Your Suggestions: Retirement 101 Course

Another module idea is the Internet, good and bad. The bad parts of course are the scams and identity theft crimes, wrist and neck problems from too much computer time, etc. Pointers on how to avoid and what to do if you suspect you are a victim of one of these would be good. But the many great ways to use the internet to enhance our lives and ideas on how to keep up with the latest would be great.
Besides researching retirement places on this site and reconnecting with high school and college friends on social media the net offers opportunities for learning, wonderful (and free) pod casts that cover every subject imaginable (one of my favorites is Tides of History on Wondery.com), patient portals offered by many doctors, the ability to stream local radio from our old home towns when we move, great mapping that show routes and times from one place to another, etc.

I'd like to see a discussion about how to get a sense of the political climate and diversity (or, lack thereof) of particular communities since realtors are not allowed to answer those questions and give pat answers about geographical or age makeup. As a person of color, I've gone to school, worked, and lived where I've been in the minority -- some of those situations have been uncomfortable, others not. In retirement, my husband and I desire to live where there is mutual respect for people of all political, cultural, sexual, and religious persuasions.

We have a 25 year old disabled son who lives with us. Part of our retirement plans had to involve research on the Medicaid Waiver programs in different states and how long the waiting lists would be. It might be interesting to have a discussion for parents with disabled adult children who live with them and some of the important issues to look at prior to even visiting an area. I called the head of disability programs for different states to get a more detailed view on what the process would be like to start all over with services since our son was in the Waiver since birth. Each state in our country deals totally different with their Medicaid dollars.

Jean, your thought about the good and the bad of the internet is a good one. And quite frankly, it grows more important as we age. I don't think I've hit that point yet, but I can tell the various circumstances of my daily life that make activity on the internet a little less safe than other times. Add inattention, encroaching dementia, ill health and physical/mental stress and things could become rather dicey.

On your thought of wrist/neck issues from too much time with a mouse and keyboard, I can offer an option that really helped me and might be worth including in such a module -- use of a trackball instead of a mouse. My extensive work/personal computer use (easily 10 or more hours daily) before retirement was beginning to cause me significant wrist pain/stress -- I feel sure it was encroaching carpal tunnel. I decided to try a trackball and have never gone back. It may take some getting used to, but trackball control comes from your fingers/thumb rather than you wrist. 20 years later I can only be thankful I elected to try it out. (Unfortunately, there are not many good options since the mouse is the favored screen control device. And some options may work (or not) only for some people.)

The structure of Retirement 101 might work if it was written backwards.
Start be considering end-of-life decisions and locations, ie. where will you be when you pass away. This includes the kind of care you might need, financial considerations like Wills, income and expenses, the experiences of others.
Working backwards still, what kinds of things would you like to be part of your retirement picture when you are at an age where the 'active' retirement is not exactly what you are looking for. Is there travel on your mind, how has your social life been going, any health assistance needed?
Next is the sort of things Top Retirements is always talking about for new retirees, like where to live, what activities are there, does the place suit your needs and personality?
End the book with advice and topics for those still working and considering retirement.
The reason for this backwards approach is so that the readers can consider the longer view of retirement, rather than focus on whether your proposed senior living complex has a swimming pool or not.
The bigger picture and longer view might factor into decisions that the next cohort of 55-year olds might make.

Frank Ryan, Well stated!

From Admin: We agree!

We started to get some very specific suggestions/comments about healthcare. To keep from distracting our focus here on what should be in our Retirement 101 series, we moved them to a Healthcare post.

Admin - link posted above for health issues doesn't work.

Admin, thank you, should work now.

I have another suggestion, based on some recent experiences. I hate to say it, but retirees are apparently big targets for various frauds and manipulation. In addition to the nonstop phone fraud calls that we all are getting, I have recently had experiences with a contractor who tried to misrepresent a scope of work (he assumed I was an elderly woman who was ignorant about construction when I actually know a great deal about it LOL). A cleaning lady I had just hired immediately offered to drive me to my doctor appointments, my bank and help with anything else I wanted "as my friend"?!? I've noticed lots of articles in the paper about older people falling for scams, from financial planners with nonexistent "investments" to grandkids allegedly in jail who can be released by purchasing gift cards. It would probably be a good idea to have a module that alerts retirees about scans that target the elderly.

Would like more help finding affordable 55+ housing for people whose income is too low for the large entry fees on east coast and too high for subsidized communities