Ageism

Elder Abuse

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

Most of the time I just delete shit like this. Then, unsurprisingly I get another text.

What chat? Why do I feel like I’m being targeted?

HomeVestors, the self-proclaimed “largest homebuyer in the United States,” goes to great lengths to distinguish itself from the hedge funds and YouTube gurus that have taken over large swaths of the real estate investment market. The company says it helps homeowners out of jams — ugly houses and ugly situations — improving lives and communities by taking on properties no one else would buy. Part of that mission is a promise not to take advantage of anyone who doesn’t understand the true value of their home, even as franchisees pursue rock-bottom prices…HomeVestors cautions its franchisees never to take advantage of sellers who are unable to understand negotiations. But by the time he left that evening, Evans had a contract to buy the house for roughly two-thirds its value, signed in Casanova’s shaky script.

The Ugly Truth Behind “We Buy Ugly Houses” — https://www.propublica.org/article/ugly-truth-behind-we-buy-ugly-houses

Full disclosure – I have no clue who sent me these text messages and the source may not be HomeVestors.

Please read then share the entire article. You can’t be too safe nowadays.

The more I think about this form of elder abuse the angrier I get. Then again, maybe I did have a conversation about a different property.

This text message was for a property I don’t own.

(I am) Flunking Retirement

/ SupremeCmdr / 3 Comments

Participants with the most positive views of aging were living, on average, 7.5 years longer than those with the most negative views. 90%: the percentage of centenarians who were functionally independent in their 90’s.

People who live long lives can teach us how to live healthy lives.

Flunking Retirement – https://ysph.yale.edu/about-school-of-public-health/communications-public-relations/publications/public-health-magazine/article/flunking-retirement/

The source article is an interview with two Yale alumni who are still working at the age of 82. Both are youngsters when compared to…Willie who just turned 90 and still working.

The Labor Force Refuses to Grow – Age Discrimination?

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment


Ageism?

Ageism is a real problem. And it could also be responsible for the low labor force getting stuck at this level. Boomers are now between around 56 and 76. This is a huge generation. And in tech, when the hiring manager is 32, and you’re 56, it’s tough getting that job. And when you’re 62, it’s even tougher just to get anyone’s attention. Some succeed. But many don’t.

Many of these people, often with a superb job history, may never get a job in their field again. Many of them made enough money to where they don’t have to work. They’d like to work, but it’s tough getting ignored or rejected time after time because of age.

And they give up “actively” looking for a job, and thereby they’re removed from the labor force. They were dropped from the labor force due to ageism, not because they wanted to retire. And they might tell everyone, after they give up looking, that they’re “retired,” when in fact, they’d love to work in their field but are locked out.

I Want to Add a Word about Ageism in this Bizarre Labor Market and How it Hits Labor Force & Unemployment Numbers — https://wolfstreet.com/2022/07/08/i-want-to-add-a-word-about-ageism-in-this-bizarre-labor-market-and-how-it-hits-labor-force-unemployment-numbers/

The entire post from Mr. Wolf is worth reading. Obviously there is no data to support ageism as one of the causes for the lack of labor force growth. But it certainly is an interesting hunch.

At last count there were 240 comments on this article.

Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-houston-we-ve-had-a-problem

Intel Layoffs Spotlight Plight of Aging Workers – OregonLive.com

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

People over 40 were two-and-a-half times more likely to lose their jobs in this spring’s layoffs than Intel employees under 40.

Source: Intel layoffs skew older, spotlighting plight of aging workers | OregonLive.com

Intel is obviously not in the insurance business but I felt this was an excellent article on ageism and the fate that awaits virtually everyone in the corporate world.  As strange as it sounds you really have to plan on doing something else before you need to do something else.

In my part of the country the current state of the energy industry has and will continue to affect many families.  If you’ve held a highly specialized position in energy the chances of finding a comparable job somewhere soon is slim.  Time to do something else.

Plan on earning less than you thought you would be earning.  The probability of this occurrence is higher than you think.  Find some other line of work, either your own small business or a company who appreciates old people.

Better yet, don’t get old.