According to a survey undertaken by Bankrate.com, approximately half of Americans are without savings that can last them more than three months if they lose their income. The implications are that most Americans would actually be unprepared for a financial emergency. The study put the number at 25% of the country having no funds to …more

The short version of a long story looks something like this: I was about to hit the big 40 when I decided to bail out. I quit the dead-end job, sold the house, the car and all my ‘stuff’ and traded it all for a backpack and a one-way ticket to nowhere in particular. Sounds …more

I have always been fascinated with the idea of living on an island. As a child, I always knew that I would live on an island one day, although I thought it may be the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly or even the Isle of Islay, off Scotland’s magnificent west coast. The Isle …more

This morning while showering and trying to shave one of my legs as I was balancing on the other, it occurred to me that perhaps there are other 60-year olds out there who do not have the agility and coordination that I possess. I’m not a self-proclaimed superwoman or anything like that, and It’s surely …more

A trust is a legal arrangement through which one person (or an institution, such as a bank or law firm), called a “trustee,” holds legal title to property for another person, called a “beneficiary.” If you have been appointed the trustee of a trust, this is a strong vote of confidence in your judgment and …more

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Seniors are invaluable volunteers in public school reading programs. As a reading specialist in a public school where 95% of our students qualify for free or reduced lunch, I’ve had the good fortune to work with volunteers through United Way’s Schools of Hope program. The bond that forms between seniors and young students is amazing …more

Listening to recent revelations in the UK about staff at one of the UK’s major banks currently dealing with claims for the mis-selling of personal protection insurance did not surprise me. Reportedly, staff were told to automatically decline claims on their first presentation, on the basis that most people fail to pursue the issue further. …more

Many boomers are financially unprepared for retirement. In fact, a recent Associated Press survey shows that most boomers are nowhere near ready for retirement. What’s the problem? Unfortunately, many boomers have succumbed to some financial planning myths that simply won’t fade. And the more you believe the prevalent financial planning myths, the more of a …more