This is a guest post by Marina Chernyak.

Given the recent scary economic situation, more people are becoming anxious about ensuring some form of retirement annuity. Annuity program sales went up by 48% from 2007 to 2009, reaching $108 billion in 2009. If you’re planning for your retirement, how do you choose the right one? Use our 15 tips to help you with your decision.

1. Evaluate Your Risk Tolerance

For those with low risk tolerance, a fixed annuity is best, with conservative investment objectives and maximum guarantees. If your risk tolerance is a little higher, opt for an equity-indexed annuity; your growth will be according to market indexes. Only if your risk tolerance is high should you choose a variable annuity. You will have to forego guarantees but will enjoy higher growth.

2. Check Out Your Insurer’s Financial Strength

If an annuity insurer is promising you immediate high monthly payout on a variable plan, don’t jump with joy. Insurers who have weaker financial ratings at times offer high payouts to attract capital. Use a consulting company to check the company’s financial ratings first before you invest your money in a junk-bond like annuity.

3. Use The Right Rating Agencies

Get the financial strength ratings of the annuity companies from one of these 4 major consultants: Fitch Ratings, A.M. Best Company, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service. While keeping ratings in mind, you must know that ratings don’t impact variable investment principal value or investment return.

4. Use Certified Advisors

Before you decide on an annuity plan, take the professional advice of someone who has a certified financial planning accreditation in your country: check via Google.

5. Consider An Annuity With Premium Protection

With premium protection, the insured will receive annuity payments periodically until their net investment is fully recovered. The payments will be paid to one’s heir in the event of death. If you forego premium protection and opt for higher lifetime income payments instead, you will not recover all of your original annuity investment.

6. Choose An Annuity With Cost Of Living Protection

A ‘Cost Of Living Adjustments’ (COLA) annuity adjusts your payment’s value to accommodate your cost of living so you can protect your retired lifestyle.

7. Compare Each Contract’s Fee And Costs

There are various charges such as mortality and expense risk charges, management fees, sales charges and so on with variable investments. However, not all variable annuities cost you the same or charge the same fee.

8. Evaluate Withdrawal Charges

If you opt for a variable annuity, find out what the charge is for withdrawals before a certain point, and what taxes are applicable. This assessment will help you decide whether you want to go fixed or variable.

9. Avoid Tax Penalties

If you buy an annuity that comes with 401k or IRA qualified retirement savings, you will be able to save on taxes. You avoid tax penalties by rolling over qualified funds into qualified annuity, paying taxes only on annuity income.

10. Don’t Be Too Conservative

If you want returns to beat inflation and investment costs, invest a portion of your assets in low-risk equities that have provision for dividends and capital growth.

11. Beware Of Broker Funds

These don’t add extra value; rather they are too often used to charge you additional fees that you don’t need.

12. Shop Around

Don’t accept your pension provider’s annuity quotation; take the open market option and shop around. Use the value of your pre-retirement fund to compare annuity quotes.

13. Consider The Guaranteed Annuity Rate (GAR)

Check your pension providers’ GAR, which might be higher than what the open market provides, given the drop in the average annuity income in recent years.

14. Wait Till You Are Close To Your Retirement Period

If you purchase your annuity when you’re young, the insurer will pay you less income because they have to pay you over a longer period. Wait till you’re a few years from your retirement before investing.

15. Opt For A Guarantee Period

Do you want your pension pot to pass on to the insurer, forgoing your loved ones? Opt for a guarantee period to ensure minimum term for annuity payments even if you die during that term.

Author Bio:

This article is written by Marina Chernyak of 1001 Wall Clocks, an online store of contemporary and decorative wall clocks.

Post from: Senior Money Memos

15 Tips For Choosing The Right Retirement Annuity

Technorati Tags: financial planner, retirement income annuity, ria

Other Posts From The Archives

• January 17, 2009 -- UK Pensioners In Poverty (0)
• January 27, 2009 -- Have Home Prices Hit Bottom? (0)
• July 25, 2009 -- Earl Jones, the Montreal Ponzi Schemer (0)
• January 1, 2009 -- UK State Pensions Lowest In Europe (0)
• January 12, 2009 -- To Boldly Go … Green (0)

This is a guest post by Jane Smith.

For most people, a savings account usually consists of all the money they would ever need to save. This would cover emergency funds, travel funds, big purchases, education funds, and whatever else you feel is necessary. For those incredibly savvy savers, you might also have a good number of CDs (Certificates of Deposit) and investments on the board too for those long-term savings goals.

My savings organization was definitely this simplified (if not more simplified) for a while, and now that I’ve maintained multiple savings accounts, I cannot stress to you how much of a pain having one main all-purpose savings account was. While it is nice to simplify your finances, fact of the matter is that you will have multiple savings goals, and separating one savings account into multiple goals in your head can be a huge pain.

The Beauty of Multiple Savings Accounts

While the idea of spreading out your savings is nothing new, I find that most people are unaware of the concept of having multiple savings accounts. The advice usually applies more to CDs and investments, but what about short-term savings goals that you can achieve in less than a year (such as a vacation or big purchase)?

Before you write this idea off, thinking that you don’t want to have to login and manage multiple accounts, keep in mind that many online banking institutions (like ING Direct, FNBO Direct, and Ally Bank) allow you to create multiple high-yield savings accounts and manage them with just one login and no extra paperwork. You can just create one online account with the click of a button.

So what makes having multiple savings accounts so great? Well, instead of segmenting one lumped savings account into multiple goals, I can just create a new savings account for each goal. It cuts down on a lot of mental frustration for those not mathematically inclined (such as myself). Best of all, having multiple savings accounts works seamlessly with Mint.com’s goal-tracking feature. So not only will you know how much many you have saved for each goal, you can also tell whether or not your savings goals are on track and which are behind.

Things to Keep in Mind

Particularly when it comes to online savings accounts, you should consider that actually withdrawing your cash can take a couple days. This is due to federal regulations surrounding bank to bank transfers, so if you’re used to having a linked checking and savings account on the same bank (which typically don’t offer multiple savings accounts), you may miss having instantaneous access to your savings. Keep in mind that some of these online banks offer linked checking and savings, allowing you to withdraw from savings more quickly. Even then, you will likely have to use multiple ATMs (and give your bank a call in advance) if you plan to take out a lot from your savings.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Jane Smith from background check. She is a Houston based freelance writer and blogger. Questions and comments can be sent to: janesmth161 @ gmail.com

Post from: Senior Money Memos

How to Organize Your Savings

Technorati Tags: atm, online banking, Savings account

Related Posts

• April 24, 2010 -- Retirement Savings Account (0)
• February 2, 2009 -- Safeguard your savings (0)

Health Canada points out that oral health is important at all stages of life, especially since older adults and seniors are keeping their teeth longer than ever before. Most experts agree that maintaining proper dental health is critical to the health and wellbeing of senior citizens. Recent studies have linked certain dental problems like periodontal disease to strokes, diabetes, respiratory disease, heart disease and more. Plus, despite being preventable, periodontal disease and tooth decay (cavities or caries) are the leading causes of tooth loss in seniors.

However, older adults may have less access to oral care services and dental professionals because of lower incomes and/or a lack of dental insurance.  The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) confirms that dental insurance can be helpful to patients in defraying the costs when paying for dental treatment. Insurance, however, can sometimes be a double-edged sword and it is important for consumers to investigate what plans will keep them and their families smiling in the future.

Discount dental plans for seniors are a great dental insurance alternative. Plus, since they are not dental insurance plans, seniors don’t need to worry about paperwork hassles, health restrictions or annual limits. Everyone is accepted!

Participating dentists have agreed to accept a discounted fee from discount dental plan members as payment-in-full for dental services performed.  Individuals pay a monthly premium that provides basic coverage for exams, hygiene cleanings, root canals, orthodontics, etc.  The discount dental plans for seniors available from DentalPlans.com are a great way to save at the dentist if you don’t have dental insurance.

Post from: Senior Money Memos

Oral Health Is Critical For Seniors

Technorati Tags: dental, dental plan, insurance

Related Posts

• January 28, 2009 -- Smaller cars, bigger car insurance rates (0)

This is a guest post by Biljana Dimovska

Summary

This article explores the recent HSBC bond mis-seliing, how it affected those saving for care home fees, and explains how to avoid getting caught out.

Stories about care home fees are pretty common in the news at the moment. There are some serious concerns in the UK, as it has an ageing population and the amount of investment required for care of the elderly is likely to increase significantly over the next few decades. There are suggestions that people should do more, wherever it is possible, to put money aside for their own care in old age.  The fact is that many people are turning to different types of investment in order to make sure that the money is available when they need it.

It’s a sensible precaution for those who can afford it, but unfortunately some investors have found themselves either out of pocket or unable to get at the funds when they need them because they were given poor advice by their financial advisors. A number of these investors have, however, since been compensated for being mis-sold to, so don’t panic if you find yourself in this position – there are things you can do.

A recent high-profile case involved a company that was bought by HSBC in 2005. This company specialised in selling investment bonds to people on the presumption that the investment would pay or go towards any care home fees that may be needed in later life.  The problem was that the bonds they sold were entirely unsuitable for the clients and in addition important information was withheld. While the clients were making an average investment of over £100,000 each, they weren’t told that the money needed to be locked away for at least 5 years to generate a good return.  Any period shorter than that would result in hefty penalties and the likelihood that the amount returned would be less than the initial investment. Add on to that the fact that the average investor was over 80 years old and likely to need the money within 5 years, and it became a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately for those who invested in this particular product, the Financial Services Authority responded to the complaints of mis-selling and carried out a full investigation. HSBC were given a record fine and ordered to pay compensation to the victims, or their estates if appropriate. It is unlikely that HSBC are the only company who have been involved with this kind of problem though, and the chances are that we’ll see many more similar cases before the issue is properly resolved. In the meantime, you can try and protect yourself.

The best way to avoid these problems is not to get caught out in the first place. Make sure that the terms are suitable and that the financial advisor has sold you a product which is suitable for paying for nursing home fees, i.e. the funds are accessible when you want them and there is no lengthy tie-in unless you’ve agreed it. Even forearmed, though, problems may occur so if you or any relatives have already invested you may be able to request a review to ensure the investment suits your needs. Consult a specialist for advice if you are in any doubt.

Author Bio:

Biljana is a blogger exploring the topics of nursing home fees and the care provided for this population in the UK and worldwide.  She is trying to find better ways to cover care home fees and publish useful advice about this topic.

Post from: Senior Money Memos

Care Home Fees – An Investment Scandal

Technorati Tags: care home, Financial Services Authority, HSBC, investment

Related Posts

• August 24, 2009 -- Is Your Retirement Plan In The Red (1)
• June 10, 2009 -- Retirement Planning Faces A Perfect Storm – HSBC (0)
• March 17, 2009 -- Unjustified Bonuses Paid By Taxpayers (0)
• February 16, 2009 -- UK Banking Meltdown Consequences (1)

This is a guest post by Alex Summers.

Considering the state of the economy and the high number of twenty somethings struggling to find their professional place in the world, a large number of parents are opting to purchase their children homes. Instead of giving their kids a large inheritance years down the road, parents are choosing to pay a down payment or to buy a home for their kids to help them get off on the right foot during their young adulthood.

While financing a home for your child might be a kind gesture and one that most parents would certainly hope they could afford, it isn’t exactly the best decision for the children or the parents. So before you sign a mortgage with your child, consider some of the following reasons why you shouldn’t buy a home for your kid:

Your Kids Need to Learn Financial Responsibility

If your kids are young adults, they don’t need to continue getting hand outs from their parents. They need to learn the importance of being financially responsible for themselves, and if that means that they have to live in that small apartment and keep their possessions in a self storage facility for a few more years, then so be it. During that time they can learn to pinch their pennies which will ultimately make purchasing a home later more rewarding because they will have done it themselves.

Don’t Risk Your Retirement

While no one wants to admit it, the truth is that not everyone is good with money. If your kids haven’t been able to afford a home on their own, there is probably a good reason for it – whether it be lack of income or poor saving habits. Either way, these factors are actually risks, and could leave you liable for mortgage and insurance payments should your child not be able to make them.

Even worse, if the house were to go into foreclosure, you could find your own credit ruined and your retirement savings drained dry from months of trying to keep on top of a mortgage that you were legally tied to. All of which could ultimately mean that you have to come out of retirement, and spend the next decade working to make up for your losses.

You Need Financial Freedom

During your Golden years, the last place you want to be is worrying about whether or not your child is making the necessary mortgage and insurance payments to keep themselves afloat. While we all worry about our child’s well-being, your lives are ultimately separate and you each need to be responsible for your own lives. Don’t waste the years that you are supposed to be mortgage free and enjoying your life in worrying whether or not you are going to be left with a mortgage that ultimately shouldn’t be yours to begin with.

Every parent wants to help their child out, but ultimately, choosing to buy your child a home is detrimental in more than just the financial ways. Your children need to buy their own homes so that they can aggregate their own personal worth and equity, and so that they can learn about financial responsibility in the adult real world. So if the topic arises, do yourself and your children a favor by politely declining to help them buy a home and stating that you’ll be setting that money aside for them later.

Author Bio:  Alex Summers is a frequent contributor on several personal finance sites, often focusing on why minimalistic living, such as packing your possessions into a self storage facility and downsizing, is truly the way to financial freedom.

Post from: Senior Money Memos

Why You Should Not Buy Your Child a House

Technorati Tags: buy a home, child, Foreclosure

Related Posts

• February 6, 2009 -- Reverse Mortgages (0)

This is a guest post by Karen Ho Fatt.

Winter is the season of treachery – dark nights, cold temperatures and slick surfaces increase the risk of injuries from falls and accidents. Indoors, the risk of fire goes up from heating sources, and seniors are three times more likely to die or be injured in a house fire than younger populations, according to MSN News.

This winter, make a plan for staying safe, warm and dry. You’ll enjoy winter more and reduce the risk of injury.

1. Prepare for Ice

One nasty fall can change your life, causing broken hips and months of rehabilitation. Install rails along porch steps and walkways, and buy generously-sized non-skid mats to keep ice in check.

Keep a bag of rock salt or gravel in your garage or on your front porch, as well as an ergonomic snow shovel. Better yet, make an arrangement with a teen to shovel your walks and driveway after any snow storm. Expect to pay between $10 and $20 for this service, which may seem like a lot until you consider the health costs of a fall. Twenty dollars to ensure your safety is actually a bargain.

Store outdoor tools and equipment, safely away in the shed or garage.

2. Practice Safe Winter Driving

The most common reasons for deaths during the winter are car accidents and hypothermia when drivers leave their cars after becoming stranded on icy roads. Pay attention to weather reports, and plan errands and outings around good weather. Stock up on enough groceries to last you at least one week, and keep a small supply of canned goods on hand. Some grocery stores offer delivery for a nominal fee or alternately use senior home care services to assist you. Use these services during bad weather, rather than risk an accident.

If you must drive, take a cell phone and use well-traveled routes that are more likely to be plowed. Drive slowly and avoid high-traffic times of the day.  In the wintertime I slow down to 20 km under the posted speed. As George Herbert once said, “Every mile is two in winter.”

3. Use Heating Devices Safely

Space heaters are a common cause of house fires during the winter. Avoid their use, or use them with caution. Turn them off before you go to sleep, and keep a 3-foot area clear around them.

Have your furnace serviced each fall before you turn it on. You may also be able to get a free inspection from your gas company so you may want to consider this prior to calling the furnace man.

If you call the furnace company, cost for this service is usually under $100 with seniors’ discounts, and will add years to the life of your furnace. Additionally, a heating expert can recognize serious problems, such as cracks in the system that may leak carbon monoxide into your home.

Wood stoves or fireplaces can put out a lot of heat, efficiently warming a smaller home and saving you money on heating bills. Use them carefully, though. Always open the damper on a wood burning fireplace and avoid stacking more than one or two logs in the fireplace at a time.

Don’t burn cardboard boxes, wrapping paper or charcoal. These materials can produce toxic fumes or carbon monoxide, and cause creosote build-up. Green wood is also a no-no. It produces a lot of smoke and little heat. Store firewood for six months to 1 year before burning it.

Have your wood fireplace cleaned at least every two to three years by a certified chimney sweep, especially if you use it frequently. Creosote, a flammable, greasy film, builds up on the walls of the chimney over time, and can cause chimney fires.

These precautions for winter won’t cost you money but will bring you some peace of mind during the season.

Author Bio: Karen Ho Fatt lives in the countryside of Alberta, Canada, and knows all about treacherous winters. To warm up your own winter, you can find a fire pit table patio set or a propane outdoor fire pit as well as safety information at her website.

PHOTO CREDIT: iStock Photo Jean Gill

Post from: Senior Money Memos

Winter Safety Tips That Won’t Cost You A Pretty Penny

Technorati Tags: driving, propane, safety, wood fire

Related Posts

• June 22, 2011 -- Tips for Seniors Downsizing to a Smaller Home (1)

‘Nothing is certain but death and taxes’, according to Benjamin Franklin, but in saying that he was perhaps too pessimistic, particularly for seniors.  Although taxes can be a major burden for the young, seniors often benefit from the breaks that society wants to give them.  However to so benefit it is important to complete a tax return. Even for that, help is often available to elders.

In the US, you can do this online and the IRS has begun now to accept 2011 tax returns.

IRS officials encourage the use of e-filing.  More than 1 billion returns have been e-filed, an electronic transmission system that “revolutionized the way the IRS processes tax returns and made speedy refunds possible,” officials said. More than 112 million income tax returns, or 77 percent of all individual returns filed, were e-filed last year.

Tax Returns by Free File in the U.S.

The easy way to make your e-file return is to use Free File.

Free File is a free, federal income tax prep and electronic filing program for eligible taxpayers, developed through a partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, a group of private sector tax software companies. Taxpayers can do their federal income tax returns using commercial online software provided by the Free File Alliance companies. You must go to IRS.gov to access Free File. This year, you have until April 17, 2012, to file and pay your taxes or request an extension.

There’s also a FAQ web page on Free File.  You will note that  the Free File program is open only to taxpayers with a 2011 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $57,000 or less. Each participating company sets its own eligibility requirements and not all taxpayers will qualify for all companies. Individual company offers may be limited by AGI, geographic location, specific states and include other criteria, so it’s important to review the criteria before you choose. Or use the “Help Me Find a Free File Company” tool to help you find a program that meets your needs.

If you need help in completing your tax return, then you may be able to benefit from Free Tax Return Preparation by Volunteers.  The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Programs offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify.

The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income (generally, $50,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. Certified volunteers sponsored by various organizations receive training to help prepare basic tax returns in communities across the country. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations.

The TCE Program provides free tax help to people aged 60 and older.  Trained volunteers from non-profit organizations provide free tax counseling and basic income tax return preparation for senior citizens. Volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.

As part of TCE, AARP offers the Tax-Aide counseling program at more than 7,000 sites nationwide during the filing season.  Trained and certified AARP Tax-Aide volunteer counselors help people of low-to-middle income with special attention to those age 60 and older.

E-filing Tax Returns in Canada

In Canada, NETFILE allows you to file your personal income tax and benefit return directly to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) using the Internet.

The NETFILE transmission service is open from February 13, 2012, until September 30, 2012, for the electronic filing of your 2011 personal income tax and benefit return. Tax returns filed via NETFILE must first be prepared using one of the 2011 commercial tax preparation software packages or Web applications certified for NETFILE.  The two certified software suppliers for 2012 are TurboTax and TaxChopper 2011 from CuteTax.  You can check these websites to see if you qualify for their free offerings.

Canada also has a Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP).  The objective of the CVITP is to help eligible individuals who are not able to prepare their income tax and benefit returns by themselves.

E-filing Tax Returns in the UK by Self Assessment

In the UK, it is possible to send a Self Assessment tax return online to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) using the secure service it provides. This software provides automatic calculations, faster processing and later deadlines.  There are a number of companies that provide the software needed.

You then need to register to use HMRC Online Services before you can use any of this software to file your tax return online.

You need to watch the deadlines carefully, since the penalties can mount rapidly. If you wish to use this service, then it’s too late for the past fiscal year since the deadline for registration was January 21.  If you are already registered, then your return must be received by them by January 31.  This year, the support staff for this service will be on strike on that date.  If this causes you to miss the deadline because you could not contact them, then the penalty will be waived.

Here too, you may be able to get volunteer help with your tax return if you need it.  If your household income is less than 17,000 pounds per year and you are a pensioner you will qualify for free tax advice from TaxHelp for Older People.

This is a service originally provided through the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (associated with the Chartered Institute of Taxation) but is now provided by Tax Volunteers, an independent organisation, to make free professional advice on personal tax available to older people who could not otherwise afford to pay for it. A team of over 720 volunteers is available throughout the UK.

Post from: Senior Money Memos

Easier Tax Return Tips For Seniors

Technorati Tags: cra, hmrc, irs, online, tax return, taxes

Related Posts

• April 30, 2009 -- Canada Revenue Agency Checks Funny Income Tax Numbers (0)
• March 15, 2009 -- Seniors Filing Taxes – Help From Canada Revenue Agency (0)
• March 9, 2009 -- Tax Tips And Tax Deductions for Seniors (2)

If you are a frequent visitor to this blog, you may have noticed the small panel in the left sidebar that indicates this blog is for sale.  I thought you deserved a few words of explanation.

Why Does Anyone Sell Their Blog

Some may find it surprising that anyone would sell a blog they have created.  Isn’t a blog a kind of personal journal of information and thoughts on a topic of interest?  That probably is true for 99% of blogs, but clearly not so for the biggies like the Huffington Post or TechCrunch, which are akin to online newspapers.

Thinking of the other 99%, what is going on when someone wants to sell one of these blogs.  It clearly depends on the extent to which the blog is reflecting the personality of the author.  A highly personal blog is probably not saleable as an ongoing concern.  On the other hand, a blog which has been built as a way of chronicling some topic with minimal linking to the personality of the author is clearly saleable.  Senior Money Memos is such a blog.

If you are interested in the details of the sale, then you should check the This Blog For Sale web page.  If you’re interested in the reasons behind the sale and why it might make sense for you to buy it, then please read on.

Reasons Why I Want To Sell

Not Enough Time

This is the principal reason why the thought of selling this blog came to mind.  A number of new interests are taking up time and this is crowding out the time I would normally devote to this blog.  There is no diminution of interest in the topic, which is still a growing factor as society evolves.

Focus, Focus, Focus

Here I must confess I have not been taking my own advice.  Those three words of Peter Drucker are ones I have repeated many times to others.  Put all your energies ideally into a single cause and you will be much more effective in achieving your goals.  As Michael Porter said strategy is about saying no.  You cannot pursue every enthusiasm you may have and do it effectively.

Benefits To The Purchaser

Hot Topic with Growing Interest

Seniors are a growing proportion of the population.  This creates interesting challenges for society and for the seniors.  Seniors are healthier and are living longer.  This can stretch whatever financial resources they have.  To enjoy their later years they must be more resourceful with what they have. They have a keen interest in finding out all they can on how best to achieve a long and fulfilling life.

Building An Authority Website With A Good Reputation

A large number of websites are coming online to meet that senior appetite for useful information. Senior Money Memos aims to be an effective entry point to what is available.

Search Engine Visible

Search engines such as Google and Bing can bring the majority of visitors to a site such as Senior Money Memos.  The sheer volume of content provides a strong magnet for such search engine interest.  Most posts have been created so as to rank well in appropriate keyword searches.

Effective Technology Gives A Mobile Device Friendly Website

The blog uses WordPress software and has a child theme from the latest default theme, twentyeleven.  This gives excellent rendering on desktop PCs and is fully mobile device friendly for iPhones and Android smart phones.  With the increasing share of Internet visitor traffic that are using mobile devices, either iPhone or Android, this is a very important strength of the Senior Money Memos.

Monetization

Personal finances for seniors is a topic that is of interest to major financial institutions and of course to the seniors themselves.  Both display ads and Adsense ads can perform well, particularly as volumes grow through time.

Avoids all the problems and frustrations of starting a blog from scratch

If you would like to be running your own blog on personal finances for seniors, then Senior Money Memos is a great opportunity for you.  You don’t need to go through all the challenges and frustrations of starting a blog from scratch.  Instead you can manage a successful blog and tune it to reflect your own preferences.

How To Proceed

If you would like to know more, then you have two choices:

A.  Make Contact Now

You can contact Barry Welford to find out whatever information you need.  If it sells prior to auction, you are likely getting this blog for a lower price.

B.  Participate in the Auction

Unless this blog is sold prior to auction, it will be auctioned shortly via Flippa.com for a period of 30 days with a Buy-It-Now (BIN) price of $4,000. There will probably be further information provided on the auction website. Drop us a line if you would like to be informed when it goes live on the Flippa.com website.

Post from: Senior Money Memos

This Blog Is For Sale

Technorati Tags: auction, blog, sale

Other Posts From The Archives

• March 4, 2009 -- Women Need Financial Freedom (0)
• July 10, 2009 -- Fewer calories for a longer life (0)
• January 4, 2009 -- Seniors Credit Card Debt (0)
• October 22, 2009 -- Building for Your Hobby (1)
• January 25, 2009 -- Predatory Lending And Seniors (0)

This is a guest post by James Lander.

If you’re like most people, you’re probably dreaming of relocating to a new place for your retirement. We all want to take off to some warmer, quieter place when we finally get freedom from jobs that tie us down to one place. It can be hard choosing a place to retire so you really need to give it careful thought and planning before you make a decision.

People have different wants and needs in a retirement place: affordable housing, pleasant weather, or just abundant recreational activities. However, there are certain key aspects that most people look for when choosing a retirement place. Here’s a list of the best cities to retire in based on some of the top features that people consider when selecting a retirement place, according to data from Onboard Informatics.

The right blend of amenities and affordability – Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

Pittsburg is one of the best places with the widest varieties of amenities that best suit retirees. On top of that, the cost of living is very low, not to mention the unusually low median price of a home – $97,900 – for a city with first-class healthcare facilities and a large university. There are also free bus rides for senior citizens of age 65 and above (with proper ID) on the Port Authority trains and buses. Depending on your budget, you can buy season tickets to the symphony, the ballet or the Steelers or all the three; retirees are simply spoilt for choice when it comes to activities in Pittsburg.

Amiable year-round weather – Flagstaff, Arizona

Because of its low humidity levels and high altitude, Flagstaff’s four-season weather conditions are generally pleasant all-year-round. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Flagstaff receives sunshine for 78 percent of the year and its temperatures go over 90 degrees only for three days in a year on average, unlike most other sunny climates. Like most sunny cities around the country, Flagstaff can receive a significant amount of snow during winter but the plentiful sunshine often melts much of it fast.

Low-cost mountain town – Boone, North Carolina

Spend your retirement years enjoying the dazzling views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the budget town of Boone, North Carolina. The town features three ski resorts in the immediate neighborhood, several trails for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and winter hiking. With a population of 17,122 – as of 2010 – residents of this small town have access to the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most picturesque roads in the country. The median price of a house was $215,250 in 2010.

Affordable water views – Traverse City, Michigan

If you’re considering retiring to a lakeside house, Traverse City might be your dream retirement place. With over 180 miles of Lake Shoreline (Lake Michigan), you are sure to find a lake house that fits in your budget. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake shore boasts of fresh water beaches and high sand dunes that residents and tourists can climb. Also, if you’re in to boating, the opportunities are endless on the twin Grand Traverse Bays. The average price of a house in this city is $155,715, which for water proximity, is quite reasonable.

Most eco-friendly place – Walnut Creek, California

Snuggled in the Eastern Bay region of the San Francisco Bay area, this warm incorporated California city blends all the niceties of a city with plentiful access to the wilderness. You will find fine eateries, high-end shops and organic restaurants in the downtown area, plus the Lesher Center for Arts. There are 2,704 acres of open space and 22 parks in the city. There is simply plenty of space to enjoy a bike ride, a hike or a stroll with your partner. You can also decide to drive to nearby San Francisco or to the summit of Mount Diablo to catch some spectacular views. However, life in the Bay area is a bit on the high end, with the median price of a home at $411,000.

Best recreational and cultural place to retire – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is the oldest state capital in the country at over 400 years. The city’s unique culture and art galleries – such as the New Mexico Museum of Art – make it a rich cultural place to retire in. The mix of cultures in Santa Fe is like no other in any other city around America, where you find Anglo, Hispanic and Native American cultures beautifully blended.

Your choice of retirement city

You may have to do more research for a place that suits your particular lifestyle and retirement needs but when it comes to weather, affordability, retirement activities and a big population of retirees, these places currently stand out.

Author Bio: James Lander is a regular contributor for Couponing.com, a site that strives to give consumers the best information on couponing and hot deals.

Post from: Senior Money Memos

Best Cities to Retire In

Technorati Tags: Boone, city, Flagstaff, Pittsburg, Santa Fe, Traverse City, Walnut Creek

Other Posts From The Archives

• January 31, 2009 -- Job Loss Everywhere (0)
• January 7, 2009 -- Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt Now (0)
• January 20, 2012 -- This Blog Is For Sale (0)
• April 10, 2009 -- RRIFs Deadline April 14 For Canadian Seniors (2)
• February 23, 2009 -- Recession Perspective (0)

This is a guest post by Sam Peters

If you have been watching any daytime television over the past fifteen years, you know there is strong competition for your mobility dollar. Your government sponsored healthcare is willing to spend big money on your increased mobility and companies are in a marketing war to receive those benefits. Gone are the days of walkers and manual wheelchairs and in are the days of power scooters and wheelchairs. It is easier than ever to keep an active lifestyle.

Medicare Fraud

While there are many options in the electric powered mobility market, there is even more fraud taking place amongst Medicare. While seniors do not need to fear increased bills or any other financial burdens when receiving these devices, the taxpayers are paying over $700 million a year for these power wheelchairs when they could be spending it on better things.

According to The Office of the Inspector General, in 2007 61 percent of power wheelchairs given to those on Medicare did not provide the correct documentation necessary to warrant the devices. Out of those claims, about 9 percent of the wheelchairs were deemed medically unnecessary while 52 percent had errors and misstatements on the claims.

Power Wheelchairs

While the power wheelchair devices cost around $3,000 each for every unit issued, they are rarely, if ever necessary. As recently reported by Fox Business commentator John Stossel, the power wheelchairs, while a novel innovation, are far less effective than cheaper scooter models which can also be subsidized by the government. Doctors and medical suppliers are often in cahoots to increase profits for specific brands and take advantage of tax payers and insurance companies to make their money.

How to Report Abuse

If you believe that you are being used as a pawn in a medical supplier’s scheme you should report abuse as soon as possible. The Medicare website gives some excellent tips on how to spot abuse and fraud first hand. If any of these scenarios happen to you, contact the Medicare hotline at 1800-Medicare:

• Suppliers try to cold call you and offer you a free power wheelchair or scooter out of the blue
• You find charges for medical equipment that has been returned or never received at all
• You are offered to have your copay taken care of by suppliers or your doctor

Just because you are offered a free electric powered device doesn’t mean that it actually free. Think of all the tax burdens you had to pay while earning money as a young worker. Too often there is nothing to show from it but government waste and corruption. By fighting this scourge you can help make the country’s infrastructure better and save money at the same time.

Bio: Sam Peters is a blogger with interests in financial and senior topics including retirement calculators.

Post from: Senior Money Memos

Avoid Fraud In Your Power Mobility Purchase

Technorati Tags: Medicare, mobility, power wheelchair, scam

Related Posts

• November 15, 2011 -- Do Reconditioned Stairlifts Provide a Saving (0)
• October 17, 2009 -- Online Lottery Scams Target Seniors (0)
• September 1, 2009 -- Cheque Over-Payment Scam (1)
• June 23, 2009 -- Drug makers admit taking too much money (0)
• March 25, 2009 -- Grandson Scam (0)