By Conrad De Aenlle; The New York Times ~ Mar 04, 2016

The hard work and long hours you have put in for your employer may have earned you a decent pension. But it may not be your employer who owes you the money.

Companies eager to limit risk and administrative headaches are turning increasingly to a strategy called a pension buyout that involves outsourcing the job of paying out pensions to an insurance companies. The employer pays an amount that represents the pool of money set aside for pension liabilities, and a fee to the insurer for managing the money and taking on the risk of meeting obligations to the retirees.

By David Dayen; The Fiscal Times ~  Mar 04, 2016

Across the political spectrum, people warn of a coming time bomb in our retirement system. Many analysts believe the growing population of retirees will overwhelm the Social Security program, and that something must be done to shore up its finances.

However, there’s another slow-moving time bomb out there, and that’s the gradual retirement of workers in an era where 401(k)-style defined-contribution plans have become dominant, replacing defined-benefit pensions.

By Dave Lieber; The Dallas Morning News ~ Mar 04, 2016

A mistake I made about AT&T led me into AT&T Chairman-CEO-President Randall Stephenson’s office last week. That’s right. The C-Suite. Suite 400 at AT&T world headquarters in downtown Dallas.

Guys like me can’t get past a company’s PR gatekeepers. But here I am being escorted in the elevator by a building guard. I bring a message from you to him. I carry a large red binder with more than 100 complaints about his company.

By Dow Jones Business News; NASDAQ~  Mar 03, 2016

Technology and telecommunications companies rose to Apple Inc.’s defense, supporting the iPhone maker’s resistance to helping law enforcement unlock the phone of a gunman in the San Bernardino, Calif., terror attacks.

AT&T Inc., Intel Corp., Twitter Inc. and many other companies and organizations filed amicus briefs on Thursday generally supporting Apple in the case, in which it is fighting a court order to help the Federal Bureau of Investigation bypass the passcode security measures on the phone used by Syed Rizwan Farook.

By Alan Mozes, HD; US News & World Report ~ Mar 03, 2016

THURSDAY, March 3, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Seniors who use their computers as little as once a week may help ward off age-related declines in memory and thinking, new research suggests.

The study found that those who did use a computer showed a 42 percent lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to dementia.

What isn’t yet clear is exactly how computer use might help save memory and thinking abilities.

By Mark Miller; Reuters ~ Mar 03, 2016

CHICAGO  –  Health Savings Accounts are surging in popularity – and that can lead to some complications for older workers who enroll in Medicare.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are offered to workers enrolled in high-deductible health insurance plans. The accounts are used primarily to meet deductible costs; employers often contribute and workers can make pretax contributions up to $3,350 for individuals, and $6,750 for families; the dollars can be invested and later spent tax-free to meet healthcare expenses.

By Nancy Altman; HuffPost Politics ~  Feb 28, 2016

The movement to expand Social Security is gaining speed. In hopes of derailing the popular and profoundly wise expansion movement, those determined to cut Social Security are playing games with the numbers.

To understand this low-profile, subversive attack on our Social Security system, it is essential to recognize that Social Security is different from other government spending and taxation. Unlike other kinds of government programs, Social Security is a defined benefit pension plan, where contributors pay premiums in exchange for benefits.

By Brian Feroldi; The Motley Fool ~  Feb 28, 2016

Picture this: You are in your doctor’s office seeking treatment for a disease or illness and your provider mentions that you are perfect candidate for joining a clinical research study that their practice will be running. What would you say?

This isn’t all that far-fetched of a scenario, as clinical research studies — which are also called clinical trials — happen all the time and often involve new surgical treatments, drugs, types or patient care, or diagnostic tests.

By Sharon Epperson & Katie Young; CNBC ~  Feb 27, 2016

Baby boomers beware: A major retirement expense may be hiding in your mouth.

A majority of those age 50 to 64 either believe that — or are unsure whether — a Medicare health insurance plan will cover routine dental care, according to a recent survey by advocacy group Oral Health America (OHA). (To download the study, click here.)

The reality is that Medicare doesn’t cover most routine dental care, such as cleanings and fillings; procedures, such as tooth extractions; or supplies, such as dentures, dental plates or other dental devices.

By Peter Sullivan; The Hill ~ Feb 26, 2016

The pharmaceutical industry is anxiously awaiting a series of regulatory actions from the Obama administration aimed at combating high drug prices.

Drug prices have been a major issue on the campaign trail, with Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump pounding pharmaceutical companies.

Martin Shkreli, the ex-pharmaceutical company CEO who made headlines for hiking the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent, also has put the issue of drug prices in the spotlight.