Keen On Retirement

Are Joe Namath and William Shatner giving you the best possible advice about Medicare? During the Medicare Open Enrollment period last fall, you probably saw TV ads for companies selling Medicare Advantage Plans featuring these and other senior celebrities. That's because, under most circumstances, the Open Enrollment period is the one time per year that seniors can change their Medicare coverage. And, in recent years, Medicare Advantage Plans have become a popular way for seniors to cover more of their health care needs. However, rising costs are causing many insurance companies to change, and in some cases, stop offering Advantage Plans. On today's show, we discuss how potential changes could affect the healthcare piece of your comprehensive financial plan.

If you go back and skim the 200-plus episodes we've recorded of Keen on Retirement, you'll notice that every year or so, we devote an episode to the latest financial frauds and scams that are making the rounds. Especially as we head into tax season, it's important that folks remember the IRS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Social Security Administration are never, ever going to call you and ask for your banking info. We also regularly caution folks against clicking on suspicious emails or text message links, or making investments that seem too good to be true with the Bernie Madoffs of the world. On today's show, we talk about another type of financial "fraud" that's perfectly legal but potentially just as dangerous to your financial security: taking bad advice from unaccredited financial commentators and celebrities trying to further their own best interests, not yours.

This year's annual Medicare Open Enrollment period runs from October 15th to December 7th. Whether you're already on Medicare or about to claim your benefits for the first time, seniors need to make sure they get the care they need at a price that fits with the rest of their comprehensive financial plan. On today's show, we answer listener questions about Medicare Open Enrollment to help you get ready for this important part of your annual planning process.

The comprehensive financial plans we design at Keen Wealth factor in every piece of available information to help folks plan for what we know is coming and prepare for the unexpected. While recent events at home and abroad are raising some new questions, we did learn some important answers last week that will help folks get ready for 2024. On today's show, we discuss listener questions about Social Security, Medicare, Ukraine and Israel, and year-end financial planning.

In the run-up to retirement, many folks are very focused on how their finances are going to change. But as you're working on an annual withdrawal strategy, reconsidering your monthly budget, and preparing to transition to Medicare, it can be easy to overlook how retirement will impact you psychologically and emotionally. And, unlike clocking out on that last day of work, the way your thoughts and feelings change in retirement won't be a "one-and-done" experience. It's likely that you'll go through many ups and downs as you progress through these five stages.

The numbers are finally out! And that means, if you haven't already started, it's time to get serious about working with your advisor to update your financial plan for 2023. On today's show, we discuss the changes coming to your Social Security and Medicare benefits next year, as well as an important clarification on the rules for inheriting IRAs that could impact how you and your family members think about legacy and tax planning.

On our last episode, we ran through the changes to Medicare and Social Security that will affect seniors' benefits next year. Today, we're going to complete our 2023 planning picture by discussing tax brackets and contribution limits for retirement accounts. We also examine whether or not gold and real estate should factor into your financial planning given the current levels of inflation.

Thanks to the tremendous support of the Keen Wealth community, our podcast audience, and readers of our blog, I'm thrilled to announce that that the 2nd Edition of Keen on Retirement: Engineering The Second Half Of Your Life has hit Amazon's best-seller list! I think one of the reasons that folks have connected with the book is that I try to present up-to-date information on things like the SECURE Act and Medicare with an eye towards the big picture. And I think maintaining that wider perspective in your financial planning has only become more important since I published the 1st Edition of the book in 2019. The pandemic accelerated so many things in our society, from how we connect and communicate to how our government thinks about retirement. If you aren't working with an advisor and following a comprehensive financial plan, it's very easy to let the news of the day or the hot get-rich-quick pitch lead you off the path towards a safe, secure, and fulfilling retirement. On today's show, we talk about some of the additions I made to the 2nd Edition of my book. I sincerely hope that this new material and our discussion broadens your own perspective and helps you maintain focus on sound financial planning principles.

As the calendar flips over to Fall, our checklist-driven process at Keen Wealth brings my team to some important action items to help folks prep for the year ahead. In particular, we want to make sure retirees are getting ready to review their Medicare coverage during the upcoming Open Enrollment period in November. And we're also waiting for the Social Security Administration to announce its benefit changes for 2023.

Health care is one of the most important aspects of planning for an early retirement. Medicare eligibility doesn't kick in until you reach age 65. Pre-65 retirees who don't have access to employer-subsidized health insurance could be facing some substantial costs for a number of years until they are eligible for Medicare.

It's that time again! Every year, during the open enrollment period from October 15th through December 7th, we recommend that all seniors review their Medicare coverage and see what new options might be available to them. It's also extremely important that new retirees who are signing up for Medicare for the first time get a handle on the ABCDs of Medicare, as well as the things that Medicare does and doesn't cover.

Folks who follow a well-defined financial plan usually have some important dates circled on their calendars. At the beginning of the year, you probably plot out some annual goals. In the spring, you gather last year's info for tax season. In the summer, parents start budgeting for family vacations and the upcoming school year.

According to a recent study by Fidelity, a 65-year-old couple retiring today will need $300,000 to cover their medical expenses. Unfortunately, that eye-watering number only includes insurance premiums, deductibles, and copays. If you or your spouse need long-term care, which isn't covered by Medicare, your health care costs could end up putting a serious crack in your nest egg.

Whether you are currently enrolled in Medicare or are planning for it in the future, this episode will provide you with important information you need to be aware of. Medicare’s options and intricacies can be overwhelming if you’re not prepared for them – and like many issues in financial planning – they are a moving target.iTunes Between Now and Success

On today’s show, we’re giving our listeners an important overview of long-term care: who needs it, for how long, what Medicare does and doesn’t cover, and how to make sure your financial plan keeps you safe and comfortable throughout the later stages of your retirement.

Are you sufficiently confused with all of the talk leading up to the election regarding health care coverage? Especially as you approach retirement, do you feel like you have a strong understanding of the Medicare system? Or do you have more questions than answers about what may soon be your primary healthcare coverage?

Moving from your employer-subsidized health care plan to Medicare or Medicaid can be one of the most complicated, and stressful, transitions for new retirees. Options vary depending on what state you live in. Weighing the cost benefits of affordable but restrictive Advantage plans, versus the freedom of a more expensive Supplement plan, can create budgeting challenges. We covered the basics of navigating Medicare in a very informative podcast earlier this year. Today, I want to give you some good news: once you do settle on a plan that provides for your health care needs, Medicare offers free preventative services that new retirees should jump on:

Many new retirees are surprised to find that Medicare is not a simple, free, one-size-fits-all health care solution. There are crucial decisions that both you and your spouse will have to make to secure the coverage that makes the most sense during your golden years.

In this two-part blog series, I’m going to discuss how to plan for your transition away from employer-subsidized health care to Medicare. Today, we’ll go through the options available to folks who choose to retire early, meaning before they’re eligible for Medicare at age 65.

On today’s show, we tackle four of the most common Medicare questions we’re fielding from clients at Keen Wealth right now. Hopefully this conversation will help you sort out the important notices about your health care coverage from the junk mail that belongs in your shred pile.

It wasn’t long ago that retirement was an almost automatic decision. Once you turned 65, it was time to retire, start collecting your pension and Social Security, jump over to Medicare, and move down to Florida.

Any time there’s a lot of data moving from A to B, folks have to be extra vigilant about protecting themselves from hacks and scams. Back in 2018, when approximately 59 million Americans started receiving new Medicare and Medicaid cards, fraudsters pounced, claiming they were calling on behalf of the government to “confirm” those new ID numbers.