Back To Work (sigh)
I was hoping for another couple of weeks of euphoria. Instead, I got the double-whammy for New Year’s.
Still, these guys outperformed expectations, by a lot. They still get an A. But now, the bar of expectations has risen.
These guys, on the other hand, have no excuse. These guys get a B-, at best. Aaron Rodgers, a single Super Bowl win. One.
January Is Important
They are not my rules, I would’ve been stricter, not looser. Here’s an incomplete list of what you can do.
But, we will help you take advantage of the rules as written. There is flexibility here that people don’t take full advantage of, and that results is lost money or opportunity, which are the same thing.
Enroll or change your individual health insurance and pay the first month’s premium
Change from your existing Medicare Advantage plan to another
Enroll in Medicare if you didn’t do it correctly when turning 65 or retiring
Switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap (be careful to follow the correct order)
Medicare Enrollment Problems
Yikes, readers of this Substack know that retiring around the time of your 65th birthday can lead to strange outcomes.
You don’t want a lapse in coverage, you may have a health situation that requires immediate / constant attention.
You don’t want to be double-covered, especially if you would face IRMAA. We are talking about $170.10 + possible Part B and Part D IRMAA. For some this may seem ‘worth it,’ but not for others.
You don’t want to face late enrollment penalties
There is the BENES Act, which takes effect in 2023, but for now, this problem continues to baffle applicants (you) and the SSA, which is inconsistently applying the rules.
Not The First Time, Won’t Be The Last
Most of the time, I am not sympathetic to those that start their protests with the sentence “It’s not fair that…” Don’t get me started. These rules are in writing, they are known, there is a book (ahem, available for pre-order on amazon.com), YouTube Channel to explain financial concepts, this free newsletter, subscription service for sensitive information, professional services, all set up to explain why my definition of “fair” doesn’t matter, it is a question of correctly understanding the rules.
However, when you follow the rules correctly, and then a government employee wrongly informs you, or there are undue delays at the government? That is entirely different. The idea that you can do these by yourself?
Detect the error
Know how to address the error
Avoid the error by pre-emptively acting early and correctly
Nah. It’s just a sample of over 100 videos. Don’t forget to subscribe.
Santa Still Flyin’ All Over The Joint
January Effect is a real thing. You will need to think the world will end in order to fight against it (not financial advice, dyor).
Markets don’t care what you (or I) think.
Bubble in risky assets. Real estate gone mad.
Inflation high, supply problems real (yes, my physical book is delayed), and central banks are behind the curve.
COVID variants may curtail economic activity.
China real estate disaster, in a black hole, since we don’t get any transparency.
Then, there is the real world.
The actual inflow of actual money into financial markets is greater during January than all other months, combined, on a net basis.
So if the house next door is way overpriced, but there are 5 buyers for every seller, guess what??? The price is not likely to decline.
This is a possible Grinch, this will likely be mentioned soon
