Better Health & Living
Ready, Set, Retire
Looking that magic number in the face? Let the Internet help you get those plans together.
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Do you dream of retirement- a time to do whatever you want? The oldest baby boomers turn 62 this year and become eligible for Social Security benefits. While some are financially secure enough to give up their jobs, others will continue working by choice or from necessity.
Even if retirement is a few years away, begin working on your transition plan now. Then you’ll be ready to pursue hobbies and passions, volunteer, travel, start your own business, spend more time with your grandchildren, or take up a new profession. Research where to live, local senior services, health and financial issues, and Social Security benefits at the retirement-friendly sites below.
www.aarp.org is the website of AARP, the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons, with more than 38 million members (if you’ve hit 50, you’ve probably been invited to be one of them). The site has articles and tools for staying healthy and financially savvy, dealing with Medicare and long-term care insurance, and travel, as well as games to keep your brain sharp. AARP has negotiated discounts for its members on airline fares, hotels, car rentals, and vacation packages. Check out the tips for making your home more accessible so that you can stay there longer. In the personal finance section, take a free seminar on how to prevent identity theft. The site allows you to increase the text size for easier reading and is also available in Spanish.
www.boomertowne.com Designed for boomers, features articles, tips, and forums on health, fitness, lifestyles, finances, and caring for aging parents. Recent articles include “Finding More Energy,” “Healthy Retirement,” and “Staying Young.” Watch videos or chat online with celebrity experts such as Denise Austin, Dr. Bob Arnot, and Montel Williams. There’s even a dating service. Sign up for free to become a BoomerTowne Citizen and be eligible for special member resources and events.
www.seniors.gov contains links to government websites with senior topics such as health, education, jobs, volunteerism, housing, money, taxes, retirement, and travel (check out the discounts you can get). In the retirement section, you can order a free IRA Resource Guide CD-ROM that explains what you need to know about traditional and Roth IRAs as well as SEP, SIMPLE IRA, rollovers, distributions, and more.
www.rl.tv is the site of Retirement Living TV, which produces programs for retirees and wannabes. The shows offer advice on a wide range of topics for seniors and retirees, including housing, investing, and health. It’s eclectic: you can also find out how to make sushi and where to find the best rollercoasters! The TV shows run nationally on DIRECTV and cable systems such as Comcast. You can also view recent shows at the website.
www.ssa.gov/retire2 is the online home of the Social Security Retirement Planner where you can find your retirement age, use benefits calculators to find out how much you’re due, and learn how some types of earnings and pensions can affect your benefits.
www.55-alive.com is a social networking site for those 55 and over. You’ll find articles and discussion groups on health, fitness, money, jobs, family, travel, and relationships. A sample of recent topics: “More Energy as You Age” and “Best Places to Retire.” In its volunteering section, the site helps seniors locate local charities and volunteer groups.
www.360financialliteracy.org is an excellent source of financial planning information from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Its retirement and estate planning section includes housing options for older people, info on healthcare and long-term care insurance, and worksheets for estimating your retirement income needs and evaluating an early retirement offer.
www.todaysseniors.com has articles and tools for retirement planning. You can download free worksheets to organize your personal documents and insurance policies and inventory your personal property in case of loss. For a one-time fee of $9.95, you can have access to extra member privileges, including premium organizers. The site also has an extensive list of links to senior and retirement resources.
www.thirdage.com is a community for midlifers in their forties, fifties, and sixties who are dealing with managing life transitions such as retirement or switching jobs in midcareer. Sample articles include “A Late-Starters Guide to Saving for Retirement” and “10 Pre-retirement To-Dos.” Its thirdsemester.com site offers a range of online classes such as Planning for Retirement and Retirement Accounts ($125).
Eileen Buckholtz is president of Technology Concepts, a Web design and e-marketing company; a professor of e-business for the University of Phoenix Online; and the author of more than a dozen computer books.
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