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Endeavour’s Last Crawl

Posted on 10/16/2012 by | Latino Life | Comments

Your LifeIt crawled through the city like part of a slow-motion scene from a science fiction movie, towering over the southern part of Los Angeles toward the open heart of our history. There were applause, tears, cheers and even a salute as the 170,000-pound space shuttle Endeavour made its way from L.A. International Airport to its new home in the California Science Center just 12 miles away. During its 20-year life span, the gleaming, almost glowing, Endeavour soared through space at …

Study Finds Premium Support Plan Could Raise Medicare Premiums In Many Parts of Country

Posted on 10/16/2012 by | Politics | Comments

PoliticsBy Jordan Rau, Staff Writer, Kaiser Health News The type of proposal championed by Republicans to overhaul Medicare by giving beneficiaries a fixed amount of money to purchase insurance could lead to significant increases in premium costs in some parts of the country, according to a new study. If the plan had been in place in 2010, six in 10 Medicare beneficiaries — about 25 million people both in traditional Medicare and in private Medicare Advantage plans — would have …

Measly Social Security COLA Announced for 2013

Posted on 10/16/2012 by | Money and Work | Comments

Money & Savings | WorkYou won’t be rolling in dough with next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment at 1.7 percent — about $21 a month more for people collecting the average retirement benefit of $1,236. [See our full story on the COLA]. Some 56 million beneficiaries will see the increase in their payments beginning in January. It’s one of the lowest since Social Security COLAs were adopted in 1975. Not to add insult to injury, but that $21 is likely to be reduced by a …

Eew, Earwax: To Clean or Not to Clean It Out

Posted on 10/16/2012 by | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Personal HealthWhat is it with our obsession with earwax? We pick, prod, dig, candle, irrigate, swab and vac it out, sometimes with harmful results. A fascinating story in the Wall Street Journal today has an earful of stunning facts, including: Some 12 million Americans visit medical professionals annually for earwax removal. Millions more have it done at spas and ear-candling parlors, which theoretically suck out earwax with a lighted candle. North Americans also spent $63 million last year on home ear-cleaning …

Reverse Mortgages Are Proliferating, but It’s Wise to Proceed with Caution

Posted on 10/15/2012 by | Money and Work | Comments

Money & SavingsReverse mortgages are growing in popularity as older adults tap their home equity to help them maintain their standard of living in retirement. But these loans come with potentially serious risks and AARP has been working for years to educate older homeowners on reverse mortgages, so they don’t get into trouble. The New York Times reported Monday about some of the more extreme problems that people can face after taking on a reverse mortgage, including foreclosure. The cases involved seniors whose …

Sometimes Being Cheap Costs You Money

Posted on 10/15/2012 by | The Ultimate Cheapskate | Comments

Money & SavingsFrugal folks rightfully take great pride in all the terrific bargains they score and how much they manage to save through their thrift-craft. I’ve met thousands of proud, self-proclaimed “cheapskates” over the years, I know all about bargain hunting bragging rights. But sometimes even the most savvy shoppers slip up and buy something that turns out not to be quite the bargain they thought it was, and that’s the theme of this week’s “Cheap Regrets” Savings Challenge. Enter the Cheap …

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