😊 RetireHub Daily: Best Smartphones for Seniors | 06/04/2024

It is Tuesday, June 4th, 2024

Dear RetireHub Daily Readers, welcome back to Tech Tuesday, where we explore how to make the most of senior-friendly tech—plus the usual deals, positive news, and trivia!

On this day in 1984, Bruce Springsteen released the album “Born in the U.S.A.” Some 30 million copies have been sold worldwide since.

Do you know in which State Bruce Springsteen was born? Test your knowledge in our trivia at the end of this newsletter.

Deal of the Day

Macy’s Tech Deals Clearance Sale: Up to 70% Off!

Perfect for Tech Tuesday! There are a range of items in this Macy’s sale, including headphones, speakers, phones, and more.

• Shop the sale!

RETIREHUB POLL

Best Cell Phones for Seniors

We’ll be honest, getting a phone that suits you is more important than having a “best” phone. We each have different tastes, budgets, and needs. But, seeing as we do need phones and they do need replacing sometimes, here’s a list of great phones for seniors.

Best Premium Smartphone: Apple iPhone 15 Plus (128 GB) $899

Pros: Large screen, easy to use, excellent camera and screen, long battery life, many health & safety features, great accessibility options for those with vision issues, speech issues, or are hard of hearing.

Cons: The price! Also, Siri (the voice assistant), is less accurate than others (such as Google’s phones).

Simplest to use: Lively Jitterbug Smart3 $75 

Pros: This phone is all about keeping things simple. The menus use text instead of icons so you don’t have to remember which symbol means what. Still includes handy voice command features. Includes a Call Center plan, which includes 24/7 emergency support for an extra $40 a month.

Cons: Downloading apps is possible but isn’t simple. No wifi calling, so it useful in low coverage areas.

Something less techy: Snapfon ez4G $79

Pros: Designed for seniors who crave simplicity, this small but mighty phone has a button-based keyboard that’s still easy to read. There’s an SOS button that can be set up to alert up to 5 contacts. It can even run a few apps that are pre-installed, such as Facebook!

Cons: You have to use Snapfon’s phone plan.

For memory or cognitive needs: RAZ Mobility Memory Cell Phone $349

Pros: A phone designed to help those with cognitive and memory issues stay connected and give peace of mind to caregivers. This phone makes it very simple to make calls through picture-based contacts, and can be set up to give the caregiver control over incoming and outgoing calls. Also includes an SOS link to a support team and features to help with hand tremors.

Cons: An additional fee is required for the Help Center, and hearing aid compatibility can only be set up through customer service.

Adapted from Wirecutter

Yesterday’s Poll Results - How does Estate Planning make you feel?

✉️ Estate Planning can be a tricky but necessary thing to navigate. That being said, 45% of RetireHub Daily readers don’t feel worried by it. 33% feel somewhat or very worried about Estate Planning. We hope our guide to the basics yesterday helped make things a bit clearer—and we’ll keep sharing more tips.

Thanks to everyone who voted and commented!

Our Favorite Comments:

We love hearing and sharing all your comments from our polls! While we can’t publish them all, we do read and appreciate every comment.

• “We put an estate plan in place in our 50s...”

• “It's a good idea to plan ahead for unseen circumstances. It also prevents any squabbling between family members & if done with proper consideration it keeps everyone involved satisfied...hopefully.”

• “Makes me feel safe. Like things are in order they I want to be. Not someone else. ”

• “I don’t know where to start. I’m not sure if a lawyer is needed. Can I just plan without all the “help” out there that is confusing and expensive.”

WHAT WE’RE READING

SENIOR LIVING NEWS

How to Live Fearlessly as Women Over 60

Fear is a natural part of life. It can creep up slowly, or pop up suddenly, sometimes when we least expect it. But it’s important we recognize that fear is simply a response to the unknown or the uncertain.

It’s a signal that we are stepping out of our comfort zone, and that can be a good thing.

• Read the Article

What Is a Lifetime Annuity? How It Works

A lifetime annuity can serve as a happy medium, giving you a guaranteed monthly payout after you retire in exchange for paying premiums while you’re working.

Key Takeaways

•A lifetime annuity is an investment vehicle where you pay premiums each month, similar to a life insurance policy.

•But unlike a life insurance policy, an annuity pays you monthly income at a future point that is determined at the time you sign.

•If you plan to go with an annuity, it’s important to shop around and do your research.

Read the Guide

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Longevity Tip of the Day

Try some fermented foods—the bacteria in our guts have a surprisingly large impact on our health, including our brains. And those good bacteria can be topped up with certain foods. Some fermented foods, such as kimchi, can be rich in good-gut bacteria probiotics. Other sources are Greek Yoghurt, Kefir (a Turkish Yoghurt drink), and Greek Yoghurt. And they’re all delicious!

Slang Phrase of the Day

Phrase: “Lazy Girl Jobs'“

Meaning: Neither a sign of laziness nor just for girls, “lazy girl jobs” describes those who resist the workplace hustle culture and favor jobs that give them time to enjoy their lives.

In a sentence: “I’m so over corporate culture. I need a lazy girl job, like being a dog walker.“

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY

Chester Zoo Celebrates as 11 Adorable Endangered Penguin Chicks Hatch–the Most for a Decade

It’s hatching season for Humboldt penguins at the Chester Zoo, and this year the keepers have seen a record number of chicks hatched.

The 11 chicks joining the colony are a delight for visitors and handlers alike, as well as a boon for the species which was recently classified as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

…Read More

Grandmother Completes Terrifying 29-Mile Swim Through Shark-Infested Waters to Break the Record

A grandmother has defied her age and weight by becoming the first woman to swim from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge to the Farallon Islands—a distance of darn near 30 miles.

The former collegiate swimmer had not done any swimming for 24 years, but braved frigid waters, sharks, and jellyfish—all without a wetsuit.

• …Read More

RETIREHUB TRIVIA

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.

To help incentivize referrals, we’re giving away 12 months of your favorite streaming service for free! Simply forward this email to a friend (and cc [email protected]) and you’ll be entered into the drawing on June 12th! (Maximum $20/month streaming service).

Each additional friend you send the email to will count as an additional entry (25 person max).