Ronda Gooden

It’s the season of giving, and for those in the spirit, telling the difference between a real charity and a fake one can be a challenge. Legitimate charities make a big push at year-end for last-minute annual donations. Scammers know this and make their own end-of-year push to line their pockets.

AARP released a report that shows an estimated 19,221 of Mississippians on Medicare prescription drug plans will see savings thanks to a new out-of-pocket cap that starts January 1, 2025. The savings are made possible by a provision in the 2022 prescription drug law that AARP championed which caps out-of-pocket prescription drug costs every year, beginning at $2,000 next year, for America’s 56 million Medicare drug plan enrollees.

In today's world, few things are as deeply woven into the fabric of our nation as Social Security. For over eight decades, this bedrock program has offered economic security and dignity to millions of retirees, people with disabilities, and surviving spouses and children. It is a sacred promise between the government and the American people who pay in and earn their Social Security over a lifetime of hard work.

Many Americans are on the hunt for the perfect remote job or side hustle, and criminal scammers are ready to exploit these ambitions. With work-from-home jobs increasing in popularity and employment scams on the rise, now is a great time to review the warning signs of a shady job posting.

In observance of National Family Caregivers Month, AARP Mississippi will host a family caregiving conversation on the AARP Mississippi Facebook and YouTube pages at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19. Topics include: Finding balance with caregiving, Resources and information for caregivers, and Caregiving during the holidays.

Discover what’s cooking at AARP Mississippi! We are excited to present a six-week Virtual Healthy Cooking Series with Dr. Fa. Each week, Dr. Fa will guide you through the preparation of a different healthy dish, emphasizing the use of fresh, nutritious ingredients. This series is designed to help you enhance your culinary skills while making healthier food choices. You can watch from the comfort of your own home by viewing on Facebook and YouTube. To receive your own list of ingredients each week, be sure to register here: https://events.aarp.org/cook1

Each year, AARP works in partnership with local leaders, organizations, and dedicated residents to help make livable communities a reality. As part of that effort, AARP is excited to announce the largest investment of grant dollars to date through the AARP Community Challenge grant program. More than $3.8 million in quick-action grants are being distributed to 343 projects across all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

If you’re like many Americans, the arrival of a package at your doorstep is a common occurrence. In the age of digital shopping, it has become harder than ever to keep track of what is coming when and from whom. This new reality has led directly to the rise of the digital package delivery scam.

In the fabric of society, few programs have woven themselves as deeply into the American culture as Social Security. The economic devastation of the Great Depression further exposed society's vulnerabilities, with millions of older Americans in poverty and many more at risk of financial ruin. In response, the Social Security Act was signed into law to better ensure a measure of income security for older Americans in retirement.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the new shiny object that has captured the world’s attention. It’s also captured the attention of criminal scammers who are using it to make their fraudulent schemes more realistic than ever. One area where AI scams are particularly dangerous is celebrity impostor scams.