Retirement
When to Claim Social Security: 62 vs 67 vs 70 (2026)
Claiming at 62 pays 70% of your full benefit. Waiting to 70 pays 124%. Here are the 2026 numbers, the break-even ages, the survivor question most people forget, and how to decide.
Insights & guides
The TSM Blog
Straight talk on Medicare, Social Security, life insurance, annuities and the ACA. Every number carries its source and its plan year, so you can check our work before you act on it.
Showing all 31 articles, newest first.
Medicare
Medicare in Delaware & D.C. 2026: Plans, Costs & Help
A combined guide to two small markets — Delaware's three counties (HealthCare.gov + DMAB) and Washington, D.C. (DC Health Link + HICP): Advantage vs. Medigap, Part D, and plan counts.
Medicare
Medicare and Travel (2026): Coverage Away From Home
How Medicare works when you travel — Original Medicare nationwide, Advantage networks, the Medigap Foreign Travel Emergency benefit, Part D refills, cruises, and the snowbird strategy.
Medicare
Dual Eligibility: Medicare + Medicaid & D-SNPs (2026)
How dual eligibility works — full vs. partial duals, the four Medicare Savings Programs, Part D Extra Help, and D-SNP plans that combine Medicare and Medicaid.
Medicare
Medicare in Massachusetts 2026: Plans, Costs & Guide
Massachusetts has its own Medigap system (Core / Supplement 1 / 1A) and the Health Connector — plus Advantage plan counts for Boston, Middlesex and Worcester, Part D and SHINE.
ACA
2026 ACA Marketplace Guide: Subsidies & Metal Tiers
For pre-Medicare adults: how the Marketplace works, metal tiers, premium tax credits, cost-sharing reductions, the subsidy cliff, dates, and the bridge to Medicare at 65.
Life Insurance
Do You Still Need Life Insurance in Retirement? (2026)
When the need falls in retirement, when it persists (survivor income, estate, final expenses), what to do when term expires, and how coverage fits your plan.
Medicare
Medicare in Virginia 2026: Plans, Costs & How to Choose
Advantage vs. Medigap, Part D, enrollment windows, Northern-Virginia-vs-rural access, real Fairfax/Virginia Beach/Henrico data, and free VICAP help.
Medicare
Medicare in Connecticut 2026: County-by-County Guide
A county-by-county guide — Connecticut's year-round Medigap protection, Advantage plan counts for all 8 counties, Part D, and free CHOICES help.
Medicare
Medicare in Arizona (2026): Phoenix, Tucson & Plans
Advantage vs. Medigap in a big, competitive market, Part D, enrollment windows, the snowbird angle, and real Phoenix and Tucson plan data.
Retirement
Annuity Payout Rates Explained (2026 Guide)
How annuity payout rates actually work — payout rate vs. return, SPIA vs. income riders, what drives your payment, and building an income floor with Social Security.
Retirement
Working While Collecting Social Security (2026)
Working before full retirement age? The 2026 earnings test, the $24,480 and $65,160 limits, what counts as earnings, and how withheld benefits come back bigger.
Medicare
Medicare in North Carolina 2026: Beginner's Guide
Advantage vs. Medigap, Part D, enrollment dates, rural-vs-metro access, real Charlotte/Raleigh/Greensboro plan data, and free SHIIP help.
Medicare
Medicare in Florida 2026: Plans, Costs & How to Choose
A plain-English 2026 guide to Medicare in Florida — Advantage vs. Medigap for snowbirds, Part D, enrollment dates, real county plan data, and free SHINE help.
Medicare
Medicare Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) 2026 Guide
The qualifying life events that open a Medicare Special Enrollment Period, the exact windows, and how to use the right SEP to avoid the Part B and Part D penalties.
Retirement
How Social Security Is Taxed in Retirement (2026)
How much of your Social Security is taxable in 2026 — the provisional-income formula, the 50%/85% tiers, a worked example, state rules, and ways to lower the bill.
Retirement
Fixed vs. Fixed-Indexed Annuities (2026 Guide)
Fixed (MYGA) vs. fixed-indexed annuities in plain English — guaranteed rates, index crediting with a 0% floor, income riders, surrender charges, fees and taxes.
Life Insurance
Indexed Universal Life (IUL) Explained: Caps & Floors
How IUL really works — index crediting, caps, floors and participation rates, cost of insurance, tax-advantaged access, and stress-testing the illustration.
Life Insurance
Final Expense vs Term vs Whole Life for Funerals 2026
Final expense, term and whole life compared for covering funeral costs — real 2026 NFDA prices, how much to buy, and who each product fits.
Retirement
Social Security Spousal & Survivor Benefits (2026)
Spousal, survivor and divorced-spouse benefits explained — the 50% and 100% rules, early-claiming cuts, and how couples claim for the biggest lifetime benefit.
Medicare
Medicare IRMAA 2026: Part B & D Surcharges | TSM
The income surcharge higher earners pay on Part B and Part D in 2026 — the full bracket table, how MAGI works, and how to appeal with Form SSA-44.
Medicare
Medicare Part D 2026: Drug Coverage & the $2,000 Cap
How Medicare's drug coverage works in 2026 — the new out-of-pocket cap, the monthly payment plan, formularies, and how to avoid the late penalty.
Medicare
Medigap Plans Explained: Choosing the Right One in 2026
How Medigap Plans A through N work alongside Original Medicare, what each one covers, how pricing works, guaranteed-issue rights, and how to choose.
Retirement
Annuities Explained: Guaranteed Retirement Income
How fixed, indexed, immediate and variable annuities turn savings into income you can't outlive — with 2025's record $464B in sales for context.
Life Insurance
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need? The DIME Method
The DIME method — Debt, Income, Mortgage, Education — turns a vague worry into a real coverage number, with a full worked example.
Medicare
Medicare Enrollment Periods 2026: AEP, OEP, IEP & SEP
The exact dates for every 2026 Medicare enrollment window — AEP, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, your IEP, and Special Enrollment Periods.
Life Insurance
Term vs Whole Life vs IUL 2026 | Which Is Best?
Three very different products, three very different jobs. A balanced, plain-English comparison to help you choose.
Life Insurance
How Much Life Insurance Do You Need? 2026 Guide
Skip the guesswork. Real coverage-gap data plus the income-multiple and DIME methods, with a worked example you can copy.
ACA
ACA Open Enrollment 2026 Guide | TSM Life & Health
What happens to Marketplace premiums as the enhanced subsidies change — and what it means for early retirees and the pre-Medicare crowd.
Medicare
Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare 2026
Networks, costs, extra benefits and the fine print — a side-by-side look at the two paths, backed by the latest enrollment data.
Medicare
Medicare 2026 Changes Explained | TSM Life & Health
What's actually changing for 2026 — the Part D out-of-pocket cap, new premiums and deductibles, and how to use the Annual Enrollment Period.
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