When your health insurance claim is denied or your health insurer refuses pre-approval for care you need, you may think your hands are tied. But there’s actually a lot you can do to try getting that decision reversed All health insurance policies have … Continue reading
Divorce is painful, sometimes necessary and often expensive. Just ask Kathleen James of Downers Grove, Ill., who divorced at 50 and says she “woefully underestimated the expense.” These days, a traditional divorce for a couple over 50 (with a house, re… Continue reading
Several months ago, a friend and I were discussing a mutual acquaintance from college. The woman had divorced her husband after 15 years of marriage and he was arrested for securities fraud shortly after. He subsequently went to prison. Our classmate c… Continue reading
While airline passengers were once preoccupied with worries of lost luggage, today, they’re more concerned about how much they’ll pay for checked bags. With most major carriers charging $30 for the first one and $40 for the second one, the fees are hav… Continue reading
If your spouse or partner wakes up in the middle of the night complaining of chest pain, which of these would you choose?: 1) Call 911 for an ambulance or 2) fire up your computer, go online to compare prices for cardiac care at nearby hospitals, pick … Continue reading
Like many married couples, Stephen and Kathy Read of Wayne, Pa., knock heads about money. Stephen, a retired engineer in his mid-70s, is a spender. Kathy, a musician in her mid-60s, is frugal. In 2016, they decided to talk to a money therapist. “They’r… Continue reading
Consider the possible hefty caregiving needs and costs over an adult’s lifetime: Early child care and education runs nearly $10,000 annually for the parent of a toddler, on average. Family caregivers spend roughly $7,000 on caregiving costs, on average… Continue reading
Charities feared that the 2017 tax law would lead to a drop in charitable giving by individuals. The chief reason: the doubling of the standard deduction (to $24,000 for married couples filing jointly) would mean it wouldn’t pay for many to itemize on … Continue reading
When my oldest daughter graduated from college, I was amazed to discover that she had never taken an economics or finance class. Her education helped her secure a prestigious job doing medical research, yet she had no clue how to budget, do her taxes, … Continue reading
The first time Mary Hickey, 53, and her husband, Joe, 59, looked at a home in Sun City Peachtree, a development in Griffin, Ga., in early 2016, they didn’t realize it was an age-restricted community. But the more the accountant and human resources mana… Continue reading