Safe Money
Protecting your retirement savings from market risk, inflation, and sequence-of-returns danger.
The First-Year RMD Rule: Why You Might Face Two Required Distributions in One Year
The IRS lets you delay your first required minimum distribution until April 1 of the following year, but doing so can leave you taking two taxable withdrawals in a single calendar year. Here is how the timing works.
All Safe Money Articles51 more
Power of Attorney: The Estate-Planning Document That Is Not a Will
A power of attorney lets someone act on your behalf while you are alive. Here is how it differs from a will or trust, and why its scope and timing matter.
October 14, 2026
Why Your Earnings Record Is the Foundation of Your Social Security Estimate
Your Social Security benefit estimate is built directly from your lifetime earnings record. Understanding how to review that record, and why recent years may be missing, helps you read your estimate with confidence.
October 13, 2026
Understanding Medicare Open Enrollment: What the October 15 to December 7 Window Really Means
Medicare's annual Open Enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7, giving beneficiaries a set window to review and change certain coverage. Here is what happens during this period and why reviewing your plan each year matters.
October 12, 2026
The Eldercare Locator: A Free Federal Service That Connects Families With Local Care Resources
The Eldercare Locator, run by the Administration for Community Living, helps older adults and caregivers find local services like meals, home care, transportation, and respite. Here is how it works and what it offers.
October 11, 2026
2026 Retirement Plan Catch-Up Limits: Why Age 60 to 63 Gets a Bigger Break
The IRS has set the 2026 contribution limits for 401(k), 403(b), 457, and Thrift Savings Plan accounts, including a special higher catch-up amount for savers who turn 60 through 63 during the year.
September 24, 2026
Naming a Trust as Your IRA Beneficiary: What the IRS Rules Actually Say
A trust cannot be a designated beneficiary of an IRA, but its beneficiaries can sometimes receive that treatment when specific conditions are met. Here is how the pieces fit together.
September 23, 2026
Social Security Credits Explained: What They Determine and What They Don't
Social Security credits decide whether you qualify for retirement benefits, not how large your monthly check will be. Here is how the two calculations differ.
September 22, 2026
Two Medicare Documents That Arrive Before Open Enrollment: The ANOC and the EOC
Each fall, Medicare plans mail two separate documents before Open Enrollment. Understanding what each one does makes the autumn Medicare calendar far easier to follow.
September 21, 2026
Long-Term Care Often Begins at Home, Not in a Nursing Facility
Federal data show most long-term care support happens at home rather than in facilities. Understanding this fuller picture can reshape how you think about planning for future care.
September 20, 2026
The RMD Timing Detail That Can Put Two Withdrawals in One Tax Year
Required minimum distributions begin the year you turn 73, but a first-year delay can stack two withdrawals into a single calendar year. Here is how the timing and account type interact.
September 17, 2026
Inheriting an IRA From a Spouse: Why Beneficiary Status Changes the Rules
A surviving spouse who is the sole beneficiary of a deceased spouse's IRA has options that many other heirs do not. Understanding how beneficiary status affects required minimum distributions is a core part of estate planning.
September 16, 2026
Delayed Retirement Credits: Why Social Security Benefits Stop Growing at Age 70
Social Security rewards waiting to claim past full retirement age with an 8 percent annual increase, but only up to age 70. Here is how the rule works and what it means for your decision.
September 15, 2026
Medicare Open Enrollment: Understanding the October 15 to December 7 Window
Medicare Open Enrollment is a fixed annual period, not a year-round option. Here is what the calendar window covers and what changes you can make during it.
September 14, 2026
What Long-Term Care Actually Means: A Broader Definition Than Most People Expect
Long-term care is often pictured as a nursing home, but the federal definition is far wider. Understanding what it really includes can reshape how you plan for daily life, family support, and household costs.
September 13, 2026
The 2026 Catch-Up Contribution Rules: Why Age 60 to 63 Now Matters More Than Age 50
For 2026, workplace retirement savers face more than one catch-up contribution limit. A special provision from SECURE 2.0 gives workers who turn 60 through 63 a higher ceiling than other savers over 50.
September 10, 2026
The 10-Year Rule for Inherited IRAs: What Beneficiaries Need to Understand
Retirement account beneficiary rules can matter as much as a will or trust. Here is how the 10-year rule works, who is exempt, and why the beneficiary category shapes how inherited IRAs are handled.
September 9, 2026
Why Age 70 Is the Real Endpoint for Delaying Social Security
Delaying Social Security can raise your monthly benefit, but the increases stop at age 70. Here is how the Social Security Administration's rules work for people born in 1960 or later.
September 8, 2026
Understanding the 2026 Medicare Part D Coverage Stages: A Plain-English Guide
Medicare drug coverage moves through defined stages, and the 2026 figures make that structure easier to follow. Here is how the deductible and initial coverage stages work.
September 7, 2026
What Long-Term Care Really Means, and Why It Is a Planning Question, Not Just a Nursing Home Question
Long-term care covers far more than nursing homes, and about 60 percent of us will need some form of it. Understanding what it includes, and what Medicare does not cover, helps families plan before a crisis begins.
September 6, 2026
Two Deductions, One Page: Untangling the Age Add-On and the New Senior Deduction for 2025
For tax year 2025, older filers may see two separate deduction rules described side by side. Understanding why they are different helps you read your own return with more confidence.
September 3, 2026
Why RMD Timing Belongs in Your Estate Planning Conversation
Required minimum distributions begin at age 73, but a special first-year rule can push two withdrawals into a single calendar year. Understanding that timing helps families plan for taxes and asset transitions.
September 2, 2026
Working While Collecting Social Security: The Earnings Test Is Only Half the Story
The 2026 earnings limits determine when benefits may be temporarily withheld, but continued work can also raise the earnings record used to calculate your benefit for life.
September 1, 2026
Why the Medicare Part A Deductible Can Hit You More Than Once in a Year
Unlike most insurance deductibles, the Medicare Part A hospital deductible resets with each new benefit period, not each calendar year. That distinction can lead to paying the deductible more than once in the same year.
August 31, 2026
Medicare vs. Medicaid for Long-Term Care: Why the Difference Matters
Many families assume Medicare covers long-term care. It generally does not. Understanding which program does what, and when eligibility rules become the real issue, is central to planning.
August 30, 2026
Two Different Tax Breaks for Older Filers in 2025: The Age Add-On and the Enhanced Senior Deduction
For tax year 2025, older filers may benefit from two distinct provisions: the long-standing additional standard deduction for age and the newer enhanced deduction for seniors. They sound alike but work differently.
August 27, 2026
RMD Timing and Estate Planning: Why the First-Year Rule Deserves Attention
Required minimum distributions generally begin at age 73, but a first-year timing rule can push two withdrawals into a single calendar year. Understanding how RMD timing fits into estate planning helps families avoid surprises.
August 26, 2026
Working While on Social Security Can Sometimes Raise Your Benefit, Not Just Reduce It
Social Security's work rules are usually explained only as a penalty, but continued earnings can also increase your monthly benefit over time. Here is how both sides of the rule actually work.
August 25, 2026
Why the Medicare Part A Deductible Can Hit You More Than Once a Year
The 2026 Medicare Part A deductible is $1,736, but unlike many employer plans, it resets with each hospital benefit period, not once per calendar year. Here is how that works and why it matters.
August 24, 2026
Long-Term Care Coverage: Why Medicare and Medicaid Don't Work the Way Families Expect
Many families assume Medicare covers long-term care, and that Medicaid steps in when it doesn't. The truth involves both a coverage question and an eligibility question, and understanding the difference matters.
August 23, 2026
Two Age-Related Deductions in 2025: Understanding the New Senior Deduction
For tax year 2025, seniors 65 and older may qualify for an enhanced deduction of up to $6,000, but it is separate from the long-standing additional standard deduction for age. Here is how the two differ.
August 20, 2026
Why Your IRA Beneficiary Form May Matter as Much as Your Will
Retirement accounts follow their own distribution rules after death, and the beneficiary paperwork attached to an IRA can shape outcomes that a will alone cannot control.
August 19, 2026
The Social Security Earnings Test Is a Timing Rule, Not a Penalty
The earnings test can reduce your Social Security checks if you work before full retirement age, but the money withheld is not gone forever. Here is how the rule actually works, with the 2026 limits.
August 18, 2026
Why Your 2026 Medicare Premium May Reflect Income From 2024
Medicare sets Part B premiums using a tax return from two years earlier, so a single high-income year can raise your bill on a delay. Here is how the timing works and what triggers it.
August 17, 2026
Why Medicare Doesn't Cover Long-Term Care, and What Families Often Misunderstand
Many families assume Medicare will pay when a loved one needs ongoing daily support. Understanding the difference between long-term care and skilled nursing care can prevent a costly surprise.
August 16, 2026
Two Age-Based Tax Deductions in 2025: How the New Enhanced Senior Deduction Differs from the One You Already Know
For tax year 2025, seniors 65 and older may qualify for a new enhanced deduction of up to $6,000, which sits alongside the long-standing additional standard deduction for age. Here is how the two rules differ and why the distinction matters.
August 13, 2026
Why Your Retirement Account Beneficiary Form Is Part of Your Estate Plan
The beneficiary designation on your IRA carries its own tax and distribution rules that can override the rest of your estate plan. Here is what those forms actually control and why keeping them current matters.
August 12, 2026
The Social Security Earnings Test Is a Timing Rule, Not a Permanent Penalty
Many people believe that working while collecting Social Security means losing money forever. In reality, benefits withheld under the earnings test are credited back after you reach full retirement age.
August 11, 2026
How a Tax Return From Two Years Ago Can Raise Your 2026 Medicare Premium
Medicare bases the income-related surcharge known as IRMAA on your tax return from two years earlier, which means a single high-income year can quietly raise your premium later on.
August 10, 2026
Why Medicare Doesn't Cover Long-Term Care (and What That Means for Your Planning)
Many Americans assume Medicare will pay for extended nursing home or in-home care. It generally won't. Understanding the difference between medical care and custodial care can prevent an expensive surprise.
August 9, 2026
The New $6,000 Senior Deduction: What Taxpayers 65 and Older Should Know for 2025
For the 2025 tax year, people age 65 and older may qualify for an enhanced deduction of up to $6,000 per person, subject to income limits. Here is how it works and how it fits alongside the deductions you already know.
August 6, 2026
Estate Planning vs. Estate Tax Planning: Why the Difference Matters for Most Families
The federal estate tax affects very few families, but nearly everyone benefits from basic estate planning. Understanding the distinction helps you focus on the documents and decisions that actually apply to you.
August 5, 2026
How Working Before Full Retirement Age Affects Your Social Security Checks in 2025
If you claim Social Security while still working before your full retirement age, the earnings test can temporarily reduce your benefits. Here is how the 2025 limits work and what happens to the money.
August 4, 2026
Missed Your Medicare Part B Window? What the General Enrollment Period Means for You
If you didn't sign up for Medicare Part B when you were first eligible, the General Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 each year. Here's how that fallback window works and why timing matters.
August 3, 2026
How Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums Can Count as Medical Expenses in 2025
Qualified long-term care insurance premiums may be treated as deductible medical expenses, but the IRS caps the amount by age. Here is how the 2025 limits work and who they apply to.
August 2, 2026
Series I Savings Bonds: A Complete Guide for Retirees
Series I savings bonds adjust for inflation every six months, cannot lose principal value, and offer favorable federal tax treatment — here is everything retirees need to know about how they work, what they cost, where to buy them, and how they are taxed.
May 1, 2025
Fixed Indexed Annuity Sales Hit Record in 2024: What the Surge Tells Us
Fixed indexed annuity sales reached $126.9 billion in 2024, part of a broader record year for annuities—and the numbers reveal something real about how retirees are thinking about risk.
January 28, 2025
What "Safe Money" Actually Means in Retirement
Understanding the difference between principal protection, fixed indexed annuities, CDs, and bonds — and why sequence of returns risk changes everything after you stop working.
January 15, 2025
Annuity Types Explained: A Plain-English Guide to How Each Works
Annuities are among the most misunderstood products in the retirement landscape. This guide explains the major types, what each is designed to do, how surrender periods work, and how annuities interact with required minimum distributions.
November 20, 2024
I-Bond Rates in 2025: How the Fed's Decisions Shaped Returns for Conservative Savers
Series I savings bond rates remained in the 3.98–4.03% range through 2025, offering inflation-protected returns with a fixed component that rewarded buyers who locked in rates earlier in the year.
November 1, 2024
CD Rates After the Fed Cuts: How Retirees Should Think About Locking In Now
After the Federal Reserve cut rates in October 2025, top certificate of deposit rates remained above 4% in some terms—but the window for locking in elevated yields is narrowing.
September 18, 2024
Required Minimum Distributions: A Complete Guide Under SECURE 2.0
The SECURE 2.0 Act, signed December 29, 2022, raised the age for required minimum distributions to 73, reduced the penalty for missed withdrawals, and changed inherited IRA rules — here is what account owners and beneficiaries need to understand.
December 29, 2022Also from REN
The Pre-RMD Window: Why the Years Before Age 73 Matter for Retirement Taxes
July 30, 2026Why Your Will May Not Control Your Retirement Accounts
July 29, 2026The Social Security Earnings Test: Why 'Withheld' Doesn't Mean 'Lost'
July 28, 2026How Your Income Can Raise Your Medicare Part B Premium in 2025
July 27, 2026What Medicare Does Not Cover: The Long-Term Care Gap Families Discover Too Late
July 26, 2026Free Weekly Briefing
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