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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

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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The proposed rule's basic idea: check the documents before the subsidy line moves.Money News

Proposed Rule: Marketplace Subsidies Would Wait for a Front-End Check Starting in 2028

Nov 6, 2026 · 4 min read
A long row of nested green Publix shopping carts lined up outdoors beside a supermarket entrance, with orange cart handles and a blue handicap parking sign nearby
Open enrollment: the carts are there. Auto-renew is the trip you skip.Money News

Part D Premiums for 2027: The $51 Average That Only Happens If You Don't Shop

Nov 6, 2026 · 4 min read
A wall of metal bank safe-deposit boxes with numbered doors and keyholes filling the frame.
Your HSA: a medical vault with an IRS-published combination.Taxes

HSA Contribution Limits 2026: Uncle Sam Built You a Medical Vault — Here's How Much Fits (Plus the 2027 Upgrade)

Nov 6, 2026 · 5 min read

Still useful

More evergreen
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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
10, 20 or 30 Years: Picking a Term Length Is Basically Predicting When Your Kids Stop Eating Your FoodYour Dog Can't Cash a Check: Life Insurance and Annuities for Pet OwnersNo-Exam Life Insurance: You Skip the Needle, They Skip the Discount More in Life Insurance

Retirement

don’t outlive your money
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)Medigap Plan G: The Letter Retirees Gush About Like a Celebrity Crush (and the One Bill It Still Hands You) More in Retirement

Taxes

keep the IRS calm
HSA Contribution Limits 2026: Uncle Sam Built You a Medical Vault — Here's How Much Fits (Plus the 2027 Upgrade)Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum? Picking an ACA Health Plan Is the Only Medal Ceremony Where You Pay for the MedalThe Subsidy Cliff Is Back (and It Didn’t Even Send a Postcard): Your ACA Open Enrollment 2027 Survival Guide 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 BaggageWhy 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.

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