I had essentially abandoned this blog for the past five years, unfortunately. Life simply got in the way, but I find I want to restart my efforts here, particularly given all the action in the benefits and insurance world that has happened in the past few years. Passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act […]
Every year the IRS determines whether or not the annual contribution limit for various retirement plans can be increased. Its calculations are based on the official cost-of-living rates. These limits apply to retirement savings plans such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, certain 457s, and the federal Thrift Savings Plan. You can set aside pre-tax money if your […]
Introduction The Family and Medical Leave Act – commonly called FMLA – was signed into law by President Clinton in 1993. The core provision of the legislation provides for 12 weeks of leave for employees with serious medical conditions or who need to care for family members. The employee cannot lose his or her job […]
Introduction I’m in the midst of preparing an epic post on FMLA, but an accumulation of events in my personal and professional lives has inspired me to address some basics of estate planning that are tied to benefit plans. A lot of this can be rather depressing – some of the scenarios we talked about […]
Introduction Disability insurance, both short- and long-term, is a valuable part of your overall financial plan. It offers income protection for periods of serious illness or injury. Many employers offer one or both of these benefits, often free or at very reasonable cost. It is also possible to buy individual short and long term insurance […]
Every year the IRS decides whether or not to raise the annual contribution limit for 401(k) retirement plans. Its calculations are based on the official cost-of-living rates. These limits also apply to other retirement savings plans such as 403(b)s. You can set aside pre-tax money if your employer sponsors one of these retirement savings accounts, […]