Longevity & Aging

No doubt about it: at some point we’re neither semi-retired, findependent or fully retired. We’re out there in a retirement community or retirement home, and maybe for a few years near the end of this incarnation, some time to reflect on it all in a nursing home. Our Longevity & Aging category features our own unique blog posts, as well as blog feeds from Mark Venning’s ChangeRangers.com and other experts.

8 Diet Changes to lower your risk of Cancer

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Photo Credit: Carnivore Style

Ask anyone what are the best things you can do for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, most often the answer (besides more exercise) is to start with managing trans fats and junk food in your diet.

No arguing with that advice. But what continues to be overlooked is our dependence on sugar, particularly when made in the form of a sweetener called fructose. In its worst form known as high fructose corn syrup, evidence continues to mount that its over-consumption is a red flag for encouraging cancer development.

The recommended daily limits for sugar are 35 grams for men and 23 grams for women. Yet many people blow away a day’s limit every day with one 50g soda. So how does one get to healthy levels without falling into depression at having to reduce your life-long allegiance to soda, juices, certain yogurts and salad dressings, not to mention candy, certain breads, granola and energy bars? (Go to Dr Mercola’s web-site for an exhaustive list of such foods.)

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Why Baby Boomers like me can’t retire

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Mike Drak

After having talked to numerous Baby Boomers lately, I’m convinced more than ever that the majority of we boomers really don’t want to retire, we just need a change, and some help figuring out what to do with the rest of our lives.

In this article I would like to share my thoughts on why some people feel the need for a significant change late in their careers and why traditional retirement is not the answer. I know these feelings because it happened to me. And I’ve been telling the story at a number of presentations Jonathan and I have conducted at various branches of the Toronto Public Library in recent weeks.

The photo shows  one such presentation at the York Woods branch on Victory Lap Retirement, followed by a Q & A session. I love doing these presentations, as it gives me an opportunity to present to my fellow boomers and find out what is going on out there in the real world.

I Started Feeling Antsy Late In My Career

There were a number of reasons for the change I made and here they are in no particular order:

1.) I became very good at doing my job. This naturally happens when you do the same job for twenty plus years. You get comfortable, there is little challenge and you plateau.

2.)  After 36 years of work I was tired of taking orders and being told what to do.

3.) I became bored with my job. That is what happens when you turtle and continue to play safe. I wasn’t learning anything new and I didn’t derive any satisfaction (happiness) from my job. The thrill was long gone and winning more sales contests and trinkets didn’t matter to me anymore. I remembered laughing a lot more earlier in my career. I knew I needed to laugh more before it was too late.

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Review & Excerpt of Clay Gillespie’s Create the Retirement You Really Want

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The Financial Post has just published my review of a new book by Vancouver-based financial advisor Clay Gillespie: Create the Retirement You Really Want: And Retire Smarter, Richer and Happier.

You can find the online review by clicking on this highlighted headline: From Dreams to Legacy: New Book Details the 5 Stages of Retirement.

And below is an excerpt from the chapter highlighted in the review. We may also run at least one other excerpt in the coming weeks. Over to you, Clay!

By Clay Gillespie

Special the Financial Independence Hub

Retirement isn’t an event; it’s a process, and it begins years before you actually retire. Working with hundreds of clients over many decades, I’ve come to realize that retirement success is best achieved in five distinct stages. Each stage reflects a different aspect of who you are and where you want to be in retirement, and it all begins with a dream.

       1.) Dreams stage

The Dreams stage of retirement typically begins about five or six years prior to actual retirement. This is the time when people have decided to retire but aren’t yet sure of the date. It’s the time where retirement goals and hopes for the future become defined and a preliminary retirement plan is developed. For couples, especially, retiring now becomes an ongoing topic of discussion, not just something brought up in passing.

2.) Reality stage

The Reality stage usually occurs between 6 and 24 months before retirement and its temporal proximity really starts to hit home. Lifestyle issues come into greater focus, along with fears that one’s retirement nest egg may be inadequate. This is a crucial time from a planning perspective. Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan (CPP/QPP) applications need to be made, income streams need to be consolidated, taxes need to be minimized and portfolios need to be optimized for income and growth.

3. Transition stage Continue Reading…

The weightlifting Granny

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By Jessica Walter

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

A few years ago, Shirley Webb of East Alton, Illinois, was unable to get off the floor without the aid of a piece of furniture. Neither could she climb the stairs without holding onto the railing. Her only source of exercise came from mowing the lawn.

Now, the 78-year-old grandmother has learnt how to lift a 225-pound barbell. She no longer needs furniture or railings to help her. She’s a record breaker, setting records in Illinois for deadlifting at 237 pounds and in Missouri for 215 pounds, both in age and weight groups.

Along with her granddaughter, Webb joined Club Fitness in Wood River and, within six months of work with her personal trainer, John Wright, she was lifting in the 200-pound range.

So, what advice can seniors take from the weightlifting grandmother?

1.) Find a workout partner

Fitness experts believe that working out with someone will help you more than if you were to work out alone. Not only is it easier to set goals with someone and then motivate each other to achieve them, it’s more fun. Exercise shouldn’t be a chore!

2.) Choose a senior-friendly gym

You’re more likely to go to a gym if you like the premises and the staff – the more welcome you feel, the more fun it will be to go. In an interview with ESPN, Webb said the staff at Club Fitness explained all the equipment to her and her granddaughter before they signed up so she knew exactly what was what. Don’t forget to visit a few local gyms before you sign a contract! Continue Reading…

Estate Planning For Couples: You Can’t Take It With You

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According to an Ipsos Reid poll commissioned by the CIBC, only 30% of Canadians have a formal estate plan in place. The reasons for not having one vary – some people think they are too young, or don’t have enough assets. Some believe that their belongings will automatically go to their spouse. Many couples think they have lots of time, and some just don’t want to deal with it.

Everyone needs to plan for the inevitable.

Estate planning is for your loved ones and for your own peace of mind. It means arranging how you leave your money and property when you die and it must follow the laws of the province you live in (or where the property exists).

Estate planning involves:

  • writing your will and naming someone to be responsible for carrying out your wishes
  • distributing assets during your lifetime as well as upon your death
  • arranging insurance to cover costs and provide for your survivors
  • specifying who will handle your affairs if you become unable to manage them yourself, and giving them direction through a power of attorney and medical directive.

Estate planning for young families

When you are raising a family, and are just starting to accumulate assets, consider these steps: Continue Reading…