RetireHub Daily

Internet deals (and more) for retirees

It is Friday, December 8th, 2023.

On This Day In History — on this day in 1980, British musician John Lennon—who rose to fame with the Beatles and had a successful solo career—was fatally shot by Mark David Chapman in New York City, causing a global outpouring of grief.

Deal of the Day

RetireHub’s Top Apps

• We recently ran a survey asking our community what their favorite apps are (with an emphasis on apps that help them make money, and apps that are great for entertainment).

• We’ll update this list frequently since there are so many apps out there, but it’s worth checking out if you’re curious what other retirees are using!

• RetireHub’s Top Apps

The Skinny

Some good news for retirees was recently announced — Social Security will see an 8.7% increase as a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2023. This is the largest increase since 1981 and will raise the average retiree benefit by more than $140 per month starting in January. Additionally, Medicare Part B premiums have decreased, which means it’s a double-whammy of good things for retirees, especially given the inflation spikes of 2023!

The IRS also announced record-high maximum annual contributions for 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan, allowing up to $22,500 in 2023, a 9.8% increase from the previous limit. For those aged 50 and over, an additional $7,500 can be saved, totaling up to $30,000 in contributions.

Words of the Day

Finance: FICO Score

Definition: A number used by banks and other financial institutions to measure a borrower’s creditworthiness. FICO is an acronym for the Fair Isaac Corporation, a company that came up with the methodology(300-850 is the scale).

Medical Word: Hypertension (aka high blood pressure)

Definition: A condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high. Usually hypertension is defined as blood pressure above 140/90, and is considered severe if the pressure is above 180/120.

Slang Word of the Day: Dox

Definition: To seek out and publish private information online about someone, usually with malicious intentions.

Used in a Sentence: “Jennifer got doxed after getting in a fight with someone during an online game, now her address and phone number are all over social media.”

Longevity Tip Of The Day

Try out turmeric — the spice contains a potent bioactive compound called curcumin. Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin is thought to help maintain brain, heart, and lung function, as well as protect against cancers and age-related diseases

Best Of The News

US throws weight behind Guyana in territorial dispute with Venezuela

• The United States says it is fully backing Guyana against Venezuela’s threat to annex its oil-rich western territory as tensions soar over their border dispute.

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed Washington’s position that Guyana has full sovereignty over its 159,500sq km (61,600sq-mile) Essequibo region, in a call with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali late on Wednesday.

• …read the full story

Venice gondola capsizes after tourists refuse to sit down and stop taking selfies

• A group of tourists fell into a murky, cold canal in Venice when the gondola in which they were travelling capsized after they failed to heed an order to stop taking selfies and sit down.

• The gondolier, who had been attempting a tricky manoeuvre as he navigated the vessel under a bridge close to the area of St Mark’s Square, also ended up in the water before scrambling to rescue his passengers.

• …read the full story

Our goal is to grow RetireHub to over 1 million members — with this, we’ll have the leverage to get even better discounts from the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and others.

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