If you're on Medicare, you've probably noticed that you're paying more in 2026. That could be due to the higher standard Part B premium or, if you're a high earner, the increase in your Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). The IRMAA is a surcharge added to Medicare Part B and Part D for those earning over certain thresholds. While it doesn't affect every Medicare recipient, its increa...
If you're on Medicare, you've probably noticed that you're paying more in 2026. That could be due to the higher standard Part B premium or, if you're a high earner, the increase in your Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). The IRMAA is a surcharge added to Medicare Part B and Part D for those earning over certain thresholds. While it doesn't affect every Medicare recipient, its increases can still cut into a budget. Across the board, the cost of medical care is up 3.4% over last year, and if you're struggling to pay for health coverage in retirement , no increase is welcome. However, you're not without options. Here are three: Continue reading
Incumbent Mette Frederiksen widely predicted to continue as PM but neither bloc expected to be able to form majority Denmark election: far right has slowed under Frederiksen – but at what cost? After votes in France , Germany , Italy , Slovenia over the weekend, it’s now time for Denmark, as Danes go to the polls today amid the backdrop of (waves arms) everything, everywhere, all at once. As our N...
Incumbent Mette Frederiksen widely predicted to continue as PM but neither bloc expected to be able to form majority Denmark election: far right has slowed under Frederiksen – but at what cost? After votes in France , Germany , Italy , Slovenia over the weekend, it’s now time for Denmark, as Danes go to the polls today amid the backdrop of (waves arms) everything, everywhere, all at once. As our Nordic correspondent Miranda Bryant explains, the incumbent, Mette Frederiksen, has been widely predicted to continue as prime minister after the election. Continue reading...
A pair of advanced destroyers kicked off an intensive and wide-ranging training exercise soon after they were assigned to the People’s Liberation Army division that oversees Taiwan and the East China Sea. The newly commissioned 12,000-tonne guided-missile destroyers, the Dongguan and Anqing, took part in their first live-fire training in mid-March, simulating high-intensity combat missions, the of...
A pair of advanced destroyers kicked off an intensive and wide-ranging training exercise soon after they were assigned to the People’s Liberation Army division that oversees Taiwan and the East China Sea. The newly commissioned 12,000-tonne guided-missile destroyers, the Dongguan and Anqing, took part in their first live-fire training in mid-March, simulating high-intensity combat missions, the official PLA Daily reported on Sunday. The Type 055 “super destroyers” are the first of their kind in...
The European Central Bank will begin a fresh round of checks on banks that it supervises as concerns intensify over loan quality in the private credit sector, according to people familiar with the matter. The ECB plans to ask banks for details of their dealings with direct lenders, said some of the people, who asked to remain anonymous as the matter is private. Previous such exercises addressed ab...
The European Central Bank will begin a fresh round of checks on banks that it supervises as concerns intensify over loan quality in the private credit sector, according to people familiar with the matter. The ECB plans to ask banks for details of their dealings with direct lenders, said some of the people, who asked to remain anonymous as the matter is private. Previous such exercises addressed about a dozen banks, they said. A spokesman for the ECB declined to comment. A string of high-profile blow-ups since last year and a spike in investor withdrawals from private credit funds has triggered worry over the extent to which regular banks are exposed to the $1.8 trillion sector. In the euro area, lenders including Deutsche Bank AG and Societe Generale SA have sought to allay fears that the area poses a systemic risk. Read More: Apollo Caps Private Credit Fund Withdrawals as Requests Hit 11% While the ECB’s planned exercise builds on similar work in 2024 and 2025, euro area regulatory officials told Bloomberg that recent developments have underlined its importance. The ECB wants to ensure banks have a grasp of the risks they face, said the people. The ECB is following up on deficiencies identified in assessments last year of banks’ links to private credit, said the people. Worries over the private credit sector have been prompted by the advance of AI and the disruption it presents to software firms in particular, to which non-bank lending is heavily exposed. The watchdog has previously found that banks aren’t able to properly identify the detailed nature and levels of their links to private credit funds. Read More: JPMorgan, Goldman Offer Hedge Funds Way to Short Private Credit Exposure to private credit may be around 1 to 2% for the European banking system, analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods wrote in a note on Monday. It accounts for a larger share at bigger lenders Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas SA and Societe Generale, they wrote. It’s not clear whether European banks...