12/15/2015 - The Experts Were Wrong About the Best Places for Better and Cheaper Health Care (The New York Times)

New research has looked not only at Medicare but also at a huge, new database drawn from private-insurance plans – the sorts used by most Americans for health care. And it shows that places that spend less on Medicare do not necessarily spend less on health care over all. Grand Junction, as it happens, is one of the… Read more 12/15/2015 - The Experts Were Wrong About the Best Places for Better and Cheaper Health Care (The New York Times)

12/14/2015 - Employers fail to educate retirees on retirement medical benefits (Benefits Pro)

Surveys conducted by Towers Watson indicated a large disconnect between what employers say they did, and what retirees remember being told about their medical benefits before they retired.While 43 percent of retirees surveyed said their employers took no steps at all to help them understand and manage the cost of retiree medical benefits before they retired,… Read more 12/14/2015 - Employers fail to educate retirees on retirement medical benefits (Benefits Pro)

12/13/2015 - Where Millennials Go for Financial Advice (The Wall Street Journal)

Scarred by the Great Recession and laden with student debt, few millennials are in the mood, or in a position, to seek out a traditional financial adviser. But they need financial advice just the same.Hence the arrival of new and unconventional approaches that try to help 20- and 30-somethings start saving and investing. These range… Read more 12/13/2015 - Where Millennials Go for Financial Advice (The Wall Street Journal)

12/13/2015 - An Alzheimer's diagnosis doesn't have to mean an end to traveling

Traveling with someone who has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia is possible, but there are extra precautions to take, says Monica Moreno, the director of early-stage initiatives for the Alzheimer’s Association. The nonprofit regularly sends people with early stage Alzheimer’s to events across the country, and Moreno often travels with them. Read the full… Read more 12/13/2015 - An Alzheimer's diagnosis doesn't have to mean an end to traveling

12/12/2015 - The Diabetes Drug That Could Be an Anti-Aging Miracle

Metformin, a generic diabetes pill, is the subject of a new study on its anti-aging properties. But pharmaceutical companies are in no rush to invest in a drug that alleviates the issues involved with aging—and eliminates the need for other profitable medicines. Read the full article at Newsweek.

12/11/2015 - Pushing Aside 401(k)’s for Mandatory Savings Plans (The New York Times)

Tony James and Teresa Ghilarducci are unlikely allies. He is president of Blackstone, the giant private equity firm; she’s a labor economist who has long advocated replacing 401(k)’s with a universal, federally managed saving plan.But the two have teamed up to push what they are calling Guaranteed Retirement Accounts, a government-sponsored plan that would require participation and… Read more 12/11/2015 - Pushing Aside 401(k)’s for Mandatory Savings Plans (The New York Times)

12/10/2015 - A Middle Ground Between Contract Worker and Employee (The New York Times)

Alan B. Krueger, a former chief economist to President Obama, and Seth D. Harris, a former deputy labor secretary, argued in a paper released this week that many workers in the so-called online gig economy should have more rights and protections than most do now. At the same time, they wrote, “forcing these new forms of work… Read more 12/10/2015 - A Middle Ground Between Contract Worker and Employee (The New York Times)

12/9/2015 - Americans Are Sinking Further Into Credit Card Debt (Money)

Consumer credit card debt is rising again. The average indebted household now carries a revolving balance of $15,355, according to a new study by NerdWallet. With credit cards carrying an average interest rate of 18%, that balance costs the average household $6,658 — 9% of income — in interest per year. Read the full post in… Read more 12/9/2015 - Americans Are Sinking Further Into Credit Card Debt (Money)

12/8/2015 - Deadline nears for certain seniors to withdraw from IRAs (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

For senior citizens age 70½ or older who have not yet taken the annual required minimum distribution from their IRAs, time is running out. If seniors unknowingly miss the Dec. 31 deadline, it ends up costing them dearly in the form of a tax penalty that amounts to 50 percent of what they should have withdrawn.… Read more 12/8/2015 - Deadline nears for certain seniors to withdraw from IRAs (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

12/7/2015 - Why going to the dentist is so hard for the elderly

Good dental hygiene is important to overall health, and chronic illnesses and medications can worsen oral health. Yet providing dental care to seniors is fraught with challenges. According to the American Dental Association, a fifth of people age 75 and older haven’t seen a dentist in the past five years. Many older patients are resistant… Read more 12/7/2015 - Why going to the dentist is so hard for the elderly