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The Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment season has begun (Nov. 1 through Dec. 15) for people who do not have access to health insurance plans at work. For the 2020 plan year, 20 more insurers have entered the federal exchange market and the average premium dropped by 4% from last year’s plans.1 Employers see strong…

Sometimes it feels as though we don’t learn from our past financial mistakes. Back in 2008, as a contributor to the recession, consumer debt reached a record high of $12.68 trillion. As of the end of the second quarter in 2019, Americans surpassed that number by $1.2 trillion; we now stand at $13.86 trillion in…

According to the United Nations, across the globe, people older than 65 now outnumber children under five for the first time in history. In 1960, the average woman gave birth to five children in her lifetime; by 2017, that ratio had dropped to 2.4 children per woman. Meanwhile, our life expectancy has increased around the…

If you are retired or planning to retire soon, you may still have some work to do. For example, it’s smart to have a readily accessible emergency savings fund that can pay for three to six months’ worth of living expenses, if necessary. You should also consider what insurance policies you may need to help…

Some hard-working, taxpaying Americans get angry when they hear Social Security called an entitlement program, perhaps because the word “entitlement” has come to have a connotation with welfare programs. The reality is that Social Security is, by definition, an entitlement program, along with Medicare, unemployment insurance and worker’s compensation. These mandatory programs are funded by…

There’s a growing number of businesses that have kept quiet when it comes to the health care debate. While they may be all about the free market, the reality is that the exponentially rising costs of providing health care to their employees is increasing overhead, reducing profits and making them less competitive with foreign markets.1…

Americans are so busy that they often have a hard time balancing demands for work and their personal lives. In fact, participants in a recent survey reported having only an average of 26 minutes of free time each week.1 Where does the time go? The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women have not only…

One issue sure to ignite the 2020 election year is the future of health care in America. As Congress resumes its session this fall, legislators on both sides of the aisle are anxious to pass health-care-related bills to gain positive campaign traction. Popular proposals include legislation to lower prescription drug prices and ban surprise medical…

The baby boom generation is the demographic engine that has driven U.S. economic growth over the past 50 years. But now, as boomers work less, spend less, retire and draw on retirement funds, that baton is being handed over to Generation X and millennials. The economy is fueled by consumer spending, so the people who…

Most people using the internet to shop, conduct financial transactions or read firewall-protected content are likely familiar with the aggravation of maintaining passwords. Worse yet, tech experts now say conventional password security is only a marginal defense against hacking.1 We are now entering a new age in electronic security for the average user — one…