BabyBoomersBlueprint

Here are some interesting statistics regarding baby boomers nearing retirement from moneycentral.com, which you can read in full HERE.  Please let me know your thoughts about them…  Can you relate or are they far from the mark in your opinion?

• Now nearing retirement, the oldest baby boomers face perhaps the most challenging economic environment since the 1930’s.
• Boomers’ 401k plans were battered in the 2008-09 market meltdown – just as the first wave of boomers prepared to retire.
• About 15% of homeowners 55 to 64 recently owed more on their homes than the homes were worth.
• More than half of affluent 60 year olds (with about Read the rest of this entry »

Mexico is an annual trip for me.  My folks live in Zihuantanejo for 8-12 weeks out of the year and it’s a great place for me to visit them without all of the other distractions of get togethers when home in the Bay Area.  Plus, it’s a retreat for my mind and body!  I rent an apartment on the beach, walk about 3 miles every morning, work for a couple of hours, and then see what the day will bring.

Having just spent both time (2 weeks) and money in Mexico, I thought you might be interested in some of the activities I chose during this visit and what they cost.  The dollar and the peso fluctuated, but for this I’ll use the low side of 12 pesos to the dollar….

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I took private Spanish lessons, on the beach no less.  For one hour these cost 100 pesos each (or $8.33 USD)  In the U.S. it would cost a minimum of $25 for private lessons. My instructor, Tamara, joined us for dinner one evening…. here’s a picture.  (She lives in Portland, Oregon 5 months of the year, and Zihua the balance)

I also indulged frequently in one hour massages.  The two gals that I like are set up out front of my apartment, on the beach, under a palapa.  Imagine light breezes with the Read the rest of this entry »

The phenomenon of a worker who may have been in the work force for 30 years, suddenly starting a new career at 50 or over is a trend that is exploding as baby boomers hit that age bracket.  There has always been a group of older workers trying something new but the trend has hit such a new high in the baby boomer retirement picture.  So you have to wonder what about baby boomers makes them want to start new careers late in life.  Possibly it is out of Read the rest of this entry »

It seems almost absurd for baby boomers to think about retirement as the next stop in their long and eventful lives.  But the absurd has become a reality.  As the baby boomer generation moves into their mid fifties and sixties, that specter of retirement looms ever closer.  So it’s natural and appropriate to sit back and review exactly what that means to each of us. (Especially since times may be more trying than in the past).

For many, the traditional attitude toward retirement has been one of joy.  The concept of laying down your worries and bringing your work life to a comfortable end is something to look forward to.  The image of a life of sleeping late, golfing as much as you wish, taking up two or three Read the rest of this entry »

As baby boomers are rapidly approach what used to be defined as “retirement age”, a big concern often comes up about whether there will be enough retirement savings in place to be able to live a comfortable life later in life.  There have been plenty of rumbles from Washington that the Social Security system will not be able to bear up under the huge demand the boomer generation will put on it.  So few baby boomers are looking to depend on that money being there, even though we are all paying into it every month.

On top of that worry, the method our parents used of working for the same company for 50 years and retiring with a hefty financial package and a gold watch has gone the way of the dinosaurs.  Long ago corporate America began Read the rest of this entry »