The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Blogging Boomer Carnival #261: Read about veterans, weight loss, hepatitis C testing, investments, part-time work, and food storage

By Rita R. Robison

This week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival is hosted by Vaboomer.com.

Take a look at the weekly roundup of boomer articles on a variety of topics including remembering veterans, losing weight, testing for hepatitis C, investing, working part time, and solving food storage problems.

Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are America’s largest age group so far, and a fascinating group they are.

Boomers are leading corporations, serving as governmental officials, heading up non-profits, worrying about retirement, and experiencing layoffs at a higher rate than younger workers. They’re also reinventing themselves in trying economic times, with some looking for their dream jobs to keep them happy in retirement.

At each stage in their lives, boomers have changed things. They’re continuing to make America different as they begin entering into their retirement years.

In addition to The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide, members of the Blogging Boomer Carnival are: The Accidental Locavore, The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings at 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, Vaboomer, Empty House Full Mind, and Witty Woman Writing.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What to look for at this year’s Memorial Day sales

Planning to hit the stores on Memorial Day weekend to look for great bargains?

Many times, holiday sales are a lot of hype with savings just average.

However, dealnews.com is reporting that Memorial Day is different for a few product categories.

For the past two years, dealnews.com has seen many retailers offer respectable sales that feature sizable stacking coupons. In many cases, these extra discounts were the best dealnews.com had seen so far that year. In fact, 50 percent of Memorial Day branded discounts from 2010 and 2011 were the best it had seen since that February, if not earlier.

What makes up the bulk of those "best of the year" offers?

Sales from apparel retailers and a few home goods stores top the list. The hottest sales from last year, for example, included discounts from Perry Ellis, Last Call Neiman Marcus, ShopEcko, Designer Living, Pottery Barn, and West Elm.

Memorial Day weekend sales are timed well if you're looking for clothes, as spring apparel is already starting to see late-season discounts. A large stacking coupon will make for some good bargains. Expect to see promotion codes that take up to an extra 50 percent off, but more regularly an additional 30 percent to 40 percent off.

However, despite the good news within the apparel category, that doesn't mean all Memorial Day weekend sales are great. It's always an awkward period for electronics and summer-specific items such as patio furniture and grills will see better discounts the longer you wait in the season.

So, as you prepare to shop at one of the many Memorial Day weekend sales, first consider what you're looking to buy. Apparel is more likely to see the best discounts. But, in order to know whether that sale or coupon is something special or about average, check the comparison information that dealnews.com offers.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Watch out for Memorial Day schemes that target members of the military and their families and supporters

Memorial Day is a time to honor those who serve and remember those who have died in war. But, it’s also become a time for scammers to target those who are serving or have served their nation, especially elderly veterans.

The Better Business Bureau is urging consumers and donors to be on the lookout for deals that seem too good to be true and for disreputable charities.

“Military personnel are targeted for a few reasons: they get a steady paycheck, they tend to be young, they move around a lot, if they’re deployed they may not be watching their finances/personal info closely, everything in the military revolves around their social security number, so it’s easy for them to have their identity stolen,” Coleen Smith, executive director of the BBB Education Foundation, said in a statement.

To avoid problems, visit www.give.org to verify a charity before donating and be on the lookout for these common scams:

Scams that target military personnel:

• Fraudulent investors try to convince veterans to transfer their assets into an irrevocable trust.
• Callers pose as the Veterans Administration and request military personnel to update credit card, bank, or other financial records with the VA.
• Scammers pose as government contractors recruiting veterans and ask for a copy of the job applicants’ passport.
• Companies specifically target military for services they could get for free or less expensively elsewhere.
• Ads offer “instant approval” military loans – “no credit check,” “all ranks approved” – that can have high interest rates and hidden fees.
• Ads offer military discounts and incentives online on housing and then cheat service personnel out of their security deposit.

Scams that target military supporters

• Scammers try to sell services such as security systems to spouses of deployed military personnel by saying the service member ordered it to protect his or her family.
• People sell stolen vehicles at a low price and claim to be soldiers who need to sell quickly because they’ve been deployed.
• Individuals pose on online dating services as a lonely service member in a remote part of Iraq or Afghanistan, and ask for money to be wired to a third party for some emergency.

The BBB advises service members, veterans, and all consumers never to give personal identification information – Social Security, bank account, military identification, or credit card numbers – to anyone who contacts you by phone or e-mail, and to be wary of any solicitations that involve purchasing something or transferring money.

Consumers can check out businesses and charities at www.bbb.org.

For more information, visit www.bbb.org/us/military-line.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Blogging Boomer Carnival celebrates its fifth anniversary with travel tips, financial discussions, food and health issues, and pet love

By Rita R. Robison

Blog carnivals collect links pointing to blog articles on a particular topic. A blog carnival is like a special interest magazine. It has a title, a topic that flows through its postings, editors, contributors, and a focused audience. Editions of the carnival come out on a regular basis, often weekly.

A couple of weeks ago, I joined the Blogging Boomer Carnival. This week, the carnival is marking its fifth anniversary with a roundup by Laura Carter, blogging at The Midlife Crisis Queen.

Laura reports on using trout in salad, sightseeing in Dubai, helping adult children financially, hearing problems boomers face, challenging investment decisions, loving pets, and looming food shortages. See "Blogging Boomers Blog Carnival #260" for details.

Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are America’s largest age group so far, and a fascinating group they are.

Boomers are leading corporations, serving as governmental officials, heading up non-profits, worrying about retirement, and experiencing layoffs at a higher rate than younger workers. They’re also reinventing themselves in trying economic times, with some looking for their dream jobs to keep them happy in retirement.

At each stage in their lives, boomers have changed things. They’re continuing to make America different as they begin entering into their retirement years.

In addition to The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide, members of the Blogging Boomer Carnival are: The Accidental Locavore, The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings at 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, Vaboomer, Empty House Full Mind, and Witty Woman Writing.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Boomer Guide joins Blogging Boomer Carnival for weekly reports on boomer happenings

By Rita R. Robison

Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are America’s largest age group so far, and a fascinating group they are.

Boomers are leading corporations, serving as governmental officials, heading up non-profits, worrying about retirement, and experiencing layoffs at a higher rate than younger workers. They’re also reinventing themselves in trying economic times, with some looking for their dream jobs to keep them happy in retirement.

At each stage in their lives, boomers have changed things. They’re continuing to make America different as they begin entering into their retirement years.

For about five years, a web community of boomer bloggers has been covering the boomer scene and posting weekly about what their blogs are covering. They call themselves the Blogging Boomer Carnival and last week, I joined their ranks.

This week, Anne Maxfield at Accidental Locavore is hosting the roundup with “Blogging Boomer Carnival 259: A Celebration of Mother’s Day.”

Anne reports on blogs about grandmotherly advice for teenagers, what working mother’s want, and tips for stressed out moms.

Other members of the Blogging Boomer Carnival are: The Midlife Crisis Queen, Sightings at 60, Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures, So Baby Boomer, Vaboomer, Empty House Full Mind, and Witty Woman Writing. 

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Facts and figures on moms for Mother’s Day 2012

By Rita R. Robison

The average person celebrating Mother' Day is expected to spend $153 on gifts, up from $141 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $18.6 billion, the National Retail Federation said in a statement.

Consumers will give mom special meals and/or outings, clothing, electronics, flowers, and more. Two-thirds will buy flowers, spending a total of $2.2 billion, and nearly one-third will treat mom to a new blouse or sweater, spending $1.6 billion on clothing and accessories.

Those buying electronics, 13 percent, will spend a total of $1.6 billion on tablets, digital cameras, and more, and more than half of all celebrants will treat mom to a nice dinner or brunch, spending $3.4 billion. In addition, consumers will spent $1.8 billion on gift cards and $1.3 billion on personal services such as a trip to a day spa.

Mobile and tablet owners will keep an eye out for deals this Mother’s Day as nearly four in 10 smartphone owners and just over half of tablet owners plan to use their devices to research products/compare prices, redeem coupons, look up retailer information, and purchase gift items.

For who American mother’s are, the U.S. Census Bureau offers these statistics:

How many mothers

85.4 million

Estimated number of mothers in the United States in 2009.

4 million

Number of women between the ages of 15 and 50 who gave birth in the past 12 month.

53%

Percentage of 15- to 50-year-old women who were mothers in 2010.

81%

Percentage of women who had become mothers by age 40 to 44 as of 2010. In 1976, 90 percent of women in that age group had given birth.

How many children

2.5

The total fertility rate or number of births in 2009 per woman in Utah (based on current birth rates by age), which led the nation. At the other end of the spectrum is Vermont, with a total fertility rate of 1.6 births per woman.

94%

The percentage of the 37.8 million mothers living with children younger than 18 in 2004, who lived with their biological children only. In addition, 3 percent lived with any stepchildren, 2 percent with any adopted children, and less than 1 percent with any foster children.

20%

Percentage of all women age 15 to 44 who have had two children. About 47 percent had no children, 17 percent had one, 10 percent had three, and about 5 percent had four or more.

Recent births

4.13 million

Number of births registered in the United States in 2009. Of this number, 409,840 were to teens 15 to 19 and 7,934 to women age 45 to 54.

25.1

Average age of women in 2008 when they gave birth for the first time, up from 25 years in 2006 and 2007. The mean age from 2007 to 2008 reflects, in part, the relatively large decline in births to women under age 25 compared with the small decline for women in the 25-39 age bracket.

55%

Percentage of mothers with a birth in 2010 who were in the labor force. This decreased from 57 percent in 2008.

27.3%

The percentage of mothers who had given birth in the past 12 months who had a bachelor's degree or higher. Among states, New Hampshire had the highest percentage of recent mothers in this category with 48 percent. Mothers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland also had percentages higher than the national average.

83%

Percentage of women age 15 to 44 with at least a high school diploma who gave birth in the last year. For women age 30 to 44, the figure was 90 percent.

Jacob and Isabella

The most popular baby names for boys and girls, respectively, in 2010.

Fewer older adults apply for Social Security benefits last year, but disability benefit requests still up

Fewer workers age 62 and older applied for Social Security retirement benefits in 2011, mainly because more and better jobs were available.

Only 27 percent of older workers began collecting retirement benefits last year, the lowest rate since 1976, according to the Urban Institute’s Program on Retirement Policy.

Older Americans were more likely to claim Social Security retirement benefits in 2009 than in previous years as the economy weakened, and the unemployment rate for workers age 55 to 64 rose to 6.6 percent, more than double the 2007 rate.

 In 2009, the retirement benefit take-up rate reached 30.8 percent, up from 28.8 percent in 2008 and 27.1 percent in 2007.

“Claiming Social Security benefits early sometimes jeopardizes future economic security, because early claimants receive permanently reduced benefits,” Richard Johnson, director of program, said in a policy brief. For example, Social Security reduces monthly payments by 25 percent when beneficiaries begin collecting at age 62 instead of 66.

While the number of Social Security applications has declined, more people are continuing to apply for Social Security disability benefits.

In 2011, 18.9 insured workers per 1,000 applied for Social Security disability benefits, more than any year since 1957except 2010. The disability program was launched in 1957.

The weak labor market caused the surge in disability applications.

“Workers with health problems are more likely to turn to disability benefits when jobs are scarce,” Johnson said. However, disability applications had been rising before the recession.

Population aging accounted for about two-thirds of the growth between 2000 and 2007, as many boomers entered their fifties and sixties when disability is relatively common.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Spring apparel, candy to send Easter sales past $16 billion, survey says

Americans will spend an average of $145 on everything from apparel and candy to food and decorations this year, up 11 percent from $131 last year. Total spending is expected to reach $16.8 billion.

“Though the price of gas is on everyone’s mind, Easter is one of the few holidays some consumers are willing to stretch their budgets, especially because many children look forward to treats and new outfits on Easter morning,” said National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Consumers celebrating Easter want to buy for candy and new spring clothes, according to a federation survey.

Nearly half will head to the stores to take advantage of spring sales on fashions and accessories, with total spending on those items expected to reach $3 billion. Most, 89 percent, will buy more than $2 billion on traditional favorites such as chocolate eggs and jelly beans. The average person will spend more on these items as well: $26 on apparel, up from $22 last year, and $20 on candy, up from $19 last year.

Americans are also set to spend more on their Easter meals with the average person expected to spend $44, up from $40 last year for a total $5.1 billion. In addition, consumers will spend an average of $21 on gifts for their friends and family, $11 on flowers, and $9 on decorations for their home and office. Half will buy greeting cards, spending an average of $7.

More than half of tablet owners celebrating Easter will use their device to research products and purchase gifts and other merchandise. In addition, 43 percent of smartphone owners celebrating Easter will use their mobile device to research and/or purchase items.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Grocery shoppers rate Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, Publix, and Fareway highly, while giving low marks to Wal-Mart, survey shows

Consumer Reports subscribers rated Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, Publix, and Fareway tops among 52 of the nation’s major grocery stores.

While most respondents were quite satisfied with their experiences, the survey also showed even some of the high-rated chains gave many shoppers something to complain about.

One-third of subscribers surveyed said they’d stopped shopping at a nearby grocery store. Forty-three percent changed in search of lower prices; about 25 percent, poor selection, long lines, or lousy food; 17 percent, employee rudeness; 14 percent, crowds.

Of the 24,203 readers interviewed, more than half had at least one complaint about their current store; almost a third cited two or more.

The biggest complaint overall: Not enough open checkouts, cited by 27 percent of shoppers, followed by congested or cluttered aisles and advertised specials that were out of stock. Other complaints included inept bagging, missing prices, and scanner overcharges

Wal-Mart, Pathmark in the Northeast, and Pick ’n Save in Wisconsin had the most complaints with about three-fourths of shoppers having one or more problems.

Consumers who shopped at Wal-Mart were most likely to be upset about the lack of open checkouts, out-of-stock regular items, indifferent employees, spotty pricing, and confusing store layout.

On the other hand, those interviewed said Costco and Trader Joe’s, along with Fareway Stores in the Midwest and Wegmans, offer quality meat and produce, clean stores, and very good or exceptional prices.

All but Costco also earned the highest possible marks for service, defined as employee courtesy and checkout speed. Service is minimal at warehouse clubs such as Costco, and lengthy lines are a trade-off for deals.

For details, see Consumer Reports May issue or visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

Smart shoppers can slash bills by 60 percent

Also in the report, Consumer Reports found you can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year by doing homework and adjusting shopping habits.

Consumer Reports’ shopping expert Tod Marks cut his bill by about 60 percent using different shopping strategies.

FTC fails halt the merger of two giant pharmacy benefit management companies

By Rita R. Robison

It’s troubling that the Federal Trade Commission didn’t stop the merger of the two largest pharmacy benefit managers, Medco and Express Scripts Inc.

A pharmacy benefit manager is a third party administrator of prescription drug programs. They’re mainly responsible for processing and paying prescription drug claims. They also are responsible for developing and maintaining the “formulary,” contracting with pharmacies and negotiating discounts and rebates with drug manufacturers.

Medco and ESI announced a $29 billion merger agreement in July 2011. The combined company would have more than 155 million American customers – creating a virtual monopoly that could lead to fewer independent community pharmacies, reduced access to generics and specialized treatments, and fewer options for consumers.

“I am deeply disappointed by the FTC’s decision to allow this $29 billion merger to proceed, creating a monolithic PBM with near monopolistic control of the prescription drug sale marketplace,” Representative G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) said in a statement. 

“For many months I have warned the FTC to carefully consider this merger’s negative impact on the industry and consumers alike. The FTC’s decision puts community pharmacies, seniors, and sensitive populations at risk of having less access and choice for purchasing needed prescription drugs.”

The merger was subject to review by the FTC, which decided on a 3-1 vote not to oppose the merger. FTC Commissioner Julie Brill issued a dissenting statement opposing the decision and expressing concern that the merged company would hurt consumers and the industry. 

The merger has been challenged in federal court. Several states may bring legal action to prevent it.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist