March 9, 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

Mind

Medicare

Money

Retirement

Social Security

Scams

Housing

Technology

HEALTH:

8 Surprising Sleep Stealers: Fifty to seventy million U.S. adults have trouble sleeping. Avoid these culprits to get a better night's rest. Grandparents.com, March 3.

The Diet That's Better For Your Heart Than Exercise: In recent years, science has proven that the Mediterranean diet is key to longevity time and time again - and we now have even more conclusive proof. Yahoo Health, March 4.

What is the Price of Long Life? A panel of experts met to debate whether we should aim for longevity. Next Avenue, March 3.

A Surgery Standard Under Fire: A definition of success for doctors, 30 days of survival after an operation, may not serve the interests of older adult patients. The New York Times, March 2.

4 Tips for Coping With Hearing Loss: Roughly 48 million - or 20 percent - of Americans 12 and older have hearing loss in at least one ear. Next Avenue, March 3.

We Crave That Sweet Taste - But at What Cost? The United States is the

world's largest consumer of sugar, and the nation's top nutrition panel recently recommended that Americans cut down on consuming the sweet stuff. So our panelists tested five alternative sweeteners to see how they compare with sugar. The Washington Post, March 2.

A Fast Track to Treatment for Stroke Patients: After a stroke, timing is everything in the race to save the brain, yet many patients aren't diagnosed and treated quickly enough to prevent permanent disability or death. WSJ, March 2.

Healthy in a Falling Apart Sort of Way: Older definitions of health, and the treatments they dictate, do not apply at a time when people function independently despite chronic ailments. The New York Times, March 2.

MEDICINE:

Statins Linked to Raised Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Large Finnish study found a nearly 50 percent increase in people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. HealthDay, March 4.

FDA Warns that Testosterone Increases Heart Risks: Drug companies who sell testosterone supplements will be required to warn patients that the products may increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes. USA Today, March 4.

Does Long-Term Acetaminophen Use Raise Health Risks? Acetaminophen may not be as safe as previously thought, with larger doses and long-term use linked to increased risk of health problems, a new report contends. HealthDay, March 2.

MIND:
Sex in Old Age May Lead to a Sharper Mind: A study finds older people satisfied with their sexual relationships perform better on cognitive tests. WSJ, March 2.

MEDICARE:
When to Sign Up for Medicare--and Why You Might Want to Delay: It might make sense to delay signing up. We guide you through the Medicare maze. Kiplinger, April 2015.

MONEY:

The Financial Pros and Cons of Getting Married Later in Life: When you start a relationship later in life, does it make sense to marry or move in together? Answer: It's complicated. Kiplinger, April 2015.

3 Important Ways to Protect Your Retirement Savings: Saving for retirement isn't enough. You also need to prudently invest your savings, and there are plenty of gotchas that will result in a smaller nest egg. US News and World Report, March 6.

Watch That Free Money for IRA Rollovers: IRA providers use cash incentives, which are cheaper than advertising or direct mail, to acquire new customers. Reuters, March 5.

How to Leave IRA to Heirs: Retirement accounts seem fairly straightforward on the surface, but they can get complicated, especially after you die. Bankrate.com, March 5.

What to Do When Your 401(k) Doesn't Cut It: If your retirement plan needs serious help, here are 10 fixes from the experts. US News and World Report, March 4.

The New Rules for Making Your Money Last in Retirement: In today's longevity economy, retirement as we know it is disappearing. Here's what to do now. Money, March 3.

Three Questions That Can Change your Finances...and Your Life: If your New Year's resolution to save more already is in tatters, maybe you need extra motivation. My advice: Get yourself excited about your financial future-with the help of three questions. MarketWatch, March 2.

Women Lagging in Retirement Saving: American women save far less for retirement than their male peers, and they invest too conservatively to close the gap. CNBC, March 4.

Reverse Mortgage Borrowers Face New Financial Test: For the first time, borrowers will have to prove they can handle the ongoing property costs to qualify for a reverse mortgage. Kiplinger, March 2015.

RETIREMENT:

Want to Move When You Retire? Start Planning Now: Many of today's retirees express a desire to "age in place," but that doesn't necessarily mean staying put in their current home. What they're really saying is they want to live out their lives not in a care facility, but in a home of their own that suits their needs. MarketWatch, March 5.

Retire on the Road: Plenty of adventurous retirees live full-time or part-time in Europe, Latin America, Asia or other parts of the world. Kiplinger, April 2015.

The Top 5 Overseas Retirement Havens for Americans: If you're looking to make your dollars stretch further in your golden years, you might want to consider following the growing number of Americans who have opted to leave home and retire in overseas destinations. CBS Money Watch, March 4.

7 Steps to a Financially Secure Retirement: Preparing financially for retirement may seem virtually impossible. How can you tuck away enough money for your later years given your limited income and never-ending expenses? USA Today, March 2.

Retirement Milestones to Look Forward To: Retirement is a transition into a new stage of life. Retirees get the freedom to choose how to spend their time, but they also walk away from the comfort of a steady paycheck and need to make important financial decisions. Here are some retirement rites of passage. US News and World Report, March 2.

A Smarter Way to Budget for Retirement Health-Care Costs: A new report suggests that people approaching retirement look at health-care expenses in later life in terms of "recurring" and "nonrecurring" services, and it offers some numbers that can be helpful in crafting a retirement budget. MarketWatch, March 2.

Retirement-Bound? Top 5 Cities Where Baby Boomers Live: Realtors

aren't the only ones who care about location. A new report from RealtyTrac finds that boomers are flocking to ocean breezes that come with affordable prices. Wall St. Cheat Sheet, March 1.

SOCIAL SECURITY:

How Big a Role Should Social Security Play in Your Retirement? Social Security is still a huge part of U.S. workers' retirement plans, but they aren't happy about it. MainStreet, March 3.

Help for Deciding When to Claim Social Security: Deciding when to file for Social Security is one of the most consequential financial decisions most Americans will make about their retirement. Here are 9 useful tools and software to help. Next Avenue, March 2.

SCAMS:
7 Costly Scams that Target Senior Citizens: As many senior citizens spend their retirement traveling with family, pursuing second careers or becoming more active in the community, con artists are creating devious schemes to prey on their accumulated wealth. Bankrate.com, March 6.

HOUSING:

Retirement in a Community. But Which One? Asking the right questions before making a move can prevent a wrong decision, which can be painful emotionally and financially. The New York Times, March 6.

7 Hidden Costs of Moving in Retirement: Moving in retirement is a big decision, regardless of whether your new home becomes a part-time escape or full-time abode. MarketWatch, March 4.

Where Will You Call Home in Retirement? Not everybody stays in place or downsizes. About 4.2 million retirees moved into new homes last year. Detroit Free Press, March 1.

TECHNOLOGY:
Simplified Smartphone Options for Tech-Shy Seniors: There are several different ways you can go about getting an older loved one a simplified smartphone. The Huffington Post, March 3.

The articles linked in this e-news feed service may not be published without consent from the publication or outlet from which they came. Also note that some articles to certain publications, including The New York Times, may require a subscription to their website to read them.