By Doug Bailey The sweeping federal budget legislation dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” by its backers is sparking sharp debate over its potential impact. While the insurance and investment management sectors were spared direct hits in some areas, major changes to Medicaid and ACA subsidies could ripple through the broader financial ecosystem—and eventually touch retirement and wealth planning professionals. The bill sidesteps significant changes to retirement products, annuities, or the way...

By Doug Bailey Amid all that sturm and drang over drastic cuts in government programs led by President Trump’s chief cost cutter Elon Musk is the realization that, despite fears, entitlement programs – Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare – will survive largely intact. That’s not to say there won’t be some costly and uncomfortable changes coming. But experts generally believe that the entitlements’ record of being “untouchable” will remain. “Medicare most likely remains largely insulated...