Everyone knows about the power of mistletoe at Christmas. But there is more to mistletoe than kissing and holiday merriment...

Read more...

Unfortunately, seniors are often the target of scams, so it's especially important for older adults to be aware of consumer protection information that can help them avoid senior scams.

The FBI offers a comprehensive list of the most common senior scams, including insurance, telemarketing, prescription drugs, "anti-aging" products and reverse mortgage scams.

To highlight the need for consumer protection and education, the U.S. government also offers a free fraud information packet of practical tips on a variety of topics to help you minimize your risk of fraud and identity theft.

One way to guard against identity theft is to order free credit reports and review them regularly to watch for any unauthorized activity that may signal identity theft has occurred.

If you feel you have been the victim of fraud or a senior scam, Consumer Fraud Reporting offers information and resources to report it.

Every year, the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare funds provide an update of how the funds are doing.

Unfortunately, Medicare is in worse shape than Social Security.

Every year, the Trustees of the Social Security trust funds report on the current and projected financial status of the two programs.

The economic recession depleted Social Security funds faster than anticipated in 2009, and this is expected to continue in 2010. Here's a quote from the 2009 Social Security Trustees Report: