Good morning. I made the mistake of organizing my file cabinet this weekend. Found a warranty card from 1994. For a VCR.
In this issue:
The free apps my parents actually kept
Worth Knowing: a tax break you get automatically, home mods that spiraled, and a living-alone stat that might surprise you
From the Archives: spotting scam texts before they cost you
Slice of Life: a number about your feet
THE BIG STORY
Every Saturday, I sit at my parents' kitchen table in Dearborn with two iPhones and a pot of rice. Whatever tech problem came up that week, we fix it together. Last month it was 847 unread emails my mom didn't know existed. The month before, my dad wanted to know why his phone kept telling him to stand up.
These Saturday sessions are how I've filled my parents' phones with free apps that actually stuck. Not the ones tech blogs hype up — the ones my mom and dad kept opening on their own.
76% of adults 65+ now own smartphones, according to Pew Research. Why this matters: That's three out of four people carrying a computer in their pocket and mostly using it for calls and Facebook.
What stuck: Medisafe for medication reminders (it texts me if my dad misses a dose), Libby for free library books (my mom reads two novels a week on it), Snug Safety for a one-tap daily check-in, and a built-in magnifier most people don't know exists on their phone already.
I tested a lot more than these. The full list covers 12 apps with honest notes on where the paywalls kick in.
WORTH KNOWING
Your tax break just got bigger. If you're 65+ and filing your 2025 return, the standard deduction is $16,550 (single) or $32,300 (married, both 65+). That's automatic — you don't need to itemize. If you make under $64K, file free through IRS Free File. Or find free in-person help at 5,000+ AARP Tax-Aide locations: aarpfoundation.org/taxaide. Deadline: April 15.
The $30 fix that cost $927. Victoria Sinclair's cabinet was sticking. Three weeks later, she and Frank had renovated half the house. Her article covers the aging-in-place mods that actually matter — and the ones that are a waste of money.
→ Read Victoria's article
16 million Americans over 65 live alone. Only 25% feel lonely. The rest are eating popcorn for dinner and watching Korean dramas in peace. Victoria Sinclair wrote about why "alone" isn't a diagnosis — and why it might be the best chapter yet.
→ Read the full piece
FROM THE ARCHIVES
How to Tell If a Text Message Is a Scam — by Benjamin Wells
Americans lost $470 million to text scams in 2024. The messages are getting harder to spot — scammers are using AI now, which means fewer typos and better grammar. Translation: The old "look for spelling mistakes" advice doesn't work anymore.
Benjamin walks through the 7 most common scam texts with real examples and shows you how to spot one in about 10 seconds. I've sent this to three people in my own family.
SLICE OF LIFE
The average 70-year-old has taken roughly 200 million steps in their lifetime. That's enough to walk around the Earth four times. And you did most of it without a Fitbit.
Until next Tuesday,
Nino
P.S. If this was useful, forward it to someone who'd appreciate it. And hit reply if you want — I read every one.
