Showing posts with label helpful retirement information. Show all posts
Showing posts with label helpful retirement information. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Top Retirement Posts in 2018

Every winter, our final post is a summary of the most popular posts of that year.  It has been interesting to see how the topics have changed slightly over the years.  This year, the top post was on End of Life Planning.  It was followed by posts on how to help your grandchildren earn scholarships, how Medicare handles certain health problems, and how to prevent dementia. In fact, concern about dementia has been the most recurring theme over the past few years.

There have been three developments with this blog in 2018.  The first was the addition of the services of a Medicare expert from Boomer Benefits, Danielle Roberts, who is licensed in 47 states.  Either she or one or her co-workers will be happy to answer your individual Medicare questions. You can find her photo, phone number and email address in the lower right-hand column of the blog.  Danielle also has written several guest posts about Medicare for this blog during the past year and you can find them by clicking on the Social Security and Medicare tab at the top of the page.

Secondly, as the author of this blog, I have decided to personally join an Alzheimer's research study at the University of California - Irvine MIND facility. I have been sharing what I have learned in some of my blog posts and plan to continue to do so in coming years.  I believe that my readers will find the information I am sharing will be valuable.  To see all the posts on dementia and Alzheimer's Disease which have been discussed in this blog, use the Medical Concerns tab at the top of the page to find links to all of them.

Thirdly, I narrowed down the variety of ads which are visible on the sidebar of my blog. All the ads in the right-hand column are either from Amazon or Google, both reputable advertisers.  This means you should be able to comfortably use the links in the sidebar to obtain information about advertised products without fear of malware or viruses.  I'm not sure you can say that for all the advertisers you encounter on other sites on the internet!

Now for the list of the most popular retirement posts in 2018.

End of Life Planning for Baby Boomers - The most popular post of the year was about the steps we all need to take in order to prepare for the end of our lives. For example, you should contact a lawyer, write a will, set up a trust, and complete an advanced healthcare directive. You should also talk to a mortuary, prepay your funeral, if possible, and leave instructions with your heirs.  Get details and learn more about the other steps you should be taking in this post.

College Scholarship Tips for Grandchildren - Despite the risk to their own financial future, according to AARP, approximately 53 percent of grandparents help their grandchildren with their educational expenses.  Learn how you can help your grandchildren earn scholarships and reduce their need to take out debt or turn to you for help.  This could benefit you both and was another very popular post over the past year!

Medicare Coverage for Heart Disease - If you have a heart attack, what will Medicare cover?  How many heart screenings, tests, etc., are covered each year?  Get the answers so you know what to expect before you find yourself in the hospital.

How Medicare-For-All Would Work - A number of recent politicians have expressed support for a Medicare-For-All program in our country.  However, how would it work? What are the benefits and concerns about a program like this?  Learn more about this proposal so you understand the concept and how it could gradually be implemented.

Hearing Loss Increases Dementia Risk Dramatically - An important way to prevent or postpone dementia is to engage with other people.  However, if you have hearing loss, your socialization could be reduced and your risk of dementia could increase.  Learn more about this important issue.

Lower Dementia Risk with Exercise - Anything which is good for the heart is good for the brain.  This is especially true when it comes to the importance of getting regular exercise.  Learn more about the best types of exercise to lower your dementia risk.  

International Travel Tips for Senior Citizens - Are you planning an international trip?  If you have not traveled overseas in a while, there are certain issues you need to consider in making your plans.  Even if you are a seasoned traveler, you may find these tips to be helpful, so be sure to check out this post before your next overseas trip.

Medicare, Substance Abuse, Addiction and Alcoholism - Many senior citizens suffer from problems with substance abuse, including addiction to legal and illegal drugs, as well as alcoholism.  If you need help recovering from these problems, how much of the cost will Medicare cover?

Socializing Reduces Dementia Risk - Did you know that following the MIND diet, getting adequate sleep, and engaging in a variety of types of exercise have all been shown to dramatically reduce your risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease?  Socializing is another important way to improve your brain health and lower your dementia risk.  Learn more about how it can help you to spend time engaging with other people on a regular basis.

Prediabetes and Diabetes Prevention - Roughly one in four adults over the age of 65 have diabetes, and significantly more have prediabetes.  A large percentage of people with these conditions are NOT aware of it.  However, this is not a disease which you want to ignore.  Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.  As a result, it is important we all understand how to avoid it and how to minimize the damage it can cause. This article is a good place to begin to expand your knowledge of this life-shortening disease.

If you are interested in learning more about Medicare, common health issues, dementia, where to retire, financial planning, Social Security and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  Photo is screenshot of Baby-Boomer-Retirement blog

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Eight Popular Retirement Stories from the Past

This article is intended to promote popular retirement stories from a few years ago.  Most of them are still relevant today.  Since this site has gained so many new followers since these articles were written, some of these timely stories may have been overlooked by our newer readers.

Generally, the most popular topics on this blog deal with finding a place to retire, making the most of our retirement income, maintaining our health and reaching out to our extended family. 

With these thoughts in mind, here are the most popular stories from 2011.  I thought this would be a good time of year to bring these articles to the attention of any readers who may have missed them.

Popular Retirement Stories

Cheap Places to Retire

Looking for an affordable location for your retirement years?  Here is a list of ten of the cheapest places to live in the United States.  While the prices may have risen slightly since this article was originally written, these communities are still less expensive than many places in our country.

Finding the Best Places to Retire

What are your criteria for good places to retire?  Are you looking for a low crime rate and a reasonable cost of living?  CNN produced a list of ten spots they thought were great retirement locations based on criteria they thought were important.  See if their list matches yours.

Prevent a Broken Bone or Hip Fractures

Every year about 300,000 people over the age of 65 fall and break their hips.  More than 20% of them will die as a result of these preventable accidents.  Learn what you can do to stay safe in your home.  This article could save your life or the life of someone you love.

Living on Social Security in the US

Don't have any retirement savings to supplement your Social Security benefits?  Don't despair.  Here is a list of ten communities where the average household income is about the equivalent of the amount the typical couple receives in Social Security benefits.  With a little planning, it is possible to survive on you Social Security.

Crafts to do with Your Grandkids

Looking for some fun activities to do with your grandkids?  One website I have found is http://www.domestic-divaonline.com which is full of easy to do projects such as homemade ornaments, jewelry and t-shirts.  Time you spend with your grandkids is time well spent, and this article is a good place to start.

Work From Home and Make Money

A number of Baby Boomers are facing retirement with less retirement income than they had anticipated.  Many of the retirees I know are supplementing their retirement income with little businesses they can manage from home.  For many people, earning anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to a thousand dollars a month can make a huge difference in the quality of their retirement.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Have a Long Life and Live to 100

How long are you likely to live?  Did you know that there are specific factors that seem to make a real difference in your life expectancy?  Check this article out and see if simple life changes could extend your life.  You will find other articles on people who live to be over 90 in the Medical section of this blog.

Copy a Photo Album for a Unique Gift

Trying to think of a special gift that will be treasured by your adult children or grandchildren?  This article contains instructions on how to put together copies of your favorite albums and share them with other members of your family.  Our daughters have cherished the photo albums we have shared with them.

The archives of this blog are full of other articles that you may find interesting and useful.  I hope you will take the time to browse through them and explore other topics of benefit to you.

You are reading from the blog:  http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com

Photo of fireworks courtesy of www.morguefile.com