New resource helps seniors avoid investment fraud

With an increasing number of Ponzi and other investment schemes being exposed during the recent financial crisis, it is important that seniors learn how to protect their financial future.

To that end, the Alberta Securities Commission recently launched its newest investor education resource, Investment Fraud: How to Protect Your Retirement.

The new resource is designed to help seniors identify tactics used by fraudsters so they can protect their retirement and avoid investment fraud. In this resource, you will learn about three common tactics of scammers: cold calls via the telephone, affinity fraud through friends and family; and investment advertisements.

The Alberta Securities Commission also has a YouTube channel where you will find a retirement and fraud series that can easily be shared with friends and family. In addition, you can also become a Facebook Fan of the commission and follow updates on its Twitter account.

For further information go to www.albertasecurities.com.

Olympic spirit

Seniors at the Central Lions Seniors Centre have shown their Olympic spirit.

Members of the centre’s Roaring Lions Walking Club have completed the “Walk to Vancouver” for the 2010 Olympics that they began in January.

The group, which includes 94-year-old Tom Richards and his wife Helen, have been walking twice a week indoors at the Central Lions Seniors Recreation Centre.

As a goal, group members decided to collectively add up their kilometres and walk the distance from Edmonton to Vancouver, with three indoor laps of the centre equalling one kilometre. Helping them along the way were personal trainers Rita Suter and Alison McIntyre.

On March 23, they reached their goal, having walked 1160 kilometres, 3480 indoor laps around the centre. The 22 walking club members received gold medals at the finish line from Rudy Norhof, chairman of the Central Lions Seniors Association board.

Hockey fights Alzheimer’s

For the first time Edmonton will be a site for Scotiabank Pro-Am hockey tournament, which raises money to fight Alzheimer’s disease. The Edmonton portion of the two-city event will take place April 9, 10, and 11, and the second phase will go in Toronto on May 6, 7, and 8.

The tournament is Canada's largest annual fundraiser for Alzheimer's, and has raised more than $7.5 million in its four-year history.

Proceeds from the Toronto and Edmonton events will be directed to the Howe Fund at Baycrest, one of the world's leading cognitive science institutes, and will also support the work of the Alzheimer Society in funding Alzheimer's research in Alberta.

For more information go www.scotiabankproam.com.