Click here to read the Winter 2007 SRA Newsletter.
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Feburary 29, 2008 .
My Experience with Fidelity
By Miriam Rivera-Secretary CWA Local 1298
March of this year my brother Jose passed,
God rest his soul. As executrix for his estate
I had the unfortunate experience of dealing
with Fidelity as the pension plan administrator for
AT&T. My brother worked for AT&T as an operator,
frame attendant and finally central office technician,
and left the company on Long Term Disability. His
decision to collect LTD and Social Security and never
touch his pension was a sound decision. The rules of
our pension plan state if you leave on LTD and decide
to take your pension benefit, the pension benefit will
offset your disability benefits. If you do not request to
have your pension payments begin your pension will
not offset your disability benefits. So Jose never
touched his pension, and hoped to leave his benefit to
his beneficiary. (Having never been married his
beneficiary would be our mother.)
After calling Fidelity to apply for his death benefits
my mother received a package offering condolences and
asking her (she is 85) to fill out many forms for
benefits she MAY be eligible to receive. One of which
was of course his pension. After processing the paper
work, my brother’s estate received a letter of
condolence advising our family that there is no benefit
due.
You can imagine my surprise. I had a copy of
Jose’s March 31, 2007 Cash Balance Statement that
showed me his balance. Jose passed mid-March and my
next thought was where did his funds go. I began
making phone calls. I told the service center that I had
my brother’s March statement and it read Cash Balance
Account with a large sum as the balance. Where did
that pension money go? I was told that my brother was
in the AT&T East Pension Plan, and that the “rules of
the plan state that a pre-retirement death benefit is only
for a surviving spouse (my brother was single) even if
he had a beneficiary form on file. In other words the
company would be keeping my brother’s cash balance
account!!
They continuously encouraged me to appeal. I
asked them to explain where in the plan they were
citing from in order to deny my mother’s claim. How
can I appeal if I don’t know what I am appealing? They
of course couldn’t tell me exactly where. I asked who
made the decision. The answer: “a review board” Can I
talk to them to find out what I am appealing? “They
don’t talk to anyone.” I was passed around from person
to person each time I tried to escalate the matter yet no
one could cite the denial reason directly from the SPD.
At one point someone tried to cite from the SPD but
when I explained it didn’t apply and why it didn’t apply
they told me to appeal.
Finally, after a very stressful, not to mention ruined
vacation of many phone calls and no success, I returned
to work as a union representative and called our
friendly neighborhood AT&T labor department. He
sounded as confused as I was about the purpose of a
cash balance account if you can’t leave it to your
beneficiaries. He explained that he would have to refer
the matter to San Antonio. Surprise Surprise! A week
later I received a phone call from Fidelity. They
explained that AT&T provided clarification for the
AT&T East pension plan and that it was determined that
a benefit is due. That I should please disregard any
correspondence dated before the date of this
conversation
How many other people have been affected by this
that didn’t know how to fight it? What kind of money
has AT&T been able to keep that should have been
distributed to other beneficiaries? What if my mother
didn’t have me? Would she have a broken heart, not to
mention a broken bank account?
Moral to the story: Know your reason for denial.
Make them give it to you in writing. If you have to
appeal don’t accept a telephone conversation as your
documentation. They will play the shell game – as soon
as you think you have found the nut they will move the
prize. Know your Summary Plan Description (SPD). Go
to HR ONE Stop or call Fidelity they will mail it.
Fidelity.com has a section where you can download a
copy of the plan. Once again a pension plan is governed
by Federal Law called ERISA – just like our disability
plan – and the rules of the plan are gospel. You can’t
win the game if you don’t know the rules. Also, fill out
your beneficiary forms available from Fidelity – and
keep a safe copy of them for your loved ones. Do this
NOW! Don’t wait – your spouses, parents, children, or
siblings well-being depends on it.
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December 13, 2007 .
Getting Gassed
By Gene Henson
No one likes to get gas. I mean,
think about it: you drive into this smelly place (does anyone offer full
service any more, without asking you to mortgage your house?) You get out of
your car, swipe your card, (or go inside to pre-pay and wait behind some clown
buying 27 lotto tickets) grab the nozzle after who knows who has touched it,
and direct a stream of extremely flammable liquid, which costs the earth into
your tank. I see you shaking your head.
Over the past few months, I’ve been
looking around as I wait for the tank to fill, and it’s become interesting to
say the least, watching the antics of my fellow gas station patrons.
I’ve seen some women make quite a
production out of it. One, just the other day pulled up behind me. She then
proceeded to fix her hair and check herself out in the rear view mirror. Then,
she reached down, got and put on the special glove to protect her hand from the
dreaded pump handle. One more glance in the mirror and she was ready for the
exit. She opened the door, walked to the
rear of her car, and noticed that the gas fill was on the other side. She
mumbled a few old words, got back in her car, removed the special glove, fixed
her hair and backed up, turned around and backed in close to the pump. She
fixed her hair again, re-inserted her hand into the glove, got out and spent a
few minutes serching for the gas cap that had fallen off the trunk. That
completed, she rummaged in her purse for her credit card, which necessitated
removing the glove once again.
Card in hand, she approached the
pump only to be confronted with a sign that read, “Sorry, out of order.” She
actually yelled at the gas pump. By then, my own mission had been accomplished
and I drove away.
I do have to wonder, though, why
there isn’t a standard of where gas filler caps are located. We have three
cars, and on two the filler caps are on the drivers side. On the pick-up truck
it’s on the other. When I fuel up the truck, I invariably pull into the wrong
side. Remember the Fords of the mid fifties? (sure you do) They had the filler
cap in the middle so this wasn’t a problem. Wonder why no one thinks of that
while they are designing cars that cost as much as houses of not that long ago.
Least someone brand me a chauvinist
because of the above, here’s a dance I watched this past summer.
We spend weekends at Rhode
Island
Their stations have two price
structures. One for those who possess a Stop and Shop “card”, and the other for
the great unwashed. The ten-cent coupon is on top of this.
Do to the two-price stricture,
there are two steps to go through when you want the S&S discount. You first
swipe your credit card and follow the prompt, which instructs you to hold your
S&S card under a bar code reader. Once that’s done, it’s pretty much like
all the rest. If you have a coupon you go to the booth with your receipt when
you’re done, present both and they give you cash. Not all that difficult. Or is
it?
The man studied the pump and
scratched his head, obviously unfamiliar with the processes. He swiped his credit card and continued to
gaze at the prompt screen. Then, he stuck his S&S card into the credit card
slot. He pulled out the card and looked at it. He stood back and waited. He did
it again. After a minute or so he looked around as if to see who was watching
him. I looked over at the Duncan Donuts next door. He started all over again from scratch,
obviously becoming agitated. I was enjoying myself. He went to the booth and while I couldn’t
hear the conversation, it was quite animated. He came back and proceeded to
repeat the whole process. By now, I was slowing down my pump. Another trip to
the booth and this time, the attendant came out. He swiped the man’s card,
scanned the S&S card and returned to his booth shaking his head. The guy
pumped his gas and I continued to drag my feet. This was better than any
situation comedy on TV. Then, his pump shut off at fifty dollars.
He uttered a curse and went through
the whole processes again. The pump re-started and shut off after another half
gallon went into the tank. The guy slammed the nozzle into the pump and stalked
off to redeem his coupon. He was back in a flash, because he’d forgotten his
receipt. Red faced, he returned to the booth, got his money and got into his
Suburban. By now I was finished and walked over to the booth to redeem MY
coupon. I’d just finished when the
screech of tires from the driveway began. Smoke poured from the Suburban’s
tires as it took off down the road, followed by the police car that had just
pulled out from Duncan Donuts. Driving
by the two cars now stopped alongside the road, I resisted the temptation to
toot my horn.
Sometimes, it’s fun to get gas.
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October 21, 2007 .
Retiree Blues
By Gene Henson
One day last week I was sitting here going through my mail, which, of course, consisted mostly of junk mail. It seems that in the past couple years, the amount of junk mail has increased exponentially, second only to the amount of junk E-mail, commonly called Spam. I usually toss most of it, the exception being the un-solicited credit card applications. These go into the shredder. But one caught my eye, and I opened it.
“Congratulations Mr. Henson!” it began “It gives us great pleasure to inform you that you have won prize number 33 in the Senegal National Lottery” The letter went on to state that the prize I had won was in the amount of five thousand US dollars, and that a casher’s check, drawn on the Central Bank of West Africa, was included. It also directed me to wire “At my earliest convince”(SIC) Five hundred dollars to an address in Miami, Florida, as a “Conveyance fee”.
Well, gee. Now, I could use five grand, I don’t know anyone who couldn’t. I looked closely at the check on my hand. It looked legitimate. And hey, it wasn’t for the three million that you hear about. But, I had never sent anything to indicate that I wanted to play the Senegal National Lottery. And besides: If you play a foreign lottery — through the mail or over the telephone — you’re violating federal law. I walked over to the shredder and was about to consign the check to the pit, but I thought, “Hey wait a minute.” Being naturally curious, especially when it comes to someone wanting to scam me out of my money, I decided to check it out.
A quick Google search indicated that indeed, there was a Senegal National Lottery, and yes, it was a scam, based on the Nigerian scam that’s been in the news lately. I next Goggled the Central Bank of West Africa, and soon was on their web site. It took a little while to get the English version up (the official language of Senegal is French, it once having been a French colony) At the contact prompt, I found the name and E-mail address of the bank’s auditor in Dakar, the capital. I snapped off an E-mail explaining what I had, the number of the check, as well as the routing number at the bottom, along with the accountant number. Two hours later, I received a response.
“There is no account number such as you have provided. We have no person of that name connected with our bank. Do not under any circumstances cash this check.” The E-mail went on to apologize for any “Undue concern you may have had.” It was signed by an M. Akara Gama, for C.B.W.A.
I then did a reverse look up on the Miami address where I was supposed to send the $500 Conveyance fee. That was listed to a Mr. Felix Clifford.
Gathering up all this information, I went searching for a good place to send it. After a call to the State Attorney General’s office, I spoke with one of the attorneys there who advised me to get in touch with the local office of the US Secret Service, which handles cases like that. Soon, it was all in a big brown envelop on its way, special delivery, return receipt. I did this because after all, that check still had my name on it.
All this took about three hours from the time I opened my mailbox to passing the envelop across the counter at my post office. Will my actions stop this sort of thing from happening again? I doubt it. But one more piece of evidence can’t hurt.
Unfortunately, scams like this are not uncommon. If I had cashed the check, I would have been out the $500 fee, had I sent it. If not, I could have been liable for banking fees for processing a worthless check, or in extreme cases, faced criminal charges. These offers also are sent via E-mail, the most common way they are proliferated. It always remains good advice never to open an unsolicited E-mail, attachment or not. And always remember: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
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October 01, 2007 .
High Court Wants US Government Comment On AT&T Pension Plan Appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the Solicitor General's Office to comment on an appeal by an AT&T Corp. (T) pension plan facing a $31.2 million judgment in a class-action lawsuit over lump-sum retirement benefits paid to some retirees.
Click hereSupreme Court !
to read the article.
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August 31, 2007 .
Companies Retreat on Health Care For Retirees
A battle is waging aganist the retirees of companies in the United States and the retirees are losing that battle. One of the latest companies to take away retiree health care benefits is Cincinnati Bell.
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July 22, 2007 .
2007 Retiree Picnic
The SRA is today announcing our 2007 retiree picnic.
THE SNET RETIREES ASSOCIATION WILL HOLD A PICNIC FOR ALL MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2007.
FOOD (including: breakfast selections, hotdogs, hamburgers, southern fried chicken, salads, clam chowder, baked beans, dips, cheeses, salsa and nachos corn on the cob fruit and cake)
SWIMMING, HORSESHOES, BOCCE, BOATING AND GOLF (SHOOT TO THE PIN), CASH BAR FOR WINE AND BEER
LOCATION: HOLIDAY HILL RESORT PROSPECT, CT.
TIME: 10 A.M. UNTIL 3 P.M.
Click herePicnic Registation Form
to view the downloadable form.
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July 04, 2007 .
AT&T Reference Guide
This is a one-stop reference guide for frequently called numbers, Web site addresses and other
important AT&T benefits contact information for both retired and actice employees.Click hereReference Guide
to view the downloadable booklet.
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June 04, 2007 .
Beware of the Car or Truck Rental
There have been times when the majority of us needed to rent a car or truck. We fly to a vacation spot and need a car or the kids are off to college and we have to rent a truck to carry a mountain of stuff to furnish a dorm room.
We go to the rental agency office and use our credit cards to hold the vehicle until final payment at the end of our usage. The rental agent then asked if we would care to take their supplemental insurance coverage. We decline because we believe our personal car insurance or the credit car we are using will cover any damage to the vehicle that may happen while it is in use by us. Well that is only true to a point!
In practically all cases your personal auto insurance will cover you just like you were driving your own car and you had some sort of an incident. Although your insurance or your credit card company most likely will not cover what is called “loss of use”. That means if the rented vehicle is not able to be put back in service at the end of your rental agreement you are liable and will be billed daily for the amount of monies the vehicle would have earned the rental company. And that down time could be very expensive if the car is in a repair shop for a few weeks. There is another little charge that can be tacked on to your final bill as well if you had an accident that damaged the rented vehicle. What the rental company does is look at the value of the vehicle before it was damaged and the value of it in its damaged state; they then bill you the difference even it the vehicle is restored to original condition.
So when the rental agent asks if you would like to take their daily insurance coverage you may want to consider purchasing it for peace of mind and saving yourself a real headache if you damaged their vehicle.
Always check with your insurance company and your credit card company before you rent to find out what coverage you have concerning a rented vehicle. Another think to remember is vehicle rental agencies frown on credit cards that are also debit cards and they sometimes put an immediate hold on your card for the whole amount of monies due until the rental vehicle is returned. It may max out your card if you plan on using the same card for other reasons during your vehicle rental. Besides all this, your credit card insurance if available, may not cover damage to specialty vehicles like SUV’s, luxury cars, or sports cars.
I learned this recently when I needed a rental car for two weeks while my personal car was having major surgery to the transmission.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
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April 27, 2007 .
Pension Increases Announced for Some Retirees
On Friday April 27, 2007 at the AT&T Annual Shareholder Meeting in San Antonio, Texas , Chairman and CEO Edward Whitacre announced that some retirees from 1996 and earlier will receive an ad hoc increase in their pensions beginning with the October, 2007 check.
He indicated that the percentage of the increase will be “weighted”; meaning the lesser amount that a retiree is currently receiving will receive a greater percentage increase.
It is not clear at this time if there are other restrictions on this increase based on current amount of pension annuity for each person, or if folks who took lump sums are included.
The company representatives did share with me and the other retiree coalition leaders that more information will be made available to the retirees in this group as they begin the work of the implementation of this needed increase.
We are pleased that the SRA, along with the other retiree organizations did not remain silent on this issue. Through our open dialog, letters, shareholder proposals, and many other behind the scenes actions with the company it was a pleasure to be at the meeting when it was announced.
It that the end of our work? No, I along with you support have more to do.
Mr. Whitacre also announced his retirement that will be effective in early June of this year, on his 44th service anniversary.
His replacement, Mr. Randall Stephenson was elected by the Board of Directors that same day. He is 46 years of age. He began his career at SWBT in 1982, and has held numerous positions in the finance and marketing arenas. His current position is the Chief Operating Officer of AT&T. He also holds a seat on the AT&T Board of Directors.
By: JoAnn Alix-Gagain
President, SRA
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March 20, 2007 .
Credit Card Canasta
Just about everyone has at least one. They can be useful tool, or your worst nightmare. I am, of course, talking about credit cards, those little plastic things that also work well for scraping frost (never ice) from your windshield.
A quick Google search shows that as of today, March 20th, there is one point seven trillion dollars in un-secured credit card debt in this country. I’m sure that everyone reading this knows at least one horror story about credit cards, but here’s one that has a good ending, and may give you some previously unknown information as well.
In the Henson household, we have four credit cards; we used to have five and that’s the meat of the story. My wife has one of her own so that she was able to establish credit in her own name. Hers is from our local Credit Union, where I have one as well. The others were chosen for their various pay back options. One, a Citi Dividend card, gives a pay back of five percent on self-pumped gasoline and two percent on everything else. And they pay you in real, live cash, not the “points” some other cards do. When the amount gets to sixty bucks or so, they cut you a check. That’s the best part. But do not allow the payment to be late as the late fee is almost $70! I don’t bother checking interest rates, because I refuse to pay them, opting to pay the balance off every month.
The bad boy this article is about is an AAA Visa card that I’ve had for a few years, mostly because it too initially offered the same 5% off on gas, and it’s nice to have an alternate.
In the beginning, the AAA worked out pretty good. Right there on your statement, along with how much you spent on gas, was the 5% credit for all the gas you bought during that billing period. But it was too easy. A year ago, citing, “Accounting streamlining efforts”, they began deducting the 5% on the following months statement. A pain, but still easy to read. About six months ago, all that changed. “In an attempt to simplify our accounting…”, they embarked on a method that even Allen Greenspan would have trouble deciphering. That’s when I began to think, “Hmmm…”
Recently, AAA sold their credit card business to Bank of America, one of the biggest credit card issuers in the country. Last month, (you may have read this) Bank of Aamericia began issuing credit cards to “Un-documented immigrants”, (read illegal) which is like calling drug dealers un-licensed pharmacists. When these people max out their cards and slither back across the border, who’s gonna pay? Not hard to figure that one out. But I digress.
I got my February AAA bill and when I checked over the statement (you DO do that, don’t you?) I was amazed to see a thirty-nine dollar LATE fee included. Now, because of BOA’s policy of leaving the least possible time to respond to your monthly bill; indeed: you better be writing the check as you walk back from the mailbox, I pay on line. It’s pretty easy, too. Giving them the routing number for your bank account, (I have one set up just for this) it’s posted the day it’s due, and you don’t have to write a check or waste a stamp.
I called them up.
“Your call is important to us…” Twenty minutes of that, along with listening to Barry Manilow songs and then Michelle came on the line.
I explained the problem.
“I’m sorry sir, but that payment was late.” She said.
“What was the post date?” I asked.
“The 24th” she replied. The day after the due date.
I went on to explain that I had sent it on the due date and that I had a receipt attesting to that. She wasn’t having any of it.
“You need to send it five days before the due date.” She said.
“What, so you get to use my money for a week?” I was beginning to be slightly aggravated..
Reminding her that I had been paying this bill on the due date for some two years had no effect.
“When did all this change change?” I asked.
“Last month.” she replied. “What we can do sir, is offer you a reduced interest rate.”
“Michelle, take a look and see if you can find the last time I paid any interest on this card. What am I going to have to do to get you to remove this late fee?”
The line went silent for a minute, and I knew she s talking to someone else. She soon came back on.
“Sir, she said, “as a one time courtesy, I’m authorized to remove the late fee, but only this once.”
I felt like I was being scolded by my mother.
“So you’ve done that? Credited me the $39 late fee?”
“Yes sir”
“Okay, now the next thing you can do, is cancel the card.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme, sir?” she asked.
“Yup. I sure do.” I said as I hung up the phone.
Credit cards can make your life easer, but you do have to keep a sharp eye on what’s going on. Read your monthly statement, keep track of any changes, and try very hard not to have a balance. If you do, make it a point to pay more than the minimum amount, and put it in the drawer until it’s paid off.
The sound of that card going through my shredded was pure music. I wished that Michelle could have heard it.
By: Gene Henson
SRA Member
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March 07, 2007 .
Shareholder Update
Please be advised that AT&T has been instructed by the SEC to include a shareholder proposal if passed, that will require AT&T to include Executive Compensation packages for shareholder advise annually.
We hope that if you or a family member or friends will support this proposal when voting your shares this month.
Thanks for your dues renewals and if you have not done so yet please do so prior to April 20th as you will be omitted from the next newsletter. Need a renewal form? You can find it at the botton of our web site Home Page.
JoAnn Alix-Gagain
Pres. SNET RETIREES ASSOC.
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Feburary 03, 2007 .
Immunity to Violence
Are we are being desensitized to violence? I think the answer to that question is yes!
It is occurring very subtly; but it is happening. Rent any movies or watch much television and you should have noticed over the years that there has been an increase in all types of on screen violence. And it is more that just physical violence but abusive vulgar language or suggestive language of a sexual nature that does nothing to make the plot of the story any more interesting to this viewer. Also there is the so called funny violence that really claim to be candid home videos promoted by a couple of the major networks as Funny Home Video Shows that you the viewer can vote on which video is the best of the bunch. Watch these home videos close and you can see that the adult, child or animal may have been injured, we hope that isn’t true but it is very likely. Yet the audience laughs!
So I am asking you this question; do you feel comfortable watching these shows with your children or grandchildren? And if you are comfortable watching and listening to what the entertainment world claims to be ok, then why?
What if we went back in time to thirty or forty years ago and the family audience viewed a movie or TV show from 2007. What do you think their reaction would be if you could ask them? Do you think their comment would be, “The shows of 2007 are wonderful” or “What have you done to our world?”
You also must remember that TV shows or movies of that time had no profanity, no extreme violence, little or no sex and the shows actually had a plot. A real story line that made sense! Three Coins in a Fountain or It’s a Wonderful Life, were examples of two great movies. And I know you can think of many more wonderful movies that are clean good stories.
So, if you are not happy with what you are seeing or hearing you can write the networks and your elected officials in Washington. Then maybe someday we can all watch quality programs on the TV.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
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Janurary 08, 2007 .
How is Your Health Today?
Sneezing, cough, chills or running a temperature from a mid- winter cold? I am! And I feel miserable. The way I feel today while writing this article, makes me believe that it may be June or July before I feel better. It has been two weeks since I began having the sniffles and today I believe I am having a relapse. Not a good sign!
Is any of the virus and germs that are floating around in the air good for us seniors to have attacking our bodies? I sure don’t think so and I try to stay away from people who have colds or the Flu during the late fall through early spring months. Of course this is difficult to do unless you live in a bubble. You have to get out occasionally to buy groceries or to just socialize with other folks. And it doesn’t make any difference if we are in a restaurant or in a church those evil germs are lurking about ready to attack us and make our lives miserable for days if not weeks. Sometimes you can’t stay away from the germs even if you don’t leave your home. Who comes over for a visit; daughter or son with the grandkids in tow! Hugs and kisses all around and each child has a runny nose. Talk about being doomed! I guess it is just meant to be, you are going to be sick sooner or later.
Well, even though the odds are against us there are some basic hygiene rules we can all practice. First and foremost wash your hand, I know that sometimes it seems inconvenient and you would rather not because some public restrooms are not always very clean. And the faucet handles on the sinks in these restrooms are a major source of germs. So get your hand drying paper towel ready prior to your cleaning your hands so that after you dry your hands you can then turn off the water using your hand towel before disposing of it. A couple more ideas are the little purse size bottles of hand sanitizers and the use of tissues instead of handkerchiefs.
Anything touched by other humans is a source of germs and what isn’t touched by shoppers, so if I am out shopping and need a restroom I look for someplace that I believe to have clean facilities. Kohl’s , Wal-Mart or Macy’s are decent chooses and if traveling then it is best to stop at some hotel chain as their lobby restrooms are usually very clean.
So I hope you make it through the winter months without catching a cold or the flu. I have not been so lucky.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
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December 04, 2006 .
Quick Response in an Emergency
How fast can you think in an emergency? Medical information is required immediately for emergency personnel and healthcare providers. Can you remember dates of birth, allergies, what medications by name, dosage and time of day the medicine is taken to prevent overdoses? Do you know the names, telephone numbers of doctors that provide your care or the care to one of your loved ones? Medical insurance cards or at least the name of your plans available if you can not speak, or if you are responsible for others. What hospital do you prefer?
Do you have the information for your grandchild if they are visiting and are in your care? What would your children want you to do in that case if you can not reach them in a timely fashion? Are they in their own geographic area and you need to know what to do, or in yours and you need to secure immediate help.
Recent pictures of you or loved ones faces, updated physical descriptions, etc. are key when time may be a critical factor as well.
All of these items are life saving and almost too difficult to compile under stress.
A purse or wallet is fine most of the time, but what happens when you have had that misfortune to have that stolen .Or worse, no one knows where to locate the info in your wallet and again you are unable to assist.
Technology is now helping resolve some of those critical issues. On your key chain or around your neck on a necklace all the information mentioned here as well as much, much more can be loaded onto a computer memory stick. These little items can hold vast amounts of information. They are becoming smaller in size every few months. The latest are no bigger or thicker than a pack of chewing gum.
Code Amber sells one that you can carry with you. (But not in your purse, please) For added security this Amber Stick is user ID and Password protected. I liked that idea until I thought; what if you are not able to give the police, emergency responders or hospital staff the password. What if you can’t communicate with them! Emergency services all have laptops with them and can plug the stick into a USB port on their laptop to retrieve necessary information on the spot. They can, if needed upload that information to other police or a hospital.
Code Amber’s product is thirty five dollars and has a logo stamped on the side of the stick. You can also buy your own memory sticks locally at most stores that sell electronics and computer supplies. You don’t need a lot of memory and can be purchased for about twenty dollars. Shop around for a “stick” you like and load your information or have someone do it for you. (Children, grandchild, Senior Center, doctor assistant, lawyer, etc…someone you trust) and carry it with you. (Not in your wallet either.) Keep it updated too, as medications are changed. These are great gift ideas for parents, grandparents everyone you love.
Remember, it is up to the individual how much information to place on the stick. Nor do we endorse any product. Shop around…… be safe and smart consumers.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
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November 14, 2006 .
Retired and Short of Dollars
You have been retired for a number of years and during those years you have watched your fixed income monies dwindle as the cost of living steadily grows. You look back at the first few years of retirement when everything was great; you had money to go out to eat a couple of times a week and afford to play golf or bowl weekly. Buying birthday and holiday gifts for the grandchildren was no problem at all, and taking short overnight trips around the country was fun. But that was ten to fifteen years ago and now your income just doesn’t seem to stretch from one month to the next month. The cost of food, cars or car repairs, gas, prescription drugs, taxes and just about everything keeps going up. You are beginning to worry and not sure what to do! You know the house you own is going to need work done next year; possibly a new roof or new furnace; you know it is on the horizon and going to be a major cost.
There are options for you that you can explore depending on whether you plan on staying in your home or changing your living location within the next few years. And our health as we age determines how we make our decisions on where we live. We may decide to sell the home and move to an apartment or condo, or move in with one of the children. Either of those choices will free up money to use from the home sale. Perhaps you bought your home in the 1960’s or 1970’s for $25,000 dollars and you can now sell it for $200,000 dollars today. Then you can put that money in the bank and collect a small interest while slowly drawing it down for your everyday living expenses to supplement your retirement and social security expenses. This should work well for you throughout your remaining years unless you experience a serious illness that will require long term nursing home care.
The other option is staying in your home and using your homes equity to supplement your monthly income to again give you additional money for purchases or to pay your town, state and federal taxes. And there are different ways to do this; the home equity line of credit loan or doing a reverse mortgage although there are some costs for you to pay when creating the loan or mortgage. You should ask your bank or credit union about these programs to see if they fit your future needs. Do not rule out either of these options to quickly because if you are able to stay in the home you own it is an investment that will continue to increase in value yearly. Remember you bought your home for $25,000 dollars and it is now valued at $200,000 dollars. In five years your home can sell for possible $230,000 dollars. The money you used from your equity loan or reverse mortgage during those five years may not affect your overall worth and still leave something for your heirs once you are gone.Before you commit to any future plan you should also check with your financial and or tax advisors.
Please email us if you have a topic of interest you would like for us to address in future letters.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
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AT&T Retiree Leadership Group Meets in Texas
On Thursday April 27th a meeting of the AT&T (SBC) RETIREE ORGANIZATIONS was held in San Antonio, Texas prior to our attendance at the ATT Annual Shareholder meeting also in Texas. Present were the retiree groups’ leadership of JoAnn Alix-Gagain, (SNET), Jane Banefield, (old ATT), Bruce Beckman and Chet Przybyski (Ameritech), S.K. Emery and Muriel Wick (Pac/Nev Bell)
The meeting had a dual purpose. One to formalize an ATT Coalition of retirees and the second was meeting with AT&T company representatives from the benefit and communications departments.
Review of last year’s meeting of coalition representatives indicated to all that the topic last year similar but never did get completely off the ground. It was resolved and agreed to by all that as the “founding members” of the coalition we ourselves need assistance in the area of facilitating to determine the scope of the coalition in all aspects. (Structure, funding, vision, mission, etc.) All agreed to a time table with associated action items which will enable us to move forward to a more formal and focused group. We hope this will allow us to have a unified voice for items and concerns that interest all of the AT&T retirees when speaking with the company.
AT&T Corp. Communication Group listened to our displeasure with the company regarding lack of communication with retirees. Most recent action was the discontinuation of the document that was sent monthly with the pension check/statements. The web site does have some information for retirees but not everyone has access to a computer. We also stressed that all benefit material should be sent via the U.S. mail. Other items such as press releases, legislative activities, product developments/rollouts, industry news and the like should also be communicated as we could be great “ambassadors” for the company. Also, the corporate “drivers” that all employees are focused on this year are: customer care, wireless and wire line growth, shareholder value and costs. Everything done must be driven to one or more of those initiatives.
The afternoon session of our meeting was spent with Sue Colburn Vice President –Benefits for AT&T as well as members from her team. We discussed at length of the fact the company is currently discussing with vendors for health care benefits administration for 2007 and working on benefit effective dates for the original ATT active and retirees folks. The integration of plans and applications is a huge effort. They also hope to begin communicating if any changes to the retiree benefits in early summer as they did last year. ATT (SBC) actual expense for medical costs last year was $ 4 Billion.
A discussion was held regarding Medicare Part D and the current experience that the company is seeing with the current retirees who are Medicare eligible. On average $600/700 per eligible person is the reimbursement to the company from Medicare Part D. Currently there are approx. 300,000 retirees enterprise wide excluding dependants and approximately. 150,000 are Medicare eligible.
Health Savings accounts were also a topic of concern as to the distribution of the funds when an expense is incurred. Who the check from the H.S. account can be made out to was resolved. (Answer: Anyone, including yourself) Currently there are 8,000 active and retirees who enrolled in HAS’s with Asanti. There could be more who set up their own HAS with other financial institutions.
Vesting and deferred pensions and spousal eligibility were discussed as all retiree groups have been getting this question of late. Different rules applied over the years and the application of those rules in effect at the time of leaving the company would apply. There is no blanket answer and each case must be handled separately.
We also talked about the concession plan for retirees and any possible changes to it now that AT&T was world wide. We also tried to lean when the former ATT folks would be able to participate in the SBC @Home program.
(It was hinted that SBC @ Home would most likely see a name change) soon. We shared with the company different stories we get from retirees who have and have not the 600 free long distance minutes or some who lost it because of some glitch. We were given a contact person at the company who will assist us and our members when issues arise about the concession plans. We did not discuss the class action lawsuit currently in the courts for out of network retirees.
JoAnn Alix-Gagain
President, SRA
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August 24, 2006 .
Retired and Opinionated!
Supermarkets Aren’t My Friend
I was just sitting here this evening thinking about dinner. Being a typical guy, I don’t know what my wife is going to prepare for our evening meal. All I know is I’m hungry and whatever is on my dinner plate, I know will be another good meal. What I find disturbing happens long before the food is placed on our dinner plates.
It starts at the supermarket. And supermarkets are not the friend of seniors or anyone who is single and lives by themselves. The supermarkets remind me of the fast food joints that super size everything. In most cases when you are shopping for just yourself or two people you can find most everything in the fresh or canned vegetable area but look out when you walk into the meat section of the store. If beef, pork, or chicken is on sale that day I dare you to find a package that contains only enough for one meal for two and maybe some leftovers for the next day. Either the two packages that contain just that right amount for you have already been scooped up by earlier shoppers or there never was any small packages put out in the cooler for anyone. Try finding a butcher to help you; if you are lucky and have some time to wait a butcher might break open a package and repackage the item. But if not you have only three other choices. You can find a higher priced substitute, not buy the item or buy the super sized package that is on sale and hope you have room in your freezer for the extra meat.
Or you just may want to phone a friend, invite them over for the evening to share a meal from that super sized package of meat you had to buy at the market. Supermarkets they got us! Maybe if I just ate more it would not be a problem. This will give you something to think about while your in that long checkout line and stuck behind someone needing a price check.
Jim Marks
V.P. SRA
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July 11, 2006.
What Retirees Do?
I was just sitting here thinking is has been a number of weeks since I last wrote to you and then I decided there is no time better than right now! Today here in Connecticut it is one of those lazy summer days that we all longed for back in our old lives at SNET, or SBC, and now known as AT&T. Ahhh! Retirement, isn’t it great.
A couple of days ago when I turned on my computer to check my email up popped a name I have not seen in so many years it is like a lifetime. A friend I had last heard from in 1965 found my name on a web site he was looking at that included the email addresses of folks who served in the Navy and were stationed in Holy Lock, Scotland those many years ago. A couple of times over the years I had thought about him and wondered how he was doing or even if he was still alive. When I last had contact with him he lived in New Jersey and I had at one time checked the NJ phone directories looking for his name but couldn’t locate him.
As it turns out he left NJ in the early 1970’s when the company he worked for moved to Cary, North Carolina. When he told me that, I laughed because over the years I have been in Cary four or five times. We could have been in the same restaurant or store and passed by each other, who knows!
We have since talked on the phone and reminisced about our days in the UK. One of the things I mentioned to him was that a couple of years ago wife and I took a trip to England but we didn’t get up to Scotland. Although to my surprise one of our day tour bus drivers was from Dunoon, Scotland the same little town on the river Clyde where I was for the two years I lived in the UK. Here is a web link to,Dunoon
with a live web cam.
Scotland is a great place to visit and if you ever get to the UK, try to spend a few days in the Highlands. On our trip to England we were in both Norwich and London with some day trips to other interesting places. I took many pictures and wrote a short story about our adventures You can look at the pictures and read about the trip at this England Trip
web site. While in Norwich England we met a nice couple and told them if they ever got to the States to drop by and visit us for a few days. Last October they came over for two weeks and we showed then around New England. I will share that adventure with you on another day.
If you would like to share a story or two with your old retiree friends just drop us a line our two and you just might see it here on the web.
Jim Marks
V.P. SRA
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Page Title
March of this year my brother Jose passed, God rest his soul. As executrix for his estate I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with Fidelity as the pension plan administrator for AT&T. My brother worked for AT&T as an operator, frame attendant and finally central office technician, and left the company on Long Term Disability. His decision to collect LTD and Social Security and never touch his pension was a sound decision. The rules of our pension plan state if you leave on LTD and decide to take your pension benefit, the pension benefit will offset your disability benefits. If you do not request to have your pension payments begin your pension will not offset your disability benefits. So Jose never touched his pension, and hoped to leave his benefit to his beneficiary. (Having never been married his beneficiary would be our mother.)
After calling Fidelity to apply for his death benefits my mother received a package offering condolences and asking her (she is 85) to fill out many forms for benefits she MAY be eligible to receive. One of which was of course his pension. After processing the paper work, my brother’s estate received a letter of condolence advising our family that there is no benefit due.
You can imagine my surprise. I had a copy of
Jose’s March 31, 2007 Cash Balance Statement that
showed me his balance. Jose passed mid-March and my
next thought was where did his funds go. I began
making phone calls. I told the service center that I had
my brother’s March statement and it read Cash Balance
Account with a large sum as the balance. Where did
that pension money go? I was told that my brother was
in the AT&T East Pension Plan, and that the “rules of
the plan state that a pre-retirement death benefit is only
for a surviving spouse (my brother was single) even if
he had a beneficiary form on file. In other words the
company would be keeping my brother’s cash balance
account!!
They continuously encouraged me to appeal. I
asked them to explain where in the plan they were
citing from in order to deny my mother’s claim. How
can I appeal if I don’t know what I am appealing? They
of course couldn’t tell me exactly where. I asked who
made the decision. The answer: “a review board” Can I
talk to them to find out what I am appealing? “They
don’t talk to anyone.” I was passed around from person
to person each time I tried to escalate the matter yet no
one could cite the denial reason directly from the SPD.
At one point someone tried to cite from the SPD but
when I explained it didn’t apply and why it didn’t apply
they told me to appeal.
Finally, after a very stressful, not to mention ruined vacation of many phone calls and no success, I returned to work as a union representative and called our friendly neighborhood AT&T labor department. He sounded as confused as I was about the purpose of a cash balance account if you can’t leave it to your beneficiaries. He explained that he would have to refer the matter to San Antonio. Surprise Surprise! A week later I received a phone call from Fidelity. They explained that AT&T provided clarification for the AT&T East pension plan and that it was determined that a benefit is due. That I should please disregard any correspondence dated before the date of this conversation
How many other people have been affected by this that didn’t know how to fight it? What kind of money has AT&T been able to keep that should have been distributed to other beneficiaries? What if my mother didn’t have me? Would she have a broken heart, not to mention a broken bank account?
Moral to the story: Know your reason for denial. Make them give it to you in writing. If you have to appeal don’t accept a telephone conversation as your documentation. They will play the shell game – as soon as you think you have found the nut they will move the prize. Know your Summary Plan Description (SPD). Go to HR ONE Stop or call Fidelity they will mail it. Fidelity.com has a section where you can download a copy of the plan. Once again a pension plan is governed by Federal Law called ERISA – just like our disability plan – and the rules of the plan are gospel. You can’t win the game if you don’t know the rules. Also, fill out your beneficiary forms available from Fidelity – and keep a safe copy of them for your loved ones. Do this NOW! Don’t wait – your spouses, parents, children, or siblings well-being depends on it.
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December 13, 2007 .
Getting Gassed
By Gene Henson
No one likes to get gas. I mean,
think about it: you drive into this smelly place (does anyone offer full
service any more, without asking you to mortgage your house?) You get out of
your car, swipe your card, (or go inside to pre-pay and wait behind some clown
buying 27 lotto tickets) grab the nozzle after who knows who has touched it,
and direct a stream of extremely flammable liquid, which costs the earth into
your tank. I see you shaking your head.
Over the past few months, I’ve been
looking around as I wait for the tank to fill, and it’s become interesting to
say the least, watching the antics of my fellow gas station patrons.
I’ve seen some women make quite a
production out of it. One, just the other day pulled up behind me. She then
proceeded to fix her hair and check herself out in the rear view mirror. Then,
she reached down, got and put on the special glove to protect her hand from the
dreaded pump handle. One more glance in the mirror and she was ready for the
exit. She opened the door, walked to the
rear of her car, and noticed that the gas fill was on the other side. She
mumbled a few old words, got back in her car, removed the special glove, fixed
her hair and backed up, turned around and backed in close to the pump. She
fixed her hair again, re-inserted her hand into the glove, got out and spent a
few minutes serching for the gas cap that had fallen off the trunk. That
completed, she rummaged in her purse for her credit card, which necessitated
removing the glove once again.
Card in hand, she approached the
pump only to be confronted with a sign that read, “Sorry, out of order.” She
actually yelled at the gas pump. By then, my own mission had been accomplished
and I drove away.
I do have to wonder, though, why
there isn’t a standard of where gas filler caps are located. We have three
cars, and on two the filler caps are on the drivers side. On the pick-up truck
it’s on the other. When I fuel up the truck, I invariably pull into the wrong
side. Remember the Fords of the mid fifties? (sure you do) They had the filler
cap in the middle so this wasn’t a problem. Wonder why no one thinks of that
while they are designing cars that cost as much as houses of not that long ago.
Least someone brand me a chauvinist
because of the above, here’s a dance I watched this past summer.
We spend weekends at Rhode
Island
Their stations have two price
structures. One for those who possess a Stop and Shop “card”, and the other for
the great unwashed. The ten-cent coupon is on top of this.
Do to the two-price stricture,
there are two steps to go through when you want the S&S discount. You first
swipe your credit card and follow the prompt, which instructs you to hold your
S&S card under a bar code reader. Once that’s done, it’s pretty much like
all the rest. If you have a coupon you go to the booth with your receipt when
you’re done, present both and they give you cash. Not all that difficult. Or is
it?
The man studied the pump and
scratched his head, obviously unfamiliar with the processes. He swiped his credit card and continued to
gaze at the prompt screen. Then, he stuck his S&S card into the credit card
slot. He pulled out the card and looked at it. He stood back and waited. He did
it again. After a minute or so he looked around as if to see who was watching
him. I looked over at the Duncan Donuts next door. He started all over again from scratch,
obviously becoming agitated. I was enjoying myself. He went to the booth and while I couldn’t
hear the conversation, it was quite animated. He came back and proceeded to
repeat the whole process. By now, I was slowing down my pump. Another trip to
the booth and this time, the attendant came out. He swiped the man’s card,
scanned the S&S card and returned to his booth shaking his head. The guy
pumped his gas and I continued to drag my feet. This was better than any
situation comedy on TV. Then, his pump shut off at fifty dollars.
He uttered a curse and went through
the whole processes again. The pump re-started and shut off after another half
gallon went into the tank. The guy slammed the nozzle into the pump and stalked
off to redeem his coupon. He was back in a flash, because he’d forgotten his
receipt. Red faced, he returned to the booth, got his money and got into his
Suburban. By now I was finished and walked over to the booth to redeem MY
coupon. I’d just finished when the
screech of tires from the driveway began. Smoke poured from the Suburban’s
tires as it took off down the road, followed by the police car that had just
pulled out from Duncan Donuts. Driving
by the two cars now stopped alongside the road, I resisted the temptation to
toot my horn.
Sometimes, it’s fun to get gas.
No one likes to get gas. I mean, think about it: you drive into this smelly place (does anyone offer full service any more, without asking you to mortgage your house?) You get out of your car, swipe your card, (or go inside to pre-pay and wait behind some clown buying 27 lotto tickets) grab the nozzle after who knows who has touched it, and direct a stream of extremely flammable liquid, which costs the earth into your tank. I see you shaking your head.
Over the past few months, I’ve been looking around as I wait for the tank to fill, and it’s become interesting to say the least, watching the antics of my fellow gas station patrons.
I’ve seen some women make quite a
production out of it. One, just the other day pulled up behind me. She then
proceeded to fix her hair and check herself out in the rear view mirror. Then,
she reached down, got and put on the special glove to protect her hand from the
dreaded pump handle. One more glance in the mirror and she was ready for the
exit. She opened the door, walked to the
rear of her car, and noticed that the gas fill was on the other side. She
mumbled a few old words, got back in her car, removed the special glove, fixed
her hair and backed up, turned around and backed in close to the pump. She
fixed her hair again, re-inserted her hand into the glove, got out and spent a
few minutes serching for the gas cap that had fallen off the trunk. That
completed, she rummaged in her purse for her credit card, which necessitated
removing the glove once again.
Card in hand, she approached the
pump only to be confronted with a sign that read, “Sorry, out of order.” She
actually yelled at the gas pump. By then, my own mission had been accomplished
and I drove away.
I do have to wonder, though, why there isn’t a standard of where gas filler caps are located. We have three cars, and on two the filler caps are on the drivers side. On the pick-up truck it’s on the other. When I fuel up the truck, I invariably pull into the wrong side. Remember the Fords of the mid fifties? (sure you do) They had the filler cap in the middle so this wasn’t a problem. Wonder why no one thinks of that while they are designing cars that cost as much as houses of not that long ago.
Least someone brand me a chauvinist because of the above, here’s a dance I watched this past summer.
We spend weekends at Rhode
Island
Their stations have two price structures. One for those who possess a Stop and Shop “card”, and the other for the great unwashed. The ten-cent coupon is on top of this.
Do to the two-price stricture,
there are two steps to go through when you want the S&S discount. You first
swipe your credit card and follow the prompt, which instructs you to hold your
S&S card under a bar code reader. Once that’s done, it’s pretty much like
all the rest. If you have a coupon you go to the booth with your receipt when
you’re done, present both and they give you cash. Not all that difficult. Or is
it?
The man studied the pump and scratched his head, obviously unfamiliar with the processes. He swiped his credit card and continued to gaze at the prompt screen. Then, he stuck his S&S card into the credit card slot. He pulled out the card and looked at it. He stood back and waited. He did it again. After a minute or so he looked around as if to see who was watching him. I looked over at the Duncan Donuts next door. He started all over again from scratch, obviously becoming agitated. I was enjoying myself. He went to the booth and while I couldn’t hear the conversation, it was quite animated. He came back and proceeded to repeat the whole process. By now, I was slowing down my pump. Another trip to the booth and this time, the attendant came out. He swiped the man’s card, scanned the S&S card and returned to his booth shaking his head. The guy pumped his gas and I continued to drag my feet. This was better than any situation comedy on TV. Then, his pump shut off at fifty dollars.
He uttered a curse and went through the whole processes again. The pump re-started and shut off after another half gallon went into the tank. The guy slammed the nozzle into the pump and stalked off to redeem his coupon. He was back in a flash, because he’d forgotten his receipt. Red faced, he returned to the booth, got his money and got into his Suburban. By now I was finished and walked over to the booth to redeem MY coupon. I’d just finished when the screech of tires from the driveway began. Smoke poured from the Suburban’s tires as it took off down the road, followed by the police car that had just pulled out from Duncan Donuts. Driving by the two cars now stopped alongside the road, I resisted the temptation to toot my horn.
Sometimes, it’s fun to get gas.
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October 21, 2007 .
Retiree Blues
By Gene Henson
One day last week I was sitting here going through my mail, which, of course, consisted mostly of junk mail. It seems that in the past couple years, the amount of junk mail has increased exponentially, second only to the amount of junk E-mail, commonly called Spam. I usually toss most of it, the exception being the un-solicited credit card applications. These go into the shredder. But one caught my eye, and I opened it.
“Congratulations Mr. Henson!” it began “It gives us great pleasure to inform you that you have won prize number 33 in the Senegal National Lottery” The letter went on to state that the prize I had won was in the amount of five thousand US dollars, and that a casher’s check, drawn on the Central Bank of West Africa, was included. It also directed me to wire “At my earliest convince”(SIC) Five hundred dollars to an address in Miami, Florida, as a “Conveyance fee”.
Well, gee. Now, I could use five grand, I don’t know anyone who couldn’t. I looked closely at the check on my hand. It looked legitimate. And hey, it wasn’t for the three million that you hear about. But, I had never sent anything to indicate that I wanted to play the Senegal National Lottery. And besides: If you play a foreign lottery — through the mail or over the telephone — you’re violating federal law. I walked over to the shredder and was about to consign the check to the pit, but I thought, “Hey wait a minute.” Being naturally curious, especially when it comes to someone wanting to scam me out of my money, I decided to check it out.
A quick Google search indicated that indeed, there was a Senegal National Lottery, and yes, it was a scam, based on the Nigerian scam that’s been in the news lately. I next Goggled the Central Bank of West Africa, and soon was on their web site. It took a little while to get the English version up (the official language of Senegal is French, it once having been a French colony) At the contact prompt, I found the name and E-mail address of the bank’s auditor in Dakar, the capital. I snapped off an E-mail explaining what I had, the number of the check, as well as the routing number at the bottom, along with the accountant number. Two hours later, I received a response.
“There is no account number such as you have provided. We have no person of that name connected with our bank. Do not under any circumstances cash this check.” The E-mail went on to apologize for any “Undue concern you may have had.” It was signed by an M. Akara Gama, for C.B.W.A.
I then did a reverse look up on the Miami address where I was supposed to send the $500 Conveyance fee. That was listed to a Mr. Felix Clifford.
Gathering up all this information, I went searching for a good place to send it. After a call to the State Attorney General’s office, I spoke with one of the attorneys there who advised me to get in touch with the local office of the US Secret Service, which handles cases like that. Soon, it was all in a big brown envelop on its way, special delivery, return receipt. I did this because after all, that check still had my name on it.
All this took about three hours from the time I opened my mailbox to passing the envelop across the counter at my post office. Will my actions stop this sort of thing from happening again? I doubt it. But one more piece of evidence can’t hurt.
Unfortunately, scams like this are not uncommon. If I had cashed the check, I would have been out the $500 fee, had I sent it. If not, I could have been liable for banking fees for processing a worthless check, or in extreme cases, faced criminal charges. These offers also are sent via E-mail, the most common way they are proliferated. It always remains good advice never to open an unsolicited E-mail, attachment or not. And always remember: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
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October 01, 2007 .
High Court Wants US Government Comment On AT&T Pension Plan Appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the Solicitor General's Office to comment on an appeal by an AT&T Corp. (T) pension plan facing a $31.2 million judgment in a class-action lawsuit over lump-sum retirement benefits paid to some retirees.
Click hereSupreme Court !
to read the article.
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August 31, 2007 .
Companies Retreat on Health Care For Retirees
A battle is waging aganist the retirees of companies in the United States and the retirees are losing that battle. One of the latest companies to take away retiree health care benefits is Cincinnati Bell.
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July 22, 2007 .
2007 Retiree Picnic
The SRA is today announcing our 2007 retiree picnic.
THE SNET RETIREES ASSOCIATION WILL HOLD A PICNIC FOR ALL MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2007.
FOOD (including: breakfast selections, hotdogs, hamburgers, southern fried chicken, salads, clam chowder, baked beans, dips, cheeses, salsa and nachos corn on the cob fruit and cake)
SWIMMING, HORSESHOES, BOCCE, BOATING AND GOLF (SHOOT TO THE PIN), CASH BAR FOR WINE AND BEER
LOCATION: HOLIDAY HILL RESORT PROSPECT, CT.
TIME: 10 A.M. UNTIL 3 P.M.
Click herePicnic Registation Form
to view the downloadable form.
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July 04, 2007 .
AT&T Reference Guide
This is a one-stop reference guide for frequently called numbers, Web site addresses and other
important AT&T benefits contact information for both retired and actice employees.Click here
Reference Guide
to view the downloadable booklet.*******************************************
June 04, 2007 .
Beware of the Car or Truck Rental
There have been times when the majority of us needed to rent a car or truck. We fly to a vacation spot and need a car or the kids are off to college and we have to rent a truck to carry a mountain of stuff to furnish a dorm room.
We go to the rental agency office and use our credit cards to hold the vehicle until final payment at the end of our usage. The rental agent then asked if we would care to take their supplemental insurance coverage. We decline because we believe our personal car insurance or the credit car we are using will cover any damage to the vehicle that may happen while it is in use by us. Well that is only true to a point!
In practically all cases your personal auto insurance will cover you just like you were driving your own car and you had some sort of an incident. Although your insurance or your credit card company most likely will not cover what is called “loss of use”. That means if the rented vehicle is not able to be put back in service at the end of your rental agreement you are liable and will be billed daily for the amount of monies the vehicle would have earned the rental company. And that down time could be very expensive if the car is in a repair shop for a few weeks. There is another little charge that can be tacked on to your final bill as well if you had an accident that damaged the rented vehicle. What the rental company does is look at the value of the vehicle before it was damaged and the value of it in its damaged state; they then bill you the difference even it the vehicle is restored to original condition.
So when the rental agent asks if you would like to take their daily insurance coverage you may want to consider purchasing it for peace of mind and saving yourself a real headache if you damaged their vehicle.
Always check with your insurance company and your credit card company before you rent to find out what coverage you have concerning a rented vehicle. Another think to remember is vehicle rental agencies frown on credit cards that are also debit cards and they sometimes put an immediate hold on your card for the whole amount of monies due until the rental vehicle is returned. It may max out your card if you plan on using the same card for other reasons during your vehicle rental. Besides all this, your credit card insurance if available, may not cover damage to specialty vehicles like SUV’s, luxury cars, or sports cars. I learned this recently when I needed a rental car for two weeks while my personal car was having major surgery to the transmission.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
We go to the rental agency office and use our credit cards to hold the vehicle until final payment at the end of our usage. The rental agent then asked if we would care to take their supplemental insurance coverage. We decline because we believe our personal car insurance or the credit car we are using will cover any damage to the vehicle that may happen while it is in use by us. Well that is only true to a point!
In practically all cases your personal auto insurance will cover you just like you were driving your own car and you had some sort of an incident. Although your insurance or your credit card company most likely will not cover what is called “loss of use”. That means if the rented vehicle is not able to be put back in service at the end of your rental agreement you are liable and will be billed daily for the amount of monies the vehicle would have earned the rental company. And that down time could be very expensive if the car is in a repair shop for a few weeks. There is another little charge that can be tacked on to your final bill as well if you had an accident that damaged the rented vehicle. What the rental company does is look at the value of the vehicle before it was damaged and the value of it in its damaged state; they then bill you the difference even it the vehicle is restored to original condition.
So when the rental agent asks if you would like to take their daily insurance coverage you may want to consider purchasing it for peace of mind and saving yourself a real headache if you damaged their vehicle.
Always check with your insurance company and your credit card company before you rent to find out what coverage you have concerning a rented vehicle. Another think to remember is vehicle rental agencies frown on credit cards that are also debit cards and they sometimes put an immediate hold on your card for the whole amount of monies due until the rental vehicle is returned. It may max out your card if you plan on using the same card for other reasons during your vehicle rental. Besides all this, your credit card insurance if available, may not cover damage to specialty vehicles like SUV’s, luxury cars, or sports cars. I learned this recently when I needed a rental car for two weeks while my personal car was having major surgery to the transmission.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
*******************************************
April 27, 2007 .
Pension Increases Announced for Some Retirees
On Friday April 27, 2007 at the AT&T Annual Shareholder Meeting in San Antonio, Texas , Chairman and CEO Edward Whitacre announced that some retirees from 1996 and earlier will receive an ad hoc increase in their pensions beginning with the October, 2007 check.
He indicated that the percentage of the increase will be “weighted”; meaning the lesser amount that a retiree is currently receiving will receive a greater percentage increase. It is not clear at this time if there are other restrictions on this increase based on current amount of pension annuity for each person, or if folks who took lump sums are included.
The company representatives did share with me and the other retiree coalition leaders that more information will be made available to the retirees in this group as they begin the work of the implementation of this needed increase.
We are pleased that the SRA, along with the other retiree organizations did not remain silent on this issue. Through our open dialog, letters, shareholder proposals, and many other behind the scenes actions with the company it was a pleasure to be at the meeting when it was announced.
It that the end of our work? No, I along with you support have more to do.
Mr. Whitacre also announced his retirement that will be effective in early June of this year, on his 44th service anniversary.
His replacement, Mr. Randall Stephenson was elected by the Board of Directors that same day. He is 46 years of age. He began his career at SWBT in 1982, and has held numerous positions in the finance and marketing arenas. His current position is the Chief Operating Officer of AT&T. He also holds a seat on the AT&T Board of Directors.
He indicated that the percentage of the increase will be “weighted”; meaning the lesser amount that a retiree is currently receiving will receive a greater percentage increase. It is not clear at this time if there are other restrictions on this increase based on current amount of pension annuity for each person, or if folks who took lump sums are included.
The company representatives did share with me and the other retiree coalition leaders that more information will be made available to the retirees in this group as they begin the work of the implementation of this needed increase.
We are pleased that the SRA, along with the other retiree organizations did not remain silent on this issue. Through our open dialog, letters, shareholder proposals, and many other behind the scenes actions with the company it was a pleasure to be at the meeting when it was announced.
It that the end of our work? No, I along with you support have more to do.
Mr. Whitacre also announced his retirement that will be effective in early June of this year, on his 44th service anniversary.
His replacement, Mr. Randall Stephenson was elected by the Board of Directors that same day. He is 46 years of age. He began his career at SWBT in 1982, and has held numerous positions in the finance and marketing arenas. His current position is the Chief Operating Officer of AT&T. He also holds a seat on the AT&T Board of Directors.
By: JoAnn Alix-Gagain
President, SRA
*******************************************
March 20, 2007 .
Credit Card Canasta
Just about everyone has at least one. They can be useful tool, or your worst nightmare. I am, of course, talking about credit cards, those little plastic things that also work well for scraping frost (never ice) from your windshield.
A quick Google search shows that as of today, March 20th, there is one point seven trillion dollars in un-secured credit card debt in this country. I’m sure that everyone reading this knows at least one horror story about credit cards, but here’s one that has a good ending, and may give you some previously unknown information as well.
In the Henson household, we have four credit cards; we used to have five and that’s the meat of the story. My wife has one of her own so that she was able to establish credit in her own name. Hers is from our local Credit Union, where I have one as well. The others were chosen for their various pay back options. One, a Citi Dividend card, gives a pay back of five percent on self-pumped gasoline and two percent on everything else. And they pay you in real, live cash, not the “points” some other cards do. When the amount gets to sixty bucks or so, they cut you a check. That’s the best part. But do not allow the payment to be late as the late fee is almost $70! I don’t bother checking interest rates, because I refuse to pay them, opting to pay the balance off every month.
The bad boy this article is about is an AAA Visa card that I’ve had for a few years, mostly because it too initially offered the same 5% off on gas, and it’s nice to have an alternate.
In the beginning, the AAA worked out pretty good. Right there on your statement, along with how much you spent on gas, was the 5% credit for all the gas you bought during that billing period. But it was too easy. A year ago, citing, “Accounting streamlining efforts”, they began deducting the 5% on the following months statement. A pain, but still easy to read. About six months ago, all that changed. “In an attempt to simplify our accounting…”, they embarked on a method that even Allen Greenspan would have trouble deciphering. That’s when I began to think, “Hmmm…”
Recently, AAA sold their credit card business to Bank of America, one of the biggest credit card issuers in the country. Last month, (you may have read this) Bank of Aamericia began issuing credit cards to “Un-documented immigrants”, (read illegal) which is like calling drug dealers un-licensed pharmacists. When these people max out their cards and slither back across the border, who’s gonna pay? Not hard to figure that one out. But I digress.
I got my February AAA bill and when I checked over the statement (you DO do that, don’t you?) I was amazed to see a thirty-nine dollar LATE fee included. Now, because of BOA’s policy of leaving the least possible time to respond to your monthly bill; indeed: you better be writing the check as you walk back from the mailbox, I pay on line. It’s pretty easy, too. Giving them the routing number for your bank account, (I have one set up just for this) it’s posted the day it’s due, and you don’t have to write a check or waste a stamp.
I called them up.
“Your call is important to us…” Twenty minutes of that, along with listening to Barry Manilow songs and then Michelle came on the line.
I explained the problem.
“I’m sorry sir, but that payment was late.” She said.
“What was the post date?” I asked.
“The 24th” she replied. The day after the due date.
I went on to explain that I had sent it on the due date and that I had a receipt attesting to that. She wasn’t having any of it.
“You need to send it five days before the due date.” She said.
“What, so you get to use my money for a week?” I was beginning to be slightly aggravated..
Reminding her that I had been paying this bill on the due date for some two years had no effect.
“When did all this change change?” I asked.
“Last month.” she replied. “What we can do sir, is offer you a reduced interest rate.”
“Michelle, take a look and see if you can find the last time I paid any interest on this card. What am I going to have to do to get you to remove this late fee?”
The line went silent for a minute, and I knew she s talking to someone else. She soon came back on.
“Sir, she said, “as a one time courtesy, I’m authorized to remove the late fee, but only this once.”
I felt like I was being scolded by my mother.
“So you’ve done that? Credited me the $39 late fee?”
“Yes sir”
“Okay, now the next thing you can do, is cancel the card.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme, sir?” she asked.
“Yup. I sure do.” I said as I hung up the phone.
Credit cards can make your life easer, but you do have to keep a sharp eye on what’s going on. Read your monthly statement, keep track of any changes, and try very hard not to have a balance. If you do, make it a point to pay more than the minimum amount, and put it in the drawer until it’s paid off.
The sound of that card going through my shredded was pure music. I wished that Michelle could have heard it.
A quick Google search shows that as of today, March 20th, there is one point seven trillion dollars in un-secured credit card debt in this country. I’m sure that everyone reading this knows at least one horror story about credit cards, but here’s one that has a good ending, and may give you some previously unknown information as well.
In the Henson household, we have four credit cards; we used to have five and that’s the meat of the story. My wife has one of her own so that she was able to establish credit in her own name. Hers is from our local Credit Union, where I have one as well. The others were chosen for their various pay back options. One, a Citi Dividend card, gives a pay back of five percent on self-pumped gasoline and two percent on everything else. And they pay you in real, live cash, not the “points” some other cards do. When the amount gets to sixty bucks or so, they cut you a check. That’s the best part. But do not allow the payment to be late as the late fee is almost $70! I don’t bother checking interest rates, because I refuse to pay them, opting to pay the balance off every month.
The bad boy this article is about is an AAA Visa card that I’ve had for a few years, mostly because it too initially offered the same 5% off on gas, and it’s nice to have an alternate.
In the beginning, the AAA worked out pretty good. Right there on your statement, along with how much you spent on gas, was the 5% credit for all the gas you bought during that billing period. But it was too easy. A year ago, citing, “Accounting streamlining efforts”, they began deducting the 5% on the following months statement. A pain, but still easy to read. About six months ago, all that changed. “In an attempt to simplify our accounting…”, they embarked on a method that even Allen Greenspan would have trouble deciphering. That’s when I began to think, “Hmmm…”
Recently, AAA sold their credit card business to Bank of America, one of the biggest credit card issuers in the country. Last month, (you may have read this) Bank of Aamericia began issuing credit cards to “Un-documented immigrants”, (read illegal) which is like calling drug dealers un-licensed pharmacists. When these people max out their cards and slither back across the border, who’s gonna pay? Not hard to figure that one out. But I digress.
I got my February AAA bill and when I checked over the statement (you DO do that, don’t you?) I was amazed to see a thirty-nine dollar LATE fee included. Now, because of BOA’s policy of leaving the least possible time to respond to your monthly bill; indeed: you better be writing the check as you walk back from the mailbox, I pay on line. It’s pretty easy, too. Giving them the routing number for your bank account, (I have one set up just for this) it’s posted the day it’s due, and you don’t have to write a check or waste a stamp.
I called them up.
“Your call is important to us…” Twenty minutes of that, along with listening to Barry Manilow songs and then Michelle came on the line.
I explained the problem.
“I’m sorry sir, but that payment was late.” She said.
“What was the post date?” I asked.
“The 24th” she replied. The day after the due date.
I went on to explain that I had sent it on the due date and that I had a receipt attesting to that. She wasn’t having any of it.
“You need to send it five days before the due date.” She said.
“What, so you get to use my money for a week?” I was beginning to be slightly aggravated..
Reminding her that I had been paying this bill on the due date for some two years had no effect.
“When did all this change change?” I asked.
“Last month.” she replied. “What we can do sir, is offer you a reduced interest rate.”
“Michelle, take a look and see if you can find the last time I paid any interest on this card. What am I going to have to do to get you to remove this late fee?”
The line went silent for a minute, and I knew she s talking to someone else. She soon came back on.
“Sir, she said, “as a one time courtesy, I’m authorized to remove the late fee, but only this once.”
I felt like I was being scolded by my mother.
“So you’ve done that? Credited me the $39 late fee?”
“Yes sir”
“Okay, now the next thing you can do, is cancel the card.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme, sir?” she asked.
“Yup. I sure do.” I said as I hung up the phone.
Credit cards can make your life easer, but you do have to keep a sharp eye on what’s going on. Read your monthly statement, keep track of any changes, and try very hard not to have a balance. If you do, make it a point to pay more than the minimum amount, and put it in the drawer until it’s paid off.
The sound of that card going through my shredded was pure music. I wished that Michelle could have heard it.
By: Gene Henson
SRA Member
*******************************************
March 07, 2007 .
Shareholder Update
Please be advised that AT&T has been instructed by the SEC to include a shareholder proposal if passed, that will require AT&T to include Executive Compensation packages for shareholder advise annually.
We hope that if you or a family member or friends will support this proposal when voting your shares this month.
Thanks for your dues renewals and if you have not done so yet please do so prior to April 20th as you will be omitted from the next newsletter. Need a renewal form? You can find it at the botton of our web site Home Page.
JoAnn Alix-Gagain
Pres. SNET RETIREES ASSOC.
We hope that if you or a family member or friends will support this proposal when voting your shares this month.
Thanks for your dues renewals and if you have not done so yet please do so prior to April 20th as you will be omitted from the next newsletter. Need a renewal form? You can find it at the botton of our web site Home Page.
JoAnn Alix-Gagain
Pres. SNET RETIREES ASSOC.
*******************************************
Feburary 03, 2007 .
Immunity to Violence
Are we are being desensitized to violence? I think the answer to that question is yes!
It is occurring very subtly; but it is happening. Rent any movies or watch much television and you should have noticed over the years that there has been an increase in all types of on screen violence. And it is more that just physical violence but abusive vulgar language or suggestive language of a sexual nature that does nothing to make the plot of the story any more interesting to this viewer. Also there is the so called funny violence that really claim to be candid home videos promoted by a couple of the major networks as Funny Home Video Shows that you the viewer can vote on which video is the best of the bunch. Watch these home videos close and you can see that the adult, child or animal may have been injured, we hope that isn’t true but it is very likely. Yet the audience laughs!
So I am asking you this question; do you feel comfortable watching these shows with your children or grandchildren? And if you are comfortable watching and listening to what the entertainment world claims to be ok, then why?
What if we went back in time to thirty or forty years ago and the family audience viewed a movie or TV show from 2007. What do you think their reaction would be if you could ask them? Do you think their comment would be, “The shows of 2007 are wonderful” or “What have you done to our world?”
You also must remember that TV shows or movies of that time had no profanity, no extreme violence, little or no sex and the shows actually had a plot. A real story line that made sense! Three Coins in a Fountain or It’s a Wonderful Life, were examples of two great movies. And I know you can think of many more wonderful movies that are clean good stories.
So, if you are not happy with what you are seeing or hearing you can write the networks and your elected officials in Washington. Then maybe someday we can all watch quality programs on the TV.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
It is occurring very subtly; but it is happening. Rent any movies or watch much television and you should have noticed over the years that there has been an increase in all types of on screen violence. And it is more that just physical violence but abusive vulgar language or suggestive language of a sexual nature that does nothing to make the plot of the story any more interesting to this viewer. Also there is the so called funny violence that really claim to be candid home videos promoted by a couple of the major networks as Funny Home Video Shows that you the viewer can vote on which video is the best of the bunch. Watch these home videos close and you can see that the adult, child or animal may have been injured, we hope that isn’t true but it is very likely. Yet the audience laughs!
So I am asking you this question; do you feel comfortable watching these shows with your children or grandchildren? And if you are comfortable watching and listening to what the entertainment world claims to be ok, then why?
What if we went back in time to thirty or forty years ago and the family audience viewed a movie or TV show from 2007. What do you think their reaction would be if you could ask them? Do you think their comment would be, “The shows of 2007 are wonderful” or “What have you done to our world?”
You also must remember that TV shows or movies of that time had no profanity, no extreme violence, little or no sex and the shows actually had a plot. A real story line that made sense! Three Coins in a Fountain or It’s a Wonderful Life, were examples of two great movies. And I know you can think of many more wonderful movies that are clean good stories.
So, if you are not happy with what you are seeing or hearing you can write the networks and your elected officials in Washington. Then maybe someday we can all watch quality programs on the TV.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
*******************************************
Janurary 08, 2007 .
How is Your Health Today?
Sneezing, cough, chills or running a temperature from a mid- winter cold? I am! And I feel miserable. The way I feel today while writing this article, makes me believe that it may be June or July before I feel better. It has been two weeks since I began having the sniffles and today I believe I am having a relapse. Not a good sign!
Is any of the virus and germs that are floating around in the air good for us seniors to have attacking our bodies? I sure don’t think so and I try to stay away from people who have colds or the Flu during the late fall through early spring months. Of course this is difficult to do unless you live in a bubble. You have to get out occasionally to buy groceries or to just socialize with other folks. And it doesn’t make any difference if we are in a restaurant or in a church those evil germs are lurking about ready to attack us and make our lives miserable for days if not weeks. Sometimes you can’t stay away from the germs even if you don’t leave your home. Who comes over for a visit; daughter or son with the grandkids in tow! Hugs and kisses all around and each child has a runny nose. Talk about being doomed! I guess it is just meant to be, you are going to be sick sooner or later.
Well, even though the odds are against us there are some basic hygiene rules we can all practice. First and foremost wash your hand, I know that sometimes it seems inconvenient and you would rather not because some public restrooms are not always very clean. And the faucet handles on the sinks in these restrooms are a major source of germs. So get your hand drying paper towel ready prior to your cleaning your hands so that after you dry your hands you can then turn off the water using your hand towel before disposing of it. A couple more ideas are the little purse size bottles of hand sanitizers and the use of tissues instead of handkerchiefs.
Anything touched by other humans is a source of germs and what isn’t touched by shoppers, so if I am out shopping and need a restroom I look for someplace that I believe to have clean facilities. Kohl’s , Wal-Mart or Macy’s are decent chooses and if traveling then it is best to stop at some hotel chain as their lobby restrooms are usually very clean.
So I hope you make it through the winter months without catching a cold or the flu. I have not been so lucky.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
Is any of the virus and germs that are floating around in the air good for us seniors to have attacking our bodies? I sure don’t think so and I try to stay away from people who have colds or the Flu during the late fall through early spring months. Of course this is difficult to do unless you live in a bubble. You have to get out occasionally to buy groceries or to just socialize with other folks. And it doesn’t make any difference if we are in a restaurant or in a church those evil germs are lurking about ready to attack us and make our lives miserable for days if not weeks. Sometimes you can’t stay away from the germs even if you don’t leave your home. Who comes over for a visit; daughter or son with the grandkids in tow! Hugs and kisses all around and each child has a runny nose. Talk about being doomed! I guess it is just meant to be, you are going to be sick sooner or later.
Well, even though the odds are against us there are some basic hygiene rules we can all practice. First and foremost wash your hand, I know that sometimes it seems inconvenient and you would rather not because some public restrooms are not always very clean. And the faucet handles on the sinks in these restrooms are a major source of germs. So get your hand drying paper towel ready prior to your cleaning your hands so that after you dry your hands you can then turn off the water using your hand towel before disposing of it. A couple more ideas are the little purse size bottles of hand sanitizers and the use of tissues instead of handkerchiefs.
Anything touched by other humans is a source of germs and what isn’t touched by shoppers, so if I am out shopping and need a restroom I look for someplace that I believe to have clean facilities. Kohl’s , Wal-Mart or Macy’s are decent chooses and if traveling then it is best to stop at some hotel chain as their lobby restrooms are usually very clean.
So I hope you make it through the winter months without catching a cold or the flu. I have not been so lucky.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
*******************************************
December 04, 2006 .
Quick Response in an Emergency
How fast can you think in an emergency? Medical information is required immediately for emergency personnel and healthcare providers. Can you remember dates of birth, allergies, what medications by name, dosage and time of day the medicine is taken to prevent overdoses? Do you know the names, telephone numbers of doctors that provide your care or the care to one of your loved ones? Medical insurance cards or at least the name of your plans available if you can not speak, or if you are responsible for others. What hospital do you prefer?
Do you have the information for your grandchild if they are visiting and are in your care? What would your children want you to do in that case if you can not reach them in a timely fashion? Are they in their own geographic area and you need to know what to do, or in yours and you need to secure immediate help.
Recent pictures of you or loved ones faces, updated physical descriptions, etc. are key when time may be a critical factor as well.
All of these items are life saving and almost too difficult to compile under stress.
A purse or wallet is fine most of the time, but what happens when you have had that misfortune to have that stolen .Or worse, no one knows where to locate the info in your wallet and again you are unable to assist.
Technology is now helping resolve some of those critical issues. On your key chain or around your neck on a necklace all the information mentioned here as well as much, much more can be loaded onto a computer memory stick. These little items can hold vast amounts of information. They are becoming smaller in size every few months. The latest are no bigger or thicker than a pack of chewing gum.
Do you have the information for your grandchild if they are visiting and are in your care? What would your children want you to do in that case if you can not reach them in a timely fashion? Are they in their own geographic area and you need to know what to do, or in yours and you need to secure immediate help.
Recent pictures of you or loved ones faces, updated physical descriptions, etc. are key when time may be a critical factor as well.
All of these items are life saving and almost too difficult to compile under stress.
A purse or wallet is fine most of the time, but what happens when you have had that misfortune to have that stolen .Or worse, no one knows where to locate the info in your wallet and again you are unable to assist.
Technology is now helping resolve some of those critical issues. On your key chain or around your neck on a necklace all the information mentioned here as well as much, much more can be loaded onto a computer memory stick. These little items can hold vast amounts of information. They are becoming smaller in size every few months. The latest are no bigger or thicker than a pack of chewing gum.
Code Amber sells one that you can carry with you. (But not in your purse, please) For added security this Amber Stick is user ID and Password protected. I liked that idea until I thought; what if you are not able to give the police, emergency responders or hospital staff the password. What if you can’t communicate with them! Emergency services all have laptops with them and can plug the stick into a USB port on their laptop to retrieve necessary information on the spot. They can, if needed upload that information to other police or a hospital.
Code Amber’s product is thirty five dollars and has a logo stamped on the side of the stick. You can also buy your own memory sticks locally at most stores that sell electronics and computer supplies. You don’t need a lot of memory and can be purchased for about twenty dollars. Shop around for a “stick” you like and load your information or have someone do it for you. (Children, grandchild, Senior Center, doctor assistant, lawyer, etc…someone you trust) and carry it with you. (Not in your wallet either.) Keep it updated too, as medications are changed. These are great gift ideas for parents, grandparents everyone you love.
Remember, it is up to the individual how much information to place on the stick. Nor do we endorse any product. Shop around…… be safe and smart consumers.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
Code Amber’s product is thirty five dollars and has a logo stamped on the side of the stick. You can also buy your own memory sticks locally at most stores that sell electronics and computer supplies. You don’t need a lot of memory and can be purchased for about twenty dollars. Shop around for a “stick” you like and load your information or have someone do it for you. (Children, grandchild, Senior Center, doctor assistant, lawyer, etc…someone you trust) and carry it with you. (Not in your wallet either.) Keep it updated too, as medications are changed. These are great gift ideas for parents, grandparents everyone you love.
Remember, it is up to the individual how much information to place on the stick. Nor do we endorse any product. Shop around…… be safe and smart consumers.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
*******************************************
November 14, 2006 .
Retired and Short of Dollars
You have been retired for a number of years and during those years you have watched your fixed income monies dwindle as the cost of living steadily grows. You look back at the first few years of retirement when everything was great; you had money to go out to eat a couple of times a week and afford to play golf or bowl weekly. Buying birthday and holiday gifts for the grandchildren was no problem at all, and taking short overnight trips around the country was fun. But that was ten to fifteen years ago and now your income just doesn’t seem to stretch from one month to the next month. The cost of food, cars or car repairs, gas, prescription drugs, taxes and just about everything keeps going up. You are beginning to worry and not sure what to do! You know the house you own is going to need work done next year; possibly a new roof or new furnace; you know it is on the horizon and going to be a major cost.
There are options for you that you can explore depending on whether you plan on staying in your home or changing your living location within the next few years. And our health as we age determines how we make our decisions on where we live. We may decide to sell the home and move to an apartment or condo, or move in with one of the children. Either of those choices will free up money to use from the home sale. Perhaps you bought your home in the 1960’s or 1970’s for $25,000 dollars and you can now sell it for $200,000 dollars today. Then you can put that money in the bank and collect a small interest while slowly drawing it down for your everyday living expenses to supplement your retirement and social security expenses. This should work well for you throughout your remaining years unless you experience a serious illness that will require long term nursing home care.
The other option is staying in your home and using your homes equity to supplement your monthly income to again give you additional money for purchases or to pay your town, state and federal taxes. And there are different ways to do this; the home equity line of credit loan or doing a reverse mortgage although there are some costs for you to pay when creating the loan or mortgage. You should ask your bank or credit union about these programs to see if they fit your future needs. Do not rule out either of these options to quickly because if you are able to stay in the home you own it is an investment that will continue to increase in value yearly. Remember you bought your home for $25,000 dollars and it is now valued at $200,000 dollars. In five years your home can sell for possible $230,000 dollars. The money you used from your equity loan or reverse mortgage during those five years may not affect your overall worth and still leave something for your heirs once you are gone.Before you commit to any future plan you should also check with your financial and or tax advisors.
Please email us if you have a topic of interest you would like for us to address in future letters.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
There are options for you that you can explore depending on whether you plan on staying in your home or changing your living location within the next few years. And our health as we age determines how we make our decisions on where we live. We may decide to sell the home and move to an apartment or condo, or move in with one of the children. Either of those choices will free up money to use from the home sale. Perhaps you bought your home in the 1960’s or 1970’s for $25,000 dollars and you can now sell it for $200,000 dollars today. Then you can put that money in the bank and collect a small interest while slowly drawing it down for your everyday living expenses to supplement your retirement and social security expenses. This should work well for you throughout your remaining years unless you experience a serious illness that will require long term nursing home care.
The other option is staying in your home and using your homes equity to supplement your monthly income to again give you additional money for purchases or to pay your town, state and federal taxes. And there are different ways to do this; the home equity line of credit loan or doing a reverse mortgage although there are some costs for you to pay when creating the loan or mortgage. You should ask your bank or credit union about these programs to see if they fit your future needs. Do not rule out either of these options to quickly because if you are able to stay in the home you own it is an investment that will continue to increase in value yearly. Remember you bought your home for $25,000 dollars and it is now valued at $200,000 dollars. In five years your home can sell for possible $230,000 dollars. The money you used from your equity loan or reverse mortgage during those five years may not affect your overall worth and still leave something for your heirs once you are gone.Before you commit to any future plan you should also check with your financial and or tax advisors.
Please email us if you have a topic of interest you would like for us to address in future letters.
Jim Marks
SRA VP
*******************************************
AT&T Retiree Leadership Group Meets in Texas
On Thursday April 27th a meeting of the AT&T (SBC) RETIREE ORGANIZATIONS was held in San Antonio, Texas prior to our attendance at the ATT Annual Shareholder meeting also in Texas. Present were the retiree groups’ leadership of JoAnn Alix-Gagain, (SNET), Jane Banefield, (old ATT), Bruce Beckman and Chet Przybyski (Ameritech), S.K. Emery and Muriel Wick (Pac/Nev Bell)
The meeting had a dual purpose. One to formalize an ATT Coalition of retirees and the second was meeting with AT&T company representatives from the benefit and communications departments.
Review of last year’s meeting of coalition representatives indicated to all that the topic last year similar but never did get completely off the ground. It was resolved and agreed to by all that as the “founding members” of the coalition we ourselves need assistance in the area of facilitating to determine the scope of the coalition in all aspects. (Structure, funding, vision, mission, etc.) All agreed to a time table with associated action items which will enable us to move forward to a more formal and focused group. We hope this will allow us to have a unified voice for items and concerns that interest all of the AT&T retirees when speaking with the company.
AT&T Corp. Communication Group listened to our displeasure with the company regarding lack of communication with retirees. Most recent action was the discontinuation of the document that was sent monthly with the pension check/statements. The web site does have some information for retirees but not everyone has access to a computer. We also stressed that all benefit material should be sent via the U.S. mail. Other items such as press releases, legislative activities, product developments/rollouts, industry news and the like should also be communicated as we could be great “ambassadors” for the company. Also, the corporate “drivers” that all employees are focused on this year are: customer care, wireless and wire line growth, shareholder value and costs. Everything done must be driven to one or more of those initiatives.
The afternoon session of our meeting was spent with Sue Colburn Vice President –Benefits for AT&T as well as members from her team. We discussed at length of the fact the company is currently discussing with vendors for health care benefits administration for 2007 and working on benefit effective dates for the original ATT active and retirees folks. The integration of plans and applications is a huge effort. They also hope to begin communicating if any changes to the retiree benefits in early summer as they did last year. ATT (SBC) actual expense for medical costs last year was $ 4 Billion.
A discussion was held regarding Medicare Part D and the current experience that the company is seeing with the current retirees who are Medicare eligible. On average $600/700 per eligible person is the reimbursement to the company from Medicare Part D. Currently there are approx. 300,000 retirees enterprise wide excluding dependants and approximately. 150,000 are Medicare eligible.
Health Savings accounts were also a topic of concern as to the distribution of the funds when an expense is incurred. Who the check from the H.S. account can be made out to was resolved. (Answer: Anyone, including yourself) Currently there are 8,000 active and retirees who enrolled in HAS’s with Asanti. There could be more who set up their own HAS with other financial institutions.
Vesting and deferred pensions and spousal eligibility were discussed as all retiree groups have been getting this question of late. Different rules applied over the years and the application of those rules in effect at the time of leaving the company would apply. There is no blanket answer and each case must be handled separately.
We also talked about the concession plan for retirees and any possible changes to it now that AT&T was world wide. We also tried to lean when the former ATT folks would be able to participate in the SBC @Home program.
(It was hinted that SBC @ Home would most likely see a name change) soon. We shared with the company different stories we get from retirees who have and have not the 600 free long distance minutes or some who lost it because of some glitch. We were given a contact person at the company who will assist us and our members when issues arise about the concession plans. We did not discuss the class action lawsuit currently in the courts for out of network retirees.
JoAnn Alix-Gagain
President, SRA
The meeting had a dual purpose. One to formalize an ATT Coalition of retirees and the second was meeting with AT&T company representatives from the benefit and communications departments.
Review of last year’s meeting of coalition representatives indicated to all that the topic last year similar but never did get completely off the ground. It was resolved and agreed to by all that as the “founding members” of the coalition we ourselves need assistance in the area of facilitating to determine the scope of the coalition in all aspects. (Structure, funding, vision, mission, etc.) All agreed to a time table with associated action items which will enable us to move forward to a more formal and focused group. We hope this will allow us to have a unified voice for items and concerns that interest all of the AT&T retirees when speaking with the company.
AT&T Corp. Communication Group listened to our displeasure with the company regarding lack of communication with retirees. Most recent action was the discontinuation of the document that was sent monthly with the pension check/statements. The web site does have some information for retirees but not everyone has access to a computer. We also stressed that all benefit material should be sent via the U.S. mail. Other items such as press releases, legislative activities, product developments/rollouts, industry news and the like should also be communicated as we could be great “ambassadors” for the company. Also, the corporate “drivers” that all employees are focused on this year are: customer care, wireless and wire line growth, shareholder value and costs. Everything done must be driven to one or more of those initiatives.
The afternoon session of our meeting was spent with Sue Colburn Vice President –Benefits for AT&T as well as members from her team. We discussed at length of the fact the company is currently discussing with vendors for health care benefits administration for 2007 and working on benefit effective dates for the original ATT active and retirees folks. The integration of plans and applications is a huge effort. They also hope to begin communicating if any changes to the retiree benefits in early summer as they did last year. ATT (SBC) actual expense for medical costs last year was $ 4 Billion.
A discussion was held regarding Medicare Part D and the current experience that the company is seeing with the current retirees who are Medicare eligible. On average $600/700 per eligible person is the reimbursement to the company from Medicare Part D. Currently there are approx. 300,000 retirees enterprise wide excluding dependants and approximately. 150,000 are Medicare eligible.
Health Savings accounts were also a topic of concern as to the distribution of the funds when an expense is incurred. Who the check from the H.S. account can be made out to was resolved. (Answer: Anyone, including yourself) Currently there are 8,000 active and retirees who enrolled in HAS’s with Asanti. There could be more who set up their own HAS with other financial institutions.
Vesting and deferred pensions and spousal eligibility were discussed as all retiree groups have been getting this question of late. Different rules applied over the years and the application of those rules in effect at the time of leaving the company would apply. There is no blanket answer and each case must be handled separately.
We also talked about the concession plan for retirees and any possible changes to it now that AT&T was world wide. We also tried to lean when the former ATT folks would be able to participate in the SBC @Home program.
(It was hinted that SBC @ Home would most likely see a name change) soon. We shared with the company different stories we get from retirees who have and have not the 600 free long distance minutes or some who lost it because of some glitch. We were given a contact person at the company who will assist us and our members when issues arise about the concession plans. We did not discuss the class action lawsuit currently in the courts for out of network retirees.
JoAnn Alix-Gagain
President, SRA
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August 24, 2006 .
Retired and Opinionated!
Supermarkets Aren’t My Friend
I was just sitting here this evening thinking about dinner. Being a typical guy, I don’t know what my wife is going to prepare for our evening meal. All I know is I’m hungry and whatever is on my dinner plate, I know will be another good meal. What I find disturbing happens long before the food is placed on our dinner plates.
It starts at the supermarket. And supermarkets are not the friend of seniors or anyone who is single and lives by themselves. The supermarkets remind me of the fast food joints that super size everything. In most cases when you are shopping for just yourself or two people you can find most everything in the fresh or canned vegetable area but look out when you walk into the meat section of the store. If beef, pork, or chicken is on sale that day I dare you to find a package that contains only enough for one meal for two and maybe some leftovers for the next day. Either the two packages that contain just that right amount for you have already been scooped up by earlier shoppers or there never was any small packages put out in the cooler for anyone. Try finding a butcher to help you; if you are lucky and have some time to wait a butcher might break open a package and repackage the item. But if not you have only three other choices. You can find a higher priced substitute, not buy the item or buy the super sized package that is on sale and hope you have room in your freezer for the extra meat.
Or you just may want to phone a friend, invite them over for the evening to share a meal from that super sized package of meat you had to buy at the market. Supermarkets they got us! Maybe if I just ate more it would not be a problem. This will give you something to think about while your in that long checkout line and stuck behind someone needing a price check.
It starts at the supermarket. And supermarkets are not the friend of seniors or anyone who is single and lives by themselves. The supermarkets remind me of the fast food joints that super size everything. In most cases when you are shopping for just yourself or two people you can find most everything in the fresh or canned vegetable area but look out when you walk into the meat section of the store. If beef, pork, or chicken is on sale that day I dare you to find a package that contains only enough for one meal for two and maybe some leftovers for the next day. Either the two packages that contain just that right amount for you have already been scooped up by earlier shoppers or there never was any small packages put out in the cooler for anyone. Try finding a butcher to help you; if you are lucky and have some time to wait a butcher might break open a package and repackage the item. But if not you have only three other choices. You can find a higher priced substitute, not buy the item or buy the super sized package that is on sale and hope you have room in your freezer for the extra meat.
Or you just may want to phone a friend, invite them over for the evening to share a meal from that super sized package of meat you had to buy at the market. Supermarkets they got us! Maybe if I just ate more it would not be a problem. This will give you something to think about while your in that long checkout line and stuck behind someone needing a price check.
Jim Marks
V.P. SRA
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July 11, 2006.
What Retirees Do?
I was just sitting here thinking is has been a number of weeks since I last wrote to you and then I decided there is no time better than right now! Today here in Connecticut it is one of those lazy summer days that we all longed for back in our old lives at SNET, or SBC, and now known as AT&T. Ahhh! Retirement, isn’t it great.
A couple of days ago when I turned on my computer to check my email up popped a name I have not seen in so many years it is like a lifetime. A friend I had last heard from in 1965 found my name on a web site he was looking at that included the email addresses of folks who served in the Navy and were stationed in Holy Lock, Scotland those many years ago. A couple of times over the years I had thought about him and wondered how he was doing or even if he was still alive. When I last had contact with him he lived in New Jersey and I had at one time checked the NJ phone directories looking for his name but couldn’t locate him.
As it turns out he left NJ in the early 1970’s when the company he worked for moved to Cary, North Carolina. When he told me that, I laughed because over the years I have been in Cary four or five times. We could have been in the same restaurant or store and passed by each other, who knows!
We have since talked on the phone and reminisced about our days in the UK. One of the things I mentioned to him was that a couple of years ago wife and I took a trip to England but we didn’t get up to Scotland. Although to my surprise one of our day tour bus drivers was from Dunoon, Scotland the same little town on the river Clyde where I was for the two years I lived in the UK. Here is a web link to,
Dunoon
with a live web cam. Scotland is a great place to visit and if you ever get to the UK, try to spend a few days in the Highlands. On our trip to England we were in both Norwich and London with some day trips to other interesting places. I took many pictures and wrote a short story about our adventures You can look at the pictures and read about the trip at thisEngland Trip
web site. While in Norwich England we met a nice couple and told them if they ever got to the States to drop by and visit us for a few days. Last October they came over for two weeks and we showed then around New England. I will share that adventure with you on another day. If you would like to share a story or two with your old retiree friends just drop us a line our two and you just might see it here on the web.
Jim Marks
V.P. SRA
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V.P. SRA
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