Retired People Worry About Investments Now
According to the New York Times, retirees are one of the groups who are most worried about their investments. Of course, older people do not have years to wait for a financial market recovery, and many are watching their portfolios lose value, and they are losing income from their investments every day.
The article also mentions that retirees in the US are in a risky position anyway. They tend to have less money saved than any group since WWII (who had just emerged from the Great Depression). We also have a longer life expectancy, which is a good thing, but that also means that less money has to stretch out for longer.
Older people who have few assets, including the third who claim that social security is 90% or more of their income, are feeling the pinch from higher food and fuel costs. More older people are putting off retirement and choosing to work to age 70 and beyond. In part, this is a sign of longer and healthier lives, but it is also a sign that people cannot afford to retire at age 65 any longer.
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Natural Weight Loss Foods
Eat Right To Trim Weight Naturally
I don’t know anybody who is our age who doesn’t have more trouble keeping trim than they did when they were 20 or 30. Some of it may be our metabolism, but frankly, I think lifestyle matters more. When I was younger, I was much more likely to walk and enjoy long bike rides. The activities were social, as well as exercise! Somehow my day just does not include these activities any more.
Well, anyway, fad diets will not serve you well. Even if you manage to drink some tropical juice or eat some pills made from an ancient Chinese remedy for a few weeks, and they help you lose 5 pounds, you will probably not keep it up. Most of us know we need to change our diets to include food that promotes health and weight loos, and we need to do it in a way that will not leave us deprived. Here are some tips from Yahoo Health that should help you get started on eating natural weight loss foods.
Include Whole grains for Natural Weight Loss, especially millet. This grain is high in protein too, so you can keep muscle and lose fat. It is also high in fiber to promote good digestion and help you feel full. And millet is high in B vitamins and is easy to digest.
Of course, nutrient rich vegetables like asparugus are part of a healthy weight loss plan. Lots of vitamins, and more fiber, are key to shedding pounds and keeping them off in a sensible way. Don’t forget fruit either, and an ancient favorite, pomegrates, are back in favor! As long as you are looking at the trees, do not forget nuts. A portion of nuts packs protein and fiber, and is back in favor.
Green tea really is good for you too. You get a bit of caffeine, but not as much as coffee. (Hey, we know I have not given up coffee either!) And green tea is rich in anti-oxidents.
Go explore and experiement to see what combination of foods helps you lose weight, and is available in your area. I have seen one tip that says to pack a 2 quart food container with veggies, fruit, and a bit of protein. Take it with you, and keep snacking out of that container of natural goodies. Try it!
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Prepare For Unemployment
You can prepare for a job loss.
We have posted before about over 50 career changes. But now, in these uncertain economic times, I think it is important to think about preperations for unemployment. In our parent’s generation, older people would be sittinng this out, waiting to retire, but we do not have this confidence anymore. And nobody is immune these days. Layoffs are business decisions, and not personal ones, and many productive people find themselves out of jobs.
Of course, the old wisdom about saving for a rainy day still applies to us. Experts tell us to save 3 to 6 months income in a place where we can access it quickly. And we all intend to put that cash aside, but somehow bills come up and our cash accounts may get depleted as quickly as we build them.
A new product is on the market: unemployment protection, or a type of layoff insurance, that pays cash to the buyer if he or she is laid off. I like this product better than traditional mortgage unemployment protection or credit insurance because it makes a cash payment to the person who actually pays for the benefit! That is better than a product that makes a payment to the loan company, at least in my opinion.
Also make sure you have your network of friends and business contacts in place. Most people have much better luck finding a new position through a work contact or friend than in the classified ads sites. Don’t just leave all of your contacts on your computer at work because you may show up one day unable to login.
And of course, prepare yourself emotionally. Most of the time, layoffs are not personal. And many times, layoffs are golden opportunities to evaluate your life and work. If you have prepared, you can use this period to fix some things you did not like about your lifestyle and work life.
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Over 50 On The Web