The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Baby boomers enjoying the New Year and making plans for 2020

Last week, I was fortunate to be able to attend a conference in San Diego on women’s history. Sponsored by the National Women’s History Alliance, an organization that promotes women’s history, the conference featured discussions on how to plan activities to celebrate the 100^th anniversary this year of women getting the vote in 1920.

The Washington delegation offered a presentation on “From Bloomers to Short Shorts: A Brief History of the Right to Wear Pants.” I portrayed Fay Fuller, who, in 1890, was the first known woman to climb Mount Rainier.

Boomer bloggers in the Best of Boomer Blogs are also writing about what’s up for 2020:

Tom at Sightings Over Sixty came across several new state rankings for retirement in 2020. So this week he puts them all together and gives us the highlights and the low lights about retirement meccas from Hawaii to Florida to Vermont. Check out "Best States to Retire In – 2020" to see if your state made the Top Ten Best List, or Top Ten Worst list.

For the New Year, Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin writes about trying new things. Whether it’s eating at a new restaurant, starting a new job, or buying a new pair of shoes, we’ve all tried new things in our lives. It’s part of life and it’s part of growing up. But sometimes, when we're about to start something new, we become unsure and let fear creep in. Koshak discusses why it's important to try new things in “When Was the Last Time You Tried Something New.”

Carol Cassara of A Healing Spirit has a tip if learning is on your list of 2020 resolutions. Cassara was relieved to know that yoga can be practiced without having to contort one's body in unnatural (or natural) poses. She tells us we don't have to use our body at all to be a yogi in “How Can You Practice Karma Yoga.”

Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting began the New Year by traveling once again. Baer spent a lot of time on the road the past two weeks not driving, or rather not necessarily moving along. Her trip began with a bit of a problem at the airport, as she recounts in this week’s post, "Winter Brea(down – Almost)."

For the New Year, Rebecca Olkowski with BabyBoomster.com has updated her best online exercise programs for women over 50 as she’s found some new and exciting programs you can enjoy from the comfort of your home. 

Laurie Stone of Musings, Rants & Scribbles, on the other hand, tell us about an activity that she admits to liking throughout the year. She eavesdrops sometimes. She tries not to, but can’t help it. And her favorite place for eavesdropping is her local java joint. She's there for lunch an embarrassing amount of time. (O.K., almost every day). She brings her laptop and works. But here’s the interesting thing. Fascinating insights can be gleaned by “accidentally” listening into the following groups…

This is the Best of Boomer Blogs #632. Click on the links to read these great articles. And, be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2020, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

Baby boomers greet the New Year and decade

Another year came and went and the New Year begins. In addition, another decade begins . . . perhaps. Does the new decade begin in 2020 or does the old decade end in 2020? A difference of opinion exists on that question.

Despite this decade debate, baby boomer bloggers are keeping on writing. Their topics include:

• How to assess if you really know your facts.
• A visit to the Museum of Illusions in Los Angeles.
• When a blogger’s mom turned 95.
• How Blue Apron, a home-delivered “fresh ingredients” service, turned into a disaster.
• The top consumer stories of 2019.
• How you can find the light, be the light, and shine it for others.
• How to create a portable vision board.

Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin writes about these articles on the Best of Boomer Blogs #630. Click here to get the links to the articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

Copyright 2020, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

Happy New Year

Happy New Year.

I spent most of yesterday working on an article about the top consumer stories of 2019. Today, I'll be working on the top consumer stories of the decade. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

The United States of America has such potential. It's a big, diverse country with tremendous resources. But, time and time again, we miss the mark. The opioid crisis. Mass shootings. Climate change inaction. Barriers for minorities and women. Ongoing wars. A lacking health care system.

But, as a consumer writer, the thing that bothers me the most is the continual favoring of corporate interests over the public interest. One of the biggest stories of the decade, in my opinion, is the increase in income inequality. I read about it on social media every day. Families struggling to get by, living paycheck to paycheck.

Facts and figures for Thanksgiving 2019

Provided by Nationwide

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

Number of retirees with mortgages increases dramatically

Retirement is different than it used to be. Many more retirees are still trying to pay off their homes.

One of four homeowners 30 years ago who were in their late 60s and 70s still had a mortgage. These days, nearly half have one. When people turned 80, mortgages used to be unusual, with just 3 percent being mortgage holders. These days, one in four of these older seniors have mortgages, according to “Housing America’s Older Adults 2019,” a report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. 

Seniors who have paid off their homes have more money to spend, which improves their standard of living in retirement.

Trump administration’s decision to roll back light bulb standards will cost consumers billions

The Consumer Federation of America thinks the U.S. Department of Energy’s proposed determination that new lighting efficiency standards aren’t needed is wrong. The DOE’s justification for this rollback is riddled with factual errors and is based on seriously flawed assumptions and methodology, the CFA said.

The DOE’s decision to roll back money saving lighting requirements is based on analyzing only one single technology that is extremely and unjustifiably high in cost ($7/bulb), low in efficiency (only 34.5 lumens/watt), and has a short lifespan (1,000 hours), said Mel Hall-Crawford, CFA director of energy programs and special projects.

The best alternative available in the market is less than half the cost ($3/bulb), almost three times more efficient (88.9 lumens/watt), and lasts 15 times as long (15,000 hours).

Best wishes on Veterans Day

There are about 20.4 million veterans in America, and they make up less than 10 percent of the adult population in the country, according to the Pew Research Center.

The center offers these facts about those who have served in the military and how they’re changing:

1. Gulf War-era veterans now account for the largest share of all U.S. Veterans, surpassing Vietnam-era veterans in 2016.
2. The share of the U.S. population with military experience is declining with 7 percent of U.S. adults as veterans in 2016, down from 18 per cent in 1980.
3. More women will be veterans with the 9 percent in 2016 increasing to 18 percent by 2045.
4. Fewer members of Congress have prior military experience with 20 percent of senators and 19 percent in the current Congress having served compared to 81 percent of Senators and 75 percent of House members after the Korean War.
5. The Department of Veterans Affairs receives a low favorability rating.

Be sure to vote today

It’s Election Day throughout the nation in most places, and states are having important local elections. Be sure to research carefully who to vote for in these races. The people who run your city, county, and schools are important to your life and the lives of your family.

In addition, governors will be elected in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi. State legislative elections also will be held in Virginia, Louisiana, and Mississippi as well as for the General Assembly, the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Special elections are also being held to fill state legislative seats vacated due to retirement, death, resignation, or election to another office.

On ballot measures, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, voters will consider a ballot initiative to change how seats in the legislature are apportioned. In Washington state, voters will decide on Referendum 88, a measure that would allow affirmative action policies in public education, employment, and contracting, and Initiative 976, which would reduce car tabs to $30. In Pennsylvania, voters will consider a constitutional amendment to adopt Marsy’s Law protections for crime victims.

Baby boomers get ready for Halloween

As Halloween approaches and it gets colder and colder, baby boomers are bundling up, raking leaves, and getting ready to hand out candy. And they’re writing about:

• The tale of a long-held family possession.
• The best way to get inspired is to start working.
• A warning to beware of all the ads and phone calls hyping Medicare Advantage plans during Medicare open enrollment.
• A pitch for online dating for baby boomers.
• A tour of a historic battlefield.
• A spooky dream.

Carol Cassara of Heart•Mind•Soul writes about these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #620. Click here to get the links to the articles. And let us know your thoughts. It’s fun to hear from readers.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

Happy Labor Day

It’s estimated that 25 percent of Americans plan to get out of town for the Labor Day weekend, and that 86 percent of them plan to travel by car. If you’re one of these, be sure to drive carefully. Another estimate is that about 400 people will die in traffic accidents during the holiday weekend, and 45,300 will sustain serious injuries.

The top travel destinations are New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Chicago.

I wish I’d be at a cookout like the 40.6 percent of Americans who plan to barbecue over Labor Day.

A lot of people will probably be working on the holiday weekend because the largest category in the workforce is retail with 4,450,000 salespeople and second is food preparation and service workers with 3,680,000. Third is cashiers with 3,640,000 workers.