Health

 Consumer Affairs -  In a new report, New York Federal Reserve researchers analyzed credit reports and Medicare data and found that approximately five years before someone was diagnosed with dementia their credit score began to dip and the number of payment delinquencies began to go up. It was even more clear that something was going wrong if that person had been very responsible with money throughout their life. “Years prior to eventual diagnosis, average credit scores begin to weaken and payment delinquency begins to increase, overall and for mortgage and credit card accounts specifically,” the report’s authors wrote. “Credit outcomes consistently deteriorate over the quarters leading up to diagnosis.” The researchers said the harmful financial effects of diagnosed memory disorders exacerbate the already substantial financial pressure households face upon diagnosis of a memory disorder.