Catch up in minutes with your daily briefing on the Social Security, Medicare & Retirement news that affects you most.
| What to Know for Wednesday, March 18, 2026: | 1: Your Social Security Funds and Crypto—A New Battle in Washington: The No Crypto in Social Security Act |  | (Image credit: Bloomberg) |
| A New Bill Aims to Keep Cryptocurrency Out of Social Security U.S. Senator Dick Durbin introduced the No Crypto in Social Security Act, which would permanently ban the Social Security Trust Funds — currently holding $2.56 trillion in assets — from ever being invested in cryptocurrency. The bill comes as the Trump administration has been pushing to integrate crypto further into the U.S. financial system, including retirement accounts. Why Crypto and Social Security Don't Mix Crypto is an extremely volatile asset. Its total market value dropped more than 45% — from $4.2 trillion to $2.3 trillion — in just five months between October 2025 and March 2026. For the roughly 70 million Americans who depend on Social Security for food, housing and medication, a crypto-driven loss in the Trust Fund could be devastating. Retirement Accounts Could Also Be Affected It's not just Social Security. The Trump administration already rescinded a Labor Department warning about crypto risks in 401(k) plans and signed an executive order making it easier for employer-sponsored retirement plans to invest in crypto. Seniors and near-retirees should review their retirement accounts to understand what assets they are currently invested in.
| ➜ Read the full story from Pensions & Investments here. | | 2: New Federal Crackdown on Food Benefit Fraud — What SNAP Recipients Need to Know |  | (Image credit: Getty Images) |
| Trump Signs Executive Order to Combat Food Benefit Fraud President Trump signed an executive order Monday creating a new federal task force — led by VP JD Vance — aimed at eliminating fraud in SNAP (food stamps) and child nutrition programs. For adults 55+ who rely on SNAP to supplement grocery budgets, this signals increased federal oversight of the program going forward. Tighter Eligibility Verification Is Coming The task force is tasked with overhauling how eligibility is verified and how funds are distributed before they're paid out. This could mean more documentation requirements or additional check-ins for current SNAP recipients — including the 1 in 7 older adults who use the program. What Triggered This? A $250M Fraud Scheme in Minnesota The order cites a massive fraud case in Minnesota, where a nonprofit called Feeding our Future stole nearly $250 million in pandemic-era child nutrition funds through fake meal sites. Federal officials estimate nearly 9% of Minnesota's SNAP spending — roughly $78M/year — is paid in error, fueling the push for national reform.
| ➜ Read the full story from the Roll Call here. | | | 3: How One Woman Lost Her Medicare Coverage — And What You Can Do to Avoid It |  | (Image credit: Getty Images) |
| A Simple Address Change Can Cost You Your Medicare Coverage A Missouri woman lost her Medicare coverage after setting up a P.O. box while caring for her sick mother out of state. The address change appears to have triggered a series of errors that quietly canceled her coverage — and she didn't find out until she showed up at the doctor's office months later. Government Mail May Not Forward — Even to Your Own P.O. Box Here's the catch many people don't know: Medicare and other government agencies can place forwarding restrictions on their mail, meaning it may never reach a new address or P.O. box. If critical notices about your coverage don't reach you, your benefits could lapse without any warning by phone, email or text. How to Protect Yourself If You Move or Travel Frequently Experts recommend notifying both the Social Security Administration and Medicare directly — by phone AND online — any time your mailing address changes, even temporarily. Also, monitor your bank statements closely for Medicare premium withdrawals. If those payments stop coming out, that could be your first signal that something is wrong with your coverage.
| ➜ Read the full story from the New York Times here. | | | Here's What You Missed on YouTube: | Check out our new YouTube videos for Wednesday, March 18th. | 7 Things You Can Buy with EBT That Most People Don't Know |  | 7 Things You Can Buy with EBT That Most People Don't Know |
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| SNAP Benefits: DO THIS Before March 31st—New Work Rules Take Effect |  | SNAP Benefits: DO THIS Before March 31 — New Work Rules Take Effect |
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| | | The Daily 3 Deal List—Week of March 16th | | This newsletter is for information only. Always confirm your options directly with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or a qualified advisor before making big decisions about your benefits. | *View our Advertising Disclosure |
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