Free Retirement and Financial Planning Resources

Being a DIY financial and retirement planning advocate, I am always on the lookout for free help. This past week I came across some free financial planning resources and tools that I was previously not aware of. Read more

Retirement Tax Burdens

If you want to retire somewhere with a low cost of living, you need to consider the tax burden imposed in that location. Many people think only about state and local income taxes but the picture is much bigger than that. Read more

Boomer and Retirement Weekly Reader – Home Maintenance Edition

We are preparing for company and you know what that means – taking care of a lot of deferred household maintenance items. That’s a good reason to have company. It makes you do things that have been put off for too long.

As usual, I did a lot of reading this week in the baby boomer and retirement worlds. I thought I would share a little of that with readers. Read more

Simple Retirement Calculators and Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets can be useful as a simple form of retirement calculator. I have found a few that are free to use. If you are comfortable working with spreadsheets and are interested in using them as retirement planning tools, download them and try them out.  (If you are reading this in feed reader or by email, you will have to click through to the original post to download the spreadsheet files.) Read more

The Future of Estate Tax Rates and Exemptions

The time for change in federal estate tax laws is rapidly approaching. The size of the estate tax exemption may be a hot topic of discussion in Congress. This is an issue of importance to baby boomers who may be dealing with the estates of older relatives or updating an estate plan of their own. (You do have an estate plan don’t you?) Read more

Find Help for College Student Loans

If you are a baby boomer with kids in high school or college, student loans may be in your family’s future. You don’t want college costs to interfere with your retirement saving. There are some programs that will help your kids get rid of those student loans without sacrificing their financial futures. Read more

Retiring in a Small Town or Rural Area

Our vacation home is on a lake in a rural area. The nearest small town is a 20 minute drive. Although we do not live on a farm or have lots of land, it is a country lifestyle with a waterfront bonus. When we spend time here, I often think about the positive and negative aspects of retirement in a small town or rural community. Read more

Finding Deals in Affordable Vacation Homes

Now is a great time to be buying an inexpensive vacation home. They are more affordable than ever and money is cheap. If you can use a pre-retirement vacation home as place to ultimately downsize, it can make a lot of sense to buy it and enjoy it now. That’s what we have done. Read more

Gold Investing for Retirement

I often ask myself whether I and other baby boomers should be investing in gold or gold stocks for retirement. On the one hand, a good financial plan needs an inflation protection strategy and precious metals are favorites as an inflation hedge. On the other hand, gold is notorious for being volatile and strangely unpredictable. Read more

Retirement Careers, Volunteering and Public Service

Looking for a retirement or second career that combines volunteering, public service and some income? The federal government is trying to help. Read more

Next Page »