Saturday, January 31, 2009

Top Jobs For 50+

Top Jobs for 50+
By dhuso • Jan 16th, 2009

Retirees heading back to the workplace, take note: There are industries that cater to older workers. Many of those, according to Bob Skladany, Vice President of Research at RetirementJobs.com, are business sectors experiencing labor shortages. Those industries include health care, home-aid, temporary staffing companies, retailers, transportation, nonprofits and financial services.

Deborah Russell, Director of Workforce Issues for AARP, says the health care and retail industries have consistent difficulties recruiting and retaining younger workers. The field of nursing, for example, has long suffered from a lack of trained professionals available to teach the next generation.

Financial planning is also a good profession to consider. “The financial services industry is driven by a desire to hire people who look like their customers,” Skladany says. And nonprofits cater to older workers because they are generally willing to accept lower salaries.

Skladany says retirees who want to go back to work can benefit from the current “knowledge shortage.” He says so many workers in fields like engineering and accounting are retiring that there are not enough young, degreed professionals to replace them.

Top 20 Jobs for Over-50 Workers

1. Nonprofit Executive
2. Patient Representative
3. Celebrant/Religious Leader
4. Financial Adviser
5. Public School Teacher
6. Appraiser (Residential Real Estate)
7. College Professor8. Day Care Center Teacher
9. IRA Specialist
10. Labor Relations Manager
11. Leasing Consultant
12. Lobbyist
13. Medical Records Coding Technician
14. Pension Administrator
15. Religious Educator
16. Department Retail Sales Manager
17. Retail Sales Staff
18. Staff Nurse (RN)
19. Tax Accountant II
20. Tutor

*From “If You’re Over 50—Top 20 Jobs for a Change,” CNNMoney.com and Salary.com.

http://www.ideal-living.com/667/top-jobs-for-50

Monday, January 26, 2009

11 Things You May Not Know About Your IRA.


11 Things You May Not Know About Your IRA


The most important part of your individual retirement account (IRA) is the fact that it is "individual". You can customize when you make deposits, take withdrawals and pay taxes on distributions. You can even control what happens to it after you die. Want to take advantage of all that your IRA has to offer? Read on for some little-known features that will help you get the most out of your contributions.



1. You can contribute to more than one IRA.
It is possible to end up with more than one IRA for a number of reasons. For example:
· You had an existing Roth account and then rolled an old 401(k) into a Traditional IRA.
· Your adjusted gross income (AGI) rose to the point where you were no longer eligible to contribute to your Roth IRA, so you opened a Traditional IRA.
· You inherited an IRA from a loved one, but you already had one of your own.
· You maintained your Roth account and opened a Traditional IRA to take advantage of tax deductions.
Contribute to as many IRAs as you want, but the total deposited in all IRAs is limited to the annual maximum amount. For example, the annual maximum contribution for 2008 is $5,000. So, if Bob deposits $2,000 into his Traditional IRA, he can also contribute $3,000 to his Roth account during the same year.


Read The Rest Of The Article:


Saturday, January 10, 2009

Most Boomers Want to Stay in Current Home

Most Boomers Want to Stay in Current Home

A study of the Baby Boom generation by AARP and the National Association of Home Builders concluded that because the number of people age 65 and older will grow to 70 million by 2030, where boomers choose to live will have maximum impact on the housing industry.

While boomers will reflect the patterns of earlier generations and mostly age in place, said Elinor Ginzler, senior vice president of AARP, “The sheer number of boomers will increase demand for a whole variety of home and community options.

Here are some key findings from the study:
  • 79 percent say they would like to stay in their current homes as long as possible;
  • 10 percent say they would like to stay in their current homes, but don’t think they will be able to do so;
  • 26 percent of boomers plan to eventually move from their current homes, with the majority seeking a single-level home that is both comfortable and convenient;
  • 50 percent of those who plan to move want a home that is newer than their current home;
  • 49 percent expect to downsize to a smaller home.

Source: The Chicago Tribune, Suzanne Cosgrove (12/21/2008)

http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2008122205

Will Aging Boomers Change Housing?

Will Aging Boomers Change Housing?

Housing for boomers will be a growth industry in the next 20 years, says Matt Thornhill, co-author of the book "Boomer Consumer: Ten New Rules for Marketing to America's Largest, Wealthiest and Most Influential Group."

Thornhill predicts the following within the next couple of decades:
  • Boomers will renovate their existing homes to make them more comfortable and safer as they age.
I've moved 650+ miles so I can be near the kids.
  • Boomers will turn neighborhoods that have good access to shopping and other services into retirement areas with co-housing and other kinds of intergenerational living.
Do not think so, I might go live near the beach and the kids perhaps - but I would not want to live in a co-housing.
  • Pods — one-bedroom structures wired and plumbed to the main house — will be a popular answer for families with older members.
May be if that the older members are your own parents and not your in-laws.
My mother-in-law lived with us for 8 years. It was the best arrangement for her during the last
8 years of her life. IT WAS THE BIGGEST SACRIFICE FOR OUR FAMILY and believe me
it would be FOR ANYONE' LIFE.

  • Boomers will prefer city to suburban living.
NO Way, I lived in the city most of my life, I love the country now or the beach definitely NOT THE CITY!!!
  • Fewer new structures will be built with services for older adults housed in schools and churches.
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Rita Robinson (12/16/08)

http://www.realtor.org