ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

The New York Times covered Obama's speech on the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the moon, which was yesterday, July 20th, when the astronauts of Apollo 11 took the first steps on that big rock that lights the night sky of our planet:

On the anniversary of the first landing on the Moon, several Apollo astronauts called for new emphasis on space exploration. Mr. Obama has endorsed the Bush administration's plan to return astronauts to the Moon by 2020, asking for a 5 percent increase in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration budget.

"We need to go back to the moon," said Eugene A. Cernan, the last man on the Moon as a member of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, adding that he was frustrated at the lack of preparation for a mission to Mars.

As we celebrate this landmark moment, let's hope for more great findings in space exploration to come!

Know someone over 60 who is changing the world? They could win $100,000 for their passion. Nominate them for the Purpose Prize.

The Purpose Prize awards up to $100,000 to social innovators over 60 who are creating new ways to solve pressing social issues - from education to health care, poverty to global warming. Winners are finding purpose in an encore career and putting their experience to work for the greater good.

Click Here for stories on past winners and the nomination form.

Good luck!

Kara Wooten has been to Iraq three times and been through six IED explosions, suffering brain trauma and eye damage. Finally home for good, it's up to mom Julia Spalding to take care of Kara and Kara's daughter.

Shane Parsons is luckier. He lost both legs, but still has his voice. Here Cindy and Shane talk about his therapy, and what Cindy does for support.

Gail Ulerie, mother of Shurvon Phillip, a paraplegic after his Humvee hit an IED:

(You can read more about Shurvon's story from the New York Times Magazine.

Earlier this year, we featured an article in our magazine on the challenges of parents now caring for their sons and daughters wounded in the Iraq War.
Maryland Public Television recently aired our half-hour special featuring interviews with parents who have put their lives on hold. Throughout the day we'll be posting short excerpts of interviews with parents who are now taking care of their kids, wounded veterans.

For more on this topic, and other interviews and information on caregiving visit our website.

September is here, which means all of your favorite shows are back in full swing. Well, it's time to add some to the list - AARP TV is back in business too, and our two shows, My Generation and Inside E Street, are not ones to miss.

My Generation is hosted by Greg Williams (who was on my favorite show The Wire, swoon!) and Emmy-nominated Cynthia Steele Vance, who feature a range of experts and stars every week who discuss a range of life issues, from money to relationships to health. If you're not convinced yet, the last episode's guest was Fran Drescher - need we say more? The show airs on Retirement Living TV at 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. (RLTV is available on DIRECTV 223, Comcast's CN8, and Verizon FiOS 216.)

Inside E Street is a wee heavier of a show, which tackles serious topics that effect older Americans today, such as Medicare and Social Security as well as tracks Congressional issues and talk about how they effect our communities. It's on Retirement Living TV at 3 p.m. Monday and Friday (so you won't miss your My Generation!).

So make sure to check out the new season and get your weekly fill of AARP TV!

Ellen Hollander, AARP's People Strategy Officer, was on CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch yesterday. She offered some tips about how to be a better boss...and haven't we all had a bad boss a time or two?

Her tips can be found on Donny's blog, but here's a preview:

LEARN - Yes, you can learn how to be a great boss!

BUILD TRUST - Be authentic....and whatever you do, practice what you preach.

BE ACCESSIBLE - Have an open door policy.

COMMUNICATE - Share information, especially in a timely manner.

EMPOWER - Make sure your staff is clear about your goals and help them get there.

DELEGATE - Push decision-making to the lowest possible level and don't second-guess.

REMOVE OBSTICLES - Eliminate internal barriers.

COACH - Be vested in their success by providing ongoing feedback.

HELP - Provide a safety net for failures/set backs and turn them into learning opportunities.

RECOGNIZE - Show appreciation often...in small and in big ways.

ENERGIZE - Get people excited about the vision and how their work is invaluable to achieving it.

Via Brandweek, a new study (commissioned by TV Land) Generation Buy: A Close Look at the Boomer Consumer shows that boomers are outspending other generational cohorts by a wide, wide margin.

The study found that consumers between ages 40 and 59 spend more on themselves each month than millennials and Gen Xers. But the buck hardly stops there: Gen Buy thrives on multigenerational purchases, and spends more than twice as much as younger consumers on others. The study, fielded by OTX, included a sample of 4,000 adults ages 18-65 nationwide.

For instance, Gen Buy spent more than three times the amount of money per month on spouses ($514) than adults under 40 ($169), nearly twice as much on kids ($295 vs. $158) and three times as much on teen children ($494 vs. $136).

Full confession: I love “weird” news. I check Yahoo! Odd News daily, sometimes hourly (shh! don't tell my boss!). I came across these two tidbits: protesting nuns and French spiderman.

Now, there are a lot of causes I’m passionate about – access to health care and financial security chief among them – but I don’t know that I’d chain myself up, much less scale a skyscraper. Signing a pledge is more my style. What about you – what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to support an issue you care about?

Sorry everyone for the light day yesterday. We were all taking part in AARP's Day of Service. I was lucky enough to spend part of my day yesterday at the National Arboretum in Washington DC mulching in their herb garden. We worked until the early afternoon when the rain and the mud just became too much. It was a really rewarding experience. What about you? Who volunteered yesterday and what did you do?

Hi everyone, I'm Jennie Chin Hansen, AARP's new soon to be new President. While my tenure is filled with firsts - I am a boomer, a gerontologist and an Asian American - I also will be the first AARP President to blog. I will be posting twice monthly here at shAARPsession, so check back to hear the latest on what we're doing.

As you might imagine, AARP has a full agenda. Between our work on Divided We Fail, our new and engaging website (with social networking), as well as our growing membership, as well as our recognition of our 50th anniversary I am honored to be a part of what will be occurring in these next two years. I also know, however, that many Americans are concerned about their future and the future of their children and grandchildren. People are anxious about their finances and about their health care.

Our founder, the first female principal in the California, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, left us an important saying: what we do, we do for all. I hope you all know that is still at the core of what we believe and do.

Along these lines, each year on the second Thursday in May, we launch AARP's Day of Service to lend a hand to our local communities. Last year, more than 33,000 people gave back and this year we expect even more. We'd like to invite you to join us!

Visit AARP's Make a Difference site where you can choose a Day of Service activity, connect with others, suggest ideas or let us know what you think about giving back to your community.

We're here to support you. Whether you need resources on how to care for an aging parent or loved one, need to figure out how much you will need to retire, or even if you just want to kick back and make a new acquaintance online, AARP has all of this for you.

I look forward to hearing and connecting with you. You can leave comments here or send me an email.

Business Week: Study Finds "No Real Revolution" In Prescriptions For Medicare Part D

"A new report from the Harvard Medical School has found that "the Medicare Part D benefit has resulted in some improvements for seniors but no real revolution in prescription drug adherence," noting that while "Medicare beneficiaries are less likely to forego basic needs such as food to pay for medicine...the sickest patients are still skipping meds due to burdensome costs."

Baltimore Sun: President Expected To Sign Fall Prevention Act

"President Bush is expected to sign a measure this week sponsored by Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski and passed by Congress that aims to raise awareness - through education and research - of how falls affect seniors and what can be done to protect them."

Marketwatch: Pundit Sees Americans Saving More, Spending Less

"Spending wisely usually means not spending as much. And that is exactly what's occurring throughout the country: People are spending smart." A survey "conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) finds that 25% of U.S. adults are spending wisely or not spending as much as a means of saving money"

Washington Times: Study "Blows The Lid Off" Boomer Misconceptions

"Baby boomers are not a bunch of annoying, self-absorbed, aging hippies with too much money and a penchant to call attention to themselves," according to a "report released yesterday by AARP meant to dispel persistent 'boomer myths' about the 77 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964." AARP spokesman Anthony DeLuise said, "The label of being self-centered is grossly exaggerated. It's very convenient to lump boomers together as a monolith, and this really misses the mark. This generation is really very diverse.'"

Associated Press: Clinton Plans SCHIP Expansion In First 100 Days

"Clinton's 100-day agenda included the start of a troop withdrawal from Iraq and submitting a budget to Congress that rolls back some of Bush's tax cuts. She also promised to sign bills he has vetoed to expand federal embryonic stem-cell research and broaden government-supported health care to millions of lower-income children who now go without."

USA Today: Foreclosures Projected To Increase Throughout Rest Of Year

"The "nation's already alarming pace of home foreclosures is poised to accelerate through the rest of the year, according to RealtyTrac, which reported Tuesday that foreclosure filings jumped 57% in March from March 2007." The report "painted a grim picture of growing numbers of people unable to make their mortgage payments."

Associated Press: Economic Woes Shake Confidence In Ability To Retire

"Rising health care costs and the faltering economy are making consumers worry that they won't be able to save enough for a comfortable retirement. The Employee Benefit Research Institute's annual survey, released Wednesday, showed the weakest worker confidence in seven years with just 61 percent saying they were "very confident" or "somewhat confident" of having enough money for retirement."

Washington Post: WPost Voices Caution On DC Universal Health Care Plan

"The District of Columbia is "pushing a plan to achieve universal health care. The initiative holds promise, but city officials should be cautious as they scrutinize a plan that could contain hidden risks. The brainchild of council member David A. Catania (I-At Large), the far-reaching program targets...the intractable middle of the uninsured."

USA Today: Fed Minutes Suggest Rate Cut Campaign Might Be Over

"According to the minutes of a March 18th meeting of Federal Reserve officials, "officials raised the specter of a 'prolonged and severe economic downturn,'" illustrating "the stark situation facing Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues, including what appears to be a growing consensus at the central bank that recession is likely."

Associated Press: Senate Leaders Break Procedural Deadlock Over Housing Bill

"A legislative effort to address the nation's home foreclosure crisis moved forward in the Senate Tuesday as Democratic and GOP leaders defused a potential filibuster." Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell "agreed to bring a bipartisan bill to the floor instead of a Democratic plan that stalled a month ago." The AP adds "Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and the panel's top Republican, Richard Shelby of Alabama, were instructed to forge a compromise that could come to the floor as early as Wednesday."

CNNMoney: Columnist Offers Advice On How To Maintain Retirement Lifestyle

"Want to be sure you won't run out of money in retirement? The standard advice that you'll hear from planners (or find on the pages of Money Magazine) is to follow the 4% rule: Withdraw no more than 4% of your portfolio the first year of retirement and then increase that amount for inflation each year." While a good general rule, it "can't cover all of the surprises that life - and the markets - may have in store for you."

Washington Post: OPM Says RetireEZ Computer Modernization System Working Effectively

"The RetireEZ "computer system, which began operating in February, is allowing the Office of Personnel Management to pay full pension benefits on time, instead of only partial benefits to new retirees, the office said yesterday. The OPM said it compared 34 pensions awarded by the new computer system with those based on paper records and concluded that the technology upgrade provided the right amount within 30 days of an employee's retirement."

Bloomberg News: Entitlement Reform Seen As Unlikely Despite Dire Report

"Spending on Medicare, the U.S. health-care program for the elderly, will reach a legal limit by 2014, requiring the next president to propose changes" to protect the program's financing." The trustee's report "'reaffirms the need to move beyond partisan politics to address the longer term reforms of our health care system and the financial challenges in retirement,' said David Sloane, senior vice president of AARP, the lobbying group for older Americans, in an e-mailed statement."

Washington Times: Times Warns Social Security Will Have To Be Raided To Reach Surplus

"While the CBO predicts the US economy will avoid a recession and that President Bush's budget projects to reach a surplus by 2012, the figures used to reach those assumptions are questionable because, "In addition to defunding the terror war and unleashing the AMT, Congress would have to reduce the explosive growth projections for Medicare and Medicaid that the president has recommended. And legislators would also have to slash inflation-adjusted annual outlays for non-security discretionary spending by more than 20 percent between now and 2013."

USA Today: Candidates Views On Health Care Reform Differ

"Health care consultant Robert Laszewski and Drew Altman, president of the non-partisan Kaiser foundation, and others describe three major areas in which the candidates and their two parties split: The Democratic candidates want to cover all or nearly all people, often by expanding government programs. McCain says worry about costs first and expand coverage later."

Washington Post: Workers, Firms See Productivity Gains Eclipsed By Surging Healthcare Costs

"Recent history has not been kind to working-class Americans, who were down on the economy long before the word recession was uttered." This is primarily because of "spiraling health-care costs that have absorbed increases in worker productivity. The result, adjusted for inflation, is that "median family income has dipped 2.6 percent -- or nearly $1,000 annually since 2000."

Associated Press: Recessionary Vibe Echoes 70's Rather Than Great Depression

"As economists and Wall Street types grope for historical perspective - which is another way of saying a road map out of" the foreclosure and credit "mess - Americans are nervously wondering about retirement savings, interest rates, jobs that had seemed safe." Analysts "say that more than ever, parents are calling for advice on how to deal with grown children who have moved back in with Mom and Dad after losing a job or just to save money." Rather than a revisiting of the Great Depression, a "better comparison might be the economic downturn that gripped the United States in the early 1970s, a time now widely remembered for long lines at the pump."

Washington Times: Columnist Outraged At Government Waste

"Cal Thomas writes that the federal government "now resembles an irresponsible parent, spending the children's wages and inheritance as if there were no tomorrow. Republicans lost the spending issue - and their congressional majority - because they behaved like overspending Democrats," who are promising "to increase spending if they win the White House and maintain their congressional majority."

Washington Times: "Radical" Mortgage Aid Proposal

"The Bush administration "is considering a radical approach to alleviate the foreclosure crisis by helping homeowners refinance homes that have fallen in value while protecting the government against losses on the loans." HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson "said a proposal he sent to the White House would enable the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to insure 80 percent of a loan's face value in markets where home prices are falling, instead of providing the usual 100 percent guarantee."

Washington Post: Most Retirees Will Qualify For Stimulus Checks

"This year's economic stimulus law does not count income from pensions for determining eligibility for rebates, and the law's omission of the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System has created some confusion for government retirees." The Post adds, "Most federal retirees, though, should be able to qualify for a rebate under this year's stimulus package."

USA Today: RV Industry See Boom Times With Boomer Retirements

"Sales of RVs, which run the gamut from humble folding camping trailers to luxury motor homes, peaked at 400,000 in 2006," and "with the first wave of 79 million baby boomers poised for retirement, industry experts are betting that boom times are on the horizon." Mike Schneider, president of Affinity, sponsor of the RV Rally 2008 and owner of RV-related clubs and publications, said, "As baby boomers age, they clearly want more than their parents had." Schneider adds, "Their parents were do-it-yourselfers. They're the do-it-for-me generation"

Washington Post: AMA Protests Medicare Cuts

"Cuts in Medicare payments to doctors have eight out of 10 Americans concerned about access to care for seniors and baby boomers, according to a survey released Wednesday by the American Medical Association. On July 1, there will be a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors. Over the next decade those cuts will grow to about 40 percent, while medical practice costs increase by 20 percent, according the AMA."

Bloomberg News: Harvard Survey Shows Public Concerned About Healthcare Affordability

"The majority of Americans say U.S. private health care may not be better than national systems in Canada, France and the U.K., according to a poll by the Harvard School of Public Health. The survey, co-sponsored with Harris Interactive Inc., a Rochester, New York, research and polling company, found that 45 percent of Americans thought the U.S. medical system generally was the best. The remaining 54 percent either didn't know or thought other countries' systems were better."

USA Today: 'Smart' pillbox helps patients remember

"Doctors and pharmacists say patients and caretakers are increasingly turning to tech-based, drug-tracking tools, including a throng of interactive, consumer-friendly websites, to help keep medication regimens running smoothly and reduce errors. According to Forrester Research, the market for home health monitoring technologies is expected to reach $5 billion by 2010 — and $34 billion by 2015."

Associated Press: Allscripts-Misys Merger Could Change Landscape Of Medical Information Technology

"The merger "is expected to create a market leader in the U.S. electronic health record market, forecast at $5 billion by 2015," according to the two companies. The corporations "expect to achieve annual pretax cost savings of up to $25 million to $30 million within three years, with job cuts part of the merger."

US News and World Report: Health Blogger Objects To Certain Trends In Doctor-Rating Sites

"Avery Comarow writes, "I've been following the proliferation of doctor-rating sites." Comarow asserts that although he "can see theoretical value in them," he us "bothered...by the viral spread of these sites and by how thin and potentially misleading they are." Comarow emphasizes, "I don't think doctors should be rated as if they were restaurants or plumbers. ... I'm not a client or customer of a doctor; I'm a patient."

Washington Post: Bush Maintains Cautious Optimism on Economy

"The President also "urged Americans on Tuesday to keep in mind the 'anchors' of low unemployment and flexibility in the US economy." Bush "continued to sound a theme of measured concern amid the events that have shaken financial confidence in recent days. He acknowledged 'challenging' times but insisted that 'we're going to be just fine' in the end."

USA Today: Pending Alzheimer's Epidemic Among Aging Boomers To Strain Medicare

"Around "14 million, or roughly 18%, of the USA's 79 million baby boomers can expect to develop Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia in their lifetime, a newly released report shows. ... The report, '2008 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures,' states that one out of eight boomers will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the most common type of dementia, at some point." The pending "Alzheimer's epidemic will, if left unchecked, put a huge strain on the health care system, including Medicare."

USA Today: CDC Says Falls Leading Cause Of Injury Deaths Among Seniors

"Adults 65 and older are often susceptible to falls, with often grave consequences. Falls "are much more common -- and devastating -- than many people realize, a point driven home by recent news of prominent older people falling." Falls "are the leading cause of injury deaths among people 65 and older, according" to the CDC. In 2005, "15,800 people 65 and older died from injuries related to falls, and about 1.8 million were treated in emergency rooms for such injuries, the CDC says."

Associated Press: Social Security Numbers, Direct Deposit Status Affect Stimulus Mailing

"If you want to be the first on your block to get your $600 economic stimulus payment, the IRS has a tip: Sign up to get your 2007 tax refund via direct deposit." Recipients with "Social Security numbers whose last two digits are low" will get their checks first, and those who selected direct deposit "begin receiving payments by May 2, with all such deposits expected to be made within two weeks." The IRS expects the "last of the rebate checks" to "be mailed by July 11."

Washington Post: New Task for a Budget Straight-Talker

"David Broder writes, "As the head of the Government Accountability Office, the auditing arm of Congress," David Walker "has been perhaps the most outspoken official in Washington warning of the fiscal train wreck that awaits this country unless it mends its ways." In a recent speech, Walker warned that "largely due to the aging of the baby boomers and rising health care costs, the United States faces decades of red ink. ... Over time, the U.S. government could be reduced to doing little more than mailing out Social Security checks to retirees and paying interest on the massive national debt."

Associated Press: AHIP Spent $6.9M Lobbying For Health Care Legislation

"America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), "the trade group that represents the health insurance industry, spent $6.9 million to lobby the federal government last year." The "group lobbied on legislation to continue" SCHIP. But President Bush "twice has vetoed efforts to add up to 10-million children to the program over the next five years." AHIP "also lobbied for legislation that would allow the marketing of generic biotech drugs."

Washington Times: Digital TV Switch May Lead To Hazardous Electronics Disposal

"Millions of analog TV sets could be discarded before the digital TV transition next year as Americans upgrade to high-definition flat panels. Chances are most of them will end up in ditches in the developing world." These discarded electronics are "toxic, containing heavy metals such as mercury and lead, as well as flame retardants that give off harmful fumes when burned."

USA Today: Home Equity Below 50% Level

"Home equity for the average American has dropped below 50% for the first time since World War II, reflecting a widespread decline in home values and relatively loose mortgage practices during much of this decade. The average homeowners' equity — the mortgage balance as a proportion of the home's market value — fell to 47.9% at the end of 2007, the Federal Reserve reported Thursday."

US News and World Report: GAO Report Seen As Inflaming Criticism Against Medicare Advantage

"A new report finds that there may not be much advantage after all in Medicare Advantage plans over traditional Medicare, at least for certain seniors. The managed-care plans offered by private insurers are touted for offering extra benefits—vision, hearing, and dental coverage, for example—despite having lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs. What's not to like? Some 9 million seniors, about a fifth of all Medicare beneficiaries, have signed up. But last week the Government Accountability Office announced that seniors in some plans might actually pay more for certain services."

Associated Press: AARP Finds Drug Prices Increase Faster Than Inflation

"Drugmakers increased prices by an average of 7.4 percent last year for the brand-name medicines most commonly prescribed to the elderly, according to the advocacy group AARP. The increase far exceeded inflation, continuing a longtime trend. AARP said prices charged to wholesalers have been slightly higher since the Medicare drug benefit started on Jan. 1, 2006. Since then, the outcry over prices has diminished, with the government picking up much of the tab."

Marketwatch: Think You Know Medicare?

"With all the planning people go through to make sure their money won’t run out after they exit the work force, one important detail still seems hazy to many of them: health insurance. A small but revealing study of 377 U.S. baby boomers (those born from 1946 to 1964) shows there’s much confusion about Medicare, the federal health program for people 65 and older and the disabled. Access to coverage figures prominently in retirement timing decisions, but only 36% of boomers surveyed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners correctly identified 65 as the age at which people become eligible for Medicare."

Business Week: DWF Pushes Candidates To Address Pocketbook Issues

"Powerful interests are pushing candidates to pay more attention to financial issues and investing. AARP, the Business Roundtable, the Service Employees Union (SEIU), and the National Federation of Independent Business -- four often antagonistic groups -- have formed the 'Divided We Fail' coalition to push discussion of issues of both health care and long-term financial security." While espousing no specific policies, "Divided We Fail recruits volunteers, tracks candidates' statements, and has broadcast TV ads to promote discussion of changes to America's health and retirement systems. 'Clearly Americans are not saving enough for retirement,' says Nancy LeaMond of AARP. 'We believe the candidates have started to address these issues," she adds. But, 'we don't feel they've talked about them enough.'"

USA Today: Americans Ask Doctors About Prescription Drugs In Ads

"Prescription-drug ads prompt nearly one-third of Americans to ask their doctors about an advertised medicine, and 82% of those who ask say their physicians recommended a prescription. The findings in a national survey by USA TODAY, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health come as drug advertising hit a record $4.8 billion in 2006, up from $2.6 billion in 2002."

Associated Press: FCC Commissioner Suggests Test Run Of Digital To Analog Switch

"The transition to digital broadcasting is the biggest thing to hit television since color. To make sure it goes smoothly, the Federal Communications Commission wants to do a test run." Commissioner Michael Copps "suggested a test run in certain markets, prior to the national shift, would be a good idea. He explained his idea Monday in a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin." The FCC has "released its long-awaited plan to educate consumers about the digital shift. The plan requires broadcasters to air public service announcements and 'crawls' that run across the bottom of the screen informing consumers of the shift."

Los Angeles TImes: Aging In Place Recommended As Alternative to Traditional Care

"Today's older Americans are increasingly adamant in their desire to avoid nursing homes or assisted living. And they now have a movement to back them up. Called "aging in place," it has a beautifully simple premise: Keep seniors safe, well-cared for -- and in their homes..."We have an image in our heads that as soon as you retire you sell your home and move to Florida," says Elinor Ginzler, director of livable communities for AARP. "But according to census data, less than 10% of people 60 and older had moved in a five-year period. We're connected to the house we're living in and the neighborhood we're living in." In fact, 90% of adults 60 and older say they want to stay in their home or community rather than uproot themselves late in life, a 2006 AARP study found."

Washington Post: District Of Columbia Fails To Regulate Assisted Living Centers

"Most assisted living centers in the District have not been licensed or inspected eight years after the D.C. Council mandated government oversight of the facilities and set standards for such matters as dispensing medication, training staff and providing adequate bathrooms. As a result, consumer advocates say, some of the District's most vulnerable residents have been left at greater potential risk for abuse and neglect as an industry that offers housing and daily care for the elderly has taken root in the city...Consumer advocates criticized the delay in government action. "Eight years is a long time. . . . I'm just puzzled," said Susan Reinhard, director of the AARP Public Policy Institute. "It's important to have regulations. That should be a consumer protection, a consumer right."

Washington Times: Primary Day Care For Preschoolers Still Relative

"When it comes to caring for babies, toddlers and preschoolers whose mothers work, 'Nanas' and 'Pop-Pops' are still tops." Amy Goyer, national coordinator of the AARP Foundation Grandparenting Program, noted, "Historically, grandparents have stepped in and helped raise grandchildren and done a lot of care," adding, "As mothers have gone to work more and more, I think grandparents have stepped in even more." Besides "being primary caregivers for young children, grandparents are often pinch-hitters: When parents were asked to list all providers for their children in the past month, the portion of children cared for by grandparents rose to 30 percent."

Washington Post: Candidates Said To Agree With Others In Their Party About Healthcare

"Eugene Robinson writes, "I'm not saying that coverage of the campaign thus far has been flawless." However, "the issues haven't been neglected." It may seem that way "because on matters of real substance, such as health care "neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have seen much internal disagreement." An example is that in Tuesday's debate, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton argues "over the possible contours of a [health insurance] program that does not exist." The difference between their health-care plans is "not as important as the fundamental issue of whether to aim for universal health insurance (the Democrats' position) or not (the Republicans')," which is "why personality, with all its components, is so important this year."

USA Today: Consumers Paying Off Credit Cards, Car Bill Instead Of Mortgages

"Across the nation, credit counselors are reporting the same trend." In "a striking reversal from the norm," credit bureau analyses of consumer payment data found "that financially squeezed borrowers have begun paying their credit card and car bills before their mortgages." This "reflects rising desperation" and "suggests that some people essentially have given up trying to stay current with their mortgages and instead are focused on using credit cards to squeak by."

Fox Business: Boomers Look To City Life In Retirement

"According to AARP, people usually choose to stay put after retirement. And if they do move, it's usually to be closer to family. But this isn't your grandmother's retirement...'People like the idea that they can walk out their door or hop on public transportation to get to a theater, museum, restaurant or shopping mall,' said Elinor Ginzler, director of livable communities at AARP."

Marketwatch: Columnist Answers Questions On Social Security

"Week in and week out, readers email questions about Social Security in hopes of learning how to maximize this most basic of benefits." Powell responds to "some of the more common and not so-common questions that have crossed the transom."

Washington Post: Supreme Court Sides With Worker In Age Discrimination Case

"The Supreme Court yesterday gave the benefit of the doubt to a FedEx worker who claimed age discrimination, and said her case should not be thrown out because of mistakes made by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission."

Washington Post: Clinton, Obama Debate Healthcare In Cleveland

"Clinton and Obama "traded accusations over campaign tactics and engaged in a detailed dissection of their rival health-care plans in the opening moments of a critical debate." Clinton used "the opening moments of the debate" to "delve into health care, repeating her assertion that Obama's plan would leave 15 million people uncovered. She interrupted Obama and the debate moderators repeatedly to press her points and complained briefly that she had been repeatedly subjected to the toughest questioning in this and previous debates."

USA Today: Even As Consumers Lose Heart, Prices Rise

"Consumer confidence plunged to the lowest since the onset of the Iraq war in 2003, while wholesale inflation surged to the highest yearly rate in a quarter-century, according to Tuesday reports offering fresh evidence the economy is teetering near recession."

The Hill: Commerce Secretary Touts Digital Transition Efforts

"Carlos Gutierrez, U.S. secretary of commerce, writes, "The good news is that the public education campaign to alert consumers about this dramatic change is well underway and the word is getting out." In addition, "we are proactively working to reach and address specific concerns of consumers most likely to be impacted by the transition, such as seniors, minority communities, people with disabilities, the economically disadvantaged and those in rural areas."

Associated Press: Existing Home Sales Decline

"Sales of existing homes fell for the sixth straight month in January, dropping to the slowest sales pace on record. Median home prices were also down and many analysts predicted further price declines in the months ahead given high levels of unsold homes."

Washington Times: Collegial Hand For Seniors

"Assisted living's "rapid expansion -- and the need for trained administrators -- is predicted to continue as baby boomers age." In response, George Mason University set up its "program in assisted living/senior housing administration," the "only one of its type in the United States."

US News and World Report: Senators Seek Increased Transparency In Nursing Home Industry

"A "controversial" new proposal by Sens. Chuck Grassley and Herb Kohl "seeks to force nursing homes to provide more information about ownership and accountability. If it passes, the legislation will trigger the largest reform of nursing home care in 21 years. 'More transparency, enforcement, and staff training are all needed,' Grassley said."

Marketwatch: Housing Industry Sees New Market In Green Homes

"Housing developments that target baby boomers may be the next big push for the green housing market and statistics indicate this could be a good marriage...In 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated there were approximately 78.2 million baby boomers in America. A December 2007 survey by AARP found that roughly half of all boomers see themselves as environmental stewards, or 'green boomers.'"

Washington Times: NFIB Reiterates Support For Health Care Reform

"Amanda Austin, senior manage of legislative affairs for the National Federation of Independent Business, writes that the Times "editorial 'Health care and the GOP' reiterates the importance of health care in this year's presidential race and underscores the fact that the candidates are not doing enough to address the rising cost of health care."

Washington Post: Post Columnist Sees Few Ramifications In 401(k) Ruling

"The Supreme Court's ruling on the mismanagement of a 401(k) plan last week isn't likely to have broad ramifications for investors saving for retirement. But it does highlight ongoing efforts to expand protections for investors managing their own retirement accounts."

TV Technology: AARP Finds Faults In Preparation For DTV Switch

"AARP Federal Affairs Consultant Debra Berlyn on the digital TV switch...TV Technology writes, "Despite funding to subsidize analog-to-digital converter boxes, and an array of educational campaigns, AARP thinks some legislative loopholes could leave the most vulnerable seniors without their TV services." Debra Berlyn says, "Television provides an essential information tool in the home for older Americans, with important safety and weather information, and local news, and we simply can't risk allowing any households to lose this vital access."

USA Today: USA Today Columnist Recommends Social Security Strategy

"Sandra Block writes, "A little-known Social Security option...gives early retirees a way to have their cake and eat it, too." Senior citizens "who receive early-retirement benefits from Social Security can withdraw their application, repay the benefits they've received and refile for higher benefits at a later date," which in some cases, can give "the equivalent of an inflation-indexed annuity...for about 40% less than the lowest-cost annuity available on the private market."

USA Today: States Want To Tap Boomers' Skills

"The wave of baby boomers hitting retirement age threatens to create such a void in the workforce that states are crafting policies and programs to keep older Americans working and volunteering." Five states have already done so and eight more are "working with the National Governors Association to study ways to keep boomers in the labor market as volunteers or part-time workers." USA Today writes that the laws are "a major shift in public policy in a nation that has treated the aging of 79 million boomers as a likely drain on social and entitlement programs."

Washington Post: Economy Remains Key Issue In Democratic Presidential Race

"Hillary Clinton "launched a tough new offensive against Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday, asserting flatly that her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination is not prepared to serve as commander in chief." The Post suggests she launched the new attacks because, "Exit polls in Wisconsin suggested that Clinton's economic message -- a populist-tinged pledge to restore the policies of the 1990s boom -- may be falling flat. Obama held a big advantage over her among Wisconsin voters who rated the economy as their top concern. He edged her out among those naming health care, her signature issue, as the country's single biggest problem."

Associated Press: Government Plan Does Little to Help "Jumbo" Loans

"The piece of the government's economic stimulus plan aimed at bolstering the housing market may not work out as planned." While Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac "can now purchase and guarantee home loans of up to $729,750, they won't be traded in a key secondary market, limiting the prospect for sharply lower rates on 'jumbo' mortgages." Therefore, the interest rates on these loans "will need to be higher to attract investors. And that's less-than-ideal for consumers looking to take out or refinance jumbo home loans."

Associated Press: States Looking To Expand Age Mandates For Health Plans

"Almost all states, when regulating insurance plans for small- and medium-sized employers, set a maximum age for coverage of dependent children," but now states are "looking at this group of young people as they seek to reduce the number of uninsured." An organization of "lawmakers who specialize in insurance regulation, the National Conference of Insurance Legislators, will vote on a policy recommendation in two weeks that supports increasing the availability of dependent benefits up to age 25. The endorsement would be important because legislators around the country look to the organization for guidance on insurance issues."

Associated Press: More Americans Turning To 401(k) Loans

"As home prices fall and banks tighten lending standards, more people are doing the same thing: raiding their retirement savings just to get by." But the withdrawals "are taxed as income and are subject to a 10 percent penalty if the worker is under 59 1/2 years old," increasing the risk of "coming up short on retirement savings or may have to rely on an overburdened Social Security system." Financial planners are warning that 401(k) borrowers "may have to work longer and shorten their 'golden years' of retirement," if they "didn't save enough"

Washington Post: Samuelson Criticizes Obama's "Sanctification Of The Status Quo"

"Robert Samuelson writes, "The trouble, at least for me, is the huge and deceptive gap between [Barack Obama's] captivating oratory and his actual views." While promising "change," Senator Obama "pledges not to raise the retirement age and to 'protect Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries.' This isn't 'change'; it's sanctification of the status quo." Further, his proposal to "exempt all retirees making less than $50,000 annually from income tax," would shift "more of the tax burden onto younger workers."

Newsweek: McCain Advisor Plans Big Changes To Health Care System

"Douglas Holtz-Eakin, senior policy adviser on economics for the McCain campaign, said, "We have a big health-reform plan that includes changes in the Medicare payment system," which "taken as a package,...will address the growth in health-care spending, which is really the driving issue." Later, Holtz-Eakin says, "You have to change the practice of medicine so it's not based on fee-per-service, but instead spending on making people well. That's step one. Step two, you have to improve the insurance market. The current individual insurance market is terrible."

Washington Post: AARP Backs Age Discrimination Suit Before Supreme Court

"The Supreme Court will hear "allegations of age discrimination in five cases this term. While the sheer number of cases probably can be explained away as coincidence, the topic is one of growing importance as more people work longer because of economic necessity or by choice. 'The importance of protecting older workers as the work force ages is enormous,' said Stu Cohen, AARP's director of legal advocacy. 'More older workers remain in the workforce and projections are that the percentage will continue to expand.'"

Fox Business: AARP's Ginzler Offers Advice On Caring For Elderly Parents

"Baby boomers increasingly are having to assess their parents' medical needs and ability to live alone," and boomers need to be aware of "signs that their parents might need more care than they are currently receiving, said Elinor Ginzler, director of livable communities at AARP and co-author of Caring for Your Aging Parents." If boomers "notice some of these problems the best way to approach a conversation, according to Ginzler, is to start out with something like 'Mom, I couldn't help but notice that...'"

Associated Press: Boomers Living Standards Threatened By Health Care Costs

"Many baby boomers are not going to be able to maintain their standard of living in retirement, not only because they're not saving enough but also because they face skyrocketing health care costs. A study being released Tuesday by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that health care expenses could take a big bite out of retirees' budgets."

Jill is back in the house - tan, rested and ready from her visit to warmer climes. It's been a fun week blogging with you all. If she let's me guest blog in the future, I'm demanding my own avatar! Even I don't drink that much coffee!

- Tammy

USA Today: Falling home sales problem spreads to 45 states

"Underscoring the breadth of the real estate recession, sales of existing homes fell in 45 states and Washington, D.C., in the last quarter of 2007, and prices dropped in more than half the metro areas it tracks, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday."

Washington Post: Clinton, Obama Offer Similar Economic Visions

"Hillary Rodham Clinton slammed Barack Obama during an appearance at a General Motors plant here on Thursday for what she charged was a lack of a record of achievement on the economy. But as both Democratic presidential candidates announced comprehensive economic plans this week, they advocated similar visions for what has become the single biggest issue for voters in the 2008 campaign."

Washington Times: FTC Finds Consumer Fraud On The Rise

"American consumers reported 20 percent more cases of consumer fraud last year than the previous year, and nearly a third of their complaints related to identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission reported yesterday. The federal agency, in an annual report on consumer-fraud complaints, revealed that out of around 810,000 cases of consumer fraud reported, more than 258,000 involved identity theft, the top complaint for the eighth year in a row."

CNN Money: Rebates for Seniors - Next Steps

"The IRS has said it will make a special effort - working with the Social Security Administration - to reach out to seniors living on Social Security to make sure those who are eligible know what they will need to do. The IRS outreach will be echoed by the AARP, which is planning a campaign to increase awareness about the rebates among seniors through its publications and Web site as well as on its TV and radio shows, said AARP spokesman Jim Dau."

Washington Post: AARP Honors McKinley Tech

"McKinley Tech High School is the recipient of a $100,000 award from AARP. The Ethel Percy Andrus Legacy Award, named after the organization's founder, recognizes a public high school in the city that has an innovative program that connects generations or fosters greater civic engagement among the community"

Washington Times: 401(k) Debit Card Draws Criticism

"A new debit card that lets consumers use ATMs to withdraw money from their 401(k) plans is drawing a sharp reaction from financial planners. The debit cards allow cardholders to take out loans from their employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement funds. Normally, restrictions on the funds discourage account holders from making withdrawals before they are 59½ years old. Early withdrawals from 401(k) plans come with taxes and fees, which could deprive account holders of their nest eggs if they fail to replace the money promptly."

Associated Press: Older Population to More Than Double

"Future immigrants and their descendants will account for most of the increase among working-age adults through 2050, but growth in the older population will outpace all other groups, the Pew Hispanic Center reported Monday. The faster growth in the older population means costs per worker for programs that help seniors and young children, under 17 years old, will go up, according to the center's researchers."

Washington Post: Top Voter Concerns for DC Residents

"As Washington area residents head to the polls, months into a heated primary campaign, health care remains a top voter concern. A recent Washington Post-ABC national survey showed health care ranked third (after the economy and the war in Iraq) among Democratic voters; among Republicans, health care ranks among the top 10 issues."

Chicago Tribune: New Social Security Card on the Way?

"In an effort to help combat identity theft and fraud, two Illinois congressmen are expected to introduce legislation Tuesday they hope will enhance the security features of Social Security cards. The proposed cards would feature a photograph and fingerprint, as well as a computer chip, bar code and magnetic strip."

Washington Post: Easy Stimulus

"The Washington Post in an editorial wrote that the economic stimulus bill "could have been worse. But it could have been a lot better, too. Politically, checks for the elderly and veterans were a no-brainer; as economic stimulus, however, they were not clearly preferable to extended unemployment benefits and increased food stamps, both of which Congress rejected."

Los Angeles Times: Shift In Retiree Costs To Medicare Advantage

"Many large employers are struggling with the obligation to cover the rising medical costs of retirees, but last year officials in Michigan found a way to save at least $40 million on care for retired teachers and other public-school workers: Send the bills to Washington...Some lawmakers of both parties have begun to question whether the Medicare Advantage program needs an overhaul. "It's a runaway train," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.). Seniors lobby AARP and the American Medical Assn. want to curtail payments to private plans."

Congress Daily: Leavitt To Face Questions About Medicare "Trigger"

...Under the Medicare Modernization Act, the White House is required to give lawmakers a plan because Medicare spending has exceeded 45 percent of general revenues two years in a row. There is a debate within the administration about whether President Bush is required to send a Medicare plan to Congress. Referring to constitutional concerns Bush raised when he signed the MMA, OMB officials say they do not believe the administration is required to do anything. HHS Secretary Leavitt has said the administration will respond to the 45 percent "trigger," but he has not indicated how detailed the White House plan will be or whether it will go beyond the president's budget proposal. Leavitt will likely be peppered with questions about the administration's plans for the "trigger bill" when he appears before the Ways and Means Committee Wednesday..."

Washington Post: Congress Approves Revised Stimulus Plan

"The legislation would provide $600 payments for individuals -- $1,200 for couples -- plus $300 for each child younger than 17. It would begin to phase out eligibility at $75,000 in adjusted gross income for individuals and at $150,000 for couples...On a 91 to 6 vote, the Senate added a provision to grant $300 payments to seniors, disabled veterans and veterans' widows who could show $3,000 in Social Security or veterans' disability benefits last year."

Forbes: Trade In Your Social Security Check

"Millions of retired Americans could substantially raise their living standards throughout retirement by sending checks for tens of thousands of dollars to the Social Security Administration." Professor Laurence Kotlikoff notes that "a recipient can 'undo' his decision to take Social Security retirement benefits early simply by paying back -- without any interest or inflation adjustment -- the benefits he's received."

Washington Times: Most Americans Aware Of Digital TV Switch

"Seven out of 10 consumers know about the transition to digital television. The rest have 375 days to get the message," according to a Consumer Electronics Association survey. The result is "up from 41 percent a year ago."

Congress Daily: Senate Stimulus Bill Blocked Despite Intense Pressure From AARP

"The Senate blocked a Finance Committee economic stimulus package, 58-41, Wednesday, just shy of the 60-vote margin needed for approval. "We're disappointed by tonight's vote and we expect the Senate to fix this," said David Sloane of the AARP."

Washington Post: Social Security Advocate Emphasizes Importance Of Social Security Disability

"In a letter to the editor, Nancy Altman, author and chair of the board of directors of the Pension Rights Center, writes that a recent Washington Post Magazine article on disabled football players "exemplifies why Social Security is so important to working Americans, why the benefits it provides should not be cut and, indeed, why those benefits should be increased."

Money: What's Next for Boomers?

"In their cover story for their March 2008 Issue, Money Magazine publishes a series of articles on what the next 25 years hold for baby boomers, focusing on "five key trends that will dominate your financial life."

Congress Daily: Senators Push For Rebates For Seniors In Stimulus Bill

"The bipartisan Senate Finance Committee leadership and the seniors lobby AARP unveiled a poll today that says about 90 percent of likely voters say senior citizens who depend on Social Security should also be eligible for tax rebate checks in an economic stimulus measure."

Los Angeles Times: AARP Presents Movies For Grownups Awards

"For movie fans who still prefer the big-screen experience, this year marks the 80th year of the Academy Awards -- and AARP's seventh annual Movies for Grownups Awards. Nominees for the AARP awards are chosen on the basis of their appeal to older audiences. Winners receive La Chaise d'Or (the Golden Chair), a trophy in the shape of a vintage theater. Winners included: "The Savages" for best movie for grown-ups, while best actor 50 and older went to Chris Cooper for "Breach." Julie Christie picked up the award for best actress 50 and older for "Away From Her."

UPI: Older Voters Still Have Barriers To Voting

"Elderly voters -- especially those living in long-term care settings -- are at the mercy of others when it comes to exercising their right to vote, said Dr. Jason Karlawish of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Geographical distance, the lack of transportation to polling sites and the lack of assistance to absentee ballot applications are barriers for older Americans to vote, Karlawish said."

The Hill: AARP Pushes for Passage of Senate Stimulus

"Buoyed by an all-out lobbying blitz from key allies, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) predicted Monday that the chamber would be able to push through his panel's economic stimulus package." Over the weekend, the "influential senior's lobby, AARP, and groups representing homebuilders, union employees and war veterans" called on "wayward senators to support the Finance Committee measure."

Associated Press: Bush Unveils $3.1 Trillion Budget

President Bush officially unveiled his final budget yesterday to largely negative media reviews and vocal Democratic criticism. The AP reports, "Bush took his proposals to slow Medicare and Medicaid spending to a new scale in his proposed 2009 budget even though previous, more modest efforts to trim the entitlement programs went nowhere." They "would continue to grow -- just not as quickly."

Marketwatch: Consumer Reports Releases Health Care Reform Poll

Just in time for Super Tuesday, Consumer Reports has a new poll on what results Americans want to see from an overhaul of the U.S. health-care system. There are six basic outcomes that more than 80% of the 1,200 adults in a national sample said they want to have guaranteed: Coverage for all uninsured children; Protection against financial ruin due to a major illness or accident; The ability to obtain coverage regardless of a preexisting condition; Coverage that continues even when people are laid off, changing jobs or starting their own business; Premiums, deductibles and out of pocket expenses that are affordable relative to family income; The ability to keep current health coverage if desired.

CQ Today: AARP LOBBYING HELPS MAKE SENIORS A PRIORITY IN SENATE STIMULUS PLAN

AARP CEO William Novelli wrote in a letter to all Senators last week, "warning senators that the coming vote would be scored by the group's political arm." CQ noted, "Respect for the clout of such voters has helped AARP win an impressive array of political trophies in recent years, including the 2003 Medicare prescription drug benefit (PL 108-173) and the successful campaign to kill Bush's proposal to restructure Social Security in the last Congress."

Roll Call: DIVIDED WE FAIL CAMPAIGNS IN SUPER TUESDAY RUN-UP

"Divided We Fail -- a health care-focused effort of the Business Roundtable...is stepping up its grass-roots work in the 24 Super Tuesday states, AARP spokesman Drew Nannis wrote in an e-mail." Divided We Fail has "activated its volunteers at campaign events, with some perched on busy street corners waving signs during the morning and evening rush hours and 'bird-dogging' candidates and their surrogates at rallies and events.

New York Times: AARP TO PRESENT RUBY DEE AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

"A month of awards ceremonies began triumphantly last Sunday for Ruby Dee, who won the Screen Actors Guild's Award for best supporting actress for her role in...'American Gangster.'" Ms. Dee has been nominated for an Academy Award for the same role, and this Monday, "AARP will present Ms. Dee its Movies for Grownups Award for best supporting actress over the age of 50."

McClatchy: Senate vote on stimulus delayed; battle looms

"These older Americans spend 92 percent of their income — a greater proportionate share of income than all other adults. This spending pattern strongly suggests that rebates for these individuals will be spent entirely and quickly, helping to provide an immediate boost to the economy," Bill Novelli, the AARP's chief executive officer, wrote in a letter Thursday to all senators.

CNN: Caring for Mom and Dad from afar

So what do you do when you live a continent away from your aging, ailing parents? As the AARP aptly puts it, there are no magic answers.

Queens Gazette: Senior-Friendly Home Makeovers

AARP Home Design section (www.aarp.org/families/homedesign). This Web page provides information and resources on universal design and remodeling solutions, including a checklist that helps you evaluate each room for safety and long-term livability.

Associated Press: Leavitt seeks expanded use of electronic health records

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt proposed a $150 million incentives plan Thursday to expand physicians' use of electronic medical records.

Washington Post: Showdown Nears on Stimulus Bill

After the Finance Committee vote, AARP launched a lobbying push to win passage of the Senate version. Advocates of the Senate bill said House-Senate talks should take a few days.

Wall Street Journal: Senate Stimulus Plan Heads for Floor Showdown

Of all the differences between the plans, Senate Democrats appear most attached to the rebates for older people, and they could have leverage in talks with the House, amid a grass-roots campaign by AARP, the advocacy group for older people. Yesterday, an AARP email to its members helped generate 75,000 emails and 1,500 calls to senators' offices. The group promised to keep up the pressure.

Associated Press: Former Social Security Official Dies

John Rother, AARP's public policy director, called Ball a tireless defender of Social Security and Medicare. "His dedication has inspired a whole generation of younger advocates and leaders in the field, and his writings will continue to influence the debate for broader health and pension coverage for years to come," Rother said.

Money: Boomers: How to age gracefully

Maybe it's time to stop supporting your healthy adult children. Or downsize your home and move to a less expensive area. Or - egad! - cut some of your leisure spending. The best way to put more cash in your coffers: Retire later than you planned. "Every extra year you work is a 'twofer,'" says David Certner, legislative policy director at AARP. "It's a year that you make money and don't spend savings."

Politico: Medicare revamp revived

Still at the crux of the debate are efforts by the American Medical Association and AARP to raise Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors by supporting cuts to private Medicare Advantage plans.

Wall Street Journal: Employers Explore Health-Care Options

Other small and medium-size employers are also providing stipends to workers who buy their own coverage through similar defined contribution programs.

Associated Press: House approves economic recovery plan

The House, seizing a rare moment of bipartisanship to respond to the economy's slump, overwhelmingly passed a $146 billion aid package Tuesday that would speed rebates of $600-$1,200 to most taxpayers.

Wall Street Journal: Lawmakers Offer Plans For Homeowner Refinancing

Lawmakers, looking for ways to aid homeowners in need of refinancing, are considering raising the caps on how much money states can borrow to finance housing projects, and easing other restrictions.

Marketwatch: Senate stimulus bill would include seniors, jobless

The AARP applauded the inclusion of 20 million senior citizens who live on Social Security.

"In addition to tax rebates, the Baucus stimulus proposal would help approximately 20 million older Americans who primarily depend on Social Security for retirement income," said Bill Novelli, CEO for the group, which represents retired Americans.

Wall Street Journal: Baucus Stimulus Plan May Spur Conflict

The AARP, an advocacy group for retired people, has pushed for the elderly to be included. But "it's going to be hard to get people to take advantage of it," said David Certner of AARP, if they don't normally file tax returns.

Bloomberg: Half of U.S. States Facing Budget Gaps, Report Finds

Following the U.S. recession in 2001, 34 states reduced funding for health care and education programs, according to the center's report. More than 1 million people lost their health- care coverage because of those cuts, according to the report.

Associated Press: Senate Democrats ponders adding retirees to rebate plan, extending jobless benefits

But it would leave out about 20 million senior citizens living chiefly on Social Security. They wouldn't get rebate checks unless they have at least $3,000 earned income or pay income taxes based on other sources such as earnings, interest, investments or private pension plans.

"Less than half of all Americans 65 and older would get it," said AARP spokesman Jim Dau.

Chicago Tribune: Seniors tapping homes for cash

Bronwyn Belling, project manager of the AARP Foundation's Reverse Mortgage Education Project, worries that people are tapping the equity in their homes before they really need to.

"The money they borrow now, that money won't be available later," Belling said.

Associated Press: AARP Hands Out 'Movies For Grownups' Awards

So said AARP magazine, which announced "The Savages" will be receiving its top award at its seventh annual Movies for Grownups Awards on Feb. 4 at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.

Washington Post: No Country for Old People?

It's a tough time for seniors these days, and getting tougher as the economy slumps. How can we enrich Americans' later years?

Wall Street Journal: Tempering Health-Care Goals

Democrats backing universal health care long favored a single-payer system, with government replacing insurance companies and covering everyone. More recently, most have advocated a more modest -- and politically feasible -- system that provides universal coverage by building on the employer-based system.

Los Angeles Times: Saving becomes a campaign issue

A dawning reality that millions of workers face an income squeeze when they retire has elevated building a nest egg to the national political agenda.

Washington Post: Longing for Size and Speed

Small-car options appeared limited, pushing aging baby boomers onto the unfamiliar territory of Scion, Toyota's youth-car brand.

"I shouldn't even be in this section," said Larry Waldron, a 60-year-old retired federal worker. The Scion could be a real draw for older people, he said. It is easy to get in and out of and has thin windshield posts, giving drivers a wider view of the road. But he said Toyota will have to dress the brand down so the car doesn't look quite so funky.

U.S. News & World Report: Health Insurance Options That Squeeze Individuals

Many people have no choice but to buy healthcare coverage on their own, despite its downsides.

USA Today: Trucking industry faces rough road

Schneider National also became an employment team member with the AARP and has increased its number of drivers older than 50 by 46%.

Wall Street Journal: Economic Slowdown Could Widen U.S. Budget Deficit

But lawmakers were more alarmed by the CBO's warnings about the approaching budget squeeze as baby boomers retire and begin drawing Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits. The CBO projected that Medicare, the health plan for the elderly, and Medicaid, the program for the poor, will together cost 5.9% of the entire U.S. economic output by 2018, compared with about 4.6% this year. Over the next 75 years, the CBO expects such entitlement programs to create a fiscal gap measuring 7% of GDP.

New York Times: The Unavoidable Update

While people like to complain that there is nothing to watch on television, about 21 million American households may find that literally true in February 2009. On the 17th of that month, most TV stations will quit broadcasting analog TV signals over the air, and older sets will go blank.

USA Today: Employers put health coverage in workers' hands

Nick Trikolas plans to drop health insurance for his employees and give them money to buy their own coverage. He says doing so will put him in the vanguard of a movement by employers searching for answers to rising health costs.

MSNBC: Save your parents' finances (before they ruin yours)

If our Moms and Dads are relying on us to pay for their expenses — from groceries to utility bills in early retirement to long-term health care in their 70s and 80s, how will that impact our own financial future?

Los Angeles Times: Good for borrowers, bad for savers

"It's bad for seniors who are living on fixed incomes, but this gigantic baby boom generation is largely made up of borrowers," said Gary Schlossberg, senior economist with Wells Fargo Capital Markets in San Francisco.

Wall Street Journal: Wal-Mart Insured Ranks Rise

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said the percentage of its work force enrolled in its health plans has increased significantly from a year ago after it expanded choices, including lower-cost options.

Washington Post: Braving a Downdraft

The stock market heads south just as you've retired, or are about to. It's the worst-case scenario you've always feared. Is it time to scour the help-wanted ads? Do you have to put your post-work life on hold?

New York Times: Justices Add More Cases on Job Discrimination

The employees won a jury trial, but the federal appeals court in New York eventually overturned the verdict on the ground that the employees had failed to carry their burden of showing that the evaluation system was unreasonable. In their Supreme Court appeal, supported by a brief filed by the AARP Foundation, the employees are arguing that the structure of the statute makes clear that the employer must prove reasonableness of an action that would otherwise be prohibited.

Washington Post: Homeowners in Alleged Scam Get Settlement

Many of the homeowners didn't realize or didn't want to accept that their problems could have been solved if they sold their homes. The plaintiffs each had tens of thousands of dollars in equity in their homes. The amounts due on their mortgages ranged from $8,000 to $16,000.

"Each person was attached to their homes," said Jean Constantine-Davis, an AARP lawyer. One plaintiff, Idriis Bilaal, was born in the home he was trying to keep.

Chicago Tribune: A New Deal for a New Economy

These days, middle-class families across America are understandably concerned about the new economy and the prospect that globalization will send their jobs overseas or change their way of life. As they confront these new challenges we need a plan -- a New Deal for the New Economy -- that will address working Americans' concerns and prepare them for the future.

Newsweek: Careful What You Wish For

The numbers are staggering, but no longer shocking: about 47 million Americans are uninsured and millions more struggle to pay expensive health-insurance premiums.

Marketwatch: More employers seeking 50+ workers

AARP is adding three federal government agencies and six private companies to its list of employers looking to hire people 50 and older for a variety of full-time, part-time and seasonal jobs, the group announced Thursday.

USA Today: Reverse mortgages aren't for everyone

"It's a generational shift," says John Rother, policy director at AARP. "Our parents' generation saw the home as a bedrock of security, and it was a good deal to pay off the mortgage and own it free and clear. Many boomers, on the other hand, are treating the home as a financial asset and are using it to borrow against its value."

AP: Nicholson Says He's Looking for Love

"I never minded being a fool for love," the 70-year-old Oscar winner tells AARP The Magazine. "It's nice to have a place to be foolish. Ask any old friend of mine, they'll say, `Jack's pretty smart, but in this area the man is beyond the pale. Don't ask him anything about love. Or if you ask him, don't listen to him.'"

New York Times: Health Care Could Sway Nevadans

But with the Nevada caucuses coming Saturday, little seems to concern people here as much as health care. The state has an unusually high number of people with no insurance, doctors are hard to come by, Medicaid reimbursements are low and health care safety nets are eroding.

USA Today: How do you make a lump sum of your life's savings last?

"When you're facing retirement, and you're feeling desperate (because you haven't saved enough), you're more apt to fall for those too-good-to-be-true pitches," says Jean Setzfand, director of financial security for AARP, the advocacy group for those over 50.

USA Today: Will aging boomers lose benefits?

Baby boomers grew up skeptical of authority, so it's hardly surprising that some of them doubt the government will deliver the full Social Security and Medicare benefits it has promised.

Marketwatch: Health care is personal for presidential candidates

Americans have a vested interest in where the presidential candidates stand on health-care reform and how their health proposals are evolving ahead of the general election.

AP: Study: Online Privacy Concerns Increase

Privacy concerns stemming from online shopping rose in 2007, a new study finds, as the loss or theft of credit card information and other personal data soared to unprecedented levels.

Reuters: HMOs will be mainstay in Medicare for years

"The overpayment issue is a big one and I'm certain it won't go away," said David Certner, legislative policy director at AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons.

Newhouse: Digital TV Transition May Take Seniors By Surprise

There are education efforts, said Jo Reed, Washington-based AARP's national coordinator for livable communities and consumer issues, but without considerable financial backing, such endeavors are unlikely to provide vital personalized and technical help.

USA Today: Older baby boomers caught all the breaks

In a generation as sprawling as the baby boomers, you're bound to notice some big differences. And the main difference is probably this: The older boomers, exemplified by the 62-year-olds who will start retiring this year, occupy a demographic sweet spot that most younger boomers can't match.

New York Times: A Promising Way of Containing Out-of-Control Medical Spending

The conventional wisdom, however, is wrong. The aging of the population has relatively little effect on the tremendous projected rise in federal spending on health care, as the graph below (from the cover of a recent report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office) shows.

USA Today: Early retirees try to fill gap in health coverage

Some early retirees who lack employer coverage "are just hanging on until they're eligible for Medicare," says David Certner, director of federal affairs for AARP. "Either they can't afford (health insurance), or they can't get it. They're hoping nothing happens before they hit age 65." About 16% of individuals 50 to 64 are uninsured, AARP says.

The Street: Just Put It on My 401(k) Debit Card

Critics contend use of the cards risks depleting already skimpy retirement savings. "Big picture: it just takes us out of the context of a 401(k) loan being a loan of last resort," says Jean Setzfand AARP's Director of Financial Security. "Seeing what we see, [with retirement savings] not quite where we want to see it, we're just afraid that this is going to deplete it further."

USA Today: Husbands should consider delaying Social Security benefits

This year, the oldest baby boomers are turning 62, making them eligible for Social Security. About half of those boomers are expected to claim their benefits as soon as they're eligible, even though that means a permanent 25% reduction in benefits.

National Law Journal: Debunking stereotypes

No other single law has done more to debunk the "myths of the worn-out worker," as a one-time AARP writer put it, than the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).

USA Today: Boomers' eagerness to retire could cost them

David Certner, director of federal affairs for AARP, doesn't think that retiring boomers will suffer cuts in benefits, either.

"We think Social Security benefits, particularly for those at or near retirement, are well-financed and will be there," he says.

BusinessWeek: Starting a Business Instead of Retiring

About 20% of the entire over-50 workforce in the U.S. is self-employed, and one-third of those workers made the transition to self-employment after turning 50, according to a 2007 RAND Corp. study commissioned by AARP. Switching to entrepreneurship is one way retirees stay active, says Deborah Russell, the AARP's director of workforce issues. But she says people must know what they're getting into: "For those who have not done this before, they may have a false expectation that working for yourself also means less stress and less demand, and it may be in fact the exact opposite."

USA Today: State lawmakers wrestle with abusive lending

The people targeted for complicated high-interest loans have expanded from first-time minority homeowners and low-income elderly to include middle-class borrowers, AARP attorney Nina Simon says.

"There are extraordinary numbers of these (cases) all over the country, says AARP lawyer Jean Constantine-Davis, who handles many of the complaints that come to the advocacy group for retired people.

Wall Street Journal: The New Recruits: Older Workers

Employers who ignore older workers now will suffer as boomers near retirement age, says Melanie Cosgrove Holmes, a vice president at Manpower. By 2012, nearly one in three U.S. workers will be over 50, according to AARP, a group for people age 50 and older. "Progressive companies that are looking ahead...are the ones that are going to be most successful," Ms. Holmes says.

Forbes: Health Care's Champions Of Change

First, in November, it joined forces with some unlikely allies--unions and big business--to rally for reform. Divided We Fail, brainchild of the AARP, also counts in its coalition the Service Employees Union, the nation's largest union, with 1.8 million members, and the Business Roundtable, a big-business lobbying group.

Variety: Representatives divided on digital

Among the panelists speaking in the afternoon, only Debra Berlyn, a consultant for the American Assn. for Retired People, concurred with Levine and Schneider. Berlyn said the AARP is trying to make sure that elderly people, particularly those in rural areas, are not left behind as a result of the transition.

Forbes: Post-Retirement Job Hunting

During 2006, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 16,548 charges of age discrimination.

USA Today: Haven't saved for retirement? Don't wait another day

Say you're in what some now hopefully call "the new 30s." That means you're in your 50s. And say you've procrastinated so long that you haven't saved enough money for retirement.

Baltimore Sun: A wide-open race brings out the voters

The concerns of young voters don't appear to be vastly different from those of older ones, exit polls show. And older voters also cast ballots in Iowa and New Hampshire in record numbers, said Mark Kitchens, an AARP spokesman.

"All Americans want change, regardless of age," Kitchens said.

Washington Post: The Gift of Tax Assistance

The AARP also provides free tax preparation to low- and middle-income taxpayers with special attention to those age 60 and older.

Wall Street Journal: Finding Day Care -- For Your Parents

Choices Grow for Increasing Numbers Of Baby Boomers Who Have Frail Relatives They Are Reluctant to Leave Alone

U.S. News & World Report: Marriage and Social Security Benefits

But married couples should pause to consider the array of Social Security options they have that their single counterparts don't.

Newsday: Editorial: Health care costs hurt retiree insurance

Of course, the real problem is the rapid rise in the cost of medical care. Unless the nation finds some way to arrest runaway costs, coverage for retirees and employees alike will continue to deteriorate.

Motley Fool: Ease Into Retirement

Organizations like AARP have created lists of the best employers for older workers, which include companies like First Horizon (NYSE: FHN), Principal Financial (NYSE: PFG), and John Deere (NYSE: DE).

Wall Street Journal: The Road to Universal Coverage

But instead of celebrating, the candidates and left-leaning pundits are squabbling over whether the plans should include so-called mandates that require everyone to purchase health insurance. Talk about self-inflicted wounds. Mandates are a sideshow, and fighting over them risks turning away voters from the main event.

Wall Street Journal: Automatic 401(k) Plans Might Not Save Enough

While automatic enrollment helps many people start saving, it often excludes a large segment of workers and steers participants to a contribution rate that is in many cases below the rate these employees would have chosen on their own, the research shows.

Boston Globe: Do adjust your set

Jim Dau, a spokesman for AARP, said monitoring the changeover will be a priority for his group this year. "Many of our members are more dependent on their televisions to keep them connected to their communities," said Dau. "Americans age 50 and above watch the greatest amount of television, almost 5 1/2 hours a day."

Chicago Tribune: Fresh opportunities for older workers

"People are not saying take this job and shove it," said Bob Gallo, Illinois director of AARP. "They want to keep working. They like contributing. "People can work longer because of the longer life span they now expect."

New York Times: Bush Admits Economy Faces Challenges

President Bush, in a marked shift from his usual upbeat economic assessments, conceded here on Monday that the nation faces “economic challenges” due to rising oil prices, the home mortgage crisis and a weakening job market.

Associated Press: Vt. Senator Laments Low-Income Plight

Sanders said the $2.6 billion Congress passed last month for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program known as LIHEAP, which he said is $400 million more than last year but 23 percent less than what Congress provided two years ago, is not enough, given escalating fuel costs and cold weather. He plans to push for an extra $800 million and the release of millions of dollars in emergency LIHEAP funding.

New York Times: Six Decades at the Center of Attention, and Counting

“We work to dramatically change the perception of what is old by focusing on ageless realities,” said Emilio Pardo, chief brand officer for AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons. “Life is based on someone’s needs, not how many years they’ve lived. We emphasize the idea of ageless aging.”

Time: The Boomers Hit 62

You've heard about the pending retirement of the boomers before, of course. You've also heard that Social Security faces some big funding problems. The two have less to do with each other than you might think.

Wall Street Journal: The Market Braces for the Boomers

If the baby boomers stop working, they ask, who will produce the goods and services to keep the economy growing? If they stop earning, who will pay taxes to fund their Social Security and Medicare checks? And if they sell off stocks and bonds to finance their golden years, who will buy?

BusinessWeek: To Retire Or Not to Retire?

This year is a demographic watershed, a critical juncture for both individuals and employers. This is the year the first Boomers are officially eligible to retire.

Los Angeles Times: Caring for aging parents from a distance: a growing problem

Packets of prescriptions lie unopened on the counter. A once-immaculate house is unkempt. A cool-headed individual is suddenly given to erratic swings in mood. Sometimes such details might flag a decline, perhaps the result of Alzheimer's disease or other chronic woes.

"What's it like in the refrigerator?" asked Elinor Ginzler, a specialist in long-term care at AARP. "Is there food in that refrigerator, and is it fresh? . . . It's that kind of recognition while you're visiting that all may not be as well as it was in the past."

New York Times: U.S. Curtailing Bids to Expand Medicaid Rolls

The Bush administration is imposing restrictions on the ability of states to expand eligibility for Medicaid, in an effort to prevent them from offering coverage to families of modest incomes who, the administration argues, may have access to private health insurance.

Wall Street Journal: Treasury Plans Social Security Debit Card

The Treasury Department plans to introduce a prepaid debit card for Social Security recipients in an effort to provide safer and cheaper benefits payments.

New York Times: Many Clients of Astor Lawyer Left Him Bequests in Their Wills

Mr. Morrissey, 65, has been charged in an 18-count indictment with helping Mrs. Astor’s son, Anthony D. Marshall, exploit her during the last years of her life so that the two men could gain financially. Mr. Morrissey is also charged with forging Mrs. Astor’s signature on a final amendment to her 2002 will. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Wall Street Journal: Adviser Alert

Many of the more than 50 titles that imply expertise in advising seniors or retirees reflect training that shows advisers "how to sell to this market" rather than how to help clients, says Jean Setzfand, director of financial security for AARP, the Washington-based advocacy group for people 50 years old and older.

New York Times: No Insurance, Poor Health

The case for providing health coverage for all Americans got even more compelling in the past week when two new studies presented the most comprehensive evidence yet that the lack of health insurance is seriously harmful to a patient’s health. The studies found that uninsured people suffer significantly worse outcomes from cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer than those who have coverage.

Wall Street Journal: The Seinfeld Campaign

Finally, there's Social Security and Medicare. Mr. Bush's failed effort to reform Social Security in 2005 appears to have cooled not only interest in coping with rising entitlement costs, but also any interest in seriously discussing the issue in the campaign.

New York Times: Iraq War Taking Back Seat to Domestic Issues

The shift suggests that economic anxiety may be at least matching national security as a factor driving the 2008 presidential contest as the voting begins.

Washington Post: A Look Back at the Year's Winners and Losers

The year witnessed a new and fairly effective alliance between two of Washington's most potent pressure groups: AARP, the senior citizens lobby, and the American Medical Association, the physicians' leading representative in the capital.

Together they eked out a victory that was barely noticed by the general public at the end of the year but was pivotal to doctors. Through a large, concerted campaign, the two groups persuaded lawmakers to delay for six months a scheduled 10 percent cut in physician reimbursements under Medicare.

Chicago Tribune: TOP 5 Quotes from the week's newsmakers

4. 'This policy is a civil rights and economic fiasco.' -- David Certner, AARP's legislative policy director, on a federal rule that means employers may be less likely to drop or cut health-care coverage for younger retirees, while at the same time allowing them to reduce or eliminate benefits for retirees who turn 65 and qualify for Medicare

Capital Times: Bill Novelli: Bush bullied, Congress caved and Americans lost on Medicare

Dear Editor: Our elected officials in Washington ended the health care debate this year not with a bang, but a whimper.

Chicago Tribune: A new year provides fresh start on planning

Overall, fees will continue to receive scrutiny because of the disclosure regulations and a debate in Congress over new legislation, said Nancy LeaMond, group executive officer for AARP.

"More of our members are concerned about economic security today, and I expect that will be an important issue in the '08 elections," she said.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7486.htmlPolitico: Obama struggles to feel voters' pain

Burt later appeared in a radio ad for AARP, and works with New Hampshire for Health Care, an advocacy project of the Service Employees International Union. She said she has talked with Edwards, Obama, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

USA Today: Voters' questions increase as N.H. primaries near

As the Jan. 8 primary draws closer, more political questions seem to be getting raised than answered. The results from New Hampshire likely will propel some candidacies and end others. But the contests in both parties are tightening, making predictions perilous, and more than 40% of those surveyed in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll this week say they may change their minds.

New York Times: Economy Enjoyed a Summer Sprint, but Mortgage Crisis Expected to Slow Pace in Final Quarter

The economy sprinted ahead at its fastest pace in four years during the summer, but it is expected to limp through the final three months of this year as housing and credit problems weigh on individuals and businesses alike.

Wall Street Journal: Fraud Seen as a Driver In Wave of Foreclosures

Skyrocketing foreclosures are a testament to how easy it was to borrow from mortgage lenders in recent years.

It may also have been easy to steal from them, to judge from a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that federal prosecutors unraveled here in Atlanta.

USA Today: Boomers discover that it's easy being green

There are now 40 million so-called "green boomers" in the United States, according to a survey being released today by AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons. That's more than half of all boomers, which, at 79 million, make up the largest generation in U.S. history.

The Hill: GOP turning its message to healthcare

Senior Senate Republicans finessing their election-year message are emphasizing that their conference will need to take a more prominent role on healthcare to win sorely needed independent voters in their uphill bid to retake the majority in 2008.

Associated Press: Study: Cancer deaths double for uninsured

Uninsured cancer patients are nearly twice as likely to die within five years as those with private coverage, according to the first national study of its kind and one that sheds light on health-care obstacles.

Associated Press: Federal Home Heating Aid Gets Boost

The government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance program would get roughly $409 million more in a year-end budget bill Congress approved Wednesday. Fuel aid advocates praised the increase, but warned it won't be enough to keep pace with record home heating oil prices, particularly in the Northeast.

Associated Press: Doctors Get Reprieve on Medicare Cut

The AARP described the short-term fix for doctors as woefully inadequate.

"Enactment of this legislation does little to protect millions of Medicare beneficiaries from higher monthly premiums and only temporarily averts the problems beneficiaries would face finding a physician if payment cuts take place," said David Sloane, AARP's director of government relations.

Wall Street Journal: California Takes Fiscal-Stress Test

California's projected budget shortfall during the next two years is precipitated in part by the subprime-mortgage collapse, which is also wreaking havoc in other states as borrowers default or curb their spending to cope with higher rates on adjustable-rate loans.

Los Angeles Times: Fed looks to rein in lenders

Proposed mortgage rules include greater disclosure. Consumer advocates say the steps won't halt bad loans.

Associated Press: Child Health Plan to Be Expanded

Under an agreement to be unveiled on Wednesday, New Jersey will offer low-cost health coverage for the children of families who lack insurance but who earn too much for government help.

Boston Globe: Out-of-pocket elder expenses strain caregivers' finances, lives

"There is a financial toll taken because you're not in a position of choice, you're in a position of need," says Elinor Ginzler, AARP's director of livable communities and the coauthor of Caring for Your Parents: The Complete AARP Guide. "You're also physically and emotionally spent. You're not a good consumer."

Cox: Developers awarded for age-friendly home designs

Nine out of 10 Americans who are 50 and older say they hope to stay in their current homes and communities as they age, according to the AARP, the nation's largest organization for that age group. For this reason, builders and developers have been incorporating "universal design" features into their plans, such as step-free entryways, extra-wide hallways and showers, and bend-free kitchens.

New York Times: California Moves Toward Universal Health Care

California moved significantly closer to enacting a broad expansion of health insurance coverage Monday when the Democratic-controlled Assembly passed legislation that has the backing of the Republican governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Wall Street Journal: Bush Touts Plan for Crises

President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson began a full-court press to make the administration's case that it has the housing and credit situations well in hand.

Gannett: Age discrimination law turns 40

Rother discusses the impact of the act, which turns 40 years old this month.

Washington Post: How to Hop Off the Fast Track

"You are not alone," said Deborah Russell, director for workforce issues at AARP, the seniors' organization. She said AARP's surveys of workers 50 and older indicate that many baby boomers plan to work past traditional retirement age -- but they do want to work differently, just as you do.

US News & World Report: How to Spend Enough in Retirement

"People are so concerned about outliving their nest eggs that they will skimp on certain expenses," says Jean Setzfand, director of AARP's economic issues agenda.

Los Angeles Times: Gov., Nuñez forge a health plan

After nearly a year of often tortuous negotiations, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez have settled on a plan to extend health insurance to 3.6 million Californians who lack it through a new tax on all employers and tobacco sales, officials said Friday.

Marketwatch: U.S. budget path 'unsustainable,' CBO says

"In the absence of significant changes in policy, rising costs for health care and the aging of the U.S. population will cause federal spending to grow rapidly" in coming years, the Congressional Budget Office warned in its annual long-term budget outlook.

Los Angeles Times: Defining government's role in healthcare

When the year began, the expectation was that the new Democratic-led Congress and President Bush would make some headway on the problem many voters placed at the top of the nation's domestic agenda -- healthcare for the uninsured and rising medical costs that are squeezing the middle class.

USA Today: Too many 401(k)s still have too much company stock

On average, employees have 21.9% of their 401(k) money invested in their employer's stock, according to a 2006 report by Hewitt Associates, the human-resources consulting firm.

Chicago Tribune: Rule grounding pilots at age 60 may be overturned

A controversial rule mandating that U.S. airline pilots retire by their 60th birthdays appears likely to be repealed, ending a half-century of infighting among pilots.

Los Angeles Times: Guardianship abuses get Senate attention

Their innovations show that effective oversight is more a matter of will than of money, said Naomi Karp, the study's co-author and the strategic advisor for AARP's Public Policy Institute.

"It's not really rocket science and it's not really expensive," Karp said. "In all cases, there's at least one person who's a real visionary who is dedicated to getting it done."

USA Today: Congress votes to extend pilots' retirement age to 65

The Senate approved a measure late Wednesday allowing airline pilots to continue flying past age 60.

Associated Press: Panel Looks at Reverse Mortgages

Senate Panel Examining Rise of Reverse Mortgages, Need for Consumer Protection for Seniors

UPI: Better home healthcare for older adults

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, reports the community-based system to deliver care to low-income older adults was very popular with patients and their doctors.

Washington Times: Power, trust divide in the public mind

Yet Consumer Reports was named the most trusted of the bunch, followed by the American Red Cross, AARP, the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Washington Post: Caroline Turns 50, And an AARP Cover Girl Is Born

Ain't it nifty? Look who's 50! Hard to believe, but Caroline Kennedy is an AARP cover girl.

Wall Street Journal: The Biggest Budget Buster

The fiscal gap does not arise, as many believe, primarily from the coming retirement of the baby boomers. Rather, the rate at which health-care costs grow will be the primary determinant of the nation's long-term budget picture.

USA Today: In a terrible bind? Tapping your 401(k) may not be smart

If your retirement date is still decades away, it's tempting to tap your 401(k) plan for emergency cash.

ESPN: Talk to Martina when you're 50

Remember when AARP used to be a punch line for "you know when you're getting old... " jokes? Well, with 30 being the new 20 and 40 the new 30 -- and now 50 gets you a Grand Slam title -- it appears "growing old" has nothing to do with age anymore.

Baltimore Sun: Elder care in the balance

AARP Foundation attorney Sarah Lock said Maryland's program appears to be one of the most stingy in the nation.

"We've had clients who have been seeking home-administered care and go over to Delaware and get benefits," Lock said. "Looking at the standards across the 50 states, most read it far more reasonably than Maryland does."

Bloomberg: More Adult Americans Lack Health Insurance, U.S. Report Says

About 42.5 million Americans don't have health insurance, up from about 41 million in 1997, a U.S. government survey released yesterday showed.

Associated Press: States Worry About Federal Heating Aid

Like Winslow, millions of poor and elderly people on fixed incomes rely on heating assistance to help pay their heating bills. But with home heating oil prices surging to record levels and wintry storms already hitting many states, Congress and President Bush can't agree on how much money to give the government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides heating and cooling subsidies for the poor.

Associated Press: Analysis: Huckabee's Spotlight Heats Up

Huckabee later told about 150 people at an AARP forum on health care that America must have a model that prevents illness rather than treats it.

"We wait until people are catastrophically ill," he said. "Do you build a fence at the top of the cliff or do you park an ambulance at the bottom."

Associated Press: Today on the Presidential Campaign Trail

Asked about her stance at an AARP-Divided We Fail lunch on health and financial security, Edwards told seniors: "If you want to be president of the United States, you should lead. Leadership means taking clear, strong positions for the American people. ... I've said very clearly what I would do, not said I'm going to wait and figure this out later."

Washington Post: Drive to Keep Going

A substantial number of older Americans already have difficulty getting where they need to go because they no longer drive. This is true even in areas with a host of transportation options, experts said.

"We have data that show people are stranded," said Elinor Ginzler, AARP's director for livable communities.

New York Times: Social Security Disability Cases Last Longer as Backlog Rises

Steadily lengthening delays in the resolution of Social Security disability claims have left hundreds of thousands of people in a kind of purgatory, now waiting as long as three years for a decision.

BusinessWeek: Timing Your Social Security Benefits

For retirees with additional income-generating assets, finding the right time to start drawing benefits is the first step to getting the most out of Social Security.

Los Angeles Times: Union boss acts locally, thinks globally

It's impossible to imagine how America is the only country on Earth that puts the price of healthcare on the cost of its products. It's just a stupid economic plan for the country.

Associated Press: Bush Announces Mortgage Rate Freeze Plan

The Bush administration offered hope to beleaguered homeowners Thursday with a five-year freeze in loan rates for those who qualify, even as the number of bad mortgages jumped to the highest level ever.

BusinessWeek: Helping Boomers Give Their Best

We know from surveys that a significant percentage of boomers is already thinking about working in an area of the social sector. Our challenge is to take all of those people and get them jobs.

San Francisco Chronicle: Health reform must make sure care cost and quality are made public

That is why AARP, Pacific Business Group on Health and Consumers Union, along with other consumer, purchaser and labor organizations, are working hard to make sure a final health care reform plan includes requirements that information on health care cost and quality is collected and made public.

CBS News: On Health Care, Dems More Alike Than Apart

Clinton, Obama And Edwards Spar Over Who Has The Best Plan, But Details May Not Make A Difference.

Wall Street Journal: Work & Family Mailbox

Taking better care of yourself could not only help you feel better, but prevent damage to your own health. Research shows the strain of caring for a spouse elevates the caregiver's risk of death 63% above average levels.

Associated Press: Bush Mortgage Plan Includes Rate Freeze

The Bush administration has hammered out an agreement with industry to freeze interest rates for certain subprime mortgages for five years in an effort to combat a soaring tide of foreclosures, congressional aides said Wednesday.

Wall Street Journal: Starting Up: Older, Wiser Entrepreneurs

Mature business owners tend to walk into a venture with a full rolodex and 20 or 30 years of experience working in various capacities, says Deborah Russell, director of work-force issues at AARP, the Washington advocacy group for adults 50 and older.

Wall Street Journal: Which Democrat's Health Plan Really, Truly Covers More People?

While the leading Democratic presidential candidates agree on most policy issues, a sharp dispute has emerged: Who would do more to provide health coverage for the uninsured?

The Hill: Paulson to brief House GOP on housing plan

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will attend the weekly meeting of the House Republican Conference Wednesday to explain and urge support for a new Bush administration plan to provide mortgage relief for millions of Americans.

New York Times: Considering the Urban Planet of 2050

What does New York City have in common with cities in Africa and Asia, like Mumbai, Seoul, Jakarta, Lagos, Cairo and Kinshasa? Population growth, aging and environmental pressures will transform these metropolises by 2050, according to a panel of experts who took up the issue of “sustainable cities” at a panel discussion.

Politico: Celebs, business lobby tackle health care

“Left, right. Red, blue. Liberal, conservative. We may not all share the same views, but we all face the same problems, and we should focus on the issues we have in common,” the celebrities urge.

Wall Street Journal: AARP Serves Up Navratilova

In an endorsement deal to be announced as early as today, the AARP has picked the 51-year-old former pro player as its Health & Fitness ambassador. Ms. Navratilova will share tips with AARP members in online chats, conduct Q&As and video segments on the group's Web site, and speak at events, says Emilio Pardo, chief brand officer for the AARP, which has more than 39 million members, who are age 50 and up.

Politico: Groups spend holiday fighting Medicare cuts

The AARP-hosted event was aimed at educating seniors about the lobbying group’s plan to fight Medicare cuts to doctors by slashing payments to insurance companies’ private Medicare programs.

USA Today: Don't let identity-swiping grinches steal your Christmas

"A security freeze is the strongest measure you can take to protect yourself against identity theft," says John Rother, executive officer for policy and strategy at AARP.

Washington Post: Seniors Reach Beyond Family Ties

Mount Vernon at Home sprang to life after some residents saw an article about a similar organization in a bulletin put out by AARP, a lobbying organization for the elderly. Potter, a former administrator at the District law firm Covington Burling, said studies by AARP repeatedly show that more than 85 percent of elderly residents want to remain in their homes.

Los Angeles Times: Democrats' battle shifts to healthcare

The three leading candidates spar over how 'universal' coverage must be and whose reform plan is bolder or more feasible.

Associated Press: Huckabee Hopes for New Hampshire Boost

He was more specific about Social Security. Americans should be offered "a tax-free buyout" of their stake in the program, he said, which would give them a lump of money to invest or spend while ending the government's "long-term obligation" to them.

USA Today: Senior transportation a growing concern

As the oldest of the nation's 79 million baby boomers turn 61 this year, the specter of aging and its consequences loom large. Boomers may be worrying about their parents now but know they may experience similar challenges someday.

USA Today: Tech giants target older buyers — and their cash

Also, they are willing to try new products and services, says AARP CEO Bill Novelli. "The stereotype is that older people won't change brands, that they're too brand loyal, but there's lots of research that shows that's a myth."

Politico: Thompson takes on D.C. expectations

Now, the former Tennessee senator-turned-actor is making reform of Social Security and Medicare — the kind of issues presidential candidates typically avoid like the plague — major campaign topics as he seeks the Republican nomination.

Although some might consider that courageous, the conventional wisdom, at least inside the Beltway, is that this is akin to committing political suicide. It will put a big, bright target on his back.

Politico: GOP debate misses the mark

One of those woes, by the way, is not a lack of affordable, dependable, effective health insurance that you can retain for life.

Americans must already have that. Because not a single question was asked about it in the entire two hour-plus debate.

Associated Press: Government Report Says ID Theft Down

Consumer advocates are not convinced the Federal Trade Commission numbers are accurate, though they do agree on a key point highlighted in a footnote of the agency's report: the difficulty in coming up with a reliable assessment of the problem.

Associated Press: Government outs worst nursing homes

"People in nursing homes have a right to know how well they're performing," said David Certner, director of legislative policy for AARP, an advocacy group for people 50 and older. "Their families certainly have a right to know what kind of care their relatives are receiving and if that care is substandard."

Newsweek: The Strangers in Our Parents' Homes

Elinor Ginzler, author of the book "Caring for Your Parents" and AARP's director of livable communities strategies, says home-based health-care aides should receive adequate wages, benefits and necessary training and education including opportunities for advancement, respect for their work and safer working conditions.

Washington Post: Seniors Reach Beyond Family Ties

Potter, a former administrator at the District law firm Covington & Burling, said studies by AARP repeatedly show that more than 85 percent of elderly residents want to remain in their homes.

Wall Street Journal: Remote Control: Frail Seniors Embrace Home Monitoring

Overseeing the aged from afar is a hot issue for working caregivers, and the technology needed to do so is available. But policy makers and others have long fretted that seniors would resist electronic monitoring as an invasion of privacy.

Associated Press: Caroline Kennedy is AARP's `cover girl'

The former first daughter is featured on the cover of the January/February issue of AARP The Magazine, on newsstands next month, and will receive the magazine's Inspire Award next week.

Wall Street Journal: More Resources Help Caregivers Help Themselves

Mr. Balch, 59 years old, is one of the estimated 45 million people who provide care for a loved one, including those with the most devastating diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Studies are increasingly showing that caregiving responsibilities can exact a drastic emotional, physical and financial toll, with caregivers experiencing high rates of depression, stress and other physical and mental health problems.

Wall Street Journal: How to Ensure Relatives Don't Rip You Off

Sadly, Brooke Astor is making headlines again. But there may be a lesson in the indictment of the late philanthropist's son and a lawyer close to the family's affairs: It can be risky to hand off financial responsibilities even to someone you think you can trust.

Washington Post: Social Security: Five Myths and a Slur

Advocating thumb-twiddling as sensible strategy ignores the reality that acting sooner spreads the burden of change across more generations, allows changes to be phased in gradually and lets future retirees plan ahead.

Associated Press: Clinton Touts Health Insurance Plan

Insurance companies should face the same kind of federal regulation as firms that sell stocks and bonds, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday as she outlined her health care plan to voters around a dining room table.

Politico: Young and uninsured turn to ... Facebook

His is one of more than 20 groups on Facebook dedicated to advocating expanded government health coverage, and many of them have hundreds of members.

New York Times: Justices Consider a Loss in a 401(k) Plan

For the tens of millions of Americans whose financial security in retirement depends on their 401(k) plans, the question before the Supreme Court on Monday was highly pertinent: If the employer, or its agent, mishandles an individual account, can the employee sue to recover the losses?

USA Today: Foreclosures to have 'profound' impact, report warns

Mounting home foreclosures will have "profound" effects on the economy next year, reducing job growth, bleeding billions of dollars in tax revenues and hitting consumer spending — but shouldn't push the country into a recession, according to a report Tuesday.

New York Times: Strategies to Avoid Medicare’s Big Hole

A recent AARP survey found that among Medicare beneficiaries who reached the doughnut hole, 15 percent decided not to fill a prescription.

Marketwatch: Youth movement

AARP and the American Council on Exercise have teamed up to supply older Americans with information about personal training services, since research suggests that older people work out more frequently when pushed by trainers.

New York Times: Peace Corps Looks for Older Volunteers

The focus on the age group has meant new recruitment methods: contacting organizations like AARP and retired teachers’ associations, and employing older former volunteers to work in nearly every recruiting office. The Peace Corps has aimed for 15 percent of its volunteers to be at least 50 by 2009.

Associated Press: Social Security to Become Key Issue

With the notable exception of former Sen. Fred Thompson, a Republican, presidential hopefuls in both parties shy away from suggestions that might offend their own primary voters. As a result, bipartisan commissions to resolve the program's long-term financial problems are in. And longer waits for retirement are most definitely out.

Washington Post: Rivals Not Able to Confront Key Challenges, McCain Says

As part of that bipartisan agenda, McCain promised to tackle Social Security and Medicare, saying he would convene "a commission composed of respected people" to propose how to fix the two entitlement programs.

Washington Post: Krugman vs. Krugman

The argument has two equally dishonest components. The first is to deny that Social Security faces a daunting financing problem -- one that will be much easier to fix (and less onerous for the low-income retirees that the head-in-the-sanders purport to care about) sooner rather than later. The second is to mischaracterize the arguments of those who advocate responsible action, accusing them of hyping the system's woes.

BusinessWeek: Personal Business -- Plus

The IRS has quietly posted a notice on its Web site that requires 401(k) plans, starting on Jan. 1, to allow children, siblings, unmarried partners, and other "nonspouse" beneficiaries to transfer 401(k) inheritances to an individual retirement account.

Washington Post: In a Role Reversal, the Older Generation Tests the Limits

Traditional family rules and rituals are being turned upside down. But it's not the young who are defying social conventions; it's the old folks who are behaving like young people.

Newsweek: Clinton vs. Obama - Who's right on health care, Social Security?

In the latest debate among the Democrats, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama sparred over their plans for health care and Social Security. We found both presidential candidates guilty of exaggerations and questionable claims:

Washington Post: Slicing and Dicing a Newspaper

You know what I'd like to see more of? Discussion of the actual issues they were arguing about.

USA Today: Care about health

By offering high-quality health care plans, businesses are able to recruit and retain good employees, and increase employee satisfaction and productivity.

Washington Post: On the Money at Treasury

Now, as crises in the mortgage and financial markets raise fears of a recession, he has moved forcefully to try to prevent the worst outcomes.

Wall Street Journal: The Baby Boomer's Guide To Social Security

Starting in January, the first of an estimated 78 million baby boomers turn 62 years old and become eligible for Social Security.

Washington Post: Dodging the Third Rail

Barack Obama is only partly acknowledging reality on Social Security.

Wall Street Journal: Health-Care Plans Aid Industry

Democratic presidential candidates like to beat up on insurance companies, but there is a lot for the industry to like in their health-care plans -- starting with plenty of new business.

New York Times: It’s Not Just the Uninsured

The tedious, hair-splitting debates over health care that we’re getting from the presidential candidates — those who talk about health care at all — seem out of sync with the enormity of the problem. For families without the protection of health insurance, the devastating combination of serious illness and imminent financial ruin can be absolutely mind-numbing, stunning in its tragic intensity.

Wall Street Journal: House Passes Bill Curbing Mortgage Brokers

The House passed legislation to give more protection to home-mortgage borrowers, but deadlocks in the Senate make it unlikely that such a measure can be enacted into law before next year, in the latest sign Congress is struggling to address the nation's mortgage crisis.

Washington Post: Democratic Contenders Step Up Attacks in Debate

Toward the end of the debate, Obama and Clinton got into another argument over Social Security. Obama, in response to a voter's question about looming retirements in the baby-boom generation, said he would consider raising the amount of wages that are subject to payroll taxes, currently $97,500. Clinton has said she would not propose any specific ideas for Social Security other than restoring fiscal discipline to the federal budget.

Washington Post: Two Cheers for Mr. Thompson

His Social Security plan isn't perfect, but it confronts reality.

Wall Street Journal: How U.S. Health System Can Fail Even the Insured

Polls show that health care has become Americans' No. 1 domestic concern, thrusting it to the center of the presidential campaign. Every major candidate has introduced a health-care reform plan. But for the most part, these plans focus on providing coverage to the 45 million uninsured or reining in medical costs. They do little to address the myriad hurdles insured patients often encounter when they seek care.

Marketwatch: Top 25 places for retirement jobs

RetirementJobs.com evaluates employers against 35 "best practice" factors known to be present at employers eager to recruit and retain age 50-plus workers. (RetirementJobs.com has a list of age-friendly certified employers at this Web site and AARP has a list of the 2007 List of Best Employers for Workers Age 50+ at this Web site.)

Wall Street Journal: Making the Most of Benefits

It's that time of year again: open-enrollment season. Some people consider having to make decisions about their employee benefits a minor annoyance, but I look at it as an opportunity to review how well I'm managing my out-of-pocket costs for health care, dependent care and commuting.

Chicago Tribune: Charities are counting on Boomers passing the bucks

You can't take it with you, they say. Charities everywhere are counting on that as they avidly eye the enormous amount of wealth Baby Boomers could leave behind when they head to their final reward.

Politico: Republicans complain about SCHIP shutout

The debate over the State Children’s Health Insurance Program has publicly quieted, but behind the scenes Democrats and Republicans have been negotiating for weeks.

Wall Street Journal: Should Small Firms Be Required To Provide Health Insurance?

The National Federation of Independent Business, which helped kill the Clinton health plan in 1994, is joining with some unusual allies to support health-care reform -- the "Divided We Fail," a group dedicated to health-care revision and Social Security solvency.

People Magazine: Ben Affleck, Reese Witherspoon Debut Political Ads

The spots, filmed in September with the actors volunteering their efforts, calls for viewers to go to DividedWeFail.org – a nonpartisan campaign launched by the AARP seeking affordable, quality health care in America.

Wall Street Journal: Reverse Mortgages: The Choices Expand

But you may pay higher interest rates in exchange for lower fees, says David Certner, legislative-policy director at AARP, the Washington-based advocacy group.

FOX Business: The Retirement Myth

The average male who drops out of the workforce at 65 can now expect to live another 16-18 years in retirement (even longer for women), compared to 13-15 years back in the 1980s, according to AARP.

Chicago Tribune: Aging in place highly rated

A slew of surveys confirm that most people age in place, and that's what they want. But a growing percentage of older people are moving to age-restricted buildings for a variety of reasons, a new study shows.

Chicago Tribune: Gradual retirement may not be key to happiness

With more than 70 million Baby Boomers moving closer to retirement age, about 80 percent say they plan to work at least part-time after retiring, according to AARP, which has surveyed Boomers extensively.

Los Angeles Times: Linking health plan to economy

Gov. Schwarzenegger argues that fixing the healthcare system would ease state budget woes, but legislators, analysts aren't so sure.

New York Times: In Search of Savers: 401(k) Rules Are Changing

NEW 401(k) regulations that take effect next month will sharply alter the rules of the game — at least for some employees.

Wall Street Journal: Public Split On Healthcare Policies

The Wall Street Journal reports in its "Washington Wire" column that by 49%-40%, Americans back conservative health-care solutions of tax credits and health-savings accounts over government coverage mandate backed by subsidies for the poor. But by 51%-42%, they back liberal idea of tax increases on the rich to expand coverage over continued tax cuts.

Washington Times: Mandating Health Coverage Will Cause Unemployment

The Washington Times reports, Mandating that employers either provide workers with health care coverage or pay a fee to the state or federal government could increase unemployment, according to "economic researchers" at Cornell University.

Forbes: Series On Boomer Retirement Featured

In a continuing series on retiree's income, Forbes reports, Given the tsunami of baby boomers facing retirement within the next 20 years, there is a lot riding on 401(k)s and other self-directed retirement savings accounts. To avoid pitfalls like "a wrong move that could leave you with heavy tax payments or, in the case of your death, reduce the funds that you leave to your family," in this series, "we give you strategies and tips from retirement planning professionals to safeguard and maximize the potential of your 401(k) plan."

Workforce Management: AARP study finds most employees interested in IRA accounts

Seventy-one percent of workers without access to an employer-based retirement plan believe that employers should be required by law to offer workplace access to an individual retirement account, according to a study released today. The study, from AARP, found that 79 percent of workers without workplace access to savings said they would participate in a plan that regularly deducted savings from their paycheck.

Associated Press: Democrats Say They Are Nearing Veto-Proof SCHIP Compromise

Congressional negotiators said Tuesday they were nearing agreement on a revised children's health bill that they believed would withstand President Bush's veto. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said "that an accord might be difficult because the Republican participants did not include party leaders, and overriding a Bush veto is 'a tough vote' for GOP lawmakers." The "health insurance bill" is "virtually certain" to contain a "tobacco tax increase" which Bush has "promised" will entail a veto.

Washington Post: Obama Unveils Major Benefits Expansion

Barack Obama, bidding to strengthen his appeal among working families, outlined new proposals Wednesday designed to...encourage retirement savings, and help people balance the competing demands of work and family.

CNN Political Ticker: AARP members: health care, financial issues are crucial

The AARP released a poll of their South Carolina members Monday, finding that health care and financial security are the top two domestic issues for Democratic and Republican voters over the age of 50.

New York Times: A Model for Health Care That Pays for Quality

Seeing low fees for family doctors as a weak link in the nation’s health care system, some big employers and health insurers are seeking new ways to pay doctors to reward high-quality medical care.

Wall Street Journal: House Panel Clears Bill On Lending

The House Financial Services Committee, working to address problems in the mortgage markets, passed a bill with broad support that would overhaul the way loans are offered, securitized and regulated.

The Hill: Electronic-prescription Medicare provision gets push from groups

Supporters of legislation to require doctors who treat Medicare patients to use electronic prescriptions are planning a full-court press as the legislative year winds down.

Lotsa goings on over on the Hill today, including the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Conference Report expected to pass out the House today and the Senate sometime this week. The future of this bill is uncertain, with the President vowing to veto it.

What’s unfortunate about that possibility is that it has been pared down from its’ first iteration and there is some important stuff in there, specifically, funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps those who have trouble paying their electricity bills (BTW, have you been outside today – cold!) and helping the Social Security Administration keep up.

Forget the gridlock, fund this thing!

Politico: SCHIP survivors try to avoid budget axe

Drew Nannis, an AARP spokesman, said in an e-mail that his group would rather see the billions that go to the private plans redirected to lower premiums and ensure access to doctors for traditional Medicare’s 36 million patients. Medicare Advantage plans serve about 8 million additional people.

BusinessWeek: Roll With the Changes

The years leading up to retirement are full of challenges, but some smart planning and financial discipline can smooth the way for baby boomers.

USA Today: Vermont tops rankings of healthy states

The nation's overall health improved annually during the 1990s, but it declined in the first half of this decade and has stagnated since. Reed Tuckson, a foundation board member, says there has been an overall decline because more Americans live with preventable chronic diseases in an "extremely expensive" health care system.

BusinessWeek: Beckoning Boomers to the Web

Boomers represent a huge market, and more than 65% of Americans between the ages of 50 and 70 use the Internet.

Washington Post: Poll Finds Americans Pessimistic, Want Change

At this stage, three issues dominate the electoral landscape, with the war in Iraq at the top of the list. Nearly half of all adults, 45 percent, cited Iraq as the most or second-most important issue in their choice for president. About three in 10 cited the economy and jobs (29 percent) or health care (27 percent). All other issues are in the single digits.

BusinessWeek: Managing Financial Ties to Your Kids

"The boomers' tendencies lean toward doing whatever it takes to take care of our kids. We do a lot for our kids," says Steve Slon, editor of the American Association of Retired Persons' bi-monthly AARP The Magazine. "When we see the cost of housing and education, we just get out our checkbook."

USA Today: The pitch: Retire early. The catch: Brokers want your cash

It's a nightmarish lesson in investing that regulators say will become increasingly common as 79 million baby boomers inch toward retirement. Across America, a growing number of financial advisers are targeting the portfolios of the swelling number of want-to-be early retirees through their employers.

U.S. News & World Report: 15 Things You Can Do to Keep Mom and Dad at Home

Few people gleefully anticipate the task of caring for an aging parent—but plenty seem to deny that it's coming. Sooner or later, avoidance can thrust adult children into the caregiver role with a shotgun start.

Wall Street Journal: A Union, a Small Biz Group and AARP Walk Into a Hospital

“Access to affordable health insurance is the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 issue for small business across the United States,” NFIB president Todd Stottlemyer told the LAT.

Washington Post: A Check for Social Security

Forty organizations, including AARP, Easter Seals, Gray Panthers and various labor unions, wrote House appropriators this month to urge increased funding for Social Security. Their letter said that Social Security field offices get about 850,000 visitors per week and that visitors at many field offices have to wait more than two hours for service.

New York Times: Expecting Presidential Veto, Senate Passes Child Health Measure

Talks seeking a bipartisan compromise on health insurance for low-income children were cut short on Thursday, and the Senate then swiftly passed a bill to provide coverage for 10 million youngsters, fully expecting President Bush to veto it.

U.S. News & World Report: New Rules Push Workers Into 401(k)'s

New employees who don't enroll in their company's 401(k) plan next year may find themselves saving for retirement anyway.

Associated Press: Bill Makes Do Not Call Listings Forever

David Certner, legal policy director at AARP, says many people don't know about the need to re-register every five years. So the legislation, he says, is important.

"People don't want these unwanted calls," Certner said. "For an older person, sometimes it's more than just a bother. It can be a great inconvenience to try to get to a phone only to find out it's simply a call you don't want to receive in the first place."

Associated Press: Boomers Buying Long-Term Care Coverage

Average Age of People Buying Long-Term Care Benefits Falls Below 60 Years for the First Time

Associated Press: Bush Balks at Revised Child Health Bill

President Bush told Republican lawmakers on Tuesday he will not agree to legislation expanding children's health insurance if it includes a tobacco tax increase, a decision that virtually ensures a renewed veto struggle with the Democratic-controlled Congress.

The Hill: Physician groups seek quicker action on Medicare payment fix

Lobbyists for physician interests are growing increasingly anxious that Congress won’t act fast enough to prevent a 10 percent cut in doctors’ Medicare fees in 2008.

Washington Post: A Can't-Miss Event for the Next President

If I had the power to summon all 16 of the people running for president to be in one place, I would want them in a Senate hearing room for a session that is taking place tomorrow morning.

US News & World Report: How to Avoid a Death Trap

But choose wisely, warns Jean Setzfand, director of financial security for AARP. Indeed, many financial institutions now require an in-person meeting to confirm that the person is a credible agent, she says.

New York Times: Looking at Dutch and Swiss Health Systems

His visit arose, health department officials said, because policy experts here have promoted Swiss and Dutch changes as models.

Wall Street Journal: Some No-Brainer Savings Ideas

The average Social Security benefit is about $11,000 a year. It is meant to supplement retirement, not fund it altogether, yet half of all families have no other savings in retirement accounts. People who do set money aside are not putting away nearly enough; half report savings of less than $25,000.

Washington Times: AARP magazine targets 'new 50'

"We are experiencing a lot of change in our society," says Emilio Pardo, the AARP's chief brand officer who is leading efforts to attract a younger and highly engaged clientele, which he calls "the new 50." "In many ways, you have not only boomers redefining retirement but also redefining life stages."

Washington Post: A Social Security Fix For 2008

Social Security benefits are modest by any measure and are already being cut -- by raising the age of eligibility for full benefits and by deducting ever-rising Medicare premiums from benefit checks. So the benefits provided for under present law will replace, on average, a lower percentage of prior earnings than in the past. To cut them further would undermine all that Social Security has achieved -- exposing millions of vulnerable people, both elderly and disabled, to needless economic hardship.

Wall Street Journal: Pay to Be Taxed By Social Security Breaks $100,000

If you're working on your budget for next year, here's something to keep in mind: Nearly 12 million people will have to pay higher Social Security tax.

Associated Press: Edwards: 2-year ban on new drug ads

Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said Sunday that prescription drug companies should wait two years to begin advertising their new products to consumers.

The Hill: Social Security COLA fails to keep up with rising costs

Last week we learned how much next year’s Social Security checks will be, based on the program’s annual cost of living adjustment (COLA). The average benefit will increase 2.3 percent, not enough to help many beneficiaries keep up with the rising costs of energy and food.

Bloomberg: Medicare Advantage Plans Backed by Program's Elderly Recipients

AARP, the largest lobbying group for older Americans, wants to reduce payments to insurers for the Advantage programs, saying the money should be used to keep down Medicare premiums.

"We believe that the $54 billion in excess payments over the next five years can be better spent improving the Medicare program,'' said Andrew Nannis, a spokesman for the group, in an interview.

The Hill: Democrats tweak SCHIP in effort to override veto

“Everything we’ve been doing, we’ve continued doing,” a spokesman for the AARP said. Those activities have included dispatching their formidable lobbying team to shore up support on Capitol Hill for the SCHIP bill, print and TV ad campaigns and grassroots activity.

Bloomberg: Frank Says Mortgage Bill Needed to Restore Confidence

U.S. Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, defended mortgage legislation introduced this week, saying new rules are needed to prevent future abuses and restore investor confidence.

Austin American-Statesman: AARP ad focuses on Medicare Advantage

AARP is launching a series of ads in newspapers that circulate on Capitol Hill in an effort to persuade lawmakers to cut payments to Medicare Advantage plans.

The ads argue that insurance companies, not Medicare beneficiaries, are the ones who benefit from the higher payments that Medicare Advantage plans receive.

Politico: New bills aim to help delinquent borrowers

In addition to backing the bankruptcy changes, AARP also supports a long-term approach to prevent predatory lending, proposed in a bill by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).

“This is a pretty broad issue, and we are making a broad campaign,” said AARP Federal Affairs Director David Certner.

Washington Post: Car Advice for Older Drivers

AAA says the CarFit® program was created by the American Society on Aging in collaboration with AAA Mid-Atlantic, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

MSNBC: US healthcare burden is 'causing pension cutbacks'

The rising cost of healthcare is cutting into Americans' ability to contribute to their retirement accounts and save for other long-term expenses, according to a survey to be released on Wednesday.

I know it is close to 80 degrees in most of the northeast today, but eventually it will get cold. And some people have trouble affording keeping their homes heated. According to a recent blog posting by David Certner, funding for LIHEAP isn’t keeping up.

Winter doesn't mess around. That’s why Congress shouldn’t mess around either.

CNNMoney.com: Facing up to the costs of long-term care

"You are more or less married to an insurer and you can't really change," says John Rother, director of policy and strategy for AARP, the retirees' lobby.

New York Times: A Few Lessons on Saving, Courtesy of Employers

AARP noted that nearly all the 50 companies that made its 2007 list of best employers for workers older than 50 listed financial planning information or training as a benefit.

New York Times: A Place in the Sun (and Close to Campus)

As the AARP Magazine has pointed out, boomers are a demanding, some might say spoiled, generation. One of the magazine’s surveys found that boomers sought places with a “youthful vibe,” great medical facilities, cultural and educational opportunities, and sophisticated restaurants — not your conventional retirement community.

New York Times: For Love and a Little Money

“People used to say, ‘Here I am, what do you need done?’ ” said Deborah Russell, director of work-force issues for AARP. “Today’s retirees say, ‘Here’s what I do well, how can you use it, and what will you pay?’ ”

Washington Post: In the Storm of Divorce, a Parent and Grandparent Can Offer Safe Haven

Know your rights. You don't really have any. According to the Grandparent Information Center on the AARP Web site: "Grandparents do not have an automatic legal right to visit with their grandchildren." This is why you need to overcome your sorrow and build working relationships with your adult child, with the ex, the new partner and the in-law grandparents.

Los Angeles Times: A friendly town among the hills

Line Vreven, director of international affairs at AARP, the Washington-based advocacy group for the 39 million Americans ages 50 or older, noted that Panama recently reduced the length of tourist visas to 30 days from 60 days, making shopping for a house more complicated and pressure-packed for newcomers.

Washington Examiner: Power Profile: Bill Novelli: Former ad man unites AARP’s 38 million members in pursuit of retirement security

Novelli walks a tightrope in many aspects of his job. He has managed to bring together organizations as diametrically dissimilar as the Business Roundtable and the Service Employees International Union, persuading them to join with AARP in an alliance called Divided We Fail that pushes for affordable health care and long-term financial security.

New York Times: Health Plan Used by U.S. Is Debated as a Model

While health policy experts acknowledge that the federal employees’ program could be a workable way to reach some of the uninsured, they also say there is nothing about it that would help address what they see as an underlying reason for the growing numbers of uninsured: the nation’s runaway medical costs. And without major changes, they say, the model would be sharply limited in achieving the goal of universal coverage for all Americans.

Washington Post: Leavitt's Healthy Vision

Leavitt, who on this occasion said not a word about the SCHIP veto override attempt then looming before Congress, instead described what he and his colleagues are doing to prepare for the coming revolution in health care in this country. It is a story that, while less publicized than the SCHIP fight, holds promise of a better day not just for children but for all Americans.

Marketwatch: U.S. House Fails To Override Children's Insurance Veto

Bill Novelli, chief executive of AARP, echoed Reid's comments.

"In a time when health care is at the top of the national agenda, a small group of lawmakers have actually voted to add to the 47 million Americans living without health insurance," he said. "No child deserves that."

Associated Press: McCain Rules Out Independent Bid

''The problem with health care in America is not the quality, it's the cost,'' he told a crowded auditorium of mostly students and employees. ''More and more Americans are without insurance because they can't afford it. So our job, in my view, is to make it affordable and available, not to have a big government single-payer system.''

Chicago Tribune: This senior class grayer, and still hungry to learn

Call it the graying of community colleges. With more free time on their hands, more retirees, many in their 70s or older, are finding their way back to the classroom. Community colleges are creating or expanding special programs to meet their needs, offering courses on everything from the Crusades to square dancing.

Politico: Tobacco companies win in SCHIP fight

In addition to the television ad campaign it is running with the AMA, AARP’s lobbying effort will also include office visits to lawmakers, forums in targeted states and direct mail and e-mail pushes, said the group’s spokesman, Drew Nannis.

“To give people in Medicare access to doctors and to protect premiums, Congress should stop subsidizing private insurance companies in Medicare with excess payments,” Nannis said.

Associated Press: Social Security Only Going Up 2.3 Pct.

David Sloane, director of government relations for AARP, which represents people 50 and older, said the cost-of-living adjustment is critical because so many depend on Social Security for most of their retirement income.

Associated Press: Digital TV Switch Needs More Awareness

But Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said in prepared testimony that the agency is devoting significant resources to ensure a smooth transition and has been actively promoting consumer awareness.

In the last several months, he said agency staff have attended 30 conferences sponsored by various advocacy groups, such as the AARP and National Council of La Raza. They have also reached out to various elderly organizations, minority, non-English and rural communities and people with disabilities as well as through various media outlets, he added.

Associated Press: WH hopefuls prep big spending plans

The top candidates on both sides of the 2008 presidential contest have shown their eagerness to spend tax dollars. But their priorities reflect widely differing views of the role of government in addressing complex problems.

Associated Press: Smaller Social Security COLA in January

A coalition named Divided We Fail has been pressing to make entitlement reform a major issue in the presidential campaign, hoping to force candidates in both parties to address the need for changes in entitlement programs.

"We want to get all of the candidates on the record and we want to let voters make up their own minds," said Jim Dau, an official with AARP, an advocacy group for people 50 and older.

Washington Post: The Unforgotten Man

A conservative case can be made for something like Clinton's proposal. It is a case for reducing the supply of government by reducing demand for it, and doing so by giving people ownership of enlarged private assets as a basis for their security. It is a case for raising the nation's deplorable saving rate and simultaneously encouraging the nation's economic literacy and temperance by giving more people a stake in equities markets.

USA Today: California health reform gets sticky

Health reform efforts in California have become increasingly divisive, possibly jeopardizing major health legislation this year and highlighting the difficulties other state or national reform efforts may face.

Washington Post: Helping Workers Where it Hurts

Car wrecks in the labor market do not take the form of unemployment. In the United States most displaced workers usually find new work reasonably quickly. Rather, the car wreck that threatens U.S. workers consists of wage loss, not job loss.

Associated Press: AARP Pushes for More 401(k) Offerings

More employers need to automatically enroll their workers in 401(k) savings plans in order to avoid a coming retirement crisis, AARP officials said Monday.

New York Times: A Health Care Bargain

Here, the politicians seem to have agreed to ignore the central question: Should American citizenship bring with it the right to have financial access to medical care?

Washington Post: What You Can Expect in Your 2008 Health Insurance Package

Financial incentives to stay well, including reduced premiums or extra cash in a health savings account for those who, for example, complete a personal health risk assessment or join a smoking cessation program.

Politico: Baby bonds would pay bipartisan dividends

But with some pundits denouncing the proposal as some hyperliberal expansion of the welfare state, it’s worth noting that this idea has been simmering for some time in both Democratic and Republican policy circles.

Wall Street Journal: Affordable Senior Housing: A Waiting Game

Just how challenging it can be to find affordable housing was made plain in a January report from the AARP and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. The groups found that on average a senior has to wait more than 13 months for space in government-subsidized housing for those with low incomes.

Chicago Tribune: Find remedies for benefit cuts

Among this year's winners of AARP's Best Employers for Workers Over 50 awards, 31 of the 50 companies on the list offer retiree health benefits. That's a significantly higher rate than the Kaiser study found, but it still means a good chunk of these "best" workplaces for older workers are not providing health benefits to retirees.

Wall Street Journal: A Proposal to Strengthen Retirement Security for All

My principal goal in introducing the proposal is to strengthen the retirement security of all Americans.

Washington Post: A Market Makeover For Health Insurance

As the United States prepares for the next great debate on its ailing health-care system, support is growing for a shift from the traditional employer-based financing to publicly subsidized individual health insurance.

USA Today: Give children 'good start'

It is unconscionable that in a country as prosperous as the United States is, the number of uninsured children has increased by nearly 1 million over the past two years.

Wall Street Journal: Compromise Bill Sets Up A Less Expensive Schip

Assertions that the bill expands coverage to higher-income children are baseless. In fact, the bill puts tremendous pressure on states to not cover higher incomes. Just like now, the only way a state may cover higher income families is with administration approval, which the Bush administration has given repeatedly.

Politico: Dems barely beat Bush's dismal ratings

Twenty-five percent of adults said health care is a top issue, with the economy (13 percent) and immigration (12 percent) picking up the rear.

Washington Post: Tiptoeing on the Third Rail

When it comes to the presidential race, the problem of runaway entitlement spending is something like the weather: All the candidates complain about it, but few want to get specific about what they would do to change it.

MSNBC: First Read - The Day In Politics

If McCain is rewarded for his attention to the issue, it will prove groups like the powerful AARP/SEIU Divided We Fail organization right; they believe that health care is a crucial issue that crosses party lines, and that candidates who harness health care voters will see healthy support on caucus night.

Washington Post: On the Race to the White House, Clinton Talks More 'When' Than 'If'

When we raised the issue of Social Security, for example, we got nowhere trying to pin her down on the specifics of what she might support to deal with the retirement program's long-term solvency. Instead we got an answer that suggested she begun to calculate which battles she wants to take on in her first term and which she doesn't.

Wall Street Journal: The United States of Subprime

As America's mortgage markets began unraveling this year, economists seeking explanations pointed to "subprime" mortgages issued to low-income, minority and urban borrowers. But an analysis of more than 130 million home loans made over the past decade reveals that risky mortgages were made in nearly every corner of the nation, from small towns in the middle of nowhere to inner cities to affluent suburbs.

Los Angeles Times: Aging under a high-tech eye

Home systems using webcams and sensors are giving seniors autonomy and caregivers peace of mind.

CNET: As boomers go gray, will big money mean better tech?

Companies like Nintendo, Microsoft and others are targeting this lucrative market. For the first time, Nintendo had a booth at the national 2007 AARP conference in Boston, which took place in September.

Marketwatch: Couples working together can cut health-care costs

"People need to remember that the shared-care marketplace is a fairly new phenomenon," said Cheryl Matheis, a health strategist at AARP. "They need to ask a lot of questions and carefully examine all of the details in each policy."

New York Times: Clinton Unveils Her Retirement Savings Plan

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York unveiled the second biggest domestic policy idea of her Democratic presidential campaign today, proposing to spend $20 billion to $25 billion a year to create 401(k)-style retirement accounts for all Americans and provide federal matching money of up to $1,000 to middle-income people.

Associated Press: McCain Vows to Retool Training Programs

John McCain on Tuesday proposed updating the unemployment system and retooling training programs to help people who have lost their jobs -- particularly older workers -- adapt to a changing economy.

Marketwatch: Good work -- if you can get it

But the EEOC figures don't offer a complete picture of age bias, said Laurie McCann, a senior attorney with AARP who works on age-discrimination cases.

"There are so many reasons why people may choose not to file," she said, including the fear of losing their job or being labeled a troublemaker, or the desire to simply move on.

Wall Street Journal: The Boss Says, 'Try This.'

More companies are offering workers and their families help managing their medical care, right down to adding services that arrange for doctors' second opinions and suggest specialists and hospitals.

USA Today: Social Security hits first wave of boomers

On this one issue, liberals and conservatives agree: It's an unsustainable path, it must be altered, and Democrats and Republicans must do it together.

"Partisanship on this issue is as foolish as a food fight on the Titanic," says Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn. Adds Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va.: "It's not red or blue."

Wall Street Journal: Senior Play: The Graying Of Sports Medicine

Sports medicine, long geared to the needs of young athletes, is branching out to help older people remain active and athletically competitive as they age.

Washington Post: Fixing the Safety Net: What It Will Take

We agree with Robert J. Samuelson's assessment ["Escaping the Budget Impasse," op-ed, Oct. 3] that Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid need to be strengthened for future generations. But he doesn't take into account the full picture, and his list of "only four" solutions ignores a more important fifth remedy -- controlling the skyrocketing costs throughout the health-care system that drive spending on these programs.

Washington Post: Moves That Save, And Parents Who Won't

In a report about the struggles of caregivers to the elderly, AARP found that about 23 percent of caregivers said their assistance was creating a financial hardship.

Wall Street Journal: Social Security Compromise

The Rahm Emanuel proposal, coming from the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, looks like an important signal that a compromise may now be possible between Republicans and Democrats along the general lines originally proposed by President Bush.

New York Times: The American Dream In Reverse

The administration and Congress should work to avoid mass foreclosures. Meanwhile, bankruptcy reform would give borrowers a shot at keeping their homes.

Washington Post: Means Test Sought for Medicare Drug Plan

"You say it saves money and these people can afford it, but it also eats away at the incomes of seniors. It erodes their sense of the reliability on these federal programs, and it certainly erodes political support," said John Rother, policy director for AARP, the powerful senior lobby.

Los Angeles Times: Bill seeks to shed light on 401(k)s

Senior citizen advocacy group AARP estimated that over 30 years, the $20,000 would grow to $132,287 with the lower fee -- but just $99,679 with the higher fee.

"The fee information participants currently receive about their plan is often scattered or difficult to access or nonexistent," said David Certner, AARP's legislative policy director. "It's clear that better information is needed."

Associated Press: FDA Seeks Speedier Generic Drug Reviews

FDA officials outlined a half dozen recent changes that it said will streamline how the agency processes applications for cheaper versions of branded drugs.

Politico: Predicting politics is exercise in futility

On the domestic front, the parties seem to be moving closer together on issues demanding immediate attention yet remain miles apart.

Both parties see health care costs and the growing pool of uninsured as an emerging crisis that can be solved with a mix of tax incentives and government spending.

Politico: SCHIP supporters storm Capitol Hill

AARP will mobilize its grass roots and PR machine, said spokesman Drew Nannis. The group’s targets include House members who voted against the bill but have supported similar health care policies in the past and those who voted for the legislation but need support going forward.

“When a bill has the kind of wide, bipartisan support that SCHIP has, members vote against it at their own risk,” Nannis wrote in an e-mail to Politico.

Washington Post: Good Old Employers

They work at hospitals and financial services firms. They are engineers, accountants and nurses. And they have gray hair, wrinkles -- and bright career prospects.

That's because they work for the 50 organizations identified by AARP, the seniors' group, as the best employers for workers age 50 and up.

Associated Press: Robots May Aid Aging Japanese Population

With nearly 22 percent of Japan's population already aged 65 or older, businesses here have been rolling out everything from easy-entry cars to remote-controlled beds, fueling a care technology market worth some $1.08 billion in 2006, according to industry figures.

USA Today: Sky's the new limit for urban living in Texas, and beyond

And demographics shifted: As baby boomers became empty nesters, their desire for convenience and fun suddenly merged with those of young professionals. Both groups are flocking to urban settings.

Washington Post: Escaping the Budget Impasse

A combination of these plans might work best. A 20-member group would be manageable and should include four outsiders to provide different perspectives and, possibly, to build public support. Perhaps the head of AARP should be included. And it would be a mistake to present the next president with a take-it-or-leave-it package. The Cooper-Wolf plan would allow a new administration to make changes -- and get credit -- without being able to start from scratch.

USA Today: Community colleges take lead in retraining retirees

About 79% of baby boomers plan to pursue some kind of work after the traditional retirement age of 65, a survey by the AARP shows.

Los Angeles Times: Healthy living could save U.S. $1 trillion, study finds

The rapid rise in preventable chronic diseases -- such as obesity and heart disease -- over the last 20 years is hurting U.S. economic productivity, escalating treatment costs and causing unnecessary suffering, a new report says.

USA Today: Tightrope: Retirement's ripe for entrepreneur plans

You are not off-base to think about continuing to work, as long as you strike a balance between work and leisure. And you should be working toward balancing work and leisure in your current position. According to the study, Boomers don't want full-time leisure or full-time work.

New York Times: Standard Medicare Premium Will Rise 3.1% Next Year

David P. Sloane, director of government relations at AARP, the big lobby for older Americans, said increases in Medicare premiums were “eating away at the cost-of-living adjustment” made each year in Social Security checks.

As a result, Mr. Sloane said, “it is becoming more difficult for older Americans, especially those on fixed incomes, to afford their health care.”

The Hill: Democrats go on offensive with SCHIP as their weapon

House Democrats, along with Republicans such as Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), say they will try to flip some House Republicans to get enough votes to override Bush’s veto.

Wall Street Journal: How Baby Boomers Tap Nest Eggs To Fund Ventures

Entrepreneurs have always tapped their cash reserves to start businesses. But boomers are discovering they have a crucial advantage over younger businesspeople: They can draw on decades' worth of savings to fund their start-ups.

USA Today: Your Money: Consider employer's health options carefully

When the days get shorter, the leaves start falling, and the stores fill their shelves with Halloween treats, it can mean only one thing: Benefits enrollment season is here.

Associated Press: Market widens for senior-friendly homes

"CAPS," as they are known, include many contractors and architects who work with families to assess risks in the home. The CAPS designation was created several years ago by the National Association of Home Builders and AARP.

Washington Post: Sen. Clinton's Empty Table

Because Social Security increases are pegged to wages, rather than inflation, economic growth alone won't solve the problem. Fiscal responsibility first is fine; fiscal responsibility only is an irresponsible dodge, as Ms. Clinton well knows.

Washington Post: Taxes, Health Lead Hill Agenda

Out of a political stalemate over Iraq, domestic policy is surging to prominence on Capitol Hill, with Republicans and Democrats preparing for a time-honored clash over health care, tax policy, the scope of government and its role in America's problems at home.

Los Angeles Times: Candidates go Code Blue on healthcare

The task is eased by the fact that the two political parties have largely converged on distinct diagnoses of what the system's problems are and what reform would look like.

Washington Post: Following Bush Over a Cliff

If ever there was a crowd-pleaser of a bill, this is it. Hundreds of organizations -- grass-roots groups ranging from AARP to United Way of America and the national YMCA -- have called on Bush to sign the bill. America's Health Insurance Plans, the largest insurance lobbying group, endorsed the bill on Monday.

Associated Press: Bloomberg: No One Has Health Care Answers

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a potential presidential candidate, said none of the White House contenders has offered a health care plan that works, and he suggested that socialized medicine "may not be all that bad."

Associated Press: Iraq conflict tops Democratic debate agenda

Foreign policy blended with domestic issues at the debate on a Dartmouth College stage, and several of the contenders endorsed payroll tax increases to assure a stable Social Security system.

Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, as well as Dodd, Obama, Edwards all said they would apply the tax to income now exempted.

Richardson said he wouldn't and Clinton refused to say. "I'm not putting anything on the proverbial table" unilaterally, she said.

Marketwatch: In pursuit of the future

Most retirement gurus are extremely pessimistic about the future. Some are modestly hopeful. But there is one who is "wildly optimistic" about what's in store for the millions upon millions of aging baby boomers.

Washington Post: House Passes Children's Health Bill

Indeed, the compromise worked out between the House and the Senate has garnered the support of the health insurance industry, AARP, the American Medical Association, governors from both parties and a platoon of children's health advocates.

The Hill: A bipartisan approach to America’s greatest fiscal challenge

As senators from different political parties, it is true that we do not always agree on fiscal policy. But we do agree on this: Our nation will soon confront one of its greatest fiscal challenges, and it is our responsibility as elected leaders to work together today on a solution that will best serve American citizens and the long-term health of the economy.

New York Times: To Keep Health Plans, Many Firms Shift Costs

Health insurance premiums have been rising faster than the rate of inflation for years. Lack of health coverage has become a major issue in the presidential race. Yet somehow, 59 percent of small businesses provide some kind of insurance, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Marketwatch: Five ways to streamline your finances

Whether you're a financial newbie or just a late bloomer, it pays to follow MSN Money columnist Liz Pulliam Weston's five laws of basic money management.

AP: Five Democrats discuss health care in IA

Five Democratic presidential candidates pledged during an AARP forum Thursday night to spend more on health care and bolster retirement programs crucial to politically potent seniors.

Washington Post: Veto Threat Angers Republicans

But members of both parties countered that it is the president who is putting children's health in jeopardy. They said most Americans, including many GOP governors and groups such as AARP, support the expansion of the program's enrollment to about 10 million children from 6.6 million now.

Wall Street Journal: Gloomy About Republicans, Gingrich Still Might Run

McCain plans to roll out "comprehensive approach" on Oct. 11, including changes in tax code, regulations and government programs. Though weeks away from presenting his version, Thompson is expected to propose tax breaks for small businesses and individuals to buy insurance.

Echoing Giuliani, Thompson would let consumers buy insurance across state lines in search of best deal. "Health care's never been prominent in a Republican primary like it is this year," says a Thompson aide, noting increased business interest.

Politico: Clinton: I'm not what you think

She went on: “There are some issues, like privatizing Social Security, that are not going to go anywhere when I am president. But looking for ways we can enhance retirement security, protect Social Security, that is absolutely open for debate and discussion.”

Quad City Times: Democrats to focus on health care and financial security

Tonight’s Divided We Fail Democratic presidential forum at the Adler Theatre may be just one in a line of debates this campaign season.

But its focus on health care and financial security issues means it will zero in on a potent set of topics.

The Hill: Absence of Medicare provisions in SCHIP bill changes the stakes

The AARP and the American Medical Association (AMA) this week launched another round of their joint advertising campaign on SCHIP and Medicare. The ads caution Congress against putting off action the physician payment cut until the “11th hour.” The advertisements are scheduled to run during the SCHIP debate and through the end of the month.

Washington Post: Your 401(k) Giveaway

"With Americans more responsible than ever for making better choices to secure their financial futures, financial literacy and an understanding about those decisions is increasingly important," said David Certner, legislative counsel and policy director for AARP.

Wall Street Journal: Americans Want Leaders to Address Coverage for Uninsured, Poll Shows

A new poll shows providing health-insurance coverage for more Americans is a top priority for U.S. adults and a majority believe it is the government's duty to ensure all Americans have adequate coverage.

Wall Street Journal: Retiring With a Mortgage? Here's What You Should Do

Even before the recent debt-driven housing boom and bust, the numbers were getting ugly. Among households headed by someone age 65 to 74, over 32% had a mortgage on their primary residence in 2004, up from less than 19% in 1992, according to the Federal Reserve.

Chicago Tribune: San Francisco launches universal health care

The plan, which began in pilot form in July and expanded citywide this week, is the first attempt by a U.S. city to tackle the health care crisis on its own, albeit with the assistance of state and federal funds.

Chicago Tribune: 'An incredibly bleak picture'

As developmentally disabled Baby Boomers live longer, their long-term care becomes a burden for their aging family members.

Marketwatch: Limit your risk of identity theft

Identity theft strikes nearly 10 million Americans each year, says a 2003 study by the Federal Trade Commission. While there's no way to guarantee that you won't become one of the victims, you can minimize your risk by following these six simple rules.

Stateline: States help seniors age at home

“Most people want to remain at home, but whether they have money or not, they simply don’t know where to turn for home-based long-term care,” said Susan Reinhard of AARP. “Ironically, people who can afford home services are the ones most often left in the dark.”

Christian Science Monitor: Automatic IRAs present risks, opportunities

About 75 million US workers have no access to employer-sponsored retirement plans, according to a recent study commissioned by AARP. The study predicts that 48 million of these workers could see increased retirement savings if the proposed legislation were to become law.

Washington Post: Clinton Presents Plan For Universal Coverage

Similar to proposals offered by her chief Democratic rivals, former senator John Edwards (N.C.) and Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), Clinton's plan -- with an estimated $110 billion annual price tag -- would seek to build on the existing health-care system but would make it easier for adults without health insurance to buy it through tax credits.

USA Today: Clinton unveils details of her health care plan

Leavitt told the USA TODAY editorial board that Bush will veto a Democratic plan emerging from Congress that would add $35 billion in taxpayer subsidies to the Children's Health Insurance Program over five years. In doing so, Leavitt said, Bush will urge Congress to join him in seeking coverage for all Americans.

"He'd like to see the larger debate begin," Leavitt said. "The very best opportunity we have may well be in the next 15 months."

Wall Street Journal: How Old Are You? As Old as Your Skills.

"There continue to be the same stereotypes about older workers, such as they're not willing to try new things and don't have the experience with technology," says Deborah Russell, director of work-force issues at AARP, the large Washington-based advocacy group for older adults.

BusinessWeek: The Politics of Health-Care Reform

With health-care costs rising and 47 million uninsured in the U.S., Presidential candidates talk about reforming the system. Few have detailed proposals.

Newsweek: Early Retirement: Start Planning Now

To retire early—by choice and with enough money to last for life—takes planning that stretches back into your 40s and 30s.

Washington Post: Brave New Boomers

Jurisdictions are also hiring retrofit specialists and contemplating programs to teach seniors how to modify their homes so they can continue to live in them -- the preference of 89 percent of seniors surveyed by the AARP last year. "They all tell us they want to stay in their homes as long as possible," said Elinor Ginzler, director of livable communities for AARP.

Miami Herald / McClatchy: GOP's Thompson stays course on Fla. tour

And though he touched on virtually every theme, it wasn't enough for 54-year-old Linda Ostroski, a volunteer with . . . "Divided We Fall” effort who was unable to ask the candidate what his plan was for lowering healthcare costs and helping more people get health insurance.

"It would have been helpful for him to address the one issue that plagues everyone in this country," she said after his Jacksonville speech.

New York Times: San Francisco to Offer Care for Every Uninsured Adult

The initiative, known as Healthy San Francisco, is the first effort by a locality to guarantee care to all of its uninsured, and it represents the latest attempt by state and local governments to patch a inadequate federal system.

CNN / Money Magazine: Forever young

Boomers are imagining the American dream all over again, a new Money Magazine survey reveals. Topping the agenda: closer relationships and more fun. And, oh yeah, they want to change the world.

Washington Post: Still Working After All These Years

The trend is national: From 2000 to 2006, the proportion of the nation's 65- to 74-year-olds who remained in the labor force increased from nearly one in five to one in four, according to census figures released this week.

Wall Street Journal: Supplementing Social Security

The problem is clear: This isn't a nation of savers.

Forbes: Next Generation Retirement

The good news and the bad news is that your retirement well-being is largely in your own hands.

Wall Street Journal: Making Sense of Retirement Plans

Besides their homes, retirement-savings accounts are the only significant investment many of my family members have, so I'm happy to help.

Associated Press: Easy ways to 'elderproof' homes

For an elderly person, the home can be a dangerous place, with accidents waiting to happen.