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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All stories

A blue car stopped at a French highway toll gate under a sign reading Automatique, with the red-and-white barrier down ahead of it.

The indirect rollover lane. Please have 20% ready.Retirement

401(k) Rollovers Explained: Direct vs. Indirect, the 60-Day Clock and the 20% Toll Booth Nobody Mentioned at Your Exit Interview

Nov 9, 2026 · 7 min read

Three porcelain bowls in a museum display case: a red-and-white bowl, a larger yellow bowl decorated with flowers, and a blue bowl turned upside down, each with a small numbered marker.

Too small, too big, upside down. Goldilocks would also like a quote.Life Insurance

How Much Life Insurance Do You Need? More Than Your Funeral, Less Than Your Lottery Fantasy

Nov 9, 2026 · 6 min read

A wide airport security checkpoint entrance with metal detectors, conveyor belt scanners and empty lanes under bright overhead lights

The proposed rule's basic idea: check the documents before the subsidy line moves.Money News

Proposed Rule: Marketplace Subsidies Would Wait for a Front-End Check Starting in 2028

Nov 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Still useful

More evergreen

Close-up of the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum, its dark granite face covered in carved lines of hieroglyphic, Demotic and Greek text.

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

26 Financial Terms Explained: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Money Matters

Jan 8, 2025 · 3 min read

An open treasure chest overflowing with gold coins and jewelry, with a skull beside it.

The inheritance. The skull is what happens when nobody reads the trust.Retirement

The Ultimate Guide to Not Blowing Your Inheritance: Combining Annuities and Spendthrift Trusts Like a Financial Ninja

Jan 8, 2025 · 3 min read

Close-up of a cream wool blanket with a brown plaid pattern.

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

Annuities: Your Financial Security Blanket (Without the Moth Holes)

Jan 6, 2025 · 3 min read

Browse the archive

The sections

Browse everything

Life Insurance

the “just in case” department

How Much Life Insurance Do You Need? More Than Your Funeral, Less Than Your Lottery Fantasy 10, 20 or 30 Years: Picking a Term Length Is Basically Predicting When Your Kids Stop Eating Your Food Your Dog Can't Cash a Check: Life Insurance and Annuities for Pet Owners More in Life Insurance

Retirement

don’t outlive your money

401(k) Rollovers Explained: Direct vs. Indirect, the 60-Day Clock and the 20% Toll Booth Nobody Mentioned at Your Exit Interview Annuity Surrender Charges, Explained: The Gym-Membership Cancellation Fee of Retirement Money (Now With Math)Medigap vs Medicare Advantage: Pay Now or Pay Later, Pick Your Pain (and Pick Carefully, Because U-Turns Cost Extra) More in Retirement

Taxes

keep the IRS calm

HSA Contribution Limits 2026: Uncle Sam Built You a Medical Vault — Here's How Much Fits (Plus the 2027 Upgrade)Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum? Picking an ACA Health Plan Is the Only Medal Ceremony Where You Pay for the Medal The Subsidy Cliff Is Back (and It Didn’t Even Send a Postcard): Your ACA Open Enrollment 2027 Survival Guide 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.