The Fabulous Fifties and Beyond is part of the cable TV program and syndicated newspaper column of the same name. Our mantra is "Use It Or Lose It", urging those in the 50's and beyond age group to do something with the life they have remaining. Write a book, travel, volunteer...do something. We are looking for stories of individuals and groups that are "using it". Shows streaming at http://tv.westkentucky.kctcs.edu/videoclips/50s/
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Will You Live Too Long?
It seems like not a week goes by without hearing or reading about the impending baby boomer explosion. Much of the media attention is devoted to questioning the boomer's ability to retire at a reasonable age with a comfortable lifestyle.
Another often discussed subject relates to Medicare and the enormous strain that will occur as the boomer crowd reaches 65 years of age. This is when those who are eligible are automatically enrolled in Medicare.
As important as these issues are, they wane when compared with the problems inherent with long term care. Without proper planning, baby boomers are in jeopardy of depleting their hard earned assets.
The most reliable data regarding population longevity is found with life insurance companies. Indeed, the underwriting of life insurance policies is based on the principle of accurately identifying when various groups of individuals will die.
As a population, we are living longer. In fact, the highest rate of increased longevity belongs to those over the age of 85. Unfortunately, the increase in age is coupled with an increase in mental and medical conditions that require long term care.
Many seniors today believe their long term care costs will be absorbed by Medicare. This is simply not true! Medicare is designed primarily to help someone recover from an illness. Most people who require long term care have chronic conditions which severely limit their ability to recover.
To rely on Medicare to pay for the cost of long term care is foolish. The only government assistance available to pay this cost is found in the Medicaid program, which is federally granted and state administered.
But Medicaid is only for the destitute. It is a welfare plan intended for those who simply cannot pay the cost of receiving custodial supervision by themselves.
For years, the strict rules associated with administering Medicaid have been manipulated by clever individuals and their professional advisors. Many people who have the ability to pay for care were creating special arrangements to make it appear they were destitute when, in fact, they were not.
This so-called Medicaid Planning simply increased the enormous strain already imposed on the welfare system. Recently, Congress took steps to help alleviate this.
On February 8, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. This multi-tasked bill closed one of the biggest loopholes in Medicaid Planning and reinforced the fact that Medicaid is for the destitute.
This should serve as a warning to the baby boomers who mistakenly believe their long term care costs will be subsidized by the government. They need to provide for themselves through the purchase of a long term care policy issued by a highly rated insurance company.
The costs associated with long term care are increasing faster than the costs of providing a college education. In some states, it costs over $300 per day to provide long term care. A properly purchased policy can offset much of this expense.
No one is immune to this problem, but it is apparent that the largest exposure exists with the baby boomers. Without adequate planning millions of additional families will be faced with financial ruin.
Their assets will be wasted in order to pay for the cost of having lived too long in an environment of custodial care. The question becomes: "Which asset will you liquidate first?" if you don't have adequate protection?
Jim and Jeanetta Pollard
http://tv.westkentucky.kctcs.edu/videoclips/50s/
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
PEOPLE OVER 35 SHOULD BE DEAD AND HERE'S WHY
According to today’s regulations and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s probably shouldn’t have survived.
Our baby cribs were covered with lead-based paint.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets….and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
Horrors!
We ate cup cakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, drinking from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Play stations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms.
Unthinkable!
We had friends! We went outside and found them.
We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt.
We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents?
We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them.
Little league had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Some students weren’t as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.
Horrors!
Tests were not adjusted for any reason.
Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law.
Imagine that!
When we disobeyed the teacher or sassed her, we were sent to the office for a paddling – not a beating- a paddling. If our parents found out about this, chances are we would get an additional paddling. Parents demanded that we obey and show respect for our teachers.
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all!
Perhaps you are one of us. If so, congratulations!
Anonymous – taken from the Internet
Revised and submitted by Jim and Jeanetta Pollard
9312 St. Rt. 131
Hickory, Ky. 42051
270-851-7699 or sleigh phone 270-493-0281
santa1@bellsouth.net
Our baby cribs were covered with lead-based paint.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets….and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
Horrors!
We ate cup cakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, drinking from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Play stations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms.
Unthinkable!
We had friends! We went outside and found them.
We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt.
We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents?
We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them.
Little league had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Some students weren’t as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.
Horrors!
Tests were not adjusted for any reason.
Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law.
Imagine that!
When we disobeyed the teacher or sassed her, we were sent to the office for a paddling – not a beating- a paddling. If our parents found out about this, chances are we would get an additional paddling. Parents demanded that we obey and show respect for our teachers.
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all!
Perhaps you are one of us. If so, congratulations!
Anonymous – taken from the Internet
Revised and submitted by Jim and Jeanetta Pollard
9312 St. Rt. 131
Hickory, Ky. 42051
270-851-7699 or sleigh phone 270-493-0281
santa1@bellsouth.net
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
The Cab Ride
The following story was taken from the Internet. The author is unknown. This is such a powerful story that we feel everyone would benefit from it.
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute and then drive away.
But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.
So I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being drug across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. “Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she asked. I took the suitcase to the cab and then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
“It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good boy,” she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.”
I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued. “The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. “What route would you like me to take?” I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. “How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching into her purse.
“Nothing,” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered.
“There are other passengers,” I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said. “Thank you.”
I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of the day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life. We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware – beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, - BUT – THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU TREATED THEM.
Submitted by Jim and Jeanetta Pollard
9312 St. Rt. 131
Hickory, Ky. 42051
270-851-7699 or cell # 270-493-0281
santa1@bellsouth.net
The following story was taken from the Internet. The author is unknown. This is such a powerful story that we feel everyone would benefit from it.
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute and then drive away.
But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.
So I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being drug across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. “Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she asked. I took the suitcase to the cab and then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.
“It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good boy,” she said.
When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.”
I looked in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glistening. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued. “The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. “What route would you like me to take?” I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. “How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching into her purse.
“Nothing,” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered.
“There are other passengers,” I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said. “Thank you.”
I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of the day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life. We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware – beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, - BUT – THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU TREATED THEM.
Submitted by Jim and Jeanetta Pollard
9312 St. Rt. 131
Hickory, Ky. 42051
270-851-7699 or cell # 270-493-0281
santa1@bellsouth.net
Saturday, June 02, 2007
TV Show Fabulous Fifties now streamed on internet!
GREAT NEWS!
Thanks to WKCTC upgrading their equipment our TV show The Fabulous Fifties and Beyond is now on the internet. You can view and download the weekly shows at http://tv.westkentucky.kctcs.edu/videoclips/50s/
The following is a list of the current shows.
Will Graham Celebration - July 2, 2007, September 14-16 at Paducah's Expo Center is the site for the Four Rivers Will Graham Celebration. (View Show) (Download)
Caring People Services - June 25, 2007, This program discusses the different type of services now available to the elderly in the Western Kentucky area. (View Show) (Download)
The Season of Our Lives - June 18, 2007, Relive the adventures of retired Missionaries Norman and Patty Wallace.(View Show) (Download)
Judy Askew, Author - June 11, 2007, Judy Askew's humorous writings will keep you smiling. (View Show) (Download)
Western Baptist Heart Center - June 4, 2007, Heart Problems discussed and the grand opening of the Baptist Heart Center are the topics. (View Show) (Download)
Family Caregiving - May 29, 2007, Jim & Jeanetta discuss family caregiving with Nancy Harper.(View Show) (Download)
Disaster Preparedness - May 22, 2007, Jim & Jeanetta discuss disaster preparedness with Tina Massengill.(View Show) (Download)
Do you have a love affair with chocolate? If you do I encourage you to look at "The Healthy Chocolate" website http://mxi.myvoffice.com/successranchmarketing/
If you would like more information please contact me at 270-851-7699 or 270-493-0281 or email Santa@srmkg.com
Until next time remember "use it or lose it!
"The Real Santa" Jim Pollard
Thanks to WKCTC upgrading their equipment our TV show The Fabulous Fifties and Beyond is now on the internet. You can view and download the weekly shows at http://tv.westkentucky.kctcs.edu/videoclips/50s/
The following is a list of the current shows.
Will Graham Celebration - July 2, 2007, September 14-16 at Paducah's Expo Center is the site for the Four Rivers Will Graham Celebration. (View Show) (Download)
Caring People Services - June 25, 2007, This program discusses the different type of services now available to the elderly in the Western Kentucky area. (View Show) (Download)
The Season of Our Lives - June 18, 2007, Relive the adventures of retired Missionaries Norman and Patty Wallace.(View Show) (Download)
Judy Askew, Author - June 11, 2007, Judy Askew's humorous writings will keep you smiling. (View Show) (Download)
Western Baptist Heart Center - June 4, 2007, Heart Problems discussed and the grand opening of the Baptist Heart Center are the topics. (View Show) (Download)
Family Caregiving - May 29, 2007, Jim & Jeanetta discuss family caregiving with Nancy Harper.(View Show) (Download)
Disaster Preparedness - May 22, 2007, Jim & Jeanetta discuss disaster preparedness with Tina Massengill.(View Show) (Download)
Do you have a love affair with chocolate? If you do I encourage you to look at "The Healthy Chocolate" website http://mxi.myvoffice.com/successranchmarketing/
If you would like more information please contact me at 270-851-7699 or 270-493-0281 or email Santa@srmkg.com
Until next time remember "use it or lose it!
"The Real Santa" Jim Pollard
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Early Retirement: What You Should Know
For many reasons, more and more people are opting to retire at an early age. The growing trend for the retirement is based on the fact that people are enticed to retire early than continue working and wait until they reach their retirement age of 65.
In fact, most of the surveys conducted in the United States asserted that 60% of the respondents would love to retire at an early age.
In reality, there are many benefits that people can derive when they retire early. However, there are also many consequences that result from early retirement. What they do not know is that early retirement has the potential of bringing more problems than reaping in benefits and advantages.
Here is a list of some of the reasons why retiring early can be a pretty risky activity.
1. Not in accordance with the regulations of Social Security
When people will retire at an early age, there is a great possibility that they cannot immediately obtain their Social Security benefits. This is because according to the rules and regulations of Social Security, anyone who is born after 1938 will have to wait longer than their retirement age of 65 before they can get their benefits.
Hence, early retirement may only contribute to a negative upshot if the older people’s finances where not managed properly and the only thing they expect to help them are the Social Security benefits they can get.
2. If people who took early retirement get sick, they cannot acquire some Medicare benefits.
This is because the age when people can get their Medicare benefits is when they already turn 65. Hence, if they are hospitalized and they have already filed for their early retirement, they have to obtain the necessary amount of money in order to cover the expenses in the hospital without Medicare.
3. Penalty charges apply to those who retired early and had withdrawn their IRAs early.
For people who would like to retire at an early age and wish to obtain their IRAs, they have to face a hefty 10% penalty charge.
Moreover, experts contend that the nest egg of people who wish to retire early is only 80% of what they should be getting when they retire at the age of 65.
The bottom line is that early retirement is, indeed, a personal choice and preference of an individual but one must consider the factors that may affect their life in the end.
Jim Pollard
http://www.thefabulousfifties.net
In fact, most of the surveys conducted in the United States asserted that 60% of the respondents would love to retire at an early age.
In reality, there are many benefits that people can derive when they retire early. However, there are also many consequences that result from early retirement. What they do not know is that early retirement has the potential of bringing more problems than reaping in benefits and advantages.
Here is a list of some of the reasons why retiring early can be a pretty risky activity.
1. Not in accordance with the regulations of Social Security
When people will retire at an early age, there is a great possibility that they cannot immediately obtain their Social Security benefits. This is because according to the rules and regulations of Social Security, anyone who is born after 1938 will have to wait longer than their retirement age of 65 before they can get their benefits.
Hence, early retirement may only contribute to a negative upshot if the older people’s finances where not managed properly and the only thing they expect to help them are the Social Security benefits they can get.
2. If people who took early retirement get sick, they cannot acquire some Medicare benefits.
This is because the age when people can get their Medicare benefits is when they already turn 65. Hence, if they are hospitalized and they have already filed for their early retirement, they have to obtain the necessary amount of money in order to cover the expenses in the hospital without Medicare.
3. Penalty charges apply to those who retired early and had withdrawn their IRAs early.
For people who would like to retire at an early age and wish to obtain their IRAs, they have to face a hefty 10% penalty charge.
Moreover, experts contend that the nest egg of people who wish to retire early is only 80% of what they should be getting when they retire at the age of 65.
The bottom line is that early retirement is, indeed, a personal choice and preference of an individual but one must consider the factors that may affect their life in the end.
Jim Pollard
http://www.thefabulousfifties.net
Saturday, March 17, 2007
A Guide to Secure your Retirement
There are several meanings that people might put to the term "retiring comfortably". You might plan on hopping around the globe, or obtaining a dream 'castle' in a faraway land, or lazing around in a tropical destination.
Despite these romantic scenarios, you still have to listen to your practical side. See if you can afford the standard of living that you want in your leisure years.
Whether you want to live abroad or stay in the country during retirement, you would not want to worry about finances, so it is better to plan ahead.
Secure your finances.
Studies show that most pensions do not make up the difference between what you actually need and what Social Security provides. The key is to build a solid financial plan.
You need about 70% of your income before retirement to live up to the lifestyle that you now have.
Sure, your living expenses might be lowered during your leisure years. But other things that you need to spend on will definitely increase.
Another factor to consider is inflation. Have you ever heard of prices of commodities going down?
In spite of a basically steady economy, costs are sure to rise as you grow older so you need to foresee if you will be able to afford steep prices when you only have your monthly pension to rely on.
Think "Social Security" equals "Retirement Security".
By law, a person is eligible to receive benefits once he turns 62 years old. Age, eligibility, marital status and the amount that you have contributed trough the number of years that you worked will determine exactly how much pension you will receive.
If you decide not to take advantage of the benefits by the time you turn 62, then you will definitely have more once you start withdrawing money from the system.
Check if your pension plans can keep up with growing costs.
When considering your financial situation upon retirement, check on automatic COLA's, also known as cost of living adjustments. These help your pension payments keep up with inflation. See if your pension plans have them, as most plans do not.
Consider your health care options.
Medicare coverage does not always satisfy your health care needs and expenses so you better look into it twice, especially when retiring. One way to do so is by making sure that your employer pays a sufficient amount to supplement Medicare.
By looking into all of the above factors, you will surely be secured upon retirement and once you have all the practical considerations out of the way, you will get to enjoy retirement to the fullest.
Jim Pollard
http://www.TheFabulousFifties.net
http://www.santasBookstore.com
Despite these romantic scenarios, you still have to listen to your practical side. See if you can afford the standard of living that you want in your leisure years.
Whether you want to live abroad or stay in the country during retirement, you would not want to worry about finances, so it is better to plan ahead.
Secure your finances.
Studies show that most pensions do not make up the difference between what you actually need and what Social Security provides. The key is to build a solid financial plan.
You need about 70% of your income before retirement to live up to the lifestyle that you now have.
Sure, your living expenses might be lowered during your leisure years. But other things that you need to spend on will definitely increase.
Another factor to consider is inflation. Have you ever heard of prices of commodities going down?
In spite of a basically steady economy, costs are sure to rise as you grow older so you need to foresee if you will be able to afford steep prices when you only have your monthly pension to rely on.
Think "Social Security" equals "Retirement Security".
By law, a person is eligible to receive benefits once he turns 62 years old. Age, eligibility, marital status and the amount that you have contributed trough the number of years that you worked will determine exactly how much pension you will receive.
If you decide not to take advantage of the benefits by the time you turn 62, then you will definitely have more once you start withdrawing money from the system.
Check if your pension plans can keep up with growing costs.
When considering your financial situation upon retirement, check on automatic COLA's, also known as cost of living adjustments. These help your pension payments keep up with inflation. See if your pension plans have them, as most plans do not.
Consider your health care options.
Medicare coverage does not always satisfy your health care needs and expenses so you better look into it twice, especially when retiring. One way to do so is by making sure that your employer pays a sufficient amount to supplement Medicare.
By looking into all of the above factors, you will surely be secured upon retirement and once you have all the practical considerations out of the way, you will get to enjoy retirement to the fullest.
Jim Pollard
http://www.TheFabulousFifties.net
http://www.santasBookstore.com
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Retirement At It's Best - How To Get Ready
7 Ways to Boost Your Retirement Income
Retirement contributes almost 1/3 of a person's life. It is for this reason that retirement should be given preparation and planning. Many Americans forget to save or just ignore their retirement. It’s very easy when you are young to think you have time to consider retirement later. However, the years roll by quickly and you can find yourself approaching middle age with no plan in place.
You need to start now and think of better ways to prepare for that time. It doesn’t mean that money will also retire once a person has retired. Here are some ways on how you can boost your retirement income:
1. Start saving now. It is never too late to start saving even for a little amount of money. When you save money, make it as untouchable as possible. Allocate your cash on your savings starting today and you will be surprised by the amount of money you will have by the time you retire if you start now.
2. Make a review of your finances and revise your budget. Reviewing your expenses will help you analyze where you spend your money the most. This will help you to cut your expenses and eliminate the things that you do not really need. This also teaches you on how to choose your priorities and weigh the things that really matter in your lifestyle. If golf is something that you can live without, why not allocate the money you spend on golf in your savings?
3. Review your insurance terms. Increasing your deductibles will help you cut your premiums to 20%. Do not count on Social Security or your pension plan.
4. You may want to make a quarterly payment on your taxes instead of being automatically deducted from your retirement distributions. You can also seek the help of a tax advisor regarding this issue.
5. Consider where you take your distributions. You may want withdraw funds from your Social Security first, then your taxable investments like the IRA. The main purpose here is that you should be able to cover your monthly expenses, lessen your tax fees and save as much money as possible.
6. Research investments that are intended for retirement. There are establishments that offer an investment while in retirement. You may want to get involved with with-profit bonds, stock market bonds, individual savings account, distribution bonds, and venture capital trusts.
7. Make use of your company plans. If your current company offers retirement services and then consider contributing the maximum amount. This will help you take advantage of pre-tax contributions.
Retirement contributes almost 1/3 of a person's life. It is for this reason that retirement should be given preparation and planning. Many Americans forget to save or just ignore their retirement. It’s very easy when you are young to think you have time to consider retirement later. However, the years roll by quickly and you can find yourself approaching middle age with no plan in place.
You need to start now and think of better ways to prepare for that time. It doesn’t mean that money will also retire once a person has retired. Here are some ways on how you can boost your retirement income:
1. Start saving now. It is never too late to start saving even for a little amount of money. When you save money, make it as untouchable as possible. Allocate your cash on your savings starting today and you will be surprised by the amount of money you will have by the time you retire if you start now.
2. Make a review of your finances and revise your budget. Reviewing your expenses will help you analyze where you spend your money the most. This will help you to cut your expenses and eliminate the things that you do not really need. This also teaches you on how to choose your priorities and weigh the things that really matter in your lifestyle. If golf is something that you can live without, why not allocate the money you spend on golf in your savings?
3. Review your insurance terms. Increasing your deductibles will help you cut your premiums to 20%. Do not count on Social Security or your pension plan.
4. You may want to make a quarterly payment on your taxes instead of being automatically deducted from your retirement distributions. You can also seek the help of a tax advisor regarding this issue.
5. Consider where you take your distributions. You may want withdraw funds from your Social Security first, then your taxable investments like the IRA. The main purpose here is that you should be able to cover your monthly expenses, lessen your tax fees and save as much money as possible.
6. Research investments that are intended for retirement. There are establishments that offer an investment while in retirement. You may want to get involved with with-profit bonds, stock market bonds, individual savings account, distribution bonds, and venture capital trusts.
7. Make use of your company plans. If your current company offers retirement services and then consider contributing the maximum amount. This will help you take advantage of pre-tax contributions.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Growing Old Is Not For Wimps.
Growing Old Is Not For Wimps
By Jeanetta B. Pollard
A few years ago our pre-Sunday School class discussion centered around one of our members who had just gotten her Medicare Card. She was crushed. “Reality really sets in now. I have to face the fact that I am 65 – no longer what you’d exactly call a ‘young chick!’” We were quick to remind her of the alternative. We either grow older or we die. She didn’t like the alternative either! Sometimes you just can’t please people.
Teenagers can’t wait until they’re sixteen so they can get their driver’s license. Then they want to be eighteen; then it’s twenty-one. Somewhere along the way, this stops. I have never heard anyone saying, “I can’t wait to be fifty, sixty, seventy, etc.
Someone twenty-five-years-old may be highly insulted if they’re told they look like a fifteen-year-old. Try telling a fifty-five-year-old woman that she looks to be about forty-five. She’ll be your friend forever and never see any of your faults. If anyone ever accuses you of being a liar, she’ll be there to defend your honesty.
I was at the beauty shop one day and saw one of my mother’s old friends.She said, “Jeanetta, you haven’t aged a bit. You still look the same as you always have.”Talk about making your day! I couldn’t wait to get home and tell Jim. Never mind the fact that she’s in her eighties and her eyesight is probably failing. (She doesn’t even wear glasses!) It sounded like beautiful music to my ears anyway.
I don’t know what it is about age that bothers us, but it does. Earlier this year I awoke with my back itching and hurting. We thought it was a spider bite so I went to the doctor. She said it was shingles.Upon returning home from the doctor’s visit, we researched it on the Internet. One of the first things it said was this is usually a disease of the “elderly.” That was a real thrill!! After I got over the initial shock, my husband and I had a good laugh.
I love “spunky” seniors. There are a lot of them out there. Every time I think of the story a friend told me about her mother, I have to laugh. Suzie’s mother lived to be over one hundred. At the age of ninety, she was still driving. One day she was stopped by a cop for going the wrong way on a one way street.After the policeman stopped her, he discovered she also had no driver’s license.(Suzie said she had driven when she was young, but had given up driving after a bad accident. After many years passed and her husband could no longer drive, she just started driving again – without a driver’s license. She refused to go and get one.)The policeman charged her with three counts – driving without a license, driving the wrong way on a one way street and – the third charge was trying to bribe a cop! She had offered the policeman money not to turn her in! Sometime after this, she told Suzie, “I think I’ll just give up driving.” Suzie told her she thought that was a good idea.
Another lady, also in her nineties, was on the Today Show. She was stopped by a policeman because her tag was expired. When he ran her license number through the computer, he discovered an outstanding ticket she had never paid. The policeman handcuffed her and took her to jail. (This was the law in the state she was in.)She gave them her son’s names and phone numbers to call. One son was a doctor and the other was a judge. While the cop was on the phone with her son, she was in the background yelling, “Come get me! They’re going to put me on bread and water.”When Matt Lauer, who was interviewing her, told her he guessed she was sorry she had not paid the ticket, her reply was, “Oh, no, I’m not sorry. I love all the attention I’ve gotten.” I imagine her sons, especially the judge, must have been shuddering at this stage of the game.
She also told Matt that he was a lot nicer than she thought he would be.What is it that Art Linkletter says? - That he loves to interview kids and people over sixty-five. He says that kids don’t know any better than to say whatever pops into their heads and older people don’t care what they say.
It appears that no matter what your age, you don’t seem to ever think you are the one getting old. A doctor friend of ours shared this story with us. He said one of his ninety-year-old patients was in his office. She was trying to get out of the chair.It took her three tries before she made it. Her comment was, “Here I am acting like an old woman who can’t even get out of a chair.”I think it is a “good thing” that people don’t think of themselves as being old. As long as they continue to feel they are young, they will continue to try and do things that will help keep them young. There are many things people can do to keep themselves young. One of the important things you can do is learn to laugh at yourself. Laughter is the best medicine for all of us, no matter our age.
Recently I was talking with a friend of mine. She told me last week she was packing to go out of town. She had made her list as we all must do at this age. She saw toothpaste and toothbrush on the list. She immediately applied toothpaste to her tooth-brush and started to put it into her suitcase when she remembered what she was about to do – the toothbrush and toothpaste were each to go into the suitcase separately. I then shared a really dumb thing I had recently done. I made some Kool-Aid for Jim. He drank about half of it before telling me it had no sugar. I was sure I had put two one-half cups in it, but maybe I only put one. I went back to the kitchen and added another half cup. This time it was fine. I just thought I had forgotten to add the othe half cup of sugar. Later in the day, I started to wash a pitcher that was sitting on my counter. Just as I put it into the water, I noticed something white in it. There was the other half cup of sugar. The empty pitcher had been sitting next to the container I made the Kool-Aid in. One half went into the Kool-Aid; the other went into the empty pitcher.We both had a very good laugh and then went on about our day, each of us feeling a little better because we had shared our “crazy things.” It also uplifted us (at least it did me) to think: if I am crazy, I’m not by myself. I think that is a comforting thought, but then again, I’m not quite sure!The ONE thing I am sure of is – GROWING OLD IS NOT FOR WIMPS!!
You can read excerts from Jeanetta Pollard's laters book "Stories of Hope" at http://www.santasbookstore.com
By Jeanetta B. Pollard
A few years ago our pre-Sunday School class discussion centered around one of our members who had just gotten her Medicare Card. She was crushed. “Reality really sets in now. I have to face the fact that I am 65 – no longer what you’d exactly call a ‘young chick!’” We were quick to remind her of the alternative. We either grow older or we die. She didn’t like the alternative either! Sometimes you just can’t please people.
Teenagers can’t wait until they’re sixteen so they can get their driver’s license. Then they want to be eighteen; then it’s twenty-one. Somewhere along the way, this stops. I have never heard anyone saying, “I can’t wait to be fifty, sixty, seventy, etc.
Someone twenty-five-years-old may be highly insulted if they’re told they look like a fifteen-year-old. Try telling a fifty-five-year-old woman that she looks to be about forty-five. She’ll be your friend forever and never see any of your faults. If anyone ever accuses you of being a liar, she’ll be there to defend your honesty.
I was at the beauty shop one day and saw one of my mother’s old friends.She said, “Jeanetta, you haven’t aged a bit. You still look the same as you always have.”Talk about making your day! I couldn’t wait to get home and tell Jim. Never mind the fact that she’s in her eighties and her eyesight is probably failing. (She doesn’t even wear glasses!) It sounded like beautiful music to my ears anyway.
I don’t know what it is about age that bothers us, but it does. Earlier this year I awoke with my back itching and hurting. We thought it was a spider bite so I went to the doctor. She said it was shingles.Upon returning home from the doctor’s visit, we researched it on the Internet. One of the first things it said was this is usually a disease of the “elderly.” That was a real thrill!! After I got over the initial shock, my husband and I had a good laugh.
I love “spunky” seniors. There are a lot of them out there. Every time I think of the story a friend told me about her mother, I have to laugh. Suzie’s mother lived to be over one hundred. At the age of ninety, she was still driving. One day she was stopped by a cop for going the wrong way on a one way street.After the policeman stopped her, he discovered she also had no driver’s license.(Suzie said she had driven when she was young, but had given up driving after a bad accident. After many years passed and her husband could no longer drive, she just started driving again – without a driver’s license. She refused to go and get one.)The policeman charged her with three counts – driving without a license, driving the wrong way on a one way street and – the third charge was trying to bribe a cop! She had offered the policeman money not to turn her in! Sometime after this, she told Suzie, “I think I’ll just give up driving.” Suzie told her she thought that was a good idea.
Another lady, also in her nineties, was on the Today Show. She was stopped by a policeman because her tag was expired. When he ran her license number through the computer, he discovered an outstanding ticket she had never paid. The policeman handcuffed her and took her to jail. (This was the law in the state she was in.)She gave them her son’s names and phone numbers to call. One son was a doctor and the other was a judge. While the cop was on the phone with her son, she was in the background yelling, “Come get me! They’re going to put me on bread and water.”When Matt Lauer, who was interviewing her, told her he guessed she was sorry she had not paid the ticket, her reply was, “Oh, no, I’m not sorry. I love all the attention I’ve gotten.” I imagine her sons, especially the judge, must have been shuddering at this stage of the game.
She also told Matt that he was a lot nicer than she thought he would be.What is it that Art Linkletter says? - That he loves to interview kids and people over sixty-five. He says that kids don’t know any better than to say whatever pops into their heads and older people don’t care what they say.
It appears that no matter what your age, you don’t seem to ever think you are the one getting old. A doctor friend of ours shared this story with us. He said one of his ninety-year-old patients was in his office. She was trying to get out of the chair.It took her three tries before she made it. Her comment was, “Here I am acting like an old woman who can’t even get out of a chair.”I think it is a “good thing” that people don’t think of themselves as being old. As long as they continue to feel they are young, they will continue to try and do things that will help keep them young. There are many things people can do to keep themselves young. One of the important things you can do is learn to laugh at yourself. Laughter is the best medicine for all of us, no matter our age.
Recently I was talking with a friend of mine. She told me last week she was packing to go out of town. She had made her list as we all must do at this age. She saw toothpaste and toothbrush on the list. She immediately applied toothpaste to her tooth-brush and started to put it into her suitcase when she remembered what she was about to do – the toothbrush and toothpaste were each to go into the suitcase separately. I then shared a really dumb thing I had recently done. I made some Kool-Aid for Jim. He drank about half of it before telling me it had no sugar. I was sure I had put two one-half cups in it, but maybe I only put one. I went back to the kitchen and added another half cup. This time it was fine. I just thought I had forgotten to add the othe half cup of sugar. Later in the day, I started to wash a pitcher that was sitting on my counter. Just as I put it into the water, I noticed something white in it. There was the other half cup of sugar. The empty pitcher had been sitting next to the container I made the Kool-Aid in. One half went into the Kool-Aid; the other went into the empty pitcher.We both had a very good laugh and then went on about our day, each of us feeling a little better because we had shared our “crazy things.” It also uplifted us (at least it did me) to think: if I am crazy, I’m not by myself. I think that is a comforting thought, but then again, I’m not quite sure!The ONE thing I am sure of is – GROWING OLD IS NOT FOR WIMPS!!
You can read excerts from Jeanetta Pollard's laters book "Stories of Hope" at http://www.santasbookstore.com
Wednesday, May 02, 2001
Mother's Day ... THE LEGACY OF A MOTHER
THE LEGACY OF A MOTHER
By Mrs. Claus, Jeanette Pollard
When I think back on my life and think of my mother, I think of the wonderful legacy that she left us.
Hers was not an easy life. We lived on a farm. There were always cows to milk, gardens to plant and hoe, canning to be done and clothes to be made. Most of our food and clothes were all made at home. I remember when I went to school I would take my lunch. I would always have a piece of homemade cake. Two of my good friends would always have “bought” cakes. We would trade desserts. My homemade cake was a treat for them as their “bought” ones were for me.
I think the thing I remember most about my mother was her gift of caring for others. I remember when I was a child and daddy would be gone in our one car. She would hear of someone who was sick. This person might live one, two miles or more away, but that wouldn’t keep her from walking to go see them.
Recently I was in the beauty shop and saw one of Mother’s friends. She told me she remembered Mother walking about a mile in the snow to visit someone who was ill.
Not only did she visit sick people, but she and my dad would always be some of the first people to a home where a family member had just died. They would come bringing food.
Mother lived alone for almost fifteen years after my dad died. The last few years she was alive we had to have someone with her all the time. We hired someone to stay with her five days a week. We four girls stayed with her nights and weekends.
When we first hired someone, the lady was staying twenty-four hours a day for five days a week. She was only charging $30 a day. We thought surely Mother wouldn’t think that was too much, but she did. After a couple of weeks, she fired her. She fired the second lady who was charging about the same. I think she lasted three weeks. After this we just had to start paying the sitter without Mother knowing we were paying her. She just couldn’t understand that people no longer went and sat with people just because they loved people and wanted to help them. The day of the paid sitters had arrived.
I know she is now being paid in a way that is far better than any earthly monetary rewards. She was investing for eternity.
A few months ago our daughter was supposed to come and visit us. She called and said she couldn’t come. A friend of hers mother had died. She had promised her that when this happened, she would keep her children for her. Valerie’s comment to us was, “If you all hadn’t taught me to help others, I probably wouldn’t be doing this.”
When you have departed this world, what kind of legacy will you leave your children and grandchildren? Will they remember you taking the time to do kind deeds for others or will they only remember you working so you can buy some more “stuff” and rushing to and fro – always in a hurry?
Take time now to let your children and grandchildren see you going about doing good. Tomorrow may be too late. We are only guaranteed today.
Jeanetta Pollard has authored two books “Mrs. Claus Shares Stories From The Heart” and “Stories Of Hope”. She lives in Kentucky with her husband known as“The Real Santa” Jim.Pollard http://TheFaoulasFifties.net
By Mrs. Claus, Jeanette Pollard
When I think back on my life and think of my mother, I think of the wonderful legacy that she left us.
Hers was not an easy life. We lived on a farm. There were always cows to milk, gardens to plant and hoe, canning to be done and clothes to be made. Most of our food and clothes were all made at home. I remember when I went to school I would take my lunch. I would always have a piece of homemade cake. Two of my good friends would always have “bought” cakes. We would trade desserts. My homemade cake was a treat for them as their “bought” ones were for me.
I think the thing I remember most about my mother was her gift of caring for others. I remember when I was a child and daddy would be gone in our one car. She would hear of someone who was sick. This person might live one, two miles or more away, but that wouldn’t keep her from walking to go see them.
Recently I was in the beauty shop and saw one of Mother’s friends. She told me she remembered Mother walking about a mile in the snow to visit someone who was ill.
Not only did she visit sick people, but she and my dad would always be some of the first people to a home where a family member had just died. They would come bringing food.
Mother lived alone for almost fifteen years after my dad died. The last few years she was alive we had to have someone with her all the time. We hired someone to stay with her five days a week. We four girls stayed with her nights and weekends.
When we first hired someone, the lady was staying twenty-four hours a day for five days a week. She was only charging $30 a day. We thought surely Mother wouldn’t think that was too much, but she did. After a couple of weeks, she fired her. She fired the second lady who was charging about the same. I think she lasted three weeks. After this we just had to start paying the sitter without Mother knowing we were paying her. She just couldn’t understand that people no longer went and sat with people just because they loved people and wanted to help them. The day of the paid sitters had arrived.
I know she is now being paid in a way that is far better than any earthly monetary rewards. She was investing for eternity.
A few months ago our daughter was supposed to come and visit us. She called and said she couldn’t come. A friend of hers mother had died. She had promised her that when this happened, she would keep her children for her. Valerie’s comment to us was, “If you all hadn’t taught me to help others, I probably wouldn’t be doing this.”
When you have departed this world, what kind of legacy will you leave your children and grandchildren? Will they remember you taking the time to do kind deeds for others or will they only remember you working so you can buy some more “stuff” and rushing to and fro – always in a hurry?
Take time now to let your children and grandchildren see you going about doing good. Tomorrow may be too late. We are only guaranteed today.
Jeanetta Pollard has authored two books “Mrs. Claus Shares Stories From The Heart” and “Stories Of Hope”. She lives in Kentucky with her husband known as“The Real Santa” Jim.Pollard http://TheFaoulasFifties.net
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)