the Laughing Boomer

Hi:

 Retirement means stopping what you may have been doing for dozens of years and doing something new.  Some people ease into it by working four days, then three, and then stopping work altogether.  Others have such a busy life outside of work that they can hardly fit their work into their life and welcome the extra time.  Yet many people are reluctant to stop work because it means moving out of their comfort zone.  They are used to their activities and don't know or want to do anything else.

Hi:

The National Post has a large article this morning about retirees moving to other parts of the world and buying real estate there.  Just what I write about, to be sure.  I had a problem - a huge problem - with the article however.  It advised that Spain was a good area, and neglected to point out that an estimated 30,000 homes bought by British ex-pats are about to be torn down because they were build by shady developers who didn't follow zoming regulations, were in cahoots with city officials, and all sorts of other shenanigans. 

Hi: 

Well, further to my post a few days ago, I recommend you open a bank account within the Global ATM Alliance.  The primary reason for this is that when you withdraw money from any of these banks around the world you will not be charged an ATM fee. This can potentially save you quite a bit of money, especially if you are travelling a long time.

Hi:

With the explosion of globalization and technology, the varied paths of retirement lead to many roads. According to a Merrill Lynch survey, only ten percent of retirees want to sit around in a slow paced lifestyle.  Sure, many may want to do that for a couple of months, but then it's off to the races. 

Hi:

Well, we have a youth "culture", that started decades ago with the baby boomers.  Youth was idolized, focused as the ideal state of freedom and exploration.  Youth tossed old norms out the window  into the wind.

Hi: 

It seems to be common wisdom that, these days, the best way to travel and pay for your vacation is to use your credit cards.  Traveler's Cheques are not well used nowadays, and you can always get cash in the local currency by going to an ATM.

What many people do not realize is that the foreign exchange rates vary with credit cards.  Some charge a transaction fee of 1 to 3 percent.  Others charge a premium on the conversion rate, while still others do both.

Hi:

 Well, with Bear Stearns selling for a bargain-basement $2.00 a share, and the Feds lowering the prime rate in the US by a full point this week, a couple of things become clear. 

 With the market doing its roller-coaster up 300 points, down 400 points and the foreign overnight markets not faring much better, the message is: be diversified.  Asset allocation is paramount, especially if you are retired and don't have ways to earn more income.  Real estate, bonds, T-bills, and shares in a variety of industries have to be the way to go. 

Hi:

 A bit of a play on words, but think about having Olympic-sized dreams.  Where I live, Vancouver, Canada, we hear, read and see the Olympic dream come true.   The rapid transit line moves forward daily.  Some of the buildings are being completed.  The word Olympic has morphed into something else.   Think about an Olympic-sized swimming pool, Olympic standards, Olympic achievement. It means massive achievement, huge accomplishment, celebration.

Hi:

 Lots of people talk about reaching their goals, but most of us just settle into a comfortable lifestyle that is easy.  Sure they'd like to something else, do more, travel, whatever. In reality it is just too much work, or underneath they are afraid, or a myriad of other reasons are holding them back. 

 Hi:

Well, it isn't that hard to walk 10,000 steps a day.  It's around 4.5 to 5 miles, depending on your step size.  I received a pedometer for Christmas and have walked  around 7,500 or more most days in January.  If I exercise or specifically go for a walk it's easy to go to 12,000 or 16,000 steps.  Even serious housework requires quite a lot of steps, especially if you have stairs, as I do.  At work I try to walk up to the 7th floor  2 or 3 times a day.