Category: Retirement Planning

Will I Be Able to Afford Medicare?

Will I Be Able to Afford Medicare?

The shortest and most honest answer is “I don’t know”. But I know this doesn’t help you answer the most pressing questions weighing on your mind as you approach retirement age. Am I ready? Or Should I delay my retirement? And most of all—how am I going to afford health care without my employer insurance?

 

So here’s what I am going to do. Using my 20 years of experience working with retirees, I am going to lay out a framework for what to expect when it comes to Medicare expenses. These will just be “in-the-ballpark” figures, but I believe they will help you come to a decision. You just might find that Medicare falls squarely into your budget.

 

So let’s get started with some good news.

 

Medicare Part A (Inpatient Care) Is Free

As long as you’ve paid into Social Security for at least 10 years, social security will return the favor with no associated Part A premium.

 

The Associated Part B (Outpatient Care) Monthly Premium is $134.00

This figure is adjusted for high income, but most people don’t fall into the high-income category. $134.00 will be your monthly premium unless you make $85,000 per year or more as an individual or $170,000 filing jointly.

 

From this point, the cost of Medicare is heavily affected by which path you take. You can boil down all the madness into two basic choices: Medicare Advantage or Original (traditional) Medicare.

 

The Traditional Medicare Route

If you choose the Traditional Medicare route, you will want Medicare Supplement Insurance to fill in the gaps of what Medicare doesn’t cover. Otherwise, there will be no limit to your out-of-pocket spending. The premiums for a Medicare Supplement range from $45-146 per month. However, we often recommend a plan G, which typically costs $110 per month. This is a fairly standard premium. It puts into perspective what you can expect a Medicare Supplement Plan to cost.

 

To cover your medications, you will also need a Part D prescription drug plan, which will cost in additional premium anywhere between $15 to $128 monthly. The average cost for a drug plan is $35.63 in 2017. The out-of-pocket costs associated with Part D vary greatly depending on your medications. It is impossible to estimate without knowing your specific situation.

 

The Medicare Advantage Route

Offered as an alternative to Traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage is often the cheaper option when it comes to premiums. They are offered for prices within the range of $0-163 monthly with the average premium being approximately $60 per month. The Part D prescription drug plan is almost always rolled into the plan.

 

Caution: Check For Possible Out-of-pocket Costs

At first glance, it looks like the Medicare Advantage route is the obvious choice. But this fails to take into account the risk of out-of-pocket costs. With a Medicare Supplement (only available with Original Medicare), the maximum out-of-pocket is only $166-366 annually for Plan G. However, in an advantage plan, it is more of a pay-as-you-go approach. There are less monthly premiums; but copays, coinsurance, and deductibles are much higher. The potential out-of-pocket for an advantage plan can be as a high as $3500-6000 per year or more!

 

The Costs At a Glance


So there you have it! This should give you a good idea of what Medicare costs for the average 65-year old. But—as I said before—the cost of Medicare is different for every person. If you are still concerned about being able to afford Medicare, contact us for a free consultation. We will assess your financial and health situation to find an overall plan that meets your needs, concerns, and pocketbook. Ensuring you a successful and secure transition into retirement is our number one priority.

 

There are a lot circumstances that may prevent you from retiring. But I believe that the affordability of health insurance shouldn’t be one.

 

Disclaimer: Numbers are based on Ohio 45365.

 

Turning 65 soon and not sure what to do? Click here to sign up for our free Medicare workshop. No high-pressure sales pitches here, just in-depth discussion about the ins and outs of Medicare!

photo credit:  http://www.espace.cool/prudence-how-much-can-we-afford/

Investing Fact Check: No One Can Predict the Future

Investing Fact Check: No One Can Predict the Future

Not the common investor. Not your financial planner. Not even the “big wig” finance-savvy gurus.

 

I get it. It’s alluring to think you might have a competitive edge. The seductive power of huge yields in a short amount of time is almost magnetic. And it’s definitely a good marketing point for investment advisors who claim they can “beat the market”. But the truth is, market timing and stock picking just don’t work.

 

Of course, people score big sometimes. They might even get lucky a few years in a row. But, in a way, this is just dangerous. Like a gambler with a string of good hands, these people may begin to think they’re invincible, play hard for another year, and—eventually—return home with empty hands in their pockets and a droopy tail between their legs.

 

The results are in.

In fact, they’ve been in for a long time: When it comes to investing, you are your own worst enemy. Investor behavior consistently causes people to underperform over the long haul.

 

In Dalbar’s 22nd Annual Analysis of Investor Behavior, they discovered that the average investor underperformed the S&P 500 by 3.66% in 2015. According to Dalbar, “while the broader market made incremental gains of 1.38%, the average equity investor suffered a more-than-incremental loss of -2.28%”. This type of data is consistent over the last 20 to 30 years. Over the last 20 years, the S&P 500 has outperformed the investor by 3.52%.

 

And with the “expert” investment managers, the results still aren’t that hot. In 2014, 86% of them failed to beat the market.

 

So why is this happening?

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the average equity fund retention rate of 2015 was 4.10 years. This means that every 4.10 years the average investor changed his mutual fund to chase the hot returns of another investment option, ultimately trying to beat the market, ultimately believing they (or a financial guru) could predict the future. If you just jumped down to this point, see the above statistics. It didn’t work.

 

So why do investors still believe it?

If it doesn’t work, then why do people still do it? There are many reasons why. Perhaps it is just lack of research and reflection. Or perhaps it is because people are looking at their stocks in a vacuum, thinking that their 6% return isn’t bad even though the S&P performed at 8%.

 

But I think the biggest reason is that they don’t look at the big picture. They see the ads that say “if you would’ve picked this stock last month, you would be up 40%” or “Here at (insert investing company name here), we’ve beat the market 3 years in a row”. They see the Warren Buffets of the world and forget that these are just isolated cases. When you zoom out and see the million other people who tried to beat the markets and failed, the truth comes into focus.

 

So—in the end—you can choose to do what many investors are doing.

 

Or you can choose the time-tested, statistically verified way: diversify your portfolio and wait…without touching it. If you’re retiring soon, I recommend this strategy. You don’t have time for risky moves. You don’t have time to make up for heavy losses.

 

Instead, you need an investment strategy that safeguards your portfolio from crippling losses, while allowing it to grow—slowly but surely—well into your retirement. It’s not flashy. It won’t get you on the cover of Money Magazine. But unlike trying to predict the future—

 

It works.

 

Want a Certified Financial Planner to analyze your portfolio at no cost to you? Call Seniormark at 937-492-8800 for a free consultation.

 

Photo:  http://carolfrank.com/a-crystal-ball-into-our-economic-future-a-morning-with-economist-brian-beaulieu-2-0/

Warning: Confusing Medicare and Social Security Eligibility Could Cost You Thousands!

Warning: Confusing Medicare and Social Security Eligibility Could Cost You Thousands!

Medicare and Social Security eligibility used to be the same. The full retirement age was 65, and you could receive full benefits for each program at that time.

 

However, it’s not that simple anymore. The full retirement age (FRA) is evolving. Ever since Ronald Reagan signed the 1983 SSA Amendments, the full retirement age has been creeping up. For people of the baby boomer generation, the FRA is now 66. So—in order to get full Social Security benefits—you now have to wait until age 66 to sign up.

 

But here’s what throws people for a loop: The time to sign up for Medicare is still 65, despite the change for Social Security. Not only will you be rewarded full Medicare benefits at 65, but you will also avoid costly penalties for signing up on time.

 

If you wait until 66 to sign up for Medicare (barring a qualifying reason), it’s already too late. The penalties that you have accrued will likely add up to well over $3000 throughout your lifetime.

 

Don’t believe me? Let’s crunch the numbers together.

 

We’ll Start With The Part B (Medical Insurance) Penalty.

The Part B penalty is an extra 10% added on to your monthly premium for every year you were late. In 2016, the Part B premium for most people is $121.80. So this is an easy calculation: 10% of $121.80 is an extra $12.80 per month.

 

This doesn’t sound too menacing, right? If you look at it in the right light, it’s actually kind of cute.

But don’t get too close. This cute and fuzzy fee will eat away at your lifesavings every month for the rest of your life. According to the SSA’s life expectancy calculator, the average 65 year-old can expect to live another 20 years—give or take a couple years. This comes out to 240 months. S0…take that $12.80 and multiply it by the 240 months of life expectancy, and you’ve got yourself $2,923 in penalties.

Nope…not nearly as cute.

 

But that’s not all.

 

You’ve Also Got the Part D (Drug Plan) Penalty.

Here’s how this one works: for every month that you were late, an extra 1% of the average drug plan cost in the U.S ($34.10 in 2016) is added on to your premium. So if you signed up a year late, you’ve got 12% of $34.10 in penalties. If you had a calculator handy, you will know that this number comes out to $4.09 per month. Again…not very scary. But multiply 4.09 by 240 months like we did previously, and it has grown into a terrifying $982 beast.

 

Adding It All Together

Ready for the grand reveal?

$2,923 Part B Penalty + $982 Part D Penalty = $3905.

Ouch!

 

Sure, it’s a big number. But what makes this number so tragic is not its size. It’s the fact that it was based on one, simple mistake. One mix-up. One aspect of Medicare left unexplored.

 

This is why Seniormark is so committed to educating our clients and the general public about Medicare. According to a Merill Lynch Retirement Survey, Less than 7% of people ages 55-64 feel very knowledgeable about their Medicare options. This is staggering! Knowledge saves retirees money!

 

So do yourself a favor and sign up for Medicare when you turn 65 unless you have a qualifying reason. And while you’re at it, learn as much as you can about your options. Knowledge is valuable. And you never know when a nugget of information will be pure gold, saving you thousands of dollars in mistakes.

 

Want to avoid costly Medicare mistakes and coast into your retirement hassle and penalty- free? Call Seniormark at 937-492-8800 for a free consultation. Our Medicare experts will walk you through the whole process at not cost to you.

 

Or, sign up for one of our free workshops — held in three convenient locations — Sidney, Troy, and Vandalia, Ohio.  You can sign up for one of them here:  workshop signup.

 

Warning Retirees: 5 (or 6) Annual Enrollment Dates You Don’t Want to Miss

Warning Retirees: 5 (or 6) Annual Enrollment Dates You Don’t Want to Miss

Clip these dates up on your fridge. Write them on your calendar. Sticky note them to your bathroom mirror or your spouse’s forehead (or maybe not). Annual enrollment is approaching!

 

But before we get into the dates, you’ll first want to know…

 

What Is Annual Enrollment?

Annual enrollment is the busy time of the year for Insurance agencies such as ours. Department stores have their black Friday. Local ice cream shops have their last day of school. And Insurance companies have the Annual Enrollment Period. During this roughly 3-month time frame (October 15- December 7), all Medicare beneficiaries are free to change their plans. They can switch from:

  • An Advantage Plan to a Medicare Supplement
  • A Medicare Supplement to an Advantage Plan
  • One Advantage Plan to another
  • One Part D Drug Plan to another
  • One Medicare Supplement to another (Although you can do this at any point during the year)

The Annual Enrollment Period is for any existing Medicare beneficiary. For those just turning 65 and joining Medicare, you have a different enrollment period called the Initial Enrollment Period, which is the 7-month time frame that surrounds your 65th birthday month. But for those of you who have already enrolled for the 1st time, this is for you!

 

There are 6 very important dates for you to remember.

  1. October 1

This is the day we get all the plan changes, details, benefits, and prices for the following year. It is also when we can start talking to you about which ones will best fit your needs.

  1. October 15

Let the games begin! Annual enrollment is officially started. You can now enroll in a new plan.

  1. December 7

I hope you like the choices you’ve made because, at this date, you are locked into your plans for another year. Annual enrollment is closed.

  1. January 1

It’s a new year, a new resolution, and—quite possibly—new insurance. This is the date any changes you made during the open enrollment period go into effect.

  1. January 1

I apologize for the unsettling déjà vu. I know this is a repeat, but I want to emphasize why this date is doubly important: It is also the first day of the Advantage Plan disenrollment period. Just in case you’ve got some buyer’s remorse, Medicare set up a disenrollment period where you can get out of your Advantage Plan.

  1. February 14

All good things must come to an end. This is the last day of Medicare’s disenrollment period. If you are in an Advantage Plan and don’t like it, this is your last chance to drop it!

BONUS: February 14th is also Valentine’s Day. You’re welcome.

 

And that’s it! I hope you commit these dates to memory or you write them down somewhere. If you forget it, you might regret it!

 

To be sure you have covered ALL of your bases, be sure to download our AEP Checklist by clicking here.

 

Look to switch plans during open enrollment?  Call Seniormark at 937-492-8800 for a free consultation.

Medicare Answers at a Glance: Should I Delay Part B?

Medicare Answers at a Glance: Should I Delay Part B?

 

Medicare Part A is free, so there isn’t much hesitation to enroll outside of HSA contribution issues. But with Part B, there is a $121.80 associated premium, so those approaching 65 are a little bit leery. Do I really need it?

 

Let’s make this clear: most people do. So before you make the decision to opt out, make absolute sure that you are one of the few who don’t!

 

You should NOT delay Part B if…

 

1.  You are retiring from work.

Retiree insurance or COBRA doesn’t count. If you don’t have employer insurance through active employment, the answer is simple: don’t delay Part B. You will be left without outpatient coverage for as long as don’t enroll, and you will incur penalties if you sign up late!

2.  Your employer’s health insurance plan covers 20 or less employees.

Just because you have employer insurance and are still working does not give you an all-access pass to opt out of Part B. If the plan doesn’t cover at least 20 people, you should definitely enroll in Part B. But take careful note. The number of employees is not always the same as the number of insured employees. Some temporary or part-time workers may not be covered on the employer insurance plan. Check with your employer before making any hard and fast decisions.

3.  Your employer insurance is more expensive

This may seem obvious, but I felt compelled to include it. Just because you can delay Part B doesn’t mean you want to. Analyze the costs and benefits of both Medicare and your employer insurance to determine which is the better value.

 

If these three criteria don’t apply to you, you may very well qualify to delay Part B. But I always recommend running your situation past a Medicare expert to make sure. Retirement decisions are as complex as they are important. Get help when you need it!

 

Need Medicare questions answered? Download our free guide, “Introduction to Medicare”.  No high-pressure sales pitches here, just in-depth discussion about the ins and outs of Medicare!

 

 

Medicare: It’s as easy as A B C…and D

The Jackson Five’s number one hit single in 1970 takes the convoluted topic of love and boils it down to a few letters. Sweet simplicity. “All you gotta do is repeat after me,” Michael sings, “It’s as easy as A B C.”

 

Well, I figured if the Jackson Five can make love easy to understand, the least I can do is attempt the same thing with the complexities of basic Medicare. So here goes nothing. Medicare: it’s as easy as parts A B C…and D.

 

Part A (Inpatient Coverage)

Part A is hospital insurance. A.K.A inpatient care. A.K.A healthcare coverage for any care received while you are officially checked in at a hospital. Beyond that definition, Part A also covers limited home health services, hospice care, and skilled nursing facility care. If you paid into Social Security for more than 40 quarters (10 years), then good news! Part A is provided at no cost to you.

 

Part B (Outpatient Coverage)

Part B is exactly the opposite, covering care received while checked out of a hospital. It covers services such as outpatient surgeries, diagnostic tests, lab tests, x-rays, and a laundry list of preventive services that are covered in full. Unfortunately, Part B does have an associated premium of $121.80 per month (in 2016), a fee which is adjusted for those of higher income (don’t worry…this applies to very few people).

 

Part C (Medicare Advantage)

Part C is a whole different ball game. So pay attention, it could get a bit messy. Although Part C is offered as a Medicare associated program, it actually replaces Medicare Parts A and B as the payer of your claims. As opposed to being offered by Medicare, it is offered by private insurance companies who have contracted with Medicare. It covers everything that Parts A and B covers and may even provide additional benefits such as drug coverage. However, you usually have to pay a separate premium to receive Part C.

 

Part D (Drug Plan)

Part D helps cover the bills for your pills! In other words, it is your prescription drug coverage. Like Part C, it is offered through private insurance companies. And like Part B, the premiums are sometimes (but rarely) adjusted for those of higher income. The cost is difficult to pin down because it varies so drastically from company to company. But—just to give you an idea—the average cost of a Part D drug plan is $34.10 (in 2016).

 

At Seniormark, we believe that the transition to Medicare does not need to be confusing and stressful. We would love talk to you about your options to get you in the right plan for your needs. Medicare may not be as easy as the Jacksons’ suggest, but that does not mean it cannot be made simple with the help of our trusted experts. So sit down and relax! Let us spell it out for you.
Not sure what to do next? To get you started, download our free guide, “Introduction to Medicare”. 

 

Call Seniormark today at 937-492-8800 for a free consultation!

Three Reasons to Start Medicare Planning NOW!

Every last one of us is pretty much the same in this respect: we don’t take now for an answer. When the task is daunting, overwhelming, or complex, we always manage to escape doing it now by putting it off for tomorrow. We’re like a gaggle of Houdinis. Just when you think time constraints have us trapped, we magically free ourselves into an enchanted tomorrow land of channel flipping, Internet surfing, and power naps.

 

But some things are just too important to put off. Even for one more day, one more catnap, one more rerun of I Love Lucy. Medicare planning is one of these things. Not convinced?

Here are three reasons why you should start the Medicare planning process now:

 

Reason #1 Mistakes Happen

Glitches. Mistakes. Goofs. If there is a way something can go wrong, Lord knows it probably will. Just like a customer service call can turn into several hours of God-awful hold music, a small slip-up in the Medicare process can turn a five minute solution into a month long ordeal.

This is because you are just one of the 10,000 people turning 65 everyday. Medicare has a lot to handle; little things can slip through the cracks. Even if you are fortunate enough to not make any mistakes, you still have to plan in advance for theirs.

 

Reason #2 You’ve Got a Ton of Decisions to Make

Do you need a med sup? Or should you go the Medicare Advantage route? Should you sign up now? Or wait until you are done working? When are the deadlines? What are the penalties? What is a donut hole and how do I navigate it?

Take these questions along with deciding between 24 drug plans, 11 supplements and a legion of Medicare Advantage options, and you’ve got yourself a to-do list you can’t leave until the last minute.

Reason #3 Your Hairdresser Is Not a Retirement Advisor

Getting advice from your family or friends over coffee at church or in-between hands of euchre won’t cut it. And no, your all-knowing, gossip-savvy hairdresser won’t do either. Although your loved ones and acquaintances may have your best interests at heart, they simply do not know the ins and outs of Medicare. What was right for them may not be right for you. And what they overheard at the grocery store is (gasp) probably not watertight advice.

This is why seeing an expert is a great (dare I say the only) way to make sure you are on the right track, ensuring you a smooth, penalty-free transition to retirement. But you may find it difficult to schedule an appointment if you wait last minute. We will still help you out, of course, but it will save you a lot of stress to plan an appointment weeks or months ahead.

So—when should you start the Medicare Planning process? If you are within 3 months of turning 65, the answer is…you guessed it…Now!

Well……

Maybe not now, right?

Not sure what to do next? To get you started, download our free guide, “Introduction to Medicare”. 

Do you “wonder” who is turning 65? Read below to find out!

Lynda-Carter

July 12—Cheryl Ladd

Cheryl_Ladd The actress, singer and author is best known for her role as Kris Munroe in the ABC television series Charlie’s Angels, replacing Farrah-Fawcett Majors. The popular 1976 to 1981 series followed the adventures of three women working in a private detective agency in Los Angeles. Born in South Dakota, Ladd initially came to Hollywood in 1970 to begin a career in music as a singing voice on Hanna-Barbera’s Josie and the Pussycats animated series. She soon began to land non-singing roles in commercials and episodic television, including guest appearances on shows such as The Rookies, The Partridge Family and Happy Days. The Charlie’s Angels series made her an overnight star, and Ladd guest-starred in musical-comedy variety series and specials, plus she released three albums, including a Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 single and a Gold record. In 2000, Ladd starred on Broadway in a revival of Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun.

Following Charlie’s Angels, Ladd starred in more than 30 made-for-television films, including as Grace Kelly and in Purple Hearts, Millennium and Poison Ivy. Ladd had the lead role in the television series One West Waikiki (1994–96), and made guest appearances in other TV shows. She’s published two books: the children’s book The Adventures of Little Nettie Windship (1996) and Token Chick: A Woman’s Guide to Golfing With the Boys (2005).

July 24—Lynda Carter

Lynda-CarterThe actress, singer, songwriter and beauty pageant titleholder starred in the TV series Wonder Woman from 1975 to 1979. In 1978, Carter was voted “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World” by the International Academy of Beauty and the British Press Organization. Carter started out by winning a local Arizona beauty contest and gained national attention in the United States by winning Miss World USA, representing Arizona. After taking acting classes at several New York acting schools, she made her first acting appearance on the 1974 police drama Nakia. She then began making appearances on such TV shows as Starsky and Hutch and Cos, and in several “B” movies.

Carter’s acting career took off when she landed the starring role on Wonder Woman as the title character and her secret identity, Diana Prince. Carter’s earnest performance endeared her to fans and critics, such that Carter continues to be closely identified with Wonder Woman. Credits since then include the title role in Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess (1983) and a variety of her own musical TV specials, including Lynda Carter’s Special (1980) and Body and Soul (1984). Throughout the 1990s, Carter appeared in a string of television movies. In 2001, she was cast in the independent comedy feature Super Troopers as Vermont Governor Jessma, and played a washed-up, former beauty queen in The Creature of the Sunny Side Up Trailer Park (2004). Carter made her first appearance in a major feature film in numerous years in the big-screen remake of The Dukes of Hazzard (2005).

In 2005, Carter played “Mama Morton” in the West End London production of Chicago. In 2007, Carter toured the U.S. with her one-woman musical cabaret show, An Evening with Lynda Carter. In June 2009, her second album, At Last, was released and reached No. 10 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums Chart. In June 2011, she released her third album, Crazy Little Things, Carter is married to Washington, D.C, attorney Robert A. Altman, and they have two children. They live in Potomac, Md.

Source: Wikipedia

Look who’s Turning 65! (You might be surprised!)

Look Who’s Turning 65

April 6—Bert Blyleven

Source http://www.flickr.com/photos/35602564@N00/5513027855/ ES

Born in the Netherlands, Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1970 to 1992 and was best known for his curveball. In 2011, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Blyleven was drafted straight out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in 1969, and at age 19 in 1970, was called up to the Majors after only 21 minor league starts. In his first season, his sharp curveball helped him to 10 victories, and he was named American League (AL) Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. In 1973, he pitched the most shutouts of any AL pitcher, with 9.

In 1976, Blyleven was traded to the Texas Rangers, and his 2.74 career earned run average (ERA) with the Rangers remains the best in team history. After he gave the finger to a television camera, Blyleven was traded in 1977 to the Pittsburgh Pirates, with which he led the team in ERA, strikeouts and complete games in 1978 and helped them to a World Series victory in 1979. In 1980, Blyleven was traded to the Cleveland Indians but sat out most of the 1982 and 1983 seasons. He came back in 1984 with one of his best seasons: a 19–7 record with a 2.87 ERA. In 1985, he again led the AL in shutouts with 5 and pitched 293 ⅔ innings and completed 24 games, a feat never repeated. However, Blyleven forced a trade back to the Twins, where he passed the 3,000-strikeout mark and helped the Twins to a 1987 World Series victory.

Blyleven’s first two full seasons back with the Twins also produced major league records for home runs allowed in a single season (50) and in back-to-back seasons (96). He never surrendered more than 24 home runs in any year before and after the 1986–87 campaigns, averaging 21 allowed per season over the course of his career. In 1989, Blyleven went to the California Angels and pitched a 2.73 ERA for a 17–5 record in his first season, and led the league for his third and final time in shutouts (5). He retired following the 1992 season with a career 287–250 record, with 3,701 strikeouts (only 16 other pitchers have at least 3,000 career strikeouts) and a 3.31 ERA. In 1996, Blyleven became a color commentator for the Twins.


April 7—Janis Ian

source https://www.flickr.com/photos/dubpics/71293417/in/photostream/

An American singer-songwriter who was mostly active in the 1960s and 1970s, Ian’s most successful songs were “Society’s Child” and “At Seventeen.” At the age of 13, she wrote and sang her first hit single, “Society’s Child (Baby I’ve Been Thinking),” about an interracial romance forbidden by a girl’s mother and frowned upon by her peers and teachers. After it became a national hit in the summer of 1967, some radio stations banned it from their playlists, and Ian received hate mail and death threats. In 2001, “Society’s Child” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. “At Seventeen,” a bittersweet commentary on adolescent cruelty, was released in 1975 and was a major hit, receiving acclaim from critics and record buyers alike, and winning the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female. The album, Between the Lines, was also a smash, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Album chart and was quickly certified Gold and later earned a Platinum certification for over one million copies sold in the U.S.

In 1979, “Fly Too High” earned Ian a Grammy nomination and became a hit single in many countries, including South Africa, Belgium, Australia, Israel and the Netherlands. Ian’s album Aftertones topped Oricon’s album chart in October 1976. After “At Seventeen,” she reached the pop charts only once more with “Under the Covers” at No. 71 in 1981. However, Ian continued to write songs from 1982 to 1992, which have been covered by, among others, Amy Grant, Bette Midler and Marti Jones. She released Breaking Silence in 1993, about coming out as a lesbian, and Folk Is the New Black, in 2006, her first album in more than two decades.

Ian’s short stories have been published in science fiction anthologies. In 2008, she released her autobiography Society’s Child to critical acclaim. An accompanying double CD, The Autobiography Collection, has been released with many of Ian’s best loved songs. In December 2015, Ian appeared in the series finale of HBO comedy series Getting On, playing a patient who refused to stop singing.


April 10—Steven Seagal

Author=Gage Skidmore

A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, actor Seagal began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan. After moving to Los Angeles, he worked as a martial arts instructor on the movie Never Say Never Again, accidentally breaking actor Sean Connery’s wrist during production. In 1988, Seagal made his acting debut in Above the Law, which was followed by four successful films. He achieved further fame in 1992, when he played Navy SEALs counter-terrorist expert Casey Ryback in Under Siege. During the latter half of the 1990s, Seagal starred in three more theatrical films and the direct-to-video film The Patriot.

Since that time, his career has shifted almost entirely to direct-to-video productions (released to the public on video instead of to movie theaters)—a total of 27 from 1998 to 2014. At the age of 58, he starred in his first widely released film since 2002, the 2010 film Machete. Between 2009 and 2013, he filmed three seasons of his reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman, which depicted him as a reserve deputy sheriff in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana (season 1–2) and Maricopa County, Arizona (season 3). He also created and starred in two seasons of the undercover police drama series True Justice between 2011 and 2012.

As an accomplished guitarist, Seagal released two studio albums (Songs from the Crystal Cave and Mojo Priest) and performed on numerous film scores. As a businessman, Seagal is estimated to be worth anywhere from $5 million to $16 million (as of 2015). Steven Seagal Enterprises markets his own energy drink, Lightning Bolt, and represents the Russian firearms manufacturer ORSIS. He is a supporter of both the 14th Dalai Lama and Vladimir Putin, calling Putin “one of the great living world leaders.”


April 21—Tony Danza

Author=Larry D. Moore

Born Antonio Salvatore Iadanza, the Italian-American actor is best known for starring on the TV series Taxi and Who’s the Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards. A professional boxer, Danza got his start on Taxi after a producer discovered him at a boxing gymnasium in New York. On Taxi, he played a cab driver and part-time boxer on the award-winning comedy that aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. From 1984 to 1992, he starred in ABC’s popular comedy Who’s the Boss?, in which he portrayed retired baseball player, housekeeper and single father Tony Micelli.

Danza also starred in the short-lived sitcoms Hudson Street (1995) and The Tony Danza Show (1997), for which he won the 1998 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for a guest-starring role in the 1998 TV series The Practice. He made his movie debut in the comedy The Hollywood Knights (1980), which was followed by Going Ape! (1981). Danza received critical acclaim for his performance in the 1999 Broadway revival of the Eugene O’Neill play The Iceman Cometh.

Danza hosted his own TV talk show, The Tony Danza Show, which ended in May 2006. He starred on Broadway as Max Bialystock in The Producers in 2006-2007. In 2010, he had his own reality show Teach: Tony Danza (on A&E), in which he co-instructed a 10th grade English class in Philadelphia. The book I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High, was released in 2012 and was based on his year of teaching.


April 27—Ace Frehley

source: http://flickr.com/photo/43547797@N00/257190364 using Flickr upload bot

Best known as the former lead guitarist and founding member of the rock band Kiss, Frehley adopted the persona of the “Spaceman” or “Space Ace” and played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982. After leaving Kiss, Frehley embarked on a solo career, which was put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a highly successful reunion tour. His second tenure with Kiss lasted until 2002, when he left at the conclusion of what was originally purported to be the band’s Farewell Tour. His most recent solo album, Space Invader, was released in 2014.

Guitar World magazine ranked him as the 14th greatest metal guitarist of all time. His solos often incorporate the minor pentatonic scale and the usage of vibratos. Outside of Kiss, Frehley has continued to be commercially successful, with his first solo album going platinum. He is also known for the use of many “whimsical” guitars, including a Gibson Les Paul guitar that emits smoke from the neck humbucker pickup and produces spinning pyrotechnics, and a custom Les Paul that emits light based on song tempo.


Source: Wikipedia

 

Happy birthday to these celeb favorites!

Look Who’s Turning 65…

Crystal Gayle   January 9 — Crystal Gayle, an award-winning country music singer, is best known for her 1977 country-pop crossover hit song, “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” During the 1970s and 1980s she accumulated 20 No. 1 country hits with six albums certified gold. Gayle became the first female artist in country music history to reach platinum sales with her 1977 album We Must Believe in Magic. Also famous for her nearly floor-length hair, she was voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine in 1983. She is the younger sister of singer Loretta Lynn, who once told her, “You record what I couldn’t record—you do MOR,” middle of the road, “and that was the best advice I could get. I don’t think I ever would have made it if I went down the road and did the music my sister did. I would only have been compared to her.”

Gayle had her greatest success from 1977 to 1989 when she did music considered crossover. Her hits included “When I Dream,” “Talking in Your Sleep,” “Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For,” “Half the Way,” “It’s Like We Never Said Goodbye,” “You and I” (a duet with Eddie Rabbitt), “The Sound of Goodbye,” “Turning Away,” “Makin’ Up For Lost Time,” “Cry” and “Another World.” Gayle continues to perform and tour.

KirstieAlleyJanuary 12 — Kirstie Alley, an American actress and comedian, is best known for her role in the TV series Cheers, in which she played Rebecca Howe from 1987 to 1993, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991. She is also known for her role in the thriller Shoot to Kill and the Look Who’s Talking film series as Mollie Ubriacco. More recently, Alley has appeared in reality shows revolving around her life.

Alley made her movie debut in 1982 in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, playing the Vulcan Starfleet officer Lieutenant Saavik. In 1987, she joined the cast of Cheers, replacing Shelley Long and remaining on the show until its eleventh and final season. In 1989, Alley starred with John Travolta in Look Who’s Talking, which grossed over $295,000,000 worldwide. They went on to make two other films centered on the same theme, Look Who’s Talking Too and Look Who’s Talking Now! In recent years, Alley’s weight gain and loss has received much public attention. In September 2012, she appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, where she said she spent her whole life eating obsessively. She has been a member of the Church of Scientology since 1979.

Eric HolderJanuary 21 – Eric Holder, Jr. was the 82nd attorney general of the United States from 2009 to 2015. Serving in the administration of President Barack Obama, Holder is the first African American to hold the position of U.S. attorney general. Previously, he served as a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, after being appointed in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed him United States attorney for the District of Columbia, the first black American in that office, and in 1997, nominated him the deputy attorney general under Janet Reno. While U.S. attorney, Holder prosecuted Congressman Dan Rostenkowski (DIllinois) for corruption charges related to his role in the congressional post office scandal.

During Obama’s presidential campaign Holder was his senior legal adviser and one of three members of Obama’s vice-presidential selection committee. During the Fast and Furious investigation (involving guns and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), he became the only cabinet member in U.S. history to be held in contempt of Congress. From 2001 until he became attorney general, Holder worked as an attorney at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., representing clients such as Merck and the National Football League. After he resigned as attorney general in 2014, he returned to Covington & Burling. The law firm’s clients have included many of the large banks Holder declined to prosecute for their alleged role in the financial crisis.

Phil CollinsJanuary 30 — Phil Collins is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, actor and author. He gained fame as both the drummer and lead singer for the rock band Genesis, as well as worldwide success as a solo artist. Collins sang the lead vocals on dozens of hit albums and singles in the U.K. and the U.S. between 1976 and 2010, either solo or with Genesis. He is among the best-selling music artists of all time, with 33.5 million albums sold in the U.S. and an estimated 150 million worldwide. He is one of three recording artists (along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson) who has sold over 100 million albums worldwide both as solo artists and (separately) as principal members of a band. AllMusic describes Collins as “one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the ’80s and beyond.”

Collins joined Genesis in 1970 as the group’s drummer and became its lead singer in 1975 following Peter Gabriel’s departure. In 1981, Collins launched a solo career. His best-selling singles include “In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds,” “Sussudio” and “Another Day in Paradise.” His music has earned him seven Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards, an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and a Disney Legend Award. Totaling his work with Genesis, other artists and his solo career, Collins had more U.S. Top 40 singles than any other artist during the 1980s. In 2008, Collins was ranked the 22nd most successful artist on the “Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists.”

Source: Wikipedia