Rock Your Retirement Show

Is It Time to Rethink? The multigenerational American family household or in other terms families living under one roof is staging a comeback. It's driven in part by different aspects such as economic stability and also a cultural side of the matter. The idea that you grow up, go to college, or get a job and get married. Having this beautiful house in the suburbs with two kids is not the way it was in the US. In fact, that's a relatively new phenomenon from the 40s and 50s in that era. So what we think of is normal is kind of a short blip in the American cultural history. There was such a boom in the economy during that time and then with the recession and the rising house prices. It really does seem like that American dream style from that era is shifting a little bit. We're seeing that people are now more creative with their family living arrangements. The Norm of Living Under One Roof This norm that we think of that where the parents live in one house, the adult children live in another, and the young adul

In the first of four, we discussed how the aging brain affects how you think. The second of four in the series brought you Is your Memory Normal. In the 3rd of four, we’re talking about Alzheimer’s disease, and finally, in today's session, we’re going to talk about how to improve your memory. Is it possible to increase brain power? If you've ever found yourself forgetting where you left your keys or having problems with people's names or things, then you have probably wished that your memory was a bit better. Fortunately, there are plenty of things that you can do to help improve your memory. So how will you increase brain power? Let’s dive straight into these easy ways to increase brain power significantly. We Have to Exercise Our Brain What you need to do to increase brain power is do something new, something you've never done before. Furthermore, it has to be challenging. Exercising your brain is good but you can't do it solo. You've got to exercise your body in conjunction with your brain. Challenging yo

Alzheimer's and how the disease progresses A lot of older people forget someone’s name or misplace things from time to time. This kind of forgetfulness is normal. But, signs of a more serious problem are things such as forgetting how to get home or getting confused in places a person knows well or asking questions over and over. These are initial signs of Alzheimer's. Janet Rich Pittman and I are talking about an article on Alzheimer's and how the disease progresses.  Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. The disease progresses slowly and gradually and worsens over time. Eventually, it will affect most areas of your brain. Memory, thinking, judgment, language, problem-solving, personality and movement can all be affected by the disease. Types of Dementia Dementia is when a vast amount of brain cells die in a certain section of your brain and this causes your brain to misfunction. To clarify Alzheimer's is a disease and a type of dementia. Every Alzheimer's is different. Therefore, no two ty

Memory loss may be a normal part of aging, but it may also be caused by dementia or treatable brain conditions. Getting the right diagnosis and care is important. This episode talks about WebMD's article on memory impairment. Forgetfulness is a usual common thing and happens to most people, young or old, including memory champions. Distraction, stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety, absentmindedness, and many other factors may contribute. Luckily, most memory impairment problems are reversible. Temporary episodes of forgetfulness is not an indicator of Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Stages of Memory The article discusses 3 stages of memory: * Encoding – This is when a person takes information in. * Consolidation – When you encode the information you process it so that it gets stored in certain areas of your brain. * Retrieval – When you recite the information. Mine differs from the author. I give memory to four stages or four divisions. First is sensory memory, you use this to figure out your nex

This is another 4 part series of the Rock Your Retirement show. Today’s guest host, Janet Rich Pittman is ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­an expert on memory. So if you want to find a way to slow your brain's aging process, then you're going to love this episode. In the first of these four series, we will be discussing how thinking changes with aging. This came from the article on “How the Aging Brain Affects Thinking” of the National Institute of Aging. Brain aging is inevitable to some extent, but not uniform; it affects everyone, or every brain, differently. Slowing down brain aging or stopping it altogether would be the ultimate elixir to achieve eternal youth. From remembering to planning, organizing and decision making, the brain is in control. As people age, though, cognitive changes typically occur; fortunately, they can be positive as well as negative. Normal Brain Aging As you age, there are a couple of things that are kind of normal or common: Increase difficulty in finding words and recalling names, mo

This is part 4 of this series. In the first episode, we talked about Bringing Old Americans Into the Mix. The next episode dwells into Why Older Men Should Lift Weights. Episode three was about 5 things that you need to do in order to make your retirement a good one. And in today's episode, we will be discussing the article, I’d Rather Die While I’m Living Than Live While I’m Dead. Because, even at an early stage in life, you need to rethink how your approach to life would be. Would it be for the better or the other way around? Basically “Die While Your Living” means, I want to die while I'm doing something that I enjoy. My approach to life would be that I want to be out there living my life and not be sitting at home watching TV. Or as the author says putting up with that dreaded commute for a job you don't like, to earn money, to buy things that you don't need, or to impress people you don't like. All Those Things That We See As A Young Kid Are Imprinted In Us The author blames Jimmy Buffet's so

This is part 3 of 4 in this series. In episode 1, we talked about the article Bringing Old Americans Back Into the Mix. Episode 2, was about Why Older Men Should Lift Weights. Today's episode will be about the article, 5 Steps to An Awesome Retirement by Costco. Rocky Lalvani, the host of the Richer Soul's podcast is back with us to be part of this episode about having an amazing retirement process. The retirement process ought to be a happy time. You can set your own schedule, take long vacations, and start spending all the money you’ve been saving. Having a great life in retirement is not just about having enough money saved up. Like most anything worthwhile in life, it takes hard work, clarity, and dedication to make your retirement process look like what you imagined. Never Call It Retirement Don't ever call it retirement. Besides, it doesn't even sound good. Because if you think about the word retirement it's kind of like to retire, to put out, or to pasture. Instead of seeing retirement as an end to a p

Rocky Lalvani is back with us in this episode of Rock Your Retirement. This is part 2 of the 4 part series with Rocky and today we will be talking about why older men should lift weights. In this episode, we will share to you why it is important to lift weights even as you age. When you are young just the thought of starting to lift weights is hard and it's even harder if you try to begin weightlifting at an older age. Though it's hard for elderly people to start weightlifting at this point in time, it is still necessary. And the truth is that building your muscles is more important than ever at this stage of life. Muscles tend to weaken with age, and this decline can eventually rob seniors of their active, independent lifestyles. Fortunately, you can reverse that trend with a few simple exercises. It's safe, it's effective, and it's never too late to start. Because you'll never know, you may even enjoy it. The Benefits of Weightlifting * Reduce the symptoms of diabetes and osteoporosis * Improve your balanc

Welcome to another episode of Rock Your Retirement. My guest co-host for today is Rocky Lalvani. He will be co-hosting with me for the next 4 episodes. In the first of four, we’ll be discussing an article from the NY Times called Bringing Older Americans Back Into the Fold. Some of you may know that I have recently moved to South Carolina and we have an episode that talks about it. Reintegrating older adults back into the fold, kind of falls into what exactly is retirement. What does it mean to retire? And, do you really want to retire in a true sense of the word? You've made it to your 65th birthday and the world no longer seems friendly. You are preparing to leave your career job and it's more than adequate income and stay home forever. Unless you are wealthy or have invested well, you face a decline in your standard of living plus other radical lifestyle changes. What's more, your body has entered its final countdown. You feel depressed and overwhelmed. Instead of drifting into the unknown, you need to ree

This is the last of the 4 part series with my co-host Ted Carr. Today we will be discussing an article about the road to happiness. Last week, the two of us discussed an article about Estate Planning Myths. If you missed it, here is the link www.RockYourRetirement.com/166 There are many avenues on the road to happiness. (It sounds like a movie title doesn't it?) But the single most accessible, most important, most obvious route is also the most difficult to tread. We'll try to question ourselves. Can we even make ourselves happier? Is it even possible? Isn't happiness some kind of a sub like it happens but you can't really chase it? What is True Happiness? People will argue about what true happiness is. Most will say you either are or aren't born happy. Sort of like you're predisposed to be happy. However, there are certain things that you do that the result of doing them makes yourself happy. For example, if you have a lot of friends your chances of being happy are more than if you are alone. You can't reall

My guest co-host Ted Carr is back with us to talk about why retirement planning among women is unique. Ted Carr has been on the show previously. We discussed the Stages of Life which happened to be one of our most popular episodes. The subtitle to today's topic should be, “Why is it retirement planning for women more challenging or poses more challenges?” Even in retirement men and women are different. Women have plenty of hurdles when it comes to their journey to retirement. There is no one-size-fits-all and this is why it is unique. We will break down what challenges women encounter when planning for retirement so that you can work things out toward a secure future. Women Tend to Outlive Men Statistics show that women live longer than men. The average age women live to is 81 vs the average age for men of 76. It is not a secret that women have lived longer, maybe partly due to men's lifestyle. Although men are catching up because women's lifestyles are going downhill. Women have more years of the

Our guest co-host Ted Carr is back with us for this episode number 2 of our 4 part series. On our previous episode, we discussed why elderly parents fall for scams. This time, we will talk about the common myths of estate planning. Estate planning is one of the pillars of the strategic retirement planning concept. While it may be a task that gets misunderstood or procrastinated over, estate planning can provide a good direction for your loved ones in the future. Furthermore, it gives you a sense of relief as you think about where your household and assets go. Now just a disclaimer here- neither Ted nor myself are experts in the field of Estate Planning. We are just here to talk about our personal experiences. You would definitely want to discuss your own situation with an attorney. What Goes into an Estate Plan? When Les and I met our estate attorney, she talked to us not only about our assets but also about what happens if we get incapacitated. Even our very very naughty pet bird Mr. Grant was part of our es

Ted Carr will be my co-host for this podcast. The last time he was here, he gave us a great insight on the 6 Stages of Retirement. In this episode of our show, we will talk about why elderly parents are getting scammed. We have an aging population and it's usually common for them to be targets of scams. Scammers target the elderly, as they are willing to listen, maybe lonely, and are more trusting than younger individuals. Scamming is a Problem Scamming is considered the crime of the 21st century. It's hard for us to know which is legit or not. Scams target people of all backgrounds, ages and income levels across continents. All of us may be victimized at some point in time. There's no one group of people who are more likely to be scammed. Why Are Elderly Parents Being Scammed? Seniors are being scammed because they have a significant amount of money sitting in their accounts. They also are difficult to prosecute and often go unreported, especially when there are no relatives around, so they are not considere

This is the last part of our continuing saga of moving to a 55 and older community. During episode 3 of our podcast, we talked about our newfound community. My husband Les and I finally bought a new house and are moving into it. But as excited as we are about moving to a new house, there are also some things that stress us about moving. That gives us mixed feelings about it. That is why in this episode, we discussed having those mixed feelings towards moving to a new community. Are we really going to move in or are we having second thoughts about it? Not Looking Forward? Moving is one of the top stressors that a person can experience in a lifetime. While moving is so stressful, it can be exciting too. As a result of those stresses, we for one are not looking forward to moving to a new place/community. We became attached to San Diego because it's not just a place, it is already part of us. Mixed Feelings It is going to be a culture shock for us to move to South Carolina from San Diego. San Diego is a pretty n

This is part 3 of our 4 part podcast series. On the last episode, we talked about what happened during our community tour. So in this episode, My husband Les and I will continue talking about our quest for finding the perfect 55 and older community. Furthermore, we will finally reveal our decision on what community we chose to live in! What do we like about it, and why did we choose that community? Finally, We Are Home After the long search for a proper 55 plus community, we finally found our home and it is in a Del Webb community. There are instances that it is scary when moving to a new community because it simply is “New” to you but nonetheless, it is pretty exciting as well as you will see what new opportunities and activities await. Why Were We Drawn to This Community/Home For us, there are a lot of reasons why we chose to live in a Del Webb community but the main reason why we were so drawn into it is that of the activities. Being in a 55 and older community you need to have activities so as

This is part 2 of our continued community search for the 55 plus and better. In our last episode, we discussed things to compare when looking for a community to live in. In this episode, my husband Les and I are on location and just finishing up our 3-day stay at a Del Webb in South Carolina. We will be discussing our stay, our community tour, the house that we stayed at, and our likes and dislikes. We will also talk about the community, and how a 55 plus community can help you do more of what you love. Explore Del Webb Usually, Del Webb communities offer day and night passes. During your stay, their friendly ambassadors will do a community tour and will guide you through pieces of information about the community. Our community tour took us 4 hours but it was very helpful. During the stay, you can meet residents, do the community tour, explore the houses and clubhouses, the amenities, and enjoy everything you need inside a Del Webb community. The Two Sections in the Community Tour Del Webb has been around for

 We are back! Having been on hiatus for the past month. Most of you may know, but for those who haven't yet, Les and I have moved to South Carolina. During the process, we have recorded a series of episodes, and this one is the first in that series. It is about, “What to compare for a 55 and older community search.” Home for the 55 and Older Community Today, I together with my husband Les discussed how to find homes for the 55 and older community. There are certain aspects that you need when looking for houses at these certain ages. We will guide you on those during this podcast episode. In today's episode, we will compare different scenarios on what should be considered when buying a house for you because relocating constantly could be tiring and exhausting for you especially when reaching that certain age that you want this to be the house that you want to live in for the rest of your life. What is a 55 Plus Community? A 55 plus community is a type of location that is designed to accommodate peo

HERE'S THE LIST OF THE TOP 10 MOST DOWNLOADED PODCAST IN 2018 * Episode 135 – Downsize your Home and your Life by Kathy Gottberg* Episode 141 – Retire Early and Travel Part 1 by Keith and Tina Paul* Episode 117 – Finding Meaning and Purpose in Retirement by Fritz Gilbert* Episode 143 – Tips for a Great Retirement Experience by Randy Gardner* Episode 116 – Six Pillars of Retirement by Kathe Kline* Episode 142 – Retire Early and Travel Part 2 by Keith and Tina Paul* Episode 123 – Longevity and Staying Young by Judy Gaman* Episode 121 – How Seasonal Jobs can Help you Rock Your Retirement by Kelcy Fowler and Matt Moore* Episode 138 – Men and Women in Retirement by Dr. Sara Yogev* Episode 129 – Clever Life Hacks to Improve Health by Kathe Kline

Les and Kathe: Corny Jokes Corny Jokes for Christmas Day! Merry Christmas everyone! It really is the most wonderful time of the year! Les is with me today and we will read corny jokes! Here are some corny jokes for this holiday season. If you have a 10-year-old kid, you can invite them to listen to this episode. They'll find it hilarious (or not!) LOL We'll resume normal programming next year. SOURCE: We FAILED to keep a record of where on the internet these jokes came from.  If they came from your site, we thank you and apologize at the same time.

Do you need to downsize your home? What about downsizing your life? Why are these things beneficial as we retire? We are re-releasing our episode about downsizing. Our guest is Kathy Gottberg, a published author of six books along with numerous magazine articles. On her blog, SMARTliving365.com, Kathy explores ideas and experiences to help create a sustainable, meaningful, happy and rewarding life for herself and others. Since turning 60, Kathy has become increasingly interested in ideas around positive aging and retirement. Learn more about rightsizing and why downsizing doesn’t have to be a downgrade in this episode. On today’s show we discuss: * Rightsizing vs. downsizing * Why rightsizing is so beneficial as we age and retire * How to rightsize What is rightsizing? Anything you have in your life requires energy, time and effort to maintain. The beauty of rightsizing is it allows you to choose what’s important to you. Use your time, energy and resources on the things you value most. You can rightsize jus