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In the 21st Century, more women work, pay Social Security taxes, and earn credit toward monthly retirement income than at any other time in our nation’s history. Yet, on average, women face greater economic challenges than men in retirement. 

Nearly 55 percent of the people receiving Social Security benefits are women. Women generally live longer than men, while often having lower lifetime earnings. And women usually reach retirement with smaller pensions and other assets compared to men. These are three key reasons why Social Security is vitally important to women. 

If you’ve worked and paid taxes into the Social Security system for at least 10 years and have earned a minimum of 40 work credits, you may be eligible for your own benefits. Once you reach age 62, you may be eligible for your own Social Security benefit whether you’re married or not and whether your spouse collects Social Security or not. If you’re eligible and apply for benefits on more than one work record, you generally receive the higher benefit amount.

The sooner you start planning for retirement, the better off you’ll be. We have specific information for women at socialsecurity.gov/people/women. Email or post this link to friends and family you love.

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Learn about the role cartoons have played in Jewish humor when Bob Mankoff takes the stage during the annual Mandel JCC Cleveland Jewish Book Festival. Mankoff was the staff cartoonist for The New Yorker for 35 years and its cartoon editor for 10 years. Mankoff is the founder of the online Cartoon Bank and is currently the cartoon and humor editor for Esquire. He’s been featured on CBS's "60 Minutes" and has been the subject of an HBO documentary. ...

“Keeping medications past their usefulness can be dangerous because time can change how some medications work,” says Lori Criss, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. “Medications that you no longer take or that have passed the expiration date on their labels should be disposed of promptly and properly.” ...

The Manor House interiors are decorated to reflect the theme of A Classic Comic Hero Christmas. Gingerbread Land features a new centerpiece and photo opportunity:  a giant interactive, walk-in snow globe. ...

If you're updating your estate plans — or just starting to create a plan — you may be confused by some of the terms. For example, what's the difference between a will and a trust? If you have a large or complicated estate, do you need to create a trust? Or does a will do the job? Read about these common terms and how they can affect your estate planning. ...

Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond magazine took first place for General Excellence and first place for Overall Design at the North American Mature Publishers Association convention in Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 14.

Marie Elium is the magazine’s editor. Laura Chadwick is the art director/designer.

Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond received seven other awards, three for writing and four for design.

For editorial content, the magazine took first place for its Worth Noting section in the Briefs/Shorts category.

In the Editorial/Opinion writing category, editor Marie Elium’s column about attending her 40th high school reunion was awarded second place. https://www.northeastohiothrive.com/editors-note-2/high-school-reunion-reflections-a-look-back-to-the-future/

A story written by Marie Elium about the Tremont Neighborhood earned a third-place award in the feature writing category.

https://www.northeastohiothrive.com/magazine/2018-editions-magazine/tremont-small-town-feel-big-city-conveniences/

In the design categories, Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond took first place honors for best Table of Contents, Briefs/Shorts (Worth Noting) and Feature Layout. The Feature Layout was a story about local music photographer Janet Macoska.

A cover with journalist Leon Bibb took second place for Front Cover (Photo).

Laura Chadwick designed the winning entries.

The School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia judged the entries submitted by the NAMPA-member magazines. Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond competed in the division with magazines that have a circulation of 25,001-50,000.

The judges said this about Boomer in their comments for the General Excellence first place award:

“This magazine has a distinctive look and voice that sets it apart. Design is simple, original, even whimsical. The writing is engaging with a lot of endearing personal wisdom. Columnists seem authoritative and encouraging. It is clearly an asset to its community.”

Northeast Ohio Boomer and Beyond magazine is a lifestyle publication for people 50+. With a distribution of 32,000, it is available at 650 locations throughout Greater Cleveland.

NAMPA is a non-profit international association for publishers of local/regional senior and boomer publications.

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Sooner is definitely better when it comes to identifying and reporting problems with your earnings record. As time passes, you may no longer have easy access to past tax documents, and some employers may no longer exist or be able to provide past payroll information. ...

Unless you already have Medicare, you may not know exactly what it is or what it covers. We get it; why understand something that doesn't affect you? But now may be a good time to learn about this health insurance program to find out how to best utilize your benefits when you need them. ...