Aging Support

To find the local agency that can help you find benefits and support, visit https://www.n4a.org/, which is the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.

To hire a professional to help with geriatric health care management, visit http://www.aginglifecare.org/. Their members guide clients and family through the maze of available government and private programs.

Annuities

Giant brokerage Fidelity works with a few insurance companies. See comparisons of companies at https://www.fidelity.com/annuities/immediate-fixed-income-annuities/compare and https://www.fidelity.com/annuities/deferred-fixed-income-annuities/compare.

Vanguard also offers annuities. Learn more at https://investor.vanguard.com/annuity/.

If you’re a former teacher or government worker, use TIAA at https://www.tiaa.org/public/index.html.They offer everything at good rates.

Use Immediate Annuities at https://www.immediateannuities.com/ to get quotes from multiple companies.

For charitable annuities, visit the American Council on Gift Annuities to see the recommended rates of return for annuities. Visit http://www.acga-web.org/.

Annuities — QLAC

Abaris, at https://www.myabaris.com/about/insurance-companies-qlac-comparison-and-quotes/, lists insurance companies that offer QLACs.

QLAC.direct offers quotes without siccing salespeople on you at https://qlac.direct/get-a-qlac-quote-1/.

Remember, though, you can only buy a QLAC within your 401(k) (so the plan administrator has to offer these) or an IRA.

Budgeting

Here’s an easy online tool to calculate your budget:
https://personal.vanguard.com/us/insights/retirement/tool/retirement-expense-worksheet. Then compare it to your income using https://personal.vanguard.com/us/insights/retirement/tool/retirement-income-worksheet.

If you’re buying electronic equipment, check out TechBargains for sales: https://www.techbargains.com/.

If you buy online, check Amazon.com’s best deals at https://www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox.

For the computer oriented, there’s the free software tool Mint at https://www.mint.com/how-mint-works to manage your money. You can track accounts, credit cards and bills to see what you owe and when payments need to be made.

Mint also has more than 20 kinds of alerts to notify you of fees, remind you to pay bills and warn you if you’re going over your budget. It can send you a summary of your spending and saving so you know exactly where you stand.

Cosmetic Procedures

The website https://www.realself.com/ has reviews from people who’ve had various procedures and often includes before and after pictures.

Find a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area at
https://find.plasticsurgery.org/.

Cost of Living

The Council for Community and Economic Research has a website that compares several cost measures for cities at http://coli.org/.

Crime Rates

Check crime reports by zip code at
http://www.relocationessentials.com/aff/www/tools/crime/crime.aspx.

Dementia and Other Diseases of the Aged

National Institute on Aging at https://www.nia.nih.gov/.

Disabilities

For resources from the federal government, visit https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/disability.htm.

Elder Abuse

Find the state or local agencies that receive and investigate reports of suspected elder or adult abuse, neglect, or exploitation by contacting the national Eldercare Locator at https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx.

For a free guide with information, links and statistics for seniors in the United States, visit https://sixtyandme.com/category/aging/.

Estate Planning

To help your executor or family after your death, document where your important papers are and where you have financial accounts.

A free and comprehensive tool is provided at https://family-needs-know.pdffiller.com/.

Financial Planning

Limit yourself to Certified Financial Planners (CFP), as they have at least passed a knowledge test and pledged to act in the best interests of the client.

The best way to find a CFP is to ask for referrals from friends or professionals you deal with.

If that doesn’t work, there are organizations that can help you.

To find a fee-only financial planner, see the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors at http://www.napfa.org/.

Another resource for fee-only financial planners that may be more economical is the Garrett Planning Network at http://www.garrettplanningnetwork.com/. This is a group of certified financial planners who make themselves available for smaller projects for an hourly fee.

Guardians

Veterans and their beneficiaries can request help at http://www.benefits.va.gov/FIDUCIARY/.

One association that certifies money managers and does a criminal background check on candidates is the American Association of Daily Money Managers at www.aadmm.com/.

National Guardianship Association, Inc., has a website where you can locate guardians in your area Guardianship In The States | National Guardianship Association.
Members usually work for the city or county protective services for children and adults.

Housing

Find out what programs the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers for homeowners and renters at
https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/information_for_senior_citizens.

There’s a comprehensive listing by state of assisted living facilities at https://www.seniorguidance.org/.

Insomnia

I liked this book: How to Cure Insomnia After 50
at https://www.amazon.com/How-Cure-Insomnia-After-Solutions-ebook/dp/B01JBD65IM/.

Insurance

Many websites offer quotes, but you may be required to provide contact information so an agent can hound you, or the site may only cover companies that pay a fee to them.

If your first thought, as a senior, is to look at AARP, you need to remember this organization makes the majority of its money as an insurance affiliate.

There is no guarantee the plans associated with it are the least expensive or offer the best coverage. The only guarantee is that they pay AARP for each member who buys a plan.

Your financial planner may recommend certain companies, or you may already have some type of coverage with a company.

Otherwise, go online and get some quotes from companies such as New York Life, MetLife, Prudential, Transamerica, and State Farm. Quotes from five companies should give you enough of an idea of the cost and benefits of the various policies.

Investments

For a calendar listing stocks that pay dividends each month, see Kiplinger’s http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/investing/T018-S004-great-stocks-to-get-dividends-every-month/index.html.

For readable investment advice, I like the Oblivious Investor at http://www.obliviousinvestor.com/. Mike Piper’s blog is dedicated to simple, low-maintenance investing. Just what we seniors need.

I don’t recommend any other investment blogs or other tools. Remember, the goal is simplicity and protection from financial predators. I’m not encouraging any senior to play the stock market.

Lawyers

To find a lawyer in your area who specializes in elder law, contact the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys at www.naela.org/.

Long-Term Care Insurance

Genworth offers a website tool where you can find the median long-term care costs in your state and city at https://www.genworth.com/about-us/industry-expertise/cost-of-care.html.

The best website to understand this type of insurance is LongTermCare.gov at https://longtermcare.acl.gov/costs-how-to-pay/what-is-long-term-care-insurance/.

Federal government retirees should examine the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program at https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/long-term-care/.

For information on the Long-Term Care Partnership Program, visit https://www.ltcfeds.com/.

Companies still offering long-term care insurance policies include Northwestern Mutual Life, New York Life, Mass Mutual, Genworth and Mutual of Omaha.

CCRCs: Find the Right Continuing Care Retirement Community for Yourself Or a Loved One at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1480111805.

Medicare

Best book about Medicare, and it’s free: https://www.medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/10050-Medicare-and-You.pdf.

For forms, https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/Downloads/CMS-L564E.pdf.

To calculate your penalty if you didn’t enroll in Medicare Part D when first eligible: http://www.waughagency.com/2013/11/medicare-part-d-penalty-calculator/.

For help with Medicare questions, use your free state health insurance assistance program (SHIP) at https://www.shiptacenter.org/.

Mind

Details on the ACTIVE study are available at
https://www.brainhq.com/world-class-science/published-research/active-study.

A summary of the MIND diet rules and suggested menus are available at http://www.canadianliving.com/health/prevention-and-recovery/article/mind-diet-a-new-way-to-prevent-alzheimer-s.

PACE

PACE stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.

To see if there’s a PACE program in your area, visit http://www.npaonline.org/pace-you/find-pace-program-your-neighborhood.

Pensions

Learn what’s happening with laws and where to get help at
http://www.pensionrights.org/.

Reverse Mortgage

For federal government-backed loans, visit https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/hecm/hecmhome.

Social Security

Here’s the Social Security website: https://www.ssa.gov/.

Here’s the Social Security chart showing at what age you qualify for full retirement benefits:
https://www.ssa.gov/planners/retire/agereduction.html.

Here are their online calculators for various scenarios:
https://www.ssa.gov/planners/benefitcalculators.html

Taxes

Kiplinger’s magazine has a website that compares the entire tax picture of states at http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/retirement/T055-S001-state-by-state-guide-to-taxes-on-retirees/.

Veterans Benefits

Get started at http://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/.

The National Council for Aging Care offers another comprehensive guide on military veteran benefit options at http://www.aging.com/complete-guide-for-veteran-seniors/.

Volunteer

If you want to volunteer but don’t know where to start, https://www.volunteermatch.org/ lists openings from groups of all causes. No matter what skills or interests you have, there’s a group that needs you.