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SE P TEMBE R 2026 FEATURE: BRAIN HEALTH: COGNITIVE

AGING, CHANGING AND ADAPTING

This month, we’re focusing on one of the most talked-about aspects of aging: brain health. We see it in the news. We read about it in magazines. Brain health is dinner conversation fodder and both openly discussed in families and quietly explored behind closed doors. Is mom forgetful or is it more? Am I stressed and tired, or are these the early signs of cognitive decline? Do I have dementia? For many of us, a forgotten name, a misplaced set of keys, or walking into a room only to wonder why we went there can prompt an uncomfortable

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ASK THE EXPERT: SLEEP & CBT-I (CBTINSOMNIA)

Publisher: Amy Natt AmyN@aosnc.com

ON THE MENU:

Editor-in-Chief: Amy Phariss Editor@outreachnc.com

OLD-FASHIONED FRESH APPLE CAKE

Creative Director: Sarah McElroy Coalfeather Art & Design

THE ONE WHO IS LEFT:

GUARDING YOUR NEST EGG FROM FRAUD Marketing & Ad Sales: Emma Campbell EmmaC@aosnc.com SEPTEMBER 2026 - 1

OCTOBER 2022 - 2

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Amy Phariss, Editor-in-Chief, OutreachNC | editor@outreachnc.com

Well, it’s official: fall is here. I had my first pumpkin-spiced latte jus LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ture dipped low enough to merit a fleece.

Amy Phariss, Editor-in-Chief, OutreachNC | editor@outreachnc.com Don’t was decaf. For worry. On theItMenu, we’ve also got a recipe for upcoming Readers, I was out walking this morning and it was, dare I say, coolish? Not quite so humid. Pleasant. I sense fall in the air, which is both exhilarating and a little sad. The summer has gone by too quickly, and in no time I’ll be writing about early darkness and seasonal affective disorder. In this month’s feature, Understanding the Brain Part 1: Cognitive Aging, Changing and Adapting, Dr. Jennifer Richards, PhD helps us explore a current hot topic: brain health. Dr. Richards helps us decipher the “normal signs of aging” and cognitive decline as well as sleep and brain health and whether or not we can sharpen our brains using puzzles and other tools. In Ask the Expert, Amy Phariss, LCMHC explains a front-line treatment for insomnia, CBT-I. For the many Americans who struggle with sleepless nights, early mornings and difficulty even falling asleep, CBT-I can help and is a well-researched, evidenced based treatment to help.

Doug Lynam, in his monthly financial column, helps readers understand fraud and scams targeting all of us, and he helps us with concrete, actionable steps to prevent losing our nest eggs to scams. Read (and save) this column. Share it with friends. Get to work not from a place of fear but from one of agency.

apple season. In the Poetry Corner, Helen Hunt October is a gentle month. There are constant reminders of change Jackson’s “September” describes the “lovely tokens” of we are lucky, toward each other. We have lingering conversations o September days. the flames flicker. Smoke dances around us in a circle. We zip our j We also have a handy Seasonal Reset for fall: a few In boxes this month’s we’re starting an important to checkfeature, as you prepare for the transition to conversatio care community for ourselves or a and loved Fox Hollow Senio cooler temperatures, hearty stews theone? upswing of the holiday season. Robin Hutchings offers inside perspective for making this decision

a passage fromanswers Jackson’s poem, which rings In I’ll Askend thewith Expert, Amy Natt a reader’s question regarding true this morning in particular: away without any estate planning. Without a will or access to impo

Physical therapist Dr. Sara Morrison of Total Body Therapy and W By all these tokens potential diagnostic toolslovely used in physical therapy to help diagnose these tools differ from what other doctor’s offices may offer.

September days are here,

I’m going to agree with Nathaniel Hawthorne this month, who wro

Withendure summer’s bestsoof weather, I cannot to waste anything precious as autumnal suns spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air. And autumn’s best of cheer.

Here’s to enjoying the October sunshine, falling leaves and dayligh Cheers,

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info@AOSNC.com | 910.692.0683 Find current & previous issues of OutreachNC Read the latest from our blog Join our free digital mailing list Sign up for home delivery of OutreachNC Explore our Resources tab for community events, support groups, and more... SEPTEMBER 2026 - 3

ASK THE EXPERT: SLEEP & CBT-I (CBT-INSOMNIA)

Amy Phariss, LCMHC | Clarity Counseling NC, PLLC Southern Pines, NC Q: My husband has struggled with his sleep for years, probably decades. He has a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep, and I find him up at night on his phone. Is there anything that will help? He doesn't want to try medication, which I respect. But I know this isn't good for either of us. A: As a counselor, I begin nearly every session with a series of check-ins, and one of the most important is: How has your sleep been? There is a reason I ask. Sleep is often connected to low mood, lack of motivation, increased stress, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating and just about every other reason a client comes to therapy. Sometimes poor sleep is a symptom of what is going on. Other times, after weeks or months of struggling, insomnia becomes a problem of its own. In this month’s feature on brain health, neuropsychologist Jennifer Richards, PhD, mentions a treatment that many people have never heard of: cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, usually called CBT-I. For chronic insomnia, CBT-I is considered a first-line treatment and can be more effective over the long term than simply relying on sleep medication. What Is CBT-I? CBT-I is a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy designed specifically to treat insomnia. Despite its name, it isn’t simply about changing your thoughts, and it’s much more comprehensive than the familiar advice to avoid caffeine before bed or put away your phone.

Instead, CBT-I looks at the thoughts, behaviors and patterns that may be keeping insomnia going. For many clients, sleep problems create a frustrating cycle. Imagine that you have several nights of poor sleep. Understandably, you begin worrying about whether you’ll sleep the next night. You go to bed earlier to give yourself more time. You stay in bed later in the morning. Maybe you nap because you’re exhausted. At night, you watch the clock and calculate how many hours you have left before morning. You begin to worry: will I be tired tomorrow? Is this going to be another restless night? I’m going to feel awful when I wake up. Ugh. This will never end. See the cycle? Your brain begins looping. In no time, your heart rate increases, you’re hot, your bed is uncomfortable and your entire body is involved in this cycle of worry, fear and dread. Before long, your bed—which your brain once associated with sleep—can become associated with being awake, frustrated and anxious. CBT-I works to interrupt that cycle. What Happens in CBT-I? Treatment usually combines several strategies. A therapist may help you establish a consistent sleep and wake schedule and strengthen the association between your bed and sleeping. You may learn what to do when you’ve been lying awake rather than spending hours trying to force yourself to sleep or ruminate about what will happen if you don’t get to sleep sometime soon! CBT-I also addresses the thoughts that often accompany insomnia: I have to get eight hours tonight. I’m never going to function tomorrow. Something is wrong with me because I can’t sleep. Learning to recognize and challenge these thoughts can reduce some of the anxiety that makes falling asleep even more difficult. Another component may involve temporarily limiting the amount of time you spend in bed to more closely match the amount of time you are actually sleeping. This technique, sometimes called sleep restriction or sleep compression, helps consolidate sleep and gradually rebuild a healthier sleep pattern.

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Because individual medical conditions and circumstances matter, this part of CBT-I is best undertaken with appropriate professional guidance. Relaxation skills and education about sleep are often included as well. For many clients, this can be frustrating. We’ve all heard the general sleep “rules” – get 8 hours, don’t drink coffee too late, go to bed at the same time. Clients tell me, “I know all of that. I don’t need to come to therapy to hear it again.” The frustration is understandable. But counseling can help put all of these moving parts together, into a plan. And we can identify root causes for worry and anxiety that clients are often unaware of or haven’t linked to their sleep troubles. Putting all this together is the key to CBT-I. Where Can I Find Help? If you have persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking much earlier than you want, you can start by talking with your healthcare provider. Even for counselors, one of the first questions we ask ourselves and our clients is: can these symptoms be caused by a physical health issue? We have to first rule that out before we begin to treat the mental health issues. Insomnia can have many causes, and conditions such as sleep apnea, chronic pain, medication side effects,

depression, anxiety and other medical concerns may need to be evaluated. Many times, insomnia is the result of both physical and mental issues. Treating both increases progress. If CBT-I is appropriate, look for a mental health professional or behavioral sleep specialist who has specific training in CBT-I. The Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine maintains a directory of behavioral sleep medicine providers, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers a searchable directory of accredited sleep centers. Your primary care provider or current therapist may also be able to help you locate a trained clinician. There are evidence-based digital programs as well. CBT-i Coach, developed through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in collaboration with Stanford University, offers education and tools based on CBT-I principles. It was designed to complement treatment rather than replace professional care. Most importantly, chronic insomnia is not necessarily something we have to tolerate as we get older. Sleep affects how we think, feel and function. When I ask my clients, “How has your sleep been?” I’m not making small talk. The answer often tells us something important about what is happening everywhere else, and helping clients get better sleep helps all other areas of their lives.

SEPTEMBER 2026 - 5

Brain Health

COGNITIVE AGING, CHANGING AND ADAPTING

by Amy Phariss

question: Is this a normal part of getting older, or is it something more? While some changes in memory and processing are expected with age, growing research suggests that cognitive decline is not simply something we have to accept—and that many of the everyday choices we make to support our physical and emotional health may also help protect our brains. To better understand what happens to the brain as we age, ONC spoke with Jennifer Richards, PhD, a neuropsychologist and licensed clinical psychologist and the founder and director of Carolina Brain Wellness Center in Sanford, North Carolina. Dr. Richards has more than a decade of postdoctoral experience in neuropsychological assessment, with

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particular interests in cognitive rehabilitation and traumatic brain injury. Earlier in her career, she worked at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where she developed a cognitive rehabilitation program for service members with traumatic brain injury at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. In the first of our two-part conversation, Dr. Richards helps us distinguish normal cognitive aging from changes that deserve closer attention, explains why our brains remain capable of learning and adapting throughout our lives, and explores what hearing, sleep, social connection, and even our favorite crossword puzzle can—and can’t—do for long-term brain health.

continued from page 1 ONC: We hear a lot about cognitive decline as a normal part of aging. We become forgetful. We don’t hear as well. What are the normal signs of cognitive aging, and when do we need to think about cognitive decline as something more serious? Dr. Richards: Some cognitive change is expected with aging. Most people notice that they process information a little more slowly, need more repetition, or have more occasional word-finding difficulty. It is common to walk into a room and forget why you went there, need a moment to pull up a name, or rely more on calendars and lists than you did when you were younger. Those kinds of changes can be frustrating, but they do not necessarily mean that something is wrong. I become more concerned when cognitive changes are progressive, noticeable to others, or begin to interfere with independence. Examples include repeatedly forgetting important conversations, missing bills or medications, getting lost in familiar places, making unusual financial or safety decisions, having difficulty following familiar recipes or routines, or needing more help with responsibilities that someone previously managed well. Another important sign is reduced awareness. If the person is much less concerned than family members are, or if they do not recognize mistakes that are obvious to others, that can be clinically meaningful. The other thing I tell families is that “memory” is only one part of cognition.

DEMENTIA DOES NOT ALWAYS START WITH MEMORY. Some people first show changes in judgment, organization, problem-solving, language, navigation, personality, or behavior. If there is a clear change from the person’s previous baseline, it is worth discussing with a medical provider. ONC: One of the biggest ideas, which may be a myth, is that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” There’s the idea that at a certain age, the brain is fixed. There’s nothing we can do to prevent decline. Is this true? Do we reach an age where we must accept decline? Dr. Richards: No, that is not true. The brain does change with age, but it does not become fixed. Older adults may need more repetition, more structure, or more time to learn something new, but the brain remains capable of adapting throughout life. This ability is often referred to as neuroplasticity, which

means the brain can continue to form new connections, strengthen existing pathways, and respond to experience. It is also not true that we are powerless when it comes to cognitive decline. We cannot control every risk factor, and there is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia. However, there are many factors that can influence brain health. The 2024 Lancet Commission estimated that approximately 45% of dementia cases may be preventable or delayed by addressing modifiable risk factors across the lifespan. That does not mean every case can be prevented, but it does mean that brain health is not passive. The best way to think about prevention is not as one single activity or one single supplement, but as a pattern of living that supports the brain over time. What supports the heart, blood vessels, sleep, mood, hearing, movement, social connection, and continued learning also supports the brain. Research from multidomain prevention studies, such as the FINGER trial, also suggests that lifestyle interventions are most effective when they combine several areas at once, including exercise, healthy diet, cognitive activity, social activity, and vascular risk-factor management. So, we do not reach an age where we simply have to “accept decline” and stop trying. Normal aging may bring some changes in speed, efficiency, and recall, but older adults can still learn, adapt, build routines, benefit from treatment of contributing factors, and take meaningful steps to support brain health. ONC: In the past, we’ve written about the connection between hearing loss and dementia. Can you speak about that and describe how they’re related? And what can we do, if we have hearing loss, to prevent cognitive decline? Dr. Richards: Hearing loss is one of the most important and often overlooked brain health issues. When someone cannot hear well, the brain has to work harder just to decode what is being said. That extra effort uses up attention resources. In other words, the person may have less mental energy available to focus on the meaning of the conversation, hold information in mind, respond thoughtfully, or remember what was said later. So hearing loss does not just make someone “look” distracted or forgetful. It can affect thinking in a real way because the brain is spending so much effort trying to hear that there is less left over for attention, learning, and memory.

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HEARING LOSS CAN ALSO LEAD TO SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL. IF CONVERSATIONS BECOME FRUSTRATING OR EMBARRASSING, PEOPLE MAY STOP PARTICIPATING AS MUCH. THAT LOSS OF STIMULATION AND CONNECTION CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT MOOD AND COGNITION OVER TIME. The encouraging part is that hearing is treatable. In the ACHIEVE trial, hearing intervention slowed cognitive decline by about 48% over three years in older adults who were at increased risk for cognitive decline. That finding does not mean hearing aids prevent dementia for everyone, but it strongly supports treating hearing loss as part of a brain health plan. If hearing loss is suspected, I recommend audiology evaluation and consistent use of hearing aids or assistive listening devices when indicated. It is not enough to own hearing aids; they need to be worn, adjusted properly, and used consistently. Families can help by facing the person when speaking, reducing background noise, speaking clearly without shouting, and making sure important medical or financial information is also written down. ONC: Is there any link between sleep and brain health? Can improving sleep as we age really prevent cognitive decline? Dr. Richards: Sleep is very important for brain health. Poor sleep can affect attention, processing speed, memory, mood, irritability, motivation, and overall day-to-day functioning. In older adults, sleep problems can have many different causes, including pain, medical conditions, medications, anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, nighttime urination, alcohol use, irregular sleep habits, or spending too much time in bed during the day. Because treatment depends on the underlying cause, it is important to identify what is actually disrupting sleep rather than assuming all sleep problems should be treated the same way. When the underlying sleep problem is addressed, many people notice improvement in daytime alertness, attention, mood, and cognitive efficiency. Sleep apnea deserves specific attention because it is not simply a matter of “poor sleep.” Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can lead to repeated drops in oxygen and fragmented sleep, and it has been associated with cognitive difficulties as well as greater burden of cerebral small vessel disease. Research suggests that

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treating sleep apnea with CPAP can improve aspects of cognition in some patients, particularly attention, executive functioning, processing speed, and daytime functioning. Therefore, for patients with untreated or poorly treated sleep apnea, consistent treatment may lead to meaningful improvement in some of the cognitive symptoms they are experiencing. If someone snores loudly, gasps or pauses breathing during sleep, wakes up unrefreshed, has morning headaches, feels excessively sleepy during the day, or has known sleep apnea but is not using CPAP consistently, follow-up with sleep medicine is strongly recommended. Good sleep habits are also important. These include keeping a consistent wake time, getting morning light exposure, limiting long naps, avoiding late-day caffeine, reducing evening alcohol, and keeping the bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable. For chronic insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, is often more helpful and safer long-term than sedating medication. Medication use should also be considered when evaluating sleep.

SOME SEDATING MEDICATIONS USED FOR INSOMNIA CAN WORSEN COGNITION, INCREASE FALL RISK, OR CAUSE DAYTIME CONFUSION, ESPECIALLY IN OLDER ADULTS. Patients should talk with their medical provider before relying on sleep medication as a long-term solution, and they should not stop prescribed medication suddenly without medical guidance. ONC: We often hear that we should do things like crossword puzzles to keep our brains sharp. Do puzzles and brain games actually work? Dr. Richards: Puzzles and brain games can be enjoyable, and I certainly do not discourage them. However, people sometimes overestimate what they can do. Doing crossword puzzles may make you better at crossword puzzles, but it does not necessarily improve all areas of cognition or prevent dementia. The brain benefits most from activities that are engaging, challenging, varied, and meaningful. A puzzle may exercise one narrow skill, but real life requires many cognitive skills working together: attention, memory, language, problem-solving, planning, flexibility, and social awareness. This is why activities such as learning a new skill, taking a class, playing music, joining a group, volunteering, reading and discussing books, dancing, exercising, playing cards or strategy games, or participating in community

programs may be more broadly helpful. These activities often combine cognitive effort with movement, emotion, purpose, and social connection.

THE MOST HELPFUL BRAIN ACTIVITIES ARE THOSE THAT REQUIRE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. Passive activities are not necessarily harmful, but the brain tends to benefit more from activities that ask the person to pay attention, make decisions, solve problems, remember information, or interact with others. For example, watching television is generally less cognitively demanding than attending a class, learning a recipe, joining a book club, playing cards with friends, or participating in a local enrichment program. One major prevention study, the FINGER trial, found that a structured multidomain lifestyle intervention, including exercise, diet, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring, improved cognitive performance by about 25% more than general health advice over two years. That is important because it suggests that brain health interventions work best when they are not onedimensional.

THE BEST BRAIN ACTIVITY IS ONE THE PERSON WILL ACTUALLY KEEP DOING, BUT IDEALLY IT SHOULD INVOLVE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT RATHER THAN PASSIVE REPETITION. If crossword puzzles are enjoyable, keep doing them. They can be part of a healthy routine. Just remember that the bigger goal is not to master one puzzle or one brain game, but to stay curious, challenged, connected, and mentally engaged in daily life.

September Helen Hunt Jackson

The golden-rod is yellow; The corn is turning brown; The trees in apple orchards With fruit are bending down. The gentian’s bluest fringes Are curling in the sun; In dusty pods the milkweed Its hidden silk has spun. The sedges flaunt their harvest, In every meadow nook; And asters by the brook-side Make asters in the brook. From dewy lanes at morning the grapes’ sweet odors rise; At noon the roads all flutter With yellow butterflies. By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer’s best of weather, And autumn’s best of cheer. But none of all this beauty Which floods the earth and air Is unto me the secret Which makes September fair. ‘T is a thing which I remember; To name it thrills me yet: One day of one September I never can forget.

SEPTEMBER 2026 - 9

THE ONE WHO IS LEFT: GUARDING YOUR NEST EGG FROM FRAUD

Doug Lynam, Wealth Manager at Course Management Investment Advisors | cmiallc.com monastery taught me that the people who get hurt are A good friend, whom I will call Kevin phoned me rarely foolish; they are trusting, caught on a hard day. recently. I heard the strain in his voice before he finished A scammer needs you hurried, frightened, lonely, or a sentence. He’d opened an email that looked like a party already mid-problem. In that moment the friendly voice invitation and clicked the link inside. Somewhere in that does not feel like a threat. It feels like rescue. small exchange, a malicious program slipped onto his computer. The costumes change constantly. The script almost never does. Someone manufactures fear or excitement, claims By the time Kevin understood what had happened, the authority, insists on secrecy, and pushes you to act before damage was everywhere. His address book was exposed, you can think. Learn that shape, and you no longer have and the same fake invitation went out to everyone in it. to recognize every disguise. Criminals had reached his bank and his credit cards. The first charges were comically small. $2, then $7.50, WHY THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE DRAWS THE then $89. Someone was testing the keys before trying the WOLVES vault. Older adults are targeted for arithmetic reasons. Decades His bank caught the fraud and froze the accounts, which of saving. Strong credit. Retirement accounts. A lifetime saved his money and locked him out of his own financial of dealings with banks, doctors, and agencies a criminal life at the same time. For two weeks he could barely can imitate. reach his own money. He replaced every card, wiped his The numbers are sobering. According to the FBI’s 2025 computer, reset his passwords, and warned his whole Internet Crime Report, Americans aged sixty and older address book to distrust anything that seemed to come filed 201,266 complaints and reported $7.7 billion in from him. losses, an average of about $38,500 per report. More than The stolen dollars were not the worst of it. For weeks twelve thousand of them lost over $100,000 apiece. Here Kevin felt invaded, anxious and quietly ashamed. A in North Carolina, older residents filed 5,942 complaints stranger had walked through the front door of his digital and reported more than $164 million in losses. And life and gone through the drawers. those are only the cases someone was willing to report. Shame keeps the true figure hidden. I understood better than I wanted to. One category now dwarfs the rest. Investment fraud, Not long ago, I was on hold with my own cellphone much of it fake crypto platforms and too-good-to-be-true carrier when my phone rang. The caller ID showed the opportunities, took more from older Americans last year carrier’s name, so I assumed it was the callback. The than any other kind of scam. If a stranger you met online voice was calm, competent, and genuinely helpful. He is coaching you toward a guaranteed return, that is not a knew exactly how to fix my problem. He only needed to tip. It is the setup. confirm a few account details first. THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL YOU OWN IS A I gave them to him. PAUSE Then he asked for the verification code my carrier had When an unexpected call, text, email, or QR code just texted me. After twenty minutes of polite back and asks you to do anything involving money or personal forth, suspicion caught up with trust. I hung up and information, stop. Do not click. Do not answer. Do not called back through the number in the official app. The stay on the line to be polite. Leave the conversation and helpful man was a thief, using my own password and verify on your own terms. code to try to seize my account. The caller ID lied. The If a caller claims to be your bank, hang up and dial the thief sounded like a professional. And I nearly held the number on the back of your card. If a message seems door open for him. to come from a company, open that company’s own app I knew better. I almost fell for it anyway. or type its web address yourself. Never use the number INTELLIGENCE IS NOT A VACCINE or link inside the message you are checking. Caller ID, That is the first thing to understand about modern fraud. logos, and now even voices can be faked. Being smart does not protect you. Twenty years in a And never read a one-time verification code to someone who contacted you. That code is not proof the caller 10 - SEPTEMBER 2026

THE CYBER-SAFE EIGHT 1 Pause. Urgency is the tell. Stop before you click, pay, or share. 2 Verify. Hang up and use the number on your card, statement, or official app. Guard the keys. Never share a password, PIN, or one-time code with someone who 3 contacted you. 4 Use unique passwords. Let a reputable password manager build and store them. Turn on multifactor authentication. Better still, a passkey, authenticator app, or 5 security key. 6 Automate your defenses. Enable updates, backups, and login and transaction alerts. Refuse remote access. Never let an unexpected caller control your computer or 7 screen. 8 Move fast if hit. Call your institutions first, then IdentityTheft.gov and IC3.gov. works for the company. It is usually the last key the thief needs to get inside. A FEW QUIET HABITS DO MOST OF THE WORK Your email and cellphone account are the master keys to everything else, since they receive the password resets and security codes. Guard those two first. Use a different password for every important account and let a reputable password manager, an app that creates and stores your passwords, remember them for you. Turn on multifactor authentication wherever it is offered. A passkey (which uses your face, fingerprint, or PIN) or authenticator app beats a texted code, and a texted code beats a password alone. Protect the number itself. Ask your carrier to add an account PIN and port-out or number-lock protection, to prevent the transfer of your number to a new phone. Thieves try to move your number to a phone they control so they can catch your codes, and blocking that takes one call. Then make your defenses automatic. Turn on updates for your devices and browsers, since those patches close the holes criminals climb through. Ask your banks and cards to alert you to logins and transactions at the lowest amount they allow. And freeze your credit at all three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It is free, does not touch your score, and lifts easily whenever you need new credit. You probably do not need an expensive security suite. For most people, the protection built into a supported, updated phone or computer is enough. Buy more only on advice from someone you trust, and never because a popup says your machine is infected. That popup is the scam. THE LINES THAT ARE NEVER CROSSED A few boundaries hold no matter how convincing the caller. No legitimate bank or government agency will suddenly tell you to move your money to a new account to keep it safe. None will demand gift cards,

cryptocurrency, gold, or a cash courier sworn to secrecy. And never install remote-access software or hand over your screen because a surprise caller says your computer is sick. Be ready for the newest trick too. Artificial intelligence can now clone a familiar voice from a short audio sample. If a call claims your child or grandchild is in trouble and needs money this minute, hang up and reach that person, or another relative, on a number you already have. Agree on a private family phrase now, while everyone is calm, so a real emergency has a password and a fake one does not. A voice you recognize is no longer proof of anything. A SECOND SET OF EYES Here is what no checklist can give you. A person. Fraud runs on isolation. It needs you alone, hurried, and sure no one else needs to know. So one of the best safeguards is a trusted person you chose in advance, someone who knows your finances well enough to notice when a wire or a sudden change does not fit your pattern. Software may flag an odd transaction. A person who knows you sees what software cannot. A fiduciary advisor can be a valuable member of that circle. It helps most against the hardest fraud to see, the kind from inside. An adult child buried in debt. A new companion too interested in the accounts. A neighbor who slowly becomes a signatory to your accounts. They wear a face you trust, which is why an outside set of eyes can ask what no one in the family will. Does this feel right? Are you choosing this freely? Ask your bank and your investment firm whether you can name a trusted contact. That person gets no control over your money and is not the same as power of attorney or joint ownership on the account. They simply give the firm someone to call if it sees something wrong and cannot reach you.

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And money held through an advisor at an independent custodian, the institution that actually holds the account, usually cannot move to a new destination without verification and a conversation, which buys a scam time to fall apart. Some firms can even place a short hold on a suspicious withdrawal from an older client’s account while they check. These are guardrails, not guarantees. Their value is the pause before money disappears. That matters most as we age. When my stepfather slipped into dementia, he fell for nearly every pitch that reached him. A named contact and a watchful advisor are the guardrails for that season of life. SPEED BEATS SHAME If you did click, or share, or send, move quickly. From a device you trust, call your bank, brokerage, card companies, and carrier through their official numbers. Change your email password first, then the financial ones, and sign out of every session. If malware may be involved, disconnect that computer and have it looked at. Warn your contacts that messages from you may not be from you. Be wary of anyone who contacts you afterward promising to recover the money for an upfront fee; victims are often targeted a second time. Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov and internet crime at IC3.gov. Anyone sixty or older can also call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-372-8311. Save the messages and receipts. Do not let embarrassment cost you the hours that matter most, especially with a wire. Fraud survives on silence. Kevin was not careless. I was not stupid. We were human, and someone built a trap out of ordinary trust. The next one will arrive dressed as an invitation, or a helpful voice, or a grandchild in tears. You will not always spot the disguise. But you can always refuse to be rushed. That is the whole defense. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Doug Lynam is a wealth manager at Course Management Investment Advisors in Pinehurst, NC, where he works with individuals and families navigating retirement, legacy, and the emotional side of money. A former Benedictine monk of twenty years, he is the author of Taming Your Money Monster and From Monk to Money Manager. His work has been featured in The New York Times, CNBC, and Kiplinger. Learn more at cmiallc.com. Doug Lynam is an Investment Adviser Representative. Advisory services are offered through Course Management Investment Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser. This article is educational only and is not investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult qualified professionals before acting.

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Old-Fashioned FRESH APPLE CAKE

Serves 10–12 This simple apple cake is moist, warmly spiced and doesn’t require frosting. A dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs. Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 large eggs 1 cup granulated sugar ½ cup packed brown sugar ¾ cup mild olive oil (you can also use avocado or vegetable oil) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples 1 cup chopped pecans Powdered sugar, for serving Directions 1. 2. 3.

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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-by-13inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until well combined. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The batter will be fairly thick. Fold in the chopped apples and pecans until evenly distributed. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool before dusting with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.

The cake keeps well covered at room temperature for a couple of days and is even better the next morning with a cup of coffee.

THE FALL RESET

Simple ways to prepare your home, health and routines for a new season Fall has a way of bringing us back to routine. The days become shorter, schedules settle down after summer, and home begins to feel like the center of life again. Before the season gets fully underway, a simple reset can help you prepare for the cooler, busier months ahead. Our past resets have been more internal, more about how we feel and move through our days. This season, we focus a bit more on the external, those to-do tasks that we know we should do but that often end up at the bottom of the list. AROUND THE HOUSE

KITCHEN & PANTRY

Replace HVAC filters and schedule fall maintenance if needed. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace batteries. Clean gutters and check outdoor drainage before leaves begin to fall. Put away summer equipment, outdoor toys and seasonal décor you won’t use again. Wash throws, blankets and heavier bedding before bringing them back into rotation. Check windows and doors for drafts or damaged weather stripping. Clean and inspect the fireplace or chimney before the first fire of the season. Stock a few basics for the first cold or stormy day: batteries, flashlights and easy meals.

Use or preserve the last of summer’s produce. Clean out the refrigerator, freezer and pantry and discard expired foods. Bring soup, chili and slow-cooker staples back into the pantry. Stock beans, whole grains, nuts, canned tomatoes, broth and frozen vegetables for easy meals. Freeze herbs, make pesto or prepare a batch of freezer jam with late-summer fruit. Add a few simple fall meals to your regular dinner rotation.

HEALTH & WELLNESS Schedule your annual flu vaccine and ask your healthcare provider about other recommended seasonal vaccines. Take advantage of cooler weather by returning to a regular walking routine. Revisit your sleep schedule as daylight hours begin to change. Schedule any medical, dental, vision or hearing appointments you’ve been postponing. Restock your medicine cabinet and safely dispose of expired medications. Make a plan for staying active when colder or rainy weather keeps you indoors. Pay attention to mood and energy as the amount of daylight decreases.

CLOSET & PERSONAL CARE Move lightweight summer pieces out and bring sweaters, jackets and layers forward. Before storing summer clothes, wash or clean them and repair anything you want to keep. Try on fall favorites before you assume they still fit or work for your life. Donate or consign clothing you didn’t wear last fall and winter. Check coats, boots and rain gear now rather than discovering a problem when you need them. Swap summer skincare for richer moisturizers as the air becomes cooler and drier.

MONEY & PAPERWORK Review summer spending and reset your household budget for fall. Look ahead at holiday expenses and begin setting aside money now. Review remaining insurance deductibles and benefits before the end of the year. Check your calendar for annual enrollment periods, tax deadlines and year-end appointments. Shred outdated paperwork and organize important documents. Review subscriptions and memberships you aren’t using.

LIFE & ROUTINE Put birthdays, holidays, school events and fall appointments on one calendar. Choose a few books for your fall reading list. Plan something to look forward to—a day trip, hike, festival, dinner or weekend away. Reestablish one routine that disappeared over the summer. Make space for something slower: reading, baking, gardening, sewing, puzzles or an evening walk. Decide what doesn’t need to come with you into the new season.

A seasonal reset doesn’t require reinventing your life. Sometimes it’s just a chance to notice what needs attention, finish what has been lingering and make everyday life a little easier for the months ahead. These are the high-maintenance things we do today for a lowmaintenance tomorrow.

SEPTEMBER 2026 - 13

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