News & Insights

Concerns over the future of Social Security play a starring role in American seniors’ overall retirement uncertainty — and that’s before considering how much of the benefit might eventually need to go toward unexpected medical expenses. After factoring in supplemental insurance premiums and other uninsured health costs, the average retiree only takes home 75% of…

Older women who practice yoga may have greater “thickness” in areas of the brain involved in memory and attention, a small study suggests. Researchers found that even compared with other healthy, active women their age, yoga practitioners typically had greater cortical thickness in the brain’s left prefrontal cortex. That could be good news because, as…

Eating right may help protect your brain health in old age, a group of new studies show, according to four new studies. In particular, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet lowered people’s risk of dementia, two studies concluded. The MIND diet is a hybrid of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches…

A home equity line of credit can be a valuable piece of a comprehensive retirement plan — but not all home equity line of credit loans are the same. If you are age 62 or older, you may be eligible for a reverse mortgage line of credit. A reverse mortgage can give you greater control…

“I am 75 years old, my wife is 56, and our home is worth $400K. Our equity in the house will be her main financial resource when I have ‘departed’. She wants to live in our home until the end. What is the best way to use a HECM reverse mortgage to meet her needs…

Middle-aged and older adults who start eating better also tend to live longer, a large new study shows. The findings, reported in the July 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, might not sound surprising. Health experts said they basically reinforce messages people have been hearing for years. But the study is the…

Health experts often say that your body offers telltale signs that something is wrong, such as changes in your skin and nails indicating serious internal illnesses. But even your earlobes could be sending you a crucial message about your cardiovascular health, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Medicine. The condition,…

Forget downsizing or migrating to warmer weather, an overwhelming number (83 percent) of pre retirees and retirees today say they want to remain in their homes for as long as possible, according to a new survey from The American College of Financial Services. For seniors on a fixed income, a reverse mortgage can be a…

If seniors want to start a vigorous exercise program, there’s a good chance their lungs can keep up with the extra demand, a new study finds. Researchers assessed younger and older adults to determine their lungs’ capacity to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide (lung-diffusing capacity) during physical activity. This exchange between the lungs and blood…

U.S. home prices were 6.6% higher in May 2017 than the same point in 2016, pulling home equity up along with it. “For current homeowners, the strong run-up in prices has boosted home equity and, in some cases, spending,” said Frank Martell, the president and CEO of real-estate research firm CoreLogic, in its latest report…