IRMAA Surcharges and Retirement Income: How One Big Year Raises Your Medicare Bill
A Roth conversion or capital gain at 63 sets your Medicare premiums at 65. The 2026 IRMAA cliffs and how to plan income around them.
All guides
Every cost guide we have published, newest first.
The Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction, Explained
You can deduct premiums you pay for your own coverage, capped by net profit and reduced by any premium tax credit. Here are the rules, the…
Medicare Late Enrollment Penalties: What a Delay Adds to Your Premiums for Life
Part B adds 10% per year late, Part D adds 1% per month uncovered, both for life. The 2026 dollar math and the coverage that protects…
Splitting COBRA and Marketplace Coverage: One Spouse on Each
Each family member elects COBRA separately. Putting one person on COBRA at about $793 a month and the rest on a marketplace plan can beat $2,294…
Medicare Part D Premiums in 2026: What Standalone Drug Plans Cost
Standalone Part D premiums average $34.50 a month in 2026. The $615 deductible, $2,100 out-of-pocket cap, and IRMAA surcharges explained.
FSA Money Left Over? Carryover, Grace Period, and What You Lose
Unused health FSA money is forfeited by default. For 2026 you may be able to carry over $680 or use a grace period to March 15,…
Medicare Advantage Costs in 2026: The Real Price Behind $0 Premiums
The average Medicare Advantage premium is $14 a month in 2026, but copays and a $9,250 out-of-pocket cap decide your real yearly cost.
How Marketplace Premiums Rise With Age: The 3-to-1 Curve Explained
Federal rules let premiums triple between age 21 and age 64. Here is what the age curve does to a $625 benchmark plan at 40, 60,…
Medigap Plan G Costs by Age: What Premiums Look Like at 65, 75, and 85
Plan G averaged $164 a month in 2023 and climbs with age. Sample 2026 premiums at 65, 75, and 85, pricing methods, and ways to pay…
Marketplace Health Insurance Cost by State: Cheapest and Most Expensive in 2026
The lowest-cost silver plan for a 40-year-old averages $394 a month in New Hampshire and $1,289 in Vermont. Here is why state prices differ so much…
Medicare Part A Premiums in 2026: Who Pays $311 or $565 a Month
Most people pay $0 for Part A. If you lack 40 work quarters, the 2026 buy-in premium is $311 or $565 a month, plus a $1,736…
Gold vs Silver Health Plans: Which Costs Less in Total?
Gold premiums run higher than silver, but deductibles run thousands lower. Here is the total-cost math, plus the cost-sharing reduction exception that makes silver win for…
