Breaking down the enrollment periods and eligibility. Medicare enrollment is automatic for some of us. In fact, anyone who has received a Social Security check or 24 months worth of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B.1 Part...
There’s nothing like doing your homework and being selective. When we buy a car or a house, consider a school for our children, or plan our next vacation, what kind of approach do we take? For one thing, we take our time. We shop around and...
What factors need to be in place for this to happen? What will it take for the housing market and employment to really improve? It really boils down to the two greatest economic factors of all: supply and demand. What needs to happen in the labor market?...
QUOTE OF THE YEAR “To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first.” – William Shakespeare THE YEAR IN BRIEF 2010 was a very nice year on Wall Street. At the closing bell on December 31, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was sitting just eight points beneath a two-year...
Why do people elect to put their credit “on ice”? If you are worried about getting hacked – and, these days, who isn’t – a credit freeze is a precautionary measure that may be worth considering. Is a credit freeze an iron-clad, 100% guaranteed way to protect...
With the President’s signature, most of them will remain in place through 2012. A holiday gift for taxpayers? After a 277-148 passage in the House and an 81-19 approval in the Senate, President Obama signed the 2010 Tax Relief Act into law on December 17, extending...
Things you can do before and for the New Year. The end of the year is a good time to review your personal finances. What are your financial, business or life priorities for 2011? Try to specify the goals you want to accomplish. Think about the...
Here are some things you might want to do before saying goodbye to 2010. What has changed for you in 2010? Did you start a new job – or leave a job behind? Did you retire? Did you start a family? If some notable changes occurred...
It may be the best retirement planning tool you have. Do you have a million dollars? At the moment, probably not. But if you invest and save diligently and let your assets compound, who knows? You may be a millionaire someday. In fact, you may need...
Why some analysts are worried about the Fed’s latest monetary easing effort. Is the glass half full? The Federal Reserve has committed to buying $600 billion worth of Treasury bonds between now and June, and it wants to purchase up to $900 billion in debt by...