The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Best wishes on Veterans Day

There are about 20.4 million veterans in America, and they make up less than 10 percent of the adult population in the country, according to the Pew Research Center.

The center offers these facts about those who have served in the military and how they’re changing:

1. Gulf War-era veterans now account for the largest share of all U.S. Veterans, surpassing Vietnam-era veterans in 2016.
2. The share of the U.S. population with military experience is declining with 7 percent of U.S. adults as veterans in 2016, down from 18 per cent in 1980.
3. More women will be veterans with the 9 percent in 2016 increasing to 18 percent by 2045.
4. Fewer members of Congress have prior military experience with 20 percent of senators and 19 percent in the current Congress having served compared to 81 percent of Senators and 75 percent of House members after the Korean War.
5. The Department of Veterans Affairs receives a low favorability rating.

Happy Halloween

Just a few hours now until ghosts, goblins, and witches come knocking on your door.

Will you be one of 76 percent or less of Americans spending $50 or less on Halloween this year? One of 32 percent throwing or attending a party? One of 44 percent carving a pumpkin? One of 49 percent decorating their home? One of 47 percent dressing in a costume?

Americans will spent $3.2 billion on costumes this Halloween. Princess, superhero, and witch are the most popular costumes for children, while its witch and vampire for adults. For pets, its pumpkin, hot dog, superhero, and bumble bee.

For more details on today’s fun day, see “Facts and Figures for Halloween 2019.”

Whatever your plans, I hope you have good time. And, make sure those little ones are safe as they make their rounds. Happy Halloween.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

Eating organic food for a week can reduce pesticide levels in the body, study shows

I’m a big proponent of organic foods. My dad, Minor H. Slingsby, died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was a farmer. I didn’t know non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was linked to pesticide exposure when my dad was diagnosed with the disease. None of his doctors in Central Washington state said anything about it. I learned about the connection when listening to a National Public Radio story. It said the children of farmworkers were being diagnosed with high levels of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma because they were in fields sprayed with pesticides with their parents.

I buy most of my food at my local food co-op, with as much as possible of it being organic. I have immune system problems, so organic food is helpful to me.

This recent study adds to the evidence of how organic food benefits people.

A study done at the University of California found that eating organically-grown food for one week can significantly reduce the levels of pesticide in the body. Researchers found the levels of toxins decreased by an average of 60.5 percent after six days of eating organic food.

Brush up on your fraud prevention techniques during International Charity Fraud Awareness Week

It’s International Charity Fraud Awareness Week, a coordinated international campaign to help charities and their contributors avoid charity fraud and promote wise giving.

“It’s unfortunate that far too often, scammers take advantage of the generosity of others in order to line their own pockets,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “I am proud to serve a state whose residents always give generously to charities, and I support ICFAW in its efforts to protect generous donors throughout the globe and the charities they support. I urge donors, wherever they are, to take advantage of resources available to them so they may give wisely.”

Some actions that donors can take to avoid fraud are:

At AutoNation, 1 in 9 used cars have unrepaired safety recalls, consumer groups say

AutoNation, America’s largest auto retailer, is selling used vehicles with unrepaired safety recalls including explosive Takata airbags, faulty GM ignition switches, and defects with no fix available. “Unsafe Used Cars for Sale,” a report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety Foundation, found that one in nine cars for sale at AutoNation dealerships across the country have unrepaired defects that make them dangerous to drivers, passengers, and others on the roadways.

“By selling recalled cars with safety defects, AutoNation puts customers in danger before they even reach home,” said Adam Garber, consumer watchdog for the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. “The only way that AutoNation can ensure a ‘worry-free’ purchase is to repair every recalled vehicle before selling it.”

The survey found numerous unsafe cars among more than 2,400 vehicles analyzed at 28 dealerships in 12 states. The recalled vehicles had defects that could cause vehicles to stall in traffic, seat belts to fail, Takata air bags to propel metal fragments at passengers, cars to catch on fire, or steering to malfunction.

Top 10 tips for saving energy and money

The cold of fall is beginning to grip most areas of the country and winter will be here soon. If you’re thinking about your energy bills that go up every winter, it’s time to take action.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the average household spends at least $2,200 on energy, and that at least half of that is for heating and cooling their home.

The Consumer Federation of America offers the following tips to help people reduce energy costs this winter and throughout the year:

What to look for in Columbus Day-Indigenous Peoples Day sales

Before Black Friday, Indigenous Peoples Day and Columbus Day sales are occurring, and some of them are worth shopping.

However, the last couple of years, DealNews, a comparison shopping website, has seen a downturn in Columbus Day-Indigenous Peoples Day sales. In 2018, it listed only 22 Columbus-Indigenous-branded sales between October 1 and October 13. However, within that same time frame, DealNews listed 161 sales total. Aside from the Columbus-Indigenous branding, it saw many clearance, friends and family, fall, and harvest events, and even a "Rediscover America" sale.

These alternate names could be due to the controversy surrounding Columbus Day, according to DealNews. However, it's also possible that many retailers don't want to add another sale to their lineup so close to Black Friday.

DealNews offers these tips for Columbus Day-Indigenous Peoples Day sales:

Researchers who say red meat isn’t that harmful after all are wrong

Public health officials for years have urged Americans to limit consumption of red and processed meats because of concerns that these foods are linked to heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.

However, recently, an international group of researchers conducted an analysis and concluded that the advice, widely given by health officials and advisors, isn't backed by reliable scientific evidence.

If there are health benefits from eating less red meat, they're small, the researchers said. They contend the advantages are so small that they can be seen only when looking at large populations, and aren't sufficient to tell consumers to change their meat-eating habits.

It’s worth it to call customer service for your credit card, but men have better results than women, study shows

Men are twice as likely as women to get a credit card annual fee waived, according to a WalletHub survey released Wednesday. The survey was conducted to learn about Americans’ experiences calling credit card customer service departments, and whether or not they found the process helpful.

Calling customer service can help solve problems and get cardholders better terms, but the experience isn’t the same for everyone. Below are results from WalletHub’s survey: 

Key findings

• Nearly one in two Americans would rather call their in-laws than their credit card company.
• Millennials are three times as likely as baby boomers to be denied a credit limit increase.
• Three in four consumers agree that calling customer service is worth it.
• Nearly one in five people have yelled at a customer service representative.

New information for those selecting a nursing home

By Brian O’Connell, Analyst, insuranceQuotes.com

Guest blogger

Finding the right nursing home for an elderly family member is a serious responsibility, and often a daunting task. But many Americans aren’t aware of the tools that the federal government provides to make the search smoother and more trustworthy.

The U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services rolled out its new Five-Star Quality Rating System in April, with the goal to help families compare local nursing homes and get key questions answered.

The CMS’s website rates nursing homes on a scale of one to five stars, taking into consideration three key areas: health inspections, staffing, and quality measures.