BabyBoomersBlueprint

I came across this fantastic article by Liz Pullman Weston, and wanted to share it…..

“If you lose your job in your 50s, you may have a tough time finding a new one — and that’s a game changer if you had planned to work (and save) for a few more years.”

“Carol Friery thought she was doing everything right. The warehouse manager loyally stuck with the same company for 17 years, contributing 10% of her income to her 401k and avoiding credit card debt.

Then the company announced it was closing the Rhode Island warehouse where she worked, and Friery was laid off at age 58. Now, after 18 months of fruitless job searching, Friery believes she’s involuntarily retired.

“I’ve applied anywhere and everywhere,” said Friery, who lives in Somerset, Mass. “I’ve applied in my field and out of my field. . . . I thought I was doing OK with retirement planning and savings, but Read the rest of this entry »

I know this isn’t the business type info you’re accustomed to seeing here, but it does pose a significant question.  Are you prepared financially?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

We have had what I call a “placeholder” site up for a while now at For Life’s Next Phase while communicating with clients and service providers to determine new offerings.  We are growing and are very interested in making this site “bigger than just us”.  I would love to hear your comments and suggestions as a part of my valued community.  Please either comment directly here or if you’re one my Twitter friends, please send a DM so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

We work directly with seniors and their families, and we’re very interested to know what information you may need.  Here are some examples:

• How to find assisted living, adult communities, and aging in place information
• How to find non-profit organizations providing eldercare support
• How to find Read the rest of this entry »

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 »