The ability to switch Medicare plans isn’t as available as many beneficiaries are told or believe, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wants beneficiaries to be more aware of the practical limits. In a section of new proposed regulations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says that…

Helping aging parents can be a difficult journey as they age. Some elders are relatively simple, though always work, while other families experience a minefield with their parents. Some aging parents have always been manipulative in their lives. It can get worse with aging, when they expect more as their…

Mortgage rates climbed this week, sending overall demand lower as more Americans balked at refinancing. Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage jumped to 6.72%, up from last week’s reading of 6.6%. The average rate on a…

Ask family caregivers what sort of government support they want and their answer is clear: They want upfront cash. Not bigger future Social Security benefits. Not respite care or tax credits, not paid family leave, or even reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs. They want cash. That, at least, were the preferences…

The Federal Reserve just cut interest rates one more time this year. In their recent meeting, the Fed decided to cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point, dropping rates to 4.25% to 4.5%. This move was largely expected by economists. The Fed cited indicators of an expanding economy…

Two student loan repayment plans have been reopened for enrollment by the Department of Education (DOE) following a federal court injunction against the Biden administration’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) program.    New enrollment in the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plans programs was halted…

A federal consumer watchdog is warning that certain credit card companies may be illegally devaluing accrued rewards such as points or airline miles.  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said Wednesday that companies may violate federal law if fine print disclaimers or vague terms buried in a contract conflict with…

By Lin Grensing-Pophal, Next Avenue Mary has worked in marketing at a major health care organization that is committed to promoting from within and has a leadership development program that invites 20 people across the organization each year. Mary has yet to be invited, despite often telling her manager that…

People often associate the entire realm of digital assets with Bitcoin or cryptocurrencies, but digital assets are much more than that. In fact, digital assets comprise all electronically stored pieces of information used and owned, ranging from emails, text messages, social media posts, self-recorded videos, photos, blogs, websites, downloaded videos,…

By Deborah Lynn Blumberg, Next Avenue Gerry Galewski of Milwaukee retired at age 69 after a 47-year career working in computer technology, most recently for a software development company. Galewski lasted six months before he got restless and “unretired,” taking a job stocking shelves at his local supermarket. “It was…