Article Snip: "...analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, Bloomberg found the number of Americans in this category jumped between 2012 and 2022 by 5 percentage points to just shy of 40%. Moreover, Bloomberg reports that more than half of these owners have reached retirement age. So if you’re fortunate enough to be mortgage-free and headed towards retirement, chances are you have a lot going for you financially. For starters, the worth of your home, should you choose to sell it, represents 100% equity. ..."
Reference: moneywise.comSunday, August 25, 2024
National Public Data Hack Exposes Millions: Essential Steps to Safeguard Your Identity and Combat Fraud
Article Snip: "...The recent massive data breach at National Public Data (NPD), a background check company, has potentially compromised the personal information of millions, if not billions, of individuals, including their Social Security numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers, current and past addresses, the names of siblings and parents, and other information. The hacker responsible for the compromise claims the stolen files include 2.7 billion records. ..."
Reference: www.foley.comThursday, August 22, 2024
Social Security COLA Increase for 2025 Could Be the Lowest in Four Years
Title: Social Security COLA Increase for 2025 Could Be the Lowest in Four Years
Article Snip: "...Don’t expect a substantial cost of living amount (COLA) increase in your Social Security checks in 2025. The latest estimates put the COLA at 2.6%, according to the non-profit Senior Citizens League, down from 2.7% in July and 3.2% last year. The drop reflects the easing of inflationary pressures. ... While a lower inflation rate should lead to a smaller increase in prices, it does nothing to lower current prices for groceries, utilities or housing that many are struggling to meet. Changes to the COLA are based on the CPI-W, which is a measure of price changes for a selection of goods and services ..."
Reference: www.kiplinger.com7 Statin Alternatives You Can Take to Help Lower Your Cholesterol - goodrx
Title: 7 Statin Alternatives You Can Take to Help Lower Your Cholesterol
Article Snip: "...Statins, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), are first-choice medications for treating high cholesterol. But they’re not the right medication for everybody.
Along with a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise, statin alternatives such as ezetimibe (Zetia) can be taken with or without statins to help you meet your cholesterol goals. Other options include fibrates like gemfibrozil (Lopid), ATP citrate lyase (ACL) inhibitors like bempedoic acid (Nexletol), and more.
Natural and over-the-counter medications, like fish oil supplements, may also help ...
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Are Statins Dangerous? Statin side effects: Weigh the benefits and risks - Mayo
Title: Statin side effects: Weigh the benefits and risks - Mayo
Article Snip: "...While statins are highly effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems and mental fuzziness in some people. Rarely, they may cause liver damage. If you think you're experiencing side effects from taking statins, don't just stop taking the pills. ...Statins are effective at lowering cholesterol and protecting against a heart attack and stroke, although they may lead to side effects for some people. ... If you think you're experiencing side effects from taking statins, don't just stop taking the pills. Talk to your health care team to see if a change in how much medicine you take or even a different type of medicine might be helpful."
Reference: www.mayoclinic.orgNAACP is a Registered Lobbyist for Pharmaceutical Giant Novo Nordisk (Lobbying for Ozempic and Wegovy)
Title: Wegovy works. But here's what happens if you can't afford to keep taking the drug
Article Snip: "...insurance coverage is very spotty. Medicare does not cover Wegovy or other weight loss drugs, and many insurers follow Medicare's lead. Increasingly, there's pressure to change this. As STAT reported last week, the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida is lobbying for legislation that would allow Medicare to pay for obesity drugs, citing the link between obesity and cancer risk. The NAACP is also registered to lobby on this issue. ..."
Reference: www.npr.orgHealth Watch | Drugmaker Novo Nordisk Ozempic and Wegovy Maker Courts Black Leaders to get Medicare's Federal Funding Favor
Article Snip: "...Pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has turned to influential Black Americans in pursuit of what would be a lucrative victory: having Medicare cover a new class of weight loss drugs, including the company's highly sought Wegovy, which can cost patients more than $1,000 a month. During a conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation last fall — a jampacked gathering featuring prominent Black lawmakers and President Joe Biden — Novo Nordisk sponsored a..."
Reference: www.npr.orgHealth Watch | Up to 1 in 20 new users of Ozempic and other GLP-1s may develop stomach paralysis
Title: Ozempic and Stomach Paralysis - WebMD
Article Snip: "...While the slowing down of the digestive system is necessary for Ozempic and these other drugs to work, if it slows down too much, you can get a serious problem: stomach paralysis. What Is Stomach Paralysis? When food enters a healthy stomach that’s working as it should, the stomach...Here’s what to look out for:"
Reference: www.webmd.com/Monday, August 19, 2024
Social Security | Why It’s Important to Tell Us About Changes When You Get Social Security Benefits
Title: Social Security | Why It’s Important to Tell Us About Changes When You Get Social Security Benefits
Article Snip: "...If you receive Social Security, you can help to make sure we pay you the right benefit each month. You can do that by telling us about relationship or other life changes that could affect your eligibility for retirement, survivors, or disability benefits – or your benefit amount. You and your family may miss out..."
Reference: ssa.govSaturday, August 10, 2024
Seven Lessons for New Retirees
Title: Seven Lessons for New Retirees
Article Snip: "...The former editor of Kiplinger Personal Finance shares key financial takeaways from his first year of retirement. ..."
Reference: www.kiplinger.comThursday, August 8, 2024
Huntsville, Alabama | This Alabama city might be 'South's best-kept secret destination'
Title: This Alabama city might be 'South's best-kept secret destination'
Article Snip: "... One Alabama city is getting some love from Forbes.com for being possibly “The South’s Best-Kept Secret Destination,” and it’s a lot farther from the beach than you might guess.
The new article at Forbes.com depicts Huntsville as a “charming Southern city [that] doesn’t usually top travel lists” but says “that’s part of what makes it so fascinating.” ...
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