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13 Fall Home Improvement Projects That Pay Off Big in Winter

13 Fall Home Improvement Projects That Pay Off Big in Winter

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

Some are simple DIY tasks, others should be done by a professional

AARP.org | By Sheryl Jean | October 19, 2022 | Home Insurance | Home Improvement

As winter approaches, fall is the perfect time to prepare your home so you stay warm and dry in colder weather.​

A checklist of inspections and projects will ensure your home’s systems and appliances work properly, which may increase its energy efficiency and lower your utility bills. Think of it as an annual checkup for your home just like you see your family doctor regularly.​

“Staying on top of simple maintenance pays dividends in the long run,” says John Wessling, president of the American Society of Home Inspectors. “Little things can make a huge difference … and prevent bigger problems. That window caulking now may prevent a $35,000 wall repair because water got behind the siding.”​

Lora Novak, an editor for the House Method website that provides home service recommendations and reviews, advises scheduling service sooner than later. It may take longer to get an appointment as many companies may be short of staff or parts due to supply chain issues, she adds.​

Here are 13 home improvement chores to focus on this fall:​

1. Fine-tune your furnace: Home Improvement

Novak says a furnace check is crucial so you don’t risk losing heat during winter. Change the air filter, which becomes dirty and inefficient over time. Hire a professional for a full maintenance check, which may include a furnace inspection, duct cleaning, and an airflow evaluation.​

A furnace inspection could cost less than $100, but a tuneup may cost more than $200. If you’ve got a tight budget, Wessling suggests getting a heating and cooling inspection every other year but only if you change the filter regularly yourself. Look for HVAC specialists through Air Conditioning Contractors of America and North American Technician Excellence.​

2. Clear gutters and downspouts: Home Improvement​

Even if you don’t have trees, leaves, pine needles, and other debris can clog gutters in the fall. That can cause ice dams or water to back up, potentially damaging the roof, siding, or trim. Clean out gutters and downspouts, and direct downspouts 2 to 4 feet away from the foundation, says Mark Graham, vice president of technical services for the National Roofing Contractors Association. DIY is possible, but if you don’t feel safe on a ladder, hire a professional. The average cost for a single-story house is about $160.​

3. Check seals and weatherstripping ​

If you see gaps between exterior windows or door frames, you may need to re-caulk them or install new weatherstripping. Check that storm windows are secure. Cover screen doors with glass or replace them with storm doors for energy efficiency, says Wessling, who owns Wessling Home Inspection Services in St. Louis.​

4. Repair roofs​

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Lower Prescription Drug Costs - Shield Insurance Blog

Drug Costs Lowered By States

Posted on by Shield Insurance Agency

The sweeping federal bill aimed at cutting prescription drug costs follows years of action at the state level

AARP | by Emily Paulin, AARP, August 18, 2022 | Drug Costs | Health Insurance |

En español

Congress’ passage of a sweeping bill that will help millions of Medicare enrollees better afford life-sustaining medications was fueled by a blizzard of recent legislation to make prescription drugs more affordable at the state level. State lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills aimed at lowering prescription drug costs in the past five years, with more than 230 measures enacted across all 50 states.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will allow Medicare to negotiate prices of some high-cost drugs for the first time, put an annual limit on Medicare Part D beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs, and impose tax penalties on drugmakers that increase prices more than the rate of inflation, among other things.

The move follows decades of advocacy for drug affordability by AARP and others, which until recently yielded progress mostly at the state level. “States are the laboratories of democracy,” says Jonathan Bartholomew, a government affairs director at AARP. “They’ve come up with really creative ideas to dissect, legislate and regulate this complicated and confusing marketplace, and I think that progress has really helped build federal momentum around this issue.”

AARP CEO Lauds Activists for Fighting for Rx Bill

Though states are restricted by federal law in how far they can go in directly reducing drug prices, they’ve worked to improve transparency around drug pricing, cap costs for consumers, bolster their drug-purchasing power and more. And collectively, they’ve spotlighted drug affordability as a national issue that calls for federal solutions.

Here are some key state initiatives that advanced prescription drug affordability in recent years.

Increasing price transparency

For states to pinpoint what’s driving price hikes in prescription drugs, it helps to have access to pricing data across a drug’s often long and convoluted supply chain. It’s why 14 states have passed drug price transparency laws that order manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), insurers and others to share cost information.

What pharmaceutical companies must report about their products differs between states, but common requirements include advance notice and justification of the initial price of a drug and when prices increase above certain thresholds; summaries of the state’s most prescribed and costly drugs; and rebate and reimbursement amounts for PBMs, which health insurers use to manage their prescription drug benefits.

Most of the data collected is made public, which can help doctors, consumers and other health care stakeholders. Advance notice of price hikes gives doctors and patients time to analyze patient care plans and adjust as necessary. Summaries of the most prescribed and costly drugs can show state officials where to focus reforms.

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4 Simple Steps to Fight Identity Fraud

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New AARP-sponsored report shows the most common ruses adopted by scammers

by Katherine Skiba, AARP, October 11, 2021

​Identity fraud is easy money for criminals, but there are four steps you can take to protect yourself and your money:​​

  1. Ignore requests for an urgent form of payment, such as using a gift card or making a wire transfer.
  2. ​Protect your passwords and log-in information.
  3. Do not communicate with strangers about confidential or sensitive financial matters.
  4. Verify everything you’re told to determine if a supposed problem truly requires your attention.

The helpful tips are in a new, AARP-sponsored report by Javelin Strategy & Research, which estimates that identity fraud led to $56 billion in losses in 2020.

The report says older consumers are not more vulnerable to every kind of fraud, but notes that the stakes are high for adults age 50-plus because losses tend to be steeper for people who have accumulated a lifetime of wealth.

The report also:

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Are You Ready to Move Your Aging Parent Into Your Home?

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Before assuming the role of full-time family caregiver for an aging parent, pose these key questions

by Bruce Horovitz,  AARP, October 19, 2021 | Aging Parent

Are you thinking about caring for an aging parent in your home? The best way to consider all that is involved in this major decision is to pose the right questions to the right people.

We reached out to top home caregiving experts nationwide and asked them to help frame the key questions that need to be asked before the boxes are packed. “Asking these questions ahead of time can help prevent confusion, misunderstandings, miscommunications and make the entire process go more smoothly,” says Amy Goyer, author of Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving, and AARP’s family and caregiving expert.

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How to Protect Your Brain Health Now

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The pandemic can be hard on your memory, too. Here, from a new report, are tips for building resiliency

by Hallie Levine,  AARP, March 8, 2021 | Brain Health

“While a COVID-19 infection itself can directly harm your brain, months of isolation can take a toll as well,” says Sarah Lenz Lock, executive director of the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH), an independent collaborative of scientists, doctors, and policy experts convened by AARP to provide trusted information on brain health. That’s why the council has released a report on how the brain health of older adults has been affected by the pandemic and what research is needed to address the problem. Along with the latest scientific findings, the report includes tips for older adults to adopt.

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Get Gardening Muscles in Shape and Prevent Injuries

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Get Gardening Muscles in Shape and Prevent Injuries. Before digging, pruning, and planting, make sure you’re ready for the work

by Susan Moeller, AARP, March 15, 2021

Christine Zellers tries to run five miles every day and, at 53, considers herself to be in shape. But even she admits that gardening can leave her sore and achy.

“I feel it, especially in the beginning of the season,” she says. 

Zellers, an assistant professor of family and community health sciences with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County, New Jersey, teaches gardening, leads group exercise classes, and grows vegetables and herbs in her own garden in Ocean City, New Jersey. To protect her body, she tries to remember to stretch and limber up before heading out to dig, plant, or lug big pots around.

“You want to be thinking about the kind of movement you’re going to do and make sure you’re strengthening those body parts, like your core and your back and your legs and your quadriceps,” she says. “So you want to warm up a little bit just like you would if you were going for a run or doing an exercise class.”

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