Cracker Barrel Restaurant | Destruction of a Once Great Southern Culture Restaurant

Title: Cracker Barrel lovers can check out new menu, logo

Article Snip: "The southern "country" style restaurant-store chain is introducing a new logo, and launching a new menu...The moves come amid Cracker Barrel's larger rebranding project, including remodeled restaurants. ...an aim to attract younger crowds ..."A swing and a miss. We eat here for a reason. I get what you tried. I don't want bright and open. I want grandma's house back."

More sarcstically, one user wrote: "Ok, I see what y'all did. Nice work. Now, undo it all and put it back like it was.""

Reference: www.freep.com
Cracker Barrel Restaurant, Cracker Barrel fans share distaste with remodeled restaurants, When the 'WOKE' leadership destroys a great business model, It's the Little Things, Destroying Southern Culture, If It Ain't Broke - Don't Fix It, Asheville North Carolina, Removal of Southern Gentleman form Cracker Barrel Logo,

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Medicare News | CVS Caremark ordered to pay $290M after Medicare fraud scheme exposed by former Aetna whistleblower

Title: CVS Caremark ordered to pay $290M after Medicare fraud scheme exposed by former Aetna whistleblower

Article Snip: "...Philadelphia court triples damages after finding pharmacy benefit manager overcharged Medicare by $95M...A federal judge has ordered CVS Health’s pharmacy benefit manager, Caremark, to pay nearly $290 million after a whistleblower accused the business of overcharging Medicare on prescription drugs more than a decade ago.

Sarah Behnke, a former Aetna actuary, alleged Caremark defrauded Medicare Part D by causing false drug cost reports to be submitted in 2013 and 2014."

Reference: www.foxbusiness.com
Root Causes of Medicare Insurance Increases, CVS Caremark, Medicare Faud Scheme, Aetna whistleblower, Slow Justice,

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Living on a Cruise Ship in Retirement: A Brilliant Hack or a Costly Mistake?

Title: Living on a Cruise Ship in Retirement: A Brilliant Hack or a Costly Mistake?

Article Snip: "...Forget images of Florida condos and Arizona golf courses—some retirees are trading traditional retirement for a permanent life at sea. But before you start packing your bags for shuffleboard, endless buffets, and permanent ocean views, you'll need to assess the financial reality of a cruise ship retirement. ..."

Reference: www.investopedia.com
Living on a Cruise Ship in Retirement

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How Much the Average Upper-Class Retiree Spends Monthly at Age 70

Title: How Much the Average Upper-Class Retiree Spends Monthly at Age 70

Article Snip: "...Here’s a look at how much this demographic tends to spend in retirement, using data from the BLS, Fidelity, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and Corebridge Financial. ..."

Reference: finance.yahoo.com
Average Upper-Class Retiree Spends Monthly at Age 70

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I Asked ChatGPT If Retirees Can Live on Social Security Alone — Here’s What It Said

Title: I Asked ChatGPT If Retirees Can Live on Social Security Alone — Here’s What It Said

Article Snip: "...Social Security was never intended to cover the entire cost of living in retirement, but in some situations, there are those who can make it work. Here’s what ChatGPT had to say about what Social Security covers, if it’s enough, and who is living on this income alone. ..."

Reference: finance.yahoo.com

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Social Security COLA 2026: How Much Will Payments Increase Next Year?

Title: Social Security COLA 2026: How Much Will Payments Increase Next Year?

Article Snip: "A key gauge for inflation — the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (known as the CPI-W) — rose by 2.5 percent in July, compared with one year ago, according to Aug. 12 data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). ...A CPI-W of 2.5 percent for July suggests that Social Security recipients may see a modest bump in their Social Security payments starting in January 2026. “We’re likely to see a relatively historically normal COLA, maybe in the range of..."

Reference: www.aarp.org
Projections for 2026 COLA, July 2025 CPI,Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W),

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What’s the average Social Security payment for August 2025? Plus: Changes for 2026

Title: What’s the average Social Security payment for August 2025? Plus: Changes for 2026

Article Snip: "...As of August 2025, the average monthly Social Security retirement benefit is $1,953.96, or about $23,450 per year, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). But your actual payout can be higher or lower depending on when you claim and how much you earned.

Here’s a breakdown of average Social Security benefits by age and gender..."

Reference: www.aol.com
Average Social Security Payment for August 2025

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How Much Is Joe Biden’s Monthly Social Security Check?

Title: How Much Is Joe Biden’s Monthly Social Security Check?

Article Snip: "... Joe Biden has released his annual tax returns since 1998. His 2024 return is not released yet, but his 2023 joint federal tax return, with his wife Dr. Jill Biden, states that he received $42,842 in Social Security income. That works out to approximately $3,570 per month.

His wife received $21,412 in Social Security for the year of 2023. That works out to about $1,784 per month. The fact that this amount is almost exactly half of Joe Biden’s suggests that she is likely drawing spousal benefits since those are capped at 50%, according to the Social Security Administration. ..."

Reference: www.aol.com

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Four Tax Changes Those Over 65 and Retirees Should Watch in 2025

Title: Four Tax Changes Those Over 65 and Retirees Should Watch in 2025

Article Snip: "...This year brings key tax changes that could affect your retirement taxes and income. ..."

Reference: www.kiplinger.com
Retirement taxes and income

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CHAMPVA | Affordable dental insurance for CHAMPVA beneficiaries

Title: Affordable dental insurance for CHAMPVA beneficiaries

Article Snip: "Covered dental care for qualified spouses & children...CHAMPVA doesn’t cover dental care costs unless that care is part of a treatment plan for a covered non-dental medical condition. VADIP helps fill that gap by offering CHAMPVA beneficiaries discounted private dental insurance. ..."

Reference: va.gov
CHAMPVA, Dental Insurance, VADIP,

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How to Break Free From the 'One More Year' Trap and Actually Retire

Title: How to Break Free From the 'One More Year' Trap and Actually Retire

Article Snip: "Despite having more than enough money to retire, some people simply cannot leave their jobs. ...Maybe you’ve saved plenty of money for a happy retirement. But, for any number of reasons — sense of identity, purpose, or social connection — you just can’t say goodbye to the office. For some, work can offer structure and status that retirement might not replace. For others, it’s about staying mentally sharp, avoiding boredom, or having a deep attachment to the job. Financial security doesn’t always address these emotional or psychological needs.

According to the Pew Research Center, while 66.9% of people aged 65 to 74 have left the workforce, only 17.1% of people aged 55 to 64 are retired. ..."

Reference: www.kiplinger.com

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Health Watch | These special traits may shield ‘SuperAgers’ from dementia — how they could lead to new Alzheimer’s tools

Title: These special traits may shield ‘SuperAgers’ from dementia — how they could lead to new Alzheimer’s tools

Article Snip: "...Life expectancy in the US hovers around 78.4 years — there’s a special group of people who surpass this mark with flying colors. The retirees, known as “SuperAgers,” exhibit the memory and cognitive abilities of people in middle age.

A new report out of Northwestern University reveals unique traits of SuperAger brains that appear to shield them from dementia. ..."

Reference: nypost.com
Health Watch, SuperAgers, Dementia,Alzheimer's,

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CEO warns America faces generational workforce crisis as boomers reach retirement

Title: CEO warns America faces generational workforce crisis as boomers reach retirement

Article Snip: "CEO advises skipping college for skilled trades as workforce ages out ...U.S. Census Bureau data indicates that the U.S. population is older today than it’s ever been, and the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050. ..."

Reference: www.foxbusiness.com

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Health Watch | Five Super Foods for Your Heart | Every heart-healthy diet should include these foods

Title: Five Super Foods for Your Heart | Every heart-healthy diet should include these foods

Article Snip: "...Blueberries
This "powerhouse" tops the list, says Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD, WebMD's director of nutrition.

And Lisa Hark, PhD, RD, says, "Blueberries are not only delicious but are also rich in antioxidants. ..."

Reference: www.webmd.com
Heart Health, Foods That May Offer Health Benefits, Blueberries, Antioxidants,

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US plans to test Medicare, Medicaid coverage for weight-loss drugs, Washington Post reports

Title: US plans to test Medicare, Medicaid coverage for weight-loss drugs, Washington Post reports

Article Snip: "...The Trump administration is considering a five-year pilot program to cover weight-loss drugs under Medicare and Medicaid, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing documents from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The documents outline plans that would allow the government insurance programs to cover Novo Nordisk's ..."

Reference: www.reuters.com
Medicare Coverage for weight-loss drugs, Medicaid Coverage of weight-loss drugs,weight-loss drugs,five-year pilot program for coverage of weight-loss drugs (Medicare and Medicaid), Trump Actions,

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Retirees Being Destroyed | Social Security's 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Is Shaping Up to Be a Lose-Lose Scenario for Retirees

Title: Social Security's 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Is Shaping Up to Be a Lose-Lose Scenario for Retirees

Article Snip: "For most retired Americans, Social Security is more than just a monthly check. It represents a financial foundation that helps them make ends meet. ...CPI-W, shelter and medical care services inflation respectively hit 3.8% and 3.4% on a trailing-12-month basis, ended June 2025. As long as the prevailing rate of inflation for these two critical spending categories remains higher than the COLA beneficiaries receive, the purchasing power of a Social Security dollar seems destined to decline.

But this is just one of two ways retirees appear set to lose in 2026.

In addition to key expense categories rising at a brisk pace, the Medicare Part B premium is projected to soar ...

"

Reference: www.fool.com

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Millions of Medicare beneficiaries are facing a rude awakening

Title: Millions of Medicare beneficiaries are facing a rude awakening

Article Snip: "...For the first time in the program’s history, CMS rejected some standalone Part D plan bids, citing “unacceptable, significant increases in cost sharing or reductions in benefits.” The agency also extended its emergency Premium Stabilization Demonstration, which caps how much monthly premiums can rise, though the cap will increase to $50 in 2026 from $35 in 2025. ..."

Reference: www.thestreet.com
Medicare, Part D,

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I’m a Retirement Planner: 5 Best Money Tips for Supplementing Social Security

Title: I’m a Retirement Planner: 5 Best Money Tips for Supplementing Social Security

Article Snip: "...Retiring comfortably often means getting creative with your income sources. If you’re counting on Social Security, for many retirees that alone is not enough income to live on.

But how does one go about supplementing Social Security? ..."

Reference: www.gobankingrates.com
Supplementing Social Security, Social Security,

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