Financial Planning – Money Guy https://moneyguy.com Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:27:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 Financial Planning for Children with Disabilities https://moneyguy.com/resource/financial-planning-for-children-with-disabilities/ Wed, 25 Feb 2026 22:17:31 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=resource&p=28060 Navigate ABLE accounts, tax benefits, and more to help your child build their great big beautiful tomorrow

Finding out your child has a disability can be an overwhelming and confusing time. There are so many mixed emotions, so many decisions, and so many questions you might have. Rather than feeling paralyzed by everything you don’t know, this ebook gives you a starting point, specifically for your financial questions.

A Few Common Questions We Answer:
  • What are ABLE accounts?
  • Who can contribute to ABLE accounts?
  • Where does ABLE fit in the Financial Order of Operations?
  • Do I need an estate plan for my child with disabilities?
What’s Inside this Ebook:

We are SO excited to share this resource that walks you through the knowledge and tools to help you build your child’s financial framework:

  • ABLE accounts – Learn what they are and how they protect eligibility for need-based benefits
  • If ABLE fits in the FOO  – Discover where ABLE falls in the Financial Order of Operations
  • Additional financial resources – Find out about tax-advantaged accounts, credits, and deductions available to your family
  • The importance of an Estate Plan – Compare estate planning options, including wills, guardianship, and Special Needs Trusts
  • Additional education and tips – Find a comprehensive checklist to help you track which benefits apply to your family with more health and education resources

Download our Financial Planning for Children with Disabilities ebook today!

Keep in mind, this is not specific advice. We highly recommend talking to a professional who has experience helping families with disabilities. Our goal is to help connect you to those professionals and give you the basic financial roadmap to help your child build their more beautiful tomorrow.

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2026 Tax Guide https://moneyguy.com/resource/2026-tax-guide/ Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:09:26 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=resource&p=28046 Know the tax rules so you can keep more of what you earn.

Ever wonder what the highly trained professionals use to tax plan? Wonder no more! We’ve assembled the ultimate tax guide you can download and reference as you prepare your taxes this year. After all, the more money you can save on taxes, the more money you have for your army of dollar bills, getting you that much closer to reaching your financial goals.

Common Tax Planning Questions We Answer:
  • What tax bracket am I in for 2026?
  • How much can I contribute to my 401(k) or IRA this year?
  • What’s the difference between marginal and effective tax rates?
  • When do Roth IRA income phaseouts start in 2026?
What’s Inside the 2026 Tax Guide:

This free downloadable guide provides the essential tax information you need for 2026 tax planning:

  • 2026 tax brackets and rates – See taxable income ranges, marginal rates, and tax liability for both Married Filing Jointly and Single filers
  • Key tax definitions – Understand marginal tax rate, effective tax rate, and tax liability
  • Standard deductions – Know the deduction amounts for your filing status
  • Contribution limits – See 2026 limits for 401(k)s, IRAs, HSAs, and other tax-advantaged accounts
  • Social Security wage base – Know the 2026 taxable wage limit of $176,100 for Social Security taxes

For more, download your free copy of the 2026 Tax Guide and learn how to legally avoid paying more taxes than you need to.

Ready to dive deeper? Read Money Guy’s Top Tax Planning Strategies to discover our favorite tactics for reducing your lifetime tax bill, and explore our Financial Order of Operations to ensure you’re prioritizing tax-advantaged accounts in the right order.

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The Truth About FIRE: 5 Strategies to Achieve Financial Independence https://moneyguy.com/episode/5-fire-strategies-for-financial-independence/ Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:00:52 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=episode&p=27998 Financial Planning | Money Guy nonadult Is it Impossible to Build Wealth in Your State? (Ranked) https://moneyguy.com/episode/is-it-impossible-to-build-wealth-in-your-state/ Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:00:59 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=episode&p=28008 Financial Planning | Money Guy nonadult How To Get Affordable Health Insurance in 2026 https://moneyguy.com/article/affordable-health-insurance-2026/ Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:00:44 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=article&p=27894 During the pandemic, Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies were enhanced to effectively lower the cost of health insurance for millions of Americans. Politicians couldn’t agree on whether or not to extend these tax credits and they expired at the end of last year (there’s a chance these enhanced subsidies could come back in future legislation, but as of now they are gone).

An estimated 22 million Americans were receiving the enhanced subsidies. An analysis found that those who purchase health insurance on the marketplace and receive financial assistance would see costs rise by 114% on average, with monthly premiums going from $888 to $1,904. Even if you never received any subsidies you are still likely to see your health insurance premiums rise. The median proposed premium increase for 2026 is 18% nationally.

Health insurance premiums may make up a significant portion of your budget. How can you find more affordable health insurance? Is it ever worth going without health insurance? Here’s how to handle this ever-growing expense.

Do you need health insurance?

Let’s get this question out of the way first: yes, you need health insurance. Even if you are young and healthy, it’s impossible to predict when you could experience large, unexpected medical expenses. 36% of all households in the US have medical debt. Think about that for a minute: if you have a neighbor on your left, and a neighbor on your right, chances are one of you has medical debt. Health insurance doesn’t make you immune from medical debt, but it significantly increases your odds of being able to pay your medical bills.

What type of insurance to choose

Health insurance isn’t always easy to understand and the options available may confuse you. While the available insurance options differ for everyone, there are two basic categories of plans to choose from: high-deductible health plans or traditional health plans. 

What is a deductible? This is the amount of money the policyholder pays before the insurance company starts paying benefits. The lower your deductible, the less amount of money you must pay before insurance kicks in. High-deductible plans have higher deductibles when you need care, but your monthly premium is generally lower. 

For 2026, a high-deductible health plan is any health insurance plan where the annual deductible is $1,700 or greater for single coverage or $3,400 or greater for family coverage. Additionally, annual out-of-pocket expenses must not exceed $8,500 for single coverage or $17,000 for family coverage.

High-deductible health plans (HDHP) come with the added benefit of HSA eligibility, which is one of our favorite retirement savings vehicles. If you are healthy and not expecting any medical expenses outside of a few visits to the doctor, an HDHP may be worth considering. Even though you will pay more if you experience a major medical emergency, an HDHP is infinitely better than not having any health insurance. Plus, choosing a higher deductible plan may save you money each month on premiums and give you the option to invest in the extremely powerful HSA.

Major medical needs can’t always be predicted, but some, like having a baby or opting for an elective surgery, can be. If you are generally healthy but will experience one of these events in a given year, it may be worth opting for a traditional insurance plan with better coverage, at least temporarily. The additional monthly cost may be worth the savings you get if you were to reach your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. If you have medical conditions that require a great deal of care or are at an age where your medical expenses have increased significantly, a traditional health insurance plan may be the right choice for you.

How to save money on health insurance

Choosing the right type of health insurance plan for you and your family can help you save money by minimizing premiums, or if you have more medical expenses, maximizing the amount that insurance will cover. But insurance may still seem very expensive even after picking the right plan for you. Is there anything you can do about it?

Unfortunately we can’t fix the health insurance industry in the US, but you may have some options to make your plan more affordable. If you have health insurance through your employer and it isn’t working out for you or your family, try talking with your employer or HR to see if there is any possibility they may add additional health insurance options in the future. 

It may be worth looking at options outside of your employer and shopping around to see what else is available. Be wary of certain health share plans that aren’t actually insurance and aren’t subject to the same regulations. These plans can be less expensive, but aren’t legally required to pay claims and have other drawbacks such as limited or no coverage for preexisting conditions.

Make sure you know the ins and outs of what your plan covers so you know the best, and financially optimal, ways to seek the medical care you need. It may be cheaper to use a service like GoodRX to fill prescriptions instead of billing them through your insurance.

Nobody enjoys paying for medical insurance. Chances are you are paying for significantly more than you are receiving, but if you are one of the “lucky” ones who receives more benefits than they pay for, you are likely experiencing a major medical event and it’s pretty hard to be grateful for insurance coverage under those circumstances. 

No matter how much you dislike health insurance, you can’t go without it. Over 60% of personal bankruptcies are partially or totally caused by medical debt. Choosing the right health insurance plan for you and your family has the potential to save you money and give you access to super-powered tools like HSAs, but can also help put your mind at ease knowing an unexpected medical emergency won’t destroy your finances.

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The Most Controversial Topics in Personal Finance (and What We Think) https://moneyguy.com/episode/our-personal-finance-controversial-topics/ Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:30:33 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=episode&p=27855 Financial Planning | Money Guy nonadult Average Net Worth By Age! (2026 Edition) https://moneyguy.com/episode/net-worth-by-age-targets-and-benchmarks/ Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:00:56 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=episode&p=27693 Financial Planning | Money Guy nonadult 64% of Americans Are Stuck Here Financially (Are You?) https://moneyguy.com/episode/64-of-americans-are-stuck-financially-are-you/ Fri, 26 Dec 2025 11:00:45 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=episode&p=27625 Financial Planning | Money Guy nonadult The Truth About Early Retirement: What You Need To Know https://moneyguy.com/episode/the-truth-about-early-retirement-what-to-know/ Wed, 24 Dec 2025 11:00:58 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=episode&p=27680 The Truth About Early Retirement: What You Need To Know nonadult Saving vs. Spending: Military Couple has an Honest Conversation About Money https://moneyguy.com/episode/most-honest-conversation-about-money-you-hear/ Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:00:41 +0000 https://moneyguy.com/?post_type=episode&p=27651 Financial Planning | Money Guy nonadult