I'm not going to try to dissuade you from staying with Plan F. Peace of mind has a certain intangible value that for you exceeds $372.
Regarding absence of bills with Plan F, that's the theory. And at worst, you may get a couple of bills that you're not responsible for paying. But you still have to deal with them. Crash gave an example. The result of our crazy quilt insurance system. [...]
"require prior authorization ... probably the reason why most good doctors shy away from Advantage plans". We can test that theory. Do most good doctors shy away from all commercial insurance - employer sponsored, ACA, etc.? The vast majority of these policies also require prior authorizations. [...]

Well, despite Crash's example, all I can say is that I have been on Plan F for over a decade and have never received a medical bill in my mailbox.
Regarding prior authorization, I recently came across an article in a local paper (City&State) regarding the so far unsuccessful efforts by the City of NY to force its retired employees from Original Medicare into an Aetna Medicare Advantage Plan. Here is an excerpt: "Opponents of Medicare Advantage say that the privately-managed plan will make it more difficult for retirees to receive care, citing investigative reports in The New York Times and Kaiser Health News that documented how private plans were ripping off the federal government while restricting retirees’ access to critical medical care through pre-authorizations.
The Times investigation, published in October, ran under the headline: “‘The Cash Monster Was Insatiable’: How Health Insurers Exploited Medicare for Billions – By next year half of Medicare beneficiaries will have a private Medicare Advantage plan. Most large insurers have been accused in court of fraud.”
According to the Times, “eight of the 10 biggest Medicare Advantage insurers – representing more than two-thirds of the market – have submitted inflated bills, according to the federal audits. And four of the five largest players – UnitedHealth, Humana, Elevance and Kaiser – have faced federal lawsuits alleging that efforts to over diagnose their customers crossed the line into fraud. … The additional diagnoses led to $12 billion in overpayments in 2020, according to an estimate from the group that advises Medicare on payment policies – enough to cover hearing and vision care for every American over 65.”

@BB
I have to admit that I am puzzled by your disappointment at this fund on the basis of a single data point -- 6 month returns.
Here are the metrics I see(per PV) and why I continue to hold. The 25% cash position does not bother me and I'm comfortable with managers being contrarian, not following the herd and willing to sacrifice short term returns in the interest of the long term.
From 1/1/21 to 9/30/24 as compared to VWELX
- CAGR 15.24% v 7.83%
- MaxDD -10.16% v -20.22%
- Sortino 1.78 v 0.68
- 3 month return 5.13% v 5.17%
- YTD return: 16.86% v 13.82%

Fidelity has gotten into the Medicare brokerage business. I just sent them a note because, as I conclude in the note, it doesn't yet seem ready for prime time.
My note to Fidelity:
I ran across this service at:
https://medicare.fidelity.com/home/
I don't need help but wanted to give you some feedback. First, it isn't clear to me what the value-add above Medicare.gov is, unless one speaks to a Fidelity agent.
More importantly it omits several providers, notably HealthFirst in NYC. According to its website, HealthFirst has more Medicare Advantage customers in the NY metropolitan area than any other insurer. FWIW, it's a good insurer - I used one of its ACA plans.
It looks like the only companies that Fidelity is listing are national (as opposed to regional) insurers: United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Wellcare (Centene), Anthem. That may make sense from Fidelity's perspective, but it can steer people away from other plans that might suit them better.
A note advising that this is not a complete list of available plans might help.
In New York, Fidelity only shows two companies for Medigap plans, Humana and Mutual of Omaha. It omits even some national carriers like United Healthcare and Globe
Also problematic is omission of information. For example, Cigna True Choice Medicare PPO (Plan H7849-082-000) has a $25 copay for PCP out of network. Fidelity doesn't show this. Likewise, there is a $60 copay for specialists out of network that Fidelity doesn't show. And so on.
I like Fidelity for one stop shopping (e.g. HSAs). But this particular service does not yet seem ready for prime time.

Thanks, Dennis.
Unfortunately, more of the same. The managers continue to say the market is very expensive. The fund did not participate in the early Aug and early Sept market pull backs. Cash is at 25.4%. There are so many stocks below the Mag 7 that are participating in this bull market. Since the September market pull back, RSP has outperformed this fund by 4%. If there is an ETF for 493, I should check the relative performance with this fund. The fund’s stated strategy is All Cap Value. I do not have a single value fund in my watch list that returned only 1% over the past six months.
50% of the portfolio is in consumer cyclicals and 30% is in financials. I hope the holiday season is good for these sectors and the good luck spills over onto this fund.
Lurkers, Note that this fund is highly concentrated, with only 16 holdings (per M*) and the top 5 taking up 50% of the fund.
Edit: it is impressive that fund inflows are unabated. September marked three months of increasing fund inflows. June had the lowest inflows for the year - every month had inflows. Who are these people plowing their wealth into this fund when MM funds out performed over the past 6 months. If this fund has a cult following, I must avoid it. Note that the management also manages separate accounts which if I recall correctly has $4B in AUM in the same strategy, far in excess of the fund AUM. SMAs are more sticky than a mutual fund AUM. So, may be this is cultish!

@Crash - so much to unpack there about Medicare generally (i.e. not specific to Plan F or G).
Medicare does have a network; it's just very large and includes about 99% of non-pediatric physicians as of June 2023. Unlike Medicare Advantage plans, the Medicare network is opt-out, not opt-in. Physicians have to explicitly opt out of taking Medicare.
Mass. does have special rules and exemptions granted by CMS. Among those are the ability to offer Regional PPO (RPPO) Medicare Advantage plans with skinny networks and its own set of Medigap plans (not the usual A, B, ...). These days, they're called Core (analogous to Plan A), Supplement 1 (analogous to Plan F), and Supplement 1A (analogous to Plan G).
https://www.medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans/#/m/plans?fips=25025&zip=02108&year=2025
Mass. is a community rated state, meaning that a plan must be sold at the same rate to all customers, regardless of age or other conditions, within a "community" (generally a county). But it allows the equivalent of gas station "cash discounts". If you're younger an insurer is allowed to offer you a larger discount off the "rack rate". (NY is different; it is also community rated but without age discounts.)
Even without declining discounts, Medigap premiums increase yearly. "Rates generally do go up over time, and that’s because of inflation and other factors."
Getting no bills is definitely an advantage of having a policy that covers everything (Medicare + Medigap). Whether that is the least expensive alternative in worst case scenarios is another matter. I'll use NY as an example since I'm more familiar with plans there.
HealthFirst, a nonprofit insurer, "has the largest Medicare Advantage membership in the NY metropolitan area". Good insurer, I've used their ACA plan. Their PPO (allowing you to go to any doctor in the Medicare "network") has $0 premium and caps out-of-pocket costs at $5K (in network), $8K total. Very large regional network (including Sloan Kettering), so it's very easy to get in-network coverage for virtually any care needed.
Compare that $5K cap (2025) with Plan F Medigap. The cheapest Plan F anywhere in NYC is $359/mo or $4308/yr. That $700 gap closes when one adds in the $1500 that Healthfirst will pay to any dentist ($0 deductible; $0 copay in network, small co-pay OON) for dental services. Not to mention superior drug coverage vs. standalone Part D plans that are available.
Universal coverage does not mean single payer, it does not mean government run. The Bismarck model (Germany, France, Japan, etc.) works with tight government regulation, non-profit insurers (like HealthFirst and some others), and of course mandatory coverage.
https://www.pnhp.org/single_payer_resources/health_care_systems_four_basic_models.php

Rick,
Many days my account balances at Schwab are wrong by a few percentage points. I stopped worrying about $$ reflected. I just hope that someone is not salami slicing my accounts slowly because I would not detect it as I do not check the History often. The big corporations have won the game of desensitizing me to their deliberate incompetence.
IBKR patrons talk highly about it. May be it is time to check them out?

I'm really not in a rush to change brokerages and Schwab's been mostly decent otherwise (not as good as the old TDA), but I'll look. It's been ages since I explored IBKR (back when I was futures trading 15 years go) but when I get some time I'll take a gander.

I am in High Deductible F, have had some unexpected hospitalizations and major interventions, and fortunately live in a state that allows changing Medigap policy within a certain period without medical underwriting, ages 65-75 ("birthday rule"; other conditions obtain). It's risky to get old.
At 65 I had none of the conditions listed under "Sample Underwriting Questions" on the link msf posted. Now I have 1.5.
(Thanks for the useful link, @msf !)

Here's the Pub 590A section on withdrawing IRA contributions.
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590a#en_US_2023_publink1000230703

You can generally make a tax-free withdrawal of contributions if you do it before the due date for filing your tax return for the year in which you made them. This means that, even if you are under age 59½, the 10% additional tax may not apply. These withdrawals are explained later.
...
In most cases, the net income you must withdraw is determined by the IRA trustee or custodian. [In this case, everything is withdrawn; the excess above the amount contributed is taxable income.]

The Pub goes on to say that it might be permissible to withdraw the contribution up to 6 months after the normal filing deadline.
This withdrawal is different from a withdrawal of excess contributions. An excess contribution is:

the amount contributed to your traditional IRAs for the year that is more than the smaller of:

• $6,500 ($7,500 if you are age 50 or older), or
  
• Your taxable compensation for the year.

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p590a#en_US_2023_publink1000230875
If she doesn't need the money, she could also consider recharacterizing the contribution as a Roth contribution.
Finally, here's a Bogleheads thread that is fairly useful on the subject of withdrawing mistaken contributions.
https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=212710

”BlackRock Inc. pulled in a record $221 billion of total client cash last quarter, pushing the world’s largest money manager to an all-time high of $11.5 trillion of assets as it seeks to become a one-stop shop for stocks, bonds and, increasingly, private assets.
“Investors added $97 billion to exchange-traded funds and $63 billion to fixed-income overall in the third quarter, New York-based BlackRock said Friday in a statement. BlackRock has pulled in $360 billion of total net inflows so far this year, surpassing the full-year net flows of 2022 and 2023.“
Yahoo / Originally from Bloomberg
(A trillion here … A trillion there … Pretty soon you’re talking about real money.)

It’s complicated. Older citizens spend more for health care. That’s been rising faster than the average rate of inflation ISTM. Is this offset by the fact many own their own homes? Or that they don’t have work related expenses (like driving to work)? Like I said - It’s complicated. But I’m afraid for many in the “Over 65” camp, 2.5% isn’t going to help them much, and won’t keep them even with cost of living.
Not worried about those who frequent the board. We are atypical. It’s the ones who haven’t planned well in advance and have little grasp of financial issues I worry about.

The salary-cap also went up by a higher wage inflation of 4.45%.
https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-announces-2-5-percent-benefit-increase-for-2025/

Yes, workers' wages went up more than inflation (CPI-W) last year. This is a good thing. It means that workers' standard of living is rising.
The payroll tax cap is based on the national average wage index.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/AWI.html

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1300746/000089706924001946/497e.htm
497 1 497e.htm
Filed pursuant to Rule 497(e)
Registration Nos. 333-282272; 811-21625
Intrepid Small Cap Fund
Institutional Class (Ticker: ICMZX)
Investor Class (Ticker: ICMAX)
Intrepid Capital Fund
Institutional Class (Ticker: ICMVX)
Investor Class (Ticker: ICMBX)
Supplement dated October 11, 2024 to the
Prospectus dated January 31, 2024
We are pleased to announce the anticipated acquisition of the assets and liabilities of the Intrepid Small Cap Fund by the Intrepid Capital Fund pursuant to the reorganization of the Intrepid Small Cap Fund. The acquisition, which is expected to become effective after the close of business on November 22, 2024, is described in more detail in the information statement and prospectus filed as part of a Registration Statement on Form N-14 with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the reorganization.
The information statement and prospectus will be sent to shareholders of the Intrepid Small Cap Fund. Shareholders of the Intrepid Small Cap Fund are urged to read the definitive information statement and prospectus when it becomes available because it contains important information about the reorganization. The information statement and prospectus may be obtained free of charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by calling 1-866-996-3863.
Upon the acquisition of the Intrepid Small Cap Fund by the Intrepid Capital Fund, each shareholder of the Intrepid Small Fund will receive shares of the Intrepid Capital Fund, which have an aggregate net asset value equal to the aggregate net asset value of the shareholder’s shares in the Intrepid Small Cap Fund. The Intrepid Small Cap Fund will then terminate. The shareholders of the Intrepid Small Cap Fund will not be assessed any sales charges or other shareholder fees in connection with the acquisition, and the reorganization has been structured with the intention that it qualify for federal income tax purposes as a tax-free reorganization under the Internal Revenue Code.
Existing shareholders may redeem or exchange shares of the Intrepid Small Cap Fund in the ordinary course until the last business day before the closing of the reorganization. The redemption fee is waived with regard to the Intrepid Small Cap Fund in light of the proposed reorganization.
You should review the definitive information statement and prospectus carefully when available and retain it for future reference. In connection with the reorganization, the Funds are not asking you for a proxy and you are requested not to send a proxy.
The Funds have filed an information statement and prospectus as part of a Registration Statement on Form N-14 with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the reorganization. The definitive information statement and prospectus will be sent to shareholders of the Intrepid Small Cap Fund. Shareholders are urged to read the definitive information statement and prospectus when available because it will contain important information about the reorganization, including the reasons of the board of trustees for approving the reorganization. The information statement and prospectus may be obtained free of charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by calling 1-866-996-3863.
Please keep this Supplement with your Prospectus.

I have been in Medigap Plan F since I enrolled in original Medicare. My current monthly premium is $359. I appreciate the fact that under this plan I have never received a medical bill in my mail box. Apparently, everything is covered.
If I were to switch to a Medigap Plan G, I would now have to pay out of pocket my current annual Medicare Part B Deductible of $240. However, my monthly premium would be reduced to $308, for an annual saving of $372.
If the above is correct, and there are no other hidden charges under Medigap Plan G, I would be curious if there are any other posters who are still enrolled in Medigap Plan F, and why they haven't switched to Plan G?
As I said, in my case, it's the comforting feeling of never having to worry about paying any medical bills, especially as I get older and becoming at some point a semi-senile "alter Kacker". Hence, peace of mind with one less thing to worry about might be worth the extra $372 a year.
If there are any other good reasons to stay in Plan F, I would appreciate hearing about it.

Now don't forget about compounding, eh?

While the COLA increase has averaged about 2.6% over the last decade, the COLA was 3.2% in 2024 and jumped to as high as 8.7% in 2023 and 5.9% in 2022.

The salary-cap also went up by a higher wage inflation of 4.45%.
https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-announces-2-5-percent-benefit-increase-for-2025/

@msf, yes I just signed up to two years of credit monitoring as a result of the Change Healthcare Breach, but prior to that I froze my credit with all 5 credit bureaus that MFO members discussed here in past threads.
Thanks to all for keeping us informed.

AMC was trading near $566 a few years ago....now trades at $4.
Gamestop was trading at $81 a few years ago...now trades at $21.
BBBY traded at $16 a few years ago...now its gone.
DJT was trading as high as $79 this year....but where should it be trading? I believe @rforno's $0.15 would be fair value.
DJT belongs in the meme pile.

Down 10% today and now $12.15 in today's AH trading..... it's still $12 over-valued, imho.
For context, today's volume was ~19.2m shares, the average is ~9m.

Up 110% since this post. Could this thread predict future price movement?

Found on reddit. Enjoy. :)

Thanks David. “Reluctantly” sounds just a bit like “Devil made me do it.” :)
Their reference to ”bullish technical indicators” is interesting. Some here will fondly remember @Flack, a prominent contributor more than a decade ago (FundAlarm) who based his investing largely on technicals - being a virtual encyclopedia on the matter. Sometimes got into fascinating debates with the non-believers.
Interesting that Leuthold is based in Minnesota. I subscribe to James Stack’s “InvestTech” (based in Montana) and find his reasoning similar to what was quoted from Leuthold. Stack’s been recommending a very conservative position of 55% invested and 45% cash / T-Bills for many months. Like Leuthold, he finds some bullish technicals but is wary longer term - citing issues with valuation and investor euphoria.
For fun … I had AI pull up some common ”Technical Indicators” (hastening to add that attention to technicals represents but one small aspect of Leuthold’s overall investment approach.)
- Head and shoulders: A technical indicator with a chart pattern of three peaks, where the outer two are close in height, and the middle is the highest … is a chart formation that predicts a bullish-to-bearish trend reversal.
- Inverse Head and Shoulders: This pattern is the reverse of the Head and Shoulders, indicating a potential bullish reversal.
- Triangle Pattern: A continuation pattern that forms a triangle shape, often signaling a consolidation or a pause in the trend.
- Ascending Triangles - The resistance line intersects the breakout line, pointing out the entry point. The ascending triangle is a bullish trading pattern.
- Spinning Top: A candlestick pattern characterized by a small real body with long upper and lower shadows, indicating indecision or a lack of clear direction.
- Wedge Pattern: A pattern that forms a wedge shape, often signaling a continuation of the trend or a reversal.
- Double Top/Double Bottom: A pattern that forms two peaks or troughs with roughly equal heights, indicating a potential reversal or continuation of the trend.
- Rounded Bottom/Rounded Top: A pattern that forms a smooth, curved shape, often signaling a reversal or a continuation of the trend.
- Inverse Hammer/Bullish Engulfing: Candlestick patterns that indicate a potential bullish reversal or a strong upward move.
- Bearish Engulfing/Gravestone Doji: Candlestick patterns that indicate a potential bearish reversal or a strong downward move.
Good Cheer!