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March 2, 2015
Your weekly link to grown-up news and information from newspaper and
magazine publications, news organizations and web resources nationwide.
IN THIS ISSUE
Health
Medicine
Medicare
Money
Taxes
Politics
Retirement
Social Security
Legal Issues
Scams
Housing
Volunteering
End of Life
HEALTH:
The Extra Costs of Extra Weight for Older Adults: Lifelong obesity, now common in the U.S., is beginning to change how Americans age. PBS Newshour, Feb. 27.

In Short-Lived Fish, Secrets to Aging: Turquoise killifish last no more than a few months, giving researchers a faster way of learning more about the mechanics of getting older. The New York Times, Feb. 27.

Training for Triathlons at an Older Age: Sports that test discipline and endurance, like the triathlon, have gained popularity among older adults who want to stay healthy. The New York Times, Feb. 27.

Study on Chronic Fatigue May Help With Diagnoses: Scientists have found biomarkers for chronic fatigue syndrome that may eventually form the basis of the first diagnostic test for it. The New York Times, Feb. 27.

How to Protect Yourself from Osteoporosis Bone Fractures: The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that half of women and up to 25 percent of men in the U.S. over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. The Huffington Post, Feb. 24.

6 Cancer Warning Signs That Are Often Ignored: If you're experiencing any of these, it's best to play it safe and get checked out by your doctor. Grandparents.com, Feb. 26.

Why Most Men Don't Need a PSA Test for Prostate Cancer: Much of what you've heard about how to prevent, detect, and treat this common cancer is wrong. Consumer Reports, Feb. 13.

New Screening Tests for Hard-to-Spot Breast Cancers: For women with dense tissue, mammograms can be less accurate so new tests offer better detection but often more false alarms. WSJ, Feb. 23.

MEDICINE:
Poor Response to Statins May Mean Clogged Arteries: Twenty percent of people with heart disease don't respond to cholesterol-lowering statins and may have dangerously clogged arteries. HealthDay, Feb. 26.  
MEDICARE:
Lots Of Seniors Are Overweight, But Few Use Free Counseling For It: To help the nation's 13 million obese seniors, the Affordable Care Act included a new Medicare benefit offering free face-to-face weight loss counseling in primary care doctors' offices. NPR, Feb. 23. 

Should You Enroll in Medicare If You Are Still Working? The size of your employer is a key factor in determining the answer. Kiplinger, March 2015.

11 Common Medicare Mistakes: Medicare covers the bulk of your health care expenses after you turn 65. But Medicare's rules can be confusing and mistakes costly. Kiplinger, Feb. 2015.
MONEY:
7 Things You Must Know About Funding IRAs: You can make contributions for 2014 as late as April 15. But why wait? Kiplinger, April 2015.

Taming Retiree Health Care: Health care is one of the key components of retirement expenses, and is the only part of household expenditures that increases with age. USA Today, Feb. 28.

The Silent Struggle of Seniors with Debt: The percentage of older Americans carrying debt has increased markedly in the past couple of decades. Among families headed by those 55 or older, 65.4 percent are still carrying debt loads. Reuters, Feb. 26.

Is it Ever a Good Idea to Tap into Your 401(k) Early? Your retirement savings are intended (obviously) for retirement, but what if you need them now? CNBC, Feb. 25.

Got a Pension? Act Now to Save it: Pension funding levels are falling and changes to your plan are on the horizon. MarketWatch, Feb. 25.

When Firing your Financial Adviser is Best for your Retirement: Breaking up is hard to do. And that holds true whether talking about a romantic relationship or a professional one. MarketWatch, Feb. 24.

The Astounding Difference that Can Come from saving an Extra 1% of Your Pay: Thanks to the magic of compounding, a little bit (of extra savings) today can go a long way tomorrow in terms of the retirement income it'll generate. MarketWatch, Feb. 23.

Retirement: 5 tips on How to Save $1 million: One million bucks is a lot of money. It certainly is impressive if you're one of the few who has saved that much for retirement - looking at your statement and seeing all those zeros. USA Today, Feb. 23.

How Rules Differ on Inherited IRAs for Spouse and Non-Spouse: In the event you inherit a traditional IRA, you have several choices on how to handle the proceeds. MarketWatch, Feb. 23.

Make Your Retirement Savings Last a Lifetime: To boost a nest egg's longevity, advisers and academics are increasingly turning to 'dynamic' drawdown strategies that adapt to changing circumstances. Kiplinger, Feb. 2015.
TAXES:
Health-Plan Subsidies are Creating Tax-Season Surprises: Some Obamacare plan members may find themselves having to repay Uncle Sam for their insurance subsidies. MarketWatch, Feb. 27.

How to Give your Home to your Children Tax-Free: Before the days of estate taxes, children simply moved into the family home and took over the master bedroom after their parents died. Unfortunately, it's not that easy anymore. MarketWatch, Feb. 26.

Tax Help in Caring for Aging Parents: As millions of adult children now find themselves looking after aging parents, they are turning to a variety of tax laws for help. Bankrate.com, Feb. 25. 
POLITICS:
President Obama calling for tighter rules for retirement account brokers: Tapping the anxieties of aging baby boomers, President Barack Obama on Monday called for tougher standards on brokers who manage retirement savings accounts, a change that could affect the investment advice received by many Americans. The Associated Press, Feb. 23. 
RETIREMENT:
5 Reasons to Preplan your Retirement Now: Whether you are your own financial adviser, embarking on this project alone or you have procured the help of a professional adviser, there are numerous  considerations you will need to address. All of them will take time to think through and give due consideration before making final decisions. MarketWatch, Feb. 27.

Only One-Quarter of Americans Plan to Retire: Many Americans appear to be giving up on retirement. Just over one-quarter (26%) of Americans have a traditional notion of retirement in which they plan to stop working altogether when they reach retirement age. MarketWatch, Feb. 26.  

The Pros and Cons of Retiring in a Big City: Whether you're living in a big city now or considering moving to one in retirement, it's important to know the pros and cons of retiring in a booming metropolis. CBS News, Feb. 26.

Hot (and not) Destinations for Relocating Retirees: An estimated 4.2 million retirees moved into a new home last year, according to a new study from Merrill Lynch and Age Wave. And almost two-thirds of retirees say they will move at least once in retirement. CNBC, Feb. 25.
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Social Security Strategies for Singles: Single folks who were never married have fewer Social Security filing options. Still, you should understand what they are and which fits your needs best. AdviceIQ, Feb. 28.

How Social Security Keeps Paying You for Working Longer: Understanding how Social Security computes benefits for full-time workers past the age of 60 may make you feel better about working into your later years. Money, Feb. 23. 
LEGAL ISSUES:
Financial Planning for Childless Retirees: Childless singles and couples may mistakenly assume that the absence of heirs magically removes the weight of retirement and estate planning from their shoulders. Bankrate.com, Feb. 24. 

Just Divorced? Don't Forget to Separate your Estate Plans: If you just got divorced, you may be focused on getting on with your life. But make sure you also have updated the financial arrangements that kick in at your death. MarketWatch, Feb. 23.
SCAMS:
Call From the I.R.S.? Hang Up. It's a Fraud: The IRS has tips for handling criminals who call pretending to be tax agents. The New York Times, Feb. 26. 
HOUSING:
Most Retirees Feel Right at Home: There's no place like home. Just ask retirees. About two-thirds (65%) of retirees says they're living in the best home of their lives, a new survey shows. USA Today, Feb. 25. 
VOLUNTEERING:
Consider Volunteering as Your Next Retirement Adventure: International travel can be fascinating and rewarding. Combining international travel and volunteering can be the most rewarding of all - but most people don't have the time to do so until after they have retired or are semiretired. MarketWatch, Feb. 27.
END OF LIFE:
Common Myths of Hospice Care Debunked: Nobody likes to dwell on the subject of death, so people are naturally reluctant to study what hospice care is until they are in need of hospice services. Next Avenue, Feb. 25.
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