Author: TECH

For many retirees, Social Security is a key piece of their retirement plan. Yet decisions made years before claiming benefits can reduce the windfall. Through a variety of errors, retirees sometimes shrink their own benefits without realizing it. Read Next: 3 Biggest Problems Facing Social Security in 2026  Learn More: 10 Clever Ways Retirees Are Earning Up To $1K per Month From Home  GOBankingRates had retirement experts lay out the most common missteps so retirees can collect their maximum benefits. 1. Claiming Benefits Too Early One of the most common ways retirees shrink their Social Security income is by claiming benefits too soon.…

Asking the right questions is the answer. In a recent email newsletter I wrote, “Calm your mind today. Don’t think outside the box. Think like there is no box.” And to my surprise, 67 people quoted that line and responded with the same general question: “How?” I’ve spent some time thinking about how to answer their collective question in the most universal way possible, and I’ve decided that the simplest explanation I can give is this: Ask yourself better questions — questions that focus your thoughts and filter out the excess noise that’s been cluttering your mind. The calming and…

Last year was a history-maker in several respects for America’s leading retirement program, Social Security. We witnessed the average monthly retired-worker benefit surpass $2,000 for the first time, celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act being signed into law, and saw Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) meet or exceed 2.5% for a fifth consecutive year (that last happened three decades ago). Arguably, no announcement is more anticipated by Social Security’s more than 54 million retired-worker beneficiaries than the annual COLA reveal — and based on the latest update, it could be historically large, courtesy of a second consecutive…

Hazezl the dog and the fire she saved her owner from – credit, Gary Thomas (left) JDC Rescue (right) From a New Zealand outlet comes the story of a man who saved a dog from the pound, and the dog who saved him from perishing in a house fire. Even though her new forever home has turned to ashes, Hazel the dog managed to save the only thing that really mattered: a life. With a well-placed bite she woke her sleeping owner who found to his surprise that his house was on fire. The incident occurred in Whakatāne last Friday.…

If we want to understand schizophrenia, or any mental health condition, we need to understand the story that lives beneath the symptoms, writes Dr Julia Nicholls.  WHEN THE NEWSPAPER landed on her kitchen table that morning, the voices in her head began yelling. You’re worthless. You idiot. The voices were louder than they had been in 20 years. She had spent two decades learning to navigate living with schizophrenia. Most days, she managed well. But this article about child abuse – a cruelty she recognised from her own childhood – was like a tremor triggering a long-dormant earthquake. She was…

“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links.”Just as you take care of your physical health through exercise, your mental health needs training too. When built to be resilient, a strong mind is an underrated superpower against whatever life throws at you.To optimize your mental health, you might hear a number of wellness gurus swearing by certain brain supplements or natural products. The good news is that improving your mental health doesn’t have to be complicated—or costly. There are many small moves you can do today to boost your mental well-being.Now let’s be…

A vacation often feels like the answer to exhaustion. A few days away, a change of environment, fewer responsibilities, pleasant weather. And while this can offer temporary relief, many people notice that the sense of calm does not last after returning. The same patterns, the same pace, and often, the same mental fatigue reappear. This is because stress is not only situational but behavioral. Short breaks can interrupt stress, but they do not always change the daily habits that sustain it. Over time, it is the smaller, repeated patterns, not occasional escapes, that shape mental wellbeing.The human nervous system responds…

Millions of Americans receiving Social Security benefits are set to receive their next monthly payment this week, with some retirees collecting checks worth as much as $5,181 per month depending on their earnings history and the age they began claiming benefits.More than 70 million people across the United States receive Social Security benefits, including retirees, survivors and people with disabilities. Because of the scale of the program, the Social Security Administration sends payments out on a staggered monthly schedule.When Are Payments Coming?The next round of May payments is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, and will go to beneficiaries born between the 21st…

You know that feeling when a slow internet connection makes you want to throw your laptop across the room? Or when you snap at your partner because the dishwasher wasn’t loaded the “right” way? If small annoyances regularly send you spiraling into anger or cause you to give up on tasks completely, you might be dealing with low frustration tolerance. Low frustration tolerance makes everyday challenges feel impossible to handle, leading you to avoid difficult tasks, give up quickly, or lash out at others when things don’t go as planned. The good news is that frustration tolerance isn’t a fixed…

British illustrator Quentin Blake has established a new museum dedicated solely to his craft, aiming to uplift other artists The world’s largest museum devoted solely to illustration will open in Clerkenwell, London, in May, marking the culmination of a project more than 20 years in the making. The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is the brainchild of celebrated British illustrator Quentin Blake. Set within the grounds of an 18th-century waterworks, the centre features three galleries that will host a rolling programme of exhibitions dedicated to the art of illustration in all its forms. “I have long dreamt of a permanent…