Money

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 

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! 6 Reasons Savers Are Skittish About Annuities. Shifting assets into an annuity can provide a reliable income stream in retirement, but concerns remain about complexity and cost. By Nicole Ridgway, AARP. Published July 31, 2024. Are annuities catching on? The numbers seem to say so. Sales of these insurance products, primarily designed to convert assets into a guaranteed income stream, have increased for 15 consecutive quarters and reached a record $215 billion in the first six months of 2024, up 19 percent from the same period last year, according to LIMRA, a trade association that conducts research for insurance and financial services companies. https://www.aarp.org/retirement/planning-for-retirement/info-2024/annuity-concerns-problems.html

AARP Fraud Watch Network - Watchdog Alert Handbook:  Common Elements of Today's Scams - and How to Stay Safe   (04/22) I was at my local library and picked up this pamphlet by AARP - a white 8 1/2"  x 5 1/2"  - 21 pages+ Here's a PDF version you can get a quick read- click here  ----->  https://aarp-content.brightspotcdn.com/14/24/18e40b8f457db6298e0999c9a693/fraud-fwn-watchdog-042022.pdf 🤔

          It is reported about 10,000 baby boomers retire daily.Some of them want stay home where they are.Some want to move to other place to enjoy their retirement.Do you want retire and stay where you are?Or do you want move to a community where you can make friends and share commen interests? 

How can Medicare B not be covered automatically when benefits start regardless of the impact of work earnings?I am enrolled in Medicare part B while continuing to work.My benefits began, but my earnings exceeding the max level, are suspended for some months.Medicare is continuing to bill me for quarterly premiums.SSA informed me since I received no payment, my premium could not be deducted, therefore I owe it.When is Medicare ever going to know when to stop sending me quarterly billings, or for that matter, when to start them again if I continued to work?Thanks,

I am on SSDI an my spouse is on SSDI. He has liver cancer. When he passes away, how will SSDI work?

Here's what I'm trying to do and what I found out, but would like to confirm. I'm a U.S. citizen and permanent resident of Japan, having lived here 40 years. I live with my same sex partner of more than 20 years. While I'm eligible for U.S. social security benefits (I'm 67 now) I have not started taking retirement benefits yet. Since I'm still working, I thought I would try to wait until I turned 70 for maximum benefits. I'm lucky that even though I've been here so long I've managed to accumulate enough credits so I can get benefits which would be helpful. Also, even though I have national health insurance in Japan, I signed up for Medicare Parts A and B when I turned 65, in case I should ever need treatment in the U.S. - like on a visit. What I'm trying to do is this: I would  like to ensure that my partner receives social security survivor benefits when I eventually pass away. He has never been to the U.S. And we cannot marry in Japan. My benefits would be of great ass

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Drivers: Keep an Eye Out for New Toll Road Scams. Criminals pretend to be highway officials requesting payment after your trip.By Ken Budd, AARP. Published July 05, 2024. Taking a road trip this summer? Gas prices and traffic jams aren’t your only concern. Cybercriminals are now asking drivers to pay fake highway tolls. The scam began gathering steam in early March, according to the FBI, and it appears to be growing more prevalent. https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2024/toll-road-texts.html

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Scammers Who Commit Title Fraud Steal Your Identity — Then Your Home. Criminals can use public information to victimize both buyers and owners in this real estate scam. By Matt Alderton, AARP. Published July 16, 2024. Since his untimely death from a heart attack in 1977, Elvis Presley’s adoring fans have been flocking to his home to pay their respects. This spring, however, Presley’s mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, attracted an entirely different kind of admirer: Naussany Investments & Private Lending (NIPL), a dubious investment firm that tried to sell the King’s Graceland estate after purporting to have acquired the deed from his late daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. ​According to a lawsuit filed by actor Riley Keough, who is Elvis’s granddaughter and Graceland’s trustee, NIPL claimed to have granted a $3.8 million loan to Lisa Marie Presley in 2015, at which time she offered the deed to Graceland as collateral. When the

Share your tips and tricks for saving money. For example, I like flavored water without sweeteners or carbonation but the price of bottles at the store just keep going up and up with fewer sales.  I was in Walmart and saw a mainstays wide mouth mason jar infuser lid for $1.50 (less than the cost of one premade bottle).  I add water to a large mason jar, put some frozen fruit, usually purchased on sale, in the infuser and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.  Not only do I have cheaper flavored water but I can make my own flavor blends.  What are you favorite quick and easy ways to save money?

FROM ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Multiple tenants all expect to move into the same house. By AARP. Published July 19, 2024. Phillip and his family are planning a move from Las Vegas to Denver and need a new place to live quickly. He finds the perfect rental house on Craigslist but he doesn’t want to take any chances and flies to Denver to tour the home with the real estate agent. A few days after he moves in, a woman knocks on the door claiming she has also rented the house. They realize this is more than just a crazy mix-up when a second person arrives expecting to move. https://www.aarp.org/podcasts/the-perfect-scam/info-2024/-family-left-homeless-rental-scam.html

Long story short, I work a full time job and I will be 67 yrs old .  I recieved a notification from SS that I can start collecting my full SS. Friends are telling me not to start collecting since I am still working full time. Why isn't it a good idea to start now. Will I pay more for Medicare or will I pay more taxes. Thanks! 

  SSA.gov - Office Closings and Emergencies -Closures or Delays AffectingIn-Person Service From the link ~Due to widespread IT outages due to the global Microsoft and Crowdstrike issues, local Social Security offices are closed to the public today. Our phone line remains open and many online services at ssa.gov remain available. We appreciate your patience while we work to restore services as quickly as possible.For people who are deaf or hard of hearing and use TTY, our TTY line remains open - 800-325-0778.  

Dear Colleagues: When trying to determine the value of survivor benefits. SSA is telling us the survivor benefit amount is based on the deceased persons "basic" benefit calculated at full retirement age. AARP articles are saying the benefit amount is what the deceased person's benefit calculated at the date of death, including any delayed benefit increases. See AARP article May 1, 2024 by Tamara Holmes.https://www.aarp.org/retirement/social-security/info-2024/benefits-couple-strategies.htmlThis article clearly says that "But “if they wait until 70 and earn those delayed retirement credits, that will increase the survivor’s benefit." Another article confirms the AARP analysis. https://articles.opensocialsecurity.com/survivor-benefit-calculation/It notes that if the deceased spouse dies before FRA, the survivor benefit is the primary insurance amount (PIA). Can anyone help us solve this? Will the survivor benefit be the PIA or the delayed benefit amount? Thanks!

 I have been periodically skimming(on strong market days)  from my ROTH and investing in T-Bills in order to have more (and less volatile )cash on hand for down the road. As they pay out interest, I put it my HYSA.  I am just wondering if there is any real downside to this strategy?

  AXIOS. 07/15/2024 - Change Healthcare cyberhack fallout ripples to consumersPay attention folks -  from the link ~The Change Healthcare cyberattack shook U.S. health care to its core for months and exposed major cyber vulnerabilities. But the likely ripple effects on individuals are only now becoming apparent.Why it matters: As many as 1 in 3 Americans may have had personal information compromised, some of which is purportedly being trafficked on the dark web — and is expected to enable identity theft, as well as tax, insurance and mortgage fraud.And experts say the people with the most at stake aren't aware they're at risk. .. . . . . Between the lines: The lack of details is compounding frustrations with Change's parent, UnitedHealth Group, which was harshly criticized in Congress for not having basic safeguards like multi-factor authentication in place, and is facing huge legal and financial ramifications.UnitedHealth recently revealed the compromised

Hello, I received a letter from a former employer concerning a data breach. The letter explained what happened, and what information was involved. The information that has been impacted was Social Security number, driver's license number, passport number, name, address, and other government issued identification numbers that were on file. The former employer is offering complementary credit monitoring and identity theft protection services through IDX, a ZeroFox company. This protection will be available for 12 months after enrolling.My question is why they are only offering 12 months of protection, my information has been leaked because of their poor cyber security measures and I will have to deal with this issue for the rest of my life. What can we as victims do to make the companies that were involved in a cyber security incident be responsible for the life of the person affected by the breach?

When u buy new or used can do per monthly??

FROM ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!! Why You Shouldn’t Answer Calls From Unknown Numbers. Avoid scams — including the ‘say yes’ or ‘can you hear me’ scam – by ignoring unsolicited callers. By Matt Alderton, AARP. Published July 08, 2024. If you watched television in the early aughts, you probably remember the iconic commercials from Verizon Wireless where a roving cellphone spokesman offered up a simple yet sticky catchphrase: “Can you hear me now?” Some 20 years later, callers are still asking folks on the other end of the line if they can hear them. But now it’s often scammers doing the asking, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has warned consumers about so-called “can you hear me” scams — also known as “say yes” scams. https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2024/unknown-number-do-not-answer.html

Hello I live in Vallejo California and I spend half of my net income on my rent. I have a plied for numerous low income senior housing places and also for section 8, but I’m still waiting to get harder and harder. Does anyone have suggestions of organizations that will help with rent thank you LYNDA