You’ve seen the frightening student loan statistics, such as the $1.5 trillion in outstanding debt they now represent. And if you’re a parent of a teenager or twentysomething, you’ve probably lived them. (A recent Bloomberg BusinessWeek report said som… Continue reading
As a freelancer who often writes about personal finances and careers, I like to think I’m above average in my knowledge of things related to money. But I felt pretty foolish when, in a vulnerable moment, I recently gave scammers direct access to my ban… Continue reading
There are so many scary things about retirement: All that free time to suddenly fill. The slew of health care decisions, from Medicare to supplemental health insurance to long-term care insurance. But the scariest thing of all is figuring out how to av… Continue reading
A ten-year old boy spending coins given to him by his grandparents at the candy store. A 55-year-old paying off the last of her credit card debt. A mom and dad pinching pennies to surprise their teen with a car. Those are examples of what Ken Honda, au… Continue reading
Liz Kozlowski and her staff at Brookdale Senior Living’s Westlake Village, outside of Cleveland, knew that resident Ed Petrigac and his wife Yvonne had started an auto parts business. But it wasn’t until they read his life story that they realized he a… Continue reading
Ageism can creep into public policy and negatively affect millions of older Americans. A prime example: the nation’s failure to prevent elder abuse despite the upcoming 10th anniversary of the bipartisan Elder Justice Act in March 2020. Passing that la… Continue reading
Aging in place is an appealing idea to many of us: the ability to continue living in the homes we cherish as we age into our 70s, 80s and 90s, rather than move. There are just two problems: many homes aren’t designed for health issues that can come wit… Continue reading
Losing a loved one is hard in itself. But when that person was a hoarder — like roughly 19 million Americans — managing grief while sorting through mountains of stuff is even more challenging. I know; my widowed grandmother was a hoarder, and I dealt w… Continue reading
Our ability to avoid outliving our money is, in large part, due to our expenses in retirement. Turns out, a new study reveals, we’re pretty lousy at predicting how much we’ll actually spend on housing and health care when we retire. And another study s… Continue reading
In May, 2019, Joan and Steve Reid, both 67, retired and moved from the affluent New York City suburb of Pearl River, N.Y., to the oceanfront community of Vero Beach, Fla. Their aim: retiring on a shoestring. It’s a goal many new retirees share, but one… Continue reading