Retirement

• Buying Guide - A Buyer's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance

  Find the best long-term care insurance policy for your needs. Understand their costs, benefits, extra perks, and the common loopholes to avoid.

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - A Toast to Aging Well

  A tribute to a dad on the occasion of his 75th birthday.

• Blog Post - Going For Broke? Seniors Turn to Newer Loans To Avoid Cash Crunch

  Seniors hurt by the tough economy are raising money using reverse mortgages, life insurance settlements and 401k loans. In exchange for up-front cash, your parent may lose future equity or investment gains, so help them make smart money choices.

• Blog Post - Aging Artfully, Part 1

  How you can age artfully by pursuing your passions

• Blog Post - A "Sandwiched" Daughter Says Enough is Enough

  A "sandwich generation" caregiver describes how asking for help saved her sanity — and her family.

• Blog Post - Robots and Other High-Tech Solutions Help Seniors Stay at Home

  New high-tech monitoring systems allow seniors to age in place with greater safety and freedom, but also raise privacy concerns.

• Blog Post - A Brave New World for the Old

  Find out how new gadgets and technologies, like housecleaning robots and Personal Emergency Response Systems, can make living safer and more comfortable for seniors.

• Blog Post - My father seems interested in moving in with me -- and I don't want him to.

  At 81, my dad has Parkinson's, three heart stents,...

• Blog Post - "Leisureville" Paints Retirement Community Seniors as 24-Hour Party People

  Leisureville, a new book on a massive child-free retirement community, portrays seniors as 24-hour party people.

• Blog Post - Quick Quiz: Should Your Parents Stay at Home or Move?

  Quiz to help adult children figure out whether aging parents can stay at home or should move to retirement communities.

• Blog Post - When Money Is Tight, More People Cut Back on Healthcare

  During these rocky economic times, an increasing number of people are saving money by cutting back on spiraling health care costs.

• Blog Post - Lifestyles of the Rich and Retired

  As retirement housing options expand, cruise ships have joined luxury hotel chains in offering high-end retirement destinations.

• Blog Post - I took the brunt of my dad's nastiness my whole life. Now I am his caretaker and I resent it.

  My dad has been a handful all his life -- prone to...

• Blog Post - Should Family Members Who Provide Alzheimer's Care Be Paid?

  Paying family caregivers is controversial and has pitfalls to beware of if you go this route.

• Blog Post - Big Brother is Watching....Mom and Dad

  A new breed of high-tech retirement community is using technology to monitor seniors with dementia and other conditions, offering new freedoms while raising privacy concerns.

• Blog Post - Desperately Seeking Senior Care Specialists

  A shortage of senior care doctors concerns baby boomers and their aging parents; find tips on how to locate a geriatric specialist.

• Blog Post - Easy Money

  If your parents earned $3,000 last year, they're entitled to this year's tax rebate. Even if your parents haven't filed taxes in years because they're retired, they should file this year to ensure they receive their rebate.

• Blog Post - A Stay-at-Home "Nursing Home"

  The I-House, a stay-at-home nursing home, is a "smart house" for seniors, the latest entry in a trend toward high-tech aging in place.

• Blog Post - How Retirement Is Changing

  A rundown of emotional and financial issues facing current and future retirees.

• Blog Post - Would You Rather Your Parent Had Dementia or Alzheimer's or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration?

  Is "dementia" an outdated word, like "mongoloid" or "cripple"?

• Blog Post - A Toolkit for Starting Aging in Place Communities

  A new website, norcbluerpint.org, offers tools for seniors aging in place who are interested in starting NORCs (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities).

• Blog Post - Elder Co-Housing Offers the Best of Both Worlds

  Elder co-housing is an innovative retirement housing option for seniors who want both a sense of community and a feeling of control.

• Blog Post - Fire! A Teaching Tool

  A tragic death in Texas serves as a reminder of how vulnerable seniors are in fires and how prevention can really help.

• Blog Post - The NEW Retirement Hot Spots

  Nextville by Barbara Corcoran offers a whirlwind tour of great retirement destinations around the globe.

• Blog Post - Wii Senior Sports Craze May Get Your Parents Moving

  The Wii video game is a hit among seniors; a fun and gentle way to get them moving.

Questions & Answers

• Question - How should my mother decide when to file for Social Security?

  Is it best to file for Social Security benefits early, at age 62, if a parent needs money or wait until 65 or 67 to file for Social Security benefits?

• Question - Are there any benefits available to retired law enforcement?

  Retirement benefits are usually available to former law enforcement officers through their agency's Public Employees Retirement System.

• Question - is there help for retired vet and spouse financialy for...

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - What is maximum income a widow can make to receive her husband's Social Security?

  As a widow, can I collect my spouse's Social Security though I have an income? If you're at retirement age, you can collect his full Social Security.

• Question - How can I convince my parents to accept my financial help?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What does the term "new trust since PPA" refer to?

  The translation is easy: PPA means "Pension Protection Act." But understanding that law is far from simple.

• Question - What tax issues should we be aware of when my dad cashes in his saving certificates and retirement CDs?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How do retiree health benefits work when you move out-of-state?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - If I go on Medicare, will my provided health coverage still be in effect?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - My mother is acting insecure; how can I help her and maintain my own marriage?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Can I receive my retirement benefit at age 52 if I'm disabled?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Will my SSI and Medicare benefits change when I reach full retirement age?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Do I need Medicare Part B if I have retiree medical insurance through my former employer?

  Should you take Medicare Part B when you work and have health insurance? Whether you take Medicare Part B while working depends on several factors.

• Question - Is a Medicaid annuity a scam?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How much will Medicare cost me?

  How much will Medicare cost? Medicare part A probably won't cost you anything, whereas the cost of part B will be based on your income.

• Question - How do I protect my parents' home from being taken by the state if they ever need public aide?

  This question has been answered by three Caring.com Experts

• Question - Do my parents need to get divorced to qualify for Medicaid?

  Should my parents get a divorce so that Dad can get Medicaid? It's possible that they won't need a divorce for him to qualify for Medicaid.

• Question - Do I need Medicare Part B if I have BCBS Federal Basic Insurance?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - What are annuities and do they make sense for someone over 80?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - What are restrictions on bringing parents to the US for long term care?

  Advice on moving aging relatives to America. Finding culturally specific senior housing.

• Question - I am looking for an assisted living home for my mother in...

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - Is there any inexpensive insurance for the disabled?

  Medicare Part A and Part B, Medicaid, and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage may all be available to someone on permanent disability.

• Question - How do I help remedy a sibling conflict about our dad's care?

  At a family meeting, one member was "beaten up" by 4 others....

• Question - Is there any software available to help track and organize yearly costs for a guardian taking care of a parent?

  The biggest challenge in tracking guardianship expenses may be to focus on the categories to include.

• Question - What is my first step in administering my mother's will?

  The first step is usually the hardest: Finding and organizing the property your mothe owned at her death.

• Question - Does someone have to be 50 years old to get Medicare if they are receiving Social Security Disability?

  You are eligible for Medicare at any age if you have received Social Security disability benefits for at least 24 months.

• Question - Will my current wife still be able to collect survivor benefits after I die if my ex-wife holds a lien against my finances?

  It’s sometimes hard to predict the legal future without first seeing the fine print on the documents involved.

Tips & Reflections

• Tip - Continuing Care Tax Benefit

  If your parents move to a continuing care retirement...

News

• News - Increased Heart Risk Seen for Retired NFL Players

  SUNDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Retired National...

• News - Firefighters May Face Higher Risk of Bladder Cancer

  MONDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Firefighters may...

• News - Pet Doors Opening at Assisted Living Centers

  THURSDAY, July 24 (HealthDay News) -- When the elderly...