Coin Flip

Treasury resets the I bond fixed rate on November 1, and whatever it is gets locked in for the life of the bond. In this episode, Derek Wu lays out the buy-now versus wait decision at the current 0.90% fixed rate, then offers one simple filter for choosing between I bonds, a high-yield savings account, or a CD.

The fixed rate is set each May 1 and Nov 1, and Treasury publishes no formula for it, so the choice comes down to a known number versus an unknown one. This episode walks through what forecasters expect, what they cannot know, and how to match the right account to your timeline.

• The deadline: Bonds issued through Oct 31 carry a 4.26% composite rate with a 0.90% fixed rate, and the November 1 reset is the open question.
• The forecasts: Tipswatch (David Enna) sees a 1.30% fixed rate as possible, and Yahoo Finance expects one of the highest in over twenty years. None of it is guaranteed.
• The tradeoff: Waiting leans favorable for bond buyers, but a flat or lower rate costs the difference every year you hold.
• The filter: If you need the money soon, choose savings or a CD. If it is long-term money that needs inflation protection, an I bond is a candidate.
• The next step: Check the September CPI report due Oct 14, then decide before Nov 1.

Made a decision? That's a win. Subscribe so you're ready for the next one, and if you're stuck on a money choice, drop it in the reviews. It might get a coin flip next week.

ACA open enrollment begins November 1, and for people who buy their own health insurance, doing nothing is still a decision. In this episode, Derek Wu explains how auto-renewal can re-enroll you in a plan that costs more or no longer fits, and why the default is effectively a choice someone else makes for you.

Listeners will learn the key HealthCare.gov dates, including the December 15 deadline for coverage that starts January 1, and what proposed 2027 premium increases may mean for a renewal notice. The episode also covers what automatic renewal can involve, including possible plan changes if a carrier exits the market, and closes with a simple 10-minute check you can do before you commit.

• Auto-renewal is a default, not a neutral outcome. Staying put can mean a higher premium or a plan that is not your best option.
• Know the dates. HealthCare.gov open enrollment runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, but December 15 is the cutoff for January 1 coverage. State marketplaces may differ.
• Put proposed increases in context. A KFF brief shows a 15% median proposed 2027 increase across 276 insurers. These are proposed figures, not final rates.
• Watch for carrier exits. A broker explainer says some insurers are leaving and enrollees could be mapped to another insurer's plan. Treat this as secondary and confirm it with CMS.
• Run a 10-minute check. Compare your renewal notice with the full plan list, update income and household details, and recheck doctors, drugs, and total cost. Write down anything that differs.

Derek also shares a personal filter for weighing plan tradeoffs based on how often you expect to use care. It is his own judgment call, not financial or insurance advice.

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Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, and doing nothing means your current plan and premium automatically renew. Derek Wu breaks down what's driving 2027 changes, including a projected Part B premium increase and a finalized Medicare Advantage payment update, and offers a simple way to decide whether to stick with your plan, switch, or move between Original Medicare and Advantage.

Listeners will learn why this seven-week window carries more weight than most routine choices, how the numbers behind next year's premiums and plan payments could affect coverage, and what to look for in the notices insurers are already sending out. The episode closes with a practical three-point filter for making a confident decision without overanalyzing it.

• The Oct 15–Dec 7 enrollment period affects more than 70 million Medicare enrollees and auto-renews inaction
• 2027 Part B premiums are projected near $209.50, with a $292 deductible, alongside a 2.48% net Medicare Advantage payment increase
• Payment pressure may shrink some plan benefits or options, especially for heavier care users
• Annual Notice of Change letters, sent by September 30, outline what's changing in your specific plan
• A three-part check, premium changes, formulary or network shifts, and fit with how you use care, helps guide the stay, switch, or cross-over decision

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Social Security's 2027 cost-of-living adjustment will be officially announced on October 14, but early estimates from AARP and the Senior Citizens League are already circulating -- and they don't agree. This episode breaks down why those projections differ, why the headline COLA percentage isn't the full story once Medicare Part B premiums are factored in, and what listeners should actually do depending on whether they're already claiming benefits or still deciding when to start.

Derek Wu walks through the hold harmless provision that shields most current beneficiaries from a net decrease, who falls outside that protection, and why a bigger projected COLA is not a reason to rush a claiming decision. The episode closes with a practical contrast between two hypothetical claimants to show what really drives the timing call.

• Why COLA estimates vary between AARP and the Senior Citizens League ahead of the October 14 SSA announcement
• How the hold harmless provision limits the impact of rising Medicare Part B premiums for most current claimants
• Who isn't protected: new enrollees and IRMAA payers
• The one thing current claimants should check on their December benefit statement
• Why delaying benefits to age 70 doesn't forfeit any COLA increases, and what actually should drive the claiming-age decision

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Open enrollment decisions often get stuck on numbers that aren't even final yet. This episode breaks down the difference between the IRS-confirmed 2027 HSA limits and the still-unconfirmed FSA projection everyone keeps quoting, then hands listeners a simple, spreadsheet-free way to choose between an HDHP-plus-HSA setup or a PPO-plus-FSA plan.

Derek Wu walks through why the 2027 HSA limits — $4,500 individual and $9,000 family, along with the updated HDHP deductible and out-of-pocket thresholds — are locked under official IRS guidance, while the widely cited $3,500 FSA figure is only a projection from outside reporting, not confirmed law. Rather than comparing the two limits directly, the episode offers a usage-based filter: how often you actually use healthcare should drive your choice, not which number looks bigger.

• 2027 HSA limits are finalized under IRS Revenue Procedure 2026-24, including new HDHP deductible and out-of-pocket thresholds.
• The $3,500 FSA figure in circulation is an unofficial projection, not a confirmed IRS number, which creates payroll deduction risk if you elect against it.
• EBRI research shows most HSA holders spend funds on near-term expenses rather than investing them.
• A simple filter: frequent, predictable costs point toward FSA; rare, deductible-tolerant use points toward HSA.
• Marketplace-plan listeners should check new ACA Bronze and Catastrophic plan eligibility starting January 1, 2026.

Listeners walk away with a clear, practical way to sort themselves into an FSA or HSA lane and finalize enrollment with confidence, no spreadsheet required.

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The SAVE exit deadline has passed, but for borrowers who applied for RAP or IBR, waiting is now the real challenge. Derek walks through what happens to your loan while your application sits in the queue, why the 60-day processing window matters more than borrowers realize, and when it's time to stop waiting and start escalating.

This episode explains how servicer timelines differ from the federal deadline, what continues to accrue during processing forbearance, and what actually happens if your application isn't resolved within 60 days. Listeners will learn practical steps for tracking their application status and get a clear escalation path if the process stalls.

• Nelnet and MOHELA are working through the IDR backlog on different timelines, and recertification deadlines vary by plan rather than following one fixed date.
• During the up-to-60-day processing forbearance, no payment is due, but interest keeps accruing; PSLF credit continues as long as employment is certified separately.
• On RAP, paying extra automatically advances your due date and forfeits that month's interest waiver and principal match unless you opt out with your servicer.
• If your application isn't resolved after 60 days, you're automatically placed into SAVE forbearance without notice; some borrowers report processing times of up to 25 months.
• Screenshot and date your IDR application status now, count 60 days independently, and escalate to your state ombudsman first, then the federal FSA Ombudsman, if nothing moves.

Made a decision? That's a win. Subscribe so you're ready for the next one. Got a money choice you're stuck on? Drop it in the reviews—might just flip a coin on it next week.

The Fed's September 15-16 meeting is shaping up differently this time around, thanks to a fresh dot plot and new chair Kevin Warsh, whose untested track record on projections adds real uncertainty. Derek Wu breaks down why Warsh's Jackson Hole remarks pushed hike odds from about 56% to 60.4% according to CNBC, and what that shift means for anyone watching CD rates and high-yield savings accounts.

Listeners will learn how hike odds move CD rates well before any official Fed decision, why bank funding needs keep CD yields resilient independent of Fed moves, and how to think through locking in a CD versus waiting or splitting funds between a CD and a high-yield savings account based on their own timeline.

• Why Warsh's newness as Fed chair raises the stakes for this meeting's dot plot
• How Jackson Hole remarks shifted hike-odds from roughly 56% to 60.4%
• Why the June dot plot's even split matters for reading Warsh's lean
• How CD rates already reflect much of where September could land
• A practical framework for deciding whether to lock, wait, or split funds

Made a decision? That's a win. Subscribe so you're ready for the next one, and drop any money choice you're stuck on in the reviews for a future episode.

Derek Wu goes solo to unpack the Education Department's confirmed rollback of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) payment counts, a change that has already left some borrowers watching years of progress vanish overnight. He traces the story from CNBC's initial report of a borrower whose count dropped from 118 to 94, through the Department's shifting explanation from a vague "data error" to an admitted deliberate correction tied to forbearance and Extended repayment plan miscounts.

This episode is essential listening for anyone pursuing PSLF, especially borrowers unsure whether their payment count is accurate or at risk. Derek clarifies how this issue is distinct from the ongoing SAVE plan litigation, examines an advocacy group's unconfirmed warning about forgiven loans potentially being reopened, and lays out exactly what to do tonight to protect your progress.

• The Education Department confirmed a rollback of PSLF payment counts affecting some borrowers, separate from the SAVE plan lawsuit.
• The Department's explanation shifted from a vague "data error" to an admitted deliberate correction focused on forbearance and Extended repayment plan miscounts.
• Advocacy group Protect Borrowers has raised an unconfirmed concern that corrections could extend to already-forgiven loans.
• Borrowers should screenshot and date their current payment count, download the MyAid TXT file to cross-check totals, and gather employer certifications and pay records for forbearance or Extended plan months.
• The single actionable step: file a reconsideration request directly with Federal Student Aid rather than repeatedly refreshing the dashboard.

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Derek Wu tackles the ongoing SAVE plan wind-down and clears up the confusion around servicer notices, repayment deadlines, and what comes next for federal student loan borrowers. The episode breaks down what happens if you ignore a ninety-day notice, why the widely cited September 29 deadline isn't universal, and how to decide between the new RAP plan and IBR before a key eligibility window closes.

Listeners will learn how missed deadlines trigger income-blind Standard or Tiered Standard repayment, why Nelnet's staggered notice rollout means deadlines vary by borrower, and how a simple two-question framework can simplify the RAP versus IBR decision. The episode closes with an update on the Havens lawsuit and why its outcome likely won't change the practical plan choices borrowers need to make now.

• Ignoring a SAVE notice leads to automatic enrollment in income-blind repayment, not immediate default
• September 29 is only the earliest possible deadline; each borrower's actual 90-day window starts when their own notice is issued
• Nelnet's notice rollout continues through March 2027, but switching plans early is possible anytime at StudentAid.gov
• Choosing between RAP and IBR comes down to PSLF status and whether income is above or below roughly $80,000
• The Havens lawsuit remains unresolved, but a 2028 legal deadline means RAP and IBR stay the practical choice regardless of the ruling

Have a money decision you're stuck on? Share it in the reviews, and it might be the subject of a future episode.

This episode of Coin Flip breaks down two September student loan deadlines that are just one day apart. Derek Wu explains the widely known SAVE plan exit on September 29 alongside the lesser-known September 30 cutoff to lock in a temporary autopay interest discount, and why the order in which borrowers act can change their financial outcome.

Listeners will learn how to size up the real value of the new 1% autopay discount, why it may amount to less than advertised for many borrowers, and how the math shifts for high-balance Grad PLUS borrowers weighing refinancing against staying the course. Derek also walks through a simple two-question decision tree for refinancing decisions and closes with a critical warning about the permanent nature of switching from IBR to RAP repayment plans.

• Two September deadlines exist one day apart, and only one is widely known
• The new autopay discount may be worth roughly $600 for a typical borrower, less than headlines suggest
• RAP payments are income-based, so the discount may not lower the actual monthly bill
• A two-question test on PSLF status and interest rate can clarify the refinance-or-wait decision for Grad PLUS borrowers
• Switching from IBR to RAP is irreversible and can extend forgiveness timelines for non-PSLF borrowers

Made a decision? That's a win. Subscribe so you're ready for the next one, and share any money choice you're stuck on in the reviews for a possible future episode.