Silver.buzz - February 2025

Table of Contents

• AgeTech, Silver Tech & SilverAI ‘buzz’

• Estate Planning & Finance ‘buzz’

• Housing Trends for Silvers / Gen 55+

• Long-term Care ‘buzz’

• Medicare ‘buzz’

• Retirement ‘buzz’

• Social Security ‘buzz’

• 👉 Showcase your Company, News or a Press Release

• 🐝 Get more ‘buzz’, on AI, DataCenters & Housing

AgeTech, Silver Tech & SilverAI ‘buzz’

Aging in Place and the Canadian AgeTech Landscape: Successes, Failures, and the Path Forward - Canada, with its aging population and a growing desire for seniors to live independently at home, is increasingly looking to technology to help make aging in place a reality. While the Canadian AgeTech sector has seen notable innovations, it still faces challenges related to adoption and scale. This article takes a closer look at the successes, struggles, and potential theories behind the relatively slow market adoption of AgeTech solutions in Canada. (YouAreUnltd)

Aging in Place and the Canadian AgeTech Landscape: Successes, Failures, and the Path Forward - Canada, with its aging population and a growing desire for seniors to live independently at home, is increasingly looking to technology to help make aging in place a reality. While the Canadian AgeTech sector has seen notable innovations, it still faces challenges related to adoption and scale. This article takes a closer look at the successes, struggles, and potential theories behind the relatively slow market adoption of AgeTech solutions in Canada. (YouAreUnltd)

Investors and Providers Must Transform AgeTech Market from Products into Suites - It's past time for the AgeTech market to catch up to population change. One sentence about the numbers should suffice. Today there are 24 million people aged 75 or older. Only 1.5 million live in nursing homes and only 800,000 live in assisted living. The majority of the 75+ live at home, supposedly ‘aging in place’, with nearly half of the women living alone. (AOL)

AgeTech Platform WisdomCircle Targets $65 Trillion Senior Economy with UK and Europe Expansion - WisdomCircle, an AgeTech platform that connects retired professionals with meaningful work opportunities, has announced its expansion into the UK and European markets. WisdomCircle’s Founder and CEO, Neeraj Sagar, expressed excitement about the expansion: “As we enter the UK and European markets, we are thrilled to bring our vision of redefining retirement to a global stage. (Plunge Daily)

Q&A: How AI and Automation Can Transform Processes for Senior Care Providers (HealthTech)

Estate Planning & Finance ‘buzz’

Women Must Take Ownership of their Retirement Journeys, Says Financial Expert: Here’s How - The current retirement framework relies heavily on individual savings and investment decisions, placing an enormous burden on women—who often earn less, live longer, and face career interruptions. (BenefitsPro)

Retirees Face An Increasingly Startling Financial Headwind - As inflation rises and wages stagnate, more consumers, including seniors and retirees, are taking on debt to get by. For seniors who have left the workforce and live off a reduced income, paying off debt becomes far more difficult during retirement — especially as medical and caregiving costs increase. (The Street)

Why the First Step in Your Estate Planning Process Shouldn’t be Crafting a Will - if families don't prepare, it could take months or even years for beneficiaries to actually, well, benefit from their inheritances. The reason for this is probate, which is the court-supervised process by which a deceased person's assets are distributed and their debts are settled. The average time it takes to complete probate is 20 months, per a recent report from Trust & Will, a digital estate planning platform. (Y! Finance)

Don't Be a…. The Importance of Proactive Tax & Estate Planning - Learn the consequences of neglecting tax and estate planning. (The Street)

Housing Trends for Silvers / Gen 55+

Investors Weigh Pros And Cons Of Backing Senior Housing - If it seems you’re noticing more senior housing communities these days, you’ve got a good eye for development. Retirement communities, along with the older Americans primed to move into them, have increased in number over the past decade. However, as 2025 begins, the senior housing industry finds itself with opportunities as well as a number of headwinds. (Forbes)

Key Senior Living Trends in 2025: Housing Costs, Ai Integration, Staffing Challenges Shape Future - Which key senior living trends emerged or became more significant in 2024, and what do local experts expect for 2025? We checked in with three local leaders from different vantage points in the space to find out. (RBJ Net)

Northeast Projects Announces Completion of Energy-Efficient Senior Housing in Yonkers, NY - Northeast Projects, a leading building energy and Passive House consultancy, is proud to announce the successful completion of the La Mora Senior Apartments in Yonkers, NY marking a significant milestone in affordable housing, providing 60 fully affordable apartments for seniors while setting new standards in energy efficiency and sustainable design.

Developer Receives $25M Loan to Build 117-unit Senior Living Center in Fayetteville, AR (TB&P)

Long-term Care ‘buzz’

Long Term Care 2025 Trends and Outlook - ​Long term care services are in greater demand than ever. Given that the oldest Baby Boomers will turn 80 next year, the industry has responded by improving operations, leveraging technology, monitoring legislation, and focusing on wellness. These efforts will show in 2025 as the industry addresses needs, capitalizes on growing trends, and continues to deliver the best care to those in need and their families. (Provider Mag)

Seven Trends in Senior Living That Will Define 2025 and Beyond - The senior living industry is in the midst of a major transformation, and seven major trends have emerged as key drivers of the strategic plans adopted by boards across the country. Those trends will shape the way organizations position themselves for the future to capture a new customer base in 2025 and beyond. (McKnight Sr Living)

Cost of Senior Care: Why Aging Farmers Fear the Nursing Home - Robert Moore, an attorney and researcher at Ohio State University’s Agricultural & Resource Law Program. called long-term care needs one of the biggest threats today to small family farms. He said farmers go to great lengths and years of planning to protect their land in their golden years. But with soaring costs and an aging boomer population, he expects the problem to only grow. (NPR)

Medicare ‘buzz’

What Does the Federal Government Spend on Health Care? - The federal government spent $1.9 trillion on health care programs and services in fiscal year (FY) 2024, 27% of all federal outlays in that year, and collectively the largest category of federal spending. Overall, over one out of every four dollars in federal spending was used to pay for health programs and services in FY 2024 (Figure 1). The next largest categories are Social Security (21%), national defense (13%), and interest payments on the federal debt (13%). Combined, these four categories account for nearly three quarters of all federal spending.

Majority of Americans Support Medicare and Medicaid Amid Federal Spending Cut Talks - Americans remain deeply supportive of government health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, even as discussions of potential federal spending cuts are ongoing, according to the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll. In fact, about eight in ten Americans have positive views of Medicare (82%), and more than three-fourths feel the same about Medicaid (77%).

RFK Jr. Stumbles Over Basics of Medicare, Medicaid During Senate Confirmation Hearings - Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, appeared to be unfamiliar with basic elements of the Medicare and Medicaid programs during his second Senate confirmation hearing. Kennedy struggled to identify and explain the fundamental aspects of Medicare, which provides coverage to older and disabled Americans. (CNBC)

Cardiometabolic Trends Dominate First Round of Drugs Chosen for Medicare Price Negotiations - The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) measure is a good first step, but some are looking even further ahead to GLP-1 price drops to increase access. Plus a new occupant in the White House could add twists & turns to the Medicare landscape.

Humana Cutting Medicare Advantage Plans that Cover 10% of Its Members - Humana, the country’s second largest Medicare Advantage insurer, is aggressively culling its plan offerings after several quarters of spending more than expected on its members’ medical care, and getting hammered on Wall Street for it. The company will scrap Medicare Advantage plans in 2025 that currently cover about 560,000 members. (Stat News)

Changes to Medicare Are Coming in 2025: Here's What to Expect - 2025 will bring a rise in premiums, along with a new cap on medication costs. (CNET)

Retirement ‘buzz’

Scott Galloway warns Americans on Social Security, Retirement Risks - Most working Americans understand that monthly Social Security paychecks do not provide a sufficient amount of income to satisfy their desired lifestyle needs in retirement. They correctly respond to this awareness by finding other ways to save and invest for the future. Galloway believes that most people who collect Social Security take out two to three times the amount of money they contribute to it through the tax. People who are extremely well off, he suggests, do not necessarily deserve the money just because they have paid the tax during their working years. "It's a tax," he has said. "People who need it are entitled to it. So I think you've got to means-test it."

7 Retirement Must-Knows for 2025 - Higher retirement plan contribution levels, lower ‘safe’ withdrawal rates, changes to Social Security benefits, and more. Plus a full Q&A on retirement in 2025 (Morningstar)

How Much Could Trump’s Social Security Pick Impact Your Benefits? What to Expect in 2025 - President Donald Trump has named Frank Bisignano as his choice for Social Security commissioner. Bisignano is a businessman and CEO of financial technology company Fiserv. Some people praise Bisignano as an excellent choice, given his business success, whereas others worry about Bisignano’s lack of experience in public policy. (US News)

Op-ed: A ‘retirement disconnect’ has Swept across Multiple Generations of Americans - The rising cost of living, stagnant wages, and lackluster savings are giving workers a reason to be doubtful that the traditional idea of retirement will be achievable in their lifetimes. (CNBC)

Retirement Planning in 2024: Alternative Investments Needed - With recent market volatility and rising inflation, the classic 60/40 stock-bond portfolio is proving inadequate for modern retirees. New strategies are needed. (The Street)

Social Security ‘buzz’

Federal Technology Staffers Resign Rather Than Help Musk and DOGE - More than 20 civil service employees resigned Tuesday from billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, saying they were refusing to use their technical expertise to “dismantle critical public services.” “We swore to serve the American people and uphold our oath to the Constitution across presidential administrations,” the 21 staffers wrote in a joint resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “However, it has become clear that we can no longer honor those commitments.”

Here’s What Upcoming Budget Negotiations May Mean for Social Security - As lawmakers in Washington, D.C., work to rein in government spending, some advocates and consumers are concerned that Social Security could see cuts. Last year, the Republican Study Committee, a large group of House Republicans, released a budget proposal to cut federal spending by $17.1 trillion over 10 years. However, a proposal to raise the Social Security retirement age to 69 was included. Currently, retirees are eligible for the full benefits they’ve earned at age 66 to 67, depending on their date of birth. With that change, anyone born after 1971 would see their benefit cuts an average of 13%, according to the Congressional Budget Office. (CNBC)

DOGE Wants Access to Your Tax and Social Security Data. These Two Laws are Supposed to Protect You - The courts will have to decide whether what DOGE is doing is legal. In determining that, they will have to assess whether any of several laws designed to protect your personal data at federal agencies and to protect the integrity of their systems have been violated. Two of the most frequently cited are the Privacy Act of 1974 and Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code. (CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/25/business/doge-personal-data-access-federal-agencies/index.html

President Trump's Social Security Changes So Far: 4 Things You Should Know - So far in his second term, President Trump has made some changes on his own that affect Social Security either directly or indirectly. Here are four things you should know.

What Does the Federal Government Spend on Health Care? - The federal government spent $1.9 trillion on health care programs and services in fiscal year (FY) 2024, 27% of all federal outlays in that year, and collectively the largest category of federal spending. Overall, over one out of every four dollars in federal spending was used to pay for health programs and services in FY 2024 (Figure 1). The next largest categories are Social Security (21%), national defense (13%), and interest payments on the federal debt (13%). Combined, these four categories account for nearly three quarters of all federal spending.

AFSCME Sues to Stop Unlawful Seizure of Social Security Data - AFSCME, the Alliance for Retired Americans and the American Federation of Teachers have sued to stop DOGE’s unlawful seizure of people’s personal, sensitive data from the Social Security Administration (SSA). “The Social Security Administration holds the financial future of millions of Americans within its doors,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Elon Musk is an unelected billionaire who has no right to access the benefits working people have paid into. We won’t allow him to undermine the promise that we can all retire with dignity one day; that if we ever get hurt on the job and are unable to work, we won’t go hungry. Social Security insurance belongs to taxpayers, not Musk — no matter how rich he is. We must stop him from gaining unfettered access to our future.”

The Perfect Storm at the Social Security Administration - Read Josh Marshall's reporting about an "upsetting wake-up call" about what's going on -- right now -- at the Social Security Administration staff level, including the toll-free number support staff trying to stay available to assist SS recipient.

New Social Security Chief Contradicts Claims That Millions Of Dead People Are Getting Payouts - Lee Dudek, the new acting SSA commissioner who was placed in the role by President Donald Trump, gave the clarification after Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk falsely claimed on social media and in press briefings that people who are 100, 200 and even 300 years old are improperly and routinely getting benefits. Read on AP.

Full List of Social Security Offices Closing After DOGE Cuts (Newsweek) - Trump, in collaboration with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has directed the General Services Administration (GSA) to terminate leases on approximately 7,500 federal offices, including those of the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Anxiety Mounts Among Social Security Recipients as DOGE Troops Settle In - ProPublica reports that Elon Musk’s team has descended on an already understaffed Social Security Administration, which now faces further workforce cuts and closures of vital local offices. The consequences could be significant for millions of the most vulnerable Americans.

Are You Eligible for the 2025 Maximum Social Security Benefits? Find Out Now - Social Security is many people's primary source of income after retirement, but not everyone will receive the maximum amount. In 2025, lifelong high earners who wait until age 70 to claim their benefits can qualify for up to (!!!) $5,108 per month. (Investopedia)

3 Positive Social Security Changes That Arrived in 2025 - Benefits got a raise at the start of the year. Seniors can earn more money from a job without having benefits withheld. Finally, the maximum monthly benefit hit a new high. (Motley Fool)

Social Security Administration Reduces Signature Requirements to Streamline Services - The Social Security Administration is allowing the submission of digital signatures instead of physical ones for commonly used forms and removing signature requirements altogether for others as part of a broader effort to reduce customer burden and simplify the application process.

Social Security Crisis: Beneficiaries face 21% Benefit Cut without Reforms, says CFRB - Based on the average Social Security benefit of $1,907 a month in January 2024, a 21% cut would reduce that amount by $400 (Fox)

You Could Lose Your Social Security Benefits if You Do One of These Four Things - Social Security benefits aren't guaranteed, and you can lose (or diminish) them if you do one of these four things. (CNET)

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