Insurance is weird. Let’s unpack it.

Honest education with a dash of sarcasm. Plain answers on life insurance, retirement, taxes and estate planning.

Conceptual illustration of an oversized DENIED stamp above policy documents, with a miniature ladder and magnifying glass.

Life Insurance · The big read

Why Life Insurance Claims Get Denied—and What You Can Do

Your policy has fine print. Your family deserves fewer surprises. Learn common reasons for denials and what to do next.

2 min read

Dates that matter

Dec 7 · Medicare switch Medicare Open Enrollment ends. Your plan has to get your change by Dec. 7.
Dec 31 · RMD deadline Required minimum distributions are due, except your very first one.
Jan 15 · ACA enrollment HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment ends. Pick by Dec. 15 for coverage that starts Jan. 1.

What are you trying to figure out?

I’m reading my policyWhat the fine print in a life policy actually means.My claim got deniedCommon reasons claims get denied, and what to do next.I’m planning retirementAnnuities, 401(k)s, RMDs and the dates that matter.I want a smaller tax billDeductions, accounts and rules, in plain English.

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The IRS Raised the 401(k) Bar to $25,500 for 2027. The IRA Bar Didn't Move.

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Rolling Your 401(k) Into a Roth IRA: Ripping Off the Tax Bandage Now So Retirement-You Doesn't Have To (No Take-Backs)

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Your cash value after year three, open for business. Photo: “Seattle - Barney's Loans sign 01” by Joe Mabel, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Life Insurance

Borrowing Against Your Life Insurance: The Only Loan Where Your Policy Plays the Bank, the Collateral and the Overprotective Chaperone

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More evergreen

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The original jargon decoder. Took scholars about 20 years. This page takes five minutes.Taxes

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Jan 8, 2025 · 3 min read

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The security blanket. Moth holes sold separately, fine print included.Retirement

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The sections

Browse everything

Life Insurance

the “just in case” department

Borrowing Against Your Life Insurance: The Only Loan Where Your Policy Plays the Bank, the Collateral and the Overprotective Chaperone Why Your Life Insurance Quote Looks Like That: You're Being Priced Like a Used Car, Mileage, Joyrides and Fuzzy Dice Included Term Life With a Pre-Existing Condition: The Underwriter Already Read Your Diary, Took Notes, and Would Like a Word More in Life Insurance

Retirement

don’t outlive your money

Rolling Your 401(k) Into a Roth IRA: Ripping Off the Tax Bandage Now So Retirement-You Doesn't Have To (No Take-Backs)FERS Retirement Options: Uncle Sam Already Writes You a Paycheck for Life. An Annuity Is How You Teach the TSP to Do the Same.401(k) Rollovers Explained: Direct vs. Indirect, the 60-Day Clock and the 20% Toll Booth Nobody Mentioned at Your Exit Interview More in Retirement

Taxes

keep the IRS calm

2027 Tax Brackets and Standard Deduction: Your Income Takes the Stairs, Not the Escalator (So Go Ahead, Take the Raise)What Can You Buy With an HSA? The IRS Runs the Velvet Rope, and Your Massage Chair Isn't on the List Missed Open Enrollment? ACA Special Enrollment Periods Are the Health Insurance Side Door, and in 2027 the Bouncer Wants to See Your Paperwork More in Taxes

Estate Planning

no family feud

When Death Do Us Part Meets Debt Do Us Start: A Guide to Not Inheriting Your Spouse's Financial Baggage Why You Need to Name Beneficiaries (Unless You Love Family Drama) More in Estate Planning

Letters to the editor

Got a question about your policy, your 401(k), or that letter from the IRS? Send it in. A licensed human reads every one, and the good ones become articles, with your name left out.