This week, I’m excited to let you know about the launch of a new series of retirement guides that I am creating exclusively for subscribers to this newsletter. The idea is just-in-time education on the key challenges people confront in planning for retirement. Each of these brief guides will explain how to cope with a retirement challenge, and will offer useful tips and resources. And they will be paired with a podcast conversation with a top expert on the topic at hand.
The series launches this week focusing on one of the most important - and most complex - retirement challenges: the transition to Medicare from other types of insurance.
This transition is fraught with pitfalls that can be costly. Signing up for Medicare at the right time is critical, along with understanding when the program’s coverage is primary. Getting this wrong can lead to costly lifetime late enrollment penalties on Part B premiums, and lengthy gaps in your insurance coverage.
My guest on the podcast is Joe Baker, who just retired as president of the Medicare Rights Center. Joe is one of the most knowledgeable people in the United States on Medicare. His organization is a non-profit that advocates for improvements in Medicare, and provides consumer advice and assistance.
Please enjoy an excerpt from my conversation with Joe in this week’s podcast - click the player above.
Spring subscription sale!
To receive the Medicare Transitions guide, take advantage of the Spring subscription offer I’m running right now. Subscribe now to receive 50 percent off your first year. Click here to subscribe, or use the little green button.
Next week: How anyone can afford a financial adviser
Next week’s guide and podcast: how to hire a financial planner. This one features a discussion with Sheryl Garrett, a visionary who has done more than most to promote the idea of unbiased, conflict-free fiduciary financial planning. Sheryl is a CFP and founder of the Garrett Planning Network. She has pioneered the notion of inexpensive hourly advice that does not cost a fortune, and her work recently was recognized with theInvestment News ICON award for 2019. Sheryl is the author of numerous books, including Personal Finance Workbook For Dummies.
Subscribers also will receive my brief guide to this important topic, and a free chapter download from Sheryl’s book.
Hear the podcast on Apple and Stitcher
The RetirementRevised podcast is now available on Apple and Android devices. Click here to subscribe on your iPhone, or here to subscribe on Stitcher (for Android devices).
The transition to Medicare: How to get it right