This Week’s Money Map:

• 💊 How weight-loss drugs like Ozempic affect your life insurance rates

• 🐶 Your pet's health history could cost you thousands in vet bills

• 💰 What SECURE 2.0 is and what it means for your retirement money

• 💳 5 credit card welcome bonuses worth your attention right now

💊 How weight-loss drugs like Ozempic affect your life insurance rates

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound have become one of the biggest health trends in America. But here's something most people don't know: if you're using one, it can directly affect how much you pay for life insurance and whether you even get approved. Here's what you need to know.

First the good news
Losing weight generally helps your life insurance rates. Lower weight usually means better blood pressure, better cholesterol, and lower risk of heart disease and diabetes. Insurance companies price based on risk, so healthier numbers usually mean lower premiums.

If you've been on a GLP-1 drug for at least six months, have kept the weight off, and your health markers have improved, you're in a good position to apply or to ask your current insurer to re-evaluate your rate.

The complication: Insurers are still figuring this out
These medications are new enough that insurance companies haven't settled on one standard way to handle them. Here's what to remember:

Why you were prescribed the drug matters. If you went on Ozempic primarily for diabetes management, some insurers will flag that as higher-risk — not because of the drug itself, but because of the underlying condition.

Recent weight loss doesn't always count yet. Some insurers will still rate you based on your previous BMI if you haven't maintained your new weight for at least 12 months. Applying too soon can lock you into a worse rate.

Not disclosing your medication is a serious mistake. If you hide your GLP-1 use on an application and later file a claim, the insurer can deny it. Always be honest on your application.

What to do right now

• Wait before applying if you just started. Give yourself at least six months on the medication with a stable weight. A year is even better. Patience here can mean lower premiums.

• Shop around. This is not a situation where you should just go with the first quote. Different insurers treat these medications differently in 2026. One company might offer you a preferred rate — another might add a surcharge.

• Use an independent broker. An independent broker works with multiple insurance companies and can tell you which ones are currently more favorable toward GLP-1 users. This one step could save you hundreds of dollars a year.

• Request a re-evaluation if you already have a policy. If you've lost significant weight and improved your health metrics in the last year or two, you may be able to get your existing policy re-rated at a lower premium. Ask your insurer directly.

These drugs may help your health and ultimately help your insurance rates — but timing and transparency matter a lot. Don't rush the application, and get help from someone who knows this space. Always consult your physician before you start any weight loss regimen.

🐶 Your pet's health history could cost you thousands in vet bills

You finally decide to get pet insurance. Then you learn your dog's ear infection from last year means ear problems will never be covered. Welcome to the confusing world of waiting periods and pre-existing conditions.

Pet insurance sounds simple until you read the fine print. Two terms trip up most pet owners: waiting periods and pre-existing conditions. Understanding both before you sign up can save you from a denied claim when your furry friend needs help most.

What counts as a pre-existing condition
Any illness, injury, or symptom your pet showed before your policy started — or during the waiting period — counts as pre-existing. This includes conditions that weren't formally diagnosed. If your vet noted limping in March and you bought insurance in April, anything related to that limp won't be covered.

Most insurers won't cover pre-existing conditions, period. But a few make exceptions for "curable" conditions if your pet stays symptom-free for a set time. ASPCA and Pets Best require 180 days without symptoms or treatment. Embrace requires 12 months. AKC stands alone by covering even incurable conditions after 365 days of continuous coverage.

The waiting period trap
Waiting periods are the gap between when you enroll and when coverage actually kicks in. If your pet gets sick during this window, that condition becomes pre-existing and won't be covered.

Typical waiting periods run 3 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, and 6 to 12 months for orthopedic issues like hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament tears. Some insurers offer accident coverage starting the next day. A few waive waiting periods entirely if you enroll within 24 hours of a vet exam.

How to protect yourself

• Enroll early. The younger and healthier your pet is, the fewer exclusions you'll face. Many insurers accept puppies and kittens as young as six to eight weeks.

• Read the policy carefully. Check waiting periods for each coverage type. Ask how the insurer defines and handles pre-existing conditions. Get it in writing.

• Consider accident-only coverage. If your pet has chronic health issues, an accident-only policy can still protect against emergencies like broken bones or poisoning at a lower cost.

• Stack available discounts. Some insurers give discounts if you insure more than one pet or pay the full year at once, and some plans have special price breaks for people in the military, members of certain groups, or people who work for specific employers. These discounts can lower your pet’s insurance bill without changing what care is covered, which helps make vet costs more affordable.

Don't wait until your pet is sick to start shopping. By then, the condition you're worried about won't be covered.

💰 What SECURE 2.0 is and what it means for your retirement money

The SECURE 2.0 Act has been rolling out big changes to retirement accounts since 2023, and several of them are fully in effect now. Here's what's actually changed, what it means for your wallet, and what you should do about it.

The RMD age is now 73, not 72
Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are the amounts the IRS forces you to withdraw from your traditional 401(k) or IRA each year once you hit a certain age. That age is now 73. (It goes to 75 in 2033.)

This matters because money left in your account keeps growing tax-deferred. If you don't need the cash right now, you get more time to let it compound.

If you turned 73 in 2025 or 2026, your first RMD deadline matters. Talk to your financial advisor or account custodian to make sure you're pulling the right amount so you don't get hit with the penalty.

If you're 60–63 years old, you can save more than ever
The regular 401(k) catch-up contribution for people 50 and older is $7,500 per year on top of the base limit. But if you're between ages 60 and 63, you now get a super catch-up limit of $11,250 per year. That's an extra $3,750 you can shelter from taxes every year during that four-year window.

If you're in that age range, log into your 401(k) portal or call HR and make sure your annual contribution is set to capture the full $11,250 catch-up. Many people leave this untouched simply because they don't know it exists.

New jobs now auto-enroll you in a 401(k)
Most employers who started new 401(k) plans after December 2022 are now required to automatically enroll new employees at a minimum 3% contribution rate. That rate increases by 1% each year, up to at least 10%.

If you started a new job recently, check your pay stub to confirm you're enrolled and at a rate that works for you.

You can now save emergency cash inside your 401(k)
A new type of account called a pension-linked emergency savings account (PLESA) lets you set aside up to $2,500 inside your employer's retirement plan for emergencies — with no early withdrawal penalty for the first four withdrawals per year. This isn't the best place for your entire emergency fund, but it's a useful option if you have no other cushion.

Ask your HR department if your employer has set this up yet. Not all have.

One more thing: Life insurance
If you have term life insurance, you may be able to convert it to whole life coverage without taking another medical exam. That means you can lock in permanent protection even if your health has changed. But timing matters. Most insurance companies only allow conversion within a certain window — usually before age 65 to 75, or within five to 20 years after you buy the policy. If you miss that deadline, you lose the right to convert, so it’s important to understand how, when, and why this option could make sense for you.

These tips are designed to help you save more and pay penalties less. The only way they help you is if you actually use them.

💳 5 credit card welcome bonuses worth your attention right now

Most credit card welcome bonuses follow a predictable cycle — they inflate the offer for a few weeks, then drop it back down. After reviewing what's actually available right now across the market, these five stand out not because they're being pushed hardest, but because the math genuinely works in your favor.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: Best spend-to-value ratio 
Offer: 5 free night certificates (worth up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Annual fee: $95.

This is the standout of the current crop. You're spending just $3,000 to potentially unlock five hotel nights worth up to $1,850 in total. The spend requirement is among the lowest of any card with this level of reward. The $95 fee pays for itself easily in the first year.

Capital One Venture Rewards: Best all-around
Offer: 75,000 miles + a $250 Capital One Travel credit after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Annual fee: $95.

Total estimated value is over $1,600. The miles are flexible — you can use them to cover travel purchases or transfer them to more than 15 airline and hotel partners. The extra $250 travel credit in year one is a genuine offset against real costs, not a gimmick. It's also one of the few cards at this price point that includes a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select: Best limited-time deal if you fly American
Offer: 80,000 American Airlines miles after spending just $3,500 in the first 4 months. No annual fee in year one, then $99.

This is a limited-time offer and historically, the sign-up bonus on this card runs lower. If you fly American at all — or fly out of a hub like Dallas, Miami, or Charlotte — 80,000 miles for $3,500 in spending and zero first-year cost is a genuinely good deal.

Chase Sapphire Preferred: Above average in value
Offer: 75,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. Annual fee: $95.

The spend requirement is slightly higher than others on this list, but Chase Ultimate Rewards points are widely considered the most flexible travel currency available. You can transfer them to United, Southwest, Hyatt, and others, or use them through Chase Travel at 1.25 cents each. The $95 fee is low for what you get.

Citi Strata Premier: Underrated, with a sensible spend threshold
Offer: 60,000 ThankYou points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Annual fee: $95.

Citi's ThankYou program isn't talked about as loudly as Chase or Amex, but the transfer partners are solid, and the card earns 3X on groceries, dining, gas, and air travel. The $100 annual hotel credit (on a single stay booked through Citi Travel) essentially brings the effective annual fee down to zero in any year you take a trip. 

What to know before you apply
Applying for multiple cards in a short window can temporarily ding your credit score. Chase in particular has a rule that can restrict approvals if you've opened too many cards recently — so if you're targeting a Chase card, apply for it before other issuers' products.

If you're looking for credit card protection beyond rewards, check whether your card includes purchase protection and travel insurance, which several of these do. And if you're building credit while managing debt, a 0% intro APR card is a smarter starting point than chasing bonuses.

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The MoneyGeek Team

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