Please select a link below to learn more about each resource:

Entrepreneurship & Financial Security

Seniors have a natural advantage in a knowledge-based economy, where years of experience can be used to start a new career after an initial retirement. Entrepreneurship among older people also provides many societal and economic benefits, such as job creation and economic independence. The following resources can help you manage financial difficulties and ensure economic independence.

• Entrepreneurship

  Encore.org. Learn about programs and opportunities designed to help seniors pursue careers after retirement.	IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center. Provides information about the various tax provisions that affect American businesses.
  SBA.gov. A step-by-step guide on how to start a new business.	SBA Office of Veterans Business Development. Supports veterans, reserve component members and their dependents or survivors in the business community.
  SCORE. Educates entrepreneurs and helps small businesses start, grow and succeed nationwide.	StartupAmericaPartnership.org. Delivers strategic and substantive resources to help entrepreneurs start and scale companies.

• Financial Security

  AARP. AARP is working to ensure you have the financial security you need to take charge of your future and live independently as you age. We’re fighting to protect the Social Security benefits you’ve earned and to ensure every American worker is treated fairly on the job, regardless of age. We’re also giving you free and unbiased information to help you plan, work and save for retirement.	AARP Age Discrimination Fact Sheet. Provides information to help protect you against age bias in the workplace.
  Agingcare.com. Provides news and information about financial issues important to seniors.	American Association of Daily Money Managers. Helps you find financial professionals who can provide personal financial/bookkeeping services to senior citizens and the disabled.
  ElderCare.gov. Connects you to community services for older adults, including housing, transportation, and financial services.	HUD Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program. Provides information about the Section 202 program, which helps expand the supply of affordable housing with supportive services for the elderly.
  IRS.gov. Provides information about retirement savings accounts, explaining how to participate in an eligible plan, how to put money in an account, and the tax rules governing the accounts.	Making Home Affordable.gov. Find out if you are eligible for a mortgage modification or refinancing. You can also call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673).
  National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Provides a directory of elder and special needs law attorneys who have experience working on behalf of seniors.	National Council on Aging. Provides help for seniors facing financial difficulties.
  The Public Workforce System. Serves thousands of individuals who are seeking employment, changing jobs, reentering the workforce, or learning new skills. You can also call 1-877-872-5627 (TTY: 1-877-889-5627)	SeniorJobBank.org. Provides job listings and career information for seniors.
  Senior Service America. Provides work opportunities for low- income and disadvantaged seniors.	U.S. Department of Labor. Provides research and analysis on issues important to older workers.

Financial Fraud & Deceptive Marketing

Fraudulent schemes take many forms, and can bilk you out of your life savings. Some scams are sold as legitimate investment opportunities, while others are designed to build trust over months and years, relying on sympathy or a false sense of familiarity.

• Financial Fraud

  AARP. AARP's Fraud Watch Network has launched an online Scam-Tracking Map, allowing consumers nationwide to report instances of fraud schemes, by way of sharing the information with others in their community who may become targeted.  The free interactive tool also includes alerts from law enforcement and other public agencies, listed state-by-state.	The Better Business Bureau - Scam Stopper. Provides resources to expose fraudulent schemes.
  Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Provides information about fraudulent financial schemes and offers help to victims of deceptive financial products.	Commodity Futures Trading Commission: Provides information to educate consumers and help them avoid fraud in the U.S. futures markets.
  ElderCare.gov. Connects you to community services for older adults, including legal and financial assistance services.	Federal Bureau of Investigations. Provides information on fraud schemes that use telephones, the Internet, mass mailings, television, radio, and personal contact to swindle consumers.
  Federal Housing Finance Agency. Includes tips to help consumers avoid housing related scams, such as mortgage rescue scams, bankruptcy scams, and reverse mortgage fraud.	Federal Trade Commission. Provides information on new and ongoing fraud schemes, along with tips to help you protect yourself.
  Internet Crime Complaint Center. A partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center to act as a depot for Internet related criminal complaints and to develop, and refer the criminal complaints to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement and/or regulatory agencies.	National Council on Aging. Provides information on the top scams targeting seniors.
  Social Security Administration. Provides an online form to report allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse concerning Social Security benefits.	U.S. Administration on Aging. Includes resources to prevent elder abuse.
  U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Provides information about online romance scams.	U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs. Provides information for Americans who are victims of a crime overseas.
  U.S. Department of State. Provides information on international financial scams.	Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Offers a toll-free number that senior investors can call to get assistance or raise concerns about issues with brokerage accounts and investments.

• Deceptive Marketing

  The Better Business Bureau – Consumer News. Provides information and news about abusive telemarketing.	FCC. Provides information on what to do when you receive an unsolicited call from an individual you suspect is not being honest about who they are or where they are calling from.
  Federal Trade Commission – Investment Guide. Provides a complete guide on how to protect your money from dishonest telemarketers and misleading sales calls.	Money Smart for Older Adults. Provides awareness among older adults and their caregivers on how to prevent elder financial exploitation and to encourage advance planning and informed financial decision-making.
  The National Do-Not-Call Complaint Form. Online complaint form to use if you are registered with National Do-Not-Call Registry and you receive an unsolicited telemarketing call. You can also file a complaint by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) / TTY: 1-888-835-5322.	The National Do-Not-Call Registry. Provides information about the National Do-Not-Call Registry, which can stop telemarketers from calling your home or mobile phone.

Healthcare Information

Scams & Identity Theft

Seniors have a natural advantage in a knowledge-based economy, where years of experience can be used to start a new career after an initial retirement. Entrepreneurship among older people also provides many societal and economic benefits, such as job creation and economic independence. The following resources can help you manage financial difficulties and ensure economic independence.

• Scams

  AARP. If you or someone you know has been the victim of the Jamaican Lottery Scam, you may call the AARP's Fraud Fighter Call Center toll-free at (800) 646-2283. To learn more about the Fraud Fighter Call Center, click here.	The Better Business Bureau You may file a complaint against a company if you suspect that you have been the victim of fraud.
  Department of Health and Human Services. If you or someone you know has been the victim of Medicare Fraud, or suspect that it is occurring, you may file a complaint online or contact (800) MEDICARE ((800) 633 -4227). To learn more about Medicare fraud, click here.	Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team.. Collects phishing email messages and website locations so that they can help people avoid becoming victims of phishing scams. If you believe you have received an email as part of a scam, forward it to phishing-report@us- cert.gov.
  Federal Trade Commission. File a complaint if you’ve been the victim of identity theft, received a call from someone claiming you won a sweepstakes or have been the victim of any other type of scam. You may also file a complaint over the telephone with the Federal Trade Commission by calling (877) 438-4338 (TTY/TTD (866) 653 -4261). Click herefor useful tips that can help you determine if a caller is legitimate or not.	Federal Trade Commission. If you or someone you know has received an email that you suspect is a scam, forward it to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov.
  IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit. If you or someone you know has been the victim of tax refund fraud, you should contact the IRS’s Identity Protection Specialized Unit at (800) 908-4490. You should also contact your local taxpayer advocate. Click hereto learn more about the taxpayer advocate and to locate their nearest office. You may also call (877) 777-4778 (TTY/TTD: (800) 829-4059) to obtain the telephone number of your state’s local taxpayer advocate.	Internal Revenue Service. If you or someone you know has received an email from someone claiming to be the IRS asking for personal or financial information, forward the email to the Internal Revenue Service at phishing@irs.gov.To learn more about email phishing involving the Internal Revenue Service, click here. For additional information about suspicious emails and identity theft, click here.
  Internal Revenue Service. If you have filed a report with your local police department due to tax refund fraud, to assist in their investigation, they may require you to complete an IRS Identity Theft Affidavit (IRS Form 14039) and file it with the Internal Revenue Service. This affidavit allows the IRS to share the fraudulent tax return filed under the victim’s name with your local and state law enforcement agency. To learn more about identity theft from the Internal Revenue Service, click here.	U.S. Postal Inspection Service. If you or someone you know has been the victim or the Jamaican lottery scam or received a letter in the mail claiming you won money, it is likely a scam. You may file a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service online or by contacting (877) 876-2455 and ask to speak with a Postal Inspector.

• Identity Theft

  Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it without your permission. The crime can affect your personal finances, medical benefits, Social Security benefits, and tax liability.

  AARP. Provides tips on how to protect your personal information on social networks, such as Facebook and eHarmony.	Elder Justice Initiative. Provides specific information from the U.S. Department of Justice related to victims of elder abuse and financial exploitation and their families.
  Federal Trade Commission. Provides resources to help you protect yourself from identity theft.	Identity Theft Resource Center. Non-profit organization that provides victim assistance to consumers throughout the United States, at no charge.
  Internal Revenue Service. Provides information on what to do if a thief uses your personal information to file a fraudulent tax return.	Medicare.gov. Provides detailed information on what to do to safeguard your personal information in medical settings.
  Social Security Administration.. Advises on what to do if someone misuses your Social Security number.	Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).  If you or someone you know is aware of fraud or abuse relating to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), you may report it by submitting a complaint through the organization’s online form or by calling TIGTA’s hotline at 1-800-366-4484.  Click here to view TIGTA’s public service announcement regarding a pervasive scam in which fraudsters impersonate IRS agents and demand payment for “back taxes.”
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Advises on what to do if someone misuses your personal information to obtain medical care, buy drugs, or submit fake billings to Medicare.	U.S. Department of Justice. Provides information about the most common forms of identity theft.
  U.S. Department of State. Provides information on what to do if your passport is lost or stolen.	Wall Street Journal Guide on Identity Theft & Credit Card Fraud.Provides useful information on how to protect yourself from identity theft and credit card fraud.