Insurance is weird. Let’s unpack it.

Honest education with a dash of sarcasm. Plain answers on life insurance, retirement, taxes and estate planning.

Conceptual illustration of an oversized DENIED stamp above policy documents, with a miniature ladder and magnifying glass.

Life Insurance · The big read

Why Life Insurance Claims Get Denied—and What You Can Do

Your policy has fine print. Your family deserves fewer surprises. Learn common reasons for denials and what to do next.

2 min read

Dates that matter

Dec 7 · Medicare switch Medicare Open Enrollment ends. Your plan has to get your change by Dec. 7.
Dec 31 · RMD deadline Required minimum distributions are due, except your very first one.
Jan 15 · ACA enrollment HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment ends. Pick by Dec. 15 for coverage that starts Jan. 1.

What are you trying to figure out?

I’m reading my policyWhat the fine print in a life policy actually means.My claim got deniedCommon reasons claims get denied, and what to do next.I’m planning retirementAnnuities, 401(k)s, RMDs and the dates that matter.I want a smaller tax billDeductions, accounts and rules, in plain English.

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Starting in 2027, many Medicaid adults will need to show 80 hours a month.Money News

Medicaid Work Requirements Start January 1. Nebraska's Early Rollout Shows What to Watch For.

Nov 11, 2026 · 5 min read

Rows of polished brass stanchions joined by thick red velvet ropes, filling the frame.

The HSA guest list. Bring a diagnosis or wait outside.Taxes

What Can You Buy With an HSA? The IRS Runs the Velvet Rope, and Your Massage Chair Isn't on the List

Nov 11, 2026 · 7 min read

An old handwritten pocket diary lying open to the pages for January 3 and January 4, with a small metal lock clasp on its right edge, photographed on a white background.

It had a lock. The underwriter had a records request.Life Insurance

Term Life With a Pre-Existing Condition: The Underwriter Already Read Your Diary, Took Notes, and Would Like a Word

Nov 11, 2026 · 7 min read

Still useful

More evergreen

Close-up of the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum, its dark granite face covered in carved lines of hieroglyphic, Demotic and Greek text.

The original jargon decoder. Took scholars about 20 years. This page takes five minutes.Taxes

26 Financial Terms Explained: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Money Matters

Jan 8, 2025 · 3 min read

An open treasure chest overflowing with gold coins and jewelry, with a skull beside it.

The inheritance. The skull is what happens when nobody reads the trust.Retirement

The Ultimate Guide to Not Blowing Your Inheritance: Combining Annuities and Spendthrift Trusts Like a Financial Ninja

Jan 8, 2025 · 3 min read

Close-up of a cream wool blanket with a brown plaid pattern.

The security blanket. Moth holes sold separately, fine print included.Retirement

Annuities: Your Financial Security Blanket (Without the Moth Holes)

Jan 6, 2025 · 3 min read

Browse the archive

The sections

Browse everything

Life Insurance

the “just in case” department

Term Life With a Pre-Existing Condition: The Underwriter Already Read Your Diary, Took Notes, and Would Like a Word How to File a Life Insurance Claim: Take a Number, Bring a Death Certificate, and Make the Insurer Pay Interest for Dawdling How Much Life Insurance Do You Need? More Than Your Funeral, Less Than Your Lottery Fantasy More in Life Insurance

Retirement

don’t outlive your money

401(k) Rollovers Explained: Direct vs. Indirect, the 60-Day Clock and the 20% Toll Booth Nobody Mentioned at Your Exit Interview Annuity Surrender Charges, Explained: The Gym-Membership Cancellation Fee of Retirement Money (Now With Math)Medigap vs Medicare Advantage: Pay Now or Pay Later, Pick Your Pain (and Pick Carefully, Because U-Turns Cost Extra) More in Retirement

Taxes

keep the IRS calm

What Can You Buy With an HSA? The IRS Runs the Velvet Rope, and Your Massage Chair Isn't on the List Missed Open Enrollment? ACA Special Enrollment Periods Are the Health Insurance Side Door, and in 2027 the Bouncer Wants to See Your Paperwork HSA Contribution Limits 2026: Uncle Sam Built You a Medical Vault — Here's How Much Fits (Plus the 2027 Upgrade) More in Taxes

Estate Planning

no family feud

When Death Do Us Part Meets Debt Do Us Start: A Guide to Not Inheriting Your Spouse's Financial Baggage Why You Need to Name Beneficiaries (Unless You Love Family Drama) More in Estate Planning

Letters to the editor

Got a question about your policy, your 401(k), or that letter from the IRS? Send it in. A licensed human reads every one, and the good ones become articles, with your name left out.