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Travel Trending with Kathy Witt: MSC’s World America ship-within-a ship is the perfect special-occasion experience
On a ship carrying 6,700-plus fun seekers, it is a special treat to be cosseted among 300 or so guests enjoying the luxury, pampering and privacy of an exclusive ship-within-a-ship experience. And so it is with the Yacht Club aboard MSC’s World America, a 152-suite members-only enclave that comes with perks including butler service and 24-...Read more

Toni Says: Is America ready for the changes to 2026 Medicare Part D plans?
Toni:
Currently, I am on a stand-alone Part D plan with a Medicare Supplement because of my serious health issues. Last week, I received information about the changes to the 2026 Medicare Part D plan I am currently enrolled in, and the premium is increasing by $50 per month, from $44.80 to $94.80 beginning January 1. The Part D ...Read more
Social Security and You: More Stories From My Trip to Poland
About a month ago, I wrote a column about a trip I took on behalf of the Social Security Administration to Poland in the 1990s. To be honest, I thought readers would criticize me for writing it because I really wasn't doing what I'm supposed to be doing with this column -- answering readers' questions about the complexities of the Social ...Read more

Toni Says: How do I pay a Medicare premium when not receiving Social Security?
Dear Toni,
My Medicare starts November 1, and I received my first bill, due on October 25, about a week ago. This bill is for three months, from November 1 to January 31, and it’s over $550. I currently have more than $12,000 on my Health Savings Account (HSA) debit card through my past employer, ...Read more
Social Security and You: Not Your Grandma's Social Security Office Anymore
In the 1960s, Bob Dylan released an album called "The Times, They Are a-Changin'." I seriously doubt that the troubadour was thinking about Social Security when he wrote those ballads. But I can tell you that the times sure are a-changin' at the Social Security Administration. And time will tell if those changes are for the good.
I've heard ...Read more

Toni Says: I’m turning 65 in January. Does Medicare’s fall enrollment affect me?
Toni,
My sister suggested that I send you an email because I’m confused on what to do with enrolling in Medicare since I turn 65 on Jan. 5, 2026. Please help me, Toni, because I’m overwhelmed by the marketing material received for Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period. What do I do?
I’m not sure when is the right time to ...Read more
Social Security and You: Different Answers Are Not Necessarily Wrong Answers
Readers frequently tell me that they talked to two different Social Security Administration agents and got two different answers. Or they tell me that a neighbor gave them one bit of Social Security advice, but another neighbor told them something else.
Sometimes I will do a little digging and learn that they didn't really get conflicting ...Read more

Why are more older people dying after falls?
For a while, walking the dog felt hazardous. Earl Vickers was accustomed to taking Molly, his shepherd-boxer-something-else mix, for strolls on the beach or around his neighborhood in Seaside, California. A few years ago, though, he started to experience problems staying upright.
“If another dog came toward us, every single time I’d end up ...Read more

Toni Says: October 15 is coming … Know your Medicare Open Enrollment options
Dear Toni:
I turned 65 in February and did not enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug plan. I have been told that I must wait until October for Medicare’s enrollment time. I need help now because I have been prescribed an expensive brand-name prescription. I thought I could enroll at any time of the year, but the application for Part D was ...Read more

Why are more older people dying after falls?
For a while, walking the dog felt hazardous.
Earl Vickers was accustomed to taking Molly, his shepherd-boxer-something-else mix, for strolls on the beach or around his neighborhood in Seaside, California. A few years ago, though, he started to experience problems staying upright.
“If another dog came toward us, every single time I’d end up...Read more
Social Security and You: Why Widows Can't File for Benefits Online
Q: My husband died several months ago. I'm 64. I'm getting my own retirement benefits, and he was getting his own benefits. His Social Security check was more than mine, so I think I am due widow's benefits. When I tried to file a claim online, I wasn't allowed to. I was told I need to make an appointment to file a claim in person. What's going ...Read more

When older neighbors need home repairs, silver-haired volunteers come to the rescue
DALLAS -- Peggy Plaisted’s fence was falling down and she needed help.
The 70-year-old Plano, Texas, resident, retired and living on a fixed income, couldn’t afford to hire a commercial fencing company. So Plaisted turned to social media looking for someone handy to hire.
That’s when she came across the Plain-O Helpers, a group of mostly...Read more

How to manage your money after you retire
So much financial advice is centered on building up your nest egg for retirement, but it feels like so little is focused on helping you manage that money, whether you’re retiring early or on schedule. But properly managing your money in retirement is critical to ensuring that your nest egg is able to see you through your golden years without ...Read more

She never got her quinceañera. So friends threw her one at 51
Maria Zambrano’s quinceañera carried many of the signature trappings of the milestone sweet 15th celebration. A DJ, a tiara, lavish ballroom gowns and lots of dancing, replete with a court of honor to help waltz her transition into adulthood.
But Zambrano has been an aMSdult for a long time. She just turned 51.
The quinceañera that ...Read more

When I go, I’m going green
Our annual family vacation on Cape Cod included all the familiar summer pleasures: climbing dunes, walking beaches, spotting seals, eating oysters, reading books we had intended to get to all year.
And a little shopping. My grandkid wanted a few small toys. My daughter stocked up on thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles at the game store in ...Read more

When I go, I'm going green
Our annual family vacation on Cape Cod included all the familiar summer pleasures: climbing dunes, walking beaches, spotting seals, eating oysters, reading books we had intended to get to all year.
And a little shopping. My grandkid wanted a few small toys. My daughter stocked up on thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles at the game store in ...Read more

Toni Says: Why am I receiving a Part D penalty?
Hello Toni:
When I turned 65 in May 2024, I continued to work full-time with a health savings account (HSA) as my employer benefits and use GoodRX to cover prescriptions. My employer’s human resources manager advised me to enroll in Medicare Part A when I turned 65, which was not ...Read more
Social Security and You: Little Green Spacemen and Social Security
Well, if I listen to news reports or review the emails I get from many readers, I guess I'd have to conclude that Social Security is doomed. So that means it's time to once again trot out my "little green men and Social Security" story. This story has to do with an intriguing newspaper headline I read about 20 years ago that went like this: "...Read more

With recent advances, it's 'a very exciting time' for dementia researchers
Like a lot of people my age, there are times when I can't find my keys, or my sunglasses, or my phone.
Now and again, I'll get an idea to look something up, reach for my computer, and forget what it was.
Normal aging?
Signs of cognitive impairment?
I'm not sure, but if you have similar questions about yourself or a loved one, and you'd like ...Read more

Vaccine chaos: Even some vulnerable seniors can't get COVID-19 shots amid spiking cases
Seniors in some parts of the country say they are being denied COVID-19 vaccinations amid an ongoing spike in cases, leading to rising frustration over new Trump administration policies that are making it harder to get the shots.
Matthew D’Amico, 67, of New York City, said a Walgreens declined to administer COVID-19 vaccines to him and his 75...Read more