The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, no surprise here New Jersey, is the last place where people want to spend their golden years.
Almost 67% of all New Jersey moves were outbound last year, according to a survey from United Van Lines.
United Van lines polled 26,998 of its customers who moved last year, through Nov. 30.
Continue reading Retirees Fleeing New Jersey in Droves
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Assemblyman Kevin J Rooney shared some information from the FTC website in order to protect yourself from Medicare Scams .
Still getting calls from people claiming to be from Medicare, asking for money or personal information?
Here are a few important tips from the Federal Trade Commission:
Continue reading Protect yourself against Medicare scams
file photo by Boyd Loving of RPD searching for a senior suffering from Alzheimer’s
July 7,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and affects about 50 million people worldwide, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. There is still no cure for the disease or way to stop its progression, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved some medications to treat symptoms related to memory loss, language and other thought processes.
Phase II Clinical Study of Elenbecestat Demonstrates Safety and Tolerability in MCI and Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease at 18-Months
Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) and Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) (Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, CEO: Michel Vounatsos, “Biogen”) announced today that elenbecestat was generally safe and well tolerated in a Phase II clinical study (Study 202) of the oral BACE (beta amyloid cleaving enzyme) inhibitor elenbecestat (development code: E2609) conducted in the United States, and the results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in amyloid beta (Aβ) levels in the brain measured by amyloid-PET (positron emission tomography). A numerical slowing of decline in functional clinical scales of a potentially clinically important difference was also observed, although this effect was not statistically significant. This study, a Phase II study of 70 patients, is the first study of a BACE inhibitor to show a statistically significant difference in amyloid beta in the brain while also suggesting a delay of clinical symptom decline in exploratory endpoints.
Study 202 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02322021) is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group 18-month Phase II clinical study in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease, or mild to moderate dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease with confirmed amyloid pathology by PET screening. Seventy patients were randomized to four treatment arms receiving elenbecestat (5, 15, or 50 mg) or placebo daily. During the study period, more than half the patients in the elenbecestat 5 mg and 15 mg arms were switched to the 50 mg arm for three months or more. The 50 mg treatment arm plus the group switched to the 50 mg arm are hereafter referred to as “50 mg total arm” (38 subjects) with a mean duration of approximately 11 months on 50 mg per day.
Elenbecestat demonstrated acceptable safety and tolerability profile through 18 months of study drug administration. In the elenbecestat 50 mg total arm, the six most common adverse events observed were contact dermatitis, upper respiratory infection, headache, diarrhea, fall, and dermatitis. No serious adverse reactions suggestive of hepatic toxicity were observed in this study.
In addition to the safety objectives, the study assessed Aβ in the brain at 18 months as measured by amyloid PET as well as efficacy in terms of clinical symptoms, which were exploratory objectives in this study.
The elenbecestat 50 mg total arm demonstrated a statistically significant difference in Aβ levels in the brain as measured by amyloid PET compared with placebo (35 subjects participated in this longitudinal amyloid PET assessment). This is the first time in which a significant effect in Aβ in the brain using a BACE inhibitor was confirmed in a clinical study of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through moderate Alzheimer’s dementia.
CDR-SB (Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes) was an exploratory endpoint to assess efficacy in terms of clinical symptoms. The study showed numerically less decline in CDR-SB for the elenbecestat 50 mg total arm as compared to placebo of a potentially clinically important difference (41 subjects participated in this assessment), which was not statistically significant. Further, a similar magnitude and direction of differential in decline was observed in a post-hoc analysis of ADCOMS, Eisai’s newly developed assessment scale (Alzheimer’s Disease Composite Score) in the elenbecestat 50 mg total arm as compared to placebo. The study was not powered to show statistical significance compared to placebo on clinical symptoms.
Eisai plans to present detailed results of the study at a future medical meeting.
Elenbecestat, discovered by Eisai, has been jointly developed by Eisai and Biogen since March 2014. The two companies are currently conducting two global Phase III clinical studies (MISSION AD1/2) in early Alzheimer’s disease.
“It is highly encouraging that Study 202 confirmed elenbecestat’s treatment effect in reducing amyloid in the brain and suggested a slowing of clinical decline. Eisai and Biogen will continue to work together to advance the ongoing Phase III program (MISSION AD) in order to contribute a new potential treatment option to Alzheimer’s disease patients as soon as possible,” said Lynn Kramer, MD, Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Medical Officer, Neurology Business Group, Eisai.
“Biogen is heartened by the safety and tolerability results of this study of elenbecestat,” said Alfred Sandrock, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer at Biogen. “We remain committed to research in Alzheimer’s, an area of significant unmet need with a devastating impact on those living with the disease, their families, friends, and society.”
Biogen Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about results from the Phase II study of elenbecestat, the potential effects of elenbecestat, Biogen’s strategy and plans, and the potential of Biogen’s commercial business and pipeline programs. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “except,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “possible,” “will,” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk, and only a small number of research and development programs result in commercialization of a product. Results in early stage clinical trials may not be indicative of full results or results from later stage or larger scale clinical trials and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements or the scientific data presented.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including, without limitation: the risk that we may not fully enroll our clinical trials or enrollment will take longer than expected, unexpected concerns may arise from additional data, analysis, or results obtained during our clinical trials, regulatory authorities may require additional information or further studies, or may fail or refuse to approve or may delay approval of Biogen’s drug candidates, the occurrence of adverse safety events, we may encounter other unexpected hurdles, which may be impacted by, among other things, the occurrence of adverse safety events, failure to obtain regulatory approvals in certain jurisdictions, or failure to protect intellectual property and other proprietary rights, or uncertainty of success in the development and potential commercialization of elenbecestat.. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement, as well as the risk factors identified in Biogen’s most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports Biogen has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on Biogen’s current beliefs and expectations and speak only as of the date of this press release. Biogen does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
file photo by ArtChick
June 23,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, Approximately half (51.4 percent) of the nation’s 531 counties that were getting younger between April 2010 and July 2017 were in the Midwest, according to newly released 2017 population estimates. Out of the counties that were getting younger, the South also had a high proportion (32.4 percent) of the counties that experienced a decrease in median age — the age where half of the population is younger and the other half is older— followed by the West (14.1 percent), and the Northeast (2.1 percent).
“Nationally, almost 17 percent of counties saw a decrease in median age from April 2010 to July 2017. The majority of the counties getting younger were in the Midwest, and of these counties with 10,000 people or more in July 2017, some of the largest decreases were in North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska,” said Molly Cromwell, a demographer at the U.S. Census Bureau. “Williams County, N.D., had the largest decrease in median age, declining by 7.1 years.”
Despite the decrease in median age in many of the Midwest’s counties, a majority of counties in the country continued to grow older. The nation as a whole experienced a median age increase from 37.2 years to 38.0 years during the period 2010 to 2017. This continued aging of the country is consistent with the projected changes to the nation’s population through 2060.
“Baby boomers, and millennials alike, are responsible for this trend in increased aging,” Cromwell said. “Boomers continue to age and are slowly outnumbering children as the birth rate has declined steadily over the last decade.”
Last year, Florida had the largest percentage of seniors (age 65 and older) with 20.1 percent, followed by Maine (19.9 percent) and West Virginia (19.4 percent). Maine also saw its median age increase to 44.7 from 42.7 years old in 2010, making it the state with the highest median age.
On the other hand, Utah had the smallest percentage of its population age 65 and older (10.8 percent), followed by Alaska (11.2 percent) and the District of Columbia (12.1 percent). Utah is also the state with the lowest median age (30.9 years).
View our graphics on change in median age from 2010 to 2017 at the county level and the median age in 2017 to see how the nation has changed.
Population Continues to Become More Diverse
At the same time that the U.S. population becomes older, it also is becoming more diverse by race and ethnicity. Nationally, the population of all race and ethnic groups, except for the non-Hispanic white alone group, grew between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017. View our graphic on the age and race distribution from 2010 to 2017 to see how the nation has grown more diverse. References below to the race and ethnic compositions of county populations apply only to those counties with a total population of 10,000 or more.
The Hispanic population increased 2.1 percent to 58.9 million.
The black or African-American population increased 1.2 percent to 47.4 million.
The Asian population increased 3.1 percent to 22.2 million.
The American Indian or Alaska Native population increased 1.3 percent to 6.8 million.
The Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population increased 2.1 percent to 1.6 million.
The population of those Two or More Races increased 2.9 percent to 8.7 million.
The white alone-or-in-combination population increased 0.5 percent to 257.4 million.
The non-Hispanic white alone population decreased .02 percent to 197.8 million.
The Hispanic Population (All Races)
The Hispanic population made up 18.1 percent of the nation’s total population in 2017, primarily due to natural increase (the difference between births and deaths).
California had the largest Hispanic population (15.5 million), and Texas saw the largest numeric increase in Hispanic population (234,000 people).
Los Angeles County, Calif., had the largest Hispanic population of any county (4.9 million), and Starr County, Texas, had the highest percentage of Hispanics with 96.3 percent.
The Black or African-American Population
Texas had the largest black or African-American population (3.8 million) and the District of Columbia had the highest percentage of the black or African American alone-or-in-combination population (48.8 percent).
Cook County, Ill., had the largest black or African-American population of any county (1.3 million).
Clark County, Nev. had the largest numeric increase of black or African-American population of any county (14,000). There were 104 counties nationwide that had a majority black or African-American population, led by Holmes County, Miss. (83.2 percent).
The Asian Population
Asians were the fastest-growing racial group in the nation. Their increase is primarily due to net migration.
California had the largest Asian population (6.8 million).
Hawaii was the only state where the Asian population represented a majority of the population (57.1 percent).
The American Indian or Alaska Native Population
California had the largest American Indian or Alaska Native population (1.1 million), and Alaska had the highest percentage (20.0 percent).
Los Angeles County, Calif., had the largest American Indian or Alaska Native population of any county at 233,000.
Oglala Lakota County, S.D., had the largest percentage of the American Indian or Alaska Native population (93.9 percent).
The Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Population
The median age of the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population increased the most of any race group (2.3 years), rising from 26.4 years old in April 2010 to 28.7 years old in July 2017.
Hawaii had the largest number (382,000) and proportion (26.8 percent) of the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population.
Honolulu County, Hawaii, had the largest Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population (245,000) in 2017. Clark County, Nev., had the largest numeric increase for the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population (1,400) in 2017.
The Two or More Races Population
Those who identify as two or more races made up the second-fastest growing race group (2.9 percent) in the nation. Their growth is due primarily to natural increase.
The two or more races group had the youngest median age of any other race group at 20.4 years.
California had the largest two or more races population (1.5 million) and Hawaii had the highest proportion (23.8 percent).
White Alone-or-in-Combination and the Non-Hispanic White Alone Population
The non-Hispanic white alone group was the only race group to experience population decline between 2016 and 2017 (-0.02 percent). Of all the alone-or-in-combination race groups, the white alone-or-in-combination group grew the slowest (0.5 percent).
Both the non-Hispanic white alone and white alone-or-in-combination populations had the highest median ages compared to the other race groups at 43.5 years and 39.2 years, respectively. The non-Hispanic white alone population is projected to continue aging and declining, with one-third of children projected to be non-Hispanic white alone by 2060, as compared to over one-half projected to be older adults.
The four states with the largest percentage of non-Hispanic white alone populations: Maine (93.3 percent), Vermont (92.9 percent), West Virginia (92.2 percent) and New Hampshire (90.5 percent) are also the four oldest states by median age with 44.7, 42.9, 42.5 and 43.1 years old, respectively.
This is the last of the population estimates for 2017. Previous estimates include national, county, metro area, city and town population estimates. The population estimates as of July 1, 2017, do not reflect displacement or other migratory changes to the nation’s population due to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in August and September 2017. For information on how the country is projected to change through 2060, view our previous release, Older People Projected to Outnumber Children for First Time in U.S. History.
June 19,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, this comes up almost every year. The Village has even gone as far as to press charges on a plastic sheep .
The rules seem to be unevenly applied in the past .
Reader says “The restaurants Ad Hoc sidewalk patio table walls are growing in number
look at chestnut corner burgher restaurant..they are made of steel..try getting up on to the sidewalk from a parked car ..good luck….then add in the flower pot plantings further narrowing the walks ..these are even worse for elders and handicapped pedestrians exiting a car or assist a ride buses even during off hours..are these permitted by town?”
Boyd Loving , “The Village’s Code Enforcement Official has been observed in the past with a tape measure in hand checking to ensure restaurants were not encroaching on the ADA required passage widths of sidewalks. I know of at least one (1) restaurant that was issued a summons for an alleged encroachment. If you have a specific complaint, you could refer it to the Code Enforcement Official. See link to her name, e-mail address, and phone number below.”
February 23,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, according to Attorney General Jeff Sessions , “Each year, an estimated $3 billion are stolen or defrauded from millions of American seniors. Through “grandparent scams,” fake prizes or even threats, criminals prey on some of the most vulnerable Americans to steal their hard-earned savings and their peace of mind.”
Upscale towns like Ridgewood, Glen Rock etc are often the prime targets of these scams . The Ridgewood blog has reported over and over again senior scams , phone scams , internet scams and identity theft .
And this threat is only growing. The Senate Aging Committee’s Fraud Hotline received twice as many reports in 2016 as it received in 2015. The rise of new technologies has made it easier for criminals to coordinate their efforts and perpetrate their crimes.
The Trump Administration is taking action. We will not let this crime continue to rise.
Last month, the Department ordered all 94 of our U.S. Attorneys’ offices to each designate an elder justice coordinator, who will customize our strategy to protect seniors in their district. This will ensure even greater cooperation between the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners.
The Trump administration is forming unprecedented law enforcement partnerships around the country and, indeed, around the world. These partnerships are already bearing fruit.
Today, the Department of Justice is announcing the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history.
With the help of our partners at all levels of government and in the private sector, we have charged more than 200 defendants for committing elder fraud schemes and brought civil actions against dozens more.
These defendants allegedly robbed more than one million Americans of more than half a billion dollars.
In the past month alone, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have filed cases against more than 40 defendants. These 40 defendants are responsible for a majority of those 1 million victims I mentioned, and they include charges against the transnational criminal organization highlighted on the map we have displayed.
Just yesterday the Postal Inspection Service executed 14 search warrants across America. The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch and our U.S. Attorneys are working closely with the postal inspectors on these investigations.
And as we speak, our partners with the Vancouver, Canada Police Department are executing dozens of search warrants as part of this enforcement action. These warrants are being carried out against members of transnational criminal organizations that have allegedly defrauded tens of thousands of Americans and people all over the world.
And so I want to thank the Postal Inspection Service, the FTC and its Consumer Sentinel database, the FBI and its Los Angeles field office, the Vancouver Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of Iowa, our elder justice coordinators, and all of our state, local, and international partners who helped make this historic achievement possible.
Thank you to Derek Schmidt, Kansas Attorney General and President of the National Association of Attorneys General for participating in this action and representing our state Attorneys General, who play a vital role in this effort.
And thank you to the Senate Special Committee on Aging, especially to my good friends Senators Grassley and Collins. They have a real passion for this issue and they have helped raise awareness about it.
I also want to thank Deborah Cox-Rausch, director of Senior Corps, a federal agency that coordinates the work of hundreds of thousands of senior citizen volunteers across the country. Senior Corps has helped get the word out about the threat of fraud schemes to our seniors, and I believe that helps prevent crime.
That’s why I hope that no victim of fraud feels ashamed. This can happen to anyone. Several members of my staff have told me about their grandparents being targeted by fraudsters. In fact, just this past week, one of my senior staffers was in a meeting with me when she got a call from her grandmother, who had just received a phone call from a fraudster.
We need to spread the word about this. So, please, if you or someone you know was victimized by an elder fraud scheme, please report it to the FTC. It might just give us the tip we need to put criminals in jail—and to protect other seniors.
We are joined here today by several Americans who have had the courage to step forward and share their stories of being victimized by fraudsters. They’ve come a long way to be here—and I want to thank them for that and for sharing their experiences and insights.
Mon, September 18, 2017
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Ridgewood Library, 125 N. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Social Security continues to play a critical role in a retirement strategy.
Is yours taking full advantage of what Social Security offers? I can help.
Together, let’s rethink your retirement benefits.
I’ll share seven keys to enhancing Social Security benefits:
• Keys to help you understand the basics of Social Security, including
when you should start taking benefits.
• Keys that take a deeper dive into Social Security, such as working
in retirement.
• Finally, taking the next step with the Rethinking Retirement Strategies
Space is Limited –
Call to RSVP by Friday, Sept. 8th:
Paul Pellegrine at (201) 444-7100 ext. 7503
email: ppellegrine@asbnow.com
….The problem with weekends after Labor Day is that everyone has pushed past summer and is I to soccer practice and birthday parties and lacrosse and cross country, you name it. Weekends are booked from the moment the school bell rings. Sad, but true……
Glen Rock pool is open after Labor Day on weekends. Correct me if I am wrong.What about adults who want to use Graydon Sept. weekends. Oh, I get it , I am a senior who would love Graydon open anytime in Sept. after Labor Day, but I don’t count. Why is it always the kids and not the adults and NEVER the seniors who are taken into consideration for fun things. That crappy senior center, with dottering exercise classes and trips where the main event is a fattening lunch, SCREW THAT. No healthy senior would join that. I sure in hell wouldn’t. And I am in my mid seventies.
file photo by Boyd Loving
August 14,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Division of Consumer Affairs are urging seniors to avoid becoming the victims of phone fraud schemes and are providing a number of educational tools to help with the effort.
The Division offers brochures online to help consumers identify scams and avoid them. Its latest brochure, Fighting Phone Fraud, also gives information on the federal Do Not Call Registry and how to sign up, along with ways to block robocallers.
The message of the brochures is simple: If you think the call you are receiving is a scam, it probably is.
“Technology has made it easier for disreputable companies and criminals to prey on senior citizens with a simple phone call, often bullying or cajoling people to part with their money. These types of scams are despicable,” said Attorney General Porrino. “We want to arm seniors with information to help them avoid becoming victims and also aid regulatory agencies and law enforcement to stop illegal activity before others are hurt.”
New Jersey law also prohibits telemarketers who have not registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs from calling any New Jersey resident, regardless of whether the resident is on the national Do Not Call Registry or not. Violations of that law can lead to a $10,000 fine for a first offense and up to $20,000 for each subsequent offense.
“There are ways to punish scam autodialer calls in New Jersey, and we urge people who are being subjected to repeated calls to report these efforts to the Division of Consumer Affairs, said Steve Lee, Director of the Division. “Consumers should not engage these callers, but they should make sure to report the phone numbers.”
Those who wish to file a complaint can submit it online.
The scams outlined by the Division in its materials are varied, but all seek either personal information or money. Here are some examples:
A person posing as an agent of the Internal Revenue Service demands money for back taxes.
A person posing as a relative calls, saying he or she is in serious trouble and asks you to send money in order to help.
A person posing as a representative of your electric, gas or water service says that you owe it money and that if it’s not paid now, your service will be shut off.
A caller says he or she is getting in touch on behalf of Medicare or Medicaid and is seeking personal information because you need a new card.
The advice for all of these is the same. Do not give money. Do not give personal information. Hang up immediately.
In order to limit robocalling and scam calling, consumers first should make sure their phone numbers, both land line and cell, are on the federal Do Not Call Registry, which can be done by phone at 888-382-1222 or online at www.donotcall.gov. Unwanted sales calls also can be reported at this line.
Unfortunately, robocallers and scammers will still call. Third-party services may be able to limit these calls. Information on those services can be obtained at www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-calls-texts-and-faxes#call-blocking-resources.
Consumers should also know that spam and autodialer text messages are illegal as well. If you are getting unsolicited offers for free merchandise or services via text, do not respond. Instead, report these messages by filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (complaints.donotcall.gov) or the Federal Communications Commission (consumercomplaints.fcc.gov).
In addition, if your wireless provider is AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint or Bell, you can report offending texts by copying and pasting the original text and forwarding it to 7726, free of charge.
By Dino Flammia April 17, 2017 2:51 AM
New Jersey residents who are on their way to retirement, or are already enjoying their golden years, would be better off in 37 other states.
According to a recently released analysis from Bankrate, New Jersey is the 13th-worst state in which to retire.
“The cost of living … is very high,” Bankrate data analyst Claes Bell said of New Jersey. “High taxes in the state of New Jersey were another issue.”
New Jersey’s cost of living ranked fifth-worst among the 50 states. Only two states — Connecticut and New York — registered a higher tax burden
Read More: Retiring in New Jersey? Good luck | https://nj1015.com/retiring-in-new-jersey-good-luck/?trackback=tsmclip
Editors note :lets see if begging people to stay works
April 16, 2017 at 3:00 AM
New Jersey has a reputation as a lousy place to retire. That’s unfortunate.
First of all, one of the things the state does best is manufacture well-heeled retirees (think former teachers, cops, firefighters and other public employees). It would be nice to see more of that public pension money stay in the state that gave it to these folks. Instead, New Jersey exports many of these retirees and their money to states like Florida and South Carolina, where the weather and fishing are better and the politicians not quite as rapacious.
And, of course, it would be nice to import more retired people from other states. Retirees can be a valuable economic resource (even if you’d rather not get stuck behind one on the Turnpike). The state could point out that Social Security is not taxed in New Jersey, that the fishing can be better than you’d expect and that there are lots of golf courses. A retiree could do worse. (Maybe that’s what the state’s slogan should be: “New Jersey: You could do worse.”)
In fact, according to the most recent ranking by Bankrate.com, 12 states — Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, California, Oklahoma, Nevada, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, West Virginia and Alaska — are actually worse places to retire than New Jersey.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Westwood NJ, The BERGEN COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS COORDINATING COUNCIL, INC., a grass-roots, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization consisting of senior clubs in Bergen County and serving all the senior citizens of Bergen County since 1974, invites all Bergen County Senior Citizens’ Clubs to send a representative to our monthly meetings. Those clubs which are not currently members of the Council should go to the FORMS link on our website at www.bcscccouncil.wordpress.com, (IMPORTANT INFORMATION—FORMS) and download the application to join our organization or e-mail John A. Walsh, President, at jaw.ops350@yahoo.com. If you don’t have a computer available, contact John A. Walsh, President, at 201-483-8633 for an application.
Meetings start at 1:00 p.m. on the second Monday of each month from September through June. Meeting location is at the HUMC at Pascack Valley, 250 Old Hook Rd., Westwood, NJ 07675. Important information for seniors is provided by special speakers, other club and Council members, and senior citizen service agencies of Bergen County. See our website at www.bcscccouncil.wordpress.com for many more important details to include past meeting topics, directions, photos, and more, about our organization.
file photo
By Samantha Marcus | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on March 07, 2017 at 11:38 AM, updated March 07, 2017 at 12:25 PM
TRENTON — Seniors and citizens who benefit from New Jersey’s Senior Freeze property tax relief program could receive credits against their real estate bills instead of rebates under a bill in the Legislature.
The Assembly State and Local Government Committee on Monday approved the bill, which would convert the Senior Freeze reimbursements into credits — a change the sponsors said would cut state administrative costs and spare eligible homeowners from having to pay the full bill before receiving a reimbursement check in the following tax year.
The Senior Freeze programs is slated to help offset property tax increases for about 166,000 property owners this fiscal year.
To be eligible for the Senior Freeze program, you must be 65 or older or receiving Social Security benefits and have lived in the state for 10 years. Other requirements, including income limits, apply.
February 26,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, They have been on the leading edge of nearly everything since the first of them were born in mid-1946.
Now the earliest baby boomers are on the verge of another big moment – and it’s one that many of them might prefer to avoid. This year, the first baby boomers began turning 70½, which means by law they are required to begin making withdrawals from their 401(k) and IRA accounts – whether they want to or not.
“Basically, the reason for these mandatory withdrawals is that Uncle Sam wants his tax money,” says Alexander Joyce, president and CEO of ReJoyce Financial (www.ReJoyceFinancial.com).
“These are tax-deferred accounts, so people are able to avoid paying taxes on the income they contribute to them. But that’s true only for awhile. The money is taxed when you withdraw it. And when you turn 70½, even if you would like all the money to stay where it is, you have no choice but to begin taking money out of it.”
The first year, about 3.65 percent has to be withdrawn from the tax-deferred retirement accounts. Each year after that the withdrawal percentage increases based on an IRS formula.
Fail to withdraw the money – or withdraw too little – and you face a hefty penalty.
But there are strategies retirees can use to avoid the tax, Joyce says. He usually recommends his clients consider moving the money to an asset-based long-term healthcare program.
Some of the advantages of doing that include:
• Tax avoidance. There is no tax penalty to move the money from the retirement account to the asset-based long-term healthcare account.
• Multiple benefits. The program is an interest-bearing account that provides income if needed, liquidity if needed, and covers long-term healthcare if needed.
• Beneficiaries aren’t left out. With traditional long-term healthcare insurance, any unused money goes to the insurance company when the person dies. There is no benefit for beneficiaries. With asset-based long-term healthcare, any excess money goes to the beneficiaries. “Your family will get it, not the insurance company,” Joyce says.
Joyce says he began recommending the asset-based long-term healthcare to his clients about three years ago as it became clear that push was going to come to shove with those required-minimum withdrawals.
“I foresaw the problems that they were going to have with their retirement accounts when they turned 70½,” he says. “Some people plan to take out money anyway to live on, but many others have no interest in taking any distribution from their accounts.”
The baby boom that began in mid-1946 continued until mid-1964, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Today, there are roughly 75 million baby boomers in the U.S., which means plenty of people will be reaching the age 70½ over the next couple of decades.
“Anyone with a 401(k) or an IRA needs to know the rules and what they will be facing,” Joyce says. “I’d also recommend that they start talking to their financial professional about what their options might be so they and their families are able to keep as much of their money as possible.”
About Alexander Joyce
Alexander Joyce is president and CEO of ReJoyce Financial LLC (www.ReJoyceFinancial.com). He’s also a Safe Money and Retirement Income Planning specialist, and has hosted radio shows, such as “The Safe Money and Income Radio Show” and “The Ask Mr. Annuity Radio Show.” Joyce is a licensed professional in Indiana and specializes in working with people who are near retirement or who are already retired, with wealth management, income planning, and asset protection strategies.
11Feb – by Daniel Steingold – 336 – In Family Studies Happiness Studies Men Studies Original Studies Relationship Studies Women
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Perhaps love and marriage don’t go together like a horse and carriage after all. A new study finds that older Americans looking for love are latching onto a new trend that tempers the demands of a committed relationship, a phenomenon known as “Living Apart Together,” or “LAT.”
Spurred by a divorce rate that has doubled among this demographic since 1990, many older singles— often divorced or widowed— have taken on “an intimate relationship without a shared residence.” New research was conducted upon the increasingly popular relationship arrangement among those 50 years of age or older.
A new study finds that older Americans are embracing “living apart together.”
According to Jacquelyn Benson, a researcher at the University of Missouri who is entrenched in the topic, LAT has long been an established phenomenon in Europe, but it is just now reaching the United States en masse.
“What has long been understood about late-in-life relationships is largely based on long-term marriage,” Benson explains in a release. With marriage rates amongst older Americans declining, she argues that “if more people— young and old, married or not— saw LAT as an option, it might save them from a lot of future heartache.”
For their study, Benson and another researcher interviewed adults who were at least 60 years of age and in committed relationships, yet didn’t live together. From their interactions with this demographic, the two researchers found that there were a number of motivating factors for a LAT-type relationship.
https://www.studyfinds.org/study-finds-living-apart-together/
