Working with a financial advisor can be a beneficial decision, but that doesn’t mean that you want to spend the money on one. Today, a good financial advisor can cost as much as $400 per hour. While there are times when consulting a financial advisor is best, improving your own financial understanding can help you to make better decisions and save a lot more money in the long run. Let’s explore the tips that every person should know to find financial freedom.
Understand Your Retirement Savings
In the modern world, retirement is something that every single one of us needs to plan for. Having a retirement plan is a crucial part of preparing for the future, but you also need to understand what kind of plan you have and what your limitations are. Too often, people invest in plans with no idea how they work. These plans can act as a tax break annually, but those gains can easily be lost if you try to pull out your money early. Be aware of how much you can contribute, what kind of plan you have, and when you will be able to access it.
Find Your Budget
Budgeting is an essential skill that everyone must master, but it becomes even more of a consideration when it comes to retirement. The data on people of retirement age shows that they average about $46,000 a year in overall budget, which means your plans need to be able to support that. Your budget must consider living expenses, medical expenses, and any extras that you want to include. Make a plan to start saving for the retirement that you want to enjoy down the line.
Be Realistic About Social Security
One of the biggest pills to swallow for modern generations is the fact that Social Security is not something to look forward to. People think that they can count on Social Security, but this really isn’t the case. The average estimated benefit from Social Security is less than $1,500, and this is barely enough to cover rent for most people.
Make Wise Financial Decisions
The hard truth is that the life that you live today will impact the life that you live tomorrow. While certain investments can be beneficial when you are actively making money, this can change significantly when you retire. Retired individuals or couples should be prepared to downsize and live on a set budget. When your income is fixed, you won’t have a choice.
The Takeaway
Having a better financial understanding can help you to make good decisions that will set you up for the future. Before you trust your future to work itself out, take the time to learn more about retirement and the future of the economy. Good decisions today can be life-saving decisions tomorrow.
The human body is a complicated construct, and it is known to change throughout the years. While most of us are well-acquainted with the expected ways that our bodies can change—with pain, medical concerns, and new limitations appearing—people have a tendency to get confused when it comes down to their body’s overall nutrition needs. These needs do change as we get older and must be considered. In this article, we will explore why this happens and what it means for your health.
Nutrition and Overall Health
It is often said that the majority of our health begins in the kitchen, and there is a lot of truth to this sentiment. We all have different nutritional needs that can change in response to a variety of factors. For most of us, it makes sense that someone might eat differently if they’re working out a lot more, but have you ever considered the ways that these needs change simply because our bodies do?
How Our Health Needs Change with Time
As the human body ages, it can go through some very noticeable changes. When we got older, it is common to find ourselves faced with new needs or preferences. Some of these might be related to taste, but the more important considerations often come down to health. The passage of time can influence the ways that our organ’s function, how comfortable we are after eating a certain kind of meal, or even how much we weigh. Being aware of this and accommodating these changes is a crucial part of aging gracefully.
Our nutritional needs are a direct response to our body and lifestyle. These needs might change when you find yourself diagnosed with a new medical condition, like diabetes, or they might change when you find yourself spending less time moving and more time sitting. Your lifestyle and overall health can influence what vitamins you need, and making the right nutritional choices can help you to thrive. Most aging adults need more calcium, Vitamin D, iron, and Vitamin B12 during their later years.
Nourishing Your Body to Suit Your Needs
Growing older isn’t always easy, but it is easier when we nourish our bodies the right way. For those who find themselves struggling with blood sugar changes, it might mean cutting out sweets. For someone who is losing bone density, it might mean changing how much calcium is in your diet. Age brings changes to every system in the body, so it is natural that your nutritional needs will change with it. Above all else, the best nutritional choices as you age will be the ones focused on health: fruits and vegetables, proteins, and plenty of energizing carbs.
The Takeaway
Getting older is inevitable, but the way that we age can be optional. Being aware of how your body’s needs can change, and making dietary changes to accommodate these new needs, can keep you healthy and comfortable in the years to come. To make the best choices, consult a medical professional about your blood work and your body’s individual needs.
Hardworking citizens deserve to retire in comfort, but that isn’t always a guarantee in the real world. All around the United States, state-sponsored retirement plans are an option for employees working for companies of a certain size that don’t offer their own retirement plans. Many people see it as a good opportunity to build a retirement, but there is more to consider with these plans and their limitations. In this article, we will explore what these retirement plans offer—and whether or not they are worth the investment.
What Are State-Sponsored Retirement Plans?
A state-sponsored retirement plan is a retirement option that companies have to offer their employees once the company reaches a certain size if they don’t have their own employer-sponsored plans available. These individual plans can operate in different ways, offering an investment option with a firm that is chosen by the state. State plans can offer a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or pre-tax for employee investment.
These retirement plans are an opportunity for employees to put aside money for retirement. They require employers to put aside a set percentage, with the standard being 3% of an individual’s salary, for their employees. Employees can contribute between $5,500 and $1,000 annually depending on their circumstances. This money builds over time and can be accessed for tax-free withdrawal once the employee hits the designated age. For most plans, the age is 59 ½.
Looking Out for Your Needs
People often consider a retirement plan to be something that will build itself in the background over time, but this isn’t always true. Relying on state programs or programs like Social Security can actually offer an unpleasant experience down the line. Recently, reports revealed that $1,657 was the average monthly payout for Social Security in 2022—an amount that will cover very little compared to the cost of living in most states.
Preparing for the future takes active steps, and it must be done with a keen focus on understanding. Prioritizing your own private retirement investments is a wonderful way to set yourself up for the future without forcing you to rely on the potentially unreliable services offered by others. As much as we want to believe that the states will work these things out, there really isn’t a guarantee at this point.
To take active steps to secure your financial future, it is beneficial to start retirement planning as early as possible. Contribute as much as you can to an individual retirement if you have the option to, and be realistic about how you can alter your budget to support your future. When in doubt, working with a financial planner can help you to build a more reliable retirement.
The Takeaway
Your financial future is in your hands, even if others say that they can help. State-run programs can be a great benefit when you retire, but they simply cannot be your only option in this day and age. Taking steps to prioritize saving money in advance is an excellent step forward. Don’t hesitate to learn more about retirement so you can take better control of your financial future and retire in comfort.
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Original Medicare does not provide any benefits for fitness. Many, but not all, Medicare Advantage Plans and a few Medigap plans include some fitness benefits such as free or reduced-price classes, gym memberships, supplements, etc. If this kind of benefit is important to you, examine the plan brochure carefully.
The more interesting question is, should they be important to you? There is a lot of research that demonstrates that even mild to moderate aerobic and strength training exercise is enormously beneficial to seniors and the disabled. Even a little exercise will help and the more the better.
Exercise improves and maintains functioning, fights depression, reduces pain, increases mobility – the benefits are unlimited! So, in general, having an Advantage or Medigap plan that offers fitness benefits is a good thing.
But is it a good thing for you? If you are a self-starter and self-organizer who can Google a fitness routine and start and keep to it without encouragement, you probably don’t need a fitness benefit.
Buying a pair of two-pound dumbbells or a membership at a local gym, you can benefit greatly from any type of fitness regime.
Many Advantage and Medigap Plans offer the “Silver Sneakers” program of in-person and online exercise classes as a fitness benefit. The classes are worth taking, particularly if you enjoy group activities. Introverts may prefer the online version.
If your plan offers fitness activities, there is usually no cost or obligation to try them, so give them a whirl!
“Social Security and Medicare are going to go bankrupt.” This has been a mantra on the American right since the two programs were founded, in 1935 and 1965 respectively. How true is it? If we define “bankrupt” as “unable to pay all promised benefits out of current revenues”, if nothing changes from the arrangements at present, that point will arrive for Medicare in 2026. At that point, the Hospital Trust Fund, which pays for Part A services, will be able to pay only 90% of its expenses.
The key idea to concentrate on is “…if nothing changes from the arrangements at present.” Those arrangements are taxation of 2.9% of wages in covered employment, with half paid by the employer and half paid by the employees. (The self-employed pay the full 2.9% themselves. Part B is funded by a combination of taxes, general revenues, co-payments from beneficiaries, and premiums from beneficiaries; the premium is $170.10 per month in 2022, except for some higher-income taxpayers.
The solution is simple. More tax revenue, less expenses, or some combination of the two. This would mean reducing payments to providers, raising taxes, increasing payments from general revenues, or some combination of the above. Arithmetically, it’s simple: just put more money in or take less out. Politically, it is not simple at all. There is a lot of ideological baggage attached to any possible solution, and the fight will be fierce. The one thing that one can be certain of is that 63 million Medicare beneficiaries will not be happy if they have to pay more in taxes or receive less in benefits.
A persistent theme on the right in the U.S. is that all of the Medicare and Social Security Trust Fund money has been “borrowed” to pay for other programs, so it really doesn’t exist. It is absolutely true that the law requires that Social Security and Medicare funds collected from taxes and premiums be invested only in U.S. Treasury securities. It is absolutely true that U.S. Treasury securities are government borrowing – a bond is an instrument that pays interest on a capital amount that is loaned to the bond issuer. It is also absolutely true that if the U.S. government runs a deficit, it has spent more than it has taken in – that’s just what a deficit means. But this does not mean that the money is “gone.” The U.S. government still has it on its books as an obligation that has to be paid, and it will be.
Social Security is in the same boat as Medicare: there is a projected point in the future, at which, if nothing changes from president arrangements, Social Security will be unable to pay the full amount of benefits promised. That point is currently projected to be sometime in 2033, at which point the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Trust Fund will be able to pay on 76% of promised benefits.
As with Medicare, that is true only if the present arrangements are unchanged. As with Medicare, paying out less, collecting more in taxes, or some combination of the two is the starting point for a solution.
For both programs, however, “paying less” and “taxing more” demonstrates a woeful lack of imagination. Options such as a wealth (as opposed to income) tax, a value-added tax, investments in the private sector as well as government securities, exist. We just have to hope that our politicians will be thinking creatively before the crunches come.
There are times in life when things don’t quite go accordingly to plan, and sometimes these instances can influence our health for better or worse. Chronic disease is a concept that has been around for ages, but it is taking on more meaning as we learn more about what it is and how it impacts people. In this article, we will explore chronic disease in general and the ways that it might influence your overall wellness.
What is Chronic Disease?
Chronic disease is any kind of disease that is around for the long haul. These diseases can last a few months—or a lifetime. Presented in many different forms, chronic disease can impact our health immediately, and have long-lasting impacts as well. Since chronic disease is an active part of an individual’s life for a long amount of time, the impacts on overall health and wellness can be significant.
How Chronic Disease Influences Wellness
Anyone that has ever been diagnosed with a chronic disease will tell you that it changes the way that you live. Some of these diseases are present at birth, but chronic diseases can also show up later in life. Regardless of their duration, they can influence your wellness in some substantial ways.
Mental and Emotional Fatigue
Chronic disease is known to come with its fair share of mental and emotional fatigue. It can place limitations on the way that you live, forcing you to miss out on big events or even just causing you to wear down with time. Having a chronic disease can be a heavy weight on your life, particularly if it is left unmanaged. Many people struggle to balance chronic disease with maintaining their own mental health.
Physical Fatigue
With any chronic disease, there is generally a degree of physical fatigue. It might be the sapping exhaustion of living with chronic pain, or the drain on your body’s power and resources as your body responds to the disease. For some people, this fatigue can get worse at certain stages of the disease cycle, or it can just get worse with time.
Medication Stresses
Medication can have a big impact on your wellness, and most people with chronic diseases take one or several kinds of medication. It is common for medication to have side effects, and this can put added stress on your body and mind. These stressors can be frustrating, and sometimes they bring worse pain or discomfort.
The Takeaway
Everyone responds to chronic disease differently, and the disease that you have will come with its own hardships. It is clear why disease would impact us, but sometimes it is important to consider how they can impact us as well. To find comfort while living with chronic disease, we must address just how much it really affects us and find the support that we need to keep pushing through.
With each new year, we all get a little bit older, and the years can certainly change our bodies. As we slowly gain more knowledge and a better understanding of what the aging process really looks like, there is more of a focus on what we can do to support our bodies later in life. Let’s explore the best exercises to embrace during your Golden Years so that you can age with grace and comfort!
Walking
There are few exercises more simple or enjoyable than walking, and it is also an excellent opportunity to get plenty of exercise. When we walk, we get our blood pumping and help our muscles to shake out any lingering tension. This low-impact exercise makes it easy for us to increase overall health, particularly in the heart and lungs!
Swimming
You would be hard-pressed to find a doctor that doesn’t believe that swimming is one of the best exercises that seniors can do. As far as exercise methods go, swimming is as low-impact as you can get. It allows us to get plenty of healthy exercise without putting the amount of strain that can come with other forms of exercise. As an added bonus, it is also quite a bit of fun! Whether you are swimming laps or doing water aerobics, you will find that the pool is a great space to promote your wellness, particularly if you have chronic pain or arthritis.
Yoga
With every passing year, more people are developing an interest in yoga, and it is fairly easy to see what is driving this interest. Overall, yoga is a form of exercise that really does cater to the needs of the individual. It can be as simple or as difficult as you make it, allowing you to grow along with it as you explore your practice. Like the other exercises on this list, yoga is low-impact, but it also does wonders for stretching out the muscles and increasing comfort in the joints.
Strength Training
In recent years, a surprising number of seniors are turning to strength training in order to support their health and wellness. Strength training can help us to retain our muscular strength, support our bone density, and increase our mobility. Some people use it to maintain their independence as they age, but others use it to manage pain levels that are associated with chronic disease.
Aerobics
Aerobic exercise has been one of the most popular forms of exercise for seniors who are looking to age with an added bit of grace and style. This heart-friendly exercise option is a great way to remain active and improve your overall mobility. Though levels can vary, this is a good exercise option that should be discussed with a doctor depending on your unique needs.
The Takeaway
Your Golden Years can be some of the best years of your life, and it all gets a lot easier when you pair them with the right exercise. Choosing a good way to stay healthy and active can help you to enjoy the years even more by giving you the power to maintain your comfort and independence, even as the decades pass by!
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One of the greatest things about reaching retirement is having the time, freedom, and flexibility to do what you want, or what you always dreamed of. For a lot of today’s seniors, that includes traveling – both around the country and around the world.
But while jet setting around the globe can bring a sense of adventure and perspective that few other experiences can match, it’s not always as simple as going to your favorite travel website and picking a package that looks great. To truly get the most out of the experience, and your money, takes a little bit of planning and preparation.
Luckily, we have taken tips and advice from seniors, travel writers, and other experts who want to see you hit the road in style. And so, we offer you great travel tips, suggestions and advice that can help you enjoy every phase of your vacation, whether you’re headed just across the border or halfway around the world.
21 Expert Travel Tips
Each travel tip is practical and easy to use, and they are all designed specifically for seniors and retirees just like you, so use them to plan your next trip… and don’t forget to enjoy the journey!
1. Shop Around…Seniors should always be able to get Discounts
No matter where you want to go, there are going to be dozens, if not hundreds, of options for you to choose from when it comes to booking your trip. Although many of us have a favorite travel site, airline, or other vendor, it pays to look around and be sure you’re getting the best deal possible.
As you do, be sure to study the details. Does one package have longer flights or a better room? What do the layovers look like, and what sort of points or rewards can you earn from your travel? Are there places where you can find the same hotel for a lower price?
These are good questions for any traveler to ask, but especially important for seniors, who may be eligible for certain types of discounts, either through the travel companies themselves or other organizations (like the AARP) that have standing agreements with a lot of groups.
2. Make sure you get Travel Insurance
Usually, when you book your trip you’ll be given the option to purchase travel insurance that covers baggage loss, medical expenses while you’re out of the country, and even the price of your flight and hotel if you are forced to cancel your vacation or come back early. Given that these are usually inexpensive, it’s a good idea to take the insurance unless you’re absolutely certain you’re covered in some other way.
The reason is simple: Like the other forms of insurance that seniors rely on, travel insurance turns out to be an incredibly good value at the moment you realize you need it.
If things go perfectly on your trip, and you never need your travel insurance, then that’s a great thing. But having it in place keeps you protected, and can help you enjoy your trip even more by giving you the peace of mind that comes with having it.
3. Avoid Hidden Travel Fees
Many seniors assume that their cell phones, credit cards, and other personal items won’t work when they’re out of the country. Rest assured that most of them will… just at a massively inflated fee. To avoid paying them, you need to find out what services are available, and at what costs, before you leave home.
Take the time to investigate things like international calling plans and currency exchange fees with your wireless carrier and bank a few weeks ahead of your trip. If you explain where you’re going, and for how long, the companies you already work with can probably set you up on something that will meet your needs for a modest fee. Wait until you’ve already left, however, and you might be in for a nasty surprise.
If you’ve never had the joy of finding out that a quick phone call made to relatives back home cost you $40 on your international roaming plan, then you probably can’t truly appreciate the wisdom of this suggestion. Take our word for it and avoid hidden travel fees before your trip, because it’s going to save you a lot of stress and money later.
4. Write down your Travel Plans
Once you have chosen a vacation package, decided where to go and what to see, and so on, then it’s time to put it all into writing. As much fun as it might be to simply book a ticket and take to the skies, smart travelers know that the more you have written down, the fewer problems you’re likely to have later.
What sort of things need to go on your travel itinerary? You should start with basics, like a calendar, copies of your airline and hotel reservations (with confirmation numbers), addresses, emergency contact telephone numbers, and other critical details. Having them all in one place makes things more convenient and you’ll want them in case of an emergency.
Don’t stop with just making just one. Give a copy to every person in your group, and one or two contacts back at home. If you really want to be prepared, laminate them or cover them in a plastic coating to be sure that you’ll still be able to read and use them in bad weather.
5. Get Your Shots
Even with the advancements of modern medicine, it’s an unfortunate fact that there are many parts of the world that still harbor nasty bugs and illnesses. If you can help it, you really don’t want one of them to ruin your trip, and the easiest way to protect yourself is by getting a few shots well in advance of your travel date.
In many cases, you can get these from your regular doctor, or very affordably at a local travel clinic. All you have to do is let them know what region of the world you’ll be visiting, and for how long. For a few dollars, they can normally give you all the shots you need and send you right on your way.
Nobody looks forward to getting stuck by a needle, but believe us when we tell you that it’s a much better option than contracting an avoidable virus.
6. Bring the Right Medicines
Speaking of your health, don’t neglect it while you’re away. It’s a good idea to have any prescription medications with you when you travel, of course, but also a week or two’s worth of extra supplies just in case you are delayed.
In addition to existing prescriptions, you might talk to your doctor about prescribing a few other medications that you can bring in case you want them later. For instance, having a mild antibiotic on hand can be particularly helpful, especially if you’re visiting a part of the world you haven’t been to before. The same goes for medicine to help with a sour stomach, and possibly a sleep aid.
In most cases, you won’t have a need for these extra medicines, but taking them with you and having them at the ready can help you save the time you would have spent at a health clinic explaining your problems and needs, especially if foreign languages are spoken in your destination.
7. Have an Emergency Medical Plan
One last note about medical care: If you or someone in your group has a serious condition that could require immediate attention, then it’s not a bad idea to bring the names, addresses, and map locations of some area hospitals at your destination with you.
Additionally, you might bring some information about your medical history and/or condition printed in the local language, as this could drastically cut down the time needed for physicians to help you. This is especially important if you could require the services of a specialist, or if the condition is rare.
Obviously, it’s a personal decision to decide whether or not to undergo long-distance travel with a serious medical condition, and there certainly are risks to factor in. If you do decide to head overseas, however, then make it as easy as possible to get help at your destination if you should need it.
8. Get the Best Kind of Advice
Two big advantages that seniors have over younger travelers are that they know the value of experience, and that they often have friends, colleagues, and relatives who travel around the world. To make the most of your international trip, make use of both.
Often, the best travel advice for a specific destination – not to mention the best restaurants, hotels, and other hotspots – isn’t found in a guidebook, but from a personal recommendation. If you know someone who has already spent a lot of time in the area you want to visit, see if they are willing to share some of their insights over dinner or a cup of coffee.
Or, if you don’t know anyone personally who has lived, worked, or traveled frequently to the place you want to vacation, ask around. There’s a very good chance that someone in your circle of contacts knows someone else who can give you the kind of pointers you’re looking for.
9. Pack Less for Longer Trips
As a rule of thumb, you should pack more for a longer trip, right? Actually, you might want to do just the opposite. Here’s why: The longer time you’ll be spending away from your home, the more things you can affordably buy at your destination.
As an example, you might want to pack five sets of clothes for a journey that will take up most of the week. But what if you are leaving the country for a month? In that case, you’re probably better off packing two or three good outfits and finding a local Laundromat.
The same goes for things like food and toiletries. Why spend a lot of time packing soap and shaving cream, when you could just buy it at your destination? Think very carefully about the length of your trip and the costs associated with buying what you need after you have landed. You’ll find that more often than not, longer trips require you to pack less, not more.
10. Think Convenience, Not High Fashion
We all like to look good, but when it comes to being a good traveler, comfort and utility beats being fashionable every time. Packing items like synthetic underwear, breathable, rain-resistant jackets, and shoes that can work as well on a walking tour as they can a night on the town probably isn’t going to make you feel stylish. What it will do, though, is keep you warm, dry, and comfortable while taking up very little space in your luggage.
If you don’t already own these items, then consider purchasing some of them if you’re going to be doing a lot of travel, now or in the future. You only need a few things to last you through even the longest trip, and so quality travel clothing can actually pay for itself pretty quickly.
11. Document Your Own Belongings
The only thing worse than losing items like luggage, credit cards, or a smart phone while you’re out of the country is losing them and having no way to replace them. Besides the aforementioned insurance, your best protection against this type of situation is to make a quick inventory of everything that’s going with you. Note things like model numbers, serial numbers, colors, and sizes. In fact, you might even want to take pictures of your luggage and belongings that can be kept with you on a thumb drive.
While this is undoubtedly a lot of cautionary work, in reality it shouldn’t take you more than an hour, and the inventory can be reused for successive trips. And like many of the other tips in this guide, you won’t think about it again unless you have a need… but if you do, you’ll be very glad that you took the time to do it.
12. Give Yourself All the Time You Need… And Maybe a Little More
We’ve all seen the men and women sprinting their way through the airport from one gate to another. Some of us may have even been that person a time or two. But when it comes time to depart for your trip, make things easy on yourself and leave extra time in your schedule to get to the airport, find your gate, and do things like go through security.
This is one of those life lessons that could probably apply to just about anyone, but for seniors traveling in airports they don’t know – especially ones that are overseas – it’s important to leave enough room on the clock. That’s because a number of foreign airports require trains, buses, and even long walks to get from one terminal to another. Although you will almost always see signs in English, they may not indicate how far it is from one area to another, so try not to push tight connections more often than you have to.
13. Speak the language
It’s hard to enjoy yourself in a foreign country when you can’t understand what anyone is saying, or vice versa. Besides, knowing at least a handful of words in the local language won’t just make things easier, but can earn you better service and save you some money. From cab drivers to market hagglers, a large number of men and women who regularly work with tourists gauge your ability and willingness to pay higher prices on your command of their native tongue.
So, if you have some time to prepare for your trip, brush up on the language you’ll be speaking. There are all kinds of books, evening courses, and software packages that can help you learn the basics of a new language quickly. If you are a senior who wants to get the most out of your overseas travel, then any of these options is worth investing a little bit of time and money into.
14. Beware the Food and Water
It’s almost cliché to warn retirees about the various illnesses and stomach ailments that you can get from water, ice cubes, and street food in other countries, but the fact remains that these are probably your biggest health concerns. For all the attention paid to things like crime and terrorism, you are far more likely to pick up a stomach bug in another country than you are to be mugged or ripped off.
Aside from drinking water from bottles and avoiding meals from suspicious-looking carts on street, your best defense against indigestion and food poisoning is to read a few reviews of the eatery you are considering beforehand. Even if it’s not in an area frequented by tourists, you’ll probably find that others have tried it and can share their impressions. So long as no one reports having gotten violently ill, there’s probably nothing to worry about.
15. Don’t Stick Out
Hotels, airlines, and tour companies aren’t the only ones who make big money off tourists. In most parts of the world, and not just the poorest countries, there are small but significant industries that spring up around petty crimes like pick pocketing and credit card theft.
The easiest way not to be a victim is to simply not look like a victim. Thieves and con artists don’t go after just anyone; they will typically look for seniors who are wearing expensive jewelry, carrying around large cameras, and squinting at oversized street maps.
Obviously, there may be times when you’ll want to have and use all of these items. Nonetheless, if you can avoid looking like you just stepped off the plane to snap a few pictures, then you are going to seem like a much harder target to the people who would like to steal your things. Keep your eyes open, blend in at least a little bit, and they’ll devote their attention to someone else.
16. Use Your Head
While this goes hand in hand with the last piece of advice, beware of anything that looks or sounds too good to be true. If you find yourself being offered a “free tour” of a landmark you’ve never heard of, catching the aggressive affections of a very attractive person who’s half your age, or getting an unheard-of price on a luxury good, then investigate the situation very, very carefully before moving forward.
Just as low-level thieves look for obvious tourists, most of the worst kinds of crimes that happen to seniors overseas are as much the result of bad decisions as they are complicated deceptions. The people who want to rob you will rarely ever come right out and say so (at least at first), so it’s up to you to keep yourself out of situations that are going to seem like obvious scams when you look back on them later.
17. Be Smart With Currencies
A lot of seniors, when headed overseas, like to just pack a combination of cash, credit cards, and travelers’ checks. While this isn’t a bad strategy, generally speaking, it’s not the best for every circumstance. In some parts of the world, credit cards still aren’t widely accepted, for example, and in others it can be very difficult (or expensive) to cash travelers checks.
Further adding to the problem is that in some regions – and especially in developing countries – U.S. dollars may be preferred to the local currency. All of this can quickly add up to an enormous headache if you have brought the wrong kind of money, or find that you need to make a purchase for something you forgot (like an umbrella, or dinner) quickly without visiting a bank.
The solution? Ask pointed questions about currencies beforehand, and visit a couple of travel forums online. It shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to find out what the locals prefer and what the least expensive options for handling currencies are.
18. Make Your Rest Time Count
Usually, when seniors think of international travel, they imagine seeing ancient wonders, trying new foods, and experiencing the best of the world firsthand. What they often forget, however, is that all of that excitement can really take it out of you.
All the wonderful activities you have planned for your trip won’t feel so great if you’re constantly yawning, dragging your feet, and waiting to crawl back into bed. For that reason, it’s important that you don’t just make the most of the activities on your vacation, but also the rest time that you have.
From long flights to evenings spent in the hotel, make sure to take advantage of things like travel pillows, earplugs, and sleep masks that make it easy to ignore the outside world and get some sleep. If you’re the kind of person who is easily woken, you might also consider getting a prescription for a light sleep medication.
It can be harder than you would think to rest when you’re excited and in a new environment, but tossing and turning all night isn’t going to help you enjoy your travel.
19. Find the Right Tour Group
If it’s your first time visiting a particular city, attraction, or part of the world, then you might want to sign up for a tour group to make the most of your visit. These can be a lot of fun, and a great value, but make sure that you don’t just sign up for any tour.
Although some locations may regularly feature tours for everyone, most will offer guided visits specifically for seniors. These typically move at a slower pace and have longer question-and-answer periods, so you won’t be rushed along by groups of students or those who just want to take a few pictures and move on. Additionally, some senior tours will offer access for those in wheelchairs, or shorter walking distances if you prefer to walk instead.
Remember, your vacation is all about seeing what you want in comfort, so don’t be shy about asking for the tour group that’s right for you.
20. Be Flexible With Your Itinerary
Although we advised you to create a written itinerary and calendar before you leave home, make sure that it has a little bit of wiggle room so that you can change things on the fly when you need to. One of the most fun parts about traveling overseas is experiencing the unexpected – you never know when you’ll come across a person or place you’re going to want to spend more time with.
Having an extra day or two at the beginning of your trip, to recover from jet lag, or at the end of each section, makes the whole experience a lot more relaxing. And, if you find that you’d rather move on to the next part of your trip, changing a flight or train reservation usually doesn’t take much more than a phone call.
21. Have a Great Time, and Take Lots of Pictures!
Ultimately, the point of each of these tips is to help you enjoy your travel more. And no matter what, remember that having a good time is the point of all of this. For most seniors, international travel is something that they’ve worked hard for and dreamed of their entire lives. It’s only right that you take advantage and make the most of every second.
While you’re away, also remember to keep something to take snapshots with handy. Regardless of whether you are a camera buff or the kind of person who snaps photos with their cell phone, you are undoubtedly going to come across some settings and experiences you’ll want to share with your friends and family later. With good pictures, you get to enjoy the best vacations twice, so be sure to use up lots of film.
One last thing: After your trip is over, be sure to tell us and other seniors how it went. Who knows? Maybe you’ll have such a great time that you will be planning another international trip again soon!
Does My Medicare Plan Provide Coverage for My Spouse?
When people say “my Medicare Plan” it is often hard to tell if they mean Original Medicare, a Medicare Advantage Plan, or a Medigap plan. In what follows, we are referred to Part A, hospital insurance, only.
Who Gets Covered on Whose Plan?
The answer to “does my Medicare cover my spouse” is always “no” because Medicare was designed from the very beginning as coverage for each individual, not couples. The real question is, “can my spouse be covered based on my Social Security earning record?”, and the answer there, as with so much else in Medicare, is “it depends.”
The Role of Work
To be eligible for Social Security, and therefore for Medicare, one normally must have worked in covered employment for 40 quarters, or ten years. The variations come in when one spouse meets the 40-quarter requirement and the other doesn’t.
If one spouse meets the 40-quarter requirement and the other doesn’t, the nonworking spouse is covered based on the earnings record of the working spouse when both turn 65. No premium is charged. Part A is free.
If the working spouse is at least 62 and the non-working spouse is over 65, the non-working spouse is eligible for Medicare as soon as the working spouse turns 62. No premium is charged. If the working spouse is younger than 62, the spouse over 65 can get Medicare Part A by paying a premium until the working spouse attains 62. The premium for Part A is $471 per month in 2021 if you spouse worked less than 30 quarters and $259 if your spouse worked between 20 and 39 quarters.
The Effects of Divorce and Marriage
A divorced spouse may be eligible for Medicare at 65 based on a spouse’s earnings record if they were married to the former spouse for at least ten years. To qualify based on your spouse’s earnings record, you must have been married at least a year.
If you’re widowed or a widower and were married for at least nine months, you can qualify on your deceased spouse’s earnings record.
If there were multiple marriages and divorces, you can qualify for Medicare based on the earnings record of only one spouse.
The Effect of Disability
Those who receive Social Security disability are eligible for premium-free Medicare after two years from the date they were found disabled. Because of the way Social Security treats disability earnings, you may qualify based on your own earnings record even if you do not have 40 quarters (ten years) of covered employment.
If all the foregoing is less than clear to you, you’re not alone. If you have questions, contact your local Social Security office, which also handles Medicare issues. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE to contact Medicare directly.
There are plenty of changes that come with getting older, both physically and mentally. Aging seniors have been known to find out very quickly that the later years can bring a change in mental health and wellness. Getting older isn’t always easy, and for a lot of seniors, it comes with a healthy dose of isolation. This can be devastating, but it is not inevitable. In this article, we will discuss the ways that seniors can combat depression and increase overall wellness through fitness.
Seniors and Mental Health
Our mental health can change throughout the years for a variety of reasons. As we get older, those reasons have a tendency to show up more often than we might expect. Aging can come with decreased physical health, unpleasant limitations, personal struggles, and loss. It is normal for seniors to see their social circles getting smaller throughout the years. For this reason and countless others, seniors can find themselves feeling isolated and even depressed.
How Fitness Influences Our Overall Wellness
There are many different ways to improve how we feel about ourselves and the lives that we lead. Fitness is one of the biggest influencers when it comes to improving our health and wellness, and that doesn’t go away just because we get older. If anything, fitness can become even more important for wellness as we get older.
Physical Benefits
Fitness brings our bodies a great deal of assistance when we embrace it. The physical benefits that are associated with exercise can be plentiful, and a lot of them are great for helping us to age with more comfort. When we actively embrace fitness and live more active lifestyles, we encourage our bodies to thrive by offering additional support.
In general, exercise is good for the body. It helps to strengthen our muscles, and it can also have positive impacts on how the systems in our body work. This can help us to experience less pain and to maintain independence and higher activity levels over time. Active seniors are more likely to spend time with friends and family, and to feel more independent, even as they age.
Mental Benefits
While the physical benefits of exercise are wonderful, the mental benefits are nothing to scoff at. Physical activity can go a long way when it comes to giving your mind a boost. It encourages our bodies to share more of the good chemicals, which can help to decrease instances of depression or anxiety. People who are physically active are generally happier, and this becomes more important during our later years.
The Takeaway
Too often, we normalize the idea that aging has to be an unpleasant experience. In reality, it often becomes an indicator of how you treat your body. Seniors that get exercise are more likely to live healthy and fulfilling lives, even as the years tick by. Exercise can help you to maintain mobility, empower you to head out to lunch with friends, and make it possible for you to see your grandkids grow up too. Choosing to be more active can help you to live a happier and more positive life, so remember to make decisions that push you towards that brighter future!
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