6 Ways to Make Your Retirement Accounts Last Longer

My husband was diagnosed with leukemia 2 yrs ago. It took all our retirement money and plans to zero to meet the medical cost to keep him alive. We live day to day. We do not make long range plans and we thank GOD for every minute or day we have together.I retired at age 63 so I could work part time to enable us time together. We have been through 3 financial crisis episodes of which one cost us our wedding rings.(We had to sell them) Our children helped as best they could? but always get pd back to example responsibility.Save what you can. Work if you can.but please!!!just be happy or the stress will eat you alive.Life is NOT A TIMED EVENT.WE MAKE IT THAT WAY.Please do not put GOD in a box and enable MONEY to be your GOD.Happiness is a purpose we all strive for.Make that purpose NOW.

Peggy of NM 5:49PM October 30, 2012

Live in remote places in Asia, study their culture, learn their languages, teach English, grow food, etc etc. I was just at a place in Northern Thailand where the average yearly income couldn't be more than 4000 dollars. Plenty of room for people who want to share their knowledge and teach skills to the natives; good idea to show an interest in their society. They love it. And from what I saw, these people have the kind of extended families we all wish we had, a relationship with the land, a slow, easy pace of life, planting rice, and a genuine decency. You can live comfortably with 25 K and have more than you need and give to the poor.

Other interesting places might be Indonesia, Phillipines, Vietnam (I've been to North Vietnam and it looks really interesting...), Cambodia--seemed a difficult place to me in the short time I was there...Yes, you can have a better life here by FAR....don't kid yourself into thinking you have it all in America if you don't have enough. The government isn't going to be there for you, take my word for it.

Sam Carpenter 10:36AM May 16, 2012

Too many people in our Community are declaring bankruptcy that is eating into their savings, and home equity.

What is it?

Medical Bankruptcies, 60% have health insurance, from having a major illness.

How Many? 900,000 families each year, 3 to 4 million people.

Are you able to keep your house? Depends

In our state, you are allowed to keep $27,000 of your home equity. If you are 62 and have a stroke (like one of my neighbors who lost her house and everything except her life), all but the $27,000 goes to satisfy the Medical Bills.

How many other countries have Medical Bankruptcies? ZERO

Why are we putting up with it? Being mis-informed and lied to and the Profit of Health Care services.

Why are health care costs going up 10% a year? Computer Billing Services nationwide systmatically pushing up the price of health care products across the board, 7% above inflation for Profit and No Anti-Trust laws being applied to stop Price Fixing.

What makes you say it is Price Fixing? Health Care is a Service. 75% of which is NOT technology and mainly raising Prices across the board on everything from bandaids, cotton swabs, and Aspirin. An example of buying a single Aspirin at Walgreens is 11 cents, but in the Hospital you are billed $9 per Aspirin.

Other Countries spend 9% of GDP for health care, have the same amount of beds and doctors. Australia has Universal Health Care, Medicare they implemented a decade or so ago. 2% of the 48% Marginal Tax rate goes to health care. When they visit a doctor, they are charged $45. A Voucher used to verify the care (Think Fraud) is sent into Medicare. The Patient receives a check for $25, out of pocket expense is $20.

In New Zealand, a fellow shared that he had a heart attack, was flown by helicopter to the hospital, received a Stent and the total cost including recovery was $7 New Zealand dollars.

We are being lied to and only Congress can fix this. Having $500 million spent to defeat Universal Health Care, was successful.

So, planning to retire, with your house paid off? Move to Florida, like OJ, the exemption from bankruptcy is Unlimited. But in our state, it is $27,000. The hospital gets the rest.

Before Price Fixing and For Profit Health Care, medical bankruptcies were unheard of. Australians, New Zealanders, and Brits consider medical bankrutcy and Outrage and would not stand for it.

Why are we?

Mike of UT 12:46PM July 30, 2011

i basically went to the 8th grade.i began working for a utility co. at 22 yrs. old,and began contributing max to the 401k.i bought all company stock and blew off the crap mutual funds.on the side i bought cds over time that have had good-average-terrible yields.ive bought other utility stocks in a taxable account that have gone up-down,but provide an average 5.5 dividend.i still live in a mobile home that i paid 16,500usd in 1980.i drive a 1963 chevy.i never eat out because i cook better than them at a fraction of the cost.i ride a bicycle everywhere.seldom do i drive or buy gas.i never shop for cloths of gadgets to make me happy.im a self made millionaire.if i can do it,you can.the trick----live well below your means.no debt,do not leverage.

david of CA 8:35PM June 25, 2010