Category archives: St. Augustine
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3 days ago
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As Medicare premiums rise, a Medicare Advantage plan can seem like an attractive option. But if you are considering switching from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, you need to know what to look for.
Medicare Advantage plans are run by private insurers, unlike Original Medicare,... [read more]
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1 week ago
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If you are experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, you may want to consider withdrawing money from your retirement account while you still can. The special exemption allowing early withdrawals without a penalty ends soon.
Passed... [read more]
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2 weeks ago
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Medicare premiums are set to rise a modest amount next year, but still cut into any Social Security gains. The basic monthly premium will increase $3.90, from $144.60 a month to $148.50.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the premium and other Medicare cost increas... [read more]
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3 weeks ago
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In some circumstances, immediate annuities can be ideal Medicaid planning tools for spouses of nursing home residents. Careful planning is needed to make sure an annuity will work for you or your spouse.
An immediate annuity, in its simplest form, is a contract with an insurance company under... [read more]
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1 month ago
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This is a very different holiday season for many of us. We continue to live in a time of great concern and uncertainty about the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and many of us are altering our typical plans and traditions due to the risks of the coronavirus. We are all doing the best we can to be cautiou... [read more]
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1 month ago
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The amount of Social Security benefits a surviving spouse receives depends, in part, on when their deceased spouse began claiming benefits. However, husbands usually don’t take survivor’s benefits into account when claiming benefits, according to a recent study, meaning that many widows will needles... [read more]
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1 month ago
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For most people, receiving an inheritance is something good, but for a nursing home resident on Medicaid, an inheritance may not be such welcome news. Medicaid has strict income and resource limits, so an inheritance can make a Medicaid recipient ineligible for Medicaid. Careful planning is necessar... [read more]
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2 months ago
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We appreciate everyone who generously answered the call to help us with our Thanksgiving Food Drive for The Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs.
We have delivered many donated bags and boxes of food to The Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs to help them prepare Thanksgiving food packages for their c... [read more]
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2 months ago
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The rules around required minimum distributions from retirement accounts are confusing, and it’s easy to slip up. Fortunately, if you do make a mistake, there are steps you can take to fix the error and possibly avoid a stiff penalty.
If you have a tax-deferred retirement plan such as a tradi... [read more]
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2 months ago
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The Social Security Administration has announced a 1.3 percent rise in benefits in 2021, an increase even smaller than last year’s.
Cost-of-living increases are tied to the consumer price index, and a modest upturn in inflation rates and gas prices means Social Security recipients will get on... [read more]
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2 months ago
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly devastating for nursing homes and their residents. Aside from the tragically disproportionate loss of life, care for surviving residents has been delayed or interrupted due to infection, facility lockdowns or other health system disruptions. In such cases,... [read more]
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3 months ago
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The realities of the coronavirus pandemic continue to affect us all, and this time of great concern and uncertainty has led many people to consider their health care choices. It has also been a catalyst for important conversations with family and loved ones regarding health care.
In fact, one que... [read more]
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