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Understanding Medicare Enrollment
This week I came across a 75-year-old retiree who had not yet signed up for Medicare. Since Medicare enrollment begins at age 65, this was a big miss! Not only does enrolling late result in higher premiums, the failure to enroll in Medicare can leave retirees dangerously lacking in insurance coverage. One common reason for this error is the deferral of Social Security Retirement benefits, as some mistakenly believe that if they defer taking Social Security Retirement benef
Steve Coker, CFP
4 days ago2 min read
529 Plans: More Flexible Than You May Think
For families who want to help children or grandchildren with future education costs, a 529 education savings plan can be one of the most useful planning tools available. In addition to helping families save systematically, 529 plans offer significant tax advantages and, under recent tax-law changes, considerably more flexibility than they once did. The primary benefit of a 529 plan is tax-free investment growth. Contributions are made with after-tax dollars, but earnings are
Steve Coker, CFP
Aug 292 min read
Should I take my pension as a lump sum?
If you are trying to decide whether to take your pension as a lump sum or as monthly payments, then let’s start by saying ‘congratulations’. Few employers still offer pensions and you are fortunate to have this benefit as you face retirement. Pension payouts can be significant, so it is important to consider your options carefully. In this article we’ll walk through some of the common options for your pension payout to help you determine which is best for your situation.
Steve Coker, CFP
Aug 214 min read
Social Security Survivors Benefit
When the unthinkable happens and one spouse dies, Social Security provides a benefit, commonly referred to as the widow’s benefit, to the survivor. Why is the survivor benefit referred to as ‘widow’s’ benefit? Simply put, approximately 80% of the individuals receiving survivor benefits are women. Decisions about how long to work and when to claim Social Security Survivor benefits can have a significant impact on the life of the survivor. If you find yourself in this situa
Steve Coker, CFP
Aug 143 min read
Is it time to raise rates?
As we discussed a few weeks ago, newly appointed Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, has a challenge on his hands. Inflation is still running above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. More concerning, it has begun to move in the wrong direction, rising from a 2026 low of 2.4% in January and February to a concerning 4.2% in May and 3.5% in June as measured by Consumer Price Inflation (“CPI”). Admittedly, much of the rise in inflation over the past few months relates to the sp
Steve Coker, CFP
Aug 92 min read
