Why you need a health insurance agent and how to find one When I lost my job in a company-wide layoff, I faced a multitude of concerns: How would I find a new job? How long would my savings last? And what would I do about health insurance? While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has provided […]
Some older adults continue to work well past retirement age — whether they have to or not Kevin O’Neil, 67, worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. The McKinley Park resident later obtained his master’s degree in business administration and even became chief of staff for a Rogers Park alderman. But when the alderman […]Read More
Older adults prioritize healthy eating on a budget, as they adjust to inflation reality Inflation has soared in recent months, hovering around 9.1%. And grocery prices specifically have gone even higher, especially for staples such as dairy, meat, and fresh fruits and vegetables. While the government reports that inflation for groceries is about 12% — […]Read More
Collect and store this emergency information before you need it. As we age, it becomes increasingly important to have medical, financial, and end-of-life information immediately available in case of an emergency. Be prepared for an emergency by compiling these key documents in a safe, easily accessible location. This will ensure the person you choose has […]Read More
Plan ahead to make your dollars go further Financial planners describe a secure retirement as a “three-legged stool” consisting of Social Security, a pension, and ample savings. But for about 40% of retired adults, retirement income balances precariously on the one skinny leg of Social Security. Someone may end up relying solely on Social Security in […]Read More
Is Medicare Advantage right for you? If you’ve watched any television at all in the past 18 months, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath encouraging you to “make sure you’re not missing out” on Medicare benefits. The ubiquitous commercials tout the benefits of Medicare Advantage in what […]Read More
A money manager can provide oversight and add value When Johanna Garsenstein visited her aging mother in Evanston, she was alarmed to see a large pile of envelopes asking for charity donations. “I knew something weird was going on,” she says. “As she got older and sicker, if anyone would ask her, she’d start opening […]Read More
Understanding changes in long-term care insurance We’re two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, and it’s hard to find an industry unaffected by change. The long-term care insurance industry is no exception. As a result of the pandemic, insurers have seen higher death rates and lower long-term care claims, according to a survey by Milliman, an actuarial […]Read More
Solo agers must make plans for support Older adults are living longer and — more often — living alone in older age, creating a care-planning conundrum. About 26% of women and 19% of men between age 65 and 74 live alone, with those numbers significantly increasing for people over 75, according to 2018 census data. […]Read More
With staff shortages and residents’ social isolation, what needs to change in our nation’s nursing homes? Undeniably, the pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in our nation’s long-term care facilities, including skilled nursing facilities and other communal residential facilities for older adults. Deaths in senior housing due to Covid-19, along with the impact of social isolation, dominated […]Read More