Results for "health care"
Displaying 239 results
Retiree health care costs rising faster than Social Security benefits
June 14, 2017
Health care costs in retirement are rising twice as fast as the average annual increase in Social Security benefits, putting a crucial source of retirement income on a collision course with one of the biggest expenses retirees face. Over time,...
Include health savings accounts in fiduciary process
May 4, 2017
It is anyone's guess how the partisan fight in Congress over health care will eventually shake out, but one trend that financial advisers need to pay particularly close attention to is the rise of health savings accounts. HSAs, which are increasingly...
Tips for managing clients' health care expenses in retirement
March 27, 2017
Survey after survey shows that health care expenses in retirement are a top concern for clients, and financial advisers are finally taking notice. According to a 2017 Survey conducted by The American College of Financial Services, advisers reported...
Tax cut optimism may be overblown
March 22, 2017
Even if new health-care legislation makes it through the House and Senate, the timing is likely to push tax reform into next year, pushing tax cuts further into the future, says Wall Street Journal columnist Justin Lahart. "Investors who are...
Advisers embrace elimination of Obamacare taxes, question GOP replacement plan
March 7, 2017
Financial advisers endorse the elimination of taxes that funded the Affordable Care Act but wonder about the extent of the health insurance coverage that will result from the House Republican substitute plan. The House Ways and Means and Energy...
Strict timeline governs health savings accounts and Medicare
February 28, 2017
Many clients have chosen to enroll in health savings accounts (HSAs) because they like the triple tax savings that HSAs offer when paired with a high-deductible health insurance plan. But things can get very complicated when clients approach...
Where will Medicare costs go in 2017?
November 7, 2016
People are asking me where Medicare costs, specifically Part B premiums and Part B and D high-income surcharges, are going in 2017. While the final numbers have not yet been released, we know that Medicare costs have been going up dramatically....
My client's Medicare coverage has been canceled, now what?
October 7, 2016
This is the time of year when everyone who already has a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or a Medicare Part C Advantage plan that includes Part D gets a letter from their current plan. There are two types of letters. Most...
Self-funding employee health care pays off for some small businesses
October 5, 2016
The rising price of health-care premiums has more companies paying for their employees' medical expenses themselves rather than buying traditional health plans from insurers. Advisers should be aware of what the option entails for their small-business-owner...
Nationwide to buy Jefferson National
September 28, 2016
Nationwide has agreed to buy Jefferson National, a distributor of variable annuities for clients of registered investment advisers. The acquisition, which expands Nationwide's ability to sell financial products through Jefferson National's network...
Grappling with retirement health costs
September 25, 2016
It is fairly well-known that Americans are living longer and that medical costs are climbing. How advisers are dealing with these two trends is less clear. There is a good reason why, in the opening paragraph of his cover story last week, InvestmentNews...
Advisers face big challenges in helping clients prepare for health-care costs in retirement
September 18, 2016
Health-care costs are the great unknown of retirement. Not only are health expenses rising quickly overall, but medical needs and conditions vary dramatically from person to person. There are several moving parts, from combinations of different...
Now is the time for an annual Medicare check-up
September 9, 2016
Just like it's a good idea to have an annual check-up for your health, it's smart to have a Medicare check-up to make sure the coverage will work when folks need it, and not break the bank. The best time of year for everyone in Medicare to have...
The alphabet soup of Medicare enrollment periods
August 12, 2016
There are many enrollment periods for the various parts of Medicare. These windows of opportunity provide beneficiaries the chance to sign up for Medicare coverage. It is critical to understand these enrollment periods, which involve requirements...
Health savings account limits to increase for some in 2017
July 29, 2016
Health savings accounts, which were established in 2003 to allow individuals and families to save money from their paychecks in tax-deferred accounts, have been touted as a great way to save for medical expenses both today and in retirement....
Make clients aware of filial laws that could wreak havoc on the financial security of millions
June 5, 2016
Longer life expectancies, coupled with skyrocketing nursing home costs, mean more retirees face the prospect of outliving their savings. The situation also jeopardizes the retirement security of their children, many of whom are members of the...
Life insurance helps with retirement planning, but beware of the pitfalls
May 29, 2016
Cash-value life insurance could prove to be a valuable asset for clients looking to couple an insurance need with tax and portfolio diversification in retirement. But there are some major caveats involved — namely, product considerations are...
Retiree medical expenses could outpace Social Security benefits in 20 years
May 23, 2016
A new report projecting health care costs for current and future retirees is chock full of scary numbers that should keep most financial planners up at night. But just as hiding under the covers during graphic horror flick scenes won't change...
Advisers' role in retiree health care
May 15, 2016
What's the single biggest expense that your clients will face once they've retired? Housing? Recreation? How about health care costs? Between Medicare premiums and the portion of medical bills Medicare doesn't pay, health care costs are actually...
How to help clients save big bucks on health and Medicare costs in retirement
May 3, 2016
In an environment of swelling health care expenses and inflation, examining ways to mitigate those costs, especially as they relate to Medicare, is becoming an increasingly important way for advisers to add value for clients. Not only are health...
