Columns

All The Ink Is Hard to Miss

I know it’s not polite to stare. However, I could not help but notice it. I was sitting in a restaurant in the Robinson Town Centre area when I noticed two men seated nearby who were having their meal.  It appeared to me that the elder of the two was enjoying a meal with his grown son. That’s just my observation. The reporter in me has a habit of being a bit nosey and watching the people around me. That’s when I noticed it. The younger man had a very distinct tattoo on the top of his left hand. It appeared to be a portrait of the face of the crucified Jesus Christ. It truly ...

How to Prepare to Be an Executor of an Estate

Dear Savvy Senior, My uncle recently asked me to be the executor of his will when he dies. I feel honored that he asked me, but I’ve never done this before and I’m not exactly sure what the job entails. What can you tell me about it? --Helpful Nephew Dear Helpful, Being named executor is indeed an honor. It shows your uncle trusts you. But it can also be a significant responsibility, especially if his estate or family situation is complicated. Here’s a look at what the role involves so you can decide if it’s something you’re comfortable taking on. Executor Duties As ...

Understanding the Social Security Breakeven Age

Dear Savvy Senior, I’m trying to figure out the best time for my wife and I to start taking our Social Security retirement benefits and would like to understand the breakeven age. What can you tell me? --Strategizing Sam Dear Sam, As you approach retirement, one of the most important financial decisions you’ll face is when to begin collecting Social Security retirement benefits. A useful concept to guide your thinking is the “breakeven age,” which helps you evaluate the trade-off between taking a reduced benefit early versus a higher one later. Here’s what you should ...

Thanks To Those Who Don’t Hear It Enough

One of the hardest working people in the Ohio Valley is a young man who collects the shopping carts at the Warwood Kroger. All you have to do is watch him struggle to maneuver the large potholes in the parking lot to bring the carts back to the store. He should probably get extra duty pay for this challenging task. He is not the only one performing tough or, in some cases, dangerous work each day. Just take notice of the crossing guards at most any of our local grade schools. They literally take their lives into their hands when distracted or simply arrogant drivers rush through the ...

Low-Cost Smartphone Plans for Budget-Minded Seniors

Dear Savvy Senior, What are the absolute lowest-cost smartphone plans for seniors who mainly talk and text but need a little cellular data for email and occasional use? I’m currently paying $40 a month and hoping to cut that down. --Looking to Save Dear Looking, You’re asking a smart question. Many seniors pay far more for smartphone service than they actually use. If most of your phone activity is calls, texts, email and light web browsing, there’s usually no need to spend $40 or more a month. The good news: plenty of low-cost carriers now cater to light users who want ...

Honest Work Etched in Stone

There is a headstone for my deceased parents in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Wheeling. It sits on a sloping part of the graveyard high above some of the oldest burial plots in the area. The headstone contains the usual data of our parents’ names and their dates of birth and death. It also holds the first names of all of their 12 children. When planning the headstone, my mother told me that the reason for our names being included on their headstone is because they considered us to be their greatest accomplishments in life. Thus, we would be for all eternity, engraved in granite ...