A shocking 19% of retirees say they’re living a ‘nightmare’ — how to save yourself from the same terrible fate

Title: A shocking 19% of retirees say they’re living a ‘nightmare’ — how to save yourself from the same terrible fate

Article Snip: "...This gap highlights a harsh truth: many Americans are falling short of the savings needed to support a comfortable retirement. While Northwestern Mutual research suggests the average person believes they'll need around $1.26 million to retire comfortably, Fidelity reports the average 401(k) balance among those 70 and up is just $250,000. And according to Federal Reserve data, only 3.2% of all retirees have $1 million or more saved.

This is simply not enough for many seniors..."

Reference: finance.yahoo.com
Destruction of Retirees,

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How to Plan for Aging in Place: Five Key Factors

Title: How to Plan for Aging in Place: Five Key Factors

Article Snip: "...Almost no one wants to live in a nursing home. But staying in your home as you grow older is more complicated than you may think. We ask the experts for advice. ..."

Reference: www.kiplinger.com
How to Plan for Aging in Place

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FBI warns seniors about billion-dollar scam draining retirement funds, expert says AI driving it

Title: FBI warns seniors about billion-dollar scam draining retirement funds, expert says AI driving it

Article Snip: "FBI warns three-phase scheme uses tech support, bank and government impostors to target elderly victims...In the first phase, a tech support impostor will contact victims through text, phone call or email, then direct them to download a program allowing the scammer remote access to their computer. ..."

Reference: www.foxnews.com
Scams,Tech Support Scam Targeting Seniors, Remote Access to Computer,

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Health Watch | Eating This Vegetable Could Lower Your Dementia Risk, According to Dietitians

Title: Eating This Vegetable Could Lower Your Dementia Risk, According to Dietitians

Article Snip: "...While no single food can protect your brain on its own, dietitians agree that leafy greens like spinach deserve a spot on your plate.

Here’s why dietitians say spinach is the standout vegetable to help reduce your risk of dementia. ..."

Reference: www.eatingwell.com

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We Asked A BBQ Pitmaster How To Actually Grill The Perfect Chicken Breast

Title: We Asked A BBQ Pitmaster How To Actually Grill The Perfect Chicken Breast

Article Snip: "...Shoults, owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse and Marshall Mercantile, told us the key to perfect chicken is prep. "Never skip marinating your chicken; the longer it soaks, the juicier and more tender the chicken will be -- it will be dripping with flavor," he explained. Of course, even after marinating, there's more to grilling chicken to perfection. "Try to..."

Reference: www.aol.com
How To Grill The Perfect Chicken Breast, Cooking Tips, Grilling, BBQ Tips,

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The Emotional Side of Retiring: Six Steps to Help You Move On

Title: The Emotional Side of Retiring: Six Steps to Help You Move On

Article Snip: "...Getting mentally ready for retirement can be tough. The loss of your work identity, daily connections, and sense of purpose can make the transition difficult. Here are six steps to help you adjust. ..."

Reference: www.kiplinger.com
Emotional Side of Retiring

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Turmoil In Medicare Advantage Plans Continues

Title: Turmoil In Medicare Advantage Plans Continues

Article Snip: "... major sponsors of Advantage plans reported that their costs were higher than expected because of higher use of medical services and increased claims by plan members. CVS Health, Aetna and UnitedHealth Group announced disappointing earnings and saw their stock prices decline.

CMS also made tweaks to the regulations that resulted in lower payments or no payments to Advantage plan sponsors for some medical services.

Those factors did cause significant changes in Advantage plans for 2025. There were 6.6% fewer Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage available in 2025 than in 2024. UnitedHealth Group offered 5.4% fewer plans while Humana reduced its offerings by 2.5%. ..."

Reference: www.forbes.com
Medicare Advantage

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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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