With Data, Share Less & Protect More

    

There’s probably a good deal of personal information about you available publicly on the Internet. Here’s how to minimize your online exposure.

If you’re on social media, you almost certainly have a friend or two who would benefit from joining Oversharers Anonymous. Of course, there’s nothing anonymous about oversharing. Posting long-winded opinions on Facebook is oversharing, but when it comes to protecting your data and privacy, even giving out your phone number to online retailers may be overdoing it. Be aware of what your data is saying about you online, and remember that prevention–let’s call it undersharing–is the best medicine.

Here are three ways your data gets around online, and how to slow it down.

Your Phone Number

Unfortunately, your phone number is on the Internet, and it’s tied to more personal information than you might think. Using a data broker site that compiles publicly available information, anyone can look up a phone number and find out a variety of personal data points on the number’s owner, including:

• Full name
• Full address
• Social media accounts
• Email addresses
• Images and any other Google search results

How to Keep Your Phone Number Safe Avoid posting your number in public forums or unencrypted messages. Use a separate number (like Google Voice) for public use. Remove your number from “data broker” sites that compile data using your phone number. Visit this site for instructions on how to remove your number from the popular NumLookUp, for example. Remove your number from social media sites. This tutorial walks you through it. Whenever possible, don’t share your phone number with businesses or people you don’t know, online or off.

Phone numbers weren’t meant to become personal identifiers, but since most people hold on to the same number for many years, they serve as useful tools for hackers and advertisers looking to gather personal data on individuals. According to the tech magazine Wired, the best thing you can do to protect your online privacy is to change your phone number.

How are your digits getting around online? For one thing, your phone number has most likely been involved in a data breach, considering that more than 8 data breaches happen every day, on average. But mostly, we do it to ourselves by linking our phone numbers to our social media and email accounts and handing it over to online retailers for 10% off at checkout. 

Your Photos

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. Indeed, because unless you’re careful about your iPhone and Android settings, every photo you snap is accompanied by a trove of metadata. Metadata attached to a digital image may include information about the photo’s time, location, the kind of phone, and even the name of the photographer. Anyone in the know–again, hackers and advertisers–can use this metadata to find out where and when the photo was taken. 

“There are some situations where you need to be careful” about sharing photos online, says Bobby Richter of Consumer Reports. “If you’re sharing images with people you don’t know or trust, you should be wary of whether or not you’re revealing sensitive information, like location data.”

The good news is that most social media sites, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Craigslist, and others, remove metadata when you upload a photo. Of course, there’s little doubt they keep it on file. “You can almost certainly be assured they are not throwing it away, given that they’re basically big data vacuum cleaners,” Hany Farid, a computer scientist at University of California, Berkeley, told Wired. 

The immediate danger posed by metadata, though, occurs when people share photos directly with others they meet online. It’s essential to know that–unless the photo has been scrubbed of its metadata–when you email a photo to a stranger, you’re also telling them when and where that photo was taken. That means if someone online asks you for a selfie, they may really be asking for your location. Don’t send it to them.

Your Social Media Activity

A new day, a new opportunity to share information online. NextDoor, neighborhood forums, Craigslist, Facebook, YouTube–we have no shortage of ways to be social. It’s essential to remember two things before posting anything online: first, once on the Internet, that data lives forever outside of your control. Second, assume the forum is not as private as you think. It’s never a good idea to share information such as disability, any details related to income, and whether or not you live alone in a forum like NextDoor. There’s simply no way to know who is reading, and such information can serve criminals well. 

Even if your social media security is set to the most secure setting, it’s better to err on the side of caution. No one knows all their Facebook friends well, after all, and data breaches happen. The safest way to share online is to undershare. 

Additional Sources:

https://www.techguide.com.au/news/internet-news/how-long-does-information-stay-on-the-internet/ 

https://its.uky.edu/news/how-oversharing-on-social-media-could-put-your-personal-information-risk

https://sitesuserguide.stanford.edu/build-and-design/media-library/images/image-metadata 

https://www.techguide.com.au/news/internet-news/how-long-does-information-stay-on-the-internet/ 

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Strategies for Adjusting to Retirement Income

  

The shift from saving to spending can feel stressful. Lean into lifelong budgeting wisdom to stay on track during retirement.

Retirement lengths are protracting as Americans live longer. Longevity is a complicated science, one with a dramatic impact on retirement savings. While the average life expectancy for an American man is 72.3, the average American man who lives to age 70 will live another 15 years, to age 85. Retirement planning experts find that most people underestimate how long they are likely to live–and thus, how long their retirement will last.

Since no one can know exactly how long they’ll live to enjoy retirement, the best strategy is to develop ongoing sources of retirement income, such as traditional monthly pensions and Social Security. Of course, it’s also important to save up as much as possible in retirement accounts throughout one’s working life. But even for those who were best able to prepare financially, when the moment comes to bid farewell to a biweekly paycheck, it can feel like a momentous shift. 

If adjusting to a new budget in retirement feels stressful, remember that, just like during the rest of life, there are three main ways to support a healthy budget in retirement. First of all, have a budget. Then, increase your income, and/or decrease your expenses. 

Here are some ways to maximize your retirement budget and minimize the stress of the transition.

A Second Act: Encore or Bridge Employment

In retirement, the goal isn’t to work full time or further your career. Without those constraints, new possibilities arise for ways to earn money. Some newly-retired professionals continue to share their talents through consulting or teaching. Others take the opportunity to try something novel or apply their skills in a totally different field; for example, someone who’s always worked in corporate finance might shift to a financial role in an animal shelter or arts organization. This shift to related-but-different or entirely an entirely new field of work is sometimes called an encore career. A longitudinal study found that, among retirees, these kinds of jobs can boost a sense of life satisfaction. 

Bridge employment refers to part-time work that people take on as they transition from full-time work to retirement. While an encore career connotes a passion project, financial need is often the motivation behind bridge employment. New retirees also take on bridge employment to maintain a sense of structure in their day and learn new things. These jobs usually involve working fewer hours in a less-stressful role. Some evidence suggests that bridge employment eases the emotional transition into retirement, and it can certainly ease financial stress. Encore careers and bridge employment may be on the rise, since the cost of living is rising, but they’ve been popular among Americans since the 1990s. About half of people transition into retirement with a bridge job, whether it be consulting or driving a school bus (or maybe both). 

Staying in the workforce isn’t the only way to increase income during retirement. Consider finding a “boommate”--a boomer roommate–to rent a room in your home. Ask around to see if neighbors or friends are in need of something you can offer, whether it’s babysitting, petsitting, garden care, writing, crafts, or art. 

Leaning Into a Leaner Retirement Budget

Ironically enough, working is expensive. For those who don’t plan to pursue another job in retirement, there’s a beauty to cutting out some of the work-related expenses they’ve budgeted for years. For example, when you punch out for the last time, you may be able to zero out these line items from your personal budget:

• Multiple vehicles, and the insurance, maintenance, and repairs to go along with them. If your family has gone from two commuters to one or none, selling off a car will translate into thousands in savings per year. Then add in all the money you save not visiting the gas station.
• Expensive new clothes. No need to refresh your wardrobe for the office on a regular basis anymore, or to dry clean those outfits, either.
• Professional fees and training. Depending on the career, professionals may spend hundreds or thousands a year on society memberships, continuing education, and conferences, plus related travel. Retirees can cut those expenses and still keep learning on their own terms–probably for free–through local and state universities, as we talked about in last month’s newsletter.

There are other ways to slim down a personal budget at the start of retirement, too. Making cuts in the biggest categories will have the biggest impacts, which is why experts recommend that retirees first consider downsizing to a smaller home if money is a concern. Other smaller choices can add up, like cooking at home more often and vacationing closer to home.

The experience of retiring prompts many feelings: euphoria, disappointment, boredom, discovery, and passion are just a few of the emotions that may come up during this major life transition. Emotions about money are a significant part of the journey, and it makes sense for stressful emotions to come up during the shift. Planning and a little creativity can help to take the stress out of adjusting to a new budget in retirement.

This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice from a qualified financial advisor.

Additional sources:

https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/journey-stages/ 

https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/stages-of-retirement-and-how-to-skip-some-of-them 

https://hbr.org/2024/05/coping-with-the-stress-of-retirement 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/10/12/how-long-does-retirement-last/71074947007/ 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewrosen/2025/03/20/encore-careers-in-retirement-a-path-to-purpose-and-fulfillment/ 

https://www.madisontrust.com/information-center/visualizations/average-retirement-age/ 

https://econw.com/project/project-spotlight-bridge-employment-and-inequality/ 

https://mutualreverse.com/expenses-you-no-longer-need-in-retirement/

https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/what-to-stop-buying.html 

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Four Ways CSAs Can Support Latino Clients and Families

   

Celebrating and serving older adults during Hispanic Heritage Month. 

From September 15 to October 15, the U.S. celebrates the Hispanic and Latino community during National Hispanic Heritage Month. The Latino community in the U.S. is astoundingly diverse, representing people of all economic backgrounds, races, abilities, and, of course, ages. 

Like the rest of the U.S. population, the Latino community is aging. In 2019, there were almost 5 million Latino adults over 65 in the U.S., about 9% of the 65+ population. By 2060, that number is projected to reach almost 20 million (12%). In 2019, according to the Administration for Community Living, 60% of Latinos over 65 lived in three states: Florida, Texas, and California. About 63% had finished high school. Households headed by Hispanic Americans over 65 had a median income of $50,553, as compared to $70,254 for all households. 

CSAs serve the Latino community in all kinds of ways: health care, financial services, support services, and more. We’re serving both older adults and their families: today, about 7 million Latinos provide unpaid care to a family member or loved one. 

Are you being intentional about reaching out to your local Latino community? If not, Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to start. Here are four ways that CSAs can support Latino clients and their families.

Professional Organizations Serving Latino Seniors The Latinx Disability Coalition unites the Disability and Latinx communities to advocate for common goals. The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) identifies four priorities of need for Hispanic older adults, their caregivers, and families: economic security, caregiving, public health, and housing. They provide education and advocate in D.C. for policies benefitting Latino seniors.  Latino Alzheimer's Alliance supports caregivers and families of people with Alzheimer’s disease, providing bilingual education, training, and support programs.

1. Provide more resources in Spanish. Yes, our browsers will translate any webpage these days, but Spanish-speaking clients notice when a business puts in the effort to provide a bilingual website. Especially if your business operates in an area with a large Hispanic community, providing forms and literature in both Spanish and English tells new clients that you care about communicating with them. 

There’s a need for more Spanish-language education for the caregivers and families that CSAs serve. In a survey, the National Hispanic Council on Aging asked caregivers what Spanish-language resources they would like to have. The top responses were: trainings on emotional stress, assistance with government programs, trainings on caregiving techniques, and caregiving support groups.

2. Connect with Hispanic-serving organizations in your area. Look for where the Latino community is going for services in your area, and talk with those organizations.  There might be great local opportunities to network and promote your services to the people who need them. For example, the Latino Providers Network in Maryland unites service providers from various sectors to network, share resources, and maximize the impact of services for the Latino community. Insurance providers, the Alzheimer’s Association, community economic development boards, small businesses, and others come together at these meetings to create connections and share Spanish-language service opportunities. 

3. Learn about the most common challenges facing Hispanic older adults and their families. Latino seniors often experience higher rates of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, sometimes linked to genetic factors as well as limited access to preventive care. Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as compared to their white counterparts. Older adults who immigrated later in life may face reduced eligibility for public benefits, which affects their ability to manage chronic conditions. Latino caregivers tend to be younger, at 43, than the average caregiver in the U.S. Understanding the common challenges can help service providers reach this audience.

4. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! Representation matters. Even though they’re the largest minority population in the U.S., the Hispanic and Latino community are under-represented in media and advertising. National Hispanic Heritage Month organizers offer social media toolkits and ideas for how to promote the monthlong celebration. Culture, history, food, music, poetry, and art from multiple continents–there’s plenty to celebrate.

Additional sources:

https://www.latinxproject.nyu.edu/intervenxions/national-coalition-for-latinxs-with-disabilities 

https://latino.si.edu/learn/teaching-and-learning-resources/hispanic-heritage-month-resources 

https://states.aarp.org/texas/the-changing-face-of-the-latino-caregiver 

https://www.gerolatino.org/ 

https://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/networks/latinos 

https://www.diverseelders.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2018-Status-of-Hispanic-Older-Adults.pdf 

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Aging in Place with Help from the HOA

  

Senior-friendly homeowners' associations turn the challenge of supporting older residents into an opportunity. 

Homeowners’ associations (HOAs) aim to maintain a clean, safe, and desirable environment for everyone who lives in a neighborhood. As the American population ages, HOAs are experiencing their memberships aging, too–and as in the country at large, most seniors living in HOA communities want to age in place. With more older residents hoping to stay put–and stay HOA members–these organizations are facing legal, logistical, and ethical challenges. Some HOAs are responding to these challenges in innovative ways that make them more valuable institutions, not only for older adults, but also for everyone else living in the neighborhood.

As Members Age, HOAs Need to Change

In condos and other kinds of planned communities with HOAs, many people live alone, including older members. As existing members enter older age, neighbors may start to report concerns both for their older neighbors’ own safety and the well-being of the neighborhood. HOA leadership might hear from members when:

• An older neighbor can no longer mow their own lawn, as per HOA code.
• A senior who lives alone is still driving, but neighbors worry that they drive erratically in the neighborhood.
• Residents are concerned that a neighbor who lives alone is at risk of falling.

Older residents themselves might bring these or other concerns to HOAs for support. For example, a senior HOA member might request help when:

• Steps and walkways ice over and the member needs assistance to clear them.
• They need a ramp installed to safely enter their condo, or other renovations that would aid aging in place.
• The member decides to stop driving and needs to find new forms of transportation to the grocery store, doctor appointments, and around town.

As more members enter their 60s, 70s, and 80s, and more of these requests start arriving, HOA leadership faces a consequential question: what kinds of support are they legally required to provide? And, a related question: What kinds of support are they able and willing to provide in order to make the neighborhood a senior-friendly place to live?

The legal concerns are significant. A resident or family member could try to hold the HOA liable for spaces deemed inaccessible or unsafe. If the HOA becomes aware that a resident needs assistance from adult protective services, the association could be at legal risk if they fail to take action. Each situation, and each state, will have its own legal implications, and HOA leadership should consult their own bylaws and an attorney when legal questions arise. But there are proactive steps that HOAs can take to avoid legal problems while improving the quality of life in the neighborhood, for everyone.

Designing a Senior-Friendly HOA

Elizabeth White, a lawyer who works with HOAs in Williamsburg, Virginia, offers an example of a question HOAs may receive. A woman who lives in a three-story condo with no elevator contacted the HOA with concerns about her older neighbor living above. "The unit owner in the top story is now having real problems going up and down the steps with her groceries and everything else,” White recounts. The downstairs neighbor “asked whether the HOA had an obligation to put in an elevator for the third–floor owner and, if so, who should pay."

The concerned neighbor also shared with White that “the third–floor resident recently had a health crisis, and the EMTs had a hard time getting up the steps with a stretcher.” In this case, White explains, “a duty–to–act analysis on the HOA's part comes into play. It may not have the luxury it thinks it has thinking that an elevator is going to be an accommodation for just one person."

In other words, aside from the potential liability concerns, this is a clear case of how accommodations for seniors can help everyone. An elevator would make this building safer for all residents in the case of an emergency and when residents of any age need to use a wheelchair or crutches. 

Many other actions that would support older residents would benefit others in the building, too, such as checking that entrance area rugs won’t trip people, ramps are safe, and sidewalks and stairs are clear of ice during the winter. HOAs can also proactively support seniors and all residents by offering transportation options, such as weekly shuttles to the grocery store. 

Of course, HOAs, like individual neighbors, need to mind the line between, on the one hand, creating a universally-designed environment that is comfortable and accessible to all residents and, on the other hand, providing care to older residents. It’s not always easy to find this line. In some cases, such as if a resident is hoarding or at risk of falling, it may be appropriate for an HOA to contact nonprofits or service providers who have the expertise to meet their care needs. When at all possible, this contact should happen in conversation with the resident. An HOA that is well-informed on how to support seniors could, for example, link a resident who needs a home health aide up with covered services through the local area agency on aging. 

A Resilient Community

When it comes to building a senior-friendly HOA, each community will have specific challenges at different times. The best way to navigate and negotiate concerns as they arise is to include seniors in HOA leadership. HOAs can make it easy for seniors to participate in leadership boards by inviting long-time older residents to join and by communicating announcements in multiple ways; both online and on bulletin boards, for example. 

HOAs that prioritize the needs of seniors are setting themselves up for long-term success. Residents who see that the HOA cares about supporting older residents will feel safer themselves and benefit from senior-friendly neighborhood design.

Additional sources:

https://www.sohomemanagement.com/post/7-ways-to-help-hoa-aging-residents 

https://www.hoamanagement.com/aging-residents-in-hoa/ 

https://www.hoappm.com/aging-owners-in-hoa/ 

https://hoaresources.caionline.org/developing-hoa-policies-to-protect-older-adults/ 

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Public Figures Taking on Alzheimer's Disease

 

After losing loved ones to Alzheimer's disease, these celebrities are championing brain health and research for a cure. 

What do Maria Shriver, Seth Rogan, Leeza Gibbons, and Samuel L. Jackson have in common? They all lost loved ones to Alzheimer’s disease, and since then they’ve all decided to use their celebrity platform to make a difference for families going through the same struggle. 

 

For journalist and former First Lady Maria Shriver, Alzheimer’s advocacy is deeply personal. After her father, Sargent Shriver, was diagnosed in 2003, she used her skills as a storyteller and public official to bring attention to the burden Alzheimer’s places on women as both patients and caregivers.

In 2010, through The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s, she revealed that two‑thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women, and that women comprise 60 percent of unpaid caregivers. That report sparked the creation of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, which merged with the Cleveland Clinic in 2022 to create a research center specifically for women’s brain health and disease prevention.

Shriver also executive‑produced the award‑winning HBO documentary series The Alzheimer’s Project, including the moving segment “Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?”, based on her children’s book. She’s testified before Congress, helped shape the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, and produced the Oscar‑winning Still Alice. Her goal, she says, is to shift the still-common public perception that Alzheimer’s only impacts seniors.

 

When most people think of Seth Rogen, they picture the irreverent comedian delivering punchlines, but his advocacy for Alzheimer’s has been anything but a joke. After his wife Lauren Miller’s mother was diagnosed with early‑onset Alzheimer’s in her mid‑50s, she declined quickly. Motivated by that experience, Rogen co-founded Hilarity for Charity, a nonprofit that stages comedy events to fund caregiver support and research. Comedians John Mulaney, Sacha Baron Cohen, Tiffany Haddish, and even the Muppets have all appeared on the Hilarity for Charity stage, and Rogan has taken the show on the road to college campuses. 

In 2014, Rogan donned a suit and tie to testify before a Senate appropriations committee. With typical humor (“I dream of a day when my charity is no longer necessary and I can go back to being the lazy, self‑involved man‑child I was meant to be.”), he delivered a plea about government inaction and the stigma around Alzheimer’s. He later called out empty seats in the hearing room, saying they symbolized how little priority the issue gets.

 

Television host Leeza Gibbons transformed her family’s grief into a mission to uplift Alzheimer’s caregivers. After losing both her mother and grandmother to the disease, Gibbons founded the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation in 2002, eventually launching its signature initiative: Leeza’s Care Connection, a national program offering free, tailored support to family caregivers navigating dementia care. Gibbons focuses on the often-invisible work of caregivers, who may sacrifice sleep, social life, and their own health while managing the demands of loved ones with Alzheimer's. 

Gibbons invested her Celebrity Apprentice winnings to open a local caregiver support center in her hometown of Columbia, South Carolina in 2016. Now 68, Gibbons calls her advocacy work her “third act,” describing it as “the greatest work I’ve ever done.” 

 

Actor Samuel L. Jackson has also faced Alzheimer’s close to home. His mother, grandfather, multiple aunts, uncles, and cousins have all battled the disease. He once referred to his grandfather as “my best friend growing up.” In 2019, Jackson lent his voice and presence to Alzheimer’s Research UK’s #ShareTheOrange campaign, a short CGI-powered film designed to shatter the myth that dementia is an unavoidable part of aging. In the film, he explains that a brain with Alzheimer’s can weigh up to 140g less than a healthy one—roughly the weight of an orange. Dementia takes a dramatic physical toll, but it is a disease, not destiny. With more investment in research, we can slow or even stop its progression.

More recently, Jackson joined the Alzheimer’s Association’s “Generation Hope” digital campaign   alongside fellow celebrity advocates Kimberly Williams‑Paisley and Diedrich Bader. In a spot titled “Enough,” Jackson spoke plainly: “Alzheimer’s disease has taken my grandfather, grandmother, aunts and uncles. Even my mother. Enough is enough.” He framed the campaign around hope and encouraged viewers to support research and caregiver services to make Alzheimer’s disease a thing of the past.

 

By raising money for research and sharing their stories, these stars are humanizing the experience of Alzheimer’s. The disease can affect any family, and anyone can add their voice to the call for change. 

Additional Sources:

https://www.brainandlife.org/the-magazine/articles/2016/june-july-2016/after-her-fathers-diagnosis-maria-shriver-started-talking-about-alzheimers/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Rogen%27s_Hilarity_for_Charity 

https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/samuel-l-jackson-stars-powerful-dementia-campaign-challenge-misunderstanding-condition

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us

Famous & 65

 

Look who's turning 65 this month

Find out which celebrities are turning 65 this month!

September 9

This British rom-com king shot to fame with Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. He went on to star in a string of hits: Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Love Actually, playing lovable but awkward heroes and antiheroes. In 2002, he was universally lauded for his moving leading turn in About a Boy. More recently, he’s branched out and received praise for less comedic roles in projects like Florence Foster Jenkins and the miniseries A Very English Scandal. Last year, he even played a serial killer in Heretic, a role Variety called "wildly against-type." Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

September 10

This British actor first stole hearts as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, a role that launched him into international stardom. He went on to earn an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of King George VI in The King’s Speech. He’s best known and loved for playing brooding, but ultimately charming, love interests, famously in Bridget Jones’s Diary, where he feuded for Renee Zellweger’s attention with his September 1960 birthday buddy. Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

September 10

This cartoonist and graphic memoirist first gained recognition for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, a politically sharp chronicle of lesbian life in the 1980s. To pass a famous test first introduced in this comic strip, a movie must feature (1) at least two women, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something other than a man. The test (named after this birthday celebrant) measures the equal representation of women in fiction. This author’s 2006 graphic memoir Fun Home explores family, identity, and her relationship with her closeted father. The book garnered her many awards and was adapted into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. 

Answer: Who is…. (click here to reveal)?

Source:

Wikipedia

Blog posting provided by Society of Certified Senior Advisors

www.csa.us