Author: troyashbacher

When you enroll in a 2026 health insurance plan this fall, don’t be surprised if you see a significant increase in your premium, whether you get coverage from your employer or on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.Large employers expect health care costs for employee coverage to rise by a median 9% in 2026, according to the Business Group on Health. “This is the highest single-year forecast in more than a decade,” says Ellen Kelsay, BGH president and CEO.Employers plan to pass along more of the increase to employees than they have in the past few years, and some are offering…

Major U.S. equities indexes were mixed Friday afternoon, following a sharp decline Thursday fueled by a selloff of tech stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.3%, while the S&P 500 was up 0.5%, and the Nasdaq climbed 0.8%. StubHub (STUB) stock dropped nearly 25%, in its worst day since going public in September, a day after the ticket reseller declined to offer guidance for the current quarter. Shares of drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) lost 3.4%, making it the biggest decliner on the S&P 500. The company is halting a trial of a heart drug it is developing with…

When you use your Original Medicare benefits, you expect your coverage to work in a straightforward way. You visit the doctor, you pay your share, and Medicare pays its share. However, many beneficiaries are surprised to receive a bill for more than they expected. This often comes down to one important term: Medicare Assignment. Find Medicare Plans in 3 Easy StepsLet us help you navigate your Medicare journey Understanding what Medicare Assignment is, and what it means when a doctor does or does not accept it, is one of the most important things you can do to control your healthcare…

In the summer of 2025, Congress passed a new taxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. cut law, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), to extend the expirations of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and enact several of the president’s tax cut ideas. Altogether, the OBBBA will reduce federal tax revenue by $5 trillion from 2025 through 2034, conventionally measured. The OBBBA also included spending cuts that offset some of its deficit impact. Several…

If you’re planning your post-retirement move and looking for the cheapest places to retire, the grocery prices in these cities might make you reconsider.Grocery prices are surging everywhere, but some cities have been hit harder than others. To figure out which places are feeling the pinch the most, I analyzed the latest grocery pricing data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to identify the 10 cities where residents are paying even more than the national average at the grocery store.I also gathered data on median incomes for each city to estimate how much of a household’s income was…

It’s the season of early darkness, crispy nights, and lots of seasonal happenings. Get in on the fun with these fall date ideas for couples. The leaves are changing, the trifecta of holidays is approaching – Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas – and there’s pumpkin everything splashed around the stores. It’s the perfect time for fall date ideas!  Find some fun, flirty, and downright spooky date ideas to enjoy with your loved one this autumn. Fall Date Ideas This October and November, get in on all the fall date night ideas you simply can’t do at other times of the year.…

High-yield savings account and one-year CD rates were unchanged from yesterday. Top accounts remain competitive.The average high-yield savings APY is 3.89% (unchanged from yesterday).The average 1-year high-yield CD APY is 3.79% (unchanged from yesterday).How high-yield averages are calculatedThe national average rates are 0.40% for savings accounts and 1.68% for one-year CDs.Banks can adjust deposit rates on savings accounts and newly issued CDs at any time, but broader shifts to the entire savings landscape tend to be gradual. If you’re shopping for a better yield, compare savings accounts side-by-side and consider locking some funds in a CD if you want to…

Poor market breadth remains a concern according to Mark Newton

After decades of saving/investing, it’s hard to immediately flip a switch and go into spending mode.Spending is a skill that you should develop on your way to FI, so that you’re better at it when the time comes to do it. Mad Fientist: Hey, what’s up everybody? Welcome to the Financial Independence Podcast. I know it’s been a while since I’ve been in touch, but as I mentioned in my last post, things have been busy around here with two small kids, but this episode is a long time coming. I know I’ve been promising this for at least a…

About one in eight adults (12%) say that they are currently taking a GLP-1 drug such as Ozempic or Wegovy either to lose weight or treat a chronic condition, an increase from 18 months ago, though the high costs of the medications remain a concern, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. Overall nearly one in five adults (18%) say at some point they have taken a GLP-1 drug, a class of medications used for weight loss and to treat diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. Women are more likely than men to say they are currently taking GLP-1…