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November 10, 2014
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
Retirement
Investing
Social Security
Legal Issues
Scams
Caregiving
Travel
End of Life
HEALTH:
How to Improve Your Balance as You Age: Most people don't think much about practicing their balance, but you should, the same way that you walk to strengthen your heart, lungs and overall health, or you stretch to keep your body limber. The Huffington Post, Nov. 5.

Colon Cancer on the Rise for U.S. Adults Under 50: Reasons behind trend unclear, and it's happening even as rates decline among older Americans. HealthDay, Nov. 5.

Hello, Green Man: Some older people with impaired vision begin to see people and objects that aren't there. It's not dementia, but a condition called Charles Bonnet Syndrome. The New York Times, Nov. 7.

 

Do You Have Diabetes and Don't Know It? New  research shows that many cases of diabetes go undiagnosed. Next Avenue,
Nov. 5.

Irregular Heartbeat Doubles Risk for 'Silent Strokes,' Review Suggests: Finding might explain link between atrial fibrillation, poorer thinking and memory, researchers say. HealthDay, Nov. 4.

Researcher Makes Case for MRI Use in Prostate Biopsies: Technique Identifies More High-Grade, Aggressive Cancers. WSJ, Nov. 3.

A Tiny Stumble, a Life Upended: After a fall, life is upended in an instant - a sudden loss of independence, an awkward reliance on family and friends, and a new level of fear for those who fall, and their contemporaries. The New York Times, Nov. 3.

Steps to Avoid an Accident: Preventing a fall, and the resulting injuries, isn't simply a matter of being more careful. The New York Times, Nov. 3.
MEDICINE:
Certain Painkillers Tied to Raised Risk of Death After Stroke: Celebrex and other COX-2 inhibitors should be prescribed with care, experts say Certain Painkillers Tied to Raised Risk of Death After Stroke. HealthDay, Nov. 5. 

Drugmakers look to push the boundaries of old age: Google's ambition to defy the limits of ageing has fired up interest in the field, drawing in drug companies who are already quietly pioneering research, despite the regulatory and clinical hurdles that remain. Reuters, Nov. 5. 
MEDICARE:
How to plug holes in your Medicare coverage: Medicare supplement policies, plug some, but not all, of the biggest coverage gaps in Parts A and B of Medicare (which are often called basic Medicare). PBS NewsHour, Nov. 5. 
MONEY:
Your parent's expenses can take a big bite out of your retirement: The sandwich generation is going to need a lot more meat in their portfolio to fund both children's education and parent's retirement. MarketWatch, Nov. 6.

3 Retirement Rules of Thumb That Actually Work: We're always told not to rely on rules of thumb for retirement planning. They're too general, have too many exceptions and produce less-than-optimal results. RealDealRetirement, Nov. 6.

Finding, and Battling, Hidden Costs of 401(k) Plans: Despite federal requirements on disclosure, few workers and retirees realize how fees could be eating into their savings. The New York Times, Nov. 7.

Retirement withdrawal strategies that can pay off big: Having your own tax-deferred retirement account is a bit like having one of those self-titrating morphine buttons that hospitals use: Press it whenever you need quick relief. Reuters, Nov. 5.

8 solutions for retirement savings that are too low: You are not alone if you are short of savings. Since the mid-1980s, the national savings rate has taken a disastrous downturn amounting to a savings loss of more than $20 trillion. MarketWatch, Nov. 5.

Should you pay off your mortgage when retiring? Many Americans are going into retirement with big debt, especially mortgage debt. USA Today, Nov. 4.

Why you shouldn't use retirement savings to pay off debt: The ability to cash out a retirement account comes with consequences. You'll have to pay taxes on the money along with a 10 percent penalty for early withdrawal. Still, it's an all-too-tempting option for some. The Washingotn Post, Nov. 4.

 

6 Ways to Have a Richer Retirement: Americans are living longer and healthier in retirement than ever before. That means your savings have to go the distance too. Here's how to invest for the long run. MONEY, Nov. 3.
RETIREMENT:
Contemplating Retirement: 4 Big Questions: Here are four questions that loomed large in two focus groups that research firm Hearts & Wallets conducted in New York last week with people ages 53 through 70 who indicated they were at least five years away from stopping full-time work. WSJ, Nov. 6.

The biggest surprises in retirement? The Great Recession served up some nasty financial surprises to people approaching retirement - the housing crash, job loss and shrunken 401(k)s, for starters. But retirement can bring lifestyle surprises, too. Reuters, Nov. 6. 

Can You Afford Your Ideal Retirement Lifestyle? A house near the beach or a weekly golf game might not fit into your budget. US News and World Report, Nov. 3.

Countdown to retirement: One year to go: As life transitions go, retirement ranks way up there among the most challenging, both financially and emotionally. Because it's such a big change, you need to plan carefully to navigate your way to a successful retirement. Bankrate.com, Nov. 3.   

 

Now we need a coach for retirement, too? Not long ago, retirement followed a predictable path: collect a pension and enjoy leisure time. These days, the predictable path has gone the way of pensions, and a host of professionals want to help boomers navigate the new landscape. MarketWatch, Nov. 1.
INVESTING:
Investing: When your retirement fund does you wrong: When it comes to investing in retirement, people with identical withdrawal strategies can have remarkably different outcomes, especially when they start taking withdrawals from stock funds in a bear market. USA Today, Nov. 7. 
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Social Security benefits are stingy: Social Security benefits pale next to benefits in, say, Slovakia. MarketWatch, Nov. 5. 

When Is Social Security Taxable? For an increasing number of beneficiaries, Social Security is taxable, and knowing the rules governing whether you'll have to pay income tax on your benefits is important in assessing exactly how much after-tax money you'll have to provide financial support after you retire. The Motley Fool, Nov. 3.
LEGAL ISSUES:
Estate Planning for Childless Couples: You have two main tasks. One is to decide what will happen to your property after you die. The other, arguably more important-and trickier-task is to specify who will handle your medical and financial affairs if you're incapacitated. WSJ, Nov. 8.

9 steps to getting your estate plan in order: Pushing off estate planning can be detrimental to the ones you love most. MarketWatch, Nov. 3. 
SCAMS:
Retirees, Protect Yourself From Fraudsters: Seniors are a target for financial abuse, but you can take steps to help prevent you or a loved one from becoming a victim. Kiplinger's Retirement Report, Nov. 2014.

Don't let your parents make these social media mistakes: Parents have a hard enough time protecting their children from social media miscues, ID theft and the like. And now that nearly six in 10 Americans ages 65 or older are online, adult children increasingly have to worry about protecting their parents from all that could wrong in the digital world. MarketWatch, Nov. 3. 
CAREGIVING:
How to hire in-home help when your aging parents don't want to move: Worrying about the safety and health of your frail or ill older family member at home can consume your thoughts, making it difficult to focus on other important demands in your life. PBS NewsHour, Nov. 7.

Will your brothers and sisters help care for your parents? Sometimes, sibling rivalry never really goes away, it just goes underground. And when it resurfaces in adulthood over the care of aging parents, the stakes are much higher than who has the best report card or plays with the favorite toy. MarketWatch, Nov. 5. 
TRAVEL:
The Multigenerational Family Vacation: More Americans are including children, grandparents and cousins on trips. In an age of special diets and gadget addictions, how to make sure your adventure isn't a road to ruin. WSJ, Nov. 8.
END OF LIFE:
Talking About Estate Plans: Estate planning can be one of the most emotionally difficult aspects of financial advice. One often-overlooked aspect of estate planning is talking with your heirs about your legacy plans. Advice IQ, Nov. 7.

A New Face on the End-of-Life Debate: The death of Brittany Maynard may reinvigorate discussions over aid-in-dying policies. The New York Times, Nov. 5. 
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