Top 100 Places to Retire – 2010 List Edition

TopRetirements.com has published an updated list (for 2010) of its best 100 places to retire. This list is compiled using a somewhat unusual method: The publisher determines which 100 towns have the most online visits of the 450 cities that are presently reviewed at Topretirements.com. The list reflects the towns that visitors to the site are the most interested in reading about for retirement.  Read more

A Simple Way to Determine Retirement Readiness

Am I financially able to retire? Isn’t that the number one question being asked by older baby boomers when thinking about retirement? It has to be in the top five. There are dozens of ways and places to find answers to the retirement readiness question. Read more

Be a Blog Award Voter – Please!

It’s not American Idol but almost. OK, not even almost. Read more

What to Ignore and Watch for in the New Credit Card Rules

If you are a baby boomer who is serious about being financially prepared for retirement, there are (in my humble opinion) some very good reasons why you can ignore the new credit card regulatory rules that went into effect on February 22. There are also some important changes to watch for. Read more

Small Money Savers

I saved a little money this week in a couple of new ways. You may already know about them but just in case, here they are: Read more

Using Time Wisely – Baby Boomer Edition

We are reminded periodically by others to “use our time wisely.” We’ve told our children that many times. This nugget of advice takes on more significance to baby boomers because we appreciate that a huge chunk of our earthly time has come and gone. Today I received another admonition on this very topic. It hit me hard and reinforced some of the decisions I have made in recent years. Read more

Collecting Social Security Benefits While Living Abroad

You may be are curious about how living as an expat abroad (or traveling for an extended period) may effect your Social Security Retirement Benefits. Fortunately, the rules are not too complicated. Read more

Your Tax Refund Introduction to I Bonds

Regular readers know that I am a fan of I-Bonds and TIPS for retirement savings. If you are at all concerned about future inflation (and you should be), you should own TIPS and/or I-Bonds as part of a diversified portfolio. This year, the federal government is making it easy for you to buy I-Bonds, also known as Series I U.S. Savings Bonds. Read more

Using the Retirement Savings Credit

I have found in my experience as a volunteer tax return preparer that some folks are unaware of (or forget) the retirement savings credit that is available to some taxpayers. The basic principle for this credit is this: If you make eligible contributions to an employer-sponsored retirement plan or to an individual retirement account (IRA), you may be able to take a credit against your federal income taxes. The amount of the credit you can get is based on the contributions you make and your “credit rate.” Read more

Low Cost Computing for a Baby Boomer Lifestyle

I rely heavily on personal computers for work and home activities. So do you. One of my objectives over the past couple of years has been to reduce the cost of computing in the one area where cost-control is easiest: software. I have found many free software applications that work as well or better than their costly counterparts. I thought I would share with you how this baby boomer uses free software to lower the cost of using a computer for every day tasks. Read more

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