Senior Living
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Social Security and You: Why Widows Can't File for Benefits Online
Q: My husband died several months ago. I'm 64. I'm getting my own retirement benefits, and he was getting his own benefits. His Social Security check was more than mine, so I think I am due widow's benefits. When I tried to file a claim online, I wasn't allowed to. I was told I need to make an appointment to file a claim in person. What's going ...Read more

When older neighbors need home repairs, silver-haired volunteers come to the rescue
DALLAS -- Peggy Plaisted’s fence was falling down and she needed help.
The 70-year-old Plano, Texas, resident, retired and living on a fixed income, couldn’t afford to hire a commercial fencing company. So Plaisted turned to social media looking for someone handy to hire.
That’s when she came across the Plain-O Helpers, a group of mostly...Read more

How to manage your money after you retire
So much financial advice is centered on building up your nest egg for retirement, but it feels like so little is focused on helping you manage that money, whether you’re retiring early or on schedule. But properly managing your money in retirement is critical to ensuring that your nest egg is able to see you through your golden years without ...Read more

Column: She never got her quinceañera. So friends threw her one at 51
Maria Zambrano’s quinceañera carried many of the signature trappings of the milestone sweet 15th celebration. A DJ, a tiara, lavish ballroom gowns and lots of dancing, replete with a court of honor to help waltz her transition into adulthood.
But Zambrano has been an aMSdult for a long time. She just turned 51.
The quinceañera that ...Read more

When I go, I’m going green
Our annual family vacation on Cape Cod included all the familiar summer pleasures: climbing dunes, walking beaches, spotting seals, eating oysters, reading books we had intended to get to all year.
And a little shopping. My grandkid wanted a few small toys. My daughter stocked up on thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles at the game store in ...Read more

When I go, I'm going green
Our annual family vacation on Cape Cod included all the familiar summer pleasures: climbing dunes, walking beaches, spotting seals, eating oysters, reading books we had intended to get to all year.
And a little shopping. My grandkid wanted a few small toys. My daughter stocked up on thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles at the game store in ...Read more

Toni Says: Why am I receiving a Part D penalty?
Hello Toni:
When I turned 65 in May 2024, I continued to work full-time with a health savings account (HSA) as my employer benefits and use GoodRX to cover prescriptions. My employer’s human resources manager advised me to enroll in Medicare Part A when I turned 65, which was not ...Read more
Social Security and You: Little Green Spacemen and Social Security
Well, if I listen to news reports or review the emails I get from many readers, I guess I'd have to conclude that Social Security is doomed. So that means it's time to once again trot out my "little green men and Social Security" story. This story has to do with an intriguing newspaper headline I read about 20 years ago that went like this: "...Read more

Steve Lopez: With recent advances, it's 'a very exciting time' for dementia researchers
Like a lot of people my age, there are times when I can't find my keys, or my sunglasses, or my phone.
Now and again, I'll get an idea to look something up, reach for my computer, and forget what it was.
Normal aging?
Signs of cognitive impairment?
I'm not sure, but if you have similar questions about yourself or a loved one, and you'd like ...Read more

Steve Lopez: With recent advances, it's 'a very exciting time' for dementia researchers
Like a lot of people my age, there are times when I can't find my keys, or my sunglasses, or my phone.
Now and again, I'll get an idea to look something up, reach for my computer, and forget what it was.
Normal aging?
Signs of cognitive impairment?
I'm not sure, but if you have similar questions about yourself or a loved one, and you'd like ...Read more

Vaccine chaos: Even some vulnerable seniors can't get COVID-19 shots amid spiking cases
Seniors in some parts of the country say they are being denied COVID-19 vaccinations amid an ongoing spike in cases, leading to rising frustration over new Trump administration policies that are making it harder to get the shots.
Matthew D’Amico, 67, of New York City, said a Walgreens declined to administer COVID-19 vaccines to him and his 75...Read more

Toni Says: Your 2026 Medicare & You Handbook is mailed in September
Toni,
I’m enrolled in Medicare but have not received my Medicare & You Handbook. I need to make some changes, and I’m concerned about what I should do during the fall Medicare season. I need to know which options are right for me. I have some health problems, and I’m concerned that I might make the wrong change to my Medicare and Part D ...Read more
Social Security and You: SSI Is Not Social Security
I can tell it's time for me to once again explain to people that SSI and Social Security are two entirely different programs.
Every single day, I get emails from readers who say something like this: "I am getting SSI, and I want to know if my wife might be due some of my SSI." Or they will say, "I'm getting close to retirement. How do I file ...Read more

How older people are reaping brain benefits from new tech
It started with a high school typing course.
Wanda Woods enrolled because her father advised that typing proficiency would lead to jobs. Sure enough, the federal Environmental Protection Agency hired her as an after-school worker while she was still a junior.
Her supervisor “sat me down and put me on a machine called a word processor,” ...Read more

How older people are reaping brain benefits from new tech
It started with a high school typing course.
Wanda Woods enrolled because her father advised that typing proficiency would lead to jobs. Sure enough, the federal Environmental Protection Agency hired her as an after-school worker while she was still a junior.
Her supervisor “sat me down and put me on a machine called a word processor,” ...Read more

Toni Says: Your “What if” Medicare questions answered
This week’s Medicare column consists of “What if” Medicare questions from Toni Says readers around the United States.
1. What if I did not enroll in Medicare Parts A and B when I should have, because I do not want to pay that extra Part B premium each month? I do not go to the doctor or take any prescriptions. Can I enroll later?
Toni ...Read more

Travel Trending with Kathy Witt: More fun, fewer crowds with Windstar Cruises’ Winter Riviera sailings
Imagine having an entire gallery of Picasso paintings to enjoy, practically all to yourself. Wandering from one gallery to another, losing yourself along the timeline of an artist’s emerging genius through 5,000 of his works. This is a reward of traveling during the offseason in January to Barcelona, Spain, and the Winter Riviera.
The Winter ...Read more
Social Security and You: What Was I Doing in Poland for the Social Security Administration?
I was chatting with a new neighbor who recently moved into a house down the street from us. It turns out he was born in Warsaw, Poland, but moved to the United States with his family way back in the 1960s. He was surprised to learn that I had a small connection to his home country. It involved a trip I took to Poland for the Social Security ...Read more

Toni Says: Is Original Medicare part of a health network?
Hi Toni,
I need your guidance. In September I turn 65, and I am unemployed. I’m on COBRA since retiring in May after I had a heart attack, and I don’t know what to do about enrolling in Medicare. The cardiologist informed me last week that the only thing that will improve my health is having heart surgery.
What health network does Medicare...Read more
Social Security and You: Happy (Belated) Birthday to Social Security
Doesn't it just bug you when you miss the birthday of a close friend? That happened to me when I recently missed the 90th birthday of someone who (well, actually something that) has been a big part of my life for the last half century. I'm talking about the Social Security program that turned 90 a week or so ago. Former President Franklin Delano...Read more