Category Archives: Retirement

Culinary Arts, Food, Retirement, Reviews

Top Roadside Restaurants: “B.T.’s Smokehouse” In Sturbridge, Mass. Is “Astonishlingly Good”

July 19, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

From a Bon Appétit Magazine article by Amanda Shapiro:

While it may be unassuming, B.T.’s is hardly undiscovered. The lines get long, so time your trip to hit the smokehouse when it opens at 11 a.m. or during the late-afternoon lull. Order your meat to go, grab a beer at the convenience store next door, and park yourself on the hood of your car, the curb, or anywhere you can find a spot. It isn’t glamorous, but it is astonishingly good.

Situated between I-84 and I-90, B.T.’s is an ideal pit stop for any drive that takes you up to (or down from) Boston, New Hampshire, or Maine. Brisket is the thing here—smoked for 24 to 30 hours on local apple and hickory wood. You can order it à la carte, in a Reuben-style sandwich, or—my favorite—on a platter with classic sides like collard greens and mac and cheese.

To read more from article click on following link: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/bts-smokehouse-sturbridge-massachusetts

Retirement, Surveys

Retirement Surveys: Most Retirees Experience Consistent Or Increased Happiness As They Spend Time With Friends, On Hobbies Or Travelling

July 15, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

“Retirees are far more likely to cite positive attitudes and experiences than negative. Most retirees agree that they “are generally happy people” (91 percent), “have a close relationship with family and/or friends” (90 percent), and
“are confident in their ability to manage their finances” (88 percent). In contrast, relatively few retirees are finding that “everyday activities are becoming difficult” (28 percent), “having trouble making ends meet” (26 percent), and “often feel anxious and depressed” (20 percent).”

(From Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies)

Since entering retirement, 40 percent of retirees indicate that their enjoyment of life has “increased,” 39 percent say it has “stayed the same.” Nineteen percent of retirees say their enjoyment of life has “decreased” since they retired.

To read entire survey click link below:

Click to access tcrs2018_sr_retirees_survey_financially_faring.pdf

Retirement, Services, Technology

Boomers Retirement: “Umbrella” Is An Online Home Repair & Services Marketplace For Seniors

July 13, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

From a Pymnts.com posted article:

“Umbrella is an app that’s meant to connect these people with each other, through a marketplace with a membership model. The app lets seniors sign up for “jobs” and provide their services, like mowing a lawn or painting a fence.

The jobs are charged around $20 an hour, and Umbrella keeps $4 of that. The neighbors can choose to make less money, and the difference goes toward cheaper work for lower-income seniors.

Umbrella costs $199 a year to join. The startup was co-founded by CEO Lindsay Ullman and President Sam Gerstenzang. Both worked at Sidewalk Labs previously, among other places.”

Umbrella website: https://www.askumbrella.com/

Retirement

Top Retirement Cities: Flagstaff, AZ Enjoys Mix Of Students, Professionals & Retirees, Outdoor And Seasonal Activities

July 10, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

From Kiplinger’s online article by Brendan Pedersen:

Residents can enjoy four beautiful seasons in Flagstaff, says Meg Roederer, of the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau. She graduated from Northern Arizona University (located at the heart of Flagstaff) 30 years ago and never looked back. “Between the student, professional and retirement populations, the city has a real vibrancy,” she says. Don’t be fooled by downtown Flagstaff’s sleepy western vibe. “It’s really a mountain-foodie town,” Roederer says. It has more than 200 restaurants and award-winning craft beers in abundance along a “brewery trail.”

At an elevation of 7,000 feet, this mountain town swaddled by sweet-smelling Ponderosa pine trees has plenty to offer retirees by way of outdoor activities, top-tier dining, volunteer opportunities and seasonable weather. Snowbirds, take heed: This is not the sun-bleached Arizona you may be thinking of. Despite its crisp lack of humidity, it regularly receives about 100 inches of snow every winter.

To read more click on link below:

https://www.kiplinger.com/article/retirement/T047-C000-S002-flagstaff-arizona-a-smart-place-to-retire.html

Retirement

Boomers Retirement Abroad: You Can Escape State Tax In Seven States, But Never The IRS

July 9, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

From a Forbes.com article by Larry Light. Interview with Rick Kahler, founder of Kahler Financial Group, in Rapid City, S.D.:

“You have nothing to worry about if you live in one of the seven states with no income tax: South Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada, Washington, Texas, Florida and Alaska.”

The best way to escape paying taxes to a state you no longer live in? Move to a state with no income tax first before relocating abroad. You must prove to your old state that you have left and have no intention of ever coming back.

This means moving for real—cutting as many ties to your old state as possible and establishing as many as possible in your new state. You will want to sell your home, close bank accounts, cancel any mailing addresses, change healthcare providers and health insurance companies (including Medicare), be sure no dependents remain in the state, and register to vote and get a driver’s license in the new state.

“Age Diversity In The Workplace” Study Finds Older Americans (55+) Increasingly Desire To Work Past The Age Of 65

July 7, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Click below to read study from the AP-NORC Center at the University of Chicago:

https://workinglongerstudy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/APNORC_AgeDiversity_2019-05-14_r1.pdf

Investing, Retirement

Investment Portfolios: Health Care Stocks For Boomers To Invest In

July 4, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

“To cash in on these long-term trends, we scoured the sector and found eight good opportunities. The stocks we like fall into three broad health care areas: drugmakers, health care service providers, and medical device and equipment manufacturers. Their share prices may continue to bounce around, especially as we near the 2020 elections. Smart investors will buy more when shares dip. “If you have flexibility and you can pick your spots, you can make money,” says Matt Benkendorf, chief investment officer at money management firm Vontobel Quality Growth.”

Merck (symbol MRK, price $83) is an elder statesman in the pharma world that should continue to thrive in the new order. Keytruda, Merck’s immunotherapy drug that basically gets the immune system to kill cancer cells, is “rapidly becoming one of the largest products we’ve ever seen,” says JPMorgan Chase analyst Christopher Thomas Schott.
Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX, $84) is expected to be profitable in 2020. It has two drugs on the market and a strong pipeline of therapies in all stages of development. One of its commercial drugs, Ingrezza, is a “best in class” therapy for tardive dyskinesia, a condition that causes jerky, involuntary face and body movements, says Credit Suisse’s Seigerman. He thinks it could fetch annual sales of $2 billion by the early 2020s.
CVS Health (CVS, $54) aims to give UnitedHealth a run for its money. It’s best known for its drugstores—70% of people in the U.S. live within three miles of a CVS pharmacy—but it operates more than 1,000 walk-in clinics, too. With its acquisition of Aetna in late 2018, CVS is now also an insurer.
After spinning off its drug division in 2013, Abbott Laboratories (ABT, $82) now focuses on a diverse roster of products that includes nutritional drinks, diagnostics, generic drugs and medical devices. But a trio of new products put it in the sweet spot of the health care sector’s innovation surge, says William Blair’s Golan.

Finance, Retirement

Retirement Myths: Expenses & Taxes Will Decrease While Savings, Social Security & Work Will Be Adequate

July 2, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

From Seeking Alpha article:

Myth #1 – My Expenses Will Be Cut In Half!

One of the greatest myths for future retirees is that expenses will drop when you retire. Some think their living expenses will virtually cut in half overnight.

However, that is usually not the case. In fact, oftentimes retirees spend more in retirement (especially in the first few years) than they did during their working days. Why is that?
Myth #2 – Social Security Will Provide for Most of My Retirement Needs

Many people are led to believe that they’ll manage to live just on Social Security in retirement. In most cases, however, that’s just not doable. Today, Social Security pays the average recipient only $1,461 a month in benefits. Over the course of a year, that’s $17,532. Meanwhile, the average retired household spends $46,000 a year. So there is a pretty large disconnect between the two. Property taxes alone in some blue states amount to what some receive all year in Social Security payments.
Myth #3 – I Can Just Keep Working

Surveys show that many people nearing retirement would prefer to continue working to close any gaps they feel they have in their retirement funding. Or they want to continue working because they have no plans for their free time after they retire. Regardless of which reason, they want to keep working- and it does provide a dual benefit- it gives a further boost to your nest egg while at the same time reduces the number of years you’ll need to live off it.
Myth #4 – It’s Too Late To Start Saving

They say the eighth wonder of the world is compound interest. And it obviously has a bigger effect the earlier you start saving, but you’re never too old to take advantage of its power to grow your money.

Aside from compounding, the IRS gives other incentives to save for those nearing retirement. IRAs, 401Ks, and other tax-advantaged plans give investors that are 50 and older the ability to make ‘catch up’ contributions. Those Traditional and Roth IRAs can make an additional $1,000 each year per investor. 401Ks and like plans can add $6,000 as a catch-up.
Myth #5 – Taxes Will Be Much Less In Retirement

As you’ve seen in previous points, where we show your need to save more, invest more, and possibly work more – you will probably not be reducing your overall income that much. So if your income isn’t going to drop, then you shouldn’t assume with any honesty that your tax bill will drop.

The Trump tax cut reduced rates, but removed certain deductions. Even if we call it a wash, not many would bet that rates would drop further from here. The easy bet would be to wager they will only rise from here.

Read article by clicking here: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4273061-common-retirement-myths-debunked

Retirement

Healthcare Costs, Lack Of Savings & Social Security Are Leading Obstacles To Retirement Study Finds

June 29, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Click on link below to read more:

https://news.northwesternmutual.com/planning-and-progress-2017

Retirement

Boomers Are Increasingly Moving To Southwestern U.S. As They Downsize And Rent Their New Homes

June 28, 2019 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

“Many older adults are downsizing and moving into rentals. Out of the 30 most populous cities in the United States, 16 experienced an increase of more than 40% in the age 60-plus renter household share between 2007 and 2017, according to research by RENTCafé. Austin, Texas takes the first-place spot as the city with the highest percentage change in the share of 60-plus renter households, increasing by 113% in the 10-year period. Phoenix shows the second highest increase of 112%.” (From Forbes.com article below)