Good morning. There's a particular stillness to early August — the lawn's given up growing, the grandkids are squeezing the last drops out of summer, and the house is quiet enough to hear the ceiling fan.

In this issue:

Someone called a 73-year-old grandmother in Arizona last year. The voice on the phone was her grandson's — his exact voice, his exact way of talking. "Grandma, I'm in trouble. I need money. Please don't tell Mom and Dad."

It wasn't him.

The grandparent scam isn't new. But AI made it something else entirely. Scammers can now clone a voice from a 3-second clip pulled off TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook. Your grandchild posts a video at a concert, and a week later their voice is being used to ask you for gift cards.

In 2024, Americans 60+ reported $1.6 billion in losses to imposter scams (FTC). Why this matters: That's billion with a B, and it doesn't count the people too embarrassed to report it.

Here's what to do: Hang up. Call your grandchild directly at their real number. And set up a family code word — something only you and they know. No word, no money.

AARP's fraud helpline is free: 877-908-3360.

➡️ Set up a family code word today — here's how

📱 Check your social media privacy settings. If your Facebook profile is public, scammers can see your family connections, your location, and your routine. Victoria Sinclair's guide walks through the exact settings to change.

→ Read Victoria's guide

🎒 Grandkids heading back to school? You might get a tax break. In many states, back-to-school sales tax holidays start in early August. Also: 529 education savings plans let grandparents contribute up to $18,000/year per grandchild without triggering gift tax. The takeaway: Real money sheltered from taxes while helping someone you love.

❤️ 53 million Americans are unpaid caregivers. That number stopped me. Fifty-three million people are taking care of someone — most while working a job, most without training, most without help. Benjamin Wells wrote about why families take this on.

→ Read the full article

Love Knows No Age: 10 Wedding Websites for Seniors — by Victoria Sinclair

Not every article has to be about Medicare or scam alerts. This one made me smile. Victoria covers everything from venues that accommodate mobility needs to how to handle the complicated feelings adult children sometimes bring. It's light, warm, and a reminder that love stories don't have expiration dates.

➡️ Read the full article

A friend told me her granddaughter starts first grade next week. She asked if she could take her school supply shopping. They spent an hour in the crayon aisle. An hour. Apparently the 64-pack with the built-in sharpener is still the gold standard. My friend said she opened one box just to smell them. Her granddaughter looked at her like she was crazy. Some things you can't explain to a six-year-old. You just have to have lived long enough to know what new crayons mean.

Until next Tuesday,
Nino

P.S. If this was useful, forward it to someone who'd appreciate it — especially if they have grandkids on social media. I read every reply.