Ronda Gooden

Social Security is your money — you earned it through a lifetime of hard work. And like most Americans, that money is needed to help cover living expenses and pay bills. Nearly one in four Mississippi residents – 681,219 people – receive Social Security benefits, and 55 percent of residents 65 and older rely on the program for at least half of their income.

More than 369,000 incidents of financial abuse targeting older adults are reported to authorities in the U.S. each year, causing an estimated $4.8 billion in losses. And those numbers likely understate the problem considerably. However, it’s good to remember that there are things we can do to stop elder financial exploitation.

Scammers are adept at manipulating the latest technological advances to commit their crimes. These days it’s happening in the world of artificial intelligence – commonly known as AI.

Batter Up! You can receive a free ticket for the baseball game between the Mississippi Braves and the Biloxi Shuckers at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, April 8 at Trustmark Park in Pearl. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Request a ticket at this link: https://events.aarp.org/bravesapril

Latest AARP research attaches $5.6 billion to the estimated 440 million hours of unpaid care that family caregivers provided in 2021.

It's almost time for spring break. That fact has some of us looking for a warm getaway this spring, but beware: scammers could be lurking on the other end of that sweetheart spring break deal. These three tips will help you spot a potential travel scam.

Spring is around the corner and many Mississippians are ready to plant their gardens. AARP Mississippi will present a Facebook gardening series beginning on the first day of Spring on March 20 at 11 a.m.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is providing free in-person and virtual tax assistance and preparation in Mississippi now through April 18. The nation’s largest free, volunteer-based tax assistance and preparation program helped secure more than $1 billion in refunds for more than 1.2 million taxpayers last year. Tax-Aide is offered in conjunction with the IRS, and AARP membership is not required.

Gwendolyn Spencer Prater, Ph.D. is State President of AARP Mississippi. She is responsible for leading volunteers throughout the state as they work on issues and projects that have a direct impact on people over age 50. Dr. Prater works with the AARP Mississippi State Director and staff on issues, such as family caregiving, fraud prevention, financial security and more.

Applications are currently being accepted through March 15, 2023, 4:00 p.m. CT