Medicare Options and Retirement Income Planning

05/02/2026

10/15/2024

More than 11.3 Million Individuals are Impacted by changes for 2025. According to the Center for Medicare Services, 1.5 million individuals are losing their Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Coverage in 2025 and more than 9.8 million individuals are being cross-walked into a new plan with benefit changes and often higher maximum out of pocket maximums. Crazy year and a lot of hard work to help those who contact me.

09/04/2024

Placer County has an annual fair for senior based support resources and services. I will be there with a table for Medicare planning and Long Term Care protection services.

08/23/2024

Prescription Drug plan premiums will likely be going up, a lot for 2025. The “Inflation Reduction Act” was enacted in 2022. It is the most significant change to prescription drug financing since the creation of Medicare Part D. It is now phasing in key amendments, including government negotiation of drug prices, a new cap on Medicare Part D cost sharing and penalties for pharmaceutical manufacturers that raise prices faster than inflation. Though the catastrophic level of out-of-pocket drug expenses for many seniors will be lowered, experts expect that the costs will be passed on to the Medicare plan providers (i.e. Insurance companies) and as a result, the monthly premium for standalone Part D drug plans will go up for 2025.

07/17/2024

The National Medicare course requirement is completed for the 2025 Annual enrollment period. Next step is each plan provider has their own certification. Let the fun continue...

07/13/2024

Getting ready for the Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare Plans. First step is completing the national course from the American Health Insurance Professionals(AHIP) then completing the annual re-certification from each carrier for all their Advantage and Drug plans. Considering adding a 10th company option this year so I have more choices for my clients.

05/30/2024

If you inherited an IRA or are considering leaving one to a beneficiary, it’s important to understand the rules around required minimum distributions to avoid penalties. Here are the rules you should be aware of.

Inherited IRA distribution rules have changed in ways that can significantly impact your taxes and tax strategy.

05/27/2024

When it comes to passing wealth down to your heirs, it’s often better to do it gradually while you’re still alive than to wait until after your death. That’s because the IRS allows you to make annual gifts on a tax-free basis – up to a certain thresh...

Gifting to family, friends, and others? Complying with the annual gift tax exemption can save you time and money.

05/23/2024

A lot can go into building a comprehensive estate plan, and it’s easy to make mistakes that can result in unnecessary tax burdens, confusion, and emotional hardship for your heirs. Read about some common estate planning mistakes (and how to avoid the...

Have you avoided the eight most common estate planning mistakes? Your family will thank you.

05/20/2024

If you want to start receiving Social Security benefits before you stop working, you’ll be subject to a monthly and yearly earnings test. Here are five things to know about the two earnings tests, including the income thresholds that have been set fo...

If you’re still working and claim Social Security early, your benefits could be reduced, at least temporarily.

05/16/2024

Bonds have long been considered a staple of investment portfolios, helping provide income and stability, and elevated interest rates have made bonds more popular recently. This article breaks down what investors should know about bonds.

Bonds can be more complex than stocks, but it's not hard to become a knowledgeable fixed-income investor.