What I Learned Trying to Leave an Employer-Sponsored Medicare Advantage Plan
Release Date: 02/06/2026
California Fin Lit Teacher (#417)
Teach and Retire Rich
With an assist from the Wealthy Custodian, a California fin lit teacher teaches and learns key fin lit concepts. (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).
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Doh! ASBO (#416)
Teach and Retire Rich
The Ohio 457(b) is superb. Why did the Ohio ASBO create a low-quality 457(b) to compete with the great Ohio state plan? (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).
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The Main Plan is a Maine 457(b) Plan (#415)
Teach and Retire Rich
Technology teacher Daniel Picard describes how his small district explored starting a 403(b) but found the state-run MaineStart 457(b) a far superior choice. (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).
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How 403(b) Consortiums Serve Small and Medium-Size School Districts (#414)
Teach and Retire Rich
Former teacher Danny Kofke and fiduciary Eric Hansen are principals in the Southern Education Retirement Consortium, an investment collective that serves the K-12 market. They discuss the consortium model which allows small to medium-size schools to band together to get favorable 403(b) pricing and services. (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).
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How American Fidelity Exploits Section 125 Plans (#413)
Teach and Retire Rich
Section 125 plans are a great way to save money for health care, dependent care, dental care and disability insurance on a pre-tax basis. American Fidelity, which sells high-cost 403(b) products, runs many of these plans for school districts. In many cases educators must meet with an AF rep in order to get the pre-tax benefit. During these meetings AF sales reps try to sell a blizzard of services. We discuss what employees and employers should do. (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be...
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What I Learned Trying to Leave an Employer-Sponsored Medicare Advantage Plan
Teach and Retire Rich
Many teachers are offered a subsidized Medicare plan from their school district when they retire. They are told this is a great benefit that they have contributed to their whole career. Sounds great, right? Most don’t realize that what they are being offered is not traditional Medicare. It is a more restrictive form of healthcare called Medicare Advantage. They also don’t realize that the choice they make at 65 can affect their healthcare options for the rest of their lives. As they get older and require more healthcare, they may not be able to switch to original Medicare. We speak...
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What is a Deadbox and Should You Have One? (#411)
Teach and Retire Rich
Jeremy Schneider, a founder of Nectarine, an innovative advice-only service that provides access to a fiduciary advisor on an hourly basis, explains what a "deadbox" is and why you might want one. (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).
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This Advisor is Out on the K-12 403(b) Market (#410)
Teach and Retire Rich
Ken Ford of Ford Wealth Management, who we first interviewed in 2015, shares why he is done with the K-12 403(b) market. (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).
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Nectarine Has Gotten Even Sweeter (#409)
Teach and Retire Rich
We catch up with Jeremy Schneider, a founder of Nectarine, an innovative advice-only service that provides access to a fiduciary advisor on an hourly basis. He updates us on the growth and the new services being offered. (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).
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403(B)/457(b) Basics: The Salary Reduction Agreement
Teach and Retire Rich
What is it? How to use it to change contribution amount. We also talk new 2026 contribution limits. (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues) Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).
info_outlineMany teachers are offered a subsidized Medicare plan from their school district when they retire. They are told this is a great benefit that they have contributed to their whole career. Sounds great, right? Most don’t realize that what they are being offered is not traditional Medicare. It is a more restrictive form of healthcare called Medicare Advantage. They also don’t realize that the choice they make at 65 can affect their healthcare options for the rest of their lives. As they get older and require more healthcare, they may not be able to switch to original Medicare.
We speak with a woman who describes the ordeal she went through to escape Medicare "Advantage."
- What I Learned Trying to Leave an Employer-Sponsored Medicare Advantage Plan
- Dirty Little Secrets of Medicare - YouTube video
- Learned by Being Burned (short pod series about K-12 403(b) issues)
- 403bwise.org
- Meridian Wealth Management
Nothing presented or discussed is to be construed as investment or tax advice. This can be secured from a vetted Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).