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How to Use AI Safely and Protect Yourself From Scams

Dear Savvy Senior, I keep hearing about AI in the news and how it’s being used in scams. I’m not very tech savvy and find it confusing. What should I know to protect myself? – Cautious Senior Dear Cautious, You’re not alone. Many older adults are asking the same question. Artificial intelligence, or AI, is becoming part of everyday life, from smartphones and internet searches to banking and customer service. It’s also making scams more convincing and harder to spot, which is why a basic understanding helps. The good news is you don’t need to be a tech expert to use AI ...

A Two-Way Street

This month I would like to remind you of the letter Paul wrote to the church in Rome. This was not a church that Paul founded or even knew any of the members. He wrote to them as a means of offering hope. Something we could all use right about now. Paul was seeking support for his missionary trip to Spain and wanted to encourage his Roman brethren to be faithful. Writing about 57-58 AD he includes this phrase, which will be our discussion today: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained ...

Earning That First Paycheck

Even before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration told me I could legally work at age 14, I had a few jobs. Those few jobs were babysitting neighbors’ kids or grandkids, usually just a few doors from my childhood home. The pay was a whopping 50 cents an hour, and it didn’t matter if you were watching one or three children. I didn’t question the pay scale. At 12 or 13, those babysitting dollars bought me a few Teen Beat magazines and a Milkshake candy bar at the corner drugstore. At 15, I joined the hundreds of teens in the Ohio Valley who found summer work at the ...

I Have a Will – Do I Also Need a Trust?

Dear Savvy Senior. My wife and I were recently talking about updating our will and wondered if we should also set up a trust. How do we know if we need one? – Planning Ahead Dear Planning, That’s an excellent question. A will is one of the most important tools in estate planning, but many people wonder if it’s enough, or if adding a trust makes sense. The answer depends on your finances, your family situation, and what you want your plan to accomplish. Here’s a simple way to think about it. What a will does A will spells out who gets your assets after you pass away. ...

More Than Just a Game

It’s not just about baseball. You don’t even have to like baseball. You just have to be a proud West Virginian who enjoys cheering on the West Virginia University Mountaineers Baseball Team.  What happened a week ago when the team captured a walk-off run win over a well-oiled Kentucky team is nothing short of Mountaineer pride and teamwork at its best. More than 4,000 fans packed the stadium in Granville and watched the historic night of baseball. In addition, a few thousand more watched from the grassy hillside overlooking the field. It was picture perfect weather in a state ...

Do Men Get Osteoporosis?

Dear Savvy Senior, Can men get osteoporosis or is it mostly a problem for women? When I fell and broke my wrist last winter, the ER doctor told me I might have osteoporosis, but I never followed up. What can you tell me? — Almost 70 Dear Almost, A lot of people think osteoporosis is only a women’s issue, but men can get it too – especially as they get older. And like women, men often don’t realize they have it until a bone breaks. Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease because it weakens bones over time, making them thin, brittle and more likely to break, usually ...