Constance Craig-Mason: Financial Expert

10/05/2026

Medicare Improvement Fund Premium Rebate - Extra $90 on the Way Now!

Q: What is the Medicare Improvement Fund?

A: The Medicare Improvement Fund was created by Sec. 7002 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 “to make improvements under the original fee-for-service program under parts A and B for individuals entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A or enrolled under part B.”

Q: How has the Medicare Improvement Fund been used in the past?

A: President Trump is the first president to actually use the Medicare Improvement Fund to improve Medicare by making the program more affordable for enrollees. In the past, Congress has repeatedly withdrawn from the fund to “offset” new spending around 20 times. For instance, President Obama worked with Congress to take $20.7 billion from the Medicare Improvement Fund to help pay for Obamacare in 2010.

Q: What will the Medicare Improvement Fund do for Medicare beneficiaries?

A: The Administration is making a $90 Premium Rebate available for Part B premiums to certain Medicare beneficiaries because the best way to improve Medicare is to put healthcare dollars back where they belong – in the hands of our Medicare beneficiaries – and make coverage more affordable.

Q: How much is the Medicare Improvement Fund Premium Rebate and when will beneficiaries receive it?

A: Eligible beneficiaries will receive one $90 rebate in October 2026. Most beneficiaries will receive a direct deposit for $90 on or around October 8th followed by an email or a letter from the President in mid-October. Some beneficiaries will receive a paper check for $90 from the U.S. Department of the Treasury later in October with the following accompanying message “Medicare Improvement Fund Payment; $90 Payment to Offset October Premium.”

Q: Who will receive the Medicare Improvement Fund Premium Rebate?

A: The 20.8 million Americans in Original Medicare Part B who are: (1) Living in the United States, are (2) not receiving premium assistance from Medicaid; or, (3) not paying an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. Beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage are NOT eligible.

For more details, click here 🌐 https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicare-improvement-fund-premium-rebate-frequently-asked-questions

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Medicare Improvement Fund Premium RebateFrequently Asked Questions Q: What will the Medicare Improvement Fund do for Medicare beneficiaries?

08/31/2026

Find out at the Symposium why money decisions don’t begin with numbers. Financial consultant and advisor Dr. Constance Craig-Mason believes that financial confidence shapes how you live, lead, and earn. Workshop participants will leave empowered to make more intentional financial decisions, advocate for their value, navigate career transitions with greater confidence, and build a future aligned with their goals and purpose. Workshops fill up quickly! Register today to get your spot at "Rewriting Your Money Story in a Changing World" https://douglassalumnae.org/events/victoria-dabrowski-schmidt-42-career-symposium-2026/

06/11/2026

Social Security is facing a 22% cliff — 4 ways to build an income stream Washington can’t touch

June 10, 2026 — Kurt Supe, CPA and Retirement Planner

Social Security is drying up faster than anyone imagined. Once the reserves are gone, the taxes still coming in cover about 78 cents of every dollar of promised benefits…

Social Security’s main trust fund runs out of money in six years. And the reckoning date keeps getting sooner.

Last February, the Congressional Budget Office moved the insolvency timeline closer. Social Security’s Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund, which pays Americans’ retirement benefits, now hits zero in 2032 instead of 2033.

That’s a year earlier than the Social Security Trustees projected just eight months ago, and two years earlier than CBO itself projected in 2024.

The Trustees’ 2026 report, released on June 9, now projects the Social Security trust fund to be insolvent in late 2032 — three months earlier than they predicted a year ago. When the CBO and the program’s own actuaries land on the same year, that’s no longer a forecast you can wave off.

The Social Security fund doesn’t disappear. Payroll taxes keep flowing in. But the program can only pay out what it collects, which means an automatic benefit cut on the day the reserves are exhausted.

Here’s what that looks like in 2032: Once the reserves are gone, the taxes still coming in cover about 78 cents of every dollar of promised benefits, and that figure keeps drifting down for decades after.

There’s no need to panic about Social Security. The solution is to stop treating a single government program as the foundation of a private retirement plan.

Here are the four moves that work in this new environment:

1. Treat Social Security as just another income source — not the income source.

2. Get the claiming decision right. The math is moving in only one direction.

3. Build an independent income floor for essentials.

4. Stress test for what the political fix costs higher earners.

Continue reading here: 🌐 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/social-security-could-face-an-automatic-22-cut-in-2032-these-4-moves-will-protect-your-retirement-a00f9463

Source: MarketWatch
**A

The countdown to insolvency is accelerating — and the rules of retirement planning just broke.

05/25/2026

Will the 2027 Social Security COLA Break the 45-Year High of 8.7% Set in 2023? Here's What We Know.

May 24, 2026 — Kailey Hagen, CFP

We're still nearly seven months away from the official 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) announcement, but projections indicate that seniors hoping for an above-average increase are likely to get their wish. Inflation has increased recently, driving up COLA estimates.

Some are hoping next year's COLA will rival the 8.7% Social Security benefit boost seniors saw in 2023 -- the highest COLA in the last 45 years. We can't say for sure whether this will be the case, but here's what's likely based on what we know so far.

The latest 2027 Social Security COLA projection is 3.9%

The Social Security Administration doesn't announce projections before the official COLA announcement in mid-October. But The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), a nonpartisan senior group, does, and its predictions tend to be pretty accurate, especially as the official announcement nears.

The April 2026 Consumer Price Index (CPI) report showed that inflation rose to 3.8%, up from 3.3% in March. This prompted TSCL to increase its COLA projection from 2.8% to 3.9%, a 1.1% increase. It's a bit unusual for it to increase benefits this much in a single month, and it reflects growing concerns about inflation.

That said, as things stand now, we're a long way from the 8.7% COLA that beneficiaries got in 2023. The COLA is tied to the inflation rate -- specifically, the average third-quarter inflation data. The Social Security Administration compares CPI data from July, August, and September of the current year with those from July, August, and September of the previous year. The average difference from 2022 to 2023 was 8.7%, so that's what the 2023 COLA became.

It's not impossible to think that another 8.7% COLA could occur in 2027. In May 2023, inflation was 4% according to the CPI report, which isn't much higher than where we are now. But inflation would have to increase rapidly over the coming months to break the 45-year record.

That would be tough on everyone, especially seniors living on a fixed income. It might lead to a larger Social Security boost, but all that extra money would go toward covering your rising living costs rather than raising your standard of living.

The Social Security Administration will announce the official 2027 Social Security COLA on Oct. 14, 2026…

For more on the story, click here 🌐 https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/2027-social-security-cola-break-150500653.html

Source: The Motley Fool

There are still several months to go, but all signs point to an above-average COLA so far.

05/01/2026

📱Please, stop your scrolling for 3 seconds and help us celebrate the birthday of our Founder, Dr Constance Craig-Mason, MRFC®, NSSA® 👏🏾

If you’ve been in her presence for even a few moments, you may attest to the light, warmth and joy that radiates from her soul.

She’s been a blessing to so many families and partners, not just in York County but across the globe!

Dr. Constance, we hope that you have an incredible birthday today! 🎂

04/05/2026

Happy Easter! Rise Up!

03/26/2026

“I know I’ll never be able to afford a house, but I CAN afford this new pair of shoes…” - Hanna Horvath, CFP®

Ever heard of “doom spending” aka revenge spending?

It’s when your brain looks for something it CAN control and tries to self-soothe when big financial goals seem out of reach!

But this relief is temporary. Then guilt and shame sets in and repeats this cycle of behavior…

Sound familiar? ✋🏾

No judgement here! Been there, done that and got a few t-shirts (probably on sale 😅😅) to prove it!

Check out this incredible podcast episode with Jean Chatzky and Hanna Horvath, CFP® on HerMoney below to dig deeper and figure out how to stop this loop!

There's a feeling a lot of women are having right now that's hard to name. It's not exactly anxiety, it's not exactly anger. It's more like confusion,

03/02/2026

Do These 5 Things To Make Your Finances Better Than the Majority of Americans’ in 2026

February 28, 2026 - Jamela Adam, CFEI®

If you want your money situation to look better this year, it’s time to start building smart and intentional money habits. You can change your financial trajectory at any point in life, as long as you make a clear decision and stay consistent with it.

So, here are five (5) high-impact moves you can make now to improve your financial situation.

✅ Build an Emergency Fund

According to new Empower research, nearly 40% of Americans say they couldn’t afford an unexpected $400 bill, and the median emergency savings of Americans is just a couple hundred dollars.

✅ Take Budgeting Seriously

According to the PNC Bank Financial Wellness in the Workplace Report, 67% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

✅ Earn More or Diversify Your Income

The Modern Paycheck Report shows that over half of full-time U.S. workers earn income outside their primary job, whether through freelancing, gig work, investment returns or other side hustles.

✅ Tackle Your Debt

According to recent Experian data, the average U.S. household has over $100,000 in total debt, including mortgages.

✅ Invest In Your Future

It’s important to keep some of your cash easily accessible for emergencies, but long-term financial stability comes from investing.

For more details on each recommendation, please click here 🌐 https://www.aol.com/articles/5-things-finances-better-majority-100041139.html

Source: AOL | GOBankingRates

Here are five high-impact moves you can make now to get ahead of the financial curve.

02/20/2026

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Global Tariffs

Ruling finds president exceeded his powers by imposing duties without clear authorization from Congress

February 20, 2026 — Reuters

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court struck down on Friday U.S. President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tariffs that he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies, rejecting one of his most contentious assertions of his authority in a ruling with major implications for the global economy.

The justices, in a 6-3 ruling authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, upheld a lower court’s decision that the Republican president’s use of this 1977 law exceeded his authority.

The court ruled that the Trump administration’s interpretation that the law at issue - the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA - grants Trump the power he claims to impose tariffs would intrude on the powers of Congress and violate a legal principle called the “major questions” doctrine.

The doctrine, embraced by the conservative justices, requires actions by the government’s executive branch of “vast economic and political significance” to be clearly authorized by Congress. The court used the doctrine to stymie some of Democratic former President Joe Biden’s key executive actions.

Roberts, citing a prior Supreme Court ruling, wrote that “the president must ‘point to clear congressional authorization’ to justify his extraordinary assertion of the power to impose tariffs,” adding: “He cannot.”

Trump has leveraged tariffs - taxes on imported goods - as a key economic and foreign policy tool. They have been central to a global trade war that Trump initiated after he began his second term as president, one that has alienated trading partners, affected financial markets and caused global economic uncertainty.

The Supreme Court reached its conclusion in a legal challenge by businesses affected by the tariffs and 12 U.S. states, most of them Democratic-governed, against Trump’s unprecedented use of this law to unilaterally impose the import taxes.

For more on the ruling, click here 🌐 https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/tariffs/2026/02/20/us-supreme-court-rejects-trumps-global-tariffs/

Source: Reuters | BNN Bloomberg

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down on Friday U.S. President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tariffs that he pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies, rejecting one of his most contentious assertions of his authority in a ruling with major implications for the global economy.

02/08/2026

If You Claim Social Security at 62 It’ll
Cost You 30% Benefit Reduction Permanently

February 7, 2026 — Michael Williams

📌 The One Decision That Matters Most: When You Claim

The timing of your claim creates a permanent difference in monthly income. Starting benefits at 62 means accepting a significant reduction that reflects the additional years Social Security expects to pay you. For context, someone who would receive full benefits at 67 would see their monthly check reduced by nearly a third if they claim early—turning what could be a comfortable monthly payment into a more modest amount that must stretch just as far.

This reduction isn’t temporary; it lasts for life.

Claiming early means smaller checks for potentially 20 or 30 years. Waiting until 67 means five years without Social Security income, but higher payments once they start. The break-even point typically falls around age 78 to 80. If you expect to live past that, waiting often pays off.

The reduction from early claiming is permanent. You can’t change your mind at 70 and suddenly get full benefits. The only exception is a narrow withdrawal window within 12 months of claiming, which requires repaying every dollar received.

📌 How This Interacts With Other Retirement Income

If you have a 401(k) or IRA, the question becomes whether you can afford to delay Social Security by drawing down savings first. This strategy preserves the higher monthly benefit while living off investments during your early 60s.

The tax picture adds another layer of complexity.

To continue reading, click here 🌐 https://247wallst.com/investing/2026/02/07/retiring-at-67-costs-you-30-if-you-claim-social-security-at-62/

Source: 24/7 Wall St.


Disclaimer: This public article is being shared for educational content purposes only and is not intended to be nor should it be construed as retirement planning, social security filing, tax or investment advice. Please consult your licensed financial advisor professionals for guidance, advice and full evaluation of your needs and goals.