Financial Challenges Facing Seniors…And How to Fight Back

Most of us look forward to a retirement filled with leisure and relaxation, but many older Americans are facing financial difficulties that are destroying their retirement dreams. A recent article addressed some of seniors’ biggest financial challenges and what they can do to fight back. What follows is a summary of the article.

Historically Low Interest Rates

For almost a decade, the Federal Reserve has kept the federal funds rate at a record low. This might be good if you are refinancing debt, but it is disastrous for those who stay in fixed-income investments such as certificates of deposit, money market accounts, savings accounts and bonds—all long-time favorites of seniors who are more risk-averse than other investors.

Low Trust in the Stock Market

The recession provided an opportunity for long-term investors to snap up stocks at attractive lower prices. But for many seniors, it was a reminder of the volatile nature of the stock market which is contrary to their more conservative investing approach. Many of them stayed in their low-yielding fixed-income investments and lost out on the subsequent gains of the rebounding market.

Fight back: Be willing to invest a portion of your investments in the stock market. It’s one of the few places you can invest your money that, over the long term, will outperform inflation. And with people living longer today, your savings will need to last longer than before.

Rising Health Care Costs

Medicare doesn’t cover all medical costs, and out-of-pocket expenses can be substantial. One survey found that 20% of seniors did not see their doctor because of the out-of-pocket costs. Also, the costs of drugs, diagnostics and medical devices continue to rise.

Fight back: Use some of your savings, investment income or work income to purchase supplemental health insurance that will help cover medical expenses not covered by Medicare.

Social Security Issues

According to the Social Security Administration, more than half of all couples rely on Social Security for at least 50% of their retirement income, and almost half of unmarried seniors rely on it for at least 90% of their retirement income. But the cash reserves that supply this income are in trouble and, unless Congress addresses the problem soon, they could run out by 2033.

Unfavorable Job Market

Going back to work is an option for many seniors who have little retirement income or rely heavily on Social Security income. Yet it takes older workers longer to find employment and they are often competing with younger workers who are willing to accept lower wages.

Fight back: Working longer at your current job may be a viable option. You may also be able to find paying work in a hobby or avocation. You may even be able to start a small business to supplement your income.

Debt…and Feeling Obligated to Help Adult Kids

Fully 45% of all homeowners over the age of 62 still have a mortgage payment. Many have credit card and other consumer debt. Of those age 60 and over, who are no longer working, 43% admitted to helping their adult children pay their bills. Many seniors have student loan debt for themselves, their children and dependents going to college.

Fight back: Learn to say “no,” especially if your retirement funds are limited. This is your retirement, and your children and grandchildren need to respect that. If you are earning extra income, use some of it to pay off your debt.

Call 512-615-1244 today to learn more about Elder Law, Medicaid Eligibility, Asset Preservation, VA Benefits, Guardianships, Estate Planning, Durable and Medical Powers of Attorney, Advanced Directives, Probate and more.  Email: John@JohnBurnsLegal.com

Law Offices of John Burns, PLLC, 13062 Hwy. 290 West, Suite 115, Austin, TX 78737

Increased Use of Painkillers Causing New Battle for Veterans

You may have heard there is a massive heroin addiction in our country today, with fatal overdoses destroying far too many families. The use of opioid painkillers, relatively easy to obtain, is often the starting point for the addiction. If the prescription is no longer available, or the insurance company will not pay for it, people often resort to heroin, which is inexpensive and easily found on the streets.

Members of our military are typically prescribed opioid painkillers when they are injured, whether in training or in combat. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have contributed to injuries that require soldiers to be on prescription painkillers, including oxycodone, the main ingredient in Percocet and other addictive painkillers, and hydrocodone. By the time they are discharged, some are addicted. Once out of the military, they may no longer have access to the prescriptions or coverage, and some, like civilians, turn to heroin.

In a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledges its role in creating a large population of opioid-addicted veterans by overprescribing painkillers for injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA patients getting opioid prescriptions increased by nearly 77% between 2004 and 2012. In 2012, one in three VA patients received opioids to manage pain.

Recognizing they had a problem, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs began to de-emphasize opioid painkiller use by turning to other treatment options, including chiropractors, yoga and aquatic therapy. Active-duty soldiers are closely monitored and undergo random drug testing; only about 2% test positive.

While some programs are proving effective, others have created new problems. For example, last year the Drug Enforcement Administration began requiring veterans to refill painkiller prescriptions every 30 days instead of 90 days, to help ensure that the drugs are not being abused. But backlogs at the VA prevented many patients from being able to see a doctor before their medications ran out, causing some to fear more vets will seek heroin to relieve their pain.

The VA has established several opioid-addiction treatment programs. In 2012, it started a detoxification protocol for veterans with an opioid disorder. In 2013, the Opioid Replacement Therapy Program was created and provides vets with Suboxone, a medication-assisted treatment that is FDP-approved for opioid dependence. Veterans are also taught coping skills to achieve and maintain abstinence from opioids and other drugs. In 2014, the substance abuse treatment program expanded education to teach veterans and families how to prevent an opioid overdose, providing information on Naxolone, an FDA-approved medication to treat an opioid overdose. Another program educates veterans on the dangers of combining opiates with drugs and alcohol.

Call 512-615-1244 today to learn more about Veterans Benefits, Elder Law, Medicaid Eligibility, Asset Preservation, Guardianships, Durable and Medical Powers of Attorney, Advanced Directives, and more.  Email: John@JohnBurnsLegal.com

Law Offices of John Burns, PLLC, 13062 Hwy. 290 West, Suite 115, Austin, TX 78737