5 Best Books on Baby Boomers and Retirement

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In 2011, a record 2.8 million Americans turned 65 and became eligible for Medicare and this year, more will be become new enrollees. As a baby boomer, you are likely a newcomer to Medicare and if there is one piece of advice I recommend you take to heart, it is this: don’t wait until the last minute to start planning your Medicare enrollment.

Relax. You’re not locked into the same Medicare plan forever. You can change your Medicare Advantage coverage and prescription drug coverage once a year, and some Medicare supplement plans allow you to enroll at any time. If you take your time before your 65th birthday, the decision-making process should be easier.

Learn the basics. Trying to understand Medicare can make anyone’s head spin. Medicare is a different type of health insurance plan than you may be used to, so before you get inundated with sales pitches and unsolicited advice, try to understand the basics.

There are three basic ways to cover yourself: Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), with a Part D prescription drug plan; Medicare Advantage Plan, which can include vision, dental and prescription drug coverage; and a Medicare Supplement plan which fills certain gaps in Original Medicare.

Figure out what you can afford. It sounds simple, but if you haven’t estimated what your retirement income will be, start doing that math before you enroll in Medicare.

Calculate your income after Social Security benefits, pensions, IRA and 401(k) savings, etc. Then, create a list of monthly expenses including rent, utilities and food, as well as other things like your prescription drug costs. Subtract your expenses from your income to develop a good sense of what you can afford to spend on Medicare on a monthly basis.

Next, look at your savings and think about what kind of a Medicare deductible you can afford if you have a large medical expense. Once you know what you can afford to pay each month for premiums and prescription drugs, as well as what type of annual deductible you could afford if you have an unexpected illness or injury, you’re ready to start comparing plans.

In most states there are 10 standard types of Medicare Supplement plans. For the purposes of this article, I’m using the N supplement plans as an example.

There are many Medicare Supplement N plans available on PlanPrescriber.com if you input your zip code into our tool. There may be additional supplement N plans available in the county that are not listed on the site. Plan prices don’t typically vary within a county, but be sure to use the zip code where you live when you research your options.

Consider your health when making decisions. Your health status will help determine the type of Medicare coverage that best suits your needs. Talk to your doctor about the types of illnesses you’re at risk for later in life, based on your current health status and family history.

Some Medicare Supplement plans don’t allow you to enroll later in life, and those that do may cost you more money. So, you want choose a plan that will fit your budget today, and in 15 years. And, if you take prescription drugs use a drug comparison tool, to help you pick a plan that covers your drugs at the lowest possible cost.

Consider your travel plans. Whether you travel internationally or to different states, it’s important to understand the circumstances under which you’ll be covered. There are Medicare supplement plans that provide travel emergency health care coverage when you’re in foreign countries. If you migrate to another state for several months each year, look for Medicare plans that will cover you outside of designated networks. However, original Medicare and most Medicare supplement plans are good in any location in the United States.

Question brand loyalty. Some Medicare supplement and Medicare Advantage plans come from companies you’ve heard of. If there is a brand you trust, investigate their coverage and consider it as an option. But, price is also an important factor. Don’t pay more for the exact same coverage, because you like the name of the insurer.

All Medicare supplement plans are required to offer the same benefits, but the costs can vary widely. So a Medicare supplement K plan from one insurer must – by law – cover the same services as a Medicare supplement K plan from another insurer in your area. Again, using a good online comparison tool helps you compare plans and prices side-by-side so you can make an informed decision.

Ask for help. Medicare is complex, but there are a number of resources available online, by phone and in person. In addition to online sites like PlanPrescriber, you can contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for assistance. SHIPs receive federal funding to provide free local health insurance counseling to people with Medicare. Also, the federal government has created 1-800-MEDICARE to provide information about Medicare coverage and costs, as well as health plan options.

Giving yourself the time to research and consider your Medicare coverage options can pay off.

Ross Blair is President and CEO of Plan Prescriber, Inc., www.PlanPrescriber.com , a leading provider of comparison tools and educational materials for Medicare-related insurance products.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has neither reviewed nor endorsed the information provided by PlanPrescriber.

The flu is a serious and potentially deadly disease that hospitalizes hundreds of thousands of Americans and kills thousands more every year. I want to do everything I can to help protect myself and my family from influenza and its related complications, which is why I make sure we all get our flu shots each and every year.

When my daughter Kristi was younger, I knew that getting the flu could ruin her dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal. In fact, during the 1988 Olympics, we saw another figure skater who was unable to compete due to a severe case of the flu. That really helped emphasize the importance of a flu shot even more for our family.

Influenza vaccination isn’t just important for athletes. Everyone 6 months of age and older is recommended for annual vaccination, and it is especially important that older adults like me get vaccinated. As we age, our immune systems often get weaker, and we might not be able to fight the flu as well as we used to. I encourage others who are 65 years of age and older to talk to their health care provider to learn more about the seriousness of influenza and the flu vaccine options for our age group.

To help increase vaccination rates, the American Lung Association’s Faces of Influenza campaign has worked for the past six years to show all Americans that they are among the many “faces” of influenza. This year, Kristi and I are spearheading the initiative to boost influenza immunization rates among family members of all generations. Mothers often are the primary health care decision-makers of the family, and it’s important we ensure our entire family, from children, husband and grandparents, get a flu shot every year.

It’s also important to recognize that there is still plenty of time to get vaccinated if you haven’t already done so. Many Americans associate influenza with the fall, but you may be surprised to learn that during many flu seasons, influenza activity doesn’t peak until winter or early spring. In fact, virus activity peaked in February or later in approximately half of the past 35 flu seasons.

Talk to your health care provider about your best options for influenza immunization, and put vaccination on your family’s “to-do” list now to make sure you have a happy and healthy holiday season and a great start to the new year.

http://www.onlineuniversities.com/13-secondary-effects-of-the-boomerang-generation

“In 1960, just nine percent of adult children lived with parents. Today, that number is closer to 17%, and grows to a whopping 52% when limited to new college grads. While high, the figures make sense when you consider the rather rough circumstances new graduates face when entering the real world. High debt from college loans and few job opportunities make it difficult for young adults to make it on their own, making it increasingly common to move back in with parents for support after graduation.

This phenomenon has long-reaching ramifications that extend well beyond those first few post-college years, however, both for parents and students. We take a look here at some of the secondary effects of the ever expanding Boomerang Generation and what they mean for the finances, attitudes, psychology, and future of parents and grads living through these strange times.“

It is estimated that over 35 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss. The most common type of hearing loss is age-related hearing loss; and as the population within the western world is expected to live longer; it stands to reason that there will be even more cases of age-related hearing loss.

In this article we will take a closer look at the two most common types of hearing loss, age-related and noise-induced hearing loss. The purpose of which is to create more awareness to this type of disability and to detail various options for those with hearing loss to consider.

Age-Related Hearing Loss

Within the cochlea of the inner ear, tiny hair cells are tasked with transferring information contained within incoming sound to the nerve fibres responsible for transmitting this information to those areas in the brain which deal with our sense of hearing.

When these hair cells deteriorate or are damaged due to the natural ageing process, hearing loss may occur. The level of hearing loss will vary from one person to the next depending on the severity of the damage and other conditions that may also be present within the ear. Age related hearing loss is not exclusive to the very old. Deterioration in hearing ability can be observed in some individuals as early as their 40s. In most cases, the hearing loss takes place as a gradual deterioration over a number of years, and is often ignored until the effects become very noticeable to others.

There is currently no cure for age-related hearing loss. Individuals diagnosed with this type of hearing loss can use a number of devices to manage the effects of the loss, but the underlying hearing loss will be permanent. The inner hair cells essential within the hearing pathway do not regenerate once damaged. The most common device used is a hearing aid, a mini-computer housed in a variety of styles that can amplify external sound and deliver this sound into the ear canal of the wearer. Other popular options are called ‘assistive listening devices’ that amplify sound for specific applications such as from home or cell phones; doorbells; alarm clocks or the television.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

When it comes to noise induced hearing loss, although area of pathology also involves the hair cells of the inner ear, the cause of the deterioration/damage is from an external source. Prolonged exposure to harmful levels of noise can destroy the hair cells. The level of resultant hearing loss will greatly depend on the duration of exposure, closeness to the noise source and the level of noise.

Those diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss are usually provided with the same options as those with age related hearing loss. Emphasis however should also be placed on prevention of further hearing loss. In the workplace, employers often take a combination of steps to reduce the risk of hearing loss. The most common being pre-emptive steps in the form of noise level assessments, introducing clear guidelines and safety procedures, wearing hearing protection and giving employees access to regular hearing tests. In our private lives there are no ‘government regulations’ to follow and no laws to adhere to. To avoid damage from noise, individuals should use hearing protection and refrain from placing themselves in noisy situations without due care and attention.

Hearing loss that is simply ignored can lead to other problems. These well-documented issues include social exclusion and reduced interaction with others, feelings of embarrassment, anxiety or even depression; all contributing to diminished quality of life. To relieve any concerns about possible hearing loss, a hearing test should be done. This test is relatively quick and non-invasive.

Joan McKechnie BSc Hons Audiology & Speech Pathology at hearing aids company Hearing Direct. You can read her blog for more information on hearing loss.

Hi, my name is Tim Cronin. I am 58 years old. I was just like you. If you’re one of the Baby Boomer Generation who’s hurting right now the purpose of this article is to show you a way out. We Baby Boomers listened to the advice our parents gave us, didn’t we? You know, they told us to get a good education, go to college, get a good job, work really hard, put money away for retirement and then we would live happily ever after. Am I right? Then what happened?
We did all the things we were supposed to do only to be screwed by Corporate Greed and Government Incompetence! Through no fault of our own, the Baby Boomer Generation was pushed over the proverbial cliff! Millions of Baby Boomers have reached the age when they were planning to retire but cannot because they are BROKE!

Are you among the masses of Boomers who are unemployed? Or are you “under-employed”? That is, working a job that pays drastically less than you are accustomed. If you are in your late 50’s or 60’s and been laid off, who’s going to hire you? You can be easily replaced by a twenty-something with awesome computer skills that will take the same job for half the salary! Has your 401K Plan turned into a 201K plan? Has your stock portfolio lost most of its value? Are you being forced to foreclose on your home? The odds are that you are among the 80% of Baby Boomers who cannot make it to retirement because you simply do not have the resources or the means.

So how do these Baby Boomers start over?

Let me confess. I was one of these people. I got lost my high paying job over two years ago. One day I was called into the HR Managers office and BAM! They whacked me. Some trumped up B.S. about reorganization and cost cutting, blah, blah, blah. Twenty years of my blood, sweat and tears and they kicked me to the curb. I was devastated. It quickly became apparent to me that I was not going to get another job that would pay me what my lifestyle required. It was time to go to Plan B. Lucky for me I had managed a large Information Technology company, which enabled me to acquire an intimate knowledge of the power of the internet! So I decided that I would take that knowledge and learn everything I could about internet marketing. So I spent every waking hour absorbing as much as I could about making money with a home based online marketing business!

The good news is that I cracked the code! I figured out how to earn a great income using the latest and greatest internet marketing tools like Facebook, Google, YouTube, Affiliate Marketing and much, much more! And the GREAT NEWS is that I am going to teach what I’ve learned to you! My Mission is to help Baby Boomers like me to recover financially by tapping into the most powerful money making invention in the history of mankind: THE INTERNET!

Most of what I’ll show you is FREE! And what’s not free is very low cost! And you don’t need advance computer skills! All you really need is access to a computer with an internet connection, some time, a coachable mindset, and a BURNING desire to learn and succeed! I’m going to show and teach you My Plan B!

Sound too good to be true? Yeah, maybe. But it is going to require A LOT of hard work! But we Baby Boomers are used to working hard right? I can’t guarantee that you’ll be successful. But I promise you I will be dedicated to helping you in any way I can!

Are you ready to get started?

Step # 1-    Click on this link: Your Plan B_ Fill in the opt-in box with your information. You will receive 7 FREE videos about starting an Affiliate Partner internet marketing business. (I’m not going to ask you to join a MLM company!)

Step #2-    Visit My Blog: http://thevaluemarketingcoach.com Read some of my blog posts and sign up for all the free video trainings! Read the post about Affiliate Online Marketing!

Step # 3-   Go to my Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/valuemarketingcoach.com When at my FB page click on “Like”. If you don’t have a Facebook account yet you NEED one! It’s required for you’re internet marketing education and success!

Step # 4- Email me: tim@thevaluemarketingcoach.com and we’ll get you started on a plan to build an Affiliate Partner Marketing Business!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Become A Person Of Value,

Tim Cronin
The Value Marketing Coach

Forget the fact that inane reality shows and talent contests have polluted the TV landscape, leaving very little prime time slots for good entertainment, but recently, even the shows that I like to watch are beginning to suck.  The only TV I watch real-time is news programs and some sports.  But I enjoy recording many shows on my DVR and watching them at my leisure.  These include things like the CSI programs, the NCIS programs, Criminal Minds, Fringe, the various Law & Order shows, and several others.  I like interesting shows with believable plots and stories.  However, when the storytellers for a good show get lazy and do not take the time to keep things believable, or even let things get to the point where they are insulting the intelligence of the viewer, it pisses me off.

One disturbing trend is the need of a couple of these series to create super villains with unrealistic luck and abilities.  The original CSI has gone down this path with this Haskell character.  I was just watching the episode that takes place in LA, and had to shut it off and delete it from my DVR.  The plots are contrived with a combination of impossible luck and cunning on the part of the villain, and unbelievable stupidly on the part of the main characters.  The same thing happened with Criminal Minds with Emily and her enemy from the past.  Sudden stupidity which is uncharacteristic for the main characters, along with super abilities and luck for the villains are just cheap tricks to try and make the episodes more sensational.  The stories and entertainment value is lost because of this.

CSI Miami has been doing this for quite a while.  In their competition to out do each other in sensationalism, mane of these good shows are screwing up and falling into the pit of stupidity!  So far, the NCIS shows have maintained most of their quality.

This documentary features people in their 90s and 100s who are living extraordinary and passionate lives. Filmmaker Susan Polis Schutz has interviewed some of the most incredible people you can imagine – people who aren’t aware of chronological age at all, but live as though the future and youth spring eternal.

Their product is our financial information.  The quality of their product, and any harm their product does, is not their responsibility!  What other industry can get away with that?

BB