Important Documents Everyone Should Have
Besides the obvious birth certificate, banking info, passwords, will and insurance policies, here are four must-have documents to keep in a safe place. Whatever your current age, if you're an adult these advance directives are a necessity:
Besides the obvious birth certificate, banking info, passwords, will and insurance policies, here are four must-have documents to keep in a safe place. Whatever your current age, if you're an adult these advance directives are a necessity:
- Living Will: This legal document tells medical professionals and your loved ones exactly which treatments you do (and do not) want.
- Durable Power of Attorney: This written authorization empowers another person (like a family member) to make medical care decisions on your behalf.
- Letter of Instruction: Consider this a complement to your will. In it, you might provide instructions for the care of a pet or passwords for important accounts.
- Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR): A DNR gives you control over what happens to your body, no matter what. In this directive, you specify the particular scenarios in which medical professionals should forgo CPR.
Helping Seniors
Many restaurants, and clothing stores offer discounts to senior shoppers. You must ask for the discounts and the ages and offers vary by restaurant or store location. Also, some offers will vary over time or may even disappear completely. Avoid unpleasant surprises and always ask before being seated.
Restaurants:
Applebee’s 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)
Steak & Shake 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+)
Subway 10% off (60+)
Dennys 15% off bill with AARP card
Tip: Most restaurants offer some kind of senior discount (ie: free coffee or discounted drinks). Even fast food restaurants like Taco Bell, Culvers and others but they usually won't tell you about it... you have to ask! And when you do ask, don't demand, be polite! A discount is a courtesy, not a right!
Retail & Apparel:
C.J. Banks 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
Dress Barn 10% off (55+)
Hair Cuts: Great Clips $3.00 off haircuts (60+)
Many restaurants, and clothing stores offer discounts to senior shoppers. You must ask for the discounts and the ages and offers vary by restaurant or store location. Also, some offers will vary over time or may even disappear completely. Avoid unpleasant surprises and always ask before being seated.
Restaurants:
Applebee’s 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)
Steak & Shake 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+)
Subway 10% off (60+)
Dennys 15% off bill with AARP card
Tip: Most restaurants offer some kind of senior discount (ie: free coffee or discounted drinks). Even fast food restaurants like Taco Bell, Culvers and others but they usually won't tell you about it... you have to ask! And when you do ask, don't demand, be polite! A discount is a courtesy, not a right!
Retail & Apparel:
C.J. Banks 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
Dress Barn 10% off (55+)
Hair Cuts: Great Clips $3.00 off haircuts (60+)
SCAM ALERT: "Your computer has been infected by a virus!"
These involve phone calls from scammers claiming they are tech support specialists informing you that virus infections were detected on your computer. Most of the callers are of Eastern Indian or Pakistani descent, evidenced by their heavy accents) but some of the calls have been noted coming out of DuMont, New Jersey, although this is probably a "spoofed" caller ID hiding the actual point of origin.
Their objective is twofold: One, to scare you into giving them remote access to your computer where they can then do anything they want; and two, obtain your credit card or banking information when you pay them for their bogus services which they use or sell to identity thieves.
The calls are generated by a computer dialing system that waits for you to answer the call, then connects the scammer. Not saying "Hello" or other response (in other words, making them talk first) then hanging up may be one way to defeat their system.
Don't be taken in by this obvious scam.
These involve phone calls from scammers claiming they are tech support specialists informing you that virus infections were detected on your computer. Most of the callers are of Eastern Indian or Pakistani descent, evidenced by their heavy accents) but some of the calls have been noted coming out of DuMont, New Jersey, although this is probably a "spoofed" caller ID hiding the actual point of origin.
Their objective is twofold: One, to scare you into giving them remote access to your computer where they can then do anything they want; and two, obtain your credit card or banking information when you pay them for their bogus services which they use or sell to identity thieves.
The calls are generated by a computer dialing system that waits for you to answer the call, then connects the scammer. Not saying "Hello" or other response (in other words, making them talk first) then hanging up may be one way to defeat their system.
Don't be taken in by this obvious scam.
SCAM ALERT: Fake FBI and DHS Emails circulating. Don't be a victim!
Fraudulent emails are circulating the internet claiming to be from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FBI and National Cyber Security Division stating “Use of your computer has been blocked or suspended” and that you “must pay a fine to unblock it.” Do NOT open these emails or click any of the links in them. They may contain a virus designed to steal your ID and financial information from your computer. Delete these emails immediately without opening them to avoid being infected and potentially hacked.
Also reported is a snippet of code that installs itself to your computer upon visiting certain websites. Once installed, it displays an FBI or Homeland Security screen upon computer startup. Containing basically the same message as the fake emails, this isn't a virus but malicious software coding called malware, so it won't be caught by many virus protection programs.
Don't fall for either of these schemes or you'll be putting your personal information and identity at high risk of theft. If already infected, there are several free remedies available online but it's best to consult a computer professional for complete and confident removal.
Fraudulent emails are circulating the internet claiming to be from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FBI and National Cyber Security Division stating “Use of your computer has been blocked or suspended” and that you “must pay a fine to unblock it.” Do NOT open these emails or click any of the links in them. They may contain a virus designed to steal your ID and financial information from your computer. Delete these emails immediately without opening them to avoid being infected and potentially hacked.
Also reported is a snippet of code that installs itself to your computer upon visiting certain websites. Once installed, it displays an FBI or Homeland Security screen upon computer startup. Containing basically the same message as the fake emails, this isn't a virus but malicious software coding called malware, so it won't be caught by many virus protection programs.
Don't fall for either of these schemes or you'll be putting your personal information and identity at high risk of theft. If already infected, there are several free remedies available online but it's best to consult a computer professional for complete and confident removal.
Senior Homeowner Alert! The Fixed Rate Reverse Mortgage Option is going away after Jan 31, 2013
It's been reported that HUD, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will be declaring a moratorium on their fixed rate reverse mortgage program after January 31, 2013. Important news if you're considering a reverse mortgage because you'll only have the adjustable rate option available after that date. If you've already applied for an RVM prior to Jan 31, the fixed rate option will still be available, however. While the adjustable rate is currently about 2+ percentage points below the fixed rate, it can go higher over the course of the loan. The higher it goes, the faster your equity is eaten away but it is capped at 13%. Still, with interest rates the lowest in decades, some think there's only one way they can go and that is up. How high, remains to be seen but if you recall the interest on a conventional home loan hit that mark and higher in the mid 1980's.
If you've been thinking about getting a Reverse Mortgage, now would be a good time to look into it while the option of a fixed rate is still available. Be advised, it is a process including required counseling from a HUD approved counselor and your best option might not be a fixed rate RVM but an adjustable one. Either way, it's a government sponsored program that allows homeowners 62 years of age and older to free up a portion of their home equity and still retain all ownership while living in their home without making monthly loan payments. For more information go to the HUD website RVM page by clicking here .
Note: This article is not intended as any substitute for official HUD information and cannot be relied upon due to changing conditions in the HUD RVM program.
While the information presented here is believed accurate at time of publication, we assume no liability in presenting this information for your consideration.
It's been reported that HUD, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will be declaring a moratorium on their fixed rate reverse mortgage program after January 31, 2013. Important news if you're considering a reverse mortgage because you'll only have the adjustable rate option available after that date. If you've already applied for an RVM prior to Jan 31, the fixed rate option will still be available, however. While the adjustable rate is currently about 2+ percentage points below the fixed rate, it can go higher over the course of the loan. The higher it goes, the faster your equity is eaten away but it is capped at 13%. Still, with interest rates the lowest in decades, some think there's only one way they can go and that is up. How high, remains to be seen but if you recall the interest on a conventional home loan hit that mark and higher in the mid 1980's.
If you've been thinking about getting a Reverse Mortgage, now would be a good time to look into it while the option of a fixed rate is still available. Be advised, it is a process including required counseling from a HUD approved counselor and your best option might not be a fixed rate RVM but an adjustable one. Either way, it's a government sponsored program that allows homeowners 62 years of age and older to free up a portion of their home equity and still retain all ownership while living in their home without making monthly loan payments. For more information go to the HUD website RVM page by clicking here .
Note: This article is not intended as any substitute for official HUD information and cannot be relied upon due to changing conditions in the HUD RVM program.
While the information presented here is believed accurate at time of publication, we assume no liability in presenting this information for your consideration.
Save energy, save $$$!
Did you know switching to an electric water heater and adding a timer can save you a significant amount of money every year? When it's time to replace that old gas water heater, consider a high efficiency, electric unit. Not only do they cost less but there's no pilot light burning continuously and they can be easily fitted with a timer that only heats the water during specific times of the day instead of 24/7 year around. If you should need hot water during an "Off" cycle, timers have a bypass switch that heats the water in a reasonably short time. New "on demand" tankless water heaters are available in gas or electric models but their high initial cost may be a deterrent, as well as an offset to any potential savings. Consider this: If you've always had gas water heaters and/or a gas dryer, chances are you'll need to have a 220 volt electrical line run for the new electric water heater (whether conventional or tankless) which will cost more upfront and take longer to recoup any savings. Don't try to cut corners here, however. Be smart. Be safe. Always use a licensed electrician for this kind of job.
High electric bills? Want to save up to $20 or so a month? All those "Instant On" and "Standby" devices in your home are literally robbing you blind while you sleep! How to know? If you can see a power light or LED glowing in the dark, it's costing you money. An easy and relatively cheap solution is to install timers on all outlets where such devices are plugged in. Today's timers have battery backup built-in, so if the main power fails they'll still keep the correct time and settings ... for awhile anyway. You could also use power strips but would have to remember to turn them off every night and back on again each morning or you could just plug the power strip into the timer but be careful, some timers aren't rated for heavy loads.
Want to save $240 per year right off the bat? Most folks aren't aware the gas company charges each and every customer almost $20 a month just for being their customer! That's right. Look at your gas bill and deduct $20 from it right off the top and that's the cost of gas you've actually used plus a usage fee that varies with the season. The $20 monthly fee is added just for having an account with the gas company and is charged even if you use no gas! They won't waive this fee for any reason insisting it's the cost of "maintaining your account." The only solution? As your appliances need replacing, consider going all electric in your home and cancel your gas company account. Voila! Instant $240 a year savings!
Auto timers to the rescue again! Use water timers for your garden and lawn watering. Makes the job so much easier and you'll never forget to water or be too busy! They can be purchased at most any hardware store and are easily installed.
Helpful heads up: All homes in the Village were originally fitted with "freeze-proof" outdoor water faucets and unless replaced over the years without this feature, eliminate freezing during the coldest winter months. A caveat, however, is leaving a garden hose or water timer attached to the faucet in cold weather defeats this important feature and damage to your faucet and pipes could result. Disconnect all hoses, faucet attachments and water timers before winter. Forewarned is forearmed!
Did you know switching to an electric water heater and adding a timer can save you a significant amount of money every year? When it's time to replace that old gas water heater, consider a high efficiency, electric unit. Not only do they cost less but there's no pilot light burning continuously and they can be easily fitted with a timer that only heats the water during specific times of the day instead of 24/7 year around. If you should need hot water during an "Off" cycle, timers have a bypass switch that heats the water in a reasonably short time. New "on demand" tankless water heaters are available in gas or electric models but their high initial cost may be a deterrent, as well as an offset to any potential savings. Consider this: If you've always had gas water heaters and/or a gas dryer, chances are you'll need to have a 220 volt electrical line run for the new electric water heater (whether conventional or tankless) which will cost more upfront and take longer to recoup any savings. Don't try to cut corners here, however. Be smart. Be safe. Always use a licensed electrician for this kind of job.
High electric bills? Want to save up to $20 or so a month? All those "Instant On" and "Standby" devices in your home are literally robbing you blind while you sleep! How to know? If you can see a power light or LED glowing in the dark, it's costing you money. An easy and relatively cheap solution is to install timers on all outlets where such devices are plugged in. Today's timers have battery backup built-in, so if the main power fails they'll still keep the correct time and settings ... for awhile anyway. You could also use power strips but would have to remember to turn them off every night and back on again each morning or you could just plug the power strip into the timer but be careful, some timers aren't rated for heavy loads.
Want to save $240 per year right off the bat? Most folks aren't aware the gas company charges each and every customer almost $20 a month just for being their customer! That's right. Look at your gas bill and deduct $20 from it right off the top and that's the cost of gas you've actually used plus a usage fee that varies with the season. The $20 monthly fee is added just for having an account with the gas company and is charged even if you use no gas! They won't waive this fee for any reason insisting it's the cost of "maintaining your account." The only solution? As your appliances need replacing, consider going all electric in your home and cancel your gas company account. Voila! Instant $240 a year savings!
Auto timers to the rescue again! Use water timers for your garden and lawn watering. Makes the job so much easier and you'll never forget to water or be too busy! They can be purchased at most any hardware store and are easily installed.
Helpful heads up: All homes in the Village were originally fitted with "freeze-proof" outdoor water faucets and unless replaced over the years without this feature, eliminate freezing during the coldest winter months. A caveat, however, is leaving a garden hose or water timer attached to the faucet in cold weather defeats this important feature and damage to your faucet and pipes could result. Disconnect all hoses, faucet attachments and water timers before winter. Forewarned is forearmed!
Top St. Louis Deals
This website offers up daily deals from various St. Louis businesses. Everything from restaurants to plumbing service, interior design to pressure washing discounts. Some require purchasing, like a $5 purchase for $10 or more in food for example while others are completely free for the taking. Some require registering while some let you skip registration and get right to the deals. The cool part is if you'll be traveling, you can change cities and get money saving coupons for your trip. New offers are added everyday while others expire, so you might want to check in often. Here are the links:
http://www.groupon.com/browse/stlouis?context=local
https://www.livingsocial.com/things-to-do/st-louis
By clicking the link, you'll be taken off this site or you can right click the link and open the site in a new window or tab.
Note: This article is not intended as any official endorsement of the linked site but simply passing on what appears to be a good value for our residents. As with any purchase or the hiring of a contractor, please exercise due diligence and caution when making a purchase decision. As we cannot vouch for the above named site or anyone you may ultimately hire or choose to do business with from the information provided in this article, we assume no liability in presenting this information.
This website offers up daily deals from various St. Louis businesses. Everything from restaurants to plumbing service, interior design to pressure washing discounts. Some require purchasing, like a $5 purchase for $10 or more in food for example while others are completely free for the taking. Some require registering while some let you skip registration and get right to the deals. The cool part is if you'll be traveling, you can change cities and get money saving coupons for your trip. New offers are added everyday while others expire, so you might want to check in often. Here are the links:
http://www.groupon.com/browse/stlouis?context=local
https://www.livingsocial.com/things-to-do/st-louis
By clicking the link, you'll be taken off this site or you can right click the link and open the site in a new window or tab.
Note: This article is not intended as any official endorsement of the linked site but simply passing on what appears to be a good value for our residents. As with any purchase or the hiring of a contractor, please exercise due diligence and caution when making a purchase decision. As we cannot vouch for the above named site or anyone you may ultimately hire or choose to do business with from the information provided in this article, we assume no liability in presenting this information.
The Big Deal
Need a new roof with a lifetime guarantee at half price? How about new windows, air duct cleaning or whole house painting including premium paint at a 50-60% savings? These are recent deals available on Angie's List of Big deals.
Most of us know Angie's list to offer relatively unbiased and fairly accurate customer reviews of companies and contractors who actually want your business and do their best to earn it but did you know Angie's List also has a section called, "The Big Deal"? It's a place where discounts are offered on just about anything and everything and they're not just your usual 10 or 20% off. Nope, many are special deals made available only through Angie's List that are not only pretty great offers but come with the added assurance of having been an approved contractor on Angie's List.
And yes, as you may or may not know, Angie is a real person. She built her website into a mega referral site for just about any type of service you might need and she prides herself on it's effectiveness at weeding out the good contractors from the not-so-good ones. In fact, it's how she makes her living, so she's not about to allow anyone to use her site as a way to scam customers and that works in your favor, every time. If you haven't checked it out yet, here's the link to the her "Big Deals" page:
http://my.angieslist.com/thebigdeal/welcome.aspx
By clicking the link, you'll be taken off this site or you can right click the link and open the site in a new window or tab.
Note: This article is not intended as any official endorsement of the linked site but simply passing on what appears to be a good value for our residents. As with any purchase or the hiring of a contractor, please exercise due diligence and caution when making a purchase decision. As we cannot vouch for the above named site or anyone you may ultimately hire or choose to do business with from the information provided in this article, we assume no liability in presenting this information.
Need a new roof with a lifetime guarantee at half price? How about new windows, air duct cleaning or whole house painting including premium paint at a 50-60% savings? These are recent deals available on Angie's List of Big deals.
Most of us know Angie's list to offer relatively unbiased and fairly accurate customer reviews of companies and contractors who actually want your business and do their best to earn it but did you know Angie's List also has a section called, "The Big Deal"? It's a place where discounts are offered on just about anything and everything and they're not just your usual 10 or 20% off. Nope, many are special deals made available only through Angie's List that are not only pretty great offers but come with the added assurance of having been an approved contractor on Angie's List.
And yes, as you may or may not know, Angie is a real person. She built her website into a mega referral site for just about any type of service you might need and she prides herself on it's effectiveness at weeding out the good contractors from the not-so-good ones. In fact, it's how she makes her living, so she's not about to allow anyone to use her site as a way to scam customers and that works in your favor, every time. If you haven't checked it out yet, here's the link to the her "Big Deals" page:
http://my.angieslist.com/thebigdeal/welcome.aspx
By clicking the link, you'll be taken off this site or you can right click the link and open the site in a new window or tab.
Note: This article is not intended as any official endorsement of the linked site but simply passing on what appears to be a good value for our residents. As with any purchase or the hiring of a contractor, please exercise due diligence and caution when making a purchase decision. As we cannot vouch for the above named site or anyone you may ultimately hire or choose to do business with from the information provided in this article, we assume no liability in presenting this information.
Sam Alert! Congratulations! You've just won the lottery!
Or so you'll be told by the telemarketing scammers out there. Illinois Lottery officials have announced scams that typically try to dupe people into believing they've won a large lottery prize. A Chicago woman reported she was contacted by email and by phone saying she had won $26 million in a foreign lottery. She paid out $7,000 to get the promised winnings but will most likely never see that money or her prize winnings, officials say.
While most of us think we're too smart to be so easily duped as this, the scammers are getting more sophisticated every day, so take extra precaution when dealing with anyone asking for money upfront, your personal information or anything that sounds too good to be true.
Another scammer's trick is to call and say they are a family member who's in trouble (in jail, having car trouble, etc.) and ask you to send money to help them out. Using information gleaned from online sources like family trees, social networking sites like Facebook and others, they can sound pretty convincing. If their voice doesn't sound familiar, they'll say they have a cold or sore throat or it's just a bad connection. In fact, they sometimes purposely call from a very noisy environment just to make it harder to recognize their voice. Never fall for this scam! Ask them for a number to call them back, then hang up and check their story out with another relative or someone who knows them. Once you wire them the money, you can't get it back again and you'll have become just another one of their victims.
Or so you'll be told by the telemarketing scammers out there. Illinois Lottery officials have announced scams that typically try to dupe people into believing they've won a large lottery prize. A Chicago woman reported she was contacted by email and by phone saying she had won $26 million in a foreign lottery. She paid out $7,000 to get the promised winnings but will most likely never see that money or her prize winnings, officials say.
While most of us think we're too smart to be so easily duped as this, the scammers are getting more sophisticated every day, so take extra precaution when dealing with anyone asking for money upfront, your personal information or anything that sounds too good to be true.
Another scammer's trick is to call and say they are a family member who's in trouble (in jail, having car trouble, etc.) and ask you to send money to help them out. Using information gleaned from online sources like family trees, social networking sites like Facebook and others, they can sound pretty convincing. If their voice doesn't sound familiar, they'll say they have a cold or sore throat or it's just a bad connection. In fact, they sometimes purposely call from a very noisy environment just to make it harder to recognize their voice. Never fall for this scam! Ask them for a number to call them back, then hang up and check their story out with another relative or someone who knows them. Once you wire them the money, you can't get it back again and you'll have become just another one of their victims.
Stop telemarketers! Put your cell # on MO No Call List!
Missouri residents can now put their cellphone numbers on the Missouri No Call list. It's quick and simple and hopefully, will stop those annoying and costly telemarketing calls to your cellphone. July 31 was the last day to register for the October 1, 2012 list but not to worry if you miss this deadline, you can still register after that date. It just won't take effect until January 1, 2013.
Missouri residents can now put their cellphone numbers on the Missouri No Call list. It's quick and simple and hopefully, will stop those annoying and costly telemarketing calls to your cellphone. July 31 was the last day to register for the October 1, 2012 list but not to worry if you miss this deadline, you can still register after that date. It just won't take effect until January 1, 2013.
Senior Centers provide meals for those over 60
Did you know there's a place where seniors can get prepared meals, nutritional advice and even get daily meals delivered to their home? The Mid-East Area Agency on Aging operates four senior centers in Jefferson County. Each center offers nutrition advice, fitness help and prepared meals to people over age 60. Each center serves meals onsite as well as delivering meals to eligible homebound seniors. Reservations are required and donations are accepted.
Arnold Senior Center 1695 Missouri State Road in Arnold 636-296-0475
DeSoto Senior Center Knights of Columbus Hall, 13227 Veterans Blvd. in DeSoto 636-586-8833
Quad Cities Senior Center 221 Bailey Road in Crystal City, 636-937-8333
High Ridge Senior Center 2800 Community Drive in High Ridge, 636-677-4578
Also free groceries are provided by Feed My People in High Ridge for Jefferson County families in need. Proof of residence and income verification is required. Food and financial donations and volunteers are welcome. 3295 Ottomeyer Road in High Ridge (636) 677-9885
UPDATE: The previous information posted about Parkton Assembly of God's discount food program was incorrect. They no longer have this program due to the company providing the service, Angelfood Ministries, ceasing its operations in late 2011. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Did you know there's a place where seniors can get prepared meals, nutritional advice and even get daily meals delivered to their home? The Mid-East Area Agency on Aging operates four senior centers in Jefferson County. Each center offers nutrition advice, fitness help and prepared meals to people over age 60. Each center serves meals onsite as well as delivering meals to eligible homebound seniors. Reservations are required and donations are accepted.
Arnold Senior Center 1695 Missouri State Road in Arnold 636-296-0475
DeSoto Senior Center Knights of Columbus Hall, 13227 Veterans Blvd. in DeSoto 636-586-8833
Quad Cities Senior Center 221 Bailey Road in Crystal City, 636-937-8333
High Ridge Senior Center 2800 Community Drive in High Ridge, 636-677-4578
Also free groceries are provided by Feed My People in High Ridge for Jefferson County families in need. Proof of residence and income verification is required. Food and financial donations and volunteers are welcome. 3295 Ottomeyer Road in High Ridge (636) 677-9885
UPDATE: The previous information posted about Parkton Assembly of God's discount food program was incorrect. They no longer have this program due to the company providing the service, Angelfood Ministries, ceasing its operations in late 2011. Sorry for any inconvenience.