Life moves quickly. It’s easy to get distracted. But it can also 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.
So, we’ve rounded up the noteworthy money dates that are coming up in November. Take a look and make a note of any 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 and runs until Dec. 15.
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 2021.
Meanwhile, you can prepare for open enrollment by reviewing these resources from HealthCare.gov:
Nov. 1 — Daylight Saving Time ends
The end of Daylight Saving Time isn’t exactly a financial date, but there’s no better way 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 that hour in “5 Smart Ways to Spend Your ‘Free’ Hour on Sunday.”
Nov. 27 — Black Friday
The day after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest retail holidays of the year. So, be ready for the bombardment of sales that are liable to start as early as next week.
In the meantime, check out “The 8 Best Things to Buy in Early November — and 4 to Avoid” to find out which types of purchases you should postpone until Black Friday.
Nov. 28 — 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. 30 — 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. 30, 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 reserved for folks age 65 and older — started Oct. 15 and runs until Dec. 7.
So, as a recent blog post from the Medicare program put it, “Now’s the time to review your Medicare health and drug coverage and look for other plans that may better meet your needs.”
Medicare recipients who haven’t already done their open enrollment homework should start by rounding up the following:
- Medicare.gov — particularly the Medicare Plan Finder feature
- 2021 “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 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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