Retirement

FROM THE ARTICLE. These steps can help protect your savings as rising prices erode retirees’ purchasing power. By Cameron Huddleston, AARP. Published November 04, 2025. Your wallet isn’t the only thing feeling the impact of inflation. Your retirement savings are too. More than half of 401(k) participants say inflation is their primary obstacle to saving for a comfortable retirement, according to a July 2025 survey by Charles Schwab. “It’s no surprise that inflation tops the worry list for today’s 401(k) savers,” says Patrick Huey, a certified financial planner and owner of Victory Independent Planning in Naples, Florida. “Everything from groceries to health care reminds us that a dollar just doesn’t go as far as it used to.” USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/money/personal-finance/protect-nest-egg/

Trying to find out if anyone thinks this retirement plan will work.My wife and I have a modest income of just under $50k a year. I am 59 and still working. She is 58 and on Disability. I plan on retiring early at 62. Our house is paid off and we have no major debt but owe some back taxes plus some consumer debt totaling around $25k.Our combined monthly income in retirement will be about $2,500 a month.I have a small 401k that nearly matches our total debt mentioned above and I plan on using it to pay that debt off at age 59 1/2.When my wife turns 62 we plan on doing a reverse mortgage on our $200k+ home. What do you think?

FROM THE ARTICLE. 9 Steps Gen Xers Should Take to Prepare for Retirement.Shore up your emergency fund, prepare for medical costs and other moves to make before leaving your 9-to-5. By Cameron Huddleston, AARP. Published October 23, 2025. Forgive the Generation X movie reference, but reality could bite for those born from 1965 to 1980 as they close in on retirement. More than half of Gen Xers don’t think they’ll be financially prepared when the time comes to retire, according to Northwestern Mutual’s 2025 Planning & Progress Study.“They are absolutely behind on saving for retirement,” says Mindy Wilke, wealth management adviser with Wilke Wealth and Investment Planning, a Northwestern Mutual affiliate in Franklin, Wisconsin. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/gen-x-prepare-to-retire/

FROM THE ARTICLE. Pushed out of the workforce? Take these steps to land on your feet. By Martha C. White, AARP. Published October 29, 2025. Looking ahead to retirement might sometimes feel like being a kid wishing for Christmas to come sooner. In reality, having to retire before you anticipated it, thanks to a job loss, health issue or other unforeseen event, is often stressful and financially challenging. It’s also quite common. A 2024 report from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found that nearly 3 out of 5 retirees left the workforce sooner than they expected. And in a 2023 survey of its retiree clients, financial services company Edward Jones found that 40 percent were “forced into” retirement. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/forced-into-early-retirement/ 

FROM THE ARTICLE. Are Workers Warming Up to In-Plan Annuities?Surveys show growing interest in 401(k) plans with a guaranteed-income option. By Maya Dollarhide and Tamara E. Holmes, AARP. Published October 27, 2025. For most of today’s workers, pensions are a relic of the past. But the appetite for a guaranteed monthly retirement check to supplement Social Security appears to be growing.According to a recent survey by asset management firm Nuveen and the TIAA Institute, both subsidiaries of financial services company TIAA, more than 9 in 10 workers with 401(k) plans would like the option to convert their savings into a fixed annuity that provides guaranteed lifetime payments. Nearly 9 in 10 say their employers have an obligation to help them achieve retirement security. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/in-plan-annuity-401k-planning/

FROM THE ARTICLE. Don’t let rising expenses derail your plans. By Sharon Wu, AARP. Published October 09, 2025. Key takeaways![*] Budget for out-of-pocket health care costs and consider a dedicated health savings account to cover future medical needs.[*] Rising car insurance rates and vehicle maintenance costs make community ride programs and transport services for older adults worth exploring.[*] Review your home insurance policy annually and shop around for better rates to avoid premium hikes. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/prepare-for-rising-expenses/

FROM THE ARTICLE. By David John, AARP Public Policy Institute. Published September 26, 2025. About half of private sector workers, many of whom work for smaller employers, lack access to payroll deductions for retirement savings. State Auto IRAs are structured to meet the needs and concerns of smaller businesses and others that don’t offer a retirement benefit.Auto IRA Plus would create a network of 50 state Auto IRA savings programs. Federal legislation would require all 50 programs to have the same basic structure and meet certain standards, but individual states could tailor their program to meet the specific needs of their economy. If a state chooses not to have its own Auto IRA, it could allow another state’s to serve their businesses. Employers could choose to either offer a 401(k)-type plan or allow their workers to use the state Auto IRA. https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/work-finances-retirement/financial-security-retirement/auto-ira-plus-universal-retirement-savi

  Situation:  My dad has two brokerage accounts, one managed and one unmanaged.   Although he had been meeting with someone on his managed account, should that person alert my dad to any perceived issues with his unmanaged account?  I am asking because once my dad ran out of cash in his unmanaged account.  He unknowingly started borrowing against the funds in that account to recevied his monthly allotment.  Outside of reporting that person to his manager is there anything else my dad can do? 

Discussion created on April 18, 2021.Stop by to read our comments and/or add a comment.We luv hearing from you!Lol, cute .gif of an old lady driving with her dog looking petrified is attached to this post!! 🤣😂 Poor furbaby. 😞  

FROM THE ARTICLE. Is Now a Bad Time to Downsize?Consider these pros and cons before moving to a smaller home in today’s market. By Cameron Huddleston, AARP. Published July 23, 2025. Downsizing to a smaller home, condominium or apartment shortly before or in retirement can reduce your housing costs, free up cash and lessen the burden of home maintenance. But many older adults aren’t eager to move.A May survey by real estate company Redfin found that 1 in 3 boomers who own their homes say they’ll never sell. Another 30 percent said they don’t plan to sell within the next decade. USE THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/money/personal-finance/downsize-home-in-retirement.html

FROM THE ARTICLE. 6 Hidden Costs of Moving in Retirement.Switching states for cheaper housing or lower taxes? Watch out for expenses that can eat into those savings. By Sharon Wu, AARP. Published July 09, 2025. You've spent years mapping out your ideal retirement relocation, envisioning life in a warmer climate, a coastal town or closer to family. Housing costs in your target destination look manageable, the lifestyle seems right and your move feels financially sound.But hidden expenses can turn a dream move into a nightmare. “People forget that costs like insurance, utilities and taxes vary widely and may offset savings” from cheaper housing or consumer goods, says Tyler Abney, a managing partner at Tidemark Financial Partners in San Diego. Those ongoing costs can strain your savings. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/hidden-costs-of-moving/

Discussion was created on May 18, 2021.With retirement, some of us now have time to think, explore, change and so on.Any aha moments to share with us?Stop by to read the comments and/or add a comment.We luv hearing from you!

 Hello,Not retired yet and a ways off, but we're looking at NE TN in the Tri-cities vs the west side of VA from the South to North and in either state as long as it's country and less people per square mile where it's not as hot either. We will have SS, 401K and pension income that will need to stretch and last. Will need to pay for healthcare and hopefully be in good health in retirement years. Comparing where we live now in NC, where too many people have moved to it's not as retirement friendly where homes and taxes keep climbing along with insurance. Although healthcare and modern conveniences are around the corner we need to visit them at certain times because there are just too many stoplights and people, which now that it takes us longer if you go when everyone else is out and about.  With that said where do you go to pick apart and really dissect which place is better to retire? It seems many websites are out of date and cannot be updated on the fly because it say

Discussion created on May 18, 2021 9:30am EST.Let's have some fun!!!Add your responses to - I know I am getting old because...Keep adding each day if you want to 😁

There is no debate that a senior that has little income and NO other liquid assets would qualify for most all, if not all, helping-hand benefits like SNAP, Section 8, Medicaid.  Low income is defined as the Federal Proverty Level.   But what else should count or not?  A retirement account?  Savings which earns interest?  Individual stock holdings or a brokerage account with index funds or some other grouping of stock holdings?  The dividends/capital gains received from such holdings?An inheritance that is so substantial that the earnings from it pushes them over the FPL limits.self-employed income from whatever the source - how will Uncle Sam know if no tax documents are filed?Do all seniors file an annual tax return documenting their income for eligibility for various helping-hand benefits?   Some seniors and others get hit hard when they come into some extra money that produces added income either as a result of a COLA increase or some oth

Discussion created on April 18, 2021 9:50am EST.Adventurer - ventures into the unknown.Continuer - continues to do what they have been doing.Easy Glider - no  agenda.Searcher - figuring out next move.Lol, you are unique and do not have a type!!! 😂🤣Stop by to read the comments and/or leave a comment. We luv hearing from you!

FROM THE ARTICLE: 11 Ways You’re Spending Too Much on Groceries. It’s not just inflation. Your bad habits may explain why you’re paying too much for groceries. By Cameron Huddleston, AARP. *** There are 40 Comments on the AARP website *** Published March 11, 2025. Retirees living on fixed incomes have been feeling the pinch of rising grocery costs.Grocery prices in February rose 2.6 percent year-over-year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index. For some items, such as eggs, price hikes have been much steeped. USE THIS LINK TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/money/personal-finance/overspending-on-groceries.html

FROM THE ARTICLE: Assistance Looming for Older Adults as Tax Bill Progresses.Keep vital SNAP benefits intact, AARP tells lawmakers. By Deirdre van Dyk, AARP. Published May 15, 2025. Some older adults could lose access to food assistance under new federal legislation that proposes cuts to the program that helps low-income Americans buy groceries.A Republican plan to slash $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would, for the first time, require adults ages 55 to 64 to meet stringent work requirements and shift responsibility for funding up to 25 percent of SNAP benefits to states. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2025/cuts-to-snap-benefits.html

▶️To reply, click on reply button at bottom of this post. Enter your text. Click reply button again.◀️ ***Read comments and/or comment*** What would you TELL the YOUNGSTERS out there about retirement? 🤔 Thanks, Nicole 👴👵 (Retirement Forum)

My wife and I are looking to move to a Latin American country (Mexico, Costa Rica, or Panama) and I'd like to know if anyone has recommendations on legal services that can help with the process of applying for residency. Both my wife and I are US citizens living in North Texas.Or even better if there is a one stop shop for legal services and the actual physical relocation.

FROM THE ARTICLE: 16 Million Older Americans are Not Claiming Their Food Benefits, AARP Reports.As food insecurity and hunger rates rise, SNAP benefits are going unused. *** There are 3 Comments on the AARP website. *** By Emily Paulin, AARP. Published April 04, 2025. Nearly 60 percent of low-income older adults who qualify for federal food assistance aren’t using it, according to a new analysis by AARP’s Public Policy Institute. Some 16 million — or 59 percent — of adults 50-plus who could get help paying for food through the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2022 did not claim it.“Millions of older adults are missing out on benefits that could have a big impact on their livelihood,” says AARP’s Olivia Dean, senior policy advisor and co-author of the report published March 28. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2025/older-adults-not-claiming-snap-benefits.html

FROM THE ARTICLE: Legislation to Reduce Tax Burden on Older Americans.Bill would boost deductions for those ages 65+, helping offset Social Security income taxes. By Emily Paulin, AARP. Published May 05, 2025. Americans age, they often find themselves living on fixed incomes while facing rising costs for housing, health care, food and utilities. For many, it’s a struggle to make ends meet.That’s why AARP is endorsing new federal legislation that would provide financial relief to older Americans by increasing the additional standard deduction for taxpayers ages 65 and older. The increases would offset some — or even all — of the federal income tax charged on Social Security benefits. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2025/tax-burden-bill.html

Stop by to read what others have posted and/or add your comment!!! Take care,Nicole  👵  (Retirement Forum)

My husband was forced to retire to due to Covid. We had always wanted to retire in the mountain region of Virginia. We are looking for a house on a few acres. Can anyone offer any advice or suggestions?

Retiring in 2 years.  Going to be "snow birds" such that the majority of the year we can be near our kids in NH, but want to escape the long winters.  The question is where to we go for 3 to 4 months a year?  Lots of choices of course.  Suggestions?