We also told you about the Wall Street Journal's series "Laid off and Looking" previously; and today's guest blogger on the series is talking about looking for work in your 50s. The blogger talks about how so much experience in your pocket can actually work against you in your job search. Have you been searching fruitlessly for employment and found that age is affecting you? Share your "looking for work" stories here and on WSJ's blog.

Have a great weekend.

This is definitely a step in the right direction with unemployment soaring. Are you having a hard time finding a job? Other than unemployment benefits, be sure to check out our work pages at aarp.org for info and help on how to land your next big gig.

We started this debate more than two years ago with the twin goals of making coverage affordable to our younger members and protecting Medicare for seniors. We've read the Affordable Health Care for America Act and we can say with confidence that it meets those goals with improved benefits for people in Medicare and needed health insurance market reforms to help ensure every American can purchase affordable health coverage.

Today's endorsement marks the first time in this legislative battle that AARP has put its full weight behind a comprehensive health care reform package. In the coming days, AARP will be educating its members about the health care reform package through its publications, paid advertising and more than five million calls and e-mails to its grassroots activists.

As members of the House gear up for this historic vote, they will hear from older Americans.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act contain critical components AARP has been fighting for on behalf of its members and all older Americans to improve health care for them and their families. They include:

• Protecting and strengthening Medicare for today's seniors and future generations of retirees;


• Ensuring seniors can see the doctor of their choice or find a doctor if they need one by improving Medicare's payments to doctors;


• Lowering drug costs for seniors by closing the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" and allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug makers for lower drug prices;


• Taking steps to reduce waste, fraud, abuse and inefficiency in the Medicare program;


• Requiring Medicare and insurance companies to provide for important preventive services like screenings for diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis free of charge;


• Stopping insurance companies from denying you affordable coverage because of your age;


• Preventing insurance companies from denying you coverage if you have a pre-existing condition or dropping your coverage if you get sick;


• Limiting how much your insurance company can make you pay out-of-pocket;


• Providing affordable health insurance options for those who don't have insurance; and


• Providing benefits to help seniors and people with disabilities live in their own homes and communities by establishing the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) program.

We cannot continue to let insurers price older Americans out of the market, just as we cannot stand idle while millions of seniors are forced to choose between their groceries and their prescriptions. AARP is proud to endorse the Affordable Health Care for America Act and the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, and we urge members of the House to pass this critical package in the coming days to help fix our broken health care system.

More Technology News...
We mentioned the article from the New York Times last week about seniors and technology, and on the Times' "Gadgetwise" blog, there was a follow up piece posted yesterday that caught even more technology options that seniors might find useful - including AARP's official cellular service provider, Consumer Cellular, which offers phones designed specifically for older folks - with features like bigger buttons and simpler displays.

Travel Much?
Ever wonder if travel insurance is something in which you should invest? Check out this story from the Chicago Tribune. It gives "seniors on the go" the low-down on the kinds of insurances that are available to them, and what is necessary for different types of trips. One big fact to note: Medicare doesn't cover you outside of the U.S.! Just something to keep in mind. Check out the article for more tips!

"AARP has been fighting for years to abolish age rating for the same reasons that we want to end private insurance discrimination based on a person's gender or medical history: because fairness is a fundamental American value, and arbitrary discrimination in any form runs counter to who we are. This year we have an opportunity to make great progress toward ending discrimination and ensuring that those who need affordable, high-quality health care can find it."

In other News of Note...
Here is an article worth checking out from the Wall Street Journal. It talks about an interesting dilemma: how caring for your aging parents can cause problems in your career - especially when it comes to relocation for that career. The story highlights the stories of three executives who had to do just that - and how each of them tackled the problem and found a solution in different ways.

How to make easy Halloween cookies

Howdini | MySpace Video

Dan Kohrman, senior attorney with AARP, is featured in the article, saying that the fact that statistics show a 29 percent jump in age-discrimination complaints from 2007 to 2008 sure make it clear that "something bad is going on."

The article poignantly points out, however, that the issue of age discrimination isn't just a matter of law; it's a matter of "changing ourselves" when it comes to the stereotypes many people hold against older workers.

Also...
The story continues on nursing home reform in the Chicago Tribune. Today's news focuses on advocates for the mentally ill who are housed in nursing homes alongside the elderly. They argue that those psychiatric patients could be more effectively - and cheaply - treated in a community setting, where they would build life skills. Advocates say that reform will be beneficial to all parties involved - the seniors and disabled in nursing homes, the mentally ill who would be relocated, and their caregivers.

The article covers everything from centenarians using Twitter to video-chatting and the "simple" PC. It is great to learn that folks are taking advantage of all this newfangled technology has to offer, especially as the older we get the more difficult it is to travel and visit loved ones. With iChat, Skype and all the other programs out there, older Americans can see their grandchildren whenever they want from the comfort of their own home. How are you using technology and social networking to keep in touch? And if you aren't - why not!

Another helpful story...
on the New York Times site is one called "Strategies to Help Grandchildren Now, Not Later." With the tough economic climate, more and more grandparents are focusing on helping their adult children and grandchildren financially now, rather than worrying about the size of their inheritance. The article points out, though, that "tax traps await the unwary" and there are several tips for how to avoid those gift taxes while still helping younger generations get by. Check it out.

The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) released a poll earlier today showing that the vast majority of Americans aged 65+ believe that the lack of a COLA in 2010 will adversely affect their finances.

Incredibly, 71 percent of seniors said that their financial situation will be negatively impacted because their Social Security checks will not be increasing next year. With 78 percent of respondents being retired and out of the workforce, they are more likely to be living on a fixed income, and are reliant on Social Security as a primary source of retirement income.

The results of the survey not only underscore the unfortunate prominence Social Security plays in current retirement planning, but also demonstrates the very tangible impact the down market will have on recipients next year.

Now more than ever we're seeing folks rethinking their retirement strategy - looking to build a comprehensive plan that could include everything from Social Security, personal savings and insured retirement strategies which we're hearing more about.

What about you? Are you going to be impacted by the no COLA? What are you looking into to make sure you have enough money for retirement?

On another note...
CNNMoney.com has a valuable piece today answering the question of "When is a good time to invest in my 401(k)?" That answer: a resounding NOW! Walter Updegrave, Money Magazine senior editor, says in the story that "regardless of what's going on in the economy and the financial markets at any given moment," we should always, always be contributing to our 401(k). He points out that we cannot predict when the economy will be up, when it will be down, or anything else about it for that matter - so it makes sense that the only way to build up a large enough nest egg is to regularly be investing in this varying economy. And hey - could it be easier to invest in a 401(k)? Convenient payroll deductions mean there's no excuse to be contributing throughout your career.

Following up on yesterday's news...
The Chicago Tribune is reporting again on the compromised care in Illinois nursing homes. The new development is that half of Illinois' best nursing homes have now been cited for improper use of psychotropic drugs since 2001. Check out the story for the alarming details.