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April is a month dedicated to learning more about money management and refreshing finances — the National Council on Aging is celebrating with a whole week dedicated to helping older Americans “boost their budgets.”
Retirement Tip of the Week: Not sure if you qualify for certain benefits or looking for a little more assistance if possible? Use the National Council on Aging’s tools to find out.
By inputting their ZIP Code and some basic information, such as the year they were born, if they have Medicare, marital status and total income, users can see any benefit programs they may be eligible for, based on their answers. For example, programs in New York City include Medicaid, SNAP, housing vouchers and home energy assistance.
The tool is available at BenefitsCheckUp.org in English and BuscaBeneficios.org in Spanish.
The National Council on Aging is also available by phone Monday through Friday through their helpline at 1-800-794-6559.
Older Americans can also visit Benefits Enrollment Centers, which help Medicare beneficiaries learn more about the best plans for their situations or those with disabilities find programs to assist with transportation, taxes and medications. These centers are funded through the U.S. Administration for Community Living.
April is National Financial Literacy Month. To mark the occasion, MarketWatch will publish a series of “Financial Fitness” articles to help readers improve their fiscal health, and offer advice on how to save, invest and spend their money wisely. Read more here.
