Time To Plan Retirement

Thinking of retiring? Keep in mind that today's retirees are more active than ever.

Here are five areas you should ponder before you retire:

The first thing to consider when you're thinking retirement is where you would you like to live. Is there somewhere you have always wanted to live? Should you be close to you family? What will the cost of living be in my ideal location? How about the weather? Shall I just stay where I am?

The second thing to ask yourself is: "Do I have enough money to support my retirement?" Have you set aside enough money to allow you to live where and how you want to. There is no correct answer to this question. It depends on the goals you have marked out for yourself and your family.

The third item is the idea of continuing to work after your retirement. For example I have never wanted not to continue to work. I enjoy what I do. I have friends, however, that hate their jobs and can't wait to tell the boss to shove it!

The fourth consideration is your health. As you get older this area of your life begins to occupy much of your time and money. You should discuss this area with your doctor and always be honest with yourself regarding how you feel and how your health is doing.

Finally, an important question to consider is whether or not you are really ready to retire. Only you can answer this question. I've known many men and women who have retired and gone fishing or became volunteers. After a couple of months of fishing and watching TV they were back in the work force.

Protection From Identity Theft

The Federal Trade Commission claims "Your Chances of becoming victimized by some form of identity theft is one in ten," According to the Spam Law website, "As many as 10 million Americans a year are victims of identity theft."

What Is Identity Theft?
Identity theft is when the identity thief steals your personal information, then uses the information to claim they are you in order to steal your financial identity.

How Do Identity Thieves Get Your Personal Information?
There are many ways your personal information can be stolen. Here are a only a few:

-From your wallet, purse, or checkbook.
-From your mailbox.
-From statements and receipts found in the trash.
-From a computer where your personal information is kept.

Who Is An Identity Thief?
Studies have shown that many identity thieves are people the you know and trust. Others are:

-Those criminals who stumble upon your personal information
-Those criminals actively seeking victims
-Your roommates.
-Person you meet at a social gatherings.
-Your housekeeper or anyone having access to your home.
-Persons posing as representatives of banks, internet service providers, or some other officially-sounding-organizations.

Tips To Help Protect Your Identity:

-Always use your Social Security Number with extreme caution and only when necessary.
-Find out who has access to your personal information where you work, your doctor's office, or other business that collect your personal information.
-Never provide personal information on the phone, through the mail, or on the internet if you do not know those requesting the information.
-When choosing a password, avoid using obvious information such as your birth date, your phone number.
-Watch out for offers, such as lottery and sweepstakes, requesting your personal information.

Steps You Can Take To Restore Your Identity:

-Immediately file your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
-Obtain a police report.
-Contact and provide a fraud notification alert to the Social Security Administration, all of your financial institutions, the 3 major credit bureaus, the Passport Office, The Department of Motor Vehicles, the Post Office, as well as the Medical Information Bureau .
-Cancel your credit cards.
-Place a notice on your bank accounts.

Where To Get More Information:

-The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, known commonly as FACTA, was put into law in the United States to help to protect consumers from identity theft and to help in its prevention.
GO HERE: FACTA!

-Learn more about what you can do to protect your identity.
GO HERE: Protecting Your Identity

-Want some statistics?
GO HERE: Spam Laws

-To obtain a current credit report contact any of these major credit bureaus:
Equifax, For Fraud Alerts, call: 800-525-6285
Experian, For Fraud Alerts, call: 888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
Trans Union, For Fraud Alerts, call: 800-680-7289

Be Aware Of These Senior Illnesses!

The older we get the more we find ourselves being assaulted with diseases and ailments that may well kill us. Below is a brief discussion of a four common illnesses that seniors should be aware of:

CANCER - Many seniors are affected by cancer at some time in their lives. Lung and breast cancer are the most common types found in seniors, however, skin cancer is also a major concern among seniors. Although cancer can be treated with some success by modern medicine the more you age the less chance for full recovery. Keep in mind cancer detected in its early stage gives you, the senior, the best chance of recovery.

DEMENTIA - Dementia affects a large number of the elderly. Dementia is the result of a serious decrease in brain activity. What causes dementia is still unknown and therefore difficult to treat. Alzheimer's is the most common form of the
illness.

PARKINSON'S DISEASE - Parkinson's disease like dementia attacks the cells leading to the brain, however, the difference is that Parkinson's attacks the body and later the mind. In most cases the first sign is an uncontrollable shaking. There is no cure and medication is effective for only a short time .

DIABETES - Because the way seniors eat and live today many more are suffering from diabetes. The ageing body fights against the high fat and sugar intake. The disease is incurable, however, it can be controlled with medication and a
proper diet. The good news is diabetes will not cause death if properly treated. The bad news is amputation is a common side effect of illness caused by open wounds.


For more information review the books in the side panel.

A Helpful Senior Diet!

The following article is from an email I received from Wings Of Success publishers.
Because I'm a cancer survivor with only a portion of a right kidney I found the information regarding salt worth noting.
Read and enjoy the information.

What did you eat this morning or today, for that matter? Did you
eat a well balanced diet that's full of whole grains, lean
proteins, vegetables and fruits?

Or, was your breakfast a cup of coffee and maybe a bagel, loaded
with cream cheese of course?

You are what you eat. The Standard American Diet is a term that's
been coined to describe the fast food crazy, greasy, fatty and high
sugared diet that most Americans eat. Even if you live on the
other side of the planet, chances are good that you aren't eating a
diet that's rich in the foods that are important to your aging
process.

If you have a larger midsection to your body, then you have a high
risk of having a heart attack due to heart disease. Just a few
extra pounds are all it takes.

If you consume a diet that is rich in salt, you are destroying your
kidneys as well as some of the other organs in your body.

If you are eating fatty foods, you're killing you heart by
suffocating it under layers of cholesterol.

Diets that go from one extreme to the next are everywhere you look.
Those that facing a diet that is high in protein are still putting
their heart's at risk because of the increase cholesterol there.
Those that are following a low fat diet are doing the opposite.
They are not giving the body enough protein to build muscle mass,
which actually helps you to burn fat faster.

Because diets are so extreme, they rarely work for people that are
facing these conditions.

Don't forget to review the books in the side panel.