Trends in Real Estate One of today’s new housing trends was also popular more than thousands of years ago — communal living.1 In the Middle Ages, society was more interdependent. It wasn’t unusual for households to consist of far more than just biological family members; a myriad of shifting residents … Continue reading
Long-Term Care Update Long-term care continues to be a challenging issue in the U.S. It appears the second wave of baby boomers is even more determined to “age at home,” while at the same time, they are more likely to suffer from multiple chronic conditions, such as heart disease and … Continue reading
Market Trends Fueled by more plentiful jobs, the U.S. residential real-estate market is skyrocketing. In some areas, particularly major metropolitan cities, buyers are struggling to either find or afford a home. Those lucky enough to find the right place have to move quickly — gone are the days of extensive … Continue reading
Today’s pre-retirees and retirees tend to have far more debt than those in years past. In addition to factors like credit card payments and medical expenses, this generation is seeing the effects of higher home prices and easily obtained low down-payment mortgages in the early 2000s.1 Between 2003 and 2016, … Continue reading
Social Security benefits are typically synonymous with retirement income. It would be inefficient to create a retirement plan without first estimating how much you will receive from the government.1 According to a 2018 report, Social Security benefits represent approximately:2 33% of elderly income 50% or more of income for about … Continue reading
Before today’s modern medicine, people usually died of three things: injury, infections or some type of nutritional deficiency.1 Painkillers may have come in the form of herbal tea or some other applied root, so pain was a fact of life. Life expectancy was much shorter than today, and people often … Continue reading
Hearing a familiar song from a happy period in your life, such as childhood, can instantly make you feel joyful. It’s as if you’re right back there — toe tapping, head bopping and singing along. Just as with our sight, smell and taste senses, positive auditory memories can enhance mood … Continue reading
There is little doubt that Medicare and Social Security are important programs that help older Americans in retirement, particularly now that so many are living beyond previous life expectancy rates. In fact, past models for savings rates may be failing many older Americans, who represent the only demographic seeing significant … Continue reading
Not all innovations are initially successful. Think about the driverless car. It sounded like a great idea — helping the disabled and elderly retain some independence — until the first pedestrian fatality involving a driverless car occurred in Arizona this year. Driverless technology may be a work in progress, but … Continue reading
Real property generally refers to land, but it also can include structures, bodies of water and machinery.1 It typically denotes property of significant value, which is why state and local governments choose to impose taxes on our homes. These levies could be considered a progressive tax, in that people who … Continue reading