February 2025 Newsletter

Welcome to February! This month brings celebrations like President's Day and Valentine's Day. We also shine a light on American Heart Month and explore important information about how senior centers can help improve your health. Keep reading for more!

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This Month: American Heart Month

Heart disease is very common in the U.S. That's why it's so important that this month of February is American Heart Month -- a time to focus on cardiovascular well-being.

Now is a great time for all of us to focus on staying well.

Here are ideas for heart healthy living (Mayo Clinic):

• Eat a heart-healthy diet -- more veggies, less red meat.
• Keep a healthy weight. (Ask your doctor.)
• Get active — exercise.
• Get quality sleep.
• Don’t smoke or use tobacco.
• Manage stress.
• Control your cholesterol.
• Drink alcohol only in moderation.

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Tax Day is the federal individual tax filing and payment deadline and is generally on April 15 or the following business day. The IRS will extend tax deadlines if April 15 falls on a weekend, holiday or in other special circumstances.

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Tax Time

The IRS has shared some tax “how-tos” for seniors.

When preparing your return, be especially careful when you calculate the taxable amount of your Social Security. Use the Social Security benefits worksheet found in Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR instructions.

If you do not itemize your deductions, you can get a higher standard deduction amount if you and/or you and your spouse are 65 years old or older.

Share the above with your tax preparer. Remember, tax preparation help is often available at little or no cost.

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Senior Centers

Many seniors view their local senior centers as valuable community resources. In fact, research suggests senior centers are one of the most widely used services among older Americans.

Plus, more than 11,000 senior centers serve more than 1 million older adults every day in their communities (National Council on Aging).

Research shows that Senior Centers offer a number of specific benefits to older Americans.

These include:

• Higher levels of health
• Increased social interaction
• Greater life satisfaction

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Good Taste, Good Health

Egg in a Hole Breakfast Sandwich

Perfect for breakfast: This recipe may bring back childhood memories. But this new, updated and nutritious take on an old classic will certainly create new ones as well, along with requests for more. Make it in minutes. Perfect with a hot cup of tea on a snowy weekend morning.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large slices of crusty bread
• 2 tsp butter
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 2 slices cheddar cheese
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 egg
• black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Use a circular cookie cutter (or the top of a drinking glass) to cut a hole in one slice of bread.
2. Butter both sides of each slice of bread. Place in a frying pan. Cook over a med heat for a few min until the underside is golden brown. Turn the slices over.
3. Turn heat down fairly low. Top the whole slice of bread with sliced avocado, cheese, and tomato. Crack the egg into the hole in the other slice of bread.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for a few more minutes, until the cheese has melted and the egg is cooked to your liking.
5. Sandwich together the two pieces of bread, top with a pinch of black pepper and serve immediately.

SOURCE: Brit+Co

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DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT FEBRUARY?

February 2, 1848 -- The war between the U.S. and Mexico ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

February 14, 1929 -- The St. Valentine's Day massacre occurred in Chicago.

February 23, 2021 -- In Desert Storm, the Allied ground offensive began after a devastating month-long air campaign targeting Iraqi troops in both Iraq and Kuwait.

February 27, 1947 -- The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting the president to two terms or a maximum of ten years in office.

SOURCE: The History Place

February Celebrity Birthdays: Bob Marley, (February 6), Michael Jordan, (17), Cindy Crawford (20), Elizabeth Taylor, (27)

SOURCE: Famous Birthdays

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Senior Financial Glossary

An annual return is the return that an investment produces over time.

Year-over-year (YOY) measures growth that compares a statistic such as revenue in one time period with the same time period one year earlier.

A zero balance account (ZBA) is a checking account in which a balance of $0 is maintained. When funds are needed in the ZBA, the amount of money required is automatically transferred.

Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) is a method of budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for each new period.

SOURCE: Investopedia

Quote of the Month

"I've always taken risks, and never worried what the world might really think of me."
- Cher

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‍View Last Month's answers

SOURCE: BrainyQuote^©

For information about Medicare or Claiming Social Security, please visit briangoldman.myasbagent.net. Should you have any questions, please email me at brian.goldman@successfs.com or call 412-897-0760.