The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Baby boomers bundle up and keep writing

Burr. An early chill descended across the county, and Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin said they were even feeling it in Florida. One day, the daytime temps didn’t get out of the ’50s. Sigh. Although we don’t often have snow here in the Seattle area, it’s been cold, cold, cold.

However, the cold isn’t stopping boomer bloggers from their work. Last week’s articles include:

• Favorite recipes for Thanksgiving.
• The number of retirees with mortgages dramatically increasing.
• Thrift shop shopping.
• How to change your life when you have obligations.
• A mini-vacation to get out from under the November gloom.
• How to get rid of a ladybug infestation.
• A way to support someone who’s grieving or facing a health challenge.

Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin writes about these articles on the Best of Boomer Blogs #623. Click here to get the links to the articles. Then grab a blanket, bundle up, and enjoy these great articles.

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.

Don't be pressured into buying or switching to a Medicare Advantage plan during open enrollment

It’s that time of year again. Advertisements for Medicare Advantage plans are flooding my mailbox and email. I’m even getting phone calls about the plans. And, every time I turn on the TV, there’s another ad about Medicare advantage, with infomercials to be tolerated, too.

From Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, people on Medicare can:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan or vice versa.
• Join, drop, or switch a Part D prescription drug plan if they are on Original Medicare.
• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan if they are already on one.

Baby boomers ponder retirement, health, and responsibility

Fall is well underway and I’m eating the last few items from my garden – cucumbers, lettuce I planted in August, and kale. I was able to have a few servings of collards, but something was chewing on them, which reduced production. I used the kale in a crockpot stew, and it was much better than my usual kale dish – kale sautéed with scrambled eggs.

The photo is my next to last cucumber sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and a fried egg. I splurged and bought a croissant for the occasion.

Meanwhile, baby boomer bloggers are writing about a variety of topics:

Retirement

Some realities sneak up on you over time, and that's been true of Carol Cassara's love affair with California. Now in semi-retirement, she asks “Is My Love Affair With California Over?”

Health

Everything from minor aches and pains to major illnesses afflict folks during their lifetime. Unfortunately for most of us, the incidents of ailments increases as we age. Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting is currently dealing with a new issue – new to her. She discovered lots of people suffer from her current complaint, and writes about it in “Golden Years Bring Tears.”

You say you’re anxious or down? Oral surgery may be your solution. This phenomenon happened to Laurie Stone of Musings, Rants & Scribbles recently when she had to get a tooth extracted. And even though this was hardly open-heart surgery, she  was terrified. 

Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin is continuing her year-long study of the “Art of Extreme Self-Care” by Cheryl Richardson. Each month has a focus and Koshak creates a calendar of activities to help process what’s being learned. In “How to Use Your Voice When You're Angry,” people learn how to address their anger instead of pushing it aside in order to avoid conflict.  

Responsibility

Jury duty is a civic duty but sometimes it isn’t convenient especially if you’re self-employed or dealing with other challenges. Rebecca Olkowski with BabyBoomster.com was on call for jury duty last week. She didn’t have to report, but each night checking in was stressful. See “Jury Duty – A Civic Duty That Isn’t Always Convenient” for her thoughts.

At Sightings Over Sixty, Tom wonders if men deserve the credit – or the blame – for all the troubles in the world. Go to “In Defense of Old White Males” to see if you agree, or disagree, or have a completely different view of responsibility.

This is the Best of Boomer Blogs #617. Click on the links to read the articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Baby boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

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

Baby boomers get ready for fall

It’s officially fall and time for leaves to turn golden and the weather to become brisk.

Our Best of Boomer Blogs writers are settling in and getting ready for pumpkins, spiced lattes, and apple cider. They’re thinking and doing a variety of things and writing about what’s on their minds. Articles include:

• Attending “Downton Abby,” the movie.
• Going to Emmy events.
• Staying healthy and fit at age 85.
• Growing a great vegetable garden.
• Determining when it’s time to retire.
• Reconnecting to your creativity.
• Considering the different expectations for men and women.

Rebecca Olkowski of BabyBoomster writes about these articles on the Best of Boomer Blogs #615. 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 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

Baby boomers seeking inner peace and keeping active

Baby boomers are writing about what keeps them steady – not only in this crazy world – but also during this, at times, challenging stage of life.

Articles include:

• Four easy relaxation ideas.
• A new mantra for meditation
• How an inspirational blogger found her purpose on vacation.
• How being retired can make you wonder, “What’s Next?”
• Why the TV program “Law and Order” popped up in thoughts during the latest presidential debates.

Laurie Stone of Musings, Rants & Scribbles writes about these articles on the Best of Boomer Blogs #614. Click here to get the links to the articles. And be sure to let the bloggers know your opinions. They enjoy hearing from interesting readers.

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

Baby boomers focus on change

The leaves are already beginning to change here in the Seattle area, so change and fall are in the air. Fall is definitely just around the corner.

Laurie Stone from Musings, Rants & Scribbles is happy. Yes, spring is lovely and summer’s fun. Even old man winter has his icy grandeur. But nothing compares to fall’s beauty and poignancy. And though this season comes at a price, Stone still loves it for leaves, crisper air, school supplies, the good shows that come back on TV, and candy apples.

Other boomer bloggers are writing about:

What are baby boomers doing these days?

Baby boomers are living much longer than their great-grandparents or even their grandparents. The average 65-year-old American today can expect to survive well past 80. So the question is: are boomers using the additional time constructively?

That’s one of the topics our boomer blogging group is writing about this week. Other topics include:

• House sharing when you’re single.
• Ways to make a transition work for you.
• A mother’s sayings make warm memories after she’s gone.
• A rightsized way to travel.
• The joy in finding a lost car key.
• The arguments couples have over and over.
• How to reduce the amount of plastic you eat.
• What you need to set your air conditioner at in the summer.

Tom Sightings of Sightings Over Sixty writes about these articles on the Best of Boomer Blogs #611. Click here to get the links to the blog posts. And be sure to leave a comment on the articles you like or find thought provoking. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.

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

What to do about your virtual valuables as you get older

As consumers spend more time online and on their devices, they accumulate digital assets. Digital asset are something of value or significance created online or on a mobile phone, laptop, or tablet. 

As consumers age, they may want to consider transferring their digital assets to someone else. They might also want to include something related to their financial life that they may need to refer to later. Examples of digital assets could include the funds in a PayPal account or the downloadable PDF for a yearly tax filing from online tax preparation software.  

Here are tips from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s blog to help you create a plan for your digital assets:

Baby boomers contemplate life’s problems

It’s still beautiful summer, but hints are beginning to appear that fall and winter will come again as they always do.

Meanwhile, baby boomer bloggers are continuing to write helpful, insightful articles:

Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting spent the past week recovering from her two-week trip to Scotland. As Baer laments, years ago she would have bounced back the next day. Nowadays it takes longer to rejuvenate. Meanwhile, she reviews the cuisine and a bit of culture experienced in the land of kilts, Celts, clans, and literary greats.

When you’re thinking about an exercise program and you’re age 50 and older, you may want to incorporate functional fitness. On Rebecca Olkowski’s blog, BabyBoomster.com, Candi Randolph, a guest blogger, explains why this is so important.

If you’re thinking of starting a blog or are already a blogger, Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin has some tips for you. Koshak has compiled a lot of her knowledge into her current blog post, “My Go-To Blog Resources.”

Tom Sightings of Sightings Over Sixty recently sat down with a couple who is considering where they're going to live, now that they are retired and their kids are grown and out of the house. They have their eye on a smaller home in a nice vacation area. But as Tom discusses in “Should This Couple Downsize?”  there are still lots of issues to consider and questions to ask.  

Laurie Stone of Musings, Rants & Scribbles gets a cold chill when she hears these words. Like someone with post-traumatic stress syndrome, her pulse increases. Her stomach tightens. She starts feeling light-headed. Did she hear that right? Maybe she got it wrong. But yes, her husband Randy just uttered that most dreaded of sentences: “I’m Going Food Shopping.”

On my blog, I write about the 50^th anniversary of Woodstock and what the Countercultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s meant to me.

This is the Best of Boomer Blogs #610. Be sure to read these thoughtful articles and join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers look forward to hearing from readers.

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