HAPPY ABOUT BEING A BABY BOOMER:

Yesterday, June 25th, 2009, was a real shocker. We lost two of our own, both Baby Boomers, at the opposite ends of the Boomer age range. Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson left their imprint on acting and singing, and their legacies will live on. When I see people my own age die (whether they are ordinary people or famous celebrities), I begin to wonder about our supposed longevity again. I think it serves to remind us to live more in the present, because longevity is not guaranteed. Statistically, there is a likelihood that we will live longer, but many of us won't make it.

I've had a lot of conversations with my Boomer friends lately, many of whom were featured in Chapter 8 of the book (Personal Stories). It seems that everyone is affected in some way by the current economic crisis, and many Boomers are having to re-examine the income side of their retirement plan. Most everyone's 401k and IRA accounts have taken a hit, so we are resigned to figuring out where else to find the money; the most common source will be from working, and working more years than we thought. Ouch, a real re-balancing act.

To celebrate spring (oh, and the April 15th tax deadline), I am offering a special price of $12.00 each (or 2 for $23) !!! This special pricing is ONLY AVAILABLE via email, NOT the "Buy the Book" button above. Send an email to this address:

Okay Boomers, it's that time of year. Get out that shoebox full of receipts from 2008 and put together your Where'd It Go? report for 2008. It's especially important to do this now because you may need to make some serious adjustments in your spending this year to prepare for our deteriorating economy (and the hit that your 401(k)s took in the last few months). So get out your books, turn to page 27 and get to work. Don't have the book?

Well, Boomers, the next few years will be rocky!! That's my take on the election results and the subsequent dive in the markets. Hold onto your investments and don't do anything rash. Wait for things to settle down on the economic front. Remember that you won't have to dip into those IRAs or 401(k)s just yet, so things can turn around. Even though things look grim right now, the market will come back up at some point. If you're very close to retiring from your job, you might want to consider staying a little longer --to help pay that mortgage and continue your health insurance.

Posted September 30, 2008
What a wild week, and it's not over yet! My fellow Boomers and I are wondering about the impact to our retirement plans, in other words, will be able to??? My advice: calm down, retrieve your baseline Longevity Plan and take a look at it to assess the impact.

I have been learning about this growing trend of "aging in place", mainly because my 88-year-old mother is doing just that. What I didn't know was the infinite range of in-home services available; it is quite remarkable. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, "aging in place' refers to an alternative to assisted living or nursing home care for the elderly. It means the person is able to stay in their home with services brought to them.

This month, I want to talk about the housing crisis! Yikes, do we all have to downsize NOW? I was thinking maybe 10 years down the road, but now it may be time to do it sooner. Depending on the fluctations in housing prices and mortgage rates in your local area, it may be time to re-evaluate your plan.

I found the book very helpful for our future planning and allocation of retirement funds.