Taking Advantage of the New Longevity
I recently saw an article that explained how 80 was the new 50 and that today’s senior citizens aren’t so much the retiring type. I had to wonder, are they not so much the retiring type because they want to keep working or are they not retiring because they lost all their retirement funds in this poor excuse for an economy and there’s nothing they can invest in that will ever get that back?
Is retiring A Luxury?
Retiring used to be a right of passage; you got to a certain age, you retired, you moved to a healthier/warmer climate and you lived off of your savings, investments or Social Security. A lot of people took a seriously bad hit when the economy bottomed out several years ago. And many people continue to be hit by the unfortunate circumstances that resulted. People that used to have big money in the bank are now having to borrow money from companies that give out loans for people with bad credit. That or keep working. The new slogan, “80 and awesome”—is it actually a proud declaration of the fact that ‘elderly’ no longer means living in a nursing home and riding around in a wheelchair or is it simply a way to feel better about the fact that you can’t afford to retire?
So What’s Your Secret?
Watching your health is an essential part of longevity. Or is it? There are people in their nineties that have smoked their entire adult lives. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people I’ve heard say that their grandpa used to eat lard sandwiches, had a good couple to a few hits of whiskey every night and lived to be 89 years old. So what are we to believe? Had he laid off the whiskey and lard he might have hit 92? Who wants to be 92? I’m shooting for 83-84; I figure if I reach that I’ve had a good life. Should you follow your doctor’s orders and take your blood pressure medication, thyroid medication, and that baby aspirin a day? Absolutely.
Then again, there are those who believe that when it’s your time—it’s your time. And when it’s not… You go out and have yourself a cigarette and a lard sandwich.
Tags: bad credit loans, health, retirement



