How to Find a Vacation Rental for Your Retirement

January 24, 2012 — One of the most frequent questions we get is on how to find a retirement rental. Usually it is a snowbird looking for a warm winter retreat, while other times it is a retiree looking to try out an active adult community before buying there. Whatever the reason, many people are interested in the rental option, which we always think is a good idea. Here are our top suggestions on how to find a seasonal rental apartment or home for your retirement.

1. Ask your friends. This is usually the surest fire method. If you have friends (more…)

Our Top 10 Misconceptions about Retirement

January 24, 2012 — Retirement, like so many important parts of life, is a process. It is a project that requires planning, and occasionally a bit of trial and error. Last week we wrote about 7 things you need to do – right now – if you are going to successfully retire this year. This article will focus on some of the common misconceptions we think many people have about retirement. Many of the misconceptions turn out to be downers; we offer them in the hope that you can use them to avoid problems in your own retirement. For more on this topic we recommend Emily Brandon’s US News & World Report article, “7 Misconceptions about Retirement”, which provides some different perspectives.

1. I will retire later than I originally planned. Although according to the EBRI more than half of the workers interviewed said they would retire after 65, the actual trend is (more…)

Retiring This Year? Here Are 7 Things You Need to Do Now

January 17, 2012 — First, congratulations. You have worked hard and deserve a great retirement. We encourage you to follow the advice in this article to help you do just that. Links to additional resources are provided as well.

1. Figure out how much you are spending. Most financial advisors would agree that their clients tend to underestimate their spending and overestimate their incomes. The only way to be safe is to start recording your spending. Only then can you get a clear picture of what you are spending and where it is going. If out of line with your income, you have a chance to do something about it.

2. Analyze when to start taking Social Security. Even though you can (more…)

Why The Villages is the Best Place to Retire for Len and Ann

Note: This is the latest in our series of adventurous retiree profiles Our goal is to portray a variety of active baby boomer retirement lifestyles for our members. If you know a boomer retirement we should know about tell us via the Contact Us link.

Len and Ann are the kind of people that don’t like to stand still. And that’s a trait which perfectly qualifies them to be residents of The Villages, that giant, non-stop fun active community of 75,000 people near Ocala, Florida. Here is their story – we hope you find it useful to learn more about how they came about deciding to living here, and what it is really like to live in The Villages.

What They Did Before Retirement
Len had a long career as an IT guy at SNET, the former (more…)

Worst States to Retire 2012: Northeast and Midwest Come Up Losers

January 10, 2012 — There are plenty of best places to retire lists. But how about the places where it’s not such a good idea to retire? Last year our “worst 10 states” list caused quite a sensation, so we are back at it again for 2012. The purpose is to try to help baby boomers understand where, all other things being equal, they can enjoy their hard-earned retirement without taking on more problems. To make sure you don’t miss updates to this and other lists like it, sign up for our free weekly “Best Places to Retire” newsletter. And of course, don’t miss our 2012 list of the 10 Best States for Retirement.

Your retirement is unique
Every individual has to consider his or her own criteria for identifying the worst or best states to retire. One of the most important factors for anyone is proximity to family and friends. So, if you want to be near your grandchildren the worst state on our list could be the best state on your list. Likewise, you might not share the same considerations we used to develop this list. Tax issues might be most important for you, or you might not care about spending winters in a warm state. Our 2012 list is based on 5 considerations that we think will be (more…)

Key West Food Mystery Debuts with Link to Topretirements

January 3, 2012 — Key West, a great place to live as well as retirement spot, is the scene of a new murder mystery series launching today. What’s more the author of “An Appetite for Murder” is the wife of your Topretirements editor, writing under the pen name Lucy Burdette.

Roberta Isleib (aka Lucy) set the scene for her third mystery series in Key West, that bohemian, food-focused resort town. An Appetite for Murder, published by NAL/Penguin on January 3, features her new character, Hayley Snow, as an aspiring food critic and amateur (more…)

6 Ways to Reduce Your Home Insurance Premiums

January 3, 2012 — For baby boomers who decide to retire on one of the coasts, the cost of home owners insurance can turn out to be a most unpleasant surprise. Worse, these costs can escalate from year to year and provide a threat to your happy retirement. In this article we will review some of the top things you can do to both reduce your premiums and prevent them from escalating out of control in the future. You are not powerless to accept premium increases, if you are pro-active.

1. Talk with your agent. Your agent, if she is a good one, should be able to (more…)

The Key Factor Almost Everyone Overlooks When Buying a Place for Retirement

Editor’s Note: We are indebted, as we so often, to our senior member OldNassau for suggesting this topic. Thanks!

January 2, 2012 — Resale value, Neighborhood, Home Owners Association fees, Amenities, Taxes, Climate – check, check, check, check, check, and check! Most people looking at a place to retire usually carefully consider these and many other factors before they make an offer on a home. Unfortunately, they often miss what can turn out to be an extremely important factor – the cost of home owners insurance premiums for that new home. While the cost of home insurance might not be terribly important in many areas of the country, it is critical in regions that are subject to natural disasters like (more…)