March 22, 2014, 6:02 a.m. EDT

There are easier ways to reduce one’s tax bill. But for many American taxpayers, this is the big one: the deduction for interest payments on home mortgages.

Homeowners in the U.S. last year received a total of roughly $70 billion in federal tax breaks through the deduction. But discussions in Congress about a broad tax overhaul are heating up, and all sorts of tax deductions — including the mortgage-interest deduction — are being discussed by both parties.

Supporters of the mortgage-interest deduction say it encourages homeownership and gives the middle class a better shot at financial security. The deduction helps middle-income purchasers by making their mortgage payments more affordable and by helping these families build equity in their homes.

Joe Harpaz, Contributor, 3/21/2014 @ 11:52AM

With just two weeks to go before the March 31 deadline for applying for health insurance on a government-run exchange, more than 5 million people have signed up for the new plans. When all is said and done, approximately 30 million previously uninsured Americans are expected to have health insurance, either through a government exchange, employer or Medicaid.

So, following that logic, the health insurers behind these plans should be raking in profits from millions of new customers, which, even at reduced rates, should allow them to reap huge rewards.

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Mar 19, 7:38 AM EDT

WASHINGTON     (AP) — Cancer patients relieved that they can get insurance coverage because of the new health care law may be disappointed to learn that some the nation’s best cancer hospitals are off-limits.

An Associated Press survey found examples coast to coast. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is excluded by five out of eight insurers in Washington state’s insurance exchange. MD Anderson Cancer Center says it’s in less than half of the plans in the Houston area. Memorial Sloan-Kettering is included by two of nine insurers in New York City and has out-of-network agreements with two more

WASHINGTON, March 18 (UPI) — Republican  congressional leaders plan a listening tour to help develop an alternative to  President Obama‘s  healthcare plan, Majority Whip Kevin  McCarthy says.

McCarthy, R-Calif., and other leaders acknowledge there will be no bill on the  table for months, if ever, the New York Times reported. Republicans plan a  series of town hall meetings around the country to launch the “House Obamacare  Accountability Project.”

Wade Pfau, Contributor, 3/18/2014 @ 3:17PM

With retirement, one sometimes sees the terms accumulation and decumlation. The accumulation phase is the pre-retirement period when we work and save for retirement. Upon retiring, decumulation begins. We need to determine the best way to spend down our assets and obtain lifelong income. When saving for retirement, the focus tends to be on asset growth and total returns. But after retiring the goal becomes to maintain a standard of living.

By Greg Richter, Monday, 17 Mar 2014 06:13 PM

A third of Americans currently uninsured still have no intention of buying health coverage even though they are required to do so by the Affordable Care Act, according to Bankrate’s latest Health Insurance Pulse survey.

Thirty-four percent contacted by telephone said they still have no intention of buying insurance. Most, 41 percent, cited cost as their reason, while 17 percent said they oppose Obamacare and 13 percent said they are healthy and don’t need insurance.

Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said they do plan to purchase health coverage.

By Susan Jaffe, March 17th, 2014, 1:53 PM

Congress is still searching for money to avoid a 24 percent cut in pay for doctors who treat Medicare patients.

But seniors are already paying their share of the cost in premiums, as if the pay cut — scheduled to kick in on April 1 — won’t happen.

Seniors’ premiums cover 25 percent of their Medicare Part B outpatient services, including doctor visits, outpatient lab tests and hospital visits, medical equipment and home health care.

By Kevin Fitchard

Summary:

AT&T is phasing out its “it’s not complicated” ad campaign in favor of new commercials that show just how complicated its network can be.

AT&T is preparing to do an about-face in its advertising strategy. Instead of the “it’s not complicated” campaign, which features actor Beck Bennett arguing the virtues of AT&T’s network with children, AT&T’s new ads pretty much take an “in fact, it’s really complicated” attitude.

By Peter Schroeder, March 16, 2014, 11:22 am

The White House is vowing that it will not delay the individual mandate  portion of the healthcare reform law.

Republicans have called on the administration to delay that central plank of  ObamaCare, after the administration delayed several other portions of the new  law. But White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer on Sunday was categorical in  ruling it out.