The liberating feeling of a smaller home
With the current trend toward de-cluttering and downsizing, there are plenty of books about how to winnow down possessions to the few that are truly necessary and beloved. One book shows how you can live well once that’s done. In Downsize: Living Large in a Small House online pharmacy buy cymbalta no insurance with best prices today in the USA (2019, The Taunton Press), author Sheri... READ MORE
Sell with less hassle (but for less money)
The prospect of selling and leaving your longtime home can seem overwhelming under the best of circumstances. But it is all the more so if you have lost your spouse, have health or cognitive issues, or need a quick sale so you can move to a better situation, such as assisted living. The challenge is greater if the home is in poor condition, say, because of long-deferred maintenance. Your ... READ MORE
Love, marriage in the time of pandemic
The bride wore sensible sandals and the white lace dress she had fortunately purchased in pre-pandemic times. Her left hand clutched a small bouquet of white and pink roses. The groom wore a dark sports coat with a boutonniere to match her bouquet. Her hair was white; what remained of his was gray. The chapel pews were empty. With their Baltimore County retirement community under... READ MORE
Thinking of retiring? Conduct a test-drive
Bev Bachel, 62, is trying retirement on for size. online pharmacy purchase flagyl online no prescription For years, Bachel, a freelance communications professional in Minneapolis, took on highly demanding contract jobs that typically lasted more than a year. She put in long hours, often managed other writers and had to be available for on-site meetings. “A friend of mine said... READ MORE
Ease uncertainty with a reverse mortgage
U.S. and global economic volatility due to the COVID-19 pandemic have many retirees (and those close to retirement) worrying how to survive these turbulent times. Will you have enough assets to maintain your lifestyle and meet retirement spending goals in the face of a possibly long-term bear market? Traditionally, older adults fund retirement with a mixture of Social Security,... READ MORE
How the move to a community felt to me
On the first day in my new retirement community, I was greeted by a neighbor in the hallway. She remembered meeting other newcomers who had experienced difficult first days here without the necessary cookware to prepare a proper meal. So, she offered to lend me some of her own pots and pans. Clearly, she was mistaking me for some kind of “kitchen goddess,” who could hardly wait to ... READ MORE
How to select an active adult community
Steve Thornton was driving along Interstate 75 in South Florida on a “scouting trip” for a place to live in retirement when he saw a billboard for Trilogy at Ocala Preserve. Stopping there, he was taken with the beauty of the place — and knew his wife would agree. “Lyndia would like it,” Thornton, 69, recalled thinking. While their children were growing up, the Thorntons... READ MORE
A new rental income tax break available
Renting out property can create a retirement income stream that is Uncle Sam-friendly. The federal tax law is replete with breaks for landlords, and the 2017 tax law created a new write-off that many landlords can take for their Schedule E rental income. The new tax break falls under the special 20% deduction for individual owners of “pass-through entities.” Self-employed individuals ... READ MORE
Should you move or be a perfect guest?
When we heard our 30-something daughter was pregnant with our first grandchild, my husband and I were ecstatic. Then came the bad news: Their family was moving to Portland, Oregon for her husband’s job. Our daughter assumed we would move out there, too. But when we visited, the city’s hippie vibe didn’t seem to fit us. We don’t know anyone there, and the winters are rainy, damp... READ MORE
Clutter and hoarding: not the same thing
As a professional organizer in Baltimore, Amy Bloomer, founder of Let Your Space Bloom LLC, said that accumulation of possessions is a natural part of life. “There are a lot of people who live with a lot of clutter. Even if you’re very cognizant of editing your stuff, if you’re in a space for a long time, you’re going to accumulate a lot of clutter,” said Bloomer, who works... READ MORE
