Listen to my interview with Savvy Senior’s Jim Miller here.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

Does Social Security offer any special help to beneficiaries who struggle managing their benefits? My aunt, who has no children, has dementia and struggles keeping up with her bills and other financial duties.

Inquiring Niece

Dear Inquiring,

Yes, Social Security actually has a little-known program known as the “representative payee program” that helps beneficiaries who need help managing their Social Security benefit payments. Here’s what you should know.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

My husband and I are moving to a different area of the country to be near our daughter. Will this affect our Medicare benefits? Will we need to adjust our coverage or re-enroll in a new plan?

Moving Away                                                                                  

Dear Moving,

Moving can indeed affect your Medicare benefits depending on the type of coverage you have and where you move to.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you tell me what I need to do to replace a variety of important documents? Our house burned down a few months ago, and we lost everything including our home property deed, car titles, old tax returns, Social Security, Medicare and Covid vaccine cards, birth certificates, marriage license and passports.

Stressed Seniors

Dear Stressed,

I’m very sorry for your loss, but you’ll be relieved to know that replacing important documents that are destroyed, lost or stolen is pretty easy once you know where to turn. Here are the replacement resources for each document you mentioned.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I’m 58 years old and working on a plan for my retirement. I’ve read that I need to check my Social Security statement every year to validate its accuracy. How do I go about doing this?

Planning Ahead

Dear Planning,

Checking your official Social Security statement every year is smart move to make sure your posted earnings are correct, which will ensure you get the benefits you’re entitled to. But most Americans don’t do it. In fact, most U.S workers have never even created a digital “my Social Security account” so they can access their statement information. Here’s what you should know.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

My husband and I will both be retiring in a few years and are interested in relocating to a warmer climate but could use some help. What resources can you recommend for locating and researching good places to retire in the U.S.?

Retiring at 65                                                                              

Dear Retiring,

If you’re interested in relocating when you retire, like millions of other baby boomers, there are a wide variety of books and online resources that can help you find and research a new location that meet your wants, needs and budget. Here are several to help you get started.

You can listen to my podcast interview with Savvy Senior’s Jim Miller HERE.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

I’ve had mild tinnitus – ringing in my ears – for years, but when I got COVID in January it got worse. Are there any treatments you know of or can recommend that can help?

Almost 60

Dear Almost,

Unfortunately, new research indicates that tinnitus, a common hearing problem that affects around 50 million Americans, may be worsened by COVID-19 or possibly even triggered by it. Here’s what you should know along with some tips and treatments that may help.

You can listen to my podcast interview with Savvy Senior’s Jim Miller HERE.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,

Do you know of any golfing equipment that can help older golfers? My dad, who’s 76, loves to play golf, but arthritis in his hands has made griping the club challenging, and his fragile lower back makes stooping over to tee-up or retrieve the ball a problem too. Is there anything out there that can help?

Golfing Buddy

Dear Buddy,

There are actually a wide variety of adaptive golf equipment that can help older golfers who struggle with injuries, arthritis or loss of mobility. Here are several golfing products that may help with different needs.