Transitioning Into Retirement

8 Ways to Ease the Shift


Everybody talks about being retired, but less common is the in-between period when you may no longer be working full-time, yet are not what you might consider “senior” (especially as this definition keeps getting revised upwards!). How can you help the reverse mortgage clients and prospects you serve (and perhaps their Boomer children) to ease the transition into retirement?

Life shifts can be tricky to navigate, at every stage. I remember thinking, a few weeks after starting my first professional job, “Is this all there is?” I was surprised that I felt like a fish out of water, since I’d worked since age 15. But this felt like the true end of childhood, and all I could think was, “Do I have 40 more years of 8 to 5 to look forward to?”

Re-tire Your Career Wheels and Tread A New Path

reverse mortgage newsAt the other end of the career spectrum, similar feelings may arise. No matter how illustrious one’s career — in fact, the more notable someone’s career path, the more challenging retiring may appear — at some point, most people will surrender this role for the mantle of retiree. It’s only the exceptional who are still teaching, inventing worthwhile products, or practicing medicine well into their eighties and nineties, though this number is also likely to increase along with healthy longevity.

Some of the best retirement wisdom comes from those who’ve been there. Ninety-year-old author and former war correspondent Roy Rowan writes, in Never Too Late: “Living happily without your old job title can be made easier by re-tiring the wheels of your career, so to speak, and driving off in a new direction.”

And this 86-year-old counsels retirees (or anyone in the second half) to ask themselves the one question that will change your life.

Here are eight practical suggestions to help your reverse mortgage clients — and the younger generation — prepare to transition into retirement:

1. Volunteer! From libraries, schools, and animal shelters to digital creativity (blogs, webinars, social media…), there are myriad ways to share your wisdom and support, online and in the physical world.
2. Launch a flexible, part-time gig from home, such as a neighborhood dog walking service.
3. Create a daily/weekly structure to stay healthy and engaged, including such staples as exercise, journaling/meditating or similar, and social activities.
4. Develop a daily check-in with a friend who is also about to retire, or one who has already retired and can support your transition.
5. Enroll in a lifelong learning course through such schools as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) part of UC Berkeley, or the Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco.
6. Explore The Transition Network, a national resource for women 50+.
7. Join or start a Meetup group that fits your interests, whether that’s dance or dream interpretation, hiking or Ham radio.
8. Become digitally literate. Now that you have the time, you might be amazed by what you can do on your laptop or smartphone. Resources such as New York’s Senior Planet Exploration Center call it “aging with attitude”!

Finally, maintain (or develop) your sense of humor most of all. While few of the chronologically gifted might wish to star in these movies, some of the titles are an lol (laugh out loud).

 

Now or Later? That is the Question

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The Cost of Waiting & Hedging Against Falling Home Values

reverse mortgage newsPerhaps it is laughable to some to even consider hedging against falling home values. After all homes across the nation have appreciated nearly to their pre-housing crash levels. How quickly many homeowners forget the harsh lesson learned in 2009 that what comes up may come down. The truth is beyond being a source of cash flow or a retirement planning option, reverse mortgages can help older homeowners hedge against the risk of falling home values. Even worse, those who wait for their homes to appreciate could end up losing a substantial portion of their borrowing power when interest rates increase.

Jack Guttentag, better known as The Mortgage Professor, addressed the considerations of waiting to get a reverse mortgage in his recent column in the Huffington Post entitled “Should You Take a Reverse Mortgage Now, or Would It Be Better to Wait?

Guttentag begins by describing the notable difference in the sense of urgency that a homebuyer has versus a potential reverse mortgage borrower. “ A prospective home buyer…

Download a transcript of this episode here.

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Millennial “Retirees”? Not Exactly…

But they’re smoothing the way for today’s elders


What happens when a Millennial becomes Entrepreneur-in-Residence at a retirement community? He gets the inside scoop on what daily life is really like for people who’ve lived most of their lives minus the technology 20- and 30-somethings take for granted. And the experience engenders a fresh appreciation for positive aging.

This unusual program originated out of a desire to develop technologies to address and improve physical, social and mental challenges for the very old — and immersion in their daily experience seemed like the smartest way to learn what might be needed.

Says Brookdale Senior Living Entrepreneur-in-Residence Andrew Smith, “People 80 and above are the fastest growing population, but for too long we’ve been designing products for everyone but this population. There’s a huge opportunity to enhance seniors’ lives with new technologies, services and products.”

senior-techSeniors: The Original Tech Innovators

This population is much more tech aware than Millennials might think at first blush, Smith reminds. “If you are 100 years old, you have lived without the web for 85% of your life. But I balk when people say seniors are resistant to technology, because they are the very inventors and consumers who drove all this innovation in the first place. Think about it: television (1927), microwaves (1947), putting a man on the moon (1969), home video game consoles (1972), mobile phones (1973), Sony Walkman (1979), and on and on.”

Smith’s 2-minute video shows how eager the residents were to share every aspect of their lives with him, knowing he was there on their behalf. It’s a heartwarming testament to the incredible value of simply listening and asking questions about elders’ lives, which is what the best reverse mortgage professionals do every day with their clients, prospects, and family members of the seniors they serve.

How Millennials are Transforming Death Discussions

Perhaps even more surprising is the way Millennials have stepped up to face the last taboo, many decades before it will become reality for most of them: death discussions. A Stanford medical postdoc who witnessed “how often we put patients through painful procedures without having a meaningful conversation about their health goals and all the potential outcomes,” co-founded Copilots in Care with his business school friend.

An app that connects patients to in-person social workers who help them reflect on their medical wishes and facilitate open discussions with family, Copilot asks the questions people might not have considered — or may have thought about, but refused to discuss.

Says Evy Schiffman, 65, whose husband was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer at 63, “Boomers have always been willing to speak about the unspeakable. We will transform the way society looks at, talks about and faces death. Because death is not optional.” She and husband Neil talked candidly about how Neil defined quality of life, and what he wanted his death to look like. Now innovative startups such as Copilots in Care will make it easier for everyone to have the essential discussions that allow them to have the end of life they deserve.

 

Baby Boomer Equity Should Be Considered

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Baby Boomer’s Wealth is in Their Home

reverse mortgage newsThe new expanded definition of a fiduciary for financial advisers could expand the required discussion of assets to be considered in a comprehensive retirement strategy. Good news considering the fact that the baby boomer generation is largely unprepared for retirement. In last week’s episode we discussed the recent ruling by the Department of Labor expanding the definition of a fiduciary to include those who give investment advice on more common retirement accounts such as IRAs. Soon red flags could be raised for financial professionals who fail to look at home equity when advising their clients.

A recent article in Investment News by Jamie Hopkins explores the implications of the new fiduciary standard. Hopkins says “an expanded fiduciary standard for financial advisers will put pressure on a variety of areas in the retirement income-planning profession.” The expanded fiduciary standard may seem overreaching to some financial professional trade groups but it could help protect baby boomers from receiving incomplete advise which could cost them dearly financially or in lost opportunities.

Consider the three sources of wealth…

 

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

Allergic Reactions

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Challenging Denial? Proceed with Caution

reverse mortgage newsIt’s springtime here in the western U.S. where the sun shines, flowers and trees bloom and allergy season begins. In fact as I speak my car is covered with the yellow telltale powder of tree pollen. While physical allergies are easy to identify and treat, what about allergic reactions to truth?

Physical allergies are triggered when a person comes in contact with a substance that triggers a a reactions, most commonly a release of histamines that seek to protect your immune system. The problem for those who have allergies their bodies have confused harmless substances as potential threats creating a defensive response. Psychological allergies are quite another matter. Each of us have our hard-wired responses to perceived threats, unsettling information or personal conflict. Some our own responses  could be likened to an allergic reaction.

The same can be said with the prospective borrowers we meet. If we do not tread carefully when exposing the truth that more funds are needed to fund their retirement the feedback can be less than pleasant…

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

The Retirement Gender Gap

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Income Disparities Create Retirement Shortfalls for Women

reverse mortgage newsWhile much political attention has been given to the income gap between men and women there is another sobering fact: women aged 65 or older are 80% more likely to find themselves impoverished in retirement than their male counterparts. While the retirement crisis reaches across the gender divide it is especially damaging for women. One contributing factor is that women typically live longer than men and thus will require a larger nest egg to support retirement says Diane Oakley, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security who penned the report.

“Shortchanged in Retirement, The Continuing “Challenges to Women’s Financial Future” outlines the specific hurdles women face and how the gender gap may further stymie women’s ability to plan for retirement. “Women are financially disadvantaged because we still earn less than men and we typically take time out of our careers for caregiving- both which reduce our ability to prepare for retirement,” writes Oakley in a written statement on the report.

 

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.

One Partner Retires, the Other Doesn’t

The New Retirement (Part 2): One Partner Retires, The Other Doesn’t



reverse mortgage newsLast month we examined when retirement makes sense in terms of competency. But what if your reverse mortgage prospect(s) are perfectly competent, yet one half of the couple is planning to retire while the other wants to keep working?

A Cornell University study found that although the transition to retirement is stressful on marriages in general, the conflict is greatest when only one partner retires — and when men retire before their wives, they can often spiral into depression. (Note: While this study focused on heterosexual unions, the following guidance can apply across the spectrum of domestic partner arrangements.)reverse mortgage news

Couples therapist Harriet Pappenheim recommends couples create a vision of their ideal retirement. Each partner should ask themselves:

  • How will I fill my days?
  • What would I like to achieve?
  • What new pastimes will I pursue?
  • What habits do I wish to avoid?

“So many couples head into an out-of-sync retirement without having even considered, much less discussed, what the retired partner will bring to the relationship now that the dynamics have changed,” says Pappenheim. This can create resentment for the working spouse unless you discuss the upcoming retirement and possible shifts in household responsibilities in advance.

Another option many almost-retireds tend to overlook is how they can repurpose and recycle their expertise for the second act. In the age of content curation, where using what already exists is considered as viable as starting from scratch, the decades of experience under someone’s belt could morph into the ideal retirement job. Consider whether you (or a reverse mortgage client or prospect who desires to keep working) can:

  • Consult for your former employer
  • Mentor a Millennial entrepreneur, or anyone who can benefit from your experience, as this new movie with Robert DeNiro showcases.
  • Use your skills and knowledge in a non-profit or service role.
  • Monetize a hobby: teaching piano, event photography, tutoring students in reading or math.
  • Put hidden talents to use in part-time work that’s satisfying to you now. For some elders, the jobs they’re doing late in life are their greatest joy.
  • See what’s needed in “your own backyard”.

There are a number of ways to work from home that don’t require a large expenditure to launch, such as pet sitting or blogging. Such ventures can be especially rewarding if income takes second place to doing something different and enjoyable.

Finally, re-evaluate what “retirement” looks like to you. This 100-year-old educator has been professionally retired for a while, but remains “a walking history and a role model for our students,” according to her school superintendent. “She’s always recommending good books for me and others to read at the library, where she still serves as a board member.” That’s a profile of someone who may be formally retired, but is still filled with purpose and passion for sharing her gifts with the world.

 

For more reverse mortgage information, tools and technology visit ReverseFocus.com today.

Now What? New Retirement Part 1

The New Retirement (Part 1): Now What? A Resource Guide

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reverse mortgage newsBoomer retirees are nothing like their predecessors. Not only are today’s retirees looking at possibly decades of life ahead, they still have much to contribute, as one LO noted in response to last month’s post about knowing when it’s best to relinquish the reins.

He wrote, “I would appreciate additional sources for my personal direction at this point in my life. At age 68 I am looking at retirement (with one eye only) but want to stay active and perhaps be of service to others. Can you recommend books, etc.?”

Following are some of the best “new retirement” books and websites we’ve found, curated for easy sharing with your reverse mortgage clients, prospects, friends, and among yourselves:

  • The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife. Author Marc Freedman is an “encore careers” expert who defines what this “Third Age” looks like. His website, Encore.org, contains a number of Resources for Encore Seekers who want to use their next act for greater good.
  • SHIFTonlne.org is a second careers network focused on helping people in midlife and beyond fuse productivity and purpose to create meaningful later life work for social causes.
  • Life Planning Network (LPN) is a community of professionals and organizations from diverse disciplines dedicated to helping people 50+ navigate the next phase of their lives. LPN has a network of nationwide chapters and consultants to help people identify and move toward their goals in the second half. They’ve also published a guidebook, Live Smart After 50!
  • The Transition Network (TTN) is a national member organization for “women 50 and forward” who are in transition. A unique TTN service, The Caring Collaborative, provides members with hands-on support when circumstances require it, such as a broken leg or temporary illness. The program offers a variety of services chapters can adopt depending on their needs.
  • The Center for Conscious Eldering, which we highlighted in detail in this post, can guide you or your reverse mortgage clients and prospects on their inner journey. For many, addressing deep questions about meaning and purpose becomes important later in life, especially if they haven’t explored these subjects earlier.
  • Vital Aging Network is a non-profit whose mission is to promote self-determination, civic engagement, and personal growth for people as they age, through education, leadership development, and opportunities for connection.
  • Sixty&Me is a site by, for and about woman 60+, focusing on life and career reinvention, retirement, travel, health, money, friendships and more. Upbeat and chockfull of useful information in a digital magazine format.
  • Suddenly Solo, started by a sociologist in his eighties, is “A lifestyle road map for the mature widowed or divorced man.” They’ve published a book with the same title. The site focuses on solo living for older men who may be living alone for the first time, and includes advice on dating and relationships, health and fitness, finances, and more.
  • Leading Age is a non-profit consortium of 6,000+ organizations representing the entire field of aging services, including 39 state partners and hundreds of businesses, consumer groups, and foundations. The site provides portals for aging services technologies, applied research, housing services and advocacy, and offers a plethora of opportunities to get involved.
  • Retirement Café’s Fun Things to Do When You Retire. While Ernie Zelinki’s site is basically a promotional vehicle for his book, How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free, it’s also informative, and focused on loving your life as a retiree.

In addition to this list, many retirement websites are location-specific, so you may want to search for retirement support resources in your area. There are hundreds of sites to guide you, your clients, and friends on their evolving journey. If you find the above list useful, please let us know and we can develop a follow-up post.

 

For more reverse mortgage information, tools and technology visit ReverseFocus.com today.

A Lucrative Option?

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Reverse Mortgages hold advantages for the ‘mass-affluent’

reverse mortgage newsReverse mortgages can be a valid retirement planning tool for those in need of cash but also for those who are financially well off.

Last Monday the Huffington Post published “Is a Reverse Mortgage a Lucrative Option with your Financial Situation?”. Cited in the article was a white paper published by Edinboro University stating that using a HECM line of credit is more lucrative than selling investments. This speaks to the mass-affluent borrower with substantial retirement savings and investments as opposed to the needs-based-borrower of the past.

Beyond merely preserving the portfolio by not selling depreciated assets the study cites the tax benefits. “Commonly, retirees will use 401(k) funds, or other savings to pay off a mortgage. But if there’s enough equity in the home, the reverse mortgage could be used instead of using tax-deferred savings.” A good point since qualified…

Download a transcript of this episode here.

Looking for more reverse mortgage news, commentary and technology? Visit ReverseFocus.com today.