Category: Active adult communities
By Stephen AndersonWhen 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
Comments 34
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
Comments 69
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: Retirement Planning
Update: September, 2013. A year later the Shoreline Village is alive and well. Definitely beginning to make an impact on the Shoreline community, although perhaps slower than they would like. In 2013 they were sufficiently far along to hire an executive director, a step the board felt strongly they had to take. Unfortunately that didn't work out, and they are now searching for a new director. Meanwhile they are getting good publicity with many public programs they are putting on in the towns of their target market - East Haven, Branford, Guilford, and Madison. Looks like the hard work of the founders is going to pay off!
May 29, 2012 -- The Retirement Village Movement - For Those Who Really, Really Don’t Want to Leave Home
Are you one of the people who wants to stay living where you do now? For whom the idea of moving to an active community, over 55+ community, or assisted living is just about the worst idea you ever heard? If so, you will probably be interested in the so-called “Retirement Village" Movement. This idea, which started with Boston’s Beacon Village in 2001, features cooperative societies that create a virtual support network to help with all of the life tasks that get in the way of staying in your home as you age. We recently attended an informational meeting for a new village being created in Branford, Connecticut, the Shoreline Village CT. This will report on that meeting and why you might want to know more about this movement.
The meeting we attended in Branford was hosted in a lovely condo in Branford. Dr. Randy Reinhold, one of Shoreline Village’s 8 founding board members, captured the spirit of the movement with this opening statement: “I love my home in Branford, and I never want to leave it”. The thought clearly struck
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Published on May 29, 2012
Comments 9
Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
May 29, 2012 -- Of course you really can't buy an annuity from the Social Security Administration - but in a manner of speaking you can do something that has the same effect. Last week we came across this seemingly whacky article from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, Should You Buy an Annuity from Social Security". After reading it we think it turns out to be one of the cleverest ideas we've heard for a long time.
Background
The biggest financial challenge for today's retirees is
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Published on May 29, 2012
Comments 15
Category: General Retirement Issues
May 24, 2012 -- Ever had that feeling that you've seen an article... but just can't put your finger on it? We know we have, and that's why we have just completed a comprehensive index of all our past featured articles. Now hundreds of our most helpful features are all in place, logically arranged in 13 categories so you can find them more easily. Some of the categories
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Published on May 24, 2012
Comments 2
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
-- This article was updated in February, 2020 --
May 22, 2012 -- This article will provide a retirement guide and review of 4 southwestern states that are very popular for retirement: Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. At the end we list all of the various region and state comparisons we have developed in the past.
A Few Facts
In contrast to states in the Northeast and Midwest, all of these states are growing fast. Arizona is by far the most popular of these states for retirement. It is also the most populous with an estimated 2018 population of 7,171,646. Utah was
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Published on May 22, 2012
Comments 228
Category: General Retirement Issues
May 15, 2012 -- There's been a lot of news and retirement related articles that affect you as a retiree or future retiree in the past week. Here is the rundown of what we found compelling in the past week or so - think of it as Retirement 101.
Home Price Improve
The National Association of Realtors released their single family home sales data for 2012's first quarter this week. Compared to the last 5 years, it's a downright cheery report! Year over year home prices increased in about half of U.S. markets, although prices overall were off from the 4th quarter ($158,100 vs. $162,600). The huge inventories of
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Published on May 15, 2012
Comments 1
Category: Active adult communities
Note: This is the second in a 3 part series. Here is the link to see Part 1, "Destination Williamsburg, Jay Michaels Retirement Tour Bus". Part 3: 5 Years Later on the Bus
Last year about this time, I reported on my travels to Williamsburg, Virginia and Chapel Hill, NC in search of a retirement destination. My wife Jane and I have continued our search over the course of the last ten months, visiting a number of active adult communities, and wanted to share some observations from our travels. We welcome input from people on our search.
First of all, let’s review again the things that are important to us in choosing a retirement destination. We presently own a seasonal home in north central Pennsylvania and our children reside in Cleveland and Washington, D.C. We want to live in one home and be able to visit our children without always being dependent on scheduling air reservations in advance. Close proximity to an airport and good health care are also very important. We are both recently
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Published on May 14, 2012
Comments 157
Category: General Retirement Issues
May 10, 2012 -- If you have access to the NY Times, either online or in print, you should check out the May 10 edition. There are several great articles, including a profile of 3 older folks who are continuing to work past their normal retirement age - "Working Late, by Choice or Not". An 87 year old doctor, a 72 year old health care worker, and the former assistant to the Chief Executive of Verizon Wireless (no working at Dillards in the Polo department) make for
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Published on May 10, 2012
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