Good morning. We sprung forward yesterday. If you feel like you lost more than an hour, you’re not imagining it — but the extra evening light makes up for it by Wednesday.
In this issue:
- What the 2026 Social Security changes actually mean
- Worth Knowing: solo travel, iPhone setup, and Medicare scams
- From the Archives: the art of downsizing
- Slice of Life: spring is showing up
Social Security changed a few things for 2026. Here’s what actually affects your check.
Benjamin Wells broke it all down last week, and the headline number is a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment. If you’re collecting the average retirement benefit, your check went from about $2,015 to $2,071 — roughly $56 more per month.
The Medicare Part B premium for 2026 is $202.90 per month — up from $185. That’s a $17.90 increase, or 9.7%. Your raise was 2.8%. Your Medicare increase was 9.7%. The takeaway: Your real raise is closer to $38 per month after Medicare is deducted.
If you’re working and collecting before full retirement age, the earnings limit is now $24,480. And if you or your spouse had a government pension, the WEP/GPO repeal is real — the SSA sent out 3.1 million payments totaling $17 billion in back pay.
Read Benjamin’s full breakdown ->
1. Solo travel after 60 — especially for women.
More women over 60 are traveling alone than ever before. Victoria Sinclair covers destinations, the “solo supplement” scam hotels charge, and why your family’s pushback is about their anxiety, not your capability. Portugal, Japan, and Savannah all make the list.
2. Setting up an iPhone for a senior parent.
If you’ve ever handed your parent a new iPhone and watched the panic set in — this step-by-step guide is what you needed. The biggest mistake: skipping accessibility settings.
3. How to spot a Medicare scam in 2026.
Medicare will never call you to ask for your Social Security number. Benjamin Wells covers the six most common scams, including AI voice cloning. The DOJ’s 2025 health care fraud takedown hit $14.6 billion.
The Art of Downsizing: How to Let Go of 40 Years of Stuff — by Victoria Sinclair
Spring cleaning season is here. Victoria sold her family home after 35 years. She found that 78% of seniors who downsize experience actual grief symptoms. Her advice: start with the garage, not the photo albums. Cry when you need to. Keep the weird stuff that makes you laugh.
Spring training started last week. Somewhere right now, a 72-year-old man is watching a meaningless exhibition game between two teams he doesn’t follow, and he’s absolutely locked in. His wife asked what the score was. He said, “It doesn’t matter.” She said, “Then why are you watching?” He said, “Because it’s baseball.” The season is back. The light lasts past dinner. Winter lost.
Until next Tuesday,
Nino
P.S. Next week: the apps my parents actually kept on their phones. If this was useful, forward it to someone who’d appreciate it. I read every reply.
