MARK MILLER

Articles by MARK MILLER

Medicare, ACA care and how to navigate during enrollment

This is enrollment season for two huge public health insurance programs: Medicare and the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges. For older Americans, the overlapping sign-up periods can lead to confusion and enrollment errors.

Nov 20, 2014 3:00 PM EST

Five takeaways on retirement from the midterm elections

Retirement policy wasn’t on the ballot in last week's midterm elections. But the new political landscape could threaten the retirement security of middle-class households.

Nov 13, 2014 1:27 PM EST

The biggest surprises in retirement? The experts weigh in

The Great Recession served up some nasty financial surprises to people approaching retirement - the housing crash, job loss and shrunken 401(k)s, for starters.

Nov 11, 2014 9:54 AM EST

Conquering fear, finding purpose: The secrets of an encore career

“You must do the thing you cannot do,” Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote. It’s the only way to overcome the fears we all face in doing something new, she thought, and take a leap into the unknown.

Nov 05, 2014 10:56 AM EST

The COLA crunch: Why Social Security isn't keeping up with seniors' costs

Social Security’s annual inflation adjustment is one of the program’s most valuable features. But it’s time to adjust the adjustment.

Oct 24, 2014 2:23 PM EDT

Beware: Some Medicare Advantage plans have plenty of disadvantages

Seniors have flocked to Medicare Advantage in recent years, attracted by savings on premiums and the convenience of one-stop shopping. But as the annual Medicare enrollment season began this week, a memorandum from federal officials to plan providers surfaced that serves as a big red warning flag.

Oct 16, 2014 12:22 PM EDT

Shining a light on a murky election-year Social Security debate

In North Carolina, a television ad attacks incumbent Democratic Senator Kay Hagan for supporting a “controversial plan” that “raises the retirement age” for Social Security. The ad comes from Crossroads GPS, the super PAC run by Republican Karl Rove.

Oct 10, 2014 11:46 AM EDT

Extreme retirement abroad: How one footloose couple sees the world

For Americans looking to retire abroad, deciding where to live can be a challenge. But Lynne and Tim Martin took that question off the table by deciding to retire everywhere and anywhere.

Sep 18, 2014 4:18 PM EDT

Retirement insecurity: Two studies underline housing and income challenges

Monday marks the sixth anniversary of the bankruptcy filing of Lehman Brothers, a key event in the Wall Street meltdown that led to the Great Recession. The recession wreaked havoc on the retirement plans of millions of Americans, and two studies released last week suggest that most of us haven't recovered well.

Sep 12, 2014 12:41 PM EDT

How to interpret your Social Security benefit statement

The Social Security Administration will be mailing annual benefit statements for the first time in three years to some American workers. That's good news, because the statements provide a useful projection of what you can expect to receive in benefits at various retirement ages, if you become widowed or suffer a disability that prevents you from working.

Aug 21, 2014 2:38 PM EDT

Phased retirement: How Washington is leading the way

Gwendolyn Ross will turn 66 in November, but she isn’t ready to retire. A deputy comptroller for the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami Beach, Florida, she hopes to work until she’s 70 - but she would like to cut back her hours.

Aug 15, 2014 3:43 PM EDT

Take the pension buyout, or wait for a better deal down the road?

If you work for a company with a pension plan, don’t be surprised if you get an offer soon for a lump sum buyout - a deal where you accept a pile of cash in exchange for the promise of lifetime income when you retire.

Aug 13, 2014 1:37 PM EDT