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Guide to Retiring in the Pacific Northwest Updated

Category: Best Retirement Towns and States

July 14, 2020 – We have just updated our comparison of retirement in two really terrific Pacific Northwest states – Oregon and Washington. Both are growing fast and are expensive in most, but not all areas. One advantage they offer is that their relatively mild climate means many people are…

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Published on July 14, 2020
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Are You Still Planning to Snowbird Next Winter?

Category: Health and Wellness Issues

July 11, 2020 — Normally by this time many retired folks from the Northeast and Midwest have found a rental in Florida, the Carolinas, Arizona, or some other warm weather state. Or, if they own a place, they are making plans to fly or drive south in the fall. This…

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Published on July 10, 2020
Comments 29

10 States That Attract the Most Retirees – Voting with Their Feet

Category: Best Retirement Towns and States

July 8, 2020 — It is a familiar question... what is the best state for retirement? There are many ways to answer that question, and in fact over the years we have tried several. There is the the lowest taxes viewpoint. Or, a comparison of other economic factors like cost of living. Alternative approaches include best climate, absence of natural hazards like hurricanes, geographic features like beaches and mountains, political climate, financial health of the state, medical care, etc. Ultimately, identifying the best state for retirement is a very personal question. In the end it boils down to what is the best state for YOUR retirement. It is very possible that your best state is where you live now, if it meets your desires, since 80% or more retirees do not cross state lines after they retire.

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Published on July 7, 2020
Comments 13

Knocking Down Some Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) Misconceptions

Category: Financial and taxes in retirement

July 4, 2020 -- Our friend Robert Powell at TheStreet.com just wrote a very helpful article for people who worked for governments or non profits and did not pay into Social Security for much of their work lives. They are usually concerned that they won't get Social Security retirement payments. In "Did You Work for a Government and Not Pay Social Security", Powell writes to straighten out some misconceptions. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) reduces your Eligibility Year (ELY) benefit amount before it is reduced or increased by early retirement, delayed retirement credits, cost of living adjustments (COLA), or other factors. If applied, your Social Security retirement payments will be lowered.

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Published on July 4, 2020
Comments 6

More RMD Relief Available

Category: Financial and taxes in retirement

July 1, 2020 – Bummed out that for once in your life you were early, and took out your 2020 Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) earlier this year? Well, relief is in site. The IRS announced On June 23 that all investors who already took RMDs in 2020 have an extension…

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Published on June 30, 2020
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Will Coronavirus Force You Into Early Retirement?

Category: Work and Volunteering

June 30, 2020 -- Over a third of baby boomers say they would like to delay retirement, perhaps into their late 60's or even later. The problem is, however, more actually retire much earlier. According to the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy, just over half of the workers who retired between 2014 and 2016 did so involuntarily, for a variety of reasons. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic is exaggerating this phenomenon, forcing even more people off the job before they want to. Millions of Americans have been laid off or furloughed from their jobs due to the shutdowns and economic chaos caused by the virus. Many of those will eventually find their way back on the job, or perhaps already have. Others might not want to return to work, either for fear of getting infected or because their attitude toward work has changed. Whatever their decision, the problem of getting back on the job for older workers is difficult for a host of reasons.

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Published on June 29, 2020
Comments 7

Is Your Covid Compliance and Vigilance Changing Over Time?

Category: Health and Wellness Issues

June 24, 2020 – One thing we can all agree on, Covid is getting old, even if it isn’t going away. Most people have been very good about trying to stay safe, keeping their social distance, wearing masks in public, and avoiding high risk behaviors like large indoor social gatherings.

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Published on June 23, 2020
Comments 63

Estate Planning: Is It Fair to Leave Different Amounts?

Category: Estate Planning

June 23, 2020 -- Note: This article starts with the premise that it is crucial for every person of retirement age (and younger) to have a will and/or an estate plan, no matter how small the assets you own. If you don't have a legal document, you are going to leave a huge mess for your heirs to clean up, you will waste money on probate expenses, and perhaps end up with a result you wouldn't like. Every family is different in so many ways. Couples might have children that are equally successful and get along well. But for family like that there are those with a child who has had a hard time, a disability, or other issue. Families with stepchildren face additional challenges. Many people worry about a child they feel is not responsible, and who might squander any bequest on drugs, gambling, etc. There might be a family business where one or more siblings, but not all, are actively working. It can get very complicated. And, your children probably know if have already substantially helped one child financially more than the others.

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Published on June 23, 2020
Comments 16

15 Very Intriguing New Active Adult Communities

Category: Active adult communities

June 17, 2020 -- Following up on the theme of a few weeks ago, how stereotypes affect where you might retire, we thought it would be interesting to highlight the amazing range of active adult, 55+, and baby boomer appropriate communities that exist. While to many people all active communities seem alike (clubhouse, golf course, tennis courts, and walking trails), there is, in fact, quite a range. The samples we have selected here are just a few of the many communities added to the Topretirements database since March (we generally add about 6 per week). We tried in these selections for a range of styles and locations across the country. Our point: Not all retirement communities fit in the same bucket. We encourage you to do a little exploring to make sure you don't miss one that might be exactly what you might are looking for. Some interesting choices The selections on this list cover a wide range of types. There are several traditional active adult communities (golf courses, etc.), intergenerational, independent living communities, independent living within a CCRC, Traditional Neighborhood Developments, urban rental loft apartments, Eco-Friendly, mixed use (commercial and residential combined), a cooperative development, and another with different ownership options including fractional ownership. Carolina Park - Mt. Pleasant, SC. A master-planned community just a few miles from Charleston, this development offers several neighborhoods in a park-like setting. The community is connected through a network of pedestrian walkways, with The Residents Club as the central gathering place.

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Published on June 16, 2020
Comments 11

Surprise, Surprises: The Most Popular Active Communities in Florida

Category: Active adult communities

June 10, 2020 -- For over 100 years, Florida's warm winters, soft sandy beaches, and every imaginable kind of place to live has made it a retirement magnet. Some retirees come here as snowbirds for the winter months only, while others jump all the way in, moving to the Sunshine State to become full time residents. However they arrive, Florida is by far the most popular place in the U.S. for retirement. This article highlights the 14 most popular active adult and 55+ communities in Florida, as measured by visitor interest at Topretirements.com. You can see how the list changed by comparing the 2017 version of this article.

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Published on June 10, 2020
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