By Carol Wilson; Light Reading ~ Apr 26, 2018
Like Verizon, AT&T saw declining business revenue in the first quarter, as increased wireless sales to businesses and improved strategic service revenues failed to offset the decline in legacy services. However, its chief financial officer pointed to an improving trend in business revenues, with slower declines, and said the move to a software-defined network is beginning to pay off.
By Alan Breznick; Light Reading ~ Apr 26, 2018
AT&T executives think they’ve got this next-gen video business all figured out.
Although the company’s OTT video service, DirecTV Now, barely makes a profit now because subscribers pay relatively low prices for its skinny-bundle TV packages, don’t sign up for long-term contracts and can churn out quickly, AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) officials believe they can boost margins by adding such premium product features and enhancements as cloud DVR, more pay-per-view options, more video streams, an improved VOD service and advanced advertising.
By Allen Cone; United Press International ~ Apr 25, 2018
April 25 (UPI) — Commonly used heartburn drugs have been statistically linked to pneumonia in people 60 years and older, according to a study conducted in Britain.
Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School studied the effects of proton-pump inhibitors, which are used to treat reduce gastric acid production and to protect the stomach. Their findings were published this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
From KHN Morning Briefing; Kaiser Health News ~ Apr 25, 2018
The price lists may still be confusing to consumers, though, because standard rates are like list prices and don’t reflect what insurers and government programs pay. “Given the inherent complexity of hospital billing, making prices easy to understand is clearly a lot easier said than done,” says Shawn Gremminger, of Families USA.
From Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine); The Hill ~ Apr 24, 2018
Giving proper nutrition a more central role in the treatment and prevention of disease, the food-as-medicine movement has great potential to save lives and cut health-care costs in our country’s fight against chronic illness. Thankfully, it seems to have gained a toehold within the most unlikely of places—the Trump administration.
FDA Administrator Dr. Scott Gottlieb has recently pledged to explore several options within his authority to improve Americans’ eating habits, from encouraging industry to reduce salt in processed foods to updating food labels so consumers can better understand them.
From Ted Knutson; Forbes ~ Apr 24, 2018
Nursing home, assisted living and other long-term care costs are rising as financial concerns for retirees, according to a new poll. Photo credit: Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg News.
Long-term care and overall medical expenses are growing as financial worries for retirees. Nearly half of seniors have little or no confidence they have enough money for nursing homes and other long-care.
From Sara Zeff Geber; Forbes ~ Apr 23, 2018
(This article is adapted from the new book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A retirement and aging roadmap for single and childless adults by Sara Zeff Geber, Ph.D.)
For boomers without children (Solo Agers), an important question to answer is: What happens when I am no longer physically or mentally able to make decisions for myself?
From Bob Carlson; Forbes ~ Apr 17, 2018
IRAs aren’t the simple things they seemed when we opened them. The tax rules are more complicated as we age.
IRAs aren’t the simple vehicles they seemed when they were new. Back then, you made an annual contribution, selected an investment or two, and then left it alone.
From Alex Hendrie; The Hill ~ Apr 17, 2018
Americans will file their taxes under the 1980s era tax code for the last time this week. Under the new code, taxpayers will experience a simpler code and will see more take-home pay.
Compared to the old code, a family of four earning the annual median income of $73,000 will see a tax cut of more than $2,000 for tax year 2018, while, a single parent with one child earning $41,000 per year will see a 73 percent tax cut, resulting in $1,304 in increased take-home pay.
From David Rae; Forbes ~ Apr 15, 2018
Can’t Find your old 401(k) or that old pension? Here is how to track your money down.
At least once every few months a long-term client brings in a retirement account statement and says, “I forgot I had this retirement account. Can you help me with it?” Sometimes these accounts are tiny but other times they hold a substantial amount of money.
