The Senior Scene

No matter how far away you are from retirement, it’s important to understand your Social Security benefits – and there’s a particularly good reason to do it now.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is bringing back annual paper benefits statements for the first time in three years. It stopped in 2011 to save money on printing and postage, but Congress and consumer advocates complained that workers needed better access to their data. In September, the agency reversed its decision and announced it’s resuming the practice of mailing paper statements to workers in two categories:
• Those who are not receiving benefits and are within three months of turning 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60. (After age 60, workers will receive a statement every year.)
• Those who still haven’t registered for a My Social Security (www.ssa.gov/myaccount/) online account.
Why is this important? First, if you’ve paid into the Social Security and Medicare system, you should understand the benefits you’ve earned. Second, as the SSA has been closing field offices and reducing services to the public, despite the fact that Baby Boomers are starting to flood the system. It’s a good time to confirm and correct benefits due to the longer wait times on the agency’s toll free telephone line and field offices.
Start by waiting for your next paper benefits statement or sign up at My Social Security website to review your current data. Here’s a quick overview of what your statement tells you:
• Introduction and your estimated benefits. This section covers four categories. The first is your retirement benefits, which are based on your age when you start drawing them. The calculations are based on three critical ages as examples: 62 (the earliest age you can draw retirement benefits), 67 (the full retirement age for anyone born after 1960) and age 70 (the oldest anyone can start drawing benefits, generally at the highest level if you can wait). The second is disability, which refers to the amount of your monthly disability benefit if you qualify. Third, your family/survivors benefits if a loved one dies. And lastly, your Medicare eligibility and the particular facts to support that conclusion.
• Your earnings record. This is a summary of your earnings that you need to verify for accuracy. Pull your annual tax returns as far back as you can to confirm this information, and if you work with a tax or financial planning professional, double-check their conclusions if you plan to challenge any errors with the SSA.
• Some facts about Social Security. Provides additional definitions and guidelines to better understand your statement and includes key contact information.
Most experts will tell you that when it comes to retirement, time is your biggest ally – it gives you the opportunity to invest, save and adjust your plan strategy. Use your statement to do the following:
• Spot and correct errors. If you and your tax professional spot disparities in your benefit statement make careful notes, gather your evidence and consult the SSA’s contact page (www.ssa.gov/agency/contact/) to start the correction process remotely or in person.
• Blend Social Security into a broader retirement plan. Most experts agree Social Security alone won’t provide a comfortable retirement. It’s never too late to plan.
Bottom line: Even if you’re years away from retirement, make sure you understand your Social Security benefits, and that they’re accurate and fit into a broader financial plan for your retirement.
Jason Alderman, who wrote this article, directs Visa’s financial education programs.

Darrell Dugan, 91, is a master woodcarver and has been sharing his love of the craft with others since 1942.
At that time, Dugan was living in India, where he admired the skill and work of woodcarvers there creating beautiful objects with the most primitive of tools. He began to learn from these people, and when his mother sent him a small set of carving tools, which he still uses today, he threw himself into his creative calling.
Dugan teaches a woodcarving class at Eatonville Community Center every Tuesday from 12 to 3 p.m., and anyone interested in learning more about this art is invited to attend. No reservation is necessary. The class is open to all ages and levels of ability and costs only $1 a month, plus materials.
Dugan has always enjoyed teaching carving, having done so for 30 years in the Tacoma public schools’ after-school programs and, more recently, at senior centers.
When asked why he enjoys carving and thinks others will too, he says, “People need to know how relaxing it can be and how enjoyable it is to realize what you can do with a simple piece of wood. From that wood will come so many different things – maybe a bear or deer or elk, or maybe a whimsical figurine, or maybe a Christmas ornament. Sometimes you can even tell by looking at the piece of wood what figure is waiting to be revealed. There are endless possibilities, and it is something anyone can do.”
Dugan and examples of his work were featured at the Pierce County Library’s Eatonvlle branch on May 24 as part of the Eatonville Lions Club’s Art and Wine Walk.

Lori Culver, who wrote this article, is a former executive director of Eatonville Family Agency.

Reprinted from The Dispatch.

You can see and feel the change of seasons. Fall color is starting to appear, pansies, mums and asters are in the garden center, and your thoughts are turning to preparing your landscape for winter.
Those in warm climates are switching to winter annuals, while those in colder regions are fortifying their landscapes for the cold winter ahead.
No matter where you live, invest some time in preparing your landscape for the change in seasons. Dedicating some time now will pay off with healthier more beautiful plants next spring.
Continue to mow the lawn high as long as it continues to grow. There’s no need to cut it short unless that is the look you prefer.
Fertilize the grass with a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like Milorganite (milorganite.com). Fall fertilization provides the greatest benefit to your lawn and gives you the best value for the time and money invested.
Those in cooler regions growing bluegrass, fescue and perennial ryegrass should fertilize around Labor Day when temperatures start to cool. Then make a final application between Halloween and Thanksgiving before the ground freezes.
Shred leaves as they fall. Leave some on the lawn to add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. As long as you can see the grass blades through the shredded leaves your lawn will be fine.
Use the rest of the shredded leaves in your compost pile, as mulch on top of the soil or as a soil amendment. Just dig a two to three inch layer into the top 12 inches of annual or new planting beds. These leaves will break down and add organic matter. By spring the leaves will decompose and the garden bed will be ready to cultivate and plant.
Plant a few bulbs now for a colorful early spring display. Incorporate compost, aged manure or other organic matter into the planting area. Add a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer at the time of planting. In general, plant bulbs two to three times their vertical diameter deep. Follow specific planting and spacing directions on the package or tag.
Select animal-resistant bulbs to avoid squirrels digging up the bulbs and deer and rabbits eating the blooms. Daffodils, hyacinths, grape hyacinths and squills are a few to consider. Little Tommies (Crocus tommasinianus) tend to be more squirrel resistant than other crocus varieties.
Those gardening in mild climates need low-chill bulbs that will thrive and flower after a mild winter. Or purchase precooled bulbs for winter planting and spring flowering.
Allow disease-free and insect-free perennials to stand for winter. This will increase their winter hardiness and your enjoyment. The dried leaves, stems and seedheads provide beauty for you to enjoy, seeds for the birds and overwintering homes for many butterflies and beneficial insects.
Plant trees, shrubs and perennials. The soil is warm and the air is cool – perfect conditions for planting and establishing trees, shrubs and perennials.
Melinda Myers, who wrote this article, is a gardening expert, TV/radio host and author. She can be reached at www.melindamyers.com.