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Hernando Today

Seniors Believe Economy Worst Ever

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By ADON TAFT, Life to the Fullest

Hernando Today

Published: September 15, 2008

QUESTION: I am 69 years old and was married to my first husband for 16 years. He passed away more than 11 years ago. I now have been married to my second husband for 22 years.
After having read your articles in the paper about Social Security, I would like to know if I can get my ex-husband's Social Security money if it is higher than mine.

L.L.
Brooksville

ANSWER: I am not quite clear about your situation. If I understand it, you now are married to your second husband who remains alive. Should that be the case, you are not eligible for any Social Security benefit based on your first husband's work record.
However, it is possible that a spousal benefit based on your present husband's work record would be higher than what you now receive if it is based on your own work record. You should ask your Social Security office in Dade City. They will be glad to review the facts with you.

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There currently is an e-mail circulating among seniors on the Internet asking seniors and others to sign a petition asking President Bush to veto, should it be passed by Congress, allowing illegal immigrants access to some Social Security and other government benefits.
We all should be aware that neither Congress nor the president accepts e-mail petitions. Often such e-mails are merely a way of obtaining lists of names and e-mail addresses that are then sold to advertisers or organizations.

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Some 53 percent of Americans over the age of 60 think that today's economic situation is the worst they have experienced in their lifetimes. According to a survey by Harris Interactive for the MetLife Mature Market Institute, 82 percent of those surveyed said they are cutting back on nonessential spending for things like dining out or vacations, 70 percent said they even are reducing what they spend on food and transportation, but 73 percent said they are not planning to postpone their retirement because of economic conditions.
Twice as many Democrats as Republicans are pessimistic about the economy for the next year, according to the results of the poll.

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The current issue of AARP The Magazine notes that 80 percent of the members of Congress are older than 50 years of age and the AARP Bulletin points out that a survey by Woelfel Research in six key battleground states in the upcoming presidential elections found that 36 percent of the undecided votes are 65 or older and 71 percent are 50 or older.
The same issue of The Magazine reports that 77 percent of all financial assets in the United States are owned by those 55 years of age or older and those 50 or older account for 45 percent of consumer spending — $2.1 trillion a year.

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Only one Florida city, Naples, and just barely, made the list of 10 healthiest places in the United States to retire, according to a study by Sarah Mahoney and Brad Edmondson for The Magazine.
Based on such measurements as clean air and water, availability of healthy activities such as hiking and biking trails and hospitals and medical facilities, most healthy cities are in the north. At the top of the list is Ann Arbor, Mich., where 86 percent of the 113,206 residents get regular exercise and there are 580 physicians per 100,000 people (compared with the national average of 223 per 100,000).
The other healthy retirement communities, in order, are; Honolulu, Hawaii; Madison, Wis.; Santa Fe, N.M.; Fargo, N.D.; Boulder, Colo.; Charlottesville, Va.; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. and San Francisco, Calif.

If you have questions about any issue connected with aging, except medical conditions, please write to Life to the Fullest, at Hernando Today, 15299 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, Fla., 34613, or send e-mail to adontaft@yahoo.com. Please include your name and address.

Adon Taft is a resident of Brooksville.

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