Society of Certified Senior Advisors

These Free Email and Web Browsers Do More to Protect Your Privacy

2026-10-07T10:33:23.067-07:00

Tired of feeling like companies are always looking over your shoulder online? Protect your personal information with a more secure app.

Most email platforms and web browsers automatically collect information about how you use them and send data back to the company that made the apps. This data typically includes things like which features you use and how often, crash reports and error logs, and usage patterns (pages visited, buttons clicked, etc.). It might also include details on the software you’re running and the hardware you’re running it on.

The stated purpose of this data collection is legitimate: developers use it to fix bugs, improve performance, and understand which features matter to users. But it's not always clear where a given company draws the line between performance metrics and details about personal habits and content. Most popular email platforms and browser apps are collecting data on the contents of your inbox and the pages you visit to target ads that show up in your social media and search results.

We all know this, and it can feel like there’s nothing to be done about being tracked online. A recent study found that when it comes to online privacy, cybersecurity experts exhibit online behaviors and habits similar to the average person’s, even when they know that their habits may be putting their own information at risk. It would seem that, like most other people, experts tend to make decisions based on the benefits of using a particular app or platform, regardless of the potential loss of privacy.

But you do have options. Email and web browsers are apps that we use everyday–for some people, almost constantly. Switching to a new, more secure email or web app can feel like a big hurdle. The good news is that there are apps available that mimic the look and functionality of the most popular apps, while protecting more of your personal information.

More-Private Email

Privacy-focused email platforms keep the content of your inbox out of advertisers’ reach. They’re also encrypted end-to-end so that messages can't be intercepted or read by third parties.

One privacy-focused email option is Proton Mail. Proton is built around end-to-end and zero-access encryption, meaning even Proton itself can't read your messages, which sets it apart from mainstream providers that scan inboxes for advertising or training purposes. It's based in Switzerland, so it has strong legal privacy protections outside United States and EU data-sharing frameworks. It includes built-in phishing and tracker protection and a clean modern interface.

Another option is Tutanota, based in Germany. While their interface is a little less polished by some accounts as compared to Proton Mail, it’s still user-friendly and similarly has a 1GB free storage limit. It also encrypts your data end-to-end. Tutanota and Proton Mail are the top two free secure email providers, but there are others that charge monthly fees.

More-Secure Browsers

You have options here, too. One is Brave, which is built on the same open-source Chromium engine as Google Chrome. While Chrome sends usage data back to Google, Brave strips out most of that data-sharing, so less of your activity is reported back to the company that made the browser. Since it's Chromium-based, Brave supports most Chrome extensions and feels familiar to switch to, unlike some privacy browsers that require a steeper learning curve. Brave is also more aggressive about blocking third-party cookies, which means less of your browsing history gets shared or sold to data brokers.

Firefox isn't Chromium-based, which some users consider a privacy plus since it doesn't share Chrome's ecosystem ties to Google. It has strong built-in tracking protection, is fully open-source, and is developed by Mozilla, a nonprofit organization with a privacy-focused mission. It requires a bit more manual tweaking to match Brave's out-of-the-box blocking, but Firefox's "Enhanced Tracking Protection" gets you most of the way there.

Another option is the DuckDuckGo Browser, from the makers of the privacy-focused search engine. It has built-in tracker blocking, encryption, and a "Fire Button" to instantly clear browsing data.

It’s true: for those of us who have had the same email for 20+ years, switching is intimidating. You might be like the cybersecurity experts who decide it’s not worth the hassle. Or, you might want to give one of these apps a try for increased peace of mind.

Additional Sources:

https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/internet-ethics/resources/loss-of-online-privacy-whats-the-harm/

https://www.nist.gov/blogs/manufacturing-innovation-blog/maintaining-your-online-privacy

https://www.cloudwards.net/tutanota-vs-protonmail/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Fall Financial Check-Up: Five Things to Review this Season

2026-10-07T10:26:49.766-07:00

Autumn is an ideal time to give your finances an annual tune-up.

Just as you might change the batteries in your smoke detectors or get your furnace inspected before winter, taking an hour or two this month to review key parts of your financial life can save you money, stress, and headaches down the road. Here are five areas worth your attention.

1. Get Ready for Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7, and (as Senior Spirit recently covered) this window is your annual opportunity to make changes to your coverage without needing a special circumstance. Even if you're happy with your current plan, it's worth reviewing it every year, because plans can change their costs, covered medications, and provider networks from one year to the next.

Start by reading the "Annual Notice of Change" letter your plan sent in September. Pay close attention to premium changes and updates to your prescription drug formulary. If you take medications, use Medicare's Plan Finder tool (at medicare.gov) to compare what you'd pay under different plans; the difference can sometimes be hundreds of dollars a year. If the process feels overwhelming, your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free, unbiased counseling and can walk through your options with you over the phone or in person.

2. Dust Off Your Estate Planning Documents

Estate planning isn't a "set it and forget it" task. Major life changes—like a marriage, divorce, death of a loved one, birth of a grandchild, or a move to a new state—can all affect whether your existing documents still reflect your wishes.

Take time this fall to locate your will, power of attorney, and healthcare directive (sometimes called a living will) and read through them. Ask yourself: Is the person I named as executor or agent still the right choice, and are they still willing and able to serve? Does my will still reflect how I want my assets distributed? If you've moved to a different state, note that some documents, particularly powers of attorney and healthcare directives, may need to be updated to comply with your new state's laws. If you don't have these documents at all, now is a great time to meet with an estate planning attorney and get them in place. Also make sure a trusted family member knows where to find the originals.

3. Sharpen Your Scam Defenses

Unfortunately, older adults are frequently targeted by scammers, and the tactics keep evolving. Senior Spirit recently covered how AI is powering the evolution of scams.

Even in this changing landscape, few good habits can protect you. Never give out your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank information to someone who calls you unexpectedly. Legitimate agencies will NEVER demand this information over the phone. If you get a call claiming to be from a government agency, hang up and call the agency back using a number you look up independently. Be especially cautious during Medicare Open Enrollment season, when scammers often pose as insurance agents.

It can’t be said enough: if something feels urgent or too good to be true, pause and talk it over with a trusted family member or friend before acting. And consider registering your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry to cut down on unwanted calls.

4. Confirm Your Beneficiary Designations

Here's something many people don't realize: the beneficiary designations on your retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and bank accounts typically override what's written in your will. That means if you named a beneficiary years ago and never updated it, your assets could end up going to an ex-spouse, an estranged relative, or someone who has since passed away.

Pull out your most recent statements for IRAs, 401(k)s, pensions, life insurance policies, and any payable-on-death bank accounts. Confirm that the primary and contingent beneficiaries listed are still who you want. This is especially important after any major life event. Updating a beneficiary form is usually quick and free.

5. Revisit Your Retirement Income Plan

Finally, take a look at how your income is holding up against your expenses. If you're already retired, review your withdrawal rate from savings and investment accounts to make sure it's still sustainable, particularly if the market has shifted this year. Check whether your Social Security strategy still makes sense, and if you haven't yet claimed benefits, consider whether waiting could increase your monthly amount.

Also factor in required minimum distributions (RMDs) if you're 73 or older. Missing these deadlines can trigger steep penalties. If inflation has affected your day-to-day costs, this is a good time to adjust your budget and talk with a financial advisor about whether your income sources are keeping pace.

None of these tasks need to happen in a single afternoon. Consider tackling one item each week this month. A little attention now can bring real peace of mind heading into the winter months, and that's a gift worth giving yourself.

Additional Sources:

https://trustandwill.com/learn/bank-account-beneficiary-vs-will

This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice from a qualified financial advisor.

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Seven Home Winterizing Tips for a Safe and Cozy Season

2026-10-06T11:02:53.324-07:00

Save money and stay safe all winter with this checklist for homes and apartments.

As the snow falls this winter, during the long nights, there’s nothing better than curling up under a blanket with a book and a cup of tea… and nothing worse than, instead, having to deal with a basement flooded from a frozen burst pipe. Now’s the time! Take a few steps to prepare your home for cold temperatures, then rest warm and cozy during the months to come.

1. Insulate vulnerable pipes. Most homeowner insurance claims related to freezing temperatures are due water damage–burst pipes in particular. The pipes that most often burst due to freezing temps are located in unheated basements, attics and crawlspaces, and along exterior walls. Repairs to the pipes and flooded areas can run into the thousands of dollars, but pipe insulation costs less than a dollar per foot at the hardware store. Wrap insulation around easy-to-reach pipes in unheated areas of your home to protect them from freezing. It may not be possible to wrap every pipe that could benefit from extra insulation, so to protect those areas, allow a trickle of water to run through bathroom or kitchen faucets on the coldest days (20 degrees Fahrenheit or below) to prevent pipes from freezing.

Winter Safety Tip: Shovel with Care

Especially if you love a snow day, shoveling snow can feel like good clean exercise. But for many people–especially for older adults, but for middle-aged and younger folks as well–shoveling snow can place a dangerous amount of stress on the heart and back. Even after just two minutes of snow shoveling, a sedentary person’s heart rate can rise above recommended levels. Heart attacks during snow shoveling are on the rise. Here are some tips from Mayo Clinic for safe snow shoveling.

If you have a history of heart issues, ask your doctor if you should be shoveling snow at all.
Drink plenty of water, and take breaks frequently.
Bend at the knees and lift with your legs to prevent strain on the back. Use a smaller shovel so that you’re lifting smaller loads.
Watch out for ice under snowy surfaces.
Pay attention to your body, especially shoulders, which can strain easily when shoveling.

2. Clean your gutters. Heed this cautionary tale from Consumer Reports Home & DIY Editor Paul Hope: “Standing in my kitchen, watching water cascade in from above, I pondered how many times I’d advised others to clear their gutters annually…Neglecting my own gutters meant that as the snow melted from my roof, it had nowhere to drain. Nowhere, that is, except for my kitchen.” If you’re cleaning your own gutters, be sure to choose a ladder that extends at least three to five feet above the roof, anchored securely. For individuals with balance issues, it’s wise to hire a professional to clean gutters every year.

3. Get your dryer vent checked. In the winter, when a dryer pushes hot, humid air outside, that moisture mixes with lint in the exterior cold air and can create a sludge that adheres to the interior of the vent. Not only does this cause a dryer to work harder and run longer, wasting energy, but it’s also a fire hazard. It’s a good idea to have a certified contractor clean and evaluate the safety of your dryer vent before cold weather arrives.

4. Check your furnace and hot water heater. Same goes for two of the most important pieces of equipment in the winter home: your furnace and hot water heater. A professional will make sure they’re in working order and present no fire danger. You may be able to replace a furnace filter yourself, to help it run more efficiently and cleaner.

5. Sweep out the chimney. For those lucky enough to enjoy a fire in the fireplace during the winter, sweeping out the chimney is essential maintenance to prevent dangerous conditions and keep indoor air clean. If you have a fireplace but don’t plan to use it this year, you can install an affordable chimney plug to block cold air from entering and warm air from leaving the house.

6. Inspect carbon monoxide detectors. Another key reason to maintain furnaces and chimneys in good working order is to prevent the threat of carbon monoxide in the house. Especially during the winter, it’s important that carbon monoxide detectors be in good working order to warn of the presence of this otherwise undetectable gas.

7. Take extra steps when leaving home for long stretches of time. If you’re planning a vacation to warmer climes, protect your home from freezing weather and snow hazards before you leave. Either leave the heat set above freezing, or turn off the water completely and drain pipes before you go to prevent freezing and bursting. You can do this yourself or hire a plumber, who can also blow compressed air through pipes to ensure they’re empty after draining. Check for hanging branches that could fall during a snow or ice storm, and have any risky situations addressed by an arborist. Ask a friend or neighbor you trust to keep an eye on your home, especially during and after storms, and alert you of any damage.

Take a little extra time and invest now in preventative maintenance, and you’ll be able to rest easy in your winterized home while the cold winds blow.

Additional Sources:

https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/home-maintenance-repairs/how-to-keep-pipes-from-freezing-a2277945570/

https://dryerventtechs.com/is-your-dryer-vent-ready-for-a-deep-freeze/

https://www.tchabitat.org/blog/winterize-your-home

https://agesafeamerica.com/home-safety-hub/aging-in-place/winterize-your-home-avoid-headaches/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Premenopause and Menopause Myths Worth Busting

2026-10-06T10:40:27.621-07:00

Overlooked for too long, menopause is having a cultural moment.

Awareness may be at an all-time high when it comes to the condition affecting all women in midlife. For example, at Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Women’s Wellness and Healthy Aging Program, founded in 2019, was recently renamed the Center for Menopause and Midlife Health to recognize the primacy of menopause in women’s health.

Dr. Wen Shen, Director of the Center, says she sees menopause affecting nearly every aspect of a woman’s health, “yet it remains one of the most overlooked areas in medical education and clinical care.” Sunday, October 18 is World Menopause Day. Founded by the International Menopause Society (IMS) in 2009, World Menopause Day aims to raise awareness of women’s experience of menopause and the continued need for research. “We celebrate the many medical advances and the massive increase in public awareness in recent years,” IMS states, “but there’s still much more to be done.”

Perhaps because 1.3 million millennials are now entering perimenopause each year and voicing their questions and experiences online, the discourse around women’s health in midlife is changing. Doctors, researchers, and social media influencers alike are busting menopause myths, and more research is leading to new learnings. Here are a few of the common misconceptions about perimenopause that are finally falling by the wayside.

Myth: Menopause happens overnight. The reality is that menopause is a life stage, like puberty, that happens over a number of years. The average age of menopause–defined as 12 months without a period–is 51 in the U.S. Periomenopause can start up to 10 years earlier.

Myth: Menopause is a steady decline. First of all–the idea that menopause constitutes a “decline” for women’s health is widespread but misguided. It’s a time when the hormones estrogen and progesterone decline in the body, changing many aspects of a person’s health. But these changes are a mixed bag, and some women will find relief in aspects of menopause, such as the absence of painful periods and the need for birth control.

Secondly–in reference to estrogen and progesterone, for most women, the decline is not steady. These hormones can and do fluctuate wildly throughout perimenopause, meaning that people may experience intense symptoms for months at a time followed by months of few to no symptoms.

Myth: Menopause means hot flashes, lower libido, and weight gain. It’s true that the most well-known symptoms of perimenopause are common ones, including hot flashes (also called vasomotor symptoms), insomnia, mood swings, vaginal dryness and a lower libido, and weight gain. About 80% of people get hot flashes during perimenopause; for most people, they last for two years or less.

But perimenopause and menopause symptoms are myriad, and every person will experience this period of life in different ways. Other common and less-common symptoms include:

More hair growth on the chin and face, and less on the head, pubic area, and underarms
Acne and rosacea
Anxiety and depression, experienced by up to 30% of women
Digestive issues, including constipation and/or diarrhea
Dizziness
Little electric shocks, sometimes called “body zaps”
Dry eyes and light sensitivity
New chronic pain in the joints, breasts, and muscles. The theme of this year’s World Menopause Day is Chronic Pain at Midlife to raise awareness about these symptoms.
An irregular heartbeat
New or worsening allergies
Urinary changes that can lead to chronic UTIs and bladder incontinence

Every one of these symptoms is due to the lessening of estrogen and/or progesterone in the body. Those are powerful hormones.

Myth: Weight gain during menopause is inevitable. Hormonal changes can make it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight, and the average weight gained during perimenopause is 5 pounds. But experts agree that many people tend to become less active as they get older, and this and and other changes in lifestyle and diet actually have more to do with the average person’s menopausal weight gain than hormones alone. That’s good news, because it means that for some women, focusing on diet and exercise during perimenopause can help keep off excess pounds.

Myth: Hormone therapy (HT) is unsafe because it increases breast cancer risk. The updated scientific consensus is that, for many people, the benefits of HT outweigh the risks. HT https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/hormone-therapy involves administering estrogen and progesterone via patches, pills, sprays, or a vaginal ring; it’s a fist-line therapy approved by the FDA for symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. In 2002, a study from the Women’s Health Initiative linked HT to heart disease and breast cancer, and as a result, rates of HT use plummeted. However, in recent years, researchers have found that the increased breast cancer risks are very low (by one account, less than one-tenth of one percent per year), and the benefits may well compensate for that increased risk. In addition to alleviating the symptoms above, HT may also help lower the risk of osteoporosis and colon cancer. Women interested should talk with their doctors about whether the therapy is right for them.

Myth: Women have to endure their symptoms without relief. A large part of the discourse around perimenopause these days is putting the lie to this myth. Thanks especially to HT and a growing awareness among clinicians about the experience of perimenopause and menopause, women are finding relief as they enter this new stage of life.

Additional Sources:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/womens-wellness-program/about-us

https://www.webmd.com/menopause/menopause-vasomotor-symptoms

https://www.drcoppaobgyn.com/blog/its-not-all-bad-5-positive-parts-of-menopause https://www.aamc.org/news/new-treatments-renewed-focus-galvanize-menopause-care

https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/after-decades-of-misunderstanding-menopause-is-finally-having-its-moment/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Grandma Hobbies are Gen Z Chic

2026-10-02T09:54:48.051-07:00

In an effort to escape their screens, many members of Gen Z are entering their granny era.

Knitting, quilting, baking, gardening, sewing, embroidery, candle-making, canning–these everyday activities are finding new life among a new generation. And they have a new name: grandma hobbies, granny hobbies, or “grannycore.”

Why is TikTok recently full of needlepoint tutorials and other crafts of yesteryear? “At a very basic level, I think people are looking for something to do recreationally that doesn’t involve a screen,” Susan Luckman, author of “Craft and the Creative Economy,” reflected in the New York Times. Today’s hobbyists say they’re looking for ways to step away from digital overload and literally rest their eyes and minds. The more tactile and sensory the activity, the better.

New to knitting, Cassidy Sutter told NPR that she finds the hobby both relaxing and engaging. “You can use a lot of brainpower, depending on what you're making. Or you can do something that's kind of mindless. So it's really versatile in that way,” she said. “In this era of automation and fast-paced living, it's nice to practice the delayed gratification of working on something for weeks or even, like, months.”

Grandma hobbies provide that escape from the hectic, mile-a-minute pace of the attention economy. “When we create something that requires full attention, the part of our brain called ‘default mode network’ is diminished,” Dr. Anne Kirketerp, author of Craft Psychology, told The New York Times. “The constant inner noise or negative ruminating thoughts are absent. That is what we need desperately.”

Another reason that Gen Z (and millennials, too) are flocking to these hands-on activities is the sense of accomplishment they provide in the age of AI. With sewing, there’s no scrolling, and there’s no AI making decisions. New sewers describe the hobby as a grounding experience that helps them feel genuinely productive, which brings a lot of satisfaction.

“Grandmas used to make their clothing like it was nothing, and turns out it’s something,” Christine Williams told CBS news. Christine is a student at The Sewing Room, an Alameda, California studio dedicated to the art of sewing, which has seen enrollment jump forty percent in the last year. “I feel like I’m wearing my dream wardrobe, because I am,” she said of the ruffled jacket she had made by hand.

Another draw of grandma hobbies for Gen Z is that they tend to be relatively affordable compared to other hobbies or going out. Whether or not you’re technically a grandparent, you may be grannycore curious… if so, here are a few of today’s hottest hobbies and what you’d need to get started.

Quilting. A sewing machine, 100% cotton fabric pieces, a rotary cutter, cutting mat, an iron, and some good fabric scissors. If you have 1,001 t-shirts from across the years, making a quilt can be a meaningful and fun way to preserve them.
Crocheting. Yarn and crochet hooks. Crocheting is a great place to start if you’ve never tried fiber crafts before–it’s a gentle learning curve.
Candle-making. This materials list is longer, but if you love candles and crafting, you’ll certainly save money on candles in the long run by making them yourself! Part of the fun is finding unique containers at thrift stores and repurposing jars and tins for candle creations.
Card-making. Beautiful paper, stamps, ribbons, markers or pencils, and found materials. The hard-(granny)core hobbyists will even make their own paper.
Flower-pressing. Flower-press kits are available online and in craft stores, or you can simply use parchment paper and an iron. This granny hobby pairs well with gardening and card-making.

Yet another reason that grannycore hobbies are so popular these days is that they bring people together and help build community offline. Of her knitting meetup group, Manda Tran told NPR, “There's not a lot of spaces where I would find myself talking to people that have lived much more life than me and are wiser than me, but that can share their skill and then also just their life stories.” She finds that intergenerational community over the clacking of knitting needles.

Additional Sources:

https://theeverygirl.com/old-school-hobbies-to-try/

https://www.countrypeony.com/blog/grandma-hobby

https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/basic-quilting-supplies/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Famous & 65

2026-10-02T09:30:45.410-07:00

Look who's turning 65 this month

Find out which celebrities are turning 65 this month!

October 3

This Cuban-born singer fled Havana with his family as a teenager and eventually landed in Miami, where he studied music at the University of Miami. He first gained industry attention writing and performing background vocals for Gloria Estefan, and then, in 1992, released his self-titled debut, which included the smash hit “Just Another Day.” He simultaneously released a Spanish-language version of the album that became equally successful in Latin markets–now a common occurrence, but quite notable back in his day.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

October 9

These identical twin actresses burst onto television screens in 1984 with their own NBC sitcom Double Trouble, playing sisters navigating college life. Born into a showbusiness family (Their father is director and producer Boris ___), both carved out steady post-sitcom careers in Hollywood, including as The Doublemint Twins in the gum commercials. Throughout the years, they’ve written, directed, and acted for TV and film, including the shows 2 Broke Girls and Sons of Anarchy.

Answer: Who is…. (click here and here to reveal)?

October 18

In 1997, this trumpet virtuoso became the first jazz musician ever awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his oratorio Blood on the Fields. Classically trained at Juilliard and steeped in the deepest traditions of his native New Orleans jazz, he became the art form's most prominent ambassador and occasionally-controversial purist, famously insisting that jazz's classic roots deserved reverence over experimentation. As artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center he built an unparalleled institutional home for jazz. In a first, he won Grammy Awards simultaneously in both classical and jazz categories in 1983, then did it again the following year.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

Sources:

Wikipedia

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

High-Tech Strategies for Selling Your Home

2026-09-09T12:04:19.270-07:00

From digital staging to 3D open houses, AI is changing the business of selling a home.

Artificial intelligence has landed in the real estate industry–with all the attendant pros and cons. Some AI applications, like digital staging, are saving both sellers and their agents big money. And 3D open houses are more interactive and vibrant than ever, offering homeowners new ways to make their listing stand out. Some sellers are even asking: with all this new technology, is it even necessary to hire a realtor?

AI-Assisted Staging

Before we address that question, let’s look at the benefits and pitfalls of staging your home with AI. Staging a home–that is, furnishing it to show buyers the home’s potential–can significantly boost a home’s value: about a third of respondents to a poll of the National Association of Realtors said that staging a home tends to increase its value by 1% to 5%.

But of course, it’s expensive. Realtor.com suggests budgeting $300 to $600 for an initial design consultation, and then between $500 and $600 per month for each staged room. That averages out to about $2,000 to $5,000 per month, depending on the home. Another way to budget for staging is to plan for 1% to 2% of your home’s total cost. This cost is often negotiated between the sellers and their agent.

AI staging, on the other hand, costs about $30 to $50 per photo. And the benefits are similar, in terms of how potential buyers respond. When buyers visit the home, they won’t see it staged, so some impact is lost there. But according to realtor Barret Henry, AI staging provides 80% of the benefit for 5% of the cost.

Buyers know those online images are AI, and that’s fine. In fact, the most important consideration when using AI-assisted staging, according to Henry, is disclosure. Most MLS systems require sellers to disclose when staged images are AI. What turns buyers off is when AI photos are used to cover up imperfections or problems in the space. Like regular staging, the images are effective when they show a home’s potential while maintaining full transparency.

There are plenty of virtual staging platforms to choose from. HousingWire vetted six of the top options.

The New 3D Open House

If you’ve browsed the listing websites recently, in addition to virtual staging, you’ve likely noticed different kinds of virtual tours, 3D walkthroughs, or 360-degree open houses. Real estate sites use different terms to refer to these different kinds of virtual tours:

A video that feels like a movie trailer, but for a house. Often with music and panning shots. These productions usually cost between $180 and $280.
An interactive experience that feels like navigating through the home by clicking through the layout, kind of like Street View in Google maps. Creating it involves taking special 360-degree photos of the home and stitching them together. The cost is usually between $200 and $500.
A dollhouse tour incorporates a 3D model of the house, allowing users to zoom in and out of the entire structure of the house.
Other, more expensive floor plan tours may incorporate rich detail, actual room measurements on screen, and the ability to zoom in much further on aspects of the home. These kinds of 3D tours range in price from $0-$50 for software that allows users to create the tour themselves, to $5,000 for a professional photographer and editing.

Interestingly, recent research from Harvard Business School suggests that virtual tours of any kind have, on average, a negligible effect on home values. The study found that the listings that include these tours also tend to have better quality text and photos, and after controlling for those variables, the tour itself didn’t boost home prices. It’s worth doing some research before deciding whether or not to invest in any kind of virtual tour. Sellers’ mileage may vary depending on their location and market.

AI Supports the Home Sale Process–Without Replacing Real Estate Agents

With so many affordable options for online platforms to stage and tour a home, sellers may wonder what they need a real estate agent for these days. The short answer is that everyone’s situation is different, but for most sellers, a real estate agent’s expertise and personal touch will help boost the value of your home while easing the process.

AI can help sellers draft the text of the listing, but a good realtor will know how to tailor that text precisely to the correct location and audience. Plus, a good realtor will advocate for your interests throughout the process, with experience and negotiation skills that AI can’t replicate. An experienced real estate agent will have a sense of how to best use AI staging or virtual tours to your advantage.

On balance, it’s probably worthwhile to have a realtor–not just AI–by your side during one of the most important financial transactions of your life.

Additional Sources:

https://atwellstagedhome.com/who-pays-for-home-staging/

https://www.travelers.com/resources/home/buying-selling/what-is-home-staging-and-what-does-it-cost

https://www.redfin.com/news/introducing-redfin-3d-walkthrough/

https://panoee.com/virtual-tour-cost/

https://www.onepercentlistings.com/post/can-i-sell-my-house-without-a-realtor-using-ai

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Ready or Not, Here They Come: Medicare Enrollment Periods

2026-09-09T11:56:08.397-07:00

Medicare Open Enrollment starts October 15, and people turning 65 in the next year have their own Initial Enrollment Period. Get ready by reviewing your options.

Fall is finally here, and with it, the time of year when we need to think about Medicare options. Medicare Open, or Annual, Enrollment runs every year from October 15 to December 7, and changes made during enrollment take effect January 1 of the following year.

What Should You Do Now?

Don't wait until October to begin reviewing your options. Take time now to:
Review your current Medicare plan and prescription drug coverage.
Make a list of medications and confirm they will continue to be covered.
Check whether your doctors and preferred healthcare providers remain in-network.
Review your annual healthcare expenses and determine whether another plan may better meet your needs.
Watch for the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) from your current plan, which outlines changes in premiums, deductibles, copayments, and benefits for the upcoming year.
Gather questions and schedule time with a trusted Medicare professional if you need assistance comparing options.

Medicare Decision-Making Resources

Official Medicare Website. Medicare.gov provides information on enrollment periods, coverage options, premiums, and plan comparisons.

Medicare Helpline. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)

TTY: 1-877-486-2048

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). SHIP offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling to help beneficiaries understand their options. Each state’s SHIP may go by a different name. For example, in Michigan, this program is called the Michigan Medicare Assistance Program (MMAP). Find your local SHIP with this online finder.

Even small changes in coverage can have a significant financial impact. For example, if you don’t review your Part D coverage, you may experience an unpleasant surprise come January if a medication that was cheap or free this year was moved to a higher cost tier, or dropped from the formulary entirely, for the next plan year.

Turning 65? Don't Delay Enrollment.

Many individuals approaching age 65 believe they can postpone Medicare enrollment because they are healthy and do not currently need medical services. However, enrolling on time is important.

Benefits of enrolling when first eligible include:

Avoiding potential late enrollment penalties that may increase costs for life. The penalties increase the longer you wait to enroll, and they stick around forever.
Ensuring access to healthcare coverage before unexpected medical needs arise.
Taking advantage of preventive services, wellness visits, screenings, and other Medicare benefits.
Avoiding gaps in coverage during transitions such as retirement or changes in employer-sponsored insurance.
Gaining peace of mind knowing healthcare protection is in place.

In terms of the penalties, there’s one big exception: if someone is still working past 65 and covered by a current employer's group health plan (theirs or a spouse's), they may be able to delay Part A and Part B without a penalty.

Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is a one-time, personal window tied to your birthday, and it’s separate from Open or Annual Enrollment. Your IEP generally begins three months before your 65th birthday month, includes your birthday month, and continues for three months afterward. So if you turn 65 in June, your window runs March through September. (One quirk: if your birthday falls on the 1st of the month, Medicare treats you as if you were born the month before. So someone turning 65 on June 1 would have an IEP running February through August, not March through September.)

Even if you feel healthy today, Medicare planning is about preparing for tomorrow. Healthcare needs can change unexpectedly, and timely enrollment helps protect both your health and financial well-being.

As with all aspects of retirement planning, being proactive can help you make informed decisions and avoid costly surprises. Be sure to talk with a fiduciary financial advisor and use the resources in the sidebar to get all your questions answered.

Is Medicare Even Going to Be Around After 2030?

Rumors and anxieties are currently flourishing about the long-term health of Medicare itself. Let’s dig into it.

Medicare Parts B and D are funded through beneficiary premiums and U.S. Treasury funds, and these inputs are more or less consistent with spending over time. Concerns stem from the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report, which found that by 2032, the trust fund income upon which Medicare Part A relies will run dry. At that point, Part A would only be able to pay out what it brings in from payroll taxes, and that won’t be enough to cover healthcare costs that are rising faster than inflation and wages.

All this doesn’t mean that Medicare disappears or stops functioning in 2033. It means the Part A trust fund's reserve cushion will be gone, and what it collects in taxes will only cover roughly 89% of scheduled Part A costs. Legally, Medicare won’t be able to spend any more than that, absent Congressional action.

Congress has taken action before to boost Medicare, an extremely popular program on both sides of the political aisle. So it’s likely enough that they’ll take action again to make sure that Medicare can cover that projected 11% gap that the trust fund now covers.

But advocacy will be important. AARP, among other organizations, is starting now to ensure that this issue is top of mind for lawmakers. “Medicare financing should be broad-based, stable and progressive,” AARP says. “Policymakers should ensure state laws and regulations do not reduce or undermine consumer access, affordability and quality in the Medicare program.” As we get closer to 2033, get ready to sign some petitions and call your legislator if you want to see Medicare funded at its current levels.

This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice from a qualified financial advisor.

Additional Sources:

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R43122

https://www.uhc.com/medicare/medicare-education/medicare-initial-enrollment-period.html

https://www.medicarefaq.com/original-medicare/medicare-parts/medicare-part-d/medicare-part-d-formulary/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

When Electrolyte Supplements Help--and When They Don't

2026-09-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

Our bodies are electric, and we all need electrolytes. How much is too much of a good thing?

The electrolyte market in the U.S. totaled a whopping $20 billion in 2020. Last year, it hit $40 billion. Experts agree, electrolytes are key to proper hydration. But to properly hydrate, do we need products advertised to give us an electrolyte boost? And do these products carry any risks, particularly for people with health conditions?

What Are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals—such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride—that carry an electric charge when dissolved in body fluids like blood or sweat. They help regulate nerve and muscle function and, famously, support healthy hydration. In other words, different electrolytes help maintain the balance of fluid inside and outside of our cells. Without enough sodium and potassium, for example, the inner/outer fluid balance can get out of sync, leading to swelling or low blood pressure.

When the body loses moisture and electrolytes through sweat, urine, or vomiting, they need to be replenished through food or drinks.

When Are Electrolytes Most Important?

For most people, most of the time, we get the electrolytes we need through our diet. But certain conditions can deplete electrolytes quickly:

Being physically active for more than hour in hot weather
Spending a prolonged period of time outdoors in the sun
During an illness, after vomiting or diarrhea
Having certain medical conditions like hypertension, chronic kidney disease, or substance use disorder
Taking certain kinds of medications including corticosteroids, chemotherapy drugs, diuretics, laxatives, and antibiotics
Being a “super sweater,” that is, someone who sweats profusely, whether just by natural inclination or because of an underlying medical condition.

According to Cleveland Clinic, people experiencing any of these situations may benefit from products that replenish electrolytes. In these cases, the electrolyte boost from a powder or drink can help someone feel better almost immediately.

Older adults are at particular risk of dehydration because of a lower volume of water in the body, and because they may be more likely to take certain medications, like the ones above, that contribute to dehydration. If dehydration is a chronic problem, especially if dietary changes aren’t cutting it, electrolyte supplements may help older adults keep their hydration levels up on a regular basis.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

That said, it is possible to overdo it with electrolyte supplements, and adults who have hypertension or diabetes need to be particularly cognizant of this risk. It’s essential to always talk with your doctor before starting a new supplement regimen. Your doctor may order a metabolic panel or an electrolyte panel to determine whether electrolyte supplements are right for you.

One risk associated with frequent use of electrolyte powders is raising your sodium levels. The American Heart Association recommends capping daily sodium intake at 1,500 milligrams a day for most people, and some electrolyte packets contain close to 1,000 milligrams. For adults with hypertension, that extra sodium is unwelcome.

Same goes for sugar. Most electrolyte drinks contain simple sugars, and most adults don’t need to add any extra liquid sugar to their diets. On balance, these drinks may be unhealthy for people who are diabetic or pre-diabetic.

For anyone tempted to introduce multiple electrolyte drinks into their daily diet, beware that the symptoms of excess electrolytes in the body actually look very similar to an electrolyte deficiency: nausea, headache, weakness, cramps, and in extreme cases, confusion and heart rhythm irregularities.

The Best Everyday Electrolyte Sources

No surprises here: electrolytes are plentiful in whole foods. Eating and drinking a plant-based, whole food diet is the surest way to get the electrolytes you need on a daily basis, without the risks of overdoing it. Electrolyte-rich foods include:

Fruits
Beans
Leafy greens
Fatty fish
Nuts

The bottom line: for most people, it can be worth having some electrolyte powders on hand for heavy outdoor exercise or to replenish after a bout of illness. Paying upwards of $45/month for daily electrolyte powders, though? Stick with a healthy diet instead.

Additional Sources:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/21790-electrolytes

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Signs Can Appear Twenty Years Before an Alzheimer's Diagnosis

2026-09-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

New research suggests that markers of the neurodegenerative disease can appear decades before the most well-known symptoms.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. But people can slow symptoms with early detection–and thanks to new research, detection can sometimes happen very early indeed.

In popular consciousness, the onset of Alzheimer’s disease looks like forgetting where you put your keys or why you walked into a room. Early-stage Alzheimer’s disease is indeed marked by forgetfulness, for most people. Others, though, may show non-cognitive symptoms years before memory lapses start. Emotional and physical symptoms may be the first to appear, as the signature proteins of Alzheimer’s disease–amaloid beta plaques and tau tangles–build up in the brain and neurons.

It’s important to remember that not all the symptoms below definitely indicate the onset of Alzheimer’s. Take each individual’s history and habits into account when considering when to talk with a doctor about changes of concern in yourself or a loved one.

Lower Work Productivity. A new study found that a dropoff in work productivity can predict a diagnosis of early-onset dementia 15 years in advance. Interpreting the research in Newsweek, Dr. Edmundo Rodriguez-Frias said, “If a previously high-functioning individual develops persistent difficulty with planning, task management, making decisions, language use, or adapting to new tasks, especially if others also notice these changes, it may be worth talking to your doctor instead of dismissing the problem as normal aging or work-related stress."

Weak Grip Strength. Stronger grip, better brain health? One recent study says yes, finding that with every 11-pound decrease in grip strength, men showed a 20% increased dementia risk, and women a 12% increased risk. (Not that this study addressed dementia more broadly, not Alzheimer’s disease specifically.)

Later-in-Life Dementia and Anxiety. People who develop depression or anxiety for the first time around age 60 may be experiencing very early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. More than half of people at particular risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease have at least one emotional psychiatric symptom in the pre-diagnosis stage, according to researcher Dr. Adam Turnbull.

Level of Tau Tangles in the Blood. One of the biggest breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research in recent years is the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease via blood test. Dr. Suzanne Schindler at Washington University in St. Louis and her team developed an Alzheimer’s “clock,” a model that tests the level of tau tangles in the blood in order to predict the age at which a person will develop dementia.

“In the near term, these models will accelerate our research and clinical trials,” Dr. Schindler reported to the National Institutes of Health. “Eventually, the goal is to be able to estimate when individuals are likely to develop symptoms, which will help them and their doctors to develop a plan to prevent or slow symptoms.”

About 45% of Dementia Cases are Preventable

Lifestyle changes can make a difference for some people at risk of developing dementia. In fact, about 45% of dementia cases are preventable. The best things you can do?

Diet: Try the MIND diet, https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/what-is-the-mind-diet-brain-health/ which boosts plant-based foods and limits fats, and is associated with less grey matter loss over time.
Exercise: Practice your grip strength! Muscle strength in general is associated with better cognitive function as we age, as is a less sedentary lifestyle.
Social connection: Loneliness and social isolation predict a host of dangerous conditions as we age, including Alzheimer's disease.
Reduce alcohol consumption: As Senior Spirit covered recently, alcohol consumption does your cognitive and physical health no favors.
Prioritize sleep: Healthy sleep at night and naps during the day are both associated with healthy cognition.

As researchers work to develop early tests and a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, the fact that these very early signs exist is good news for everyone.

Additional Sources:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24976-neurodegenerative-diseases

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/07/21/these-dementia-symptoms-can-show-up-years-before-diagnosis/

https://www.alz.org/alzheimer-s-dementia/stages

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/01/07/dementia-risk-cognitive-health-advice/

https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/what-is-the-mind-diet-brain-health/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/01/16/naps-cognition-memory-strategies/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

How to Start a Book Club

2026-09-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

If this back-to-school month has you missing English class, it may be time to join--or start--a book club.

"For most people, what is so painful about reading is that you read something and you don't have anybody to share it with. In part what the book club opens up is that people can read a book and then have someone else to talk about it with. Then they see that a book can lead to the pleasure of conversation, that the solitary act of reading can actually be a part of the path to communion and community."

bell hooks, from All About Love: New Visions

The American Library Association (ALA) introduces their advice on how to start a book club with this inspiration from the beloved American author. Some people join book clubs because they want to experience this sense of community around reading. Some people simply start with the goal that they want to read more. Whatever your motivation, if you’re book-club curious but haven’t found the right group, let the crisp September back-to-school air inspire you to start your own!

Finding Your Book People

How do you find and invite your book crew? The Edmonton Public Library suggests inviting two or three enthusiastic friends, and asking each of them to invite one to three friends. If that works, you’ll have a core group already. Word of mouth and posts in neighborhood groups can help round out the group over time.

Questions to Ask a New Group

Once you have a core group, include a visioning session in your first meeting. The ALA and I Love Libraries offer these 10 questions to discuss at your first meeting.

What type of group should it be? Is the tone of the group rather academic? Or is the main point to gather with each other, and the books come second? How important is it that everyone finish the book?
What kind of books should we read? Is it a genre-based club, or do you go with whatever inspiration group members bring? Are there any genres or themes the group doesn’t want to engage with (e.g. horror)?
How many members should we invite? Does the group want to place a cap on membership? ALA suggests that 8 to 16 members is an ideal book club size.
How often should we meet? Monthly, every 6 weeks?
When should we meet? This will depend on your individual members’ schedules.
Where should we meet? In lots of clubs, members rotate hosting the group at their home. Others meet at shared locations like a coffee shop or the public library.
What should we call ourselves? Here’s a chance to start developing the unique personality of your book club!
How do we keep in touch? When you start the group, distribute a list of phone numbers and (if an in-person group) addresses.
How can we keep memories? A book club journal or blog can be the place to record which books you read, and anything else the group wants to track, such as attendance or discussion topics. Sharing records like this can be a friendly way to get new members up to speed.
How can we give back to our community? Your club can be a force for good in the community by volunteering or fundraising to support a common cause; perhaps the local library or a reading program for kids.

Other questions to ponder in the early stages of book club formation: how will you choose which books to read? Some book clubs have a Book Selection Night each year, where members bring the books they’d like to nominate for inclusion in that year’s club. Everyone goes around and makes the case for their books (one to three nominations per person works best), and then the group votes and comes up with their annual calendar. Another strategy is for the person who will host at their home in two months to offer three books for the group to choose from.

Think about how your group wants to handle accessibility. Some clubs stipulate that to be selected, a book has to be available from the library or available in paperback. Some might decide they will only choose books available as audiobooks. Clubs that meet in person will want to think about whether their meeting locations need to be handicap accessible or along public transit.

For many book clubs, part of the joy is getting together in person. But if your goal is to connect with booklovers who live in other parts of the country or world, or if some members have mobility concerns, then you may decide to start a virtual book club. A book discussion over video call can be just as rich as an in-person one.

How to Structure a Book Club Meeting

As your club’s personality emerges over the first several months, you’ll find your own rhythm for how to run the meetings. In many clubs, the person who suggested that month’s book kicks off the discussion with their own impressions and then opens the floor. For a slightly more structured format, the group could hand out index cards and have each person write a question or observation; then the group chooses several to discuss. Some clubs will look for opportunities to invite special guests like local authors or subject experts.

Reading is good for you, and book clubs may have even more benefits than solo reading. In a book club, you’re socializing and learning new things, and perhaps boosting brain health for those reasons. Happy reading!

Additional Sources:

https://ilovelibraries.org/for-book-lovers/bookclubs/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Famous & 65

2026-09-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

Look who's turning 65 this month

Find out which celebrities are turning 65 this month!

September 15

This Pittsburgh-born quarterback revolutionized the passing game during his entire career with the Miami Dolphins, setting NFL records for touchdown passes and passing yards that stood for decades. Yet despite being widely considered one of the greatest pure passers to ever play the game, fate dealt him a cruel hand…he appeared in just one Super Bowl, losing to the San Francisco 49ers after his rookie season, and never returned. He retired in 2000 without a championship ring, a fact that remains one of professional sports' most discussed injustices. Nevertheless, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

September 17

This Air Force veteran logged thousands of flight hours and flew combat missions in both Desert Shield and Desert Storm before NASA came calling. As Space Shuttle commander, this native New Yorker piloted missions to the International Space Station and, after retiring from NASA, ascended through the ranks of government and aerospace leadership, eventually being confirmed as Deputy Administrator of NASA in 2021. As a leader in American space exploration and only the second woman in history to hold the position of Space Shuttle Commander, she continues to inspire a generation of young women toward aerospace careers.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

September 22

This Chicago-born actor and comedian began her career as an oncology nurse before catching the break that launched her into Hollywood: a role as the waitress Sally Dibbs in Rainman, which she auditioned for on her lunch break. Audiences came to know and love her in supporting roles across favorite films like Jumanji, Jerry Maguire, and the Toy Story franchise. She also wrote and directed her own critically praised television work, including two autobiographical sitcoms, the early cancellations of which remain minor television injustices. As she turns 65 this year, she’s appearing in two feature films: the drama Miss You, Love You and Toy Story 5.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

Sources:

Wikipedia

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Old Tricks vs. New Tricks: How to Spot an AI Hoax

2026-08-12T10:47:32.120-07:00

Is this real, or AI? The game of judging fact from fiction online has changed drastically in just this past year.

You've spent years learning to identify a scam email or a hoax photo. At this point, a part of your brain lights up automatically at the tell-tale signs: bad spelling, blurry photos, or a website that just looks a little off. You honed those instincts, and they’ve served you well.

But have you noticed that, recently, the rules changed? Artificial intelligence can now write flawless prose, generate photorealistic images, and even mimic a real person's voice and likeness on a fake video call. And scammers have wasted no time adopting these capabilities. The old red flags simply don't work anymore, and if you feel a little stressed about that, you’re not alone. We know people are using AI to scam others out of their money and data and to spread false information.

Whatever the motive behind them, these AI tricks can be identified with careful attention. It’s in everyone’s best interest to hone new instincts, and update our media literacy, to stay safe and in touch with reality.

The Old Tricks

First let’s review how it used to work. You’ve learned to spot all these signs of a hoax or scam of yesteryear:

Bad spelling and grammar. Scam emails were full of typos: "Respond immediate or lose out this opportunity."
Obviously fake photos with people who looked pasted in.
Sketchy websites. Flashing ads and too many pop ups would have tipped you off.
Chain-email format. The urgent ALL CAPS style was an easy red flag. "FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!"
Low-quality video or audio. On the rare occasions when people would go through all the labor of making a hoax video, you would recognize grainy footage and sound that didn't quite match the picture.

The New Tricks

AI has changed the calculus to such a degree that the exact opposite of some of the old advice is now true. Now, instead of looking for typos as a red flag, we should be on the lookout for too-perfect grammar and spelling. Here are AI’s new tricks, followed by how to do your best to recognize them and respond.

AI can write flawless, polished text. Since "It's well-written" no longer suggests something is legitimate, instead, check the source and see if other trusted outlets are reporting the same thing.
AI can generate photorealistic images. How to spot it: Zoom in on the details AI still struggles with: hands with too many or too few fingers, ears that don't quite match, garbled or nonsense text in the background, jewelry or glasses that don't make physical sense, and shadows falling in the wrong direction. To see if an image was generated with OpenAI, you can use their reverse image verifier. But keep in mind that an image could have been created with a different AI tool. Perform a more comprehensive search with Google’s reverse image search, which can tell you where and when a photo was taken and where else it appears on the internet.
AI can build a professional-looking "news" website in minutes. These fakes are complete with fraud bylines and logos or designs that mimic trusted outlets. How to spot it: Look up the outlet independently (don't just trust the site's own "About" page). Check how long the domain has existed and whether real journalists or other news organizations reference it.
AI-generated content often sounds calm and measured rather than shouting for attention. That calmness can make the claims sound more reliable. Notice your own reaction. If something feels urgent or shocking, or if it made you want to act immediately, that's your cue to slow down and verify, even if–or, especially if–the voice sounded very calm and reasonable. Two non-partisan, non-profit fact checking websites to bookmark are FactCheck.org and Snopes.
AI can generate realistic video and clone a real person's voice from just a few seconds of audio. This is the technology behind the "grandchild in trouble" phone scam you may have heard about. To spot it, watch for unnatural blinking, mismatched lip movement, or a voice with slightly-off pacing or breathing. For phone calls, hang up and call the person back on their known number. If your instincts are lighting up, there’s probably a reason why.

Unfortunately, everyone is going through a process of honing new instincts this year, as AI scams and hoax tactics evolve rapidly. The old tricks we learned to spot are already obsolete, and the new ones are quite a bit sneakier. To stay safe, anyone who spends time on the internet will need to develop new instincts and strengthen their critical media literacy.

Additional Sources

https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-media-literacy-age-ai/

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/reverse-image-search-for-fake-photos/

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2025/05/digital-literacy-ai-how-fight-misinformation-perfcon

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

How to Spot a Home Improvement Scam

2026-08-12T10:31:48.564-07:00

Summer is the season for home repair scams. Know how to spot a scammer and how to find a reputable contractor for your next project.

Home repairs are expensive. No one needs scammers stepping in, demanding deposits to make repairs they won’t deliver. At the height of summer–and of disaster season–scammers employ tactics to take advantage of vulnerable homeowners. But there are plenty of red flags to look out for.

What Is a Home Improvement Scam?

A home improvement scam is an attempt to steal from homeowners through fraudulent promises related to home repair services. The schemes can take several forms. Home repair scammers may take advantage of disaster victims, who are experiencing a desperate time and ready to take any good offer of help. Other times, a contractor may knock on your door, saying they noticed your roof needs repair, and offering you a special deal. After demanding a big deposit up front, they scram.

Sometimes the scammer is a genuine handyperson with unscrupulous business practices; for example, they may agree to a small job at your house, then identify numerous costly and “essential” repairs that have to be done.

How to Report a Home Improvement Scam

If you or a loved one becomes the victim of a home repair scam, you have recourse. Confide in a trusted person for support, and report the incident to one or all of these resources:

Your local police
Your bank
Your state’s attorney general’s office
Your state’s consumer protection office
The Better Business Bureau®’s Scam Tracker
The National Homebuilders Association

Don’t delay. If you know it’s a scam, time is of the essence to communicate with people who can help stop the transfer of money and track down the fraud.

Source: National Council on Aging

Unfortunately, older homeowners need to be extra vigilant. Statistics on these scams show that seniors are targeted at a higher rate, supposedly because scammers believe them to be wealthier, more likely to be trusting, and more likely to have cognitive problems.

How to Spot a Home Repair Scammer

Keep a wary eye out this summer for these flags that may indicate you’re dealing with a scammer or disreputable contractor.

Beware of convenience. If someone knocks on your door offering a fantastic price on a new roof, treat that offer like you would a random text message offering you a remote job that pays $1,000/week (i.e., wave goodbye as you shut the door). Choosing a contractor always involves some research. Commit to identifying at least three recommendations from real people before hiring any contractor.
Beware of urgency. Like scammers who operate by text, phone, or email, home repair scammers will try to get you to act fast without stopping to think. If they say your issue is urgent or dangerous, especially if it’s a new issue you didn’t expect, take the time to get multiple quotes anyway.
Beware of requests for payment in cash, cash apps, or money transfer. Any contractor who asks to be paid in an untraditional, hard-to-trace method is raising a big red flag.
Beware of prices that are way lower than other quotes. Generally, all the quotes you receive should be within 10% of each other. A much lower, too-good-to-be-true quote is just that. Don’t believe anyone who says their quote is lower because they have extra materials left over from another job–that’s a common line among scammers.
Beware of contract-less projects. Ask for something in writing, even if it’s just a simple scope of work with a quote for a small job. If they hesitate to provide it, that’s another red flag.

How to Hire a Reputable Contractor

Now you’re ready to avoid home improvement scammers. Here’s how to proactively choose a great contractor, and avoid known problem characters, for your next home repair project.

Check licensing. A disreputable licensed contractor won’t be licensed for very long. You can check with your state’s licensing agency to ensure the contractor you’re considering is licensed.
Use the rule of three. Ask for three references, and ask for photos of three recent jobs, which should all have been completed in the past 3 months. A contractor who can’t provide these probably either doesn’t work very often, or doesn’t do work that people can recommend.
Confirm that you can pay in installments. No contractor will ask you to pay in full up front. A reputable contractor will be comfortable with receiving the last payment after you’ve inspected their work when the job is done.
Get your questions answered. A reputable contractor will be willing and able to answer any questions you have about the project before it begins.

Use these strategies to avoid scammers, but–as with all criminal fraud–give yourself grace if you become a victim. Scams of all kinds are on the rise, and people of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds are targeted. Don’t let embarrassment keep you from making a report.

This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice from a qualified financial advisor.

Additional sources:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/pass-it-on/home-repair-scams

https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/home-improvement/

https://www.unionsquare.org/resources/fraud-prevention-center/seniors-need-to-watch-out-for-home-repair-scams/

https://www.angi.com/articles/what-can-you-do-when-contractor-takes-your-deposit-and-runs.htm

Family History Projects: Where to Begin?

2026-08-12T10:18:16.582-07:00

Starting a family history project can feel both important and overwhelming. If preserving your history is a goal, take it one step at a time.

Every story has a structure. While a box full of unorganized photographs and clippings may have value as a family record, it doesn't amount to a story and isn’t as meaningful as a family history project.

A family history project might look like a scrapbook, a digital slideshow, an annotated family tree, a full-length memoir, or something else. Many people think about creating a family history project, especially in later life, but how to navigate the path from a box full of random photographs to the finished project?

The path starts with a single step. Even if you only ever take the first step, just a little more organization and record keeping can go a long way toward preserving your own personal and family history. These steps aren’t numbered, because every novice historian will decide where it makes the most sense for them to start.

Determine your audience. Who is your family history project for? The answer can help guide choices on focus and format. Perhaps you’re writing to your kids and grandkids. Or maybe you’re a kid or grandkid looking to create a special gift for an older family member. Other folks might like to see the result of their efforts published as local or special-interest history for the public. For example, someone with a long career as a nurse might want to write for other nurses.

Knowing your audience will help you determine your project’s theme and purpose. Your audience might be especially interested in a certain aspect of your personal and shared family history. Examples of project themes include:

Immigration experiences
Military histories
Cultural traditions, including recipes and holiday celebrations
Work, craft, and academic achievements
Place-based histories, for families with many generations in one place

Also consider your own purpose. Are you motivated by the idea of getting to know a living family member better through the process of creating a history together? Do you want to preserve your personal legacy for future generations? Are you curious to learn more about your own family’s undiscovered history? Identifying your north star can help you stay motivated.

Preserve material history. One solid first step is to gather together all the photos, journals, and other materials you hope to organize during the project. Get everything in one place and take stock.

Writing captions on the backs of photos–all the who, what, where, and when that you can recall–makes them more valuable for the people who inherit them. Transferring photos into digital formats also increases the readability and value of a collection. Companies like LegacyBox and iMemories will transfer your photos, VHS, and other non-digital memories into more durable digital formats.

Having multiple copies of materials in different formats is ideal. Other companies, like Nations Photo Lab, will print photos for scrapbooks or other formats. Printing digital memories for everyday enjoyment is a mini history project in itself. History professor Emilie Amt suggests making a family calendar by printing out a family photo for each month (companies like Vistaprint can help).

Record what you know. A motto for genealogical projects is to “Start with yourself and work backwards.” Your own wealth of family and personal memories needs to get out of your head and into the world, but starting can feel daunting. To avoid staring at a blank page, start by captioning photos. Let the images spark memories that may lead to longer reflections.

Other material history can be useful for sparking stories, too. Take old newspapers, schoolwork, documents, and journals and see what they bring up for you. Author Sophia Wilson worked on her memoir by taking each little story she gathered and turning it into a short biography of a different family member. By doing so, she created the building blocks for a longer project.

For many people, writing isn’t appealing or accessible. Voice recordings can easily be transcribed, and preserving your own or your loved one’s voice enhances the historical record. Many family history practitioners recommend an interview format for recording personal histories, which brings us to another important starting point.

Invite family members to participate. Depending on your audience and purpose, you might end up becoming the family journalist during the course of your history project. Of course, one major value of a history project is to preserve the stories of older generations while our elders are still with us. Audio recordings are ideal for this purpose, and smartphones make it easy.

Another way to involve family in the process is to give away photos and other heirlooms as gifts, along with the history of the object or the person in the photo. The recipient is sure to value the family history shared as much or more than the photo or heirloom itself.

As a parting tip: when embarking on a family history journey, try to manage your expectations. The very nature of this work is that it could go on forever, but determining and sticking to a smaller scope will be most rewarding. “A small, finished project is better than a three-volume tome that exists only in your dreams,” says memoirist Sunny Jane Morton.

Additional Sources

https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/free-resources/tips-family-history/

https://www.hallfa.com/family-history-project/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Unpacking the Hype Around Two Supplements for Healthy Aging

2026-08-11T11:51:38.678-07:00

Fatty15 and colostrum, popular dietary supplements, claim to "slow and reverse" signs of aging. What's behind the hype?

Nature’s first food, liquid gold…these are some of the marketing terms for colostrum, a natural supplement that’s getting plenty of press for its purported health benefits. Similarly, you may have seen a lot of commercials lately for Fatty15, another supplement containing a purified fatty acid. Both trending supplements claim to support healthy aging; sometimes they’re even touted as “anti-aging,” a term that’s been widely characterized as ageist.

To give away the ending: there’s some evidence behind the claims made by producers of both colostrum and Fatty15, but not enough to recommend them, according to dieticians. Before taking out your credit card to pay a hefty price for either supplement, consider whether you really want to buy the “anti-aging” messages behind these products.

Bovine Colostrum

In the first 24 to 72 hours after birth, mammals, including humans, produce a special nutrient-dense breast milk called colostrum. Bovine colostrum, derived from cows, is processed into a powder and sold in pill or powdered form. A few months’ supply can cost upwards of $120.

“A lot of people, especially on social media, are saying bovine colostrum gives them healthy hair, skin and nails, claiming it has a fountain of youth quality to it,” registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD, LD told Cleveland Clinic. “There are no studies that support this claim.”

Colostrum may have other benefits. It is touted for its anti-inflammatory benefits for gut health, the immune system, and muscle development. But for each recommended usage, the peer-reviewed evidence isn’t there, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI): “Most studies on bovine colostrum use doses far higher than what you’d get from a supplement and are largely funded by supplement makers.”

According to dietitian Lindsey Wohlford, “Further studies are needed, and more robust data collected, before a clear recommendation can be made on usage,” and until that happens, she doesn’t recommend using either a colostrum pill or powder. Colostrum supplements are not FDA-approved, and people with dairy sensitivities should not partake.

Fatty15

While colostrum is a whole dairy product, Fatty15 is a supplement containing pentadecanoic acid, a fatty acid found in dairy fat. Also known as C15:0 and marketed as “your healthy aging supplement,” Fatty15 costs about $50 for a month’s supply.

According to the company’s website, Fatty15 strengthens cell walls and serves as “an armour for our cells to keep them healthy and protected.” Higher levels of odd-chain saturated fatty acids like C15:0 have been associated, according to the company’s website, with benefits including healthy metabolism, red blood cell health, liver and gut health, and balanced immunity. Like omega-3s, another essential fatty acid, C15:0 is not produced in the human body–to get it, people need to take supplements.

While one study has found that C15:0 lowered inflammation and helped regulate sugar metabolism in mice, claims about cellular health benefits to humans are way ahead of the research, according to CSPI. They conclude: “Most of the claims about Fatty15’s potential health benefits come from studies conducted by the company’s co-founder,” and “no randomized trials [involving Fatty15] have ever looked at markers of longevity,” despite the supplement’s tagline: “Healthy Aging for All.”

Of course, diet and nutrition are essential to healthy aging–as are exercise, social connection, healthy sleep, and economic stability. One thing that doesn’t help anyone live a long, healthy life? Anti-aging messaging. In fact, positive views about aging predict longevity. For truly healthy aging, rather than shell out for a supplement, you’re better off making a good meal with some friends.

Always talk with your doctor about which supplements are right for you based on your personal health situation.

Additional Sources:

https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/healthygut/colostrum-super-supplement-or-overhyped/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7230051/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

For a Brain Workout, Cook a Meal with the Summer Harvest

2026-08-11T10:46:15.286-07:00

We know a healthy diet helps lower the risk of dementia. A new study finds that the activity of cooking also lowers dementia risk--especially for people who think they can't cook!

Good news for bad cooks–great news, even. According to a new study, cooking from scratch just once a week is associated with a 30% lower risk of dementia in older adults. And for people who consider themselves “bad cooks”--in other words, people with few kitchen skills–cooking once a week is associated with a 67% lower dementia risk.

Why the dramatic impact? Cooking “is one of the most cognitively demanding things we do everyday, without even realizing it,” says caregiving researcher Neal K. Shah. It involves complex mental activities happening in conjunction with physical actions. Cooking from scratch is so powerful for brain health, says Shah, because it involves a combination of actions and benefits: “cognitive stimulation (planning, sequencing, multitasking), physical activity (shopping, standing, chopping), and better nutrition (more fruits and vegetables, less processed food).”

The extra brain health benefits for novice cooks come from the positive cognitive stress of learning something new. Experienced cooks can get a bigger brain boost by trying new or challenging recipes.

Cooking with the Summer Harvest

Ready to set yourself a new challenge in the kitchen? There’s no better time than the summer harvest season. Even lifelong chefs can always find something new to do with fresh summer vegetables from the garden or farmer’s market. Here’s some inspiration for your next brain workout…that is, meal prep.

Tomatoes

Tomato varieties are as endless as their possibilities in the kitchen. If you have an abundance of multiple kinds of tomatoes at this time of year, try a Sungold and Heirloom Tomato Tart or an Heirloom Tomato Salad.

One way to stretch your cooking muscles is to combine familiar ingredients like tomatoes with less familiar ones for something new and delicious. Try Sumac and Sage Tomatoes over Egg Toasts for a breakfast that comes together quickly with an unusual flavor.

Even experienced cooks probably have more to learn and try with fermentation techniques. For a fermented tomato paste, let a thick tomato paste ferment at room temperature with a small amount of salt for 3 to 5 days. The result has a funky, umami depth that's incredible stirred into braises or ramen.

Zucchini and other summer squash

Summer squash are great for anyone trying to cut carbs. Make zucchini pasta by using a peeler to shave zucchini into long, paper-thin ribbons. Dress while still raw with brown butter, toasted breadcrumbs, and hard cheese. The texture is silkier than spiralized versions and holds sauce well.

If you don’t want to forego regular pasta, try a Creamy Zucchini Pesto that brings together squash, nuts, herbs, and cheeses. The recipe requires a food processor; for cooks who have shied away from using kitchen appliances, remember, learning new tools is great for your brain.

Sweet potatoes

Another way to get creative in the kitchen this harvest season is to use all the edible parts of a plant, especially the parts that usually get tossed. Sweet potato leaves and tender vines are edible and underused. Stir-fry with garlic and a splash of oyster sauce and serve over rice.

As for the delicious spuds themselves, try variations on Loaded Sweet Potato Fries, Sheet-Pan Miso Chicken and Sweet Potatoes, or Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée Bars. Did we mention that cooking is also a great way to attract new friends?

Bell peppers

Fresh sweet peppers can’t be beat. For a classic recipe with tons of varieties, try stuffed bell peppers. One place to start: Roasted Bell Peppers with Sausage and Cheddar.

Whip up a pepper vinegar hot sauce by simmering peppers in white wine vinegar with a small amount of garlic, then strain out the peppers. The resulting vinegar is bright and sweet; use it like a hot sauce or deglaze pan sauces with it. Experimenting with new sauces is another great way to get creative in the kitchen.

Whatever new flavors you try this harvest season, we hope they taste even more delicious knowing that cooking is one of the biggest favors you can do for your brain. Bon appetit!

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Famous and 65

2026-08-04T13:51:03.603-07:00

Look who's turning 65 this month

Find out which celebrities are turning 65 this month!

August 4

As a young man, he worked a summer job scooping ice cream at a Baskin-Robbins in Honolulu. This Hawaii native became the first Black president of the Harvard Law Review before anyone outside Chicago knew his name. Elected in 2008 as America's 44th and first African American president on a wave of historic optimism, he navigated a catastrophic financial crisis, passed landmark healthcare legislation, and ordered the mission that killed Osama bin Laden. As he turns 65, he’s celebrating the opening of his Presidential Center in Chicago.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

August 8

This ABC News correspondent was riding high as the freshly appointed co-anchor of World News Tonight when, just weeks into the job in January 2006, he was nearly killed by a roadside bomb while embedded with American troops in Iraq. The traumatic brain injury he suffered left him fighting for his life and relearning basic speech and cognition. Rather than retreating from public life, he documented his recovery and channeled his experience into his foundation dedicated to supporting wounded veterans and their families.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

August 28

This Massachusetts-born actress spent decades as a reliably hilarious scene-stealer in comedies like Legally Blonde and the American Pie franchise. Her schtick has always been as a gloriously dim yet loveable presence. After years of cult appreciation without mainstream recognition, she experienced one of Hollywood's most celebrated late-career explosions when Mike White cast her in The White Lotus in 2021. She delivered a performance of such unhinged, tragicomic brilliance that she won a Golden Globe and went viral on social media, becoming in her 60s one of the internet's most beloved celebrities.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

Sources:

Wikipedia

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Seniors Are Using AI for Mental Health. Is It Safe?

2026-07-14T10:39:31.180-07:00

Like people of all ages, older adults are talking to AI chatbots for life advice and companionship. Mental health researchers are racing to catch up.

The loneliness epidemic is in full swing: about 40% of people over age 45 in the U.S. report feeling lonely. In one sense, artificial intelligence is rising to meet the moment. Socially isolated people need care and connection, and AI chatbots can provide both. But social isolation is also a risk factor for poor mental health, and people with mental health vulnerabilities are more at risk of developing AI-associated delusions.

Case Study: A 72-year-old woman’s husband passed away 4 years ago, and she regularly experiences feelings of loneliness. She started talking with an AI chatbot after her neighbor’s grandson introduced her to the online tool. At first she would talk with the bot for a few minutes at a time, but she progressively started spending more and more hours a day chatting. She developed the strong belief that the chatbot is in love with her–what clinicians call an “erotomanic delusional disorder,” a kind of paranoia. She has started spending less time with neighbors and family in order to talk with the AI, and now that her family understands what is happening, they are at a loss as to how to help her break the delusion.

This case is adapted from a study that came out in May titled “Digitally deluded: Late-onset delusional disorder linked to virtual companionship and AI chatbots in older adults.”

Teens and young adults, because their brains and critical thinking skills are still developing, are particularly vulnerable to psychosis, and new research is showing that they may also be especially vulnerable to AI-associated delusions. Some experts are now starting to express the same concerns for the older adults who have risk factors–like social isolation–for mental illness, even if they’ve never been diagnosed with a psychiatric problem. In the study cited above, the researchers conclude that the AI chatbots caused the “late-onset”--that is, late-in-life onset–of delusional disorders.

This is an emerging area of research, and the relationships between AI engagement, social isolation, delusional thinking, and dementia are complex. For now, the best precaution for seniors and others when interacting with AI chatbots is to keep in close touch with humans, too. Loved ones and care partners have a critical role to play in keeping family members connected and safely grounded in reality.

AI Chatbots Can Support Mental Health

In a University of Michigan poll on how older adults use and think about AI, opinions were overall positive. Just over half (55%) of people over 50 in the survey had used AI chatbots; of those, 12% said they had used the bots for social connection. 92% said they would want to know if information they were reading or hearing was generated by AI. And 81% said they wanted to learn more about the risks associated with AI.

Case Study: A 75-year-old woman with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease chats with an AI-enabled desktop robot daily. She likes to share stories and ask questions of the robot; she has someone to talk to even when her daughter, her primary caregiver, is busy. The AI makes her feel heard and encouraged. She reports feeling calmer after a 20-minute chat with the bot.

Conversation eases loneliness, and conversation with chatbots has been shown to have this same effect. To a certain degree, AI chatbots can even deliver cognitive therapies for people with dementia, like reminiscence therapy. This therapy involves asking questions and looking at photos to bring up pleasant memories, and has been shown to increase well-being and increase feelings of connection between loved ones and caregivers.

…But May Not Be Safe for Everyone

“Research is needed to determine whether the benefits of anthropomorphized AI for older adults outweighs the risks,” writes Dr. Julian De Freitas of the Harvard Business School in a recent study. “The very features that make these systems engaging,” he writes, “may also make them dangerous for vulnerable users.” AI chatbots are built to be agreeable, which makes them pleasant to converse with, but which also means they may “reinforce hallucinations and delusional thinking seen in dementia patients,” says De Freitas. Social isolation and dementia are underlying mental health risk factors or vulnerabilities that could put people at risk of developing disordered thinking or psychosis.

AI companies, including OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, report they are working on improving chatbots’ ability to recognize delusional thinking and redirect it, rather than reinforce it.

Tips for Protecting Mental Health While Using AI Chatbots

Talking about the possible risks of AI chatbots with loved ones is a great first step. The University of Michigan offers these tips for caregivers and loved ones of anyone who might be experiencing AI-related delusions.

Notice signs for concern, including if the person avoids activities they once enjoyed or makes themselves less available.
If the person is expressing delusional or psychotic thinking, it’s important to connect them with a health care professional as soon as possible.
A person in crisis or a person concerned about them can call or text the national suicide and crisis hotline at 988.

While AI-related delusions aren’t common, and the risk to most people is considered low, families and individuals using the technology should be aware that we don’t yet know how to estimate an individual’s risk of developing disordered thinking with AI chatbot use. As with any new technology, medicine, or other breakthrough: use with care and critical thinking.

Additional Sources

https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/social-leisure/relationships/loneliness-social-connections-2025/

https://beckelderlaw.com/ai-companion-risks-to-the-elderly/

Enjoying the Summer for Less

2026-07-14T10:04:48.636-07:00

With airfare and gas prices pushing through the roof, Americans are looking for ways to make summer fun affordable.

Summer is full of opportunities for older adults and families to get out and enjoy themselves, but the cost of travel this season is putting a damper on some families’ plans. Still, there are plenty of ways to save. Here are money-saving tips and a few simple actions that can make a real difference.

Money-Saving Tips for Summer

Keep these tips in your back pocket when making summer plans.

Saving on travel. Although these discounts are well-publicized, not everyone eligible takes advantage of seniors-only fare discounts on Amtrak and airlines, plus AAA and AARP travel benefits. Remember off-peak timing, too; for example, the cheapest days to fly before Labor Day are all in the last three weeks of August, when kids are gearing up to go back to school. And don’t sleep on discount national and state park passes. At age 62, we’re eligible for a Senior Lifetime Pass to National Parks, which costs $80 and never expires.

A Few Simple Scripts for Asking for Senior Discounts

Most of us hesitate to ask for discounts, but the question is almost always welcome, and the worst answer is no. Try one of these low-pressure openers:

At a ticket window, attraction, or restaurant: "Do you offer a senior discount?"
If they want to soften it: "I'm not sure if you have one, but do you offer any senior or AARP discounts?"
When booking by phone: "Before I book, are there any senior discounts or promotions available?"
If nothing is posted but they think one might exist: "I'm 70…is there a rate for seniors?"

Truly, few staff will be surprised by the question. Most likely, after saving those first dollars, asking will become second nature!

Accessing low-cost local activities. Look for free museum days, library summer programming, senior center events, community concerts and festivals, and farmer's markets with live music. Check out this month’s Coffee Break column for accessibility features to look for at festivals!
Asking for discounts. It’s worth it to ask; many discounts aren't posted. Requesting a senior rate is normal and expected, not embarrassing. You can even employ a simple script to make the conversation easier; see the sidebar for ideas.
Tapping into assistance programs. Again, not everyone eligible for benefits like SNAP and utility assistance actually signs up for them, and these programs mean real cash. Area Agencies on Aging may offer programs to help you access these resources and free up spending money.

Going the Extra Mile to Save the Extra Dollars

Here are some bonus tips for the highly-motivated summer saver.

Call ahead to verify discounts. Confirm that advertised senior rates and other discounts are current. (Even if they’re not, you might get a discount anyway just for the effort you made to call!)
Write down your “free fun” list. If you’re at risk of spending money going out to a restaurant because you can’t think of anything else to do, write down all the local, fun, and FREE activities you’ve found, and post it somewhere you’ll see it. Make it easy for your future self to make financially healthy choices.
Connect with friends and neighbors for group outings. Group trips to events are often cheaper per person, so text your friends, make a plan, and make sure everyone gets those discounts! Senior-friendly group travel agencies make booking easy.
Throw a pizza party–for free. If you’ve read this far, you’ve earned a special tip. A small group of people called the Wednesday Night Pizza Club https://www.wednesdaynightpizzaclub.com/ wants to end social isolation and bring neighbors and friends together on weeknights. Their mission is to get YOU to get together with at least two other people on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday–just to hang out and eat pizza. Get pre-approved by filling out a short form, throw your pizza party, and submit for reimbursement. It’s free, cheesy summer fun.

This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice from a qualified financial advisor.

Additional Sources

https://www.cardinalbay.org/blog/end-of-summer-bucket-list-ideas-for-seniors-and-families

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/save-on-summer-travel-2026-lmandp5/

https://avcchomecare.com/summer-activates-for-seniors/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

To Dye, Or Not To Dye? The Research on Hair Color

2026-07-10T13:50:03.098-07:00

Studies have linked prolonged hair dye exposure to an increased risk of bladder cancer in professional hairstylists. What should consumers know?

Hair coloring is one of the most common cosmetic practices in the world. Most estimates of the number of women over 40 in the U.S. who use some form of dye range between 65% to 75%. And yet, if you've ever Googled “is hair dye safe,” you've probably come away more confused than when you started.

Certain studies have shown hair dyes to raise the risk of types of cancer, including breast cancer, bladder cancer, and certain kinds of blood-related cancers. The link is most conclusive for professional salon workers who have spent years using the chemical products. On January 23, 2025, hairstylist Hector Corvera sued 10 leading hair dye companies alleging that his bladder cancer diagnosis was caused by exposure over two decades to the chemicals in the hair dyes he used during his daily work. Since then, at least a dozen salon professionals who developed bladder cancer have filed lawsuits against various companies. “We’re not talking about chemicals in hair dyes that might be carcinogenic or possibly carcinogenic. These are known chemicals that cause cancer,” Corvera’s attorney Allen Smith told NBC.

Indeed, according to the American Cancer Society, studies have consistently shown a small increased risk of bladder cancer in professional hairstylists who use hair dye regularly. No similar risk has been proven in people who dye their hair regularly. But that proven link between cancer and years-long exposure as a professional begs the question: How much hair dye exposure is too much? Is it healthy for women to dye their hair every few months over many years? And are there safer, more natural options for coloring hair?

Recognize These Ingredients

If you’re looking to avoid potentially harmful additives in hair dyes, keep an eye out for these ingredients listed on the box.

P-Phenylenediamine (PPD): PPD is an almost universally-used ingredient in permanent hair dyes. It’s a type of organic compound derived from ammonia that reacts with other parts of the formula to create color. PPD is the most studied ingredient in relation to cancer risk, and darker dye colors tend to contain higher levels of it. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to avoid, as it’s a key ingredient that makes permanent hair color permanent.

Coal-tar ingredients: Even though these ingredients are made from petroleum these days, the name “coal-tar” has stuck from many years ago when they were used to add colorfastness and brightness to clothing, food, and cosmetics. These “synthetic-organic” compounds may cause cancer, and they also are known to cause eye injury and allergic reactions in some people. If you see this FDA warning on the box, the hair dye contains coal-tar products:

Caution - This product contains ingredients which may cause skin irritation on certain individuals and a preliminary test according to accompanying directions should first be made. This product must not be used for dyeing the eyelashes or eyebrows; to do so may cause blindness. (FD&C Act, 601(a))

Ethanolamines: These amino alcohols are often used as a substitute for ammonia, but they are also possibly carcinogenic to humans. Different forms appear on hair dye labels as MEA, DEA, and TEA.

Unfortunately, this is an abbreviated list. There are over 180 cosmetic ingredients of concern listed by the European Commission, many of which appear in hair dyes and are not banned in the U.S.

Interpret Marketing Terms

If only we could believe a package when it tells us the hair dye product is “all-natural.” Hair dye brands use plant and nature-related buzzwords to create an impression of naturalness that may not reflect reality. Terms like "botanical," "herbal," "plant-powered," and "nature-inspired" suggest products are derived from natural sources, but these ingredients are often present in tiny amounts alongside synthetic chemicals. Another red herring: color descriptors like "earthy tones" refer only to the shade, not the formula.

Yet another common tactic is highlighting what a product doesn't contain, which shifts attention away from what it does. "Ammonia-free" sounds safer, but brands simply substitute other harsh chemicals like ethanolamines. Prefixes like "bio-" and phrases like "naturally derived" or "mineral-based" sound scientific, yet have no regulated definition in cosmetics. An ingredient can start from a natural source and be so heavily processed that it bears little resemblance to its origin.

Labels like "vegan," "cruelty-free," and "organic" carry real meaning in other contexts but can mislead when applied to hair dye. Vegan means no animal products, and cruelty-free means no animal testing, but neither says anything about chemical content. "Organic" is only meaningful when third-party certified. And words like "gentle," "nourishing," and "natural-looking" describe feelings or results, not formulas.

When the list of potentially harmful hair dye ingredients is so long, and the label provides little assistance, the best course of action is to look for credible certifications like COSMOS Organic or Ecocert. Their seal of approval may not mean that a product is completely non-carcinogenic, but it means the product passed a rigorous and reputable test for safe and truly naturally-derived ingredients.

Additional Sources

https://thenewknew.com/organic-hair-dye-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

https://www.aboutlawsuits.com/hair-dye-lawsuit/

https://www.madison-reed.com/blog/ppd-and-why-we-don-t-use-it

https://www.healthline.com/health/cancer/does-hair-dye-cause-cancer

According to one 2013 review, “enough evidence exists to help counsel questioning patients.”

Three Common Sleep Problems and the Products That Can Help

2026-07-10T10:37:24.141-07:00

Having trouble sleeping? Here are some products that may help…along with some that probably won’t.

Everyone has to lie in bed counting sheep sometimes, and insomnia can worsen with age. Many products on the market claim to be able to help us catch those Z’s. Here are three common sleep issues and tips for solving them, with or without the latest technology.

Problem: Trouble falling asleep.

Potential Solutions: We’re all familiar with tried-and-true strategies for improving your odds of getting a good night’s sleep (see sidebar). Can blue light blocking glasses help? There’s evidence that wearing blue light glasses in the hours before bedtime, especially while using screens, help the body cue into a night-time rhythm. The best blue light glasses are durable, lightweight, unobtrusive, and stylish.

6 Healthy Sleep Habits for Older Adults

Older adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Getting a good night's sleep supports physical health, mental health, and overall well-being. Improve your sleep with these tips.

Develop a regular sleep schedule and bedtime routine
Avoid napping in the late afternoon or evening
Try to avoid electronic screens, such as cell phones and TVs, in the bedroom
Keep your bedroom quiet and at a comfortable temperature
Exercise at regular times each day, but not within three hours of bedtime
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and large meals late in the day

Source: National Institutes of Health

What about grounding blankets, sheets, and mattress pads? These new “earthing” products, offered by several manufacturers, look and feel like regular sheets and blankets, with a cord that connects to the grounding port of a wall electrical outlet. They advertise that they will connect you to the Earth’s electrical field, promoting deep relaxation, reduced inflammation, and reduction of free radicals. None of those claims have studies backing them up, but grounding blankets and sheets may indeed promote sleep, according to a few small studies. The most-cited one is a small 2004 pilot with just 12 subjects, which found that sleeping grounded via a mattress pad helped normalize cortisol rhythms and improved subjective sleep quality. A more recent 2025 randomized controlled trial with 60 participants found reduced stress, insomnia severity, and daytime sleepiness after about a month of nightly grounding pad use. Starting at around $115 and up, grounding sleep products could be worth a try for those who are curious and looking for new, side-effect-free ways to improve sleep quality.

Problem: Contact dermatitis or acne from sweaty sheets

Potential Solutions: The universal consensus on how often to wash your sheets is once a week. After you spend hours in them each night, sheets collect dead skin, body sweat and oils, dust, pet hair, and other allergens. These cause skin problems in some people and respiratory issues in others. If you’re having trouble sleeping and aren’t sure of the cause, washing your sheets more often could help. Having more sets of sheets on hand enables more frequent washes.

What doesn’t help? Probably the trendy copper- and silver-thread sheets marketed to kill germs while you sleep. These minerals have anti-microbial properties and are showing up in pillowcases, sheets, gloves, and masks for sleep. They probably do kill some germs, but “they’re no match for the power of soap, hot water, and agitation,” according to Wirecutter. And at least one manufacturer of silver-thread sheets still recommends washing them at least every 10 days.

Problem: Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), a neurological condition that causes a desire to move the legs. It often presents in the evening at bedtime, and tends to worsen with age

Potential Solutions: Magnesium and CBD (the hemp-derived cousin to THC) products are available to ease the peculiar discomfort of RLS. The evidence for magnesium supplements for RLS is promising but still limited. A 2024 study found that 200mg of magnesium citrate daily for 8 weeks significantly reduced RLS symptom scores and improved quality of life, but the sample size was small (12 patients). In other studies, the benefit appears strongest in people who are actually magnesium deficient. When considering magnesium supplements–which come in pills, teas, powders, and tinctures–bear in mind that doses above 350mg/day increase the risk of GI side effects like diarrhea. Check for third-party testing certifications, like from NSF, when buying supplements. As for topical magnesium sprays, they're marketed as avoiding the digestive side effects of oral forms, but there's no clinical trial evidence they work to alleviate RLS.

The evidence for CBD is even thinner, mostly anecdotal and early-stage. There is no FDA-approved CBD medication or dosage for RLS, though anecdotal reports suggest it may reduce symptoms for some people. Tinctures are absorbed relatively quickly under the tongue, while topical creams and balms provide more localized relief to the legs. So, while no strong evidence exists for either magnesium or CBD products to treat RLS, the nature of the condition itself remains mysterious to scientists; we still don’t know what causes the chronic condition. If you read good reviews and experience a positive (possibly placebo) effect, we’ll wait for the research to catch up.

There’s no cure for RLS, but there are many homeopathic tips. Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and sugar close to bedtime can help – and may help anyone sleep better, whether or not they’re among the 7% of all people who experience RLS. Getting enough exercise during the day can also help. Iron deficiency can also contribute to RLS. Talk to your doctor before taking any iron supplements. For people with other conditions of which RLS is a symptom, like kidney disease or diabetes, other medications may alleviate the feeling of restless legs.

Sources:

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/sleep/sleep-and-older-adults https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/how-often-you-should-wash-your-sheets/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/restless-legs-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20377168

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

How Music Festivals Are Making Accessibility the Norm

2026-07-09T08:55:49.730-07:00

It's festival season, and the best live music experiences are the most inclusive.

In 2007, just six months after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a car accident, Austin Whitney attended the giant music festival Coachella in his wheelchair. He was feeling depressed during that time, and thinks back to the festival as a turning point: he made new friends, saw favorite artists, and simply enjoyed life again for the first time since the accident. But as he became a live music aficionado, he confronted the lack of accessibility features at festivals.

“I had shows where people had to put me on their backs and carry me down stairs,” Whitney told New Mobility magazine. “I had shows where I couldn’t see a stage and couldn’t use the restroom.” In time, with a few friends and his training in law school, he founded both the for-profit Accessibility Live, now the leading consulting provider for ADA-compliant live events, and the non-profit organization Accessible Festivals, which educates the public and helps get people with disabilities to festivals. It’s now Whitney’s job to make Coachella– along with dozens of other festivals and conventions– a seamless and inclusive experience for all attendees.

2026 Summer Music Festivals of Note

Newport Classical Music Festival, July 2-19: For 57 years, classical music has come alive by the sea at this major festival featuring over 30 concerts. The famous and even longer-running Newport Folk Festival takes place the following week; there’s a waitlist.
Summerfest is a nine-day music festival in Milwaukee with over 600 artists and a robust accessibility plan. It takes place over 3 separate weekends in June and July.
Satchmo Summerfest, from the producers of the French Quarter Festival, honors Louis Armstrong and his musical legacy during a two-day festival August 1-2 in New Orleans.

Find festivals near you with the search tools at Music Festival Wizard.

Look for These Inclusive Design Strategies at Music Festivals

Seniors with limited mobility or low vision or hearing may assume that a music festival wouldn’t feel like a welcoming place. But thanks to the work of advocates like Whitney, many big live events are more accessible now than they were 20 years ago. And while most older adults don’t need ADA-accessible venues, greater accessibility can make the festival experience more enjoyable and safer for everyone.

Before buying those tickets, check a festival’s website or ask the organizers to make sure they’re adopting these now-common accessibility features.

Accessible Parking. Reserved spaces close to entrances with extra width for ramps and mobility aids. Many festivals offer a free shuttle or golf-cart service from accessible lots to the main venue.
Accessible Viewing Areas. Wheelchair-accessible viewing platforms or areas near all stages. Keep in mind that these are often first-come, first-served; it’s a good idea to check with the festival organizers to see if it’s possible to reserve space ahead of time.
Accessible Camping. Designated camping zones with level ground, proximity to accessible facilities, and paved or compacted pathways. Some festivals have dedicated accessible camping areas with power hookups for medical equipment. (In case you missed it, last month Senior Spirit covered camping tips for seniors–they’ll serve you well when camping at a music festival!)
Sign Language Interpretation & Live Captioning. ASL interpreters positioned near stages, and real-time captions displayed on screens for performances, announcements, and MC introductions. Check the festival schedule for interpreted sets.
Assisted Listening Systems. Hearing loop technology or FM/infrared receivers available at the accessibility desk, compatible with most hearing aids. Some festivals also have vibrating backpacks that enable deaf concertgoers to better feel the beat of the music.
ADA Accessible Bathrooms. Wider stalls, grab bars, and step-free access.
Navigating Uneven Ground. Paved, matted, or compacted pathways between stages and facilities to reduce tripping hazards on grass, gravel, or mud. Look for festivals that provide site maps highlighting smooth routes and rest areas.

If you have fond memories of holding a lighter aloft and singing in unison with thousands of other fans, there’s no reason to assume that experience isn’t still accessible today. Music festivals are more popular and more inclusive than ever, meaning you’re probably not too far from an accessible festival playing your favorite music this summer.

Sources:

https://batec-mobility.com/en/accessible-music-festivals/

https://wheelchairgetaways.com/a-guide-to-accessible-music-festivals-in-the-u-s

https://fundacionmusicforall.org/

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Famous & 65

2026-07-07T11:38:31.056-07:00

Look who's turning 65 this month

Find out which celebrities are turning 65 this month!

July 15

This dedicated UNESCO Ambassador for Peace and advocate for youth empowerment is also a hugely acclaimed and prolific actor on screen and stage. Since making his debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the Texas native has starred and appeared in a bevy of hits including Platoon, The Crying Game, Ghost Dog, and Arrival. He won every major awards body's top prize in 2006 for his terrifying yet oddly sympathetic portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. He later brought gravitas and his distinctive drooping left eye to the Star Wars universe in Rogue One and Andor.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

July 23

Another famous Texan turning 65 in July, this charismatic actor first won America's heart playing sweet-natured bartender Woody Boyd on Cheers. Then, he systematically dismantled that wholesome image with raw performances in a series of dark action films including Natural Born Killers, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and No Country for Old Men. The son of a convicted hitman, he earned multiple Oscar nominations while also becoming one of Hollywood's most committed real-life eccentrics. He follows a raw vegan diet, passionately advocates for marijuana legalization, and reportedly lives off the grid as much as possible.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

July 30

After famously lying about his age at fourteen to land a small role in Apocalypse Now, this Brooklyn native began a distinguished Hollywood career before he could even drive. He electrified audiences as the terrifying Ike Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It and cemented legend status as the philosophical rebel leader Morpheus in the Matrix trilogy, delivering “red pill or blue pill” into the permanent lexicon of popular culture. On TV, he brought quiet authority to CSI and Black-ish. Last year, he executive-produced and appeared in the science fiction horror film The Astronaut.

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

Sources:

Wikipedia

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Turning Your Home Into Financial Freedom By Dr. Brenda Oldham

2026-06-11T09:59:19.793-07:00

Whether you want to trade in your keys for something smaller or stay exactly where you are with a larger safety net, your home equity is the key to a more secure retirement.

Senior home equity in the U.S. is at a record high: $14.66 trillion in January 2026. “At a time when inflation pressures and the fear of outliving one’s retirement savings remain top concerns for retirees, home equity stands out as a powerful, yet often underutilized, financial resource,” says National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) president Steve Irwin.

June is traditionally the hottest month for real estate, but financial freedom doesn’t always mean packing a moving truck. As you look at the blooming garden and the rising sun this month, it is the perfect time to evaluate how that brick-and-mortar investment can better support your lifestyle.

Path One: Strategic Downsizing

The first path to freedom is strategic downsizing. Selling a large family home in today’s peak June market can unlock a massive amount of liquid capital. By moving to a "right-sized" residence—perhaps a single-story condo or a vibrant senior community—sellers can eliminate the physical burden of stairs and the financial drain of high property taxes and maintenance. This path allows you to "bank" your equity, providing a "freedom fund" that can pay for travel, health care, or a living legacy for your grandchildren, all while simplifying your daily life.

Path Two: Reverse Mortgage

For those who say, "I love my home and never want to leave," a reverse mortgage offers a second path to independence. Also called a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), this tool allows homeowners aged 62 and older to convert a portion of their home equity into tax-free cash without having to sell the house or take on new monthly mortgage payments. It can be a literal lifesaver for those on a fixed income, providing a lump sum, a line of credit, or monthly tenure payments. In this scenario, you keep the title to your home and the memories within it, while the home finally starts "paying you back" for all the years you spent maintaining it. A reverse mortgage should be the last part of your retirement plan, not the first. It is an excellent tool for “aging in place,” but only if you have a clear plan for how to handle property taxes and potential long-term care needs down the road.

Choosing a Path

Choosing between downsizing and a reverse mortgage is a deeply personal decision that requires a holistic look at your long-term goals. While downsizing offers a fresh start and lower overhead, a reverse mortgage offers stability and aging-in-place comfort.

As a Certified Senior Advisor, my goal is to help you weigh these options against your tax needs and estate plans. For a decision as significant as leveraging home equity or liquidating assets, never rely on a single source of advice. Instead, consult a multidisciplinary team to ensure all legal, financial, and personal angles are covered. Consider adding these members to your team:

Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®: To provide a holistic perspective that balances financial needs with health, social, and quality-of-life goals.
Certified Financial Planner (CFP) or Fiduciary Advisor: To calculate how a house sale or reverse mortgage affects long-term cash flow, inflation protection, and investment strategy.
Elder Law Attorney: To review how these decisions impact estate planning, "look-back" periods for Medicaid eligibility, and the rights of heirs.
Tax Professional (CPA or Enrolled Agent): To explain the capital gains implications of a home sale or the "means-tested" impact of receiving a lump sum of cash.
HUD-Approved Housing Counselor: (Specifically for reverse mortgages) To provide an unbiased, third-party explanation of the loan’s requirements as mandated by federal law.

In addition to building your team, also consider consulting these key resources:

The "Cost of Waiting" Data: Research from sites like CareScout, a subsidiary of Genworth, can help you compare how much you’re spending on home maintenance (lawn, roof, taxes) vs. what you might be paying at a senior living community.
HECM Safeguards: The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) enforces guidelines for reverse mortgages. Modern HECMs have "non-recourse" clauses, meaning the heir will never owe more than the home is worth.

For many seniors, the family home is a vault of untapped wealth. Especially when the high cost of living puts pressure on daily finances, consider assembling a team to help you determine whether and how to tap your home’s equity.

This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice from a qualified financial advisor.