Elderly investors shared common experiences of the financial crisis – their homes lost value, their fixed income investments paid negligible yields and their equity investments that survived the crash were highly volatile. But seniors were worse off in an important way, experts on senior financial issues told federal regulators: many were unable to return to work to replenish their nest eggs, and many are now susceptible to fraud. Seniors have more easily accessed cash because their retirement assets are no longer tied to 401(k) or similar accounts and many of them have also sold their homes, downsized their living arrangements and invested or saved the proceeds. But they are also more vulnerable to fraud and financial abuse because they are more trusting, and are sometimes reluctant to report potential problems for fear of being labeled "too old to care for themselves" and having their financial independence stripped away. This presents a problem for seniors, but it also presents
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