Articles & guides
Plain-English guides to tax, ACA, life insurance, Medicare, notary services — and the financial questions South Florida families actually ask.
For the first time, Medicare caps your out-of-pocket drug costs — $2,100 in 2026. Here's the plain-English guide for South Florida seniors: how the cap works, the new monthly payment plan, the $35 insulin rule, and the first negotiated drug prices.
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Your homeowners policy does NOT cover flood damage. Here's the plain-English guide for South Florida: how NFIP and private flood insurance work, the $250k/$100k limits, the 30-day waiting period, Risk Rating 2.0 pricing, and why 'I'm not in a flood zone' is the costliest myth of hurricane season.
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Medicare has a clock, and missing it can cost you for life. Here's the plain-English guide for South Floridians turning 65: your 7-month enrollment window, what the parts cover, what Medicare costs in 2026, and the late-enrollment penalties to avoid.
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A 2025 law created two new federal tax breaks for tipped and hourly workers — a deduction of up to $25,000 in tips and up to $12,500 in overtime. But “no tax on tips” doesn’t mean what the headline sounds like. Here’s how the deductions actually work for South Florida service workers, who qualifies, and what to do before you file.
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The tax cliff that worried small-business owners never happened: a 2025 law made the 20% pass-through deduction permanent, brought back 100% equipment write-offs, and rewrote the 1099 rules. Here's what actually changed for 2026 in South Florida — and the moves to make before year-end.
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The enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025, and the average subsidized ACA premium is set to more than double in 2026. Here's what changed, why Florida is hit hardest, and the concrete steps that can still lower your bill.
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Earn income in the U.S. but can't get a Social Security number? An ITIN lets you file — and often claim refunds and credits worth thousands. Here's who needs one, which credits an ITIN does and doesn't unlock in 2026, and how mixed-status families file safely.
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A missing notary stamp can stop a home sale, a power of attorney, or a document headed overseas. Here's what actually needs notarizing in Florida, what it legally costs in 2026, and how mobile and remote online notarization get it done without rearranging your day.
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Most South Florida families have no life insurance or quietly suspect they don't have enough — usually because of a price they imagine that's nothing like reality. Here's how much coverage you need, what term, whole, and final-expense policies really cost in 2026, and the mistakes that leave families exposed.
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Plywood and water are only half of hurricane prep. The other half is paperwork — the policies, documents, and decisions that determine how fast your family recovers after the storm.
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A plain-English 2026 tax playbook for South Florida's self-employed — the 15.3% SE tax, the new $16,100 standard deduction, the 72.5¢ mileage rate, quarterly estimated payments, ITIN filing, and how to stop overpaying penalties.
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January 2026 brought the biggest shake-up to American health coverage in a generation — a $2,100 Medicare Part D out-of-pocket cap, the first ten Medicare-negotiated drug prices, and the expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies. Here's what every South Florida family should know.
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