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I have long been an advocate of a working retirement. One of the best productive retirement activities, for those who are inclined to want to continue earning, is website development. I do this myself, and find it highly stimulating and challenging. Lately, I've been taking on some clients for whom I'm constructing websites. Here's an example of one I just completed for a gentleman and his wife who are also of a certain age: Master Deck Builder.

As other examples, I recently launched a website offering Mountain Bikes for Sale, another analyzing various aspects of Road Bikes and two new sites offering 1. Major Tire Brands for Sale and 2. All About Specialty Coffees. Also, I've recently launched some home improvement sites about Paint Sprayers and another one all about chainsaws. And, be ready for Spring and Summer by visiting our Lawn Mower Store. Of interest to older war veterans is a site about War Memorabilia Collectibles and, for gift givers, Sophisticated Fountain Pens as Gifts. Ordinarily, I don't toot my horn about my stuff on this website, but I thought I should at least mention that for those of us moving well along in the aging process, developing websites, either for pleasure, or for profit is an excellent way to keep the old gray matter engaged and sharp. We know that's a large part of the formula for maintaining a healthy outlook as we become more chronologically advantaged.

Listening, today, to CNN, it's been reported that the fastest growing component of the workforce is folks over 75. This is an outgrowth of inadequacy in Social Security benefits and shrinking pension payouts.

I find the concept of "Golden Years" difficult to grasp. There's dignity in work - any work. How often have we heard about men, accustomed to vital activity in the workplace, dying not long after retiring?

I think there's far too much cultural fixation on a final goal of retirement. We're seeing, already, how elusive that so called happy state can be in the midst of the current economic crisis. Rather than setting retirement the holy grail of career closure, we'd be better off thinking in terms of creating choices.

Hooray for the over 75 crowd reentering or staying in the workaday world. I can think of nothing healthier or more life sustaining.

There are a lot of variables to consider when planning for your retirement. It is one of the most important things you will ever do and it should be considered very early in life ??" as early as possible. One of the best ways to develop a good plan is to equip yourself with the right planning tools. For example, it is important to know the approximate amount of federal annuity that will be due you upon retirement. How can you determine that information? A federal retirement calculator is just what you need. Continue Reading »

While I'm taking note of the fact that I'll be receiving a 5.8% cost of living increase in my Social Security payments come January 2009, I have to laugh. This is touted as the largest increase in 25 years, but falls well short of real inflation. No one seems to know exactly what the "real inflation" rate is. But you can be certain it isn't nearly as low as 5.8%. Continue Reading »

The increased volatility in the US Stock markets over the past few weeks has scared investors, now may be a good time to look at what happened in the 1987 market crash.

During October 14 and October 19, 1987, major indexes in the United States dropped 30 percent or more. On October 19, 1987, a day now know as Black Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 508 points, losing 22.6% of its total value, while the S&P 500 dropped 20.4%, falling from 282.7 to 225.06. Continue Reading »