4 Ways You May Be Able to Prevent Dementia Before It Starts
Awareness pays off. Over the last year, the IRS has reported a steep decline in the number of identity theft cases. According to the Associated Press, in 2015 there were around 700,000 reported cases of identity theft. In 2016, that number fell to 377,000. In the first half of 2017, the number of cases topped off at 107,000. In recent years, more and more identity thieves have turned their attention to the IRS. Thieves use stolen personal information to submit fraudulent tax forms. When the tax forms are processed, the IRS then sends the tax refund to the thieves, not realizing they are sending checks to the wrong individual. Thieves primarily look for social security numbers, birth dates, and other income information. They can get this data in mailed documents (always shred sensitive documents when they are no longer needed) or through data breaches (such as the breaches that impacted major retailers and insurance providers in recent years). Identity Theft on the Decline F rom the moment you wake up in the morning, it feels like a dense fog fills your head. When you drag yourself out of bed and go to make yourself a plate of eggs and toast, it suddenly seems like a much more complicated task than before. You lose track of time, and the smell of smoke enters your nostrils. Frantically turning the burner off, it occurs to you that you can’t remember the day of the week. According to Time Magazine, 47 million people around the world live with some type of dementia. Typically, as we age, we’re told that all we can do is hope for the best and bide our time until there’s a cure, but recent research by the Alzheimer’s Research Center paints a different picture. A set of simple lifestyle changes may be the key to staving off cognitive decline as we get older. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 50 percent, according to Help Guide, and it can even slow the onset of already-present cognitive decline. Walk or swim for about 150 minutes each week, along with two to three sessions of moderate resistance training, as well as balance and coordination exercises. Check out eldergym.com for more info on staying active as you age.
Heart-healthy eating may also protect the brain. Limit your intake of sugar and saturated fats and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Replace
butter and margarine with olive or canola oil. Two diets that have
been linked to heart health are the DASH diet (dashdiet.org) and the Mediterranean diet (oldwayspt.org/traditional-diets/ mediterranean-diet). Frequent social engagement may help keep your brain sharp. Make efforts to speak face to face with someone you’re close to as often as you can. Try to make new friends, volunteer, join a club or social group, get to know your neighbors, or connect with people over social media. Mental stimulation may also be important to brain health as we age. Study something new to you, such as a foreign language or a musical instrument. Make reading books and newspapers part of your regular routine. Try doing crossword or sudoku puzzles. It’s not difficult to find an activity you enjoy that will also help keep your brain active.
New Measures Are Doing More to Protect Taxpayers
The IRS has become a major target for identity thieves because it’s seen as a relatively easy target. With so many taxpayers submitting their tax documents at once, thieves count on volume. Plus, the agency returns an average of $300 billion every year. The agency also works quickly to get returns out in a timely manner, which means many fraudulent returns often fly under the radar. These days, however, the IRS is making strides to protect taxpayer data and to screen incoming tax forms. They have employed sophisticated tax processing software that can more readily identify fraudulent returns. At the same time, consumers have become more proactive when it comes to protecting their personal and financial data. They are utilizing data monitoring services and keeping regular tabs on their credit reports and various accounts.
2 • CampbellWealth.com
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