💼 Traditional IRA Contributions When You Have a Pension: Contribution vs. Deductibility (2026 Update)
If you are covered by a pension at work, you are considered “covered by a retirement plan” under IRS rules. That does not mean you cannot contribute to a Traditional IRA.
It means your ability to deduct that contribution depends on income.
This is where many nurses get tripped up, so let’s slow i...
Feb 26, 2026
🏛️ Pension Plans for Nurses: Structural Differences That Change Your Retirement Outcome
Inside NurseMoneyDate®, we don’t stop at “Do you have a pension?”
We ask:What type of pension?What tier?What formula?What risk assumptions?What exit scenarios?
Because pensions are not uniform benefits. They are engineered systems and small structural differences materially change retirement outc...
Feb 26, 2026
🏠 Property Titling: What Every Buyer Should Understand Before Signing
Property titling is one of the most overlooked parts of buying a home.
People focus on:• The interest rate• The down payment• The monthly payment
Very few focus on how the property is legally owned.
Until something changes. Let’s walk through the major ownership types and what they actually mean ...
Feb 18, 2026
🥇The History of Gold And What It Actually Means as an Investment
Gold is one of the few assets that humans have agreed holds value for over 5,000 years. Not stocks. Not bonds. Not real estate. Gold.
But here’s the key question:Does that history automatically make it a good investment today?
Let’s walk through it clearly.
A Quick History of Gold
Ancient...
Feb 18, 2026
🚪 The Pro Rata Rule: What High Earners Need to Know Before Doing a Backdoor Roth
If your income is too high to contribute directly to a Roth IRA, you’ve probably heard of the “Backdoor Roth” strategy.
And yes, it’s legal.
But there’s one rule that can quietly create a surprise tax bill:
The Pro Rata Rule.
If your MAGI is high and you have money sitting in traditional IRAs, th...
Feb 17, 2026
🔍 Universal Life vs Whole Life vs Variable Life
What’s Actually Different?
All of these are forms of permanent life insurance.
That means:
They can last your entire life.
They include a death benefit.
They include some form of cash value.
But the way they handle growth, flexibility, and risk is very different.
Understanding that differ...
Feb 17, 2026
💛 Special Needs Planning Is a Team Sport
And Life Insurance Is Just One Piece
When you have a child, young or adult, on the spectrum, the question isn’t:
“Should I get whole life?”
The real question is:
Who needs to be at the table to protect my child long after I’m gone?
Because this is not just an insurance decision.It’s legal.It’s fi...
Feb 17, 2026
💰 Whole Life Insurance: A Deep Dive
Whole life insurance is permanent life insurance.
That means:
It covers you for your entire lifetime (if premiums are paid).
It includes a death benefit.
It includes a cash value component that grows over time.
It is not just “insurance.”It is a long-term financial contract with guarantee...
Feb 17, 2026
🛡️ Term vs Whole Life Insurance: What’s the Difference (And Who Is Each Actually For?)
Life insurance is a tool.
But not all tools do the same job.
Term and Whole Life are built for completely different purposes and most people are sold one without understanding that.
Let’s slow this down.
What Is Term Life Insurance?
Term life insurance = temporary income protection.
You choos...
Feb 17, 2026
🛡️How Much Term Life Insurance Do You Actually Need?
If someone depends on your income, this matters.
Not in a dramatic way.In a math way.
Term life insurance isn’t about “getting rich.”It’s about replacing income and protecting stability if you weren’t here.
So how do you figure out the right amount?
Let’s break it down.
Step 1: Start With Your M...
Feb 17, 2026
🔧 Maintain & Repair Your Current Car vs. Selling It for a Used Car
When your car starts needing repairs, the decision can feel emotional and urgent. Do you keep fixing it and hope it lasts… or sell it and move on to something “more reliable”?
The right answer isn’t universal. It depends on cash flow, debt, stress tolerance, and timing, not just the repair bill i...
Feb 03, 2026
📈 The NurseMoneyDate® Guide to Increasing Your Credit Score
A Calm, Clinical, No-Shame Approach for Nurses
Credit scores feel mysterious, emotional, and overly moralized, especially for nurses who are competent everywhere else in life.
At NurseMoneyDate®, we treat credit like any other system:
assess it
stabilize it
improve it over time
don’t pani...
Feb 03, 2026