October 12, 2026

Your weekly link to retirement and aging news from

trusted newspaper, magazine and digital news publications.

A Simple Fall Can Change Your Life. Here’s How to Prevent One: Here are the common causes of falls, who needs to be especially careful and what you can do to avoid falling in the first place. USA Today, Oct. 6.

Why Losing Weight Is Harder After Age 50: When I was a teenager, I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, and my belt size never wavered. But my entire adulthood has been one long diet. U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 5.

Exercise as Medicine: How Physical Activity Helps Manage Chronic Disease: Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis and certain types of cancer are leading causes of disability and death worldwide. HealthDay News, Oct. 6.

Exercise Can Slow Parkinson's Progression, Study Says: Movement might be key to slowing the progression of both the mental and physical degeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease. HealthDay News, Oct. 8.

Flu Season Is Near – Here’s a Guide to Available Vaccines: The number of people sick with flu is starting to increase across the United States, with health authorities warning that in some western regions of the country, the 2026-27 flu season may be off to an early start. The Conversation, Oct. 6.

Cold, Flu, COVID or RSV? Viral Respiratory Symptoms and Care: Learn the differences between upper and lower viral respiratory infections, including cold, flu, COVID-19 and RSV symptoms, treatments and prevention. U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 5.

Before Saying Yes to the Medical Test, Know the Risks and Benefits: Companies are increasingly pitching body scans directly to consumers as a way to detect illness early. But no major medical association recommends them for everyone. HealthDay News, Oct. 7.

10 Ways to Save Money on Your Healthcare: Among our top advice: Question your doctors, comparison shop and consider a health savings or flexible spending account. U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 8.

Shoulder Replacement Surgery: Types, Recovery Timeline and Costs: Is shoulder pain disrupting your sleep? Learn the signs you may need shoulder replacement surgery (arthroplasty), from rotator cuff disease to severe arthritis. Our expert-backed guide covers types of surgery, Medicare coverage, costs and the recovery timeline. U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 9.

Should Seniors Take GLP-1s? Benefits, Safety and Risks: Discover potential health benefits, side effect risks, muscle loss prevention tips and expert advice for older adults. U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 6.

How to Create a Social Plan for Retirement: Saving for retirement is only part of the equation. Prepare for a fulfilling social life with these expert-recommended tips. The Washington Post, Oct. 4. (🔒Subscription may be required)

Medicare Open Enrollment Starts October 15 — 7 Things to Gather Before You Compare Plans: A productive Medicare Open Enrollment review starts by gathering information about the healthcare you actually use rather than simply comparing advertised premiums. SavingAdvice, Oct. 4.

More Than 20 Million Medicare Beneficiaries May Get One-Time $90 Payment — Here’s Who Qualifies: President Donald Trump said Friday on Truth Social that his administration will start sending the payments “immediately.” CNBC, Oct. 5.

Millions Lose Private Medicare Plans and Face Rising Costs: As enrollment for Medicare Advantage begins this month, older Americans are confronting fewer options because insurers are discontinuing coverage in many areas. The New York Times, Oct. 9.

Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage: Which Should You Choose? Medigap comes with unlimited choices for care, while Medicare Advantage offers extra benefits and often no monthly premiums. NerdWallet, Oct. 9.

Retiring With Less Than $1 Million? Here Are 10 Ways to Make Your Savings Last: A successful retirement depends on income, spending, taxes, and flexibility, not a seven-figure balance. Morningstar, Oct. 8.

401(k) to IRA Rollover Mistakes: A rollover may seem straightforward, but a few missteps can have costly consequences for your retirement savings. U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 5.

How to Create an Interest-Only Retirement Plan: Most investors need growth assets to help their retirement portfolios stay ahead of inflation. U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 8.

What the 2026 Senior Tax Deduction Means for Retirees: Older Americans can expect some important tax changes in 2026, largely due to provisions in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. GoBankingRates.com, Oct. 8.

Think You’re Ready for Retirement? Start With This 9-Step Checklist: The date you retire is only part of the picture. Also consider your income needs, spending rate, taxes, and more. Morningstar, Oct. 4.

I Thought About Retiring Abroad. Here’s Why I Decided to Age in Place Instead: From healthcare logistics to social ties, here's why staying in my longtime home won out over a tropical move. Kiplinger, Oct. 11.

How Working Part Time in Retirement Can Quietly Change Your Social Security Benefits: Part-time work has become a common way for retirees to stay engaged, supplement income or ease into retirement. But once Social Security enters the picture, even small work decisions can ripple through benefits in ways many people don’t anticipate. GoBankRates.com, Oct. 11.

'I'm 74 and Don't Trust My Kids with My Dog': How to Set Up a Pet Trust: What happens to your dog if your kids won't take her after your death? Here is a step-by-step guide to securing a trusted caregiver and funding a pet trust. Kiplinger, Oct. 6.

4 Questions That Reveal if You’re Actually Ready to Age in Place: Is your "forever home" actually a "Peter Pan house?" The age-in-place dream often hits these three unexpected roadblocks. Kiplinger, Oct. 8.

Caregivers Need to Take Care of Themselves, Too: There are small steps individual caregivers can take themselves to prevent burnout. Associated Press, Oct. 8.

Caregiving is Hard. These Are the Hidden Financial Costs: Here’s how to recognize these costs, which extend well beyond the money spent directly on care, and plan for them. The Washington Post, Oct. 6. (🔒Subscription may be required)

Planning a Simple, Affordable Funeral: You don’t have to spend a fortune on a funeral. Here are several simple, dignified and affordable alternatives. Savvy Senior, Oct. 5.

The Senior Newswire relies on support from readers like you. Please make a donation to the Savvy Senior Foundation so we can continue to provide you news and information on a range of issues that matter most as we age. All donations are tax deductible!

Thank you!

View as Webpage