By: Judge Laurel Isicoff and Tara Trevorrow, Law Clerk
Meet the newest joint initiative of the Bankruptcy Bar Association for the Southern District of Florida (BBA) and the Business Law Section of the Florida Bar (BLS): Senior$mart$. Built on a platform originally created by the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ), the Senior$mart$ program hopes to empower Florida’s older, vulnerable population with the ability to fight scammers and take control of their financial well-being.
Florida’s more senior population has always been an easy target for scammers; some scammers continue to use the “old playbook,” but with social media and technology, the types of scams are increasing exponentially, and the number of senior victims as well. But scams aren’t the only challenge. With rising inflation and soaring housing costs (including increased insurance premiums and special assessments for condominium associations), members of our senior community are struggling to make ends meet on a fixed (and, for most of them, limited) income. Although the BBA and BLS cannot change economic forces, both associations hope to provide instruction that will help Florida residents find a secure footing in a shifting financial landscape. A typical Senior$mart$ presentation addresses topics ranging from reverse mortgage pitfalls to guaranteeing student loans to learning how to budget effectively when resources continue to shrink.
The Senior$mart$ program is launching quickly with support from volunteers around the state. Judge Isicoff, Amanda Klopp, Rhys Williams, and Angelo Castaldi developed and continue to refine presentation slides using source material from an NCBJ initiative several years ago. Stephanie Lieb, current President of the BLS, and Tara Trevorrow, Chair of the BLS Financial Literacy Task Force (FLTF) and Chair of the BBA Financial Literacy Committee, are recruiting volunteers in each of the major population centers throughout the state to assist with presentations. Judge Vaughan and Brett Lieberman (Judicial Chair and Vice Chair of the BLS FLTF, respectively) will help coordinate the BLS’s participation in the program along with Alan Rosenberg, current President of the BBA. The end goals of Senior$mart$ are twofold: reduce bankruptcy filings by senior citizens and prevent financial stress caused by predatory actors.
Tara Trevorrow delivered the inaugural Senior$mart$ presentation on August 8, 2025, at Miami Beach City Hall. The initial response was positive and demonstrated the need for presentations in both English and Spanish. Paula Martinez will lead the materials translation team so that all members of our local communities can benefit from the information.
If you are interested in becoming part of the Senior$mart$ solution, whether as a presenter or to help finalize ancillary materials still in development, please reach out to Judge Isicoff at lmisicoff@flsb.uscourts.gov or to Tara Trevorrow at tara_trevorrow@flsb.uscourts.gov. We would also love to hear from you with respect to locating and coordinating presentation opportunities so that the initiative reaches as many people as possible. We would love to have your help!