Tyler Foster
Latest Articles by Tyler Foster
Moving or losing job coverage opens a special Medicare sign-up window
People who lose employer-sponsored health coverage or relocate outside the boundaries of their current Medicare Advantage plan face a strict but often overlooked deadline: an...
A joint-and-survivor pension keeps paying your spouse after you die, while a single-life payout stops at your death
Retirees covered by a defined-benefit pension face a single decision at retirement that determines whether their spouse will receive any income from that pension after...
Part A hospital coverage is premium-free after you pay Medicare taxes 10 years
Americans turning 65 face a straightforward but high-stakes eligibility test: those who paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years, accumulating 40 quarters of coverage,...
Substantially equal withdrawals let you tap an IRA before 59½ penalty-free
Workers who leave a job before age 59½ and need income from a traditional IRA face a steep 10% early-withdrawal penalty on top of ordinary...
Some Medicare Advantage plans pay part of your Part B premium back, putting $50 or more in your monthly check
Certain Medicare Advantage plans are returning a portion of the standard Part B premium directly to enrollees, effectively adding money back into monthly Social Security...
You can claim up to six months of Social Security in one lump sum if you file after full retirement age
Workers who file for Social Security after reaching full retirement age can collect up to six months of benefits in a single retroactive payment, a...
Denied a checking account? Dispute the errors on your free ChexSystems report
Consumers across the United States who walk into a bank expecting to open a simple checking account can find themselves turned away for reasons they...
Shingles, RSV and other vaccines now cost Medicare drug-plan members nothing
Millions of people enrolled in Medicare prescription drug plans now pay nothing out of pocket for shingles shots, RSV vaccines, and other adult immunizations recommended...
Free VITA volunteers prepare tax returns for older and lower-income filers
Thousands of older Americans and lower-income workers face a quiet but costly problem every filing season: they qualify for federal tax refunds but lack the...
An old 401(k) can roll into an IRA penalty-free, often cutting fees and widening your investment choices
Workers who switch jobs and leave behind old 401(k) accounts face a quiet but measurable cost: fees that can eat into balances faster than investment...
A power of attorney and health directive keep your money and care under your control if illness strikes
A stroke, a car accident, or a sudden diagnosis can leave someone unable to sign a check, authorize a medical procedure, or communicate treatment preferences....
A new Senate bill would bar Social Security from clawing back overpayments it caused more than 10 years earlier
Millions of Social Security beneficiaries who have been told they owe the government money for overpayments made a decade or more ago could get permanent...
Many states let homeowners 65 and older defer property taxes until the house is sold or the owner dies
Seniors on fixed incomes across at least seven states can legally stop writing property-tax checks, pushing repayment years into the future until the home sells...
There is no longer an age limit on funding an IRA, so a retiree with any earned income can still contribute
Retirees who pick up part-time work, freelance gigs, or consulting contracts after age 70 can now put money into a traditional IRA, a right that...
Americans trimmed credit-card balances by $25 billion in the first quarter, though the total still sits near $1.25 trillion
American households paid down roughly $25 billion in credit-card balances during the first quarter, a seasonal pullback that still leaves the national total near $1.25...
Ask the IRS for first-time penalty relief to erase a late-filing fine
Taxpayers who missed the filing deadline and now face a penalty of 5% of unpaid tax for every month the return is late, up to...