Medicare

Millions of baby boomers have watched long-term care expenses decimate their parents' finances, and realized they needed better plans for their own golden years. Could asset-based long-term care insurance policies be the solution?

As April 17 approaches, politicians and pundits of all stripes are taking potshots at the usual tax-debate villains. But there's never much talk about exactly how are our tax dollars are really spent.

Almost everyone agrees the federal deficit is a ticking bomb, but when it comes to ideas for solving the problem, some are contradictory and all are controversial. No wonder: If you look at where the money actually goes, it's easy to see why it's so hard to balance the budget.

People who purchased long-term care insurance are getting a nasty shock: Insurers are demanding huge premium hikes.

Conservative politicians have spent the past few months venting their ire on America's entitlement programs, and the alleged mass of lazy layabouts who make use of them. But a closer look at who actually lands in the social safety net reveals some surprising facts.

It's a tough time to be old in America, and it's worse than you may realize: According to a recent report, on average, if government benefits were taken out of the equation, the elderly would have far less income than they'd need to survive. Here's where the problem is worst.

Two Republican senators unveiled a Medicare overhaul Thursday that features an accelerated transition to private health insurance for many seniors, a gradual increase in the eligibility age, and higher premiums for middle-class and upper-income retirees.

True, 47% of Americans pay no federal income tax. But, as a recent study points out, when all the other taxes we pay are factored in, the poor often pay a far greater percentage of their income in taxes than the rich.

High hospital costs seem to be a fact of life that most Americans have reluctantly come to accept. What most people don't realize, however, is that not all of those charges are legit: Many medical bills contain fraudulent charges.

While the pundits debated the vices and virtues of Mitt Romney's and Newt Gingrich's tax returns, the folks at Kiplinger were scouring them for ideas that could help you. Even if you'll never have a Swiss bank account or own complex foreign assets, these dozen moves could help you lower your IRS bill.