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If you are considering debt consolidation, you are not alone. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, household debt in the U.S. increased by more than $7,000 from 2020 to 2022. Many individuals have since started turning to debt consolidation apps and other credit relief options for help. Better Business Bureau recently released an investigative report on debt consolidation and credit repair companies. At the time of the report’s publication, BBB had received more than 11,000 complaints and nearly 900 negative reviews about debt a...
Editor’s note: This press statement was dated Oct. 12, 2023. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 71 million Americans will increase 3.2 percent in 2024, the Social Security Administration announced Oct. 12. On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by more than $50 per month starting in January. More than 66 million Social Security beneficiaries will see the 3.2 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) beginning in January 2024. Increased payments to approximately 7.5 million people...
AARP Alaska, in partnership with AARP's Veterans and Military Families program, has formed a five-member volunteer Veterans Support Advisory Council. This group will connect Alaska veterans with important supports from AARP and local, statewide and national resources. AARP's Veterans and Military Families initiative honors service members and their families by providing timely information in four areas-Veteran Caregiver Resources, Fraud Prevention, Job Assistance, and service benefits and...
If you are reading this short piece, you are most likely a senior, like me, interested in continuing to play a role in the Alaska economy. I came to Alaska ten years ago, toward the end of a long career of college teaching. Now I'm coordinating the Northern and Interior regions of the MASST program. It is a challenging, rewarding job. I often say that nobody is learning more than I am in this program. It's also meaningful work, because I know that it is making a difference in Northern and...
Dear Savvy Senior: I’m interested in contributing to a health savings account to help boost my retirement savings but would like to better understand how they work. What can you tell me? – Almost 60 Dear Almost: A health savings account, or HSA, is a fantastic financial tool that can help you build up a tax-free stash of money for medical expenses now and after you retire. But to qualify, you must be enrolled in a high-deductible health insurance plan. Here’s an overview of how they work and how you can open one. HSA rules HSAs have becom...
When you retire, if you become disabled, or if someone you depend on dies-Social Security is there when you need us. With your personal and secure my Social Security account, you can access your information, benefits and important services from just about anywhere. Having a personal my Social Security account allows you to: Compare future benefit estimates for different dates or ages when you may want to begin receiving benefits. Check the status of your benefits application or appeal. Review...
The Social Security Administration partners with locations throughout Alaska to offer a secure video service option. Video service is a convenient and no-cost way for people to talk directly to a Social Security employee through a secure computer link that includes two-way video and sound. The video service locations are available at: In Nome, Norton Sound Health Corporation, located at 1000 Greg Kruschek Ave. Video service is available for walk-ins on a first come, first served basis, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai...
If you face heating bills that are burdensome, the State of Alaska’s Low-Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program could be your solution. LIHEAP is a federally-funded program that helps low-income households with their home energy bills. It can help you stay warm in the winter and reduce the risk of health and safety problems such as illness, fire or eviction. The program may be able to offer you one or more of the following types of assistance: bill payment assistance, energy crisis assistance, and weatherization and energy-related home r...
October is National Long-Term Care Residents’ Rights Month, a time to acknowledge the contributions and sacrifices many long-term care residents have made to better our community and to call attention to the rights of residents in long-term care facilities. Residents’ Rights Month is celebrated each year to highlight residents living in all long-term care settings. This year’s Residents’ Rights Month theme, "Amplify Our Voices," emphasizes a community of long-term care residents coming together to make their voices heard. Amplifying your vo...
Millions of Americans are in debt, but debt relief companies have their own issues. American consumers hold more than $16 trillion of debt in the form of mortgages, credit cards, personal lines of credit, home equity lines of credit, student loans and personal loans. When emergencies strike or monthly paychecks don’t always cover bills, countless credit repair and debt relief companies offer to help. However, our Better Business Bureau team has received over 11,000 complaints and almost 900 negative reports about debt and credit assistance. T...
AARP Alaska is sponsoring a webinar series, “Brain Health Across the Lifespan,” which will explore how the brain changes as we age, plus aspects of lifelong brain health including diet, exercise and sleep. Webinars will also discuss how to work through situations where brain changes may be non-modifiable. The University of Alaska Southeast will livestream and post the talks on the UAS YouTube page. The series runs through January, with one webinar per month except for October, when there will be two: Oct. 13 and Oct. 20. Both will be pre...
A proposal to help Alaska seniors fix their homes so they can live at home longer is on its way to the legislature. Current state statutes provide a minimum $150,000 property tax exemption for Senior Citizens/Disabled Veterans. If approved by legislators, modifying a home would add an additional $20,000 to the property tax exemption at no cost to the State of Alaska. The home modifications incentive is a way to motivate older Alaskans who think about adding grab bars, raised toilets or roll-in showers with hand-held showerheads. Often...
Airlines are seeing international travel peak this summer with families feeling comfortable traveling internationally with the COVID pandemic slowing down. Many countries have reopened in 2023, including the tourist hot spot of Japan. With these compounding factors, the U.S. State Department is experiencing a higher demand for passports which is causing delays and heartache for would-be travelers. As with anything in high demand, someone will find a way to take advantage. What’s led to this influx in passport applications? During the COVID p...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will conduct their quarterly meeting Sept. 19, in-person in Seward and online via Zoom. Held at Seward Senior Center, the meeting is open to the public and will start at 9 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. The commission includes a roster of advocates from around the state with the mission to ensure the dignity and independence of all older Alaskans, and to assist them to lead useful and meaningful lives through planning, advocacy, education and interagency cooperation. The meeting will be open for public comment at 1:15...
Interested in learning more about fellow businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the event begins at 8 a.m., second Wednesday, at a different host location each month. Breakfast provided. The next date is Sept. 13, hosted by the Palliative Care Alaska Network. Call Older Persons Action Group, Inc. at...
Retirement is not one-size-fits-all. It can mean different things to different people. Perhaps you have not applied for Social Security retirement benefits because you’re still working or are delaying applying so you can get the higher benefit. If you’re age 70 or older, you should apply now for the benefits you’re owed. Your benefits will not increase if you continue to delay applying for them because you are 70 or older. Did you know that you can receive benefits even if you still work? Your earnings can increase your monthly benefit amoun...
The Social Security Administration partners with locations throughout Alaska to offer a secure video service option. Video service is a convenient and no-cost way for people to talk directly to a Social Security employee through a secure computer link that includes two-way video and sound. The video service locations are available at: In Nome, Norton Sound Health Corporation, located at 1000 Greg Kruschek Ave. Video service is available for walk-ins on a first come, first served basis, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai...
In the 1960s, many Americans tuned into the game show “Password,” where contestants were paired with celebrities to guess words from verbal clues. While that word, “password,” might have once brought to mind giddy TV contestants playing for cash, we’re much more likely to think about passwords nowadays in the context of online security. And why wouldn’t we? Passwords are required across the internet to pay bills, log in to social media, subscribe to streaming services and more. We’ve become quite familiar with the need to create usernames and...
Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program check booklets are available at local senior centers and other agencies. Each booklet includes $35 worth of checks that can be used to buy fresh Alaska-grown fruits, vegetables, fresh-cut herbs and honey at participating farmers’ markets, authorized farms, and roadside stands within Alaska. Applicants must be at least 60 years old and meet low-income eligibility guidelines. Links to program information and a downloadable application are at https://bit.ly/3BfGvLV. Or call your local senior center or mea...
The Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) is hosting a teleconference focusing on Nutrition, Transportation and Support Services (NTS) grants. Subject experts Ellen Hackenmuller and Kristin Cox of Senior and Disabilities Services will explain the mechanics of NTS grants in Alaska. Grant recipients have been invited to participate in regional focus groups alongside our experts to assist the commission in understanding the growing needs of the state. The efforts made during this teleconference will assist ACoA commissioners in gathering information...
Social Security is committed to reducing barriers and ensuring people who are eligible for our benefits receive them. We provide income security for the diverse populations we serve. This includes people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Many parents and caretakers of children with disabilities lose work hours and income because of their children’s care needs. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides monthly financial support to low-income families with children who have developmental and behavioral disabilities. T...
Dear Savvy Senior: What retirement planning tips can you recommend to single women? I’m a divorced 58-year-old woman with a teenaged son and have very little saved for retirement. — Financially Vulnerable Dear Vulnerable: It’s an unfortunate reality, but many single women – whether they’re divorced, widowed or never married – face much greater financial challenges in retirement than men. The reasons behind this are women tend to earn less money, about 82 cents for every dollar that men make, on average, and they have shorter working car...
The Social Security Administration partners with locations throughout Alaska to offer a secure video service option. Video service is a convenient and no-cost way for people to talk directly to a Social Security employee through a secure computer link that includes two-way video and sound. The video service locations are available at: In Nome, Norton Sound Health Corporation, located at 1000 Greg Kruschek Ave. Video service is available for walk-ins on a first come, first served basis, on the second and fourth Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon. Kenai...
Interested in learning more about fellow businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, Inc., is an opportunity for all the above. Informal, early and free, the event begins at 8 a.m., second Wednesday, at a different host location each month. Breakfast provided. The next date is July 12, hosted by Anchorage Senior Activity Center. Call Older Persons Action Group, Inc. at...
"Ah, look at all the lonely people." -The Beatles You hear him talk or you read his words and you think, "Now, this guy's a real mensch." It's all the more amazing considering that Dr. Vivek Murthy has served as the 19th and 21st surgeon general of the United States under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden. That's right, a high-level bureaucrat and a good soul. Dr. Murthy just released a ground-breaking study entitled, "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation." Just plug that title into your...
