How to estimate your income for ACA health insurance without getting it wrong

• Wages, self-employment profit and unemployment benefits.
• Social Security benefits, pensions and retirement withdrawals.
• Interest, dividends and net rental income.
• Everyone in your tax household who files or is claimed, not only the person enrolling.

Two mistakes are common. People use last year's income when this year's is different, and people with changing income guess low to get a lower premium. If the guess is too low, you may have to repay some of the savings when you file taxes. If it is too high, you pay more each month than you needed to.

A good habit is to check your estimate once during the year, and update it when a job starts or ends, or hours change.

• Last year's tax return
• Recent pay stubs
• Your expected self-employment income
• Names and birthdates of everyone in your household

• Do I have to pay back my ACA tax credit? How reconciliation works
• Self-employed and buying ACA coverage: which income number to use
• Cost-sharing reductions: why a Silver plan can beat a Gold plan for some people