Tag Archives: retirement

About to Retire?

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If you are very close to retirement, the struggles in the economy may worry you. When your retirement occurs at the same time as a market lull or bear market, there are some standard “rules” to follow. Most people these days are living longer. Therefore, when you do retire, you will need to ensure you have enough income to sustain your standard of living for 30 plus years. This can be tricky to accomplish if the market is on a downtrend. Many financial experts recommend that you withdrawal no more than four percent of your total portfolio as an initial … Continue reading →

Weekly Recap for May 18 to May 24

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With all the news about the poor economy, we all need a few Investment Strategies in a Volatile Economy. Just because things are tougher these days, it doesn’t mean you can’t still get ahead. No matter how old you are or how strapped you are for cash, you should always keep your Retirement and Future Plans in mind. When you are in your prime working years, it is the best time to arrange for the future. If you are nearing retirement years and just realized you may not have enough saved for the day you stop working, then it is … Continue reading →

Baby Boomers and Retirement

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I was reading an article in the paper the other day that got me thinking… yikes… our largest generation is going to be retiring soon. What does this mean and how will it influence all of us? To be honest, I am not sure – but it left me with some questions and thoughts. I would love to hear any ideas you all come up with too! Just leave them in the comment box below. Baby boomers will need to start using their retirement money. This means large amounts of stocks will be sold. Thus, the process will move money … Continue reading →

Why Ever Retire?

I admit that I consider myself part of the “post-retirement” generation. Most of my peers and friends, as well as me—are quite convinced that we are never going to see a cent of the Social Security we have been paying all these years. In fact, I imagine that most of it will go to pay for the burgeoning baby boomers golden years and meanwhile, with the economy the way it is and my ever-depleting supposed retirement account, it looks pretty likely that I will be working to the end. Is this necessarily a bad thing, however? After all, with a … Continue reading →

Fight Arthritis with Ants

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Researchers from the School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University are looking at a traditional folk remedy to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic diseases. A certain type of Chinese ant (Polyrhacis lamellidens for you scientific types) has long been used in Chinese folk medicine to treat chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis. For centuries, the little ant has been used as a painkiller and an anti-inflammatory agent to help reduce the symptoms of various chronic diseases. The study from the School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University looked at extracts made from the ants. … Continue reading →

A Gluten-Free Diet for Rheumatoid Arthritis

You might not think about a gluten-free diet unless you have celiac disease (gluten allergy). Swedish researchers want you to think again — especially if you have rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. A recent study from Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden looked at diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers divided rheumatoid arthritis sufferers into two groups: one group ate a vegan and gluten-free diet (vegetables, fruits, nuts, no wheat proteins, and no animal products like meat, cheese, or eggs); one … Continue reading →

Aquatic Exercise for Arthritis

A workout in the water has been a popular treatment for people with arthritis for the past twenty-five years or so. Why? Because a water workout can help improve flexibility, relieve pain, ease stiffness, and increase range of motion — without impact on affected joints. Benefits of a workout in the water: Age is no barrier. As long as you can float (and there are floatation belts to help you out) you can manage a water workout. Physical condition is no barrier. You don’t have to be able to walk or stand unassisted (again, those floatation belts come in handy) … Continue reading →

Reverse Mortgages

Should you use a reverse mortgage? First, you have to make sure you qualify. Reverse mortgages are only for those who are 62 and older, who own a home with significant equity, and those who expect to live in their home for many years. A reverse mortgage must be paid back to the lender when you no longer plan to use your home as your primary residence. This can occur upon death, when you decide to sell the home, or if you have to move out longer than 12 months. At that time, the loan balance or market value of … Continue reading →

Asset Allocation

The basic concept of diversifying your assets is found in the classic saying, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” If you have all your eggs in one basket and a large rock falls on it, all the eggs crack. Needless to say, if you have all your money in one company’s stock and that company goes out of business… your money cracks as well. The meaning of asset allocation is the spreading out of your money over lots of different kind of investments. Good examples of these assets include stocks, bonds, and savings accounts. You should spread your … Continue reading →

Oh, To Be Semi-Retired!

Recently I was having lunch with an old friend and former co-worker who referred to herself as “semi-retired.” What a marvelous ring that moniker had and I realized that one of the motivating reasons for starting my own home-based business had been that I wanted to work toward semi-retirement. For some reason, however, I’ve gotten off track and actually find myself working more at my business and work stuff now than ever! I suppose in my mind, semi-retired means less hours and less stress and so far in my home business this has not been the case. While I have … Continue reading →