Summary
Retirement can be done without brining added stress into your lif, but good planning is required.
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http://www.nj.com/living/ledger/index.ssf?/base/living-0/112356710770690.xml&coll=1
Details
IS THERE SUCH a thing for seniors as a "worry-free" retirement?
To find out, experts say, you first have to look backward.
Generations ago, retirement was almost unheard of by the majority of Americans.
It was only for the wealthy; middle Americans stayed on the job until they couldn't physically work anymore and turned to savings when it was time to retire.
Today, even though retirees are living well, younger Americans worry whether Social Security will be there for them.
To help you plan ahead, the editors of Kiplinger Personal Finance have updated "Retire Worry-Free: Money-Smart Ways to Build the Nest Egg You Need" (Dearborn Trade Publishing, $17.95, paperback).
It explains how to calculate the income you will need in retirement, how much to count on from Social Security and pensions and, finally, how to fill the gap.
The parents of today's Baby Boomers retired to "the good life."
Pension plans had taken off, Social Security provided a higher payment than before, and real estate values soared.
At the mandatory retirement age of 65, they were set financially, so they simply stopped and relaxed.
But while 65 is still the traditional retirement age, we're living longer, perhaps another 20 years, and need more money to finance retirement.
And then there are those wishing to stop work and enter retirement in their 50s.
The book notes that today "retirement stands for a more active and diverse lifestyle than ever."
It advises: "The reality is, the more you save now, the more options you'll have later."
You have to figure out what you can expect from your pension plan at work and where
Social Security fits in.
It's crucial that you know how to protect yourself with insurance, what investment strategies work best and how to make adjustments.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has created several downloadable courses on survival and preparedness, including his widely-downloaded course on personal safety and self-defense. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In mid 2010, Adams produced TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing website offering user-generated videos on nutrition, green living, fitness and more. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also the CEO of a highly successful email newsletter software company that develops software used to send permission email campaigns to subscribers. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Friday, August 19, 2005
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