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April 3, 2023 — The new Topretirements website will launch on April 3. We are aiming for much greater simplicity in our page design and navigation throughout the site. For example, the Home page will have a much simpler and inviting look. A large, clickable state map will help members…
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
March 30, 2023 — It might come as an unpleasant surprise to many people that Social Security benefits can be taxed on both the federal and the state level. But which states tax social security income? While there is no escaping the federal tax if your income exceeds certain levels,…
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Category: International Retirement
March 29, 2023 — If you have seen the ads from International Living and other companies you would think paradise awaits you in a sun-soaked tropical paradise. According to the claims, all you need is a Social Security check to find a nice rental, hire domestic help, eat out at…
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
March 23, 2023 -- If you haven't figured it out already, money and possessions are no guarantee of personal happiness. There are oh so many examples of very wealthy, perfectly miserable individuals. Sure, not having to worry about money is great, but that alone won't lead to personal fulfillment.
The New York Times came up with a 7 day happiness challenge that makes a lot of sense. But before you even start that - a question. What do you think is the greatest single ingredient in making for a happy person? (Answer at end).
Personal relationships
People weren't made to be alone. Researchers in the long-running Harvard Study of Adult Development agree; people who have the most meaningful relationships with other folks are the ones who are the happiest. Those relationships are far more powerful than social class, IQ, or wealth.
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Category: Active adult communities
March 20, 2023 -- Every time we poll the Topretirements community, finding a walkable retirement community is always one of the top things that people want. In fact, in our 2020 survey (link at bottom below), walking trails were the number one preferred active adult community amenity. But beyond walking trails, many people are also looking for a place to retire where they can walk or bike to stores, doctors offices, restaurants, and activities. This article will take a look at some active communities that do a great job of putting people's homes where they can walk to these destinations instead of driving. Although there are some great towns where it easy to walk for everyday living, in this article we will concentrate on planned developments - some 55+, and many others open to people of all ages.
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Category: Retirement Planning
March 15, 2023 -- It seems like a person shouldn't be allowed to start retirement until they went through a course. There are so many important decisions - when to take Social Security, where to live, what to do all day, how to budget for the long haul, etc. To help with those as well as items that go well beyond those usually recognized issues, I've prepared a list of some of the top observations that I wish someone had shared with me long before my retirement began 16 years ago. Your suggestions are welcomed in the Comments section at the end.
11 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Retired.
Recognize that retirement has many phases. The best approach is to have a long range plan that will work for each period of retirement. That means considering what your first place to retire might be like if you lived there as an old person. Will the healthcare situation be right as your needs change? Are there assisted living or CCRC facilities in the area, so you don’t have to move far away and start over again with friends, doctors, church, etc. Is there public transportation when you can't drive anymore?
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Category: Retirement Planning
March 7, 2023 -- It is the rare person who strikes out on the unbeaten path, and that includes their route to retirement. Usually we prefer to follow a track made by someone else, learning from their experience and thereby avoiding unexpected mistakes and mishaps. It is helpful to know what others are thinking and doing, though. That is where the 30+ retirement surveys conducted since 2012 by Topretirements can help. Here you can see where you agree, and differ with the retirement plans of thousands of other folks in a similar situation.
30+ Surveys - From Where to Retire... to Social Security... Snowbirding....to Spousal Compatibility - and a Lot in Between
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
March 5, 2022 -- How many people do you know who have been scammed? Chances are, there are a lot more than you know about, including many friends or relatives who are too embarrassed to talk about it. Scammers are counting on you being uninformed of their deceptive tactics so that you will fall prey to their ruses. Don’t let it happen. The Social Security Administration, invoked maliciously by so many criminals, wants you to join them on National Slam the Scam Day, March 9, 2023. Their aim is to help raise awareness and prevent scammers from succeeding in crimes against innocent victims.
National Slam the Scam Day was created in 2020 to combat Social Security-related scams. Last year, it expanded to include other government imposter scams as reported losses from consumers climbed to more than $446 million in 2021. According to the Federal Trade Commission, reported losses for 2022 are nearly $509 million. And unreported losses are so much more.
Beware a government agency telling you about a problem.
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
March 1, 2023 -- A few years back one we featured the Best Places to Retire in South Carolina in one of our Blogs. Not only were they attractive places to retire, but most had the added advantage of being very walkable towns. The piece prompted a lot of interesting discussion and Comments. It even inspired one of our Members, Judith, to go and visit many of them on a two week trip. Happily for Topretirements, she then reported back to the Blog on her experiences.
We have reprinted her trip report below. Even better, when we contacted Judith about this article, she reported that she had gone back to many of the same towns a few years later She provided us with her notes on that tour, which are in bold below. We added a few additional details to some of those places to retire (they are in italic). Here goes:
Judith's Trip Report to SC Best Places to Retire
I did a two week tour of South Carolina from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6 (2016). It’s a quiet Saturday morning now, and I have time to put down my thoughts, for those who asked.
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Category: Family and Retirement
February 23, 2023 -- One of the hottest acronyms in the real estate world is ADU, which stands for Accessory Dwelling Unit. Demographic shifts from Covid, exploding real estate prices, and a shortage of affordable places to live has suddenly put them in the spotlight, prompting more states and communities to encourage and approve them. Their rise is a bonus for retirees, who can benefit from them in a multitude of ways.
The idea behind ADUs is pretty simple.
ADUs provide a secondary building unit on one lot. So right off the bat they are less expensive - they don't require any extra land. They can take the form of a small detached building, a second floor, basement, or other addition to the main home, or a conversion of part or all of a garage into a small home or apartment. Typically they are between 600 and 1,000 sq. ft. They usually have a bedroom, small kitchen, bathroom, and living area. Or they are just a small studio apartment. Prefab models are available, or they can be custom built. Normally they have a separate entrance. An example of "gentle density, they are often called granny flats, in-law apartments, carriage houses, casitas, etc.
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