Category: State Teachers Retirement

Our Latest Celebrities Turning 65…….

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Lindsey BuckinghamOctober 3- Lindsey Buckingham, is best known as guitarist and male vocalist of the musical group Fleetwood Mac, a British-American rock band formed in 1967 in London. Lindsey was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1975 to 1987 when the pop-oriented act also featured Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks, his sometimes girlfriend. The band’s second album with Buckingham and Nicks, 1977’s Rumours, produced four U.S. Top 10 singles (including Nicks’ song “Dreams”) and is the fourth-highest-selling album of all time. In Fleetwood Mac’s heyday, Buckingham was known for his finger-picking guitar style and wide vocal range As a member of Fleetwood Mac, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2011, Buckingham was ranked 100th in Rolling Stone magazine’s 2011 list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Buckingham has also released six solo albums and three live albums. In May 2012, Buckingham began a solo tour of the United States and in November 2012 released a completely solo live album One Man Show via download at iTunes that was recorded from a single night in Des Moines, Iowa.

Sigourney WeaverOctober 8-Sigourney Weaver, first received attention for the lead role in the four Alien films: (Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection) and later for her roles in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl and Avatar. Her 1986 Academy Award nomination for Aliens is considered a landmark in the recognition of science fiction, action and horror genres, as well as a major step in challenging traditional gender roles in cinema. Weaver progressively received fame for her numerous contributions to the science fiction film history (including minor roles in Futurrama, WALL-E, Paul and The Cabin in the Woods), earning the nickname of “The Sci-Fi Queen.” She also played the lead role as Secretary of State Elaine Barrish on USA Network’s Political Animals miniseries.Weaver has been nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Actress for Aliens and Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey, and Best Supporting Actress for Working Girl. She also won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Ice Storm. Weaver earned nominations for an Emmy Award, Drama Desk Award and Tony Award. She has been nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards and won both Best Actress in Drama and Best Supporting Actress in 1988 for Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl, becoming the first person ever to have won two acting Golden Globe Awards in the same year. After making Gorillas in the Mist, she became a supporter of The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and is now its honorary chairwoman. In October 2006, she drew international attention at a United Nations General Assembly policy deliberation when she outlined the widespread threat to ocean habitats posed by deep-sea trawling, an industrial method for harvesting fish.

Benjamin October 21 – Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, is the prime minister of Israel and chairman of the Likud party. Born in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister born in Israel after the state’s establishment. In 2012, he was listed 23rd on the Forbes magazine’s list of “The World’s Most Powerful People.” In 2010 and 2012, he was ranked first on the list the “Most Influential Jews in the World” by The Jerusalem Post. After joining the Israel Defense Forces during the Six-Day War in 1967, he took part in many missions and achieved the rank of captain. After he was discharged, Netanyahu served as the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations from 1984 to 1988 and became prime minister in June 1996, serving until to July 1999. After he was defeated by Ehud Barak, he joined the private sector.In 2002 Netanyahu returned to politics as foreign affairs minister (2002–2003) and finance minister (2003–2005) in Ariel Sharon’s governments but departed over disagreements regarding the Gaza disengagement plan. He retook the Likud leadership in December 2005, after Sharon left to form a new party. Following the 2009 parliamentary election, in which Likud placed second and right-wing parties won a majority, Netanyahu formed a coalition government. After his victory in the 2013 elections, he became the second person to be elected to the position of prime minister for a third term, after Israel’s founder David Ben-Gurion.

Bruce JennerOctober 28 – Bruce Jenner, a track and field athlete, won the gold medal in the Decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal. As a result of his win, Jenner became a national hero, named the top amateur athlete in the United States and the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in 1976. He was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame in 1986 and the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1980. Following his Olympic victory and the related recognition, Jenner appeared on the front of Wheaties brand breakfast cereal as a “Wheaties champion.” Of several hundred athletes who have been so featured, Jenner is one of seven Wheaties spokesmen. His professional career also led to success in television. By 1981, he had starred in several made-for-TV movies and was Erik Estrada’s replacement briefly on the top-rated TV series CHiPs. In 1991, he married Kris Kardashian and can be seen as the stepfather of the Kardashian siblings on the cable television reality series, Keeping Up with the Kardashians since 2007. He has also been a businessman. His company, Bruce Jenner Aviation, sells aircraft supplies to executives and corporations.

Athletes, Political Commentators, Models and Musicians — who turned 65 in September?

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Joe TheismannSeptember 9- Joe Theismann, a former quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL), achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII. In 2003, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Following his retirement from football, Theismann began a career as a sportscaster. He worked as an analyst with ESPN, primarily with Mike Patrick, for the network’s Sunday Night Football package and for one season of Monday Night Football with Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser. Theismann also worked as a color analyst on NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football package with Bob Papa and Matt Millen. Theismann also co-hosts the network’s weekly show Playbook.

Bill O'Reilly, Jr.September 10-Bill O’Reilly, Jr., the television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator, is currently best known as host of the political commentary program The O’Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel. The program is routinely the highest-rated show of the three major U.S. 24-hour cable news television channels and began the trend toward more opinion-oriented prime-time cable news programming. During the late 1970s and 1980s, O’Reilly worked as a news reporter for various local television stations in the United States and eventually for CBS News and ABC News. From 1989 to 1995, he was anchor of the entertainment news program Inside Edition.O’Reilly is widely considered a conservative commentator, though some of his positions diverge from conservative orthodoxy and he characterizes himself as a “traditionalist.” Until early 2009, O’Reilly hosted The Radio Factor. He is the author of ten books, most recently The Last Days of Jesus: His Life and Times and Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious General.

Twiggy (Lesley Lawson)September 19 – Twiggy (Lesley Lawson), is an English model, actress and singer who achieved prominence in the mid-1960s as a British teenage model of swinging sixties London. Known for her thin build (thus her nickname) and her androgynous look consisting of large eyes, long eyelashes and short hair, she was named “The Face of 1966” by the Daily Express and voted British Woman of the Year. By 1967, Twiggy had modeled in France, Japan and the U.S., and had landed on the covers of Vogue and The Tatler. After modeling, Twiggy enjoyed a successful career as a screen, stage and television actress. She hosted her own series, Twiggy’s People, in which she interviewed celebrities, and also appeared as a judge on the reality show America’s Next Top Model. Her 1998 autobiography, Twiggy in Black and White, entered the bestseller lists. Since 2005, she has modeled for British department store Marks & Spencer. In 2012, she worked alongside Marks & Spencer’s designers to launch an exclusive clothing collection.

Bruce SpringsteenSeptember 23 – Bruce Springsteen, nicknamed “The Boss,” is widely known for his poetic lyrics, focus on the Americana working class, sometimes political sentiments centered on his native New Jersey and lengthy and energetic stage performances. He and his “house” band, E Street Band, have performed together since the 1970s, with concerts that run over three hours in length.Springsteen’s recordings have included both commercially accessible rock albums and more somber folk-oriented works. His most successful studio albums, Born in the U.S.A. and Born to Run, showcase his talent for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily American life. He has sold more than 64 million albums in the United States (making him the 15th highest-selling artist of all time) and more than 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. Springsteen has earned numerous awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award. In 1999 he was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Springsteen’s 17th studio album, Wrecking Ball, released in 2012, became his 10th No. 1 album in the United States, tying him with Elvis Presley for third most No. 1 albums of all-time. In January 2014, he released High Hopes, his first CD in which all songs are either cover songs, newly recorded outtakes from previous records or newly recorded versions of songs previously released.

Seniors need to “Be Prepared”!

Be Prepared for Medicare AEP

 

The Boy Scouts motto is dead on: “Be Prepared!” However, for many of us, procrastination is much easier because it takes less time (in fact, it takes no time). With the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) rapidly approaching (Oct 15 – Dec 7) it is going to be vitally important for you to be prepared. And since procrastinating is the path of least resistance, I am going to make this easy on you by giving you a single step that will go a long way in helping you be prepared for the upcoming AEP. I know that insurance is at the top of everyone’s “Most Interesting Topics” list, so do your best to stick with me.

The first step is Know What You Have. If you don’t know what type of Medicare Health Plan you have, you are an easy target for being taken advantage of. There are 2 major types of Medicare Health Plans:

  1. Medicare Supplement plans
  2. Medicare Advantage plans

These 2 types of plans are very different when it comes to how they work and the benefits they provide, but they are extremely misunderstood by policyholders. I often hear from policyholders, “I have a Medicare Supplement,” when in fact they have a Medicare Advantage plan. So what is the big difference between these plans?

 

Medicare Supplement Plans:

  1. Work in unison with Traditional Medicare Parts A & B: A supplement policy will pay most, if not all, of what Medicare does not pay. It acts as a secondary insurance.
  2. Do not have networks: They are not HMO or PPO plans so you are free to use any doctor or hospital that you want as long as they accept Medicare.
  3. Are funded entirely by policyholder premiums: This is important as it allows companies to keep benefits the same from year to year.
  4. Travel with you in all 50 states: Your plan works the same out of state as it does in your home state.

 

Medicare Advantage Plans:

  1. Work in replacement of Traditional Medicare Parts A & B: An advantage plan works in place of Medicare as your primary insurance and you do not have a secondary insurance. You are responsible for all deductibles, copays and coinsurance. And you don’t get out of paying your Medicare Part B premium.
  2. Are network plans: They are HMO and PPO plans so you may be restricted in the doctors and hospitals you are allowed to use.
  3. Are funded by Government subsidies and policyholder premiums: This is critical because as government subsidies are reduced, plan premiums will go up and benefits will go down, as has been the case for the past 7 years and I expect to be the case in the years ahead.
  4. May not cover you in other states (except in emergency cases): Many advantage plans only cover you in the case of an emergency if you are outside of your home state.

The biggest advantage in advantage plans has been the lower premiums. But as government subsidies have been reduced in years past, this benefit has been greatly diminished. For example, in 2007 you could get a Medicare Advantage PPO plan for a $0/month premium and your maximum annual out of pocket expense was $2,000. For 2014 that same plan has a $50/month premium and maximum annual out of pocket of $5,100 (for Shelby county plans).

As you can see, there is a big difference between these two types of plans. Know What You Have…because you may not be able to get your old plan back.

Seniormark will be sponsoring a workshop on September 11 at 5:30 pm at their office in Troy. “Solving the Medicare Puzzle” lays out the different parts of Medicare, and then will show you how the pieces fit together. This event is only for educational purposes and no plan-specific benefits or details will be shared.

DanDan Hoelscher is the founder of Seniormark, LLC, a company that has specialized in helping retirees make a successful transition from the workplace into retirement for the past 18 years.  Seniormark has offices in Sidney and Troy.  You can reach Dan by email at dan@seniormark.com or you can visit their website at www.seniormark.com.  Seniormark, LLC has no connection or affiliation with, and is not in any way sponsored by, the federal or state government, the social security administration, the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services or the department of health and human services.

 

Medicare Supplement policyholders are paying too much for their coverage!

If your parents were like mine, they probably taught you to spend your money wisely. Let me use a story here to make a point. Suppose you are shopping for a new refridgerator. Your first stop is at Sears where you find the perfect Frigidaire XL2014, and at a great price, $2100. But because your parents told you to shop before you buy, you decide to check a few more places. The last stop you make is at Lowes, where you find the same Frigidaire XL2014. Same make, same model, same features…they are IDENTICAL! Only the one at Lowes costs $1500. Do you go back to Sears and buy the one for $2100? Unless you own stock in Sears, or your son is the sales rep, I hope your response is…Absolutely not! Why would you spend $600 more on the same thing. But Retirees are doing that very thing with their Medicare Supplement insurance.

 

But you may ask, “How do I know I’m getting the same benefits?” The answer is simple, our government did something right. Prior to 1992, Medicare Supplement insurance plans were not standardized. What this meant was that each insurance company’s Medicare supplement plans offered different benefits. This made it almost impossible for the Retiree to shop their coverage from company to company. Compare it to shopping for a car today. You can’t really compare cost from one dealer to another because the options are completely different. This one has leather seats, but the other one has On-Star. This one has a DVD player, but the other one has alloy wheels. It is impossible to truly compare cost because you are never comparing “apples to apples.” The same was true with Medicare Supplement insurance prior to 1992. But in 1992 the federal government stepped in and “standardized” Medicare Supplement insurance.

 

They did this because prior to 1992, unethical salespeople were taking coverage away from Retirees in order to save them money, and they weren’t disclosing the fact that they reduced their coverage. So the government stepped in and standardized the plans so this couldn’t happen anymore. They did this by offering 11 plans and giving them the letter names of A through N. In other words, it means you can compare a Plan F with one company to a Plan F with another company and know that the benefits are IDENTICAL. So you no longer have to say, “I know my supplement is expensive, but I don’t want to change it because it pays so well.” As long as you stick with the same Plan letter name, the new company is legally obligated to pay the same benefits as your old one.

 

So what does this mean for you? It means it would be a good idea to know what premium you pay compared to what others your age and in your area are paying for the same plan. This is important because you may be paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars more per year in premium and not be getting any better benefits. For example, the premiums for a Plan F for a 70 year old female range from $130/month on the low end up to $276/month on the high end. That’s a difference of $1,752 per year. And worse yet, the person paying $276/month is not getting any better benefits than the person paying $130. And don’t forget, you can change your medicare supplement policy any time of the year…you don’t have to wait for the Annual Enrollment Period at the end of the year.

 

If you would like to see how your premium compares, you can go to our website at www.seniormark.com and click on the “Supplement Rates” tab. And don’t worry, you will get instant numbers and we won’t collect your personal information. If you are not tech savvy just call us at 877-492-8803 and we will provide you with a free comparison report.

 

I bet your momma never thought shopping would be this easy!

Solving the Medicare Puzzle

Are you, or someone you know, feeling overwhelmed with your Medicare choices?  Is your mailbox overflowing with flyers and invitations?

Are you more confused now than you were a couple of months ago? What do all of the letters of the alphabet have to do with healthcare? Well, look no further.  Sign up today so you can be in the know!

 

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

5:30 pm

Seniormark

2551 Michigan Street

Sidney, OH 45365

To sign up, call 937-492-8800, send an e-mail to seniormark@earthlink.net, or put yes the in the “sign me up for the workshop!” box below (along with your name and e-mail address, of course!).

Hope to see you there!

 

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Workshop Offered in Troy

Are you turning 65 and wondering what the next step is?

We will be holding our next Medicare Solving The Medicare Puzzle Workshop:

Thursday, June 12 @ 5:30 pm – Location: Troy office — 1385 Stonycreek Road.

This is an introductory session explaining the 4 parts of Medicare and what an individual’s options are when they turn 65 or retire and go on Medicare. We have had an excellent response to these workshops, so if you know of someone who could benefit, please let them know.

Seating is limited, so please RSVP: Toll Free – 877-492-8803, or comment on this post!

 

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Next “Solving the Medicare Puzzle” Workshop Announced!

Are you, or someone you know, ready to turn 65?  Is your mailbox overflowing with offers of insurance?  Are you starting to get confused by all the information  you are reading?  Then, plan to come to our next “Solving the Medicare Puzzle” workshop and we will try to help eliminate some of the confusion!

 

Thursday, September 12

5:30 pm

Seniormark/Troy Office

1385 Stonycreek Road

 

Please call our office at 937-492-8800 to save yourself a seat!  See you then!

Turning 65 and looking for some answers?

Are you turning 65 and wondering what the next step is? 

We will be holding our next Medicare Solving The Medicare Puzzle Workshop:

Wednesday, June 26 @ 5:30 pm – Location: Troy office — 1385 Stonycreek Road. 

This is an introductory session explaining the 4 parts of Medicare and what an individual’s options are when they turn 65 or retire and go on Medicare.  We have had an excellent response to these workshops, so if you know of someone who could benefit, please let them know.

Seating is limited, so please RSVP:  Toll Free – 877-492-8803, or comment on this post!

Next workshop date announced

Our next Solving the Medicare Puzzle Workshop will be held on Thursday, May 9 at 5:30 pm in our new Sidney office at 2551 Michigan Street in Sidney. Seats may be reserved by calling our office at 937-492-8800 or online by clicking https://seniormark.com/workshops/ .

If you know someone who would like to or should attend, please share this post with them!

Our Next Medicare Workshop!

Our next Solving the Medicare Puzzle Workshop will be held on Thursday, November 15 at 5:30 pm in our Sidney office at 1271 Wapakoneta Avenue, Sidney. Seats may be reserved by calling our office at 937-492-8800 or online by clicking https://seniormark.com/workshops/ .

If you know someone who would like to or should attend, please share this post with them!