For decades, retirement followed a familiar script: work until 65, then stop. Collect a pension, putter around the garden, and enjoy a well-earned rest. That picture — always somewhat idealized — no longer reflects the reality for most Americans. Today, we are living longer and staying healthier, which has fundamentally changed the math of aging. […]
Wealthy Americans tend to diversify their assets. They own stocks, bonds, private equity, real estate, collectable art, precious metals, and a variety of other assets. Less affluent Americans might have a 401(k) plan and a savings account, but their home is often the most valuable asset they own. Owning a home has long been seen […]
Marjorie Bloom is a widow who retired from her civil service employment. At the age of 77, a fraud investigator at her bank told her that criminals used stolen personal information to hack her account. The investigator urged her to wire her money — about $661,000 — to a different account to protect it from […]
Depending on their location, senior homeowners in California may be plagued by wildfires, earthquakes, floods, coastal erosion, mudslides, and other environmental disasters. In the Los Angeles area alone, one insurance company received more than 13,000 claims from property owners for damage caused by the 2025 wildfires. While wildfires primarily threaten the residents of rural communities, […]
The budget reconciliation act that Congress passed in 2025 — known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” until “One Big Beautiful” was stripped from the Act’s title — affected seniors in several ways. Changes in the Medicaid program that won’t take effect until after the 2026 midterm elections is likely to cause millions of Medicaid […]
There is a lot to unpack in the recently enacted budget reconciliation bill. Known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” before that title was stripped by the Senate, the 870-page law makes changes in taxation, increases funding for immigration enforcement and the military, and reduces funding for programs that make life better for many […]
Seniors who have an online account with the Social Security Administration (SSA) probably received an email “celebrating the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill.” The unusual email — the first time in history that the SSA has sent mass emails to Social Security recipients boasting about the passage of a partisan bill — makes […]
Surveys confirm that most older Americans would like to age in place. They may need help to do so. As they grow older, a healthier spouse might care for a disabled spouse. Adult children might choose to live with their parents so they can provide full-time care. Most home care for older adults is provided […]
The federal agencies with primary responsibility for helping Americans stay in good health are the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CDC monitors outbreaks of disease and offers advice that — if followed — should help Americans improve or maintain their health. The […]
Most seniors are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A when they turn 65 if they apply for or are already receiving Social Security benefits. Medicare Part A provides coverage for treatment after hospitalization. Seniors need to take the initiative to enroll in Medicare Part B. That coverage pays a large chunk of most medical treatment […]