Gifts for Baby Boomers and Retirees

Photos are a thoughtful
gift for Baby Boomers!

Have you ever thought about how hard it is to buy gifts for Baby Boomers and retirees?  Most of us have trouble coming up with ideas for our Baby Boomer or retired spouses and friends.  Imagine how much more difficult it is for our children and grandchildren to come up with gift ideas for us.

Below are some suggestions that will help anyone who is trying to come up with gift ideas for retirees or anyone who is over the age of 50.

Photo Gifts for Baby Boomers

One ideal present that is sure to please is a photo gift.  This can consist of a framed family photo, a family history loving compiled into a photo album, or a favorite photo that has been printed onto an apron or coffee mug. There are lots of places where you can purchase gifts like this online.

If you are interested in some specific ideas about where to buy personalized photo gifts, you might want to check out my InfoBarrel article, "Thoughtful Photo Gifts for Mothers Day."  It gives you the names of several stores, as well as a variety of useful websites.

There are a number of excellent reasons why you may want to give a photo gift.  In fact, in a pamphlet I received from Prevention Magazine, they reported that researchers had discovered that looking at personal photos was one of the best natural mood enhancers.  Amazingly, spending time looking at personal photos worked better at elevating your mood than chocolate, wine, TV or music.  So, not only are you giving them a gift they'll love at the moment, but it will elevate their mood every time they look at it.  It's hard to find a better gift than that!

Hobby Gifts for Baby Boomers

Many people are struggle to afford their favorite hobbies after they retire because of the expense.  There are several ways you can help out.  You could have them give you a personal "wish list" or add items to a wish list to a website such as Amazon.  Then, you would know exactly which gifts they would most appreciate.  Or, if you would rather, you could give them a gift certificate to their favorite shop.  You could even give them a gift certificate to a place like a golf course or to go to a similar facility for a special day enjoying their favorite hobby.  Whatever decision you make, you know you will be giving them a gift that will delight them, as well as one they will enjoy over and over again, as long as they pursue their hobby.

Birthstone Jewelry Gifts for Baby Boomers

Grandparents often enjoy receiving a necklace, pendant or ring that has the birthstones of all their grandchildren.  It it a wonderful reminder of these beloved children, and an charming conversation piece.  In other words, when asked about their jewelry, they can use it as an opportunity to tell their friends a little about each of their grandchildren.  This is a piece of jewelry that they are certain to love!  If you aren't sure about what birthstones go with each month, you may want to read my InfoBarrel article, "Top 12 Birthstones and Their Historical Meaning."

Nostalgia Gifts for Baby Boomers

Another idea for Baby Boomers is to give them gifts that make it easier for them to recall their youth.  When I bought my husband an iPod for Christmas a few years ago, one of our daughters flew down from San Francisco to Southern California to help my husband load some of his favorite music from his teens and to show him how to use it.  Not only did we enjoy the impromptu visit from her, but he now loves using his iPod to listen to some of his favorite old music.

The Gift of Time

The above paragraph reminds me that one of the most precious gifts you can give a retiree is the gift of your time.  You could take them to lunch or to a movie.  Offer to take them shopping.  Spend the day with them at the beach or enjoying a sport or activity together.

You might also to perform some chores that need to be done around their house ... whether it is raking leaves, cleaning the gutter, trimming the hedges or painting a room.  Even giving their house a thorough cleaning could be an appreciated gift.

The Gift of Services

What if you would like to help out with those services mentioned above, but you cannot because of your own time constraints or physical health.  Why not give the gift of a service.  Hire a window washer, maid service, lawn service, or other helper for a day.

Many senior citizens would appreciate these types of helpful gifts ... whether you perform them yourself or pay someone else to do them!


More Useful Information for Baby Boomers

If you are over 50, and you are either retired or hoping to retire someday, use the tabs or pull down menu to find links to hundreds of additional articles about where to retire, family relationships, financial planning, health concerns and more.

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

photo courtesy of morguefile.com

Stop Sitting and Start Walking for Your Health!

Walking May Be The Only
Exercise You'll Ever Need!

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of information on the news about how unhealthy sitting is for us.  I have even heard reports that sitting too much can be as dangerous for our health as smoking!  I don't know if that is true or not, although some researchers certainly seem to believe it is. 

Dangers of Sitting Too Much

Whether or not sitting can harm your health as much as smoking, it does appear that spending long hours in a chair can increase your chances of diabetes and cancer, and lead to an early death.  These health risks alone should make us want to get out and start moving.

Sadly, the older you are, the more likely you are to spend hours sitting each day; thus, the dangers of sitting can have severe health consequences as we age.  Researchers highly recommend that, at the very least, people should get up and move around for at least 5 minutes out of every hour.  Use those television commercials to get moving!

The January-February 2012 issue of the AARP Bulletin had an insert that enthusiastically proclaimed that walking may be the only fitness exercise you'll ever need.  They suggested that everyone should get out and walk more if they hope to improve the status of their health. 

How to Start a Walking Program

If you plan to start a new walking exercise program, be sure to get yourself a good pair of walking shoes.  If you do not like heavy walking shoes and you do not plan to participate in a marathon, I have found that the Sketcher's GoWalk shoes (available here from Amazon) are very comfortable and meet the needs of most casual walkers.

Start out slowly, and only go a short distance if you are not accustomed to walking very far.  Start with 5 or 10 minutes, and work up to 30 minutes a day.  If you can't walk 30 minutes all at once, split your time up into smaller segments.  For example, you could walk for 15 minutes twice a day, or walk for 10 minutes three times a day.  If you are willing to wear a pedometer or fitness bracelet like the Fitbit (also available from Amazon), your ultimate goal should be 10,000 steps a day, although it may take you a few months to reach that level.  If you have been sedentary, however, be realistic.  You may be getting less than 5,000 steps a day at first, and that is perfectly OK.

Benefits of Joining a Walking Group

Personally, I have found it really helps to have walking partners.  I walk several times a week with two friends.  In nice weather, we walk along the beach.  If the weather is chilly or drizzly, however, we stroll through the local mall for 45 minutes to an hour.  Either way, we end our walk with a cup of coffee or tea, and some fun conversation.  It's a delightful outing that we all look forward to, and it's good to know that it enhances our health, as well.

If you are a Baby Boomer, you may be interested in keeping up to date with current information affecting our age group by using the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional articles on how to stay healthy, where to retire, financial planning, changing family relationships and more.

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

Photo courtesy of morguefile.com

How to Make Your Money Last the Rest of Your Life

Managing Your Money Well
Helps You Enjoy Retirement More!

Many people worry about whether or not their money will last the rest of their lives.  This is not an unreasonable fear, and several of the posts you will see on this blog have been about how to cut your costs down before you retire so that you can live comfortably on Social Security and whatever other income you can expect to receive.  I've also mentioned a few times that it is wise to work as long as you can, in order to maximize your earned income as well as Social Security benefits. 

The 4% Withdrawal Solution

One area of concern for many people, however, is how to manage the distributions from your IRA, your 401K, or any other retirement savings that you have in place.  How much can you take out in order to insure that your assets will last?  I recently read about the 4% solution, a concept that is simple and makes it easy for anyone to figure out whether or not they are on track.  Here is how it works:

When you retire, at approximately age 66, total up the value of the stocks and cash that you have in liquid assets.  These are the assets you plan to draw down in order to supplement your Social Security.  To keep the math simple, let's assume they add up to $50,000.  Now, make a record of that number, as well as 4% of it, or $2,000. 

If you withdraw no more than $2,000 a year from these liquid assets, they should last 25 years, even if you get a 0% rate of return on the balance.  This means that, if you retire at 66, these assets should last until age 91.  If you get any interest or dividends during that time, which is quite likely, your assets will last even longer.  In fact, with a very conservative 2% rate of return, they should last years longer.

A More Conservative Approach to IRA Withdrawals

If you want to be ultra-conservative, you might start out taking less than 4% during the first few years of retirement.  Then, as you need the money, you can gradually increase how much you draw out each year. 

If, in later years, you want to make sure you are not drawing your money down too quickly, here is how to do a 5 year check on the principle:

After 5 years of withdrawals, you should have 80% or more of your original balance.
After 10 years of withdrawals, you should have 60% or more of your original balance.
After 15 years of withdrawals, you should have 40% or more of your original balance.
After 20 years of withdrawals, you should have 20% or more of your original balance.
After 25 years of withdrawals, you will have depleted your cash assets, unless you have earned dividends and interest over the years to stretch your assets out longer.

If you expect to live to be 100 or older, you may want to start making your withdrawals at an older age than 66, or you may want to only withdraw 3% a year instead of 4%.  At 3% a year, your cash assets should last for over 33 years, or until you are 99 years old or older, if you began withdrawing money at age 66.  Again, this is assuming that you have earned no additional interest or dividends.

Comparing This Method to an Annuity

Some retirees choose to purchase an annuity when they retire, using the money in their IRA or 401(k).  Before doing that, however, you will want to see if the payments you will receive from an annuity will be much larger than what you would get by using the 4% solution.  If not, the 4% solution might be a better alternative than an annuity, since you maintain control of your assets and can get a higher rate of return if interest rates go up.

However, if you decide to do this, you have to be disciplined about not spending down your assets too fast.  IF you start spending more than 4% during the early years of your retirement, because you want a new car, would like to travel, or have other expenses, you may find yourself poverty stricken in the later years.  If you do not think you will be that disciplined, then purchasing an annuity might be a better choice.  At least you will know for sure that you will always have the extra income.

Whichever plan you use, your assets should last the rest of your life if you manage them wisely.  Sadly, far too many people burn through their IRA's as soon as they are able to remove the money.  They are only postponing the time when they will run out of cash, and have to live solely on Social Security ... a very meager sum for most people.  Use your assets wisely, and your money will be there when you need it!

If you need other retirement information, including financial planning, where to retire, health concerns, and changing family relationships, 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:  photoexpress.com

How to Slow Down Alzheimers Disease

Get exercise, learn a new skill, and
spend time with others!

A little article in the January, 2012 issue of Reader's Digest has spurred me to pass on this information about how to postpone the development of Alzheimer's Disease.  The article was a summary of the main points in the new book, available from Amazon.com, "The Alzheimer's Prevention Program," by Gary Small, an M.D. at the UCLA Longevity Center.  If you suspect that you are at particular risk of developing this dreaded disease, this book may well be worth reading.

The Reader's Digest article, and a sidebar accompanying it, relayed some information that could be invaluable to every Baby Boomer.  Dr. Small estimates that people could prevent or postpone a million cases of Alzheimers every 5 years if they would just make one healthy change to their lifestyles.  Below are some of the changes that they recommended.

Lifestyle Changes That May Slow Down Dementia

* Increase your exercise.  Exercise actually increases brain muscle, according to Dr. Small in the Reader's Digest article.  I knew that exercise was good for us, but I had never heard it put in those terms!

* Challenge yourself mentally.  Sitting and doing crossword puzzles is not enough.  Sign up for a college class, learn a new skill, or get into a political discussion.  I have also heard that learning a new language in our 60's can be beneficial.

* Eat healthy food, but not too much.  If you are overweight, you have a significantly higher chance of developing dementia.

* Reduce your stress by meditating, getting a massage, going for a walk, or taking classes in tai chi or yoga.  The better you manage your stress, the lower your dementia risk.

* Socialize with others.  Having friends can reduce dementia risk by as much as 60%!

* Take a few supplements.  In particular, you should take a multi-vitamin, fish oil and curcumin (which is in turmeric, the powder that gives curry powder that yellow color).

These are all simple activities, but they are extremely important in improving the quality of life we will enjoy during the years after retirement.  In addition, if you believe that you are developing serious signs of dementia, despite your best efforts, you will want to see your doctor right away.  There are treatments that can help slow down the progression of the disease.

Whether you are already retired, or just preparing to retire soon, you may also want to get more information by using the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of additional articles on where to retire, health issues that could develop, financial planning, travel, family relationships and more.

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

Photo credit:  photoexpress.com