| SOCIAL SECURITY 
			COLUMN 
			Ring in the new year with a COLA By Becky 
			Whitlow, Social Security district manager in 
			Springfield 
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            [December 
			18, 2013] 
            SPRINGFIELD — Many people ring in the new year with Champagne. 
			People who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income 
			get to ring it in with a COLA. This year, more than 60 million 
			Americans are receiving a 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment, 
			known as a COLA, in their monthly benefit payment.  (Click 
			here for the rest of the story.) | 
		
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            Are you prepared for what you'll find when you visit your parents 
			this holiday season? Warning 
			signs that a person needs daily assistance & tips for planning for 
			it 
			The holidays and their aftermath 
			are the busiest time of year for long-term care admissions, says 
			expert Chris Orestis.  (Click 
			here for the rest of the story.) 
 
            In observance of Caregivers Awareness Month, state reminds families 
			about resources to assist them 
			Department on Aging administers the Family Caregiver Support Program
			 
			SPRINGFIELD — Increasing numbers 
			in the aging population have led to an increased need for 
			caregivers. The term "caregiver" refers to anyone who provides 
			assistance to someone else who needs it. Though a caregiver can be 
			anyone, it is often a family member who steps in to provide extra 
			support and attention for an elderly loved one. 
			(Click 
			here for the rest of the story.) 
 
            Financially surviving the golden years Expert 
			offers tips to maximize money for an aging population 
			Americans are living longer 
			these days, from an average 47 years in 1900 to more than 78 years 
			as of 2010. We are also experiencing a deluge of adults reaching 
			retirement age now, with 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day.
			(Click 
			here for the rest of the story.) 
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            'Gravity' and the long-term care crisis By Chris 
			Orestis 
			I recently went to see the movie 
			"Gravity," starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. It is a 
			fast-paced, exciting thrill-ride from start to finish. After we left 
			the movie and I replayed the life-threatening events that unfolded 
			on the screen, I could not help but begin drawing comparisons to the 
			long-term care funding crisis currently unfolding in America today.
			
			 (Click 
			here for the rest of the story.) 
 
            Social Security announces 1.5 pct benefit increase for 2014 
			BALTIMORE 
			-- Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income 
			benefits for nearly 63 million Americans will increase 1.5 percent 
			in 2014, the Social Security Administration announced last week.
			
			 (Click 
			here for the rest of the story.) 
 
            Your will: the overlooked bucket-list item Financial 
			expert explains the vital importance of this document 
			Of the trendy terms to come around in 
			the past decade, "bucket list" remains among the most useful, says 
			retirement planning expert Jeff Gorton. (Click 
			here for the rest of the story.) 
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