Money

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Fraud Alert! Tips to Avoid Common Scams That Target Veterans. Outwitting fraudsters who target those who have served. By Katherine Gustafson, AARP Experience Counts. Published September 19, 2024. Scammers are very active these days as more and more of our payments and purchases go digital. And the military community is particularly at risk. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission found that con artists stole $477 million from veterans, military personnel and their spouses. That was a $63 million increase compared to 2022. According to a 2022 poll by cybersecurity company Aura, 7 in 10 military vets and active-duty servicemembers have been victims. https://www.aarp.org/home-family/voices/veterans/info-2024/veterans-scams-tips.html

I live in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and I moved here about a dozen years ago. I love my friends, my church, my doctors (I am a cancer survivor, and we have a great health care system in the Bay State). The problem is, I don't have enough to retire here, because there is simply no affordable senior housing except subsidized housing that is tiny, depressing and few and far between with an incredibly long waiting list. With my ex-husband's social security that I would collect after I retire, it looks like I would have too much income to qualify for one of them anyway. I live in a small apartment as it is, and have no family here. My sisters live in Florida, but they are constantly complaining about how the Republican government (I guess this is the case with the majority of Southern states) is making life harder and harder for the poor and elderly. I worry that I wouldn't be able to find the quality of medical care I have in Massachusetts, and if the Republican Congress does away

I've been desperately trying to get a job. I was contacted by this Marketing Company that offered remote work from home, they seemed to promising. Gave me an account to try out and showed me how the work would be processed.  I started to make money but soon after that they asked for funds for bigger pay.  At first it was very small amounts, then just as quickly it got started the funds I was paid, had made, and the funds I had deposited they kept.  I have never experienced anything like this, ever.  I'm grief stricken and just can't find peace.  My husband is disabled, and this severely hurts our finances, the amount was in the thousands, our life savings. I have filled with several government agencies, filed a police report, with our bank which we never got our monies back.  I was able to contact the real Deloitte Company even spoke with their head fraud investigator sent him everything I had saved of the fraudulent company using their name, but nothing,

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! For starters, stop buying precut fruit and bottled water.  By Donna Fuscaldo, AARP. Published September 03, 2024. Inflation isn’t the only thing pushing up the grocery bills of households across the country. A lack of awareness of the spending traps is costing them too. The supermarket is where you go for the ingredients to prepare an affordable meal. But it’s also a place where you can overspend if you aren’t careful. That’s particularly true if you’re squarely focused on saving time and effort. “When it comes to groceries, convenience costs,” says Brian Vines, deputy editor of special projects at Consumer Reports. “You can expect to pay a premium when supermarkets help you cut corners in the kitchen. https://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-2024/supermarket-spending-traps.html

Hello. I live in Vermont and after long Covid delays (shutdowns, crazy interest rates), I really do not want to be here all of winter 2024-2025. This is a one-time transition, though I may do it seasonally in the future to visit someplace warmer so long as my state of residence, and health coverage, does not change. I consider this as an experiment for the future. I see this upcoming winter as dead time that could be used in finding new doctors and setting up my new home to return to Vermont in early March. Vaguely aware about not being gone longer than 182 or 183 days or I will get hammered with nonresident property tax rates.  My long-term goal has been to move to an even Bluer state for health benefits. Higher income limits will put me into QMB so I can get health care again. I just checked my old email and today makes 50 weeks of torture from Medicaid Unwind. Medical care has been paused since late May, except for my optimistic therapist who thinks she will get three

i am 78, receive $1300 in ssi. i am not on disability. how much can i keep in bank account?

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Logging in to Your Social Security Account? You May Find a Surprise. SSA sign-in change will affect millions of My Social Security users. ▶️*** By  Andy Markowitz, AARP. Published July 17, 2024. ***◀️ Millions of people who access Social Security services and track their benefits online will soon need to change their login procedure to continue using their My Social Security accounts. The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced July 12 that users who established accounts before Sept. 18, 2021, using a now-defunct sign-up method will be required to transition those accounts to Login.gov, a secure sign-in service administered by the federal government. https://www.aarp.org/retirement/social-security/info-2024/ssa-sign-in-change.html

bEWARE this is a very horrible scam, you get a text message from the USPS saying that you have a package to be delivered and need .18 cents to pick it up so I gave them card because it looked real. No one told me about this scam and now people from Chicago and Sacramento California have gotten my card and stole 158 dollars from me.I am 61 and work really hard for what money I do get and I pray that God the Father will catch these thieves. This is second time I have been stolen from.

 For many folks, their home is their only investment or a majority of it  - for many,  they think about the equity that it gains as a form of retirement financing - be that selling it for a hefty profit, holding it as a rental and thus creating a monthly income flow, or to even borrow against it in the form of a Home Equity line of some sort, including a reverse mortgage. In our generation, we often bought one home and then sold it to buy or build another and then repeated the process.  Each time, we sold the 1st home at a good to even GREAT added value to help help pay for the next.  We were encouraged to do this by our tax laws -  Our local governments also encouraged it because the more the assessed value, the more they can get from property taxes so for sure they want higher value housing to real this reward for all their citizens. Equity is built by sales - whether the sales are of new homes or existing one - as long as there is no adve

Our AARP Forum is continuously bombarded with folks who are newly registered with postings seemingly with 'useful information' but with hyperlinks to possible 'frauds/ scams/ spams or possible malware sites.' Please 'do not click onto any links' of any infomercial with a link to a "solution, the cure" = possible fraud or to a malware site.----------------------------------------------------------- ---- sign of scams -  they may talk about some medical information in the "Housing or Game Talk or Destinations' AARP forums = not in the proper forum = content is 'wrong' for forum heading.And they are newly registered with a 'neat'  copy and paste but with a "link available = the cure, the solution, the treatment."    They may talk about some other common problems and issues and lay out a nice informative treatment or solution.  --- crypto recovery scams - I've seen twice or more here ---- Be wary of posts talking about 'cannabis' with an al

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Are You a Scam Victim? You Might Get Hit Again — by Taxes. Advocates are working to change federal laws to separate fraud losses from taxable income. By Ken Budd, AARP. Published July 30, 2024. Former President Trump’s signature 2017 tax law is having a ripple effect on scam victims: They’re required to pay federal taxes on the money they lost. It’s a nightmare scenario, as Kate Kleinert knows all too well. In August 2020, the retired secretary and widow began an online romance with a man posing as a United Nations surgeon in Iraq. As he supposedly traveled to meet her in Pennsylvania, he claimed he’d been arrested and needed $20,000 for bail. Ultimately, she lost $39,000 in the scam. Then her tax accountant delivered shocking news: She owed $5,000 in federal taxes on the losses. https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2024/victims-pay-taxes-on-stolen-money.html

We Need changes now for Social Security. They have been kicking the can down the road to long. This is not "Charity".  We need a New calculation for COLA.  This next year 2025, You will be paying another $ 10.00 or more for Medicare.  It adds up quick, not to mention increased price for ER visits, Specialist visits.  Seeing a regular M.D. ??  I doubt it. You mostly see a P.A., NP, or FNP.  They are fine. But they are not Doctors. People will say, Well You should have saved more for retirement. Really ?  Mine got wiped out as many others in the last crash.  If Billion's are given to Countries that despise Us, We should be able to help Seniors to at least live.  All We get from the Government is talk. Elise Stefanik is My Congress Woman. Her office does not call back. I've emailed Her many times, and have gotten a " Pre-Prepared form letter. Really ?  She is a ladder climber.  Politicians promises are gone with the wind. AARP needs t

Sometimes the perk of having an SUV that sits up very high in the air as it gives the driver the ability to see a full grown adult straight in the eye WITHOUT having to look upward that it is very expensive to own one.  I have been bugging politicians to tell these automakers to put a limit on how much they can charge for these kind of vehicles.  There are many non-profit organizations out there who has employees who would love to own something that sits up high in the air but can't afford one.  And sometimes all they could afford is a small 4-door sedan.  A Nissan Murano may be the only affordable SUV on the market as it does sit higher than  a 4-door sedan but doesn't sit as high as a Mercedes Benz G wagon.  I have written to my congresswoman to come up with a bill that would have a vehicle that has an overall height of 75 to 82 inches, but would cost no more than a vehicle that has an overall height of 63 to 69 inches.  I happen to be one of those

 I retired in May of 2022 at 69+2 two month which should have given me 25.3 delayed credits birthday being 3/1953 however I only received 22.7 credits witch put my credits back to January 2022 I was told that it would be recalculated and I would receive the other 2.6 credits and any benefits owed from January 2023. Well it’s been 1 year 11 months and still no recalculation. Tried to contact social security and I’m getting the run around would seem no one I speak to knows anything about withholding delayed credits I guess my next step will be to go to my local legislator office to see if I can get help there.  Since no one is in the local social security office and hasn’t been since the start of covid. Anyone else having this trouble?   

Just a quick heads-up...I recently received the following Spam email:Subject: 5 Year Membership to AARP for only $9 per Year! From:  August Specials ....It's bogus...no open...no click links! 

Just turned 62 and am starting a new job.  Since I am technically old enough to collect SS but am hoping to work another 5 years to boost my SS benefit, does it make sense to buy long-term disability insurance since most policies only cover thru age 65?

I have decided to sell my rental home, it is time.  Tenants are still living there. I am trying to decide how best to do it without having to pay outrageous commissions.  The property manager I use for my rental has not been that great, so I do not want her to sell it (she is also a realtor).  I am considering trying to sell it as "sale by owner" but I really don't like the idea of having to show the house and the time it will take to do that.  Has anyone tried using AARP's program where they partner up with agents?  If so, can you tell me your experience with that?  Thank you.  Brenda

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! VA Announces New Website and Call Center to Protect Veterans From Fraud. A multiagency federal effort aims for a ‘one-stop shop’ to help military families targeted by scams. By Christina Ianzito, AARP. Published August 13, 2024. Scams are rampant these days, and members of the veteran community are favorite targets of scammers; veterans, military personnel and their spouses reported $477 million in losses from scams last year — up $63 million in 2022 — according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).   In response, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the White House have announced the launch of VSAFE.gov and 833-38V-SAFE (833-388-7233). The new website and call center is meant to coordinate efforts across the federal government to protect veterans, service members and their families from fraud and scams. https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2024/vsafe-website-call-center.html

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! It Can Be Agony When a Loved One Is a Scam Victim — But Refuses to See It. Some chronic fraud victims deny that they’ve been targeted by scammers, frustrating the people who care about them. By Matt Alderton, AARP. Published August 20, 2024. Journalist April Helm, 49, makes her living reporting facts, but she had trouble getting her late mother, Sherri Tyson, to see the truth. In 2018, the widowed Tyson, who passed away in 2020 at age 72, met a much younger diamond magnate named Gerald online and became convinced that they were in love. She ended up losing $350,000 to the romance scammer, even as Helm tried her hardest to make her mother see that Gerald was a fake. https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2024/victims-in-denial.html

I am old school and I tip for good service - 20% or more I tip those who do a good job, but there has to be good service and an actual service.  I tip my gardener and those who do landscaping work around my home pretty well since I can see how they work and sometimes in not really good conditions.   I am aware of how tipping works in many restaurants - meaning that they share with others who are sometimes in the background.  While going to college, my Daughter spent many an hour working in an affluent area at a top notch restaurant and bar.  Some nites she would say why am I getting a degree when I’m making all of this in tips.  She was fortunate because not every server works in such a place.  After graduating with high degrees she learned and the education has really given back to her and she did not continue the restaurant work.  Money in hand does sometimes put stars in their eyes but it is the bigger picture that really count and i

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! 4 Retailers That No Longer Accept Paper Checks. And 10 that still do! By Donna Fuscaldo, AARP. Published August 16, 2024. In yet another sign the personal check is on its way out, Target recently announced it’s no longer accepting this form of payment, joining a growing list of retailers that have banned checks.   Retailers like Target have their reasons for banishing checks. Usage is a big one: Checks represent only 3 percent of transactions, according to Bankrate data. Fraud is another: In recent years there’s been a resurgence of check fraud, with merchants a common target. And in an era when speed is of the essence, nobody wants to wait behind a shopper paying by check. https://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-2024/retailers-that-do-not-accept-checks.html

Hackers May Have Stolen Your Social Security Number In a Massive Breach  Hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I'm a little surprised I haven't heard anything about this from AARP.One of the few emails I still deliberatelly get is FWN Fraud Alerts...woulda thought this rated....even gave it a few days before posting anything.

1)     In the article,  Social Security Fears, many Social Security myths are addressed. What concerns you the most about Social Security? 

My late 70's friend and her Aspergers husband are sinking deeper into marital and financial trouble.  They have 3 houses in far-apart states.  She does all the work to take care of the properties, personal finances and all of their stuff. They need to sell at least one of their houses.  He can't/won't help her because its too frustrating for him to deal with her lack of organization and ability to finish projects. Plus it is physically painful for him to deal with strangers.  She is a very capable person but she no longer has her fastball and the projects are piling up around her.  She can't keep up and is falling further behind. The husband has expressed that he can no longer live with the situation. He is contemplating his mortality and all the things had hoped for in his later life.  She is overwhelmed with what to do to get her/their lives back on track.  They are both hurt and aren't sure what the future holds. They need an organization that

AARP Has a discount program with Payless Car Rental, Payless car rental is rated as one of the worst car rental companies on many web sites. I am surprised that AARP has an association with Payless.Renter Beware