EMAIL US       To Return to PREVIOUS PAGE, Please Click-On Back in the upper left-hand corner of your screen.

RETIREMENT PLANNING BLOG ^Lifestyle A Glimpse Over The Horizon

RETIREMENT LIFESTYLE PLANNING

THE 3 PHASES OF RETIREMENT

A CHECK-LIST FOR SELECTING YOUR DREAM RETIREMENT HOME

~ Nowadays, the "Youth of Old Age" begins at age 65~ An often repeated quote of Victor Hugo is;  "Forty is the old age of youth, fifty is the youth of old age." Mr. Hugo lived to be 83 years of age and died in 1885. The average life expectancy in the late 1800's was approximately 45 years; compared to today's 79 years. It is clear that an update of this old adage is long overdue; in today's world, the Old Age of Youth may, for some, still be 40, but for most of us,  65 or older is a closer approximate to the  age that we  enter the Youth of Old Age of our life. The goal of this Retirement Lifestyle Planning Blog is to give you a Glimpse Over The Horizon of  the Youth of Old Age and beyond phases of our retirement years.  RETIREMENT LIFESTYLE PLANNING -A Word or Two for Baby Boomers And Others Planning to Retire in The Near Future- There is an overabundance of information available on Retirement Financial Planning but not much on Retirement Lifestyle Planning. Lifestyle Planning should have as high a priority as Financial Planning to retirees. Its goal should be to create a sustainable retirement lifestyle that maximizes the number and the quality of your remaining years and make them rank highly among the most enjoyable years of your life. Consider this- Each of us has a limited number of remaining years to live. One might consider this to a kind of “Remaining Years Account” that instead of containing dollars, contains the number of years, days and hours that we have left to live. Unlike a bank savings account, we can’t go online to check the balance in this account so we never know how many years we have left. We constantly withdraw time from this account but don’t make many deposits. Similar to dollars in a Savings Account, where the account balance constantly depreciates in spending power due to inflation, the years in your Remaining Time Account constantly and quietly depreciate in quality over the years due to the natural aging process and illnesses that diminish your capabilities. Although we can never check your Remaining Time Account’s actual balance, we can get an idea of the balance of an average person of our age by checking Actuarial Life Tables used by insurance companies. They show for example, that average Remaining Time Account’s balance (life expectancy) at age 65 is only 16.7 years for men and 19.5 years for women. Unfortunately, according to A Profile of Older Americans: 2011, only 40.0% of non-institutionalized persons over age 65 judged their health to be excellent or very good and 37% reported some type of disability that could reduce the quality of their remaining years by decreasing their ability to live life to its fullest. It also found that frequency of disabilities increased dramatically with age with 56% of persons over 80 reporting a severe disability. These averages don't tell the whole tale however, Fidelity Investments found that the chances of one member of a couple living past 90 is about 50%. Other estimates show that, a couple has a 50% chance of one of them having a long-term care “event” at an average cost of about $150,000. Although these are grizzly statistics that no new retiree wants to hear, they can also serve to be a wakeup call to motivate us to make a Retirement Lifestyle Plan that: 1. Maximizes the number and quality of the years in our personal Remaining Time Account. 2. Maximizes the enjoyment and satisfaction we get from our remaining years. Here are some suggested guidelines for your Retirement Lifestyle Plan: Cherish your health-  Your health is more important than your retirement savings! If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. Eliminate activities and habits that might reduce the number and quality of your remaining years- Such as: Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, overeating and lack of exercise. Plan a healthy physical lifestyle- Through diet, exercise, sports, frequent health checkups, stress management and good medical care (get yearly physical exams). Make  health your number 1 priority. Plan a healthy mental and emotional lifestyle- Keep a positive mental attitude no matter what transpires, stay close to friends and loved ones, have fun, stay active, maintain an active social life, never stop learning, take up hobbies, play games, take on creative projects and mental challenges, strengthen and feed your spiritual life, help others, go outside every day, learn to enjoy the beauty that surrounds you, learn to enjoy doing things that don’t cost money. Don’t’ Short-Change yourself- Find a home that you love in a location that you love (whether you buy or rent); fix it up if necessary, maintain it properly and be proud of it. Allocate money in your budget for fun-filled and rewarding activities- Entertainment, dining out, hobbies, traveling, entertaining, practicing your religious faith, etc. Even if it is a small amount, make it a high priority, add it to your budget and then spend and enjoy it! Plan the phases of your retirement years (Read The 3 Phases of Retirement) Schedule the most strenuous physical retirement adventures and activates early in your retirement, be ready to settle into a less strenuous lifestyle in the middle of retirement and then plan for a comfortable, safe but more sedate lifestyle for your latter years. What has all of this have to do with Retiring to North San Diego County? With our great Climate and huge selection of Senior Activities, we think that it is one of the very best places to retire. Consider the following widely accepted 5 Key Retirement Factors: 1) Affordable Housing, 2) Low Taxes, 3) Best Climate, 4) Low Crime Rate and 5) Many Things to Do. When comparing Best Places to Retire, North San Diego County offers; A wide Price Range of Homes for retirees, has about average Taxes, ranks tops in Climate, has Low Crime Rates and offers a huge selection of Things to Do. When selecting the best place for you to retire to, remember- It is OK to aspire to "Having It All." Include the parameters: "Enjoyable," "Personal Safety" and "A Healthy Lifestyle" in your retirement lifestyle planning. We Sincerely Wish You a Healthy and Happy Retirement!

THE 3 PHASES OF RETIREMENT Some "experts" claim there are three basic phases of retirement. They seem reasonable based on our experience and so we listed them below and also added some of our own thoughts on how obtain the most value and enjoyment from each phase. Some people try to purchase an ideal retirement home for Phase 3 and then live with it through Phases 1 and 2 and some people buy an ideal retirement home for phase 1 and then try to live in it or replace it for phases 2 and 3. We don't offer advice but hope that understanding the possibility that you may live through these phases will help you make a wise decision when you pick your retirement home. Phase 1, The ACTIVE Phase- When retirees enjoy the "good things of life"; where they travel and do many of the "things" they waited all their lives to do. This phase is the most expensive phase. A phase to possibly- Enjoy your new freedom - Have fun - Play hard - Begin programs to stay in shape both mentally and physically - Be productive - If necessary, earn extra $ to pay for living expenses, play and toys - Learn some new skills, new sports and new games - Check-out the local restaurants and places of entertainment - Make new friends in your age group - Volunteer to help others - Strengthen your family ties and religious faith.   Phase 2, The COMFORTABLE RETIREMENT ROUTINE Phase- Once the phase 1 wants are met, the retiree may go into a phase that consists of developing a more or less comfortable retirement routine. This phase may be less active and less expensive than the first phase. A phase to possibly- Make an effort each day to enjoy life; your home, the great out doors, your leisure time, your family and friends, etc. - Have fun - Participate in Senior activities - Exercise, eat right and stay mentally active - Make sure that you have good medical care available for if and when you need it - Volunteer to help others - Strengthen friendships, family ties and your religious faith.   Phase 3- The HEALTH CARE Phase- This third phase can become a very expensive phase if health care needs become expensive. A phase to possibly- Make a daily effort to enjoy your home and family and friends - Make sure that good medical care is readily available - Exercise, eat right and stay mentally active - Make sure that you are safe at all times - Rely on family and friends and your religious faith to help get you through tough times.

A CHECK-LIST OF CONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING YOUR DREAM RETIREMENT HOME Many of the items in this list are obvious and many of them can be found in most Senior Communities. We publish this list hoping that you will use it and add your own thoughts to help you find your personal dream retirement home. The Location- ∙ Near family or near an airport where you can easily travel to visit your family. ∙ A Climate that promotes a healthy and enjoyable retirement lifestyle- You can spend a lot of precious retirement days waiting for decent weather or you can move to North San Diego County and have nice weather most days, all year long. ∙ Convenient to shopping, good restaurants, freeways, part-time work, etc. ∙ Safe sidewalks, trails or a beach nearby by for walking and jogging. ∙ A low Crime area. The Neighborhood- ∙ A "nice" neighborhood, beautiful to look at; clean streets, trimmed trees and well-maintained yards and homes. ∙ Low density of people in the neighborhood (small, detached home communities may be less crowded and less noisy). ∙ Few or no cars parked on streets (preferably no overnight parking allowed on streets). ∙ Quiet- No excessive freeway, road, aircraft or construction noise, no loud music, loud parties, rampant teenage drivers, barking dogs, children playing, etc. Cul de sacs make great playgrounds; the kids may be noisy and obstruct your driveway during the day (may be OK though if you love kids). ∙ Low crime rates (gated communities may have less crime). Your Home- ∙ Affordable- You need to know what you can afford. ∙ Comfortable- Convenient layout, modern kitchen, comfortable TV/Family room, space to entertain and to allow visitors to sleep over. If possible, a nice-sized office, den or spare bedroom for hobbies, computer and reading. ∙ A place out of the house for messy hobbies- such as a garage, storage shed or workshop. ∙ A patio or balcony (views are nice). ∙ A good air conditioner and heating system (western and eastern facing windows are nice to open if you have an ocean breeze). ∙ In good condition. ∙ Low upkeep costs. ∙ A low maintenance yard. ∙ Convenient living- Garage or carport close to the house, single-story homes are more convenient than 2-story homes and they may become even more convenient as a person ages. ∙ A good investment so you can sell it if necessary to pay for a more fitting place to live as you change retirement phases. Safety and Health- ∙ Low crime rate area (again, a gated community is a plus). ∙ Near high quality Medical-care Facilities. ∙ Good quality, quick response ambulance, fire and police protection. ∙ A location that is free from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods or wild fires and is not located on or near a major earthquake fault. ∙ Places available in the home or nearby to exercise such as swimming pools, exercise rooms, fitness centers, jogging trails, etc. Religion- ∙ A place nearby for you to Worship in your belief. Pets- ∙ A place where you are allowed to keep your favorite pets. ∙ Excessive dog barking is prohibited. ∙ A place nearby to walk your dog. ∙ Veterinary facilities nearby. Availability of Leisure Activities and Entertainment- ∙ Many nearby Retirement Activities. ∙ Near Senior Centers - With many activities available such as card games, bingo, billiards, bunko, potluck dinners, dances and other social activities, discount tours, sports teams, etc. ∙ Near movies, live theater, the arts, night life, spectator sports, etc. ∙ Near a wide selection of good restaurants and fast-food places. ∙ A convenient place to work on your hobbies. Travel- ∙ Nearby, low cost RV parking (if you own an RV). ∙ Near airports, near cruise ship ports. ∙ Your home should be in a safe neighborhood where you can leave it for extended periods of time without fear of burglary. Participatory Sports- ∙ Team sports availability- Senior bowling leagues, billiards, golf, tennis, softball, etc. teams. ∙ Individual sports availability- Golf, tennis, pool swimming, trails, sidewalks, or beaches for: biking, hiking, jogging and walking. ∙ Fishing available- Lake, deep sea, surf. ∙ Nearby beach/water sports- surfing, sailing, ocean swimming and walking the beach. Life-long Learning- ∙ Colleges, Universities and community sponsored classes available.   < To Return to PREVIOUS PAGE, click-on Back in the upper left-hand corner of your screen. To Print This Web Page: First set printer Orientation to Landscape (For Windows, click on File Page Setup, Landscape, OK) , then click on the Icon on the tool bar. Disclaimer: The above opinions are those of the writer. They are his own, and do necessarily  reflect the views of the site they are posted on or of other sites affiliated with this site. We apologize if we have offended you in any way and request individuals or involving parties to contact us directly via email to request the removal of information deemed sensitive or harmful to them. We value your opinions, please email them to us. Please also read the Disclaimer that applies to this website, it also applies to this webpage.

©  2012 Ralph Anderson & Associates - All Rights Reserved Rev.10/24/2012