Why pay retail? Bills you can negotiate
The word “bills” used to be synonymous with “fixed expenses.” But there’s nothing fixed about many of the bills a typical household pays today.Some bills have introductory rates that expire, shooting monthly costs skyward. Others offer secret discounts or upgrades to those in the know.Providers constantly tweak their plans and pricing, which means long-term... READ MORE
Ten tips that can help fight osteoporosis
Because 70 percent of our bone destiny is due to heredity, you’re at greater risk for osteoporosis if you have a family history of the disease. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help shape the health of your bones.We actively build bone until our mid-20s, then we start to slowly lose bone mass. After the age of 50, one in two women, and one in four men, will break a bone due ... READ MORE
His job is preventing dementia
“We have to start in our 40s, at least, if we want to have any hope of lowering the overall personal risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementias.”That is the advice of Dr. William Mansbach, a geriatric neuropsychologist who lives and works in Columbia. Mansbach has a national reputation in the fight against the disease, and is a member of the Governor’s... READ MORE
Insider: Days and nights at the museum
If you live in Baltimore, you know the Walters Art Museum. But just how well do you know it?Thanks to Gary Vikan’s recently published memoir, Sacred and Stolen: Confessions of a Museum Director, the next time you visit the Walters, you’ll have a greater appreciation of just what goes on behind the scenes of an internationally renowned museum — one Baltimoreans are... READ MORE
Come get your fresh fruit and vegetables!
The Last of the Mohicans is how Donald Savoy III described the remaining handful of arabbers left in Baltimore on a sunny Wednesday, while watching a fellow horse-drawn cart vendor load up with fresh fruit and vegetables.Almost every day, fresh produce sellers known as arabbers, all African-American, take to the streets of Baltimore with a horse and a cart to sell to residents around the... READ MORE
Not a hotel lover? Try a vacation rental
“Eew, this isn’t anything like what I expected!” Although vacation rentals don’t generate a lot of complaints, I’m pretty sure the number one complaint is disappointment on arrival at a previously unseen rental.The big online vacation rental “marketplaces” such as FlipKey and VRBO do as much as they can to assure... READ MORE
How to find financial advice you can trust
The Department of Labor recently announced it will postpone putting the “fiduciary rule” into effect. And the Trump administration has signaled it wants to get rid of it altogether.The fiduciary rule stipulates that financial professionals who advise you on your retirement accounts must put your financial interests ahead of their own. Without the rule — and as things... READ MORE
People 75+ sought for flu vaccine study
Seasonal influenza (flu) is the fourth-leading cause of death for older Americans. That’s why it’s highly recommended that all adults 50 years of age or older receive an annual flu vaccine immunization. However, despite the fact that more older adults are receiving the vaccination, mortality has actually increased. Researchers theorize that may be due to the fact that the... READ MORE
Take new car technology out for a spin
Car shopping isn’t just about kicking the tires anymore. It’s also about testing the technology.The rapidly evolving in-car infotainment and navigation systems can be bewildering for all but the most tech-savvy car buyers. The average vehicle on U.S. roads is 11 years old; that means many people last went car shopping before iPhones were invented.Car buyers should make sure they ... READ MORE
They are hardly the retiring types
“I don’t feel like someone who shouldn’t be working.” said Mike Gimbel, a 65-year-old resident of Timonium. “Retirement hasn’t even been a thought.” Gimbel is a substance abuse consultant. He says, “Work keeps me going, physically and emotionally. I like being active, as well as being a contributing member of society. There will always be people [for me] to... READ MORE
