Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
December 21, 2016 -- Almost everybody agrees Social Security needs some tweaking to keep this popular program running smoothly. After all the latest estimates are that, if no changes are made, starting in 2034 only 75% of promised benefits will be able to paid (Social Security Trustees Annual Report).
Politicians and economists have been talking about the need to fix Social Security for years, but up until now no one has done more than talk. Finally, at least one person in Congress, Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), has proposed something. We don't agree with a lot of what is in his plan, but we salute him for at least proposing something. The Bipartisan Policy Center has also proposed solutions, some similar to Johnson's and some different. Soon to be President Trump said during the campaign
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Published on December 20, 2016
Comments 73
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
December 20, 2016 — Our friend and long-time member Dave E commented on one of our articles from 5 years ago today – the “Two Places Retirement” strategy. The idea of retiring to more than one place, which snowbirds are so fond of, is an interesting topic that many folks…
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Published on December 20, 2016
Comments 5
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Updated September 29, 2020 (originally published Dec. 14, 2016) -- This is an update to our series on Affordable Places to Retire. You can find links to the rest of the series at the end of the article. You will also find the interesting 33 comments made to 10 great places to retire in the southwest that won't break your budget.
Many boomers are looking forward to the sunshine and dry air of America's Southwest for their place to retire. The challenge is to find an affordable town in such a huge and desirable region. We included 6 states in this look: Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. The 10 cities and towns we've included here will give you a place to start your retirement search for an affordable retirement.
10 Affordable Places to Retire in the Southwest - but prices have gone up since 2016
The big thing we concluded from this research is that real
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Published on December 14, 2016
Comments 37
Category: General Retirement Issues
December 12, 2016 -- Baby boomers have finally got to the age where senior centers actually are meant for us... oh perish the thought! Sadly it is true, the oldest of us baby boomers turned 70 this year and tens of millions are in our 60s.
Which brings us to one of favorite pet peeves. In our Connecticut town there was a proposal to build a new "Senior" Center. The old one was a mess and not big enough for the number of people that wanted to use it. We lobbied, unsuccessfully, to build a "Community", rather than a "Senior" Center. The Community Center would have had all the facilities and resources that aging boomers want and need. But in our view, freeing it from the "Senior" stigma would have boosted attendance and been a resource that the entire community could enjoy. Happily, a beautiful and
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Published on December 11, 2016
Comments 19
Category: Retirement Real Estate
Dec. 7, 2016 -- The ultimate dream for many a baby boomer is to buy a home on the edge of the sea. Brilliant sunrises, grandkids playing in the sand or swimming off the fishing dock, and fiery sunsets are all part of that dream. Unfortunately, the reality of rising seas is threatening that good life. A recent article in the NY Times, "Perils of Climate Change Swamp Coastal Real Estate", found that real estate prices in flood prone areas of the U.S. are either declining, or not rising as fast as in other parts of the country.
(Courtesy of Wikipedia)
It used to be that potential buyers of coastal property
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Published on December 6, 2016
Comments 28
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
December 5, 2016 — A few years back a reporter asked for our opinion about college town retirements. Her questions concerned the pros and cons, reasons why to choose one, top places to retire with colleges, etc. What we told her is that there are a lot of really good…
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Published on December 5, 2016
Comments 19
Category: Retirement Planning
Nov. 29, 2016 -- Your editor has been retired 10 years now. And over that time he has written hundreds of articles that freely dispensed advice about retirement to tens of thousands of people. So what, if anything, has he learned during this decade, and what advice would he give anyone ready to enter retirement?
First of all, let me say how great it has been to be part of the Topretirements.com community all this time. The people I have met online and their wisdom and comments since the site began in late 2006 have been amazing in so many ways. Thank you to everyone in the Topretirements community, you guys have been so
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Published on November 29, 2016
Comments 128
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
By Liz Szabo at Kaiser Health News. (Reprinted with permission)
Nov. 21, 2016 -- A new study finds that the prevalence of dementia has fallen sharply in recent years, most likely as a result of Americans’ rising educational levels and better heart health, which are both closely related to brain health.
Dementia rates in people over age 65 fell from 11.6 percent in 2000 to 8.8 percent in 2012, a decline of 24 percent, according to a study of more than 21,000 people across the country
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Published on November 26, 2016
Comments 7
Category: Adventurous retirement
By Betty Fitterman
http://adventuresinthebettybus.blogspot.com
November 26, 2016 -- Note: This is Part 5 of a 6 Part series that Betty Fitterman was kind enough to contribute way back at Topretirements’ beginning. Here is a link to Part 1, See bottom of this article for links to the rest.
The difference between my husband and me is that while I am impulsive and curious and not at all worried about getting lost, he is a strategist and a planner and the kind of person who reads the manual before assembly. And he hates getting lost. So he does all the work of mapping out our routes, getting the RV attended to, and other chores I find boring or distasteful. Which, happily, allows me to be a happy-go-lucky, go-along companion who rarely objects to his plans, except for the ones that include rushing through an adventure in order to get
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Published on November 25, 2016
Comments 0
Category: International Retirement
November 20, 2016 -- Editor's Note: This article was written for our Tips & Picks section by Andrew Mastrandonas and Preston Gitlin, who lived and developed property in Costa Rica for many years (they have since moved on to other adventures). We have updated it and moved it here to the Blog so that people will have an easier time commenting on it. Their insights and advice remain true not only for Costa Rica, but for buying real estate in any foreign country. It is the First of a series.
Costa Rica is an alluring place for many people. With a terrific climate, stable and democratic government, proximity to the United States, lower cost of living, unbelievable scenery and wildlife, plus many outdoor and cultural activities, it is no wonder this country only the size of West Virginia remains one of the best in the world for retirement, investment, or a vacation. Over one million people visit Costa Rica each year generating about
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Published on November 19, 2016
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