Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
March 20, 2010 -- According to a new study from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), worker confidence about their retirement has hit rock bottom. The 2010 Retirement Confidence Study found that the percentage of workers who are very confident about having enough money for a comfortable retirement has stabilized at 16 percent, statistically equivalent to the record low 13% reported in 2009. Among workers who are already retired, the confidence index is slightly better at 19%.
These numbers paint a very discouraging picture about retirement - only 1 in 5
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Published on March 21, 2010
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
March 15, 2010 and updated October, 2020 -- Notes: First,this article was prompted by an excellent suggestion from one of our visitors, Gerry. Second, since this article was written there have been two increases in the per person estate tax exemption. Currently it is $11.4 million (indexed to inflation), which means that only a tiny sliver of people will ever pay any estate tax.
It's not the cheeriest topic, but what critics call the "death tax" is on the minds of many people.
A complex subjectLet's start by saying that estate and inheritance taxes are a complex subject, one where you should have a competent professional helping you. If your estate is worth less than $11.4 million, at least you don't have to worry about that problem - your estate will not be taxed by the federal government under current laws. Some definitions - an "estate tax" is levied on the net value of what you are worth when you die, an "inheritance tax" is levied on your heirs from what what they collect from the estate. The estate tax is more common. Your spouse will not pay inheritance taxes from your estate, but your children and other heirs might in some states.
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Published on March 15, 2010
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Category: General Retirement Issues
We’ve posted a new article in our Tips and Picks section on the “Worst mistakes you can make in retirement”. Our hope is that you can examine them vs. your own situation and at least avoid the most serious of them. Post your worst retirement mistakes here. And…
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Published on March 8, 2010
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Category: Active adult communities
Updated May, 2020 (originally published in 2010). Given the tough economic times ahead in 2020 and 2021 and the problems that might ensue with developers and homeowners caught in a bind, this seems like a good time to revisit the topic.
This article is Part 3 in our series about Home Owners Associations (HOA's). Part 1 was called "Meet the New Boss - Your HOA", and Part 2 was "What You Need to Know about Your Home Owners Association". Both of those generated numerous interesting comments which are worth reading. We are grateful to Joe West, CEO of the Community Associations Network, for his assistance in preparing this series.
Home Owners Associations (also called Community Associations or condo associations) and their homeowners face a
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Published on March 2, 2010
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
You are finallly retired, you've chosen a great community, and now you are living in your new home - whew! But before you relax completely, make sure you get to enjoy your new lifestyle for a long time by taking some basic safety precautions. Every year, more than 3,000 people die in home fires in the United States; most of whom are in homes without a working smoke alarm. To prevent these deaths, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sponsoring a nationwide Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign designed to raise
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Published on March 1, 2010
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
As we have said before, if your retirement fund isn't what you hoped it would be, it's time to get creative. One of the most interesting ways to stretch your budget was profiled in a New York Times article last week, "Retirees Trade Work for Rent at Cash-Strapped Parks". The article profiles the experiences of several retirees as they travel around the country and help keep state and national parks ticking under the serious budget constraints these institutions now face.
As Sharon Smith points out in the article, there are three simple reasons why she and her husband Bill want to work in these parks: “We’re here for three reasons,” she said. “No. 1, we like to travel. No. 2, we like people. And No. 3, we’re on a budget.” They also mentioned occasionally indulging in online casinos not on gamstop during their downtime, though they remain mindful of every expense to maintain their nomadic lifestyle. At the time of that quote, Mrs. Smith was making cinnamon rolls for the park center. Others provide bird guiding, cleaning, and maintenance. As states and the federal government have cut back on their support for parks, retirees working for free RV or tent space are now taking over more and more roles previously provided by paid employees.
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Published on February 23, 2010
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 24, 2010 – Editor's Note: This list has just been updated (2/24/11) for 2014: "Sunbelt Rules in 2011 List of 100 Best Places to Retire". This 2010 list is still worth reading, though. Some of its best features are the 88 comments made - it's interesting to see how many communities recommended here made the list in 2011!
The Sunbelt is still shining when it comes to best places to retire. Every year Topretirements.com publishes a list of the 100 most popular places to retire. This year 68 of the 100 top positions were occupied by towns in the Sunbelt. Florida dominated the list, taking 23 of the spots, followed by North Carolina (11) and South Carolina (8). The list is hardly static - 25 new towns made it
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Published on February 23, 2010
Comments 89
Category: Health and Wellness Issues
February 16, 2009. At first blush it's a little hard to see what medical tourism - where you travel to a foreign country for a medical procedure or operation - is all about. After all, if you have any kind of medical insurance, why would you travel to a new country to have an operation when you you could have it done in the USA?
The fact is however, with health care costs increasing at six percent per year for the next decade, and medical tourism offering savings of up to 70 percent after travel expenses, there are plenty of reasons to travel. The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions announced in its new study, “Medical Tourism: Update and Implications,” that 750,000 Americans traveled abroad for
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Published on February 15, 2010
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
February 15, 2009 - You have probably read about the problems Greece is having with its unmanageable debt these days. Well if you thought that sort of problem couldn't effect you as a retiree in the good old USA, think again. A recent article, These 7 States are Headed for Something Worse, by Gregor Macdonald at Seeking Alpha makes a good case with 4 different reasons why 7 U.S. states are NOT the best place to retire. His conclusions are quite similar to what Topretirements reported on back
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Published on February 15, 2010
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
With the Superbowl successfully behind us, anxious sports fans are ready for the next season to get started. For baseball fans the wait will be short, as spring training gets underway next week. Spring training is one of the great joys and advantages of a snowbird retirement. Your favorite team is once again in your home town, tickets are affordable and plentiful, and the parks are so close together that you can even travel to road games. Baseball's owners are no dummies either, they have picked some of the best places to host their spring training camps; most of these towns make the best places to retire lists for lots of other reasons too.
Spring training is thought to have started out in 1870 when the Chicago Whitestockings and the Cincinnati Redstockings ventured down to New Orleans to prepare for the season. Other historians credit the
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Published on February 8, 2010
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