Five Things I Do Choose to Optimize (Even Though I Value Sleep)
In a recent post, I listed five things I choose not to optimize in favor of sleeping well at night
Five Things I Do Choose to Optimize (Even Though I Value Sleep) Read Post »
Medicaid at $0 MAGI: What You’re Actually Signing Up For
What happens when your income is low enough to qualify for Medicaid in early retirement? Many FIRE and early-retirement households focus on maximizing ACA premium subsidies, but at very low MAGI levels you may be moved into Medicaid instead. This post explains how Medicaid eligibility works, what benefits and limitations come with coverage, and why keeping your income too low can create tradeoffs that many retirees overlook.
Medicaid at $0 MAGI: What You’re Actually Signing Up For Read Post »
The ACA Runs on One Number: MAGI
ACA subsidies are based on income, not assets. Learn how MAGI drives premium tax credits, the 400% FPL cliff, and how to plan around both.
The ACA Runs on One Number: MAGI Read Post »
How Early Retirees Optimize ACA Subsidies With Roth Conversions
How do you protect your health insurance subsidies today without triggering a massive tax bomb tomorrow? In Part 4, we dive into the delicate balance of early retirement planning: engineering your income to maximize ACA tax credits while strategically using Roth conversions to defuse future RMD traps.
How Early Retirees Optimize ACA Subsidies With Roth Conversions Read Post »
The Healthcare Bridge: 10 Tax Surprises You Can Avoid
Early retirement no longer means a healthcare desert, but one bad assumption can turn manageable premiums into a painful tax surprise. Learn the 10 biggest healthcare and tax traps early retirees should avoid, from ACA subsidy cliffs to IRMAA and COBRA sticker shock.
The Healthcare Bridge: 10 Tax Surprises You Can Avoid Read Post »
How Much Will Health Insurance Cost in Early Retirement?
Learn how health insurance costs work in early retirement before Medicare, including ACA marketplace plans, COBRA, and unsubsidized coverage, and how retirees bridge the gap between leaving work and age 65.
How Much Will Health Insurance Cost in Early Retirement? Read Post »
The ACA Subsidy Cliff Explained: How a 64-Year-Old PaYS Less Than a 45-Year-Old
Understand the ACA subsidy cliff, where premium tax credits end at 400% of the federal poverty level, and how early retirees plan income and MAGI to avoid large increases in health insurance costs.
The ACA Subsidy Cliff Explained: How a 64-Year-Old PaYS Less Than a 45-Year-Old Read Post »
Health Insurance in Early Retirement : ACA, COBRA, Costs & Tax Strategies
COBRA, ACA, or health sharing? How early retirees choose health coverage before Medicare, and how income planning can cut premiums by thousands.
Health Insurance in Early Retirement : ACA, COBRA, Costs & Tax Strategies Read Post »
HSAs: If You Know, You Know (Part II)
HSAs are more than just healthcare savings accounts. Learn how they work, why they offer unmatched tax advantages, and how early retirees can use them as a powerful, but often ignored part of their financial strategy.
HSAs: If You Know, You Know (Part II) Read Post »
HSAs: If You Know, You Know (Part I)
I can sense my teenage daughter cringing from the next room for using “IYKYK” (If You Know, You Know). But
HSAs: If You Know, You Know (Part I) Read Post »