By Wendy Connick, TMF; CNNMoney ~ Jul 06, 2017
In many ways, the world is a better place than it was 50 years ago … but it’s certainly more complicated, especially when it comes to personal finance.
While the multitude of financial tools we now have at our disposal can be extremely helpful, they can also make our lives considerably more expensive when we make poor choices about them. And even sound financial decision-making can’t save you from all the money problems that plague us these days.
By Brenton Smith, Newsmax – July 5, 2017
The discussion of Social Security has degenerated into a shouting match in no small part because ideology is more important than fact in any exchange.
Pundits are more interested in the sound of the bite than its accuracy. As a result everyone has a fact that is someone else’s myth. The consequence is fairly simple. We have polarized stalemate in which victory is claimed by the person who can shout the loudest.
By Jeff Reeves; MarketWatch ~ Jul 05, 2017
What should be the role of government in providing for retirement?
As the United States celebrates its 241st birthday this week and as Republican efforts to reshape health care continue to dominate headlines, many of us have ruminated on the nature of American government in the 21st century.
By Susan Scutti; CNN ~ Jul 03, 2017
Story highlights
Proton-pump inhibitors, known as PPIs, curb excess stomach acid
Previous studies have linked the drugs to kidney disease and stroke
(CNN)At prescription strength, proton-pump inhibitors are associated with a potential 25% increased risk of early death from any cause, suggests new research published Monday in the British Medical Journal Open.
By Carol Wilson; Light Reading ~ Jul 03, 2017
AT&T’s XGS-PON trial, announced last week, is part of its broader software-defined access strategy, an effort that includes a move to white boxes in the access network and interoperability of network and premises-based optical gear that isn’t possible today.
Access and SDN are coming together because it makes sense to implement software-defined networking at a point of technology “pivot,” when existing systems are in flux anyway, says Eddy Barker, assistant vice president of Access Architecture and Design at AT&T, and the move from Gigabit PON to XGS-PON is just such a point.
From John Wasik; Forbes ~ Jul 03, 2017
As someone managing care for an elderly relative, I can tell you that there are so many opportunities for scams. I have to keep my eyes open all the time. The summer is a good time to check for problems.
First, there was the window salesman who wanted to sell $10,000 worth of windows. Then there was the stockbroker who sold scam mutual funds. There was also a woman who wanted to “move in” and provide care.
By Amy Davis; KPRC ~ Jul 03, 2017
HOUSTON – Prescription drug prices vary wildly from one pharmacy to the next. If you don’t comparison shop, you could pay hundreds of dollars more than you have to, but pharmacies don’t make it easy to compare prices.
KPRC 2 consumer expert Amy Davis found a couple of apps to take some of the frustration out of the chore.
From Edward Archer & Michael L. Marlow; The Hill ~ Jul 03, 2017
What’s the secret to healthy eating? Less carbs? More fat? Less sugar? Unfortunately, research doesn’t provide clear answers, so it’s wise to be wary of anyone claiming to have a silver bullet. Despite the best of intentions, even if the federal government wanted to improve health through better eating habits, they can’t because they start with bad information.
By Sean Williams; The Motley Fool ~ Jul 02, 2017
The Social Security program is vitally important to the financial well-being of our nation’s retired seniors. According to statistics from the Social Security Administration, more than three in five seniors, as well as 71% of unmarried elderly retirees receiving benefits, count on Social Security to provide for at least half of their monthly income.
By Charles Ornstein; ProPublica ~ Jun 29, 2017
In the past few years, many seniors and disabled people have eschewed traditional Medicare coverage to enroll in privately run health plans paid for by Medicare, which often come with lower out-of-pocket costs and some enhanced benefits.
These so-called Medicare Advantage plans now enroll more than a third of the 58 million beneficiaries in the Medicare program, a share that grows by the month.