The Trump administration will end a subsidy program meant to keep premiums stable for Medicare Part D prescription drug plans after 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported this week. Reuters and the Wall Street Journal both reported this update. Credit where credit is due: the WSJ reported it first, and Reuters quickly […]
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Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have made it easier for consumers to let AI play a role in their finances. In a previous blog, I covered the use of AI in the banking sector. Today, let’s focus on the use of AI in your overall financial life. Photo by Markus Winkler: https://www.pexels.com/photo/ai-news-concept-with-scrabble-letters-30869149/ How is AI
Happy summer! As we are in the seventh month of the year, let’s dive into your backup planning. In my humble non-legal opinion, this is one of the most important aspects of your overall planning strategy. Backups apply across the board, from your legal documents and entire digital life to your files, systems, and the
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Were you aware that Social Security is fully transitioning to Electronic Payments? The Social Security Administration is quietly removing one of its payment options in response to an executive order passed last fall. As of June 2026, 99.6% of all claimants receive their checks this way, but more than 283,000 still receive physical checks by
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An article I read this week by FinancialBuzz.com was discussing Older Americans, Student Debt, and the impact on their Social Security benefit amounts. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), 452,000 Older Americans with part of their monthly senior benefits potentially subject to a new withholding projected for later this year. After a years-long pause, the
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April is Financial Literacy Month. While most of the advice you’ll see focuses on budgeting apps and retirement accounts, there’s a quieter, more generous form of financial literacy that rarely gets enough attention: organizing your financial life so that the people who love you can actually help you when it matters most. Whether it’s a
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Inherited IRAs have been in the news of late. Whether you are planning to leave your IRA to someone or you receive someone’s IRA, planning includes understanding the legislative rules that will apply. The Secure Act of 2019 mandated that certain heirs must withdraw all money from an inherited IRA within 10 years of the original account
It’s been some time since I’ve written about beneficiary designations. Beneficiary designations are often overlooked or forgotten, and that can result in complications for everyone. Today, let’s review why beneficiaries are important, what types of accounts typically ask you to designate a beneficiary, and what to think about when designating beneficiaries. A beneficiary is defined
Q4 2025 is here! It can be a godsend to have experienced people to contact about financial planning for the “golden” years. Today, I’d like you to meet Mark Maimon, Mortgage Branch Manager, The Mark Maimon Team, a division of Luminate Bank, for this quarter’s Advisory Perspective Series. Mark’s bi-coastal team is licensed in all
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FAFSA Changes were announced this week for the 2026-2027 academic year. StudentAid.gov announced the free application form is in beta testing and is scheduled to be released Oct 1st. The 2nd phase of beta testing is underway through September 2025. Anyone can request to be a beta tester. Otherwise, you can submit your application form
