My Comments: Have you noticed a flurry of ads on TV recently talking about Medicare and all the benefits you are entitled to for one easy price per month? I have. The ads promote the use of Medicare Plan C, also known as Medicare Advantage plans. They are a sop to the insurance industry, giving …
Continue reading Medicare open enrollment begins Sunday – and not just for those age 65 and up…
My Comments: I argued last week (Is Capitalism Killing America?) that pure communism and pure capitalism are flawed economic models for society. They simply define the ends of a continuum along which we as a society are struggling to place ourselves. I think this topic needs a better understanding. Mindful that economics is as easy …
Continue reading The End Of Capitalism Is Already Starting–If You Know Where To Look
My Comments: In the minds of many, capitalism is the antithesis of communism. And they are essentially right. In the minds of many, communism and socialism and fascism are one and the same. And they are essentially wrong. Communism is an economic model where the state owns everything involved in providing goods and services to …
My Comments: The first monthly Social Security income benefit ever paid was to Ida May Fuller on January 30, 1940. Today, some 77 years later, it is a critical income source for millions of Americans. This article by Sean Williams confirms the role Social Security plays in the lives of millions of Americans, and I’m …
Continue reading A Majority of Working Americans Are Completely Wrong About Social Security
My Comments: Having health insurance is critical to maintain your financial well being, much less your long term health. Health care costs in this country are the highest in the world, and the long term outcomes are among the worst. The budget passed by the House of Representatives includes a significant cut to Medicare, if …
My Comments: Retirement is the third stage of our lives. #1 is childhood when our needs are provided for by adults; #2 is adulthood when our needs are met by our efforts; and #3, retirement when you quit working for money and money has to work for you. If you’re lucky, you don’t need to …
Continue reading How to Pay Off Your Mortgage Before You Retire
My Comments: In light of what happened in Las Vegas and the death of Tom Petty, my comments here are woefully inadequate. But with many millions of us still trying to function on this planet, sooner or later our thoughts will return to Social Security. While the above referenced Budget Resolution may have changed somewhat, …
My Comments: We’re in the middle of a national re-assessment of who we are as a nation, what we value, and how we want our lives to play out going forward. It’s a stressful time for a lot of reasons. Our nation today is very, very different from the one found by father and his …
My Comments: If you are already retired, don’t bother with this. If you haven’t yet retired, there may be something here for you. Waiting for retirement is like watching grass grow, or watching a car rust. You lose interest in a hurry. The problem is it’s going to happen, whether you pay attention or not. …
Continue reading Retirement Planning Strategies for Clients in Their 50s
My Comments: The older you are in your journey toward retirement, the more important these four risks become in your quest for a successful retirement. The sooner you are aware of them, and understand how to manage these risks, the better your outcome. This came into my inbox from Merrill Lynch, with no named author …
Continue reading 4 Big Retirement Risks—and How to Prepare for Them
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