Consulting Offices of Arthur Koff

02/02/2024

I am sorry to share the news that Arthur Koff passed away this morning (Friday, February 2). He will be missed.

01/29/2024

Why you should buy everything used

For one month, I set out to buy everything I needed used and online. A wooden train set for my son? EBay. Salad tongs? Mercari. Fishing rod? Goodwill. Running shoes? Amazon Warehouse.

8 percent of goods bought in a store are returned, more than 20 percent of items bought online are sent back. For clothing, that number can soar as high as 40 percent. Now dozens of companies are competing to resell goods online targeting products including clothing, furniture and electronics.

We’re headed for a world where buying second-hand may become nearly as easy, even preferable, as buying new for many goods.

01/28/2024

Why you should buy everything used

8% of goods bought in a store are returned, more than 20% of items bought online are sent back. For clothing, that number can soar as high as 40%. Now dozens of companies are competing to resell goods online targeting products including clothing, furniture and electronics.

We’re headed for a world where buying second-hand may become nearly as easy, even preferable, as buying new for many goods.

01/28/2024

Buying Home & Auto Insurance
Is Becoming Impossible

Huge losses from national disasters prompt industry to jack up prices and pull back from some markets;
this is the worst possible scenario’ for consumers.

After Allstate suffered billions of dollars in losses and failed to get the rate increases it wanted, it resorted to the nuclear option. The insurance giant threatened last fall to stop renewing auto insurance for customers in three states that hadn’t given in to its demands, which would have left those policyholders scrambling for coverage. The states blinked.

https://www.wsj.com/business/insurance-home-auto-rate-increases-climate-change-03b806f3?st=atwc3cxow5em9i7&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink&utm_source=substack&

01/28/2024

The ideal vacation length
for peak relaxation

Researchers concluded that a traveler’s health and well-being peaks on the eighth day of a holiday. We should take several shorter vacations throughout the year instead of blowing all of our leave on one epic trip. The multi-vacation plan can keep your spirits up.

It’s an inherently subjective subject, but health and travel experts have common advice for the amount of time it takes to disconnect from life’s obligations.

01/27/2024

The many problems of long term care

Listen to this Morningstar interview of an expert who will give you a great deal of valuable information.

An expert on aging discusses the status of long-term care in the U.S., including the toll on caregivers, innovations in Alzheimer’s treatment, and the financ...

01/26/2024

Want to slow memory loss after 60?
A multivitamin may be the answer.

The most recent study of 573 individuals found statistically significant improvements in short- and long-term memory.

This study suggests the intriguing possibility that some degree of normal aging can be staved off by simple vitamin supplementation.

A group taking a multivitamin was two years younger in memory function, research shows.

01/26/2024

The Heart Surgery That Isn’t
as Safe for Older Women

Coronary artery bypass grafting, the most common cardiac procedure in the United States, was studied mostly in men is not as safe for older women.

It’s the most common cardiac operation in the United States taking place 200,000 to 300,000 times a year. The mortality rate though low, is much higher for women.

Coronary artery bypass grafting, the most common cardiac procedure in the United States, was studied mostly in men. Women are paying the price.

01/26/2024

Top 20 Senior Magazines
and Publications

If you are interested in subscribing to a magazine focused on senior issues check out these 20 magazines.

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Senior Magazines & Publications list. Get the latest Senior news, updates, and information

01/25/2024

Multivitamins and Memory

A new study reported that adults 60 and older who took a daily multivitamin for two years scored higher on memory and cognitive tests than those who took a placebo.

Multivitamins can be useful for certain people, such as those with conditions that affect their ability to absorb nutrients, Dr. Cohen said, but most healthy people don’t need one.

New research suggests a daily vitamin can improve cognition. But that doesn’t mean everyone should take one.

01/25/2024

Dying Broke
Facing Financial Ruin
As Cost Soar for Elder Care

Millions of families are facing daunting life choices — and potential financial ruin — as the escalating costs of in-home care, assisted-living facilities and nursing homes devour the savings and incomes of older Americans and their relatives. The cost of a spot in an assisted-living facility has soared to an unaffordable level for most middle-class Americans.

Medicare covers the costs of medical care, but generally pays for a home aide or a stay in a nursing home only for a limited time during a recovery from a surgery or a fall or for short-term rehabilitation.

Half of the nation’s assisted-living facilities cost at least $54,000 a year. Home care is costly, too. Agencies charge about $27 an hour for a home health aide and this can add up to $60,000 a year.

THE toll of care giving is on children, especially women. The median lost wages for women providing intensive care for their mothers is $24,500 over two years.

The United States has no coherent system for providing long-term care, leading many who are aging to struggle to stay independent or to rely on a patchwork of solutions.

01/24/2024

How exercise increases brain volume
and may slow memory decline

Exercising for 25 minutes a week, or less than four minutes a day, could help to bulk up our brains and improve our ability to think as we grow older.

A study of more than 10,000 brain scans found that just 25 minutes of weekly exercise lead to bigger, healthier brains.