This Article analyzes the impact on older Americans of the major changes enacted in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It begins with Medicare's treatment of prescription medications, explaining the origin of the coverage gap known colloquially as the "doughnut hole" and then...

This Article addresses the significant changes to the Medicare tax that were enacted in the 2010 health care reform legislation. Effective in 2013, these changes apply to anyone, retired or not, whose adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 (or $250,000 for a married couple filing jointly) and...

This brief article discusses the recent Supreme Court decision in CIGNA v. Amara. That case held that ERISA authorizes a court to reform a pension plan that an employer had changed so that employees receive the benefits they had been promised. The article considers the key implications of this...

Legal and financial analyses abound about various means of saving for retirement and the tax advantages that they present, but very little attention has been paid to how retirement income is generated and the tax consequences that pertain to its generation. This article fills that void by...

This article addresses the various options under Social Security, Medicare, and private retirement accounts that should be considered by individuals who are approaching or have reached their “retirement age” but plan to continue working. Specifically, the article considers Social Security's...

Baby Boomers head into retirement with various retirement-oriented savings accounts, including 401(k) plans and IRAs, but no clear pathway to utilizing the funds in these accounts. This Article analyzes the major factors and statutory regimes that apply to the distribution or “decumulation”...

Beginning in 2010, all taxpayers will be able to convert their existing Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) to Roth IRAs, without regard to their level of income or marital status. In effect, taxpayers will be able to lock in current income tax rates on account values that have been eroded by...

This article examines the increasingly troubled state of employer-provided health benefits for retirees. The availability of such benefits is a major determinant of both the timing of retirement and the financial security of those who retire. Despite the signal importance of these benefits to...

This article examines several different mechanisms for funding college expenses from the perspective of a grandparent. The mechanisms considered include direct gifts to the grandchild or the educational institution, college savings bonds (both state and federal), prepaid tuition contracts,...