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

Green highway overhead signs directing traffic into Express lanes and Collector lanes above a multi-lane freeway.

No-exam underwriting: the express lane. The toll is in the premium.Life Insurance

No-Exam Life Insurance: You Skip the Needle, They Skip the Discount

Nov 5, 2026 · 6 min read

A long, dark carved wooden megaphone from the Congo whose wide end is shaped like an open animal mouth with rows of pointed teeth, photographed on a gray background

Open enrollment season: the ads get louder, and now regulators are listening to what they say.Money News

Open Enrollment Ads Just Got a Hall Monitor: The FTC Warns 25 Health Plan Marketers

Nov 4, 2026 · 5 min read

A narrow paved street in a Japanese neighborhood that splits into two lanes around a corner building, with white road markings and utility poles.

Two roads diverged, and both of them send you a bill.Retirement

Medigap vs Medicare Advantage: Pay Now or Pay Later, Pick Your Pain (and Pick Carefully, Because U-Turns Cost Extra)

Nov 4, 2026 · 6 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

No-Exam Life Insurance: You Skip the Needle, They Skip the Discount Term Life After 60: Insurers Price You Like a Used Car (and They Just Checked Your Odometer)AD&D vs. Life Insurance: The Policy That Pays If You Die Dramatically (But Not If You Die Normally) More in Life Insurance

Retirement

don’t outlive your money

Medigap vs Medicare Advantage: Pay Now or Pay Later, Pick Your Pain (and Pick Carefully, Because U-Turns Cost Extra)Medigap Plan G: The Letter Retirees Gush About Like a Celebrity Crush (and the One Bill It Still Hands You)Uncle Sam's Year-End Retirement Calendar: 2026 401(k), IRA, Catch-Up and RMD Deadlines Before the Ball Drops More in Retirement

Taxes

keep the IRS calm

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 HSA vs FSA in 2026: The Alphabet Soup Your Benefits Packet Forgot to Translate 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.