Life moves quickly. It’s easy to get distracted. But that can be costly.
Miss an important financial date or deadline, and you could be on the hook for a penalty or lose out on a limited-time opportunity to save money.
Enter our “Money Calendar” series.
In this edition, we’ve rounded up the noteworthy money dates in November 2021. Take a look and mark your calendar with any dates that apply to you.
Nov. 1 — Open enrollment starts for ACA insurance
The annual open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act health insurance policies starts Nov. 1. If you buy coverage through one of the health insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, this period is your opportunity to enroll or re-enroll in a plan for 2022.
The period runs until Jan. 15, although you must enroll in a plan by Dec. 15 if you want the coverage to start on Jan. 1. If you enroll in a plan between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15, your coverage will start Feb. 1 instead.
For more information, or to apply for coverage or view plans, visit the federal government’s HealthCare.gov website.
Nov. 7 — Daylight Saving Time ends
The end of Daylight Saving Time isn’t exactly a financial date, but there are few better ways to spend the “extra” hour it creates than investing the time in your financial well-being.
Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson proposes a plan to get the most peace of mind and bang for your buck out of the time gained when you “fall back” one hour in “5 Smart Ways to Spend Your ‘Free’ Hour on Sunday.”
Nov. 26 — Black Friday
The day after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest retail holidays of the year. So, be ready for the bombardment of sales.
Some early Black Friday sales already are underway, as retailers encourage shoppers to buy holiday gifts earlier in light of ongoing supply-chain disruptions this year. For example, Target’s early Black Friday sale started on Oct. 31, while Walmart’s starts on Nov. 3.
In the meantime, check out “The 7 Best Things to Buy in Early November — and 3 to Avoid.”
Nov. 27 — Small Business Saturday
Don’t forget about Small Business Saturday amid the Black Friday frenzy. This retail holiday started by American Express is an opportunity to support a local economy and find unique gifts, among other benefits we detail in “6 Reasons to Shop on Small Business Saturday.”
Nov. 29 — Cyber Monday
This year, November brings not one, not two, but three retail holidays. So, be ready for Black Friday-type sales to continue through at least Nov. 29, at which point online retailers will start calling them “Cyber Monday” sales if not “Cyber Week” sales. Money Talks News will have deal details as these “holidays” near.
All month — Open enrollment continues for Medicare
The fall open enrollment period for Medicare — the federal health insurance program primarily for folks age 65 and older — started Oct. 15 and runs until Dec. 7.
If you’re on Medicare, this period is your opportunity to make changes to your health care plan and drug plan for next year.
If you haven’t already done your open enrollment homework, start by rounding up the following:
- Medicare.gov, the federal government’s official Medicare website
- 2022 “Medicare & You” handbook
- Evidence of Coverage document
- Plan Annual Notice of Change document
Dates vary — Open enrollment starts or continues for many employer insurance plans
If you have health insurance through your employer, the chances are good that open enrollment for plans is underway or will start any day now. If you’re unsure of exactly when it starts, check with your employer so you aren’t caught off guard by it.
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