Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
May 21, 2019 -- Possibly you are one of those baby boomers who can't wait to retire and do all the things that your job wouldn't let you do. If so, here is our list of 10 great places to retire where you can go, go, go from dawn to sunset, and maybe not even quit then!
By active we mean all kinds of things, not just sports. Your best retirement town might be in the mountains, where hiking and skiing is available in your backyard. It might be at the beach, where you can swim, sail, fish, or surf. Or maybe a vibrant community where you can catch a concert or play, get dealt into a bridge game, or find volunteer work - just about any day of the week. We gave extra points on this list for towns and cities that are walkable and have good biking, since we don't consider riding around in our car active living. One thing is certain, it staying busy is your thing, there is a retirement town where you can be very happy.
Here is our 2019 list of the best places for an active retirement. We concentrated more on mid-sized towns and cities since just about every big city offers opportunities to stay active.
Lakes in Madison
Madison, WI. The city boasts a 30-mile web of paved trails that are lit, snowplowed, and biked year-round. Beautiful lakes surround this walkable town. The University of Wisconsin and all its attractions. You can be busy all year round in Madison, a great place to retire.
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Published on May 20, 2019
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
May 14, 2019 -- The government isn't quite ready to slap warning signs on retirement contracts like it did on cigarette packages, but maybe it should. The Wall St. Journal recently reported on several studies showing that delaying retirement can improve your longevity. While most people look forward to pursuing their hobbies, traveling, and spending more time with the grandchildren, there are some downsides. Many folks watch too much TV, don't exercise, and lack the mental stimulation to keep them sharp. The studies seem to find that policies that encourage people to keep working result in fewer health problems and longer lives.
According to a WSJ article, "The Case Against Early Retirement", researchers for the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, using an idea from a Dutch study, "concluded that delaying retirement reduced the five-year mortality risk for men in their early 60s by 32%". Women experienced less of a mortality risk. The study in Holland used a series of increasing incentives to get workers to stay on the job longer.
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels
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Published on May 13, 2019
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
May 11, 2019 — The National Association of Home Buyers (NAHB) reports that the market continues to be strong for 55+ homebuyers and renters. While many baby boomers will not be moving soon, there is a significant segment that is seeking a change in their living arrangements. “Overall, demand for…
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Published on May 10, 2019
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Category: Active adult communities
May 8, 2019 -- Chances are you aren't looking for the most expensive place to retire. Most people are looking for the opposite, a 55+ or active community where they can retire and stretch their savings and social security into a comfortable retirement. But just for fun, here's a look at where we might retire if we were to suddenly join the ranks of the 1%. Which one would you pick?
We looked around in researching this article and were amazed at how little good information there is on the ritziest places to retire. 55places.com had an article on the topic, but the communities on its list barely approached the mid-range of pricing. The same can be said for a very similar list put out by ThinkAdvisor.com. Our list is by no means complete, but we think it is a lot better. If you know of a super-expensive retirement community, please suggest it in the Comments section below.
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Published on May 6, 2019
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
May 4, 2019 -- Were you born before Jan. 2, 1954? Are you married? Not already claiming a Social Security retirement benefit?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, time is running out on a very valuable Social Security claiming strategy, the Restricted Benefit option. In brief, this option allows you (or your spouse) to collect a spousal Social Security benefit while preserving the right to collect on your own benefit later. If you turn 66 this year, now is the time to think about taking it.
The key point for eligibility to take the Restricted Benefit is being born before Jan. 2, 1954. If you were born after that date, the term "deemed filing" applies to you when you apply for Social Security retirement benefits, and you are not eligible for the Restricted Benefit option.
Photo by fotografierende from Pexels
In addition to your birth date, the two additional questions we asked at the beginning also apply. Are you married? If you are not, it doesn't work because you have no spouse to claim a spousal benefit on. If you are already receiving Social Security benefits, it is too late to reverse that decision. So you answered yes to all three questions - great - the Restricted Benefit might be for you.
But first, a little background.
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Published on May 4, 2019
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
“The only reason that I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.” Erma Bombeck?
Editor's note: Thanks to Dan J for making this suggestion about a fitness article: "Fitness...particularly since other apps or websites are geared towards younger folks. How about featuring a few tips here and there from fitness folks who may hold classes at some of these retirement places?" Leigh Pujado has been kind enough to help us carry out this suggestion, sharing the valuable insight she has gained as a long time personal trainer at WeBeFit.com.
By Leigh Pujado
April 29, 2019 -- You know you are supposed to exercise. Practically everyone in your life, from your doctor, to your spouse, your kids, to your annoyingly fit at 70, tennis playing neighbor has consistently reminded you of the importance of getting in shape. So why is it that only 35% of you Baby Boomers are working out regularly?*
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Published on April 29, 2019
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
April 26, 2019 — The Social Security Trustees annual report is out, which shows some small changes in the status of Social Security. This year, 2019, will be the last time that the amount paid out…
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Published on April 25, 2019
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
April 22, 2019 -- Have you been wondering how your retirement investments and strategies stack up to other people in your situation? Do you make the same types of investments as others... use a financial advisor... think you saved enough? Well, thanks to the almost 500 members who took the time to contribute their valuable data and insights to last week's "The State of Your Retirement Portfolio" survey, you will know the answers to a lot of these questions. Special thanks to all contributors to the survey - we appreciate you giving back to this community!
As promised, here is a detailed report on the survey. It includes a link to 100 interesting Member comments to the survey. And you will find a list of all our previous survey reports at the end of the article.
BackgroundThis is the second time we have asked for data about your retirement investments and expectations. Here are the highlights from the most recent 14 question poll, with comparisons to the 2015 survey results when available. Detailed findings for each question are listed below that.
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Published on April 21, 2019
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Category: Singles and Retirement
April 20, 2019 -- In many active adult and 55+ communities much of the social life centers around couples. For people who happen to be single, that environment makes it difficult to have a full social life and results in feeling left out. We hope this article can help single people find places to retire where they are happy and feel included.
It would be a mistake to cast all retired single people in the same mold, assuming that all of their retirement needs and goals are identical. Many singles are very happy to go through retirement without a partner. Others are content to be single, but would like to find a place to retire where they feel included and a part of the community. Another group would prefer not to be single, or at least to have more friendships and social interactions than they have now. Regardless of what type of single person you might be, we hope you find this article interesting.
First we'll talk about specific kinds of places that singles might find attractive as places to retire, and then we'll include a few Member comments that seem especially useful to this discussion.
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Published on April 19, 2019
Comments 27
Category: Active adult communities
April 17, 2019 -- Our Online Retirement 101 Course continues today on a topic relevant to any retiree interested in an active adult community: what are the best ways to visit and appraise the developments you are interested in. The topic is far bigger than it initially appears because it includes how to find and select the communities you want to visit, how to get the most out of your on-site visit, and finally, how to compare the properties on your list of possibilities. In this article we will start with a general outline of how to get started. Then we will go on to some representative comments from the hundreds and hundreds of Member Comments we have received over the years on evaluating 55+ communities. See list on "Further Reading" at end for a list of articles on this topic.
The Process: How to Get the Most Out of Your Active Community Visit Following a disciplined path to visiting and evaluating 55+ communities will get you the information and feedback to help you make the best decisions. Finding the right community for you is a process - one site visit normally won't give you an instant answer, but it will help build your knowledge base. After visiting several communities you will be in a position to knowledgeably evaluate all the properties you are interested in. Here is a basic approach to follow:
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Published on April 16, 2019
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