“Over the past century, we’ve created the greatest gift in the history of humanity — thirty extra years of life — and we don’t know what to do with it! . . . What we need is not to put off death a little longer but to write a new narrative of aging as it could be.” - Joseph Coughlin, Director MIT Age Lab Why is it so hard to write a new narrative about the next 30 [Learn more...]
Retirement Planning
What Do I Need to Know About Continuing Care Retirement Communities? (Part 8: Wrap-up)
Last April, I began a seven-part series on CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities). Many of our clients were asking about retirement options and I decided CCRCs were a good place to start my research. In addition to reading about the subject, I spoke to senior living experts, CCRC administrators, and residents to ask them about the many aspects of both planning for [Learn more...]
Sensible Scenarios: Law & Retirement
Steve and Maria Henderson, both attorneys, have moved around a lot since they got married. There were colleges and law school, and then, internships and some pro-bono work in an economically depressed area of the US. Now they’re in Massachusetts and are considering making it their permanent home. They’re even contemplating making the switch from renters to owners. Steve [Learn more...]
Is a CCRC worthy of having me as a resident? (continued) (Part 7 of 8)
Photo credit: Thomas Drouault Additional questions to help you decide if a CCRC is right for you. (Last in the series of 7 articles on CCRCs.) In a previous article, I suggested questions to ask a CCRC finance team member about the community’s long-term financial viability to determine whether it’s the right place for you. Chances are, by the time you sit down with the [Learn more...]
What does it take to retire early?
Early retirement and the concepts of high savings rates, deliberate frugality and reducing one’s working hours continue to seep into the mainstream. Blogs like Mr. Money Mustache, Early Retirement Extreme, and the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement have become a topic of frequent conversation in the media and among many in their 30s, 40s and 50s. A Reddit [Learn more...]
Is this CCRC worthy of having me as a resident? (Part 6 of 8)
Click here to see my previous articles on CCRCs. (This is part 6 of 7.) Part 1 – How financially strong is the community? When our clients consider moving to a Continuing Care Retirement Community, they usually ask the advisor whether they qualify financially. It’s equally important to determine whether the CCRC under consideration is financially qualified to have them as a [Learn more...]
Am I Eligible to Live in a Continuing Care Retirement Community? Part Two (Part 5 of 8)
In my previous articles on Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), I described the amenities these communities offer, what it’s like to live in one, the various types of contracts, and explained the difference between affordability and eligibility. In this article, I will give a concrete example of the latter. Introducing Martha, a CCRC applicant Here is an [Learn more...]
