She paused.   “I would love to help you, but I can’t remember,” she said.… Read more »

What Does a Medicare Supplement Really Cover? Everyone will say, “It fills in the Medicare coverage gaps” or “it covers what Medicare doesn’t” In fact, I’ve said those mantras to my clients many times. But when you’re looking at paying $80-150 in premiums per month for one of Medicare’s more popular and comprehensive plans, that’s… Read more »

Medicare Supplement Insurance: Are You Insurable? If you are in your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period, you are 100% insurable, no questions asked. If you are in a guaranteed issue period, some plans may not be available to you but—again—you are 100% insurable. Still no questions asked.   But even if you are not in… Read more »

Medicare Supplement Insurance: Are You Insurable? If you are in your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period, you are 100% insurable, no questions asked. If you are in a guaranteed issue period, some plans may not be available to you but—again—you are 100% insurable. Still no questions asked.   But even if you are not in… Read more »

Take It Personally: Why Rampant Medicare Fraud Affects You and Your Family In 2012, the FBI boasted the arrest of 107 individuals for 452 million dollars in false billing. In 2015, The United States Department of Justice reported a fraud takedown of 243 individuals for 712 million dollars.   And if you look at the… Read more »

10 Terms to Beef Up Your Medicare Literacy In this day and age, you have a vast pool of knowledge available to you. But none of that matters if you can’t understand any of it. If you’ve done any researching on the Internet about Medicare, you know what I mean. To help you out, I… Read more »

Can I Really Get a Medicare Advantage Plan For Free? Yes, for quite a few Medicare Advantage plans, you will not have to pay a dime in premiums. And to sweeten the deal, you can even get extra benefits like gym memberships or a built in drug coverage with some plans. But I’m very stingy… Read more »