Category: Adventurous retirement
May 21, 2012 -- So you’ve decided to take a cruise. It’s such a marvelous way to travel, especially once you are retired and have the time to enjoy a great vacation. But, with so many choices, how should one go about deciding a cruise that suits your particular interests? Our first article on cruising provided general tips. Now, we will focus on the myriad of specialty or “theme” cruises that are available. These articles are by Patricia Kennedy who has taken and thoroughly enjoyed many cruises all over the world. If you want to share your cruising experience post a Comment to this article.
Start With Some Advice
Truly, there is a cruise for everyone. Before you zero in on a specific option, consider talking to a travel consultant with real expertise in cruising. Why? According to Steve Tanzer at OurCruiseAgent, a CLIA accredited cruise expert who has taken 60 cruises himself, “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
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Published on June 1, 2012
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Note: This list was updated in April, 2014. Here is the link to our "Best States for Retirement - 2014".
June 5, 2012 -- When it comes to the best states for retirement the southern states dominate our new 2012 list. Every one of the top 10 states was from the southern part of the U.S., from Tennessee at number 1 (the northernmost state to make the list) to Nevada, the westernmost state. This year we've tried to make our selection process more objective. This list of the 10 best states for retirement uses a numerical scale with up to 1 point awarded on each of 7 factors related to economic issues, climate, and health care costs.
As always, we want to caution
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Published on June 5, 2012
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Category: Active adult communities
By Stephen Anderson
When we first bought our home in Mexico, nine years ago, it was a pretty good decision. Real estate prices were lower than in the US, the Lake Chapala area was known for some of the world’s finest weather, the cost of living was substantially lower, and it was safe.
Unfortunately, even before the recent outbreaks of kidnaps, murder, and extortion in this area by the drug cartels, my wife and I had decided to return to the US. Having to deal with all the corruption, the crooked government officials, the unethical business practices, and the courts that do nothing against crimes perpetrated against
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Published on June 9, 2012
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
June 19, 2012 -- One of our favorite things about baby boomers is that in our minds we think we are young people - even if our bodies might betray us from time to time. On the other hand you have probably noticed that some boomers come across as younger in their mental outlook and personalities than others. The younger seeming folks are a lot more interesting, more fun to be with, and happier. So we thought it would be worthwhile listing a few tips and suggestions that can help all of us keep our youthful aspect, and make us better companions. We welcome your suggestions as well.
1. Be positive. Is their anything more unattractive than someone who complains about everything and everybody around them? Sure there are
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Published on June 19, 2012
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
June 19, 2012 -- No doubt you have heard about Roth IRAs. But if you are like most people, you are confused about what they are, how they differ from traditional IRAs, and most importantly - whether you should convert some or all of your retirement savings to a Roth. This article will provide you with some background to help you answer those questions, along with 5 possible reasons to consider conversion to a Roth. Please note that this is a complex topic - you should not act without consulting with your financial and/or tax advisor.
Differences between Roth IRAs vs. Traditional IRAs
A key difference between a Roth and a traditional IRA relates to taxes. To the extent allowed by law, a traditional IRA is deductible from current income tax, whereas a Roth is not. When the money comes out, however,
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Published on June 19, 2012
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
June 26, 2012 - This is the latest in our Retirement 101 series, which joins earlier reports about retirement in the Southwest, Florida, and the Carolinas (see bottom of article for links). At the end of this article we will provide lists of the 10 most popular California retirement towns and the 10 most popular California Active Adult Communities.
If California is anything it is big and diverse. It has fans and legions of detractors. In our experience California has not had that much success in attracting retirees as new residents. Those who retire here from elsewhere either have family in the state, or they move to a town or area they know about. For those who have spent their working lives in the Golden State, most will continue to live in the state, but perhaps will move to a smaller home or a less expensive or congested area. There are many who say they want to leave as soon as they retire, hoping to escape California's high taxes, cost of living, and crazy traffic. But for people who have
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Published on June 26, 2012
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