Ask and It Shrinks Get the book - $39.90
Cover of the large-print book Ask and It Shrinks: Cutting your bills after 65, one call at a time, by Walter Green
Walt on YouTube - coming soon

Saving money has never cost this little.

Ask and It Shrinks - 2027 Edition, Large Print

One large-print book. 17 programs you may already qualify for. The number to call and the exact words to say. Free updates through 2027.

  • Instant PDF download
  • Phone, tablet, computer
  • Tap-to-jump navigation
  • Free updates through 2027
263large-print pages
17phone scripts
42page Print and Fridge Kit
51state pages, all 50 + DC
$39.90Launch price
Get the book - $39.90

Instant download from Gumroad - pay once, free updates through 2027

Walter Green at his kitchen table with a calculator, a cup of coffee and a stack of paperwork
Walt at his kitchen table

Why this book exists

Most discounts after 65 are not mailed to you.

You have to ask. Margaret down the street paid her Medicare premium for years before she learned her state could pay it. Earl missed a year of his property tax break because nobody told him. One call each.

That is what this book is: the calls, written down, in big type, with the words to say when they say no.

It costs less than a dinner out. Make one call this week. Just one.

Walter Green

The book

Ask and It Shrinks: Cutting Your Bills After 65

The complete book - 2027 Edition, Large Print

Ask and It Shrinks

Cover of Ask and It Shrinks by Walter Green

For anyone 65 or older who wants all 17 calls in one place, with the Print and Fridge Kit.

What you get

  • 263 large-print pages: read it on a tablet or print it at home
  • 17 phone scripts: who to call, what to say, what to say if they say no
  • Print and Fridge Kit, 42 pages, letter size: fridge sheet of phone numbers, your call list, worksheets and a call log
  • A state list for all 50 states and DC: the office for your state, with its web page
  • Free updates through 2027: download the new PDF from the same link
$39.90Launch price
Get the book - $39.90

Instant download from Gumroad - pay once, free updates through 2027

Short guides

One topic, one call, $14.90 each

Start with the book. Add a short guide if one topic is yours right now. Each one takes one topic further than the book, in the same big print and the same four-part phone script.

Short guide - Large Print

Property Tax After 65

Cover of Property Tax After 65 by Walter Green

For homeowners 65 or older who pay property tax: the one county call that can cut your bill.

What is inside

  • 30 pages: exemption, credit, freeze or ceiling, deferral in plain words
  • Eight steps to apply and a four-part phone script
  • A worksheet for your deadline, form and office
  • The program and office for all 50 states and DC
Short guide - Large Print

Why Is My Part B Premium Higher?

Cover of Why Is My Part B Premium Higher by Walter Green

For anyone whose Part B premium is higher than the standard amount, after a retirement or another life change.

What is inside

  • 23 pages on IRMAA and the SSA-44 appeal
  • The eight life-changing events Social Security accepts, and how Form SSA-44 works
  • A four-part phone script, the papers to gather and an SSA-44 worksheet
  • The late Part B penalty, free help lines and a call log
$14.90Launch price
Get the Part B guide - $14.90
Short guide - Large Print

Advantage or Medigap?

Cover of Medicare Advantage or Medigap by Walter Green

For anyone choosing between Medicare Advantage and Medigap, or thinking of switching back.

What is inside

  • 24 pages: the two roads in plain words, the yearly dates and the lifetime penalties
  • The 6-month Medigap window, and why it does not come back
  • When you can switch back: guaranteed issue and trial rights
  • A Before You Switch checklist and a phone script for a free SHIP counselor
$14.90Launch price
Get the Medigap guide - $14.90

Inside the book

Every chapter, so you know what you are buying.

263 pages, 6 parts, 17 chapters. Here is the full contents.

1. Social Security

p.13

Your check: when to start it, who else can get it, and what changes it.

  • p.14Ch 1. When to Claim: 62, full age or 70
  • p.26Ch 2. Spouses and Widows: benefits people never claim
  • p.35Ch 3. Working While You Collect
  • p.43Ch 4. Three Forms: SSA-44, Extra Help, SSA-521
  • p.54Ch 5. Is It Taxed? A two-minute check

2. Medicare

p.63

Premiums, drug costs and the dates that matter.

  • p.64Ch 6. The Part B Premium: your state may pay it
  • p.76Ch 7. Prescription Help: Extra Help and the yearly cap
  • p.87Ch 8. Deadlines and Penalties: dates that cost you for life

3. Your Home

p.97

Property tax, energy bills and home repairs.

  • p.98Ch 9. Property Tax: senior exemptions and ceilings
  • p.112Ch 10. Heating and Cooling: LIHEAP energy help
  • p.122Ch 11. Weatherization Help

4. Monthly Bills

p.129

Car insurance, phone and food.

  • p.130Ch 12. Car Insurance: the mature driver discount
  • p.141Ch 13. Phone and Internet: Lifeline
  • p.152Ch 14. Food Help: SNAP after 60

5. Taxes

p.160

A bigger deduction at 65, and free help to file.

  • p.160Ch 15. New Senior Deduction and Free Tax Help

6. Discounts and Protection

p.169

Official discounts, and how to keep your money safe.

  • p.170Ch 16. The Lifetime Park Pass
  • p.177Ch 17. How to Spot a Scam: hang up, call back

Also inside

Words to Say

Every chapter has a four-part phone script: what to say, what to ask next, what to say if they say no, and what to write down before you hang up.

ATTENTION boxes

Red ATTENTION boxes flag the deadlines and penalties that cost people money for years.

My state list

From p.194, a page for each of the 50 states and DC: the office to call for each program, with its web page.

Start here and the back pages

Read this first (p.3), which chapter first (p.5), your first 7 days (p.9), your call list (p.10). At the back: a yearly calendar, free help, a glossary, an index and the sources. A HOME button on every page.

Sample page: Read This First, the opening page with Walt at his desk and a scam warning
The first page
Sample page: Words to Say, a four-part phone script for Extra Help
A full phone script
Sample page: Walt's worksheet for your claiming age
A worksheet
Sample page: the Florida page of the state list, with offices and web pages
Your state's page
Sample page: the fridge sheet of national phone numbers from the Print and Fridge Kit
The fridge sheet (Print and Fridge Kit)
Sample page: your call list from the Print and Fridge Kit, one line per call
Your call list (Print and Fridge Kit)

How it works

Built to be used, not just read.

Read it on a tablet, or print it. Pick one chapter, make one call.

  1. Buy onceOn Gumroad. You pay once, no subscription.
  2. DownloadThe PDF and the Print and Fridge Kit arrive right away.
  3. Pick one chapterThe Start Here page asks yes or no and sends you to the chapter to read first.
  4. Make one callRead the words to say. Write down the name and the date before you hang up.
Walt says Make one call this week. Just one.

The discount you don't ask for is the discount you never get.

Walter Green at his kitchen table

About Walt

Thirty-eight years of payroll. He still likes forms.

Walt Green is 68 and lives in the same clapboard house he bought in 1984. He did payroll for a county school district for 38 years. After his wife died he claimed her benefit the wrong way and lost money, and since then he has walked his neighbors through the forms at his kitchen table so it does not happen to them. His rule: the discount you don't ask for is the discount you never get. His neighbor June asked him to write it all down. That became the book.

FAQ

Questions

What format is it, and can I print it?

Two PDFs: the book (263 large-print pages, read it on a tablet or computer, or print it) and the Print and Fridge Kit (42 pages, letter size, made for printing). Tap a part or chapter to jump there; every page has a HOME button.

How do I get it after I pay?

Gumroad sends it to you right after checkout. It is an instant download, and it stays in your Gumroad Library.

What does "free updates through 2027" mean?

When the agencies publish the 2027 figures (the Part B premium first), the numbers in the book are replaced. You download the new PDF free from your Gumroad Library or the link in your receipt, through 31 December 2027.

Is this advice? Will I get the discount?

No, and no promise. It is general information from official government pages, in plain words, with the sources named at the back. The agency decides if you qualify. Walt is not a lawyer, CPA, financial advisor, insurance agent or doctor.

Is Walt a real person?

Walter Green is a fictional host. His story and the neighbors in it are illustrative. The programs, phone numbers and forms in the book are real, each with its source.

Does it cover my state?

Yes. The state list has a page for each of the 50 states and DC, with the office to call and its web page.

Is this a subscription?

No. You pay once.

Start this week

Five calls you can make this week.

The full list of 17 calls is in the book. Here are five to start with.

  1. Medicare Part B premium.Your state Medicaid office: "I'd like to apply for the Medicare Savings Program."
  2. Property tax.Your county auditor or appraisal district: "I'm ___ years old. Which senior exemptions or freezes do I qualify for?"
  3. Heating bills.Your community action agency: "I'd like to apply for LIHEAP energy assistance."
  4. Phone or internet.lifelinesupport.org or your phone company: "I'd like to apply for Lifeline. Which of your plans take it?"
  5. Car insurance.Your agent: "Do you give a mature driver course discount? Which courses count?"
Get the book - $39.90

Instant download from Gumroad - pay once, free updates through 2027

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Get the book - $39.90