Frequently Asked Questions

Actulife is a financial planning practice focused on retirement, Social Security optimization, insurance planning, and support for families with complex or special‑needs situations. I use detailed modeling to help you see how different choices affect your long‑term plan.

My ideal client has a basic understanding of mutual funds, knows the difference between aggressive and conservative investments, and is comfortable adjusting their own investment allocations. They either don’t currently work with a financial advisor, or they prefer not to pay the typical fee of about 1% of assets. That said, not every client needs full financial planning. Many people come to me simply for help finding affordable, appropriate health insurance—and that’s completely fine too.

I may receive commissions from the sale of certain insurance products. As an independent broker, I work with many companies, and my recommendations are not based on which product pays the most. At this time, I do not charge a separate fee for my financial planning services.

No. I am not a fiduciary and I am not registered with FINRA. That means I do not give specific investment or security recommendations, and I do not design detailed asset‑allocation models. I can, however, run a risk analysis, show you your “risk score,” compare it to typical model portfolios, and show how your current investments line up with that risk level so you can make informed decisions.

The Social Security Administration can explain your individual benefit, but they do not optimize for couples or families. The “best” filing age depends on your health, work plans, spouse’s benefits, and survivor needs. I use specialized Social Security software to run your actual data and compare filing strategies, then provide a clear recommendation. I can also share a sample Social Security optimization report so you know what to expect. See attached sample report.

Use the "Net Price Calculator" for the specific school(s) you are interested in. By law, every college must host one on its website. To find it, simply search for "[College Name] Net Price Calculator." These tools are far more accurate than general estimators because they account for that specific school’s endowment and unique scholarship criteria, such as GPA or test scores. A tip on accuracy: • Near-term: If your child is close to college age, use your current income and assets. • Long-term: If college is years away and you expect your income to rise significantly (e.g., via promotions), try to estimate your future salary and assets. Avoid adjusting for inflation or investment performance, as the calculators generally use "today’s dollars." This can be a bit tricky to project—we can walk through these numbers together during our meeting.

The right amount depends on your dependents’ ages, income needs, debts, future goals (like college), and any legacy you want to leave. I run a structured needs analysis that looks at these factors and shows how much coverage is appropriate and for how long.

For most families, ACA plans are still the only way to get broad, comprehensive medical coverage and important protections. However, for some situations I may review limited‑benefit options such as hospital indemnity plans. For example, I have helped some families enroll in UnitedHealthcare’s HPG plan when it fit their needs and risk tolerance. These plans are not right for everyone: they have exclusions, may not cover pregnancy or childbirth, and can be subject to pre‑existing condition rules. If you’re considering an alternative, we’ll walk through the trade‑offs carefully so you understand what is and is not covered. If you are interested in quoting and/or enrolling in this UnitedHealthcare plan, click here to quote.(https://shop.uhone.com/en/quote/census/hospitalindemnity?brokerid=AA4205416) Look for the section showing Enhanced Health ProtectorGuard (HPG) plans.

For Medicare beneficiaries who elect a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan, the prescription drug coverage is integrated into the health plan. For clients who instead choose to purchase a Medicare Supplement, they will need to enroll in a standalone Part D prescription drug plan. Unfortunately, due to recent changes from the Inflation Reduction Act, many insurance companies have restructured how they offer standalone Prescription Drug Plans. This has limited my ability to directly process these specific enrollments for you. To ensure you have access to every available plan in the market—including those I cannot personally facilitate—I recommend using the official Medicare.gov (http://Medicare.gov)Plan Finder (https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/)or calling 1-800-MEDICARE for the most comprehensive results. I also understand that prescription drug coverage in ACA Marketplace (Obamacare) plans is not always robust. I often recommend that clients look at the pricing on GoodRx (https://www.goodrx.com)or CleverRx.(https://www.cleverrx.com) I cannot predict which of these discount plans will have the lowest price for your medications (please note that I do receive a small commission for prescriptions filled through CleverRx).

For full financial planning, I use RightCapital, which lets us model cash flow, retirement, and “what‑if” scenarios. For Social Security, I use RSSA Roadmap software, which is built specifically to test different claiming strategies and show the long‑term impact.

It helps if you can gather: • Basic family information (ages, marital status, dependents) • A list of your incomes and monthly expenses • Statements for investment, retirement, and savings accounts • Details on any life, disability, or long‑term care insurance • Your Social Security information: ideally, each spouse’s estimated benefit and full earnings history from SSA.gov(http://SSA.gov) If you don’t have everything, we can still start; we’ll just note what’s missing.

Most clients prefer to meet virtually. I typically use Microsoft Teams, but I can also meet via Zoom. In‑person meetings may be available for local clients by request.

I am currently licensed in: NC, SC, GA, OH, PA, and FL. If you live in a different state and are interested in working with me, please let me know and I'll consider getting licensed in your state.

Yes. As a parent of a child with special needs, I understand both the emotional and financial sides. I help families think through benefits, long‑term care needs, and how to coordinate their overall plan so they can support their loved one without putting the rest of the household at risk.

We start with a discovery meeting to understand your goals, family situation, and current resources. Next, I gather data and run detailed models for retirement, Social Security, and insurance needs. Then we review the results together, discuss trade‑offs, and agree on next steps. Over time, we update the plan as your life and the rules change.