Medicare

Clients may want a new plan if there have been unfavorable changes to their old plans, they want more flexibility or because of a new illness.

If your client's goal is to save more for retirement, there are some simple steps they can take to make that resolution stick.

There can be benefits in enrolling simultaneously, but there are also incentives to consider in waiting on Social Security, instead of claiming benefits at 65 when Medicare kicks in.

A widely held view is that a lot of spending is wasted on “heroic” measures at the end of life, but it’s difficult to know which patients are in their final year.

Social Security benefits will increase 2.8% next year, but some retirees will not see a rise in their retirement paycheck because of Medicare's hold-harmless provision.

The anxiety is real — and so are the expenses — but the situation might not be as bad as some imagine.

A typical Social Security payment is likely to cover basic costs in these areas.

A small group will actually pay less in premiums because the cost-of-living adjustment in their Social Security benefits next year won’t be large enough to cover the premium increase.

Those new to Medicare may not realize they need to buy a separate policy to cover prescription drugs. There are some partial exceptions, but even in those cases, coverage can vary.

Among current retirees, the numbers aren't much better: 60% of them have not calculated how much health care costs impact their savings.