Posted on December 5, 2011 by Erin
Recently, the New York Times ran a story about Vitamin B12 and its correlation with memory loss. It is known that the vitamin becomes more difficult for the body to absorb as people age. But what isn’t necessarily common knowledge is the effect on the body. B12 is an essential vitamin that helps neurological functions and red blood cell formation in the body. Without enough B12, it is very easy to develop anemia and it may also appear as if the brain is aging at a rapid speed.
Many have tried to tie a lack of vitamin B12 to Alzheimer’s but it is still unclear if there is a connection. In fact, many older adults with memory loss are often diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease when they are simply lacking Vitamin B12. So how can you make sure you get enough B12 every day? B12 is found in meats and dairy. Strict vegetarians and vegans will have to be very diligent when it comes to taking enough supplements. And making sure you and your doctor discuss your diet openly and getting tested if you feel like you may not be getting enough B12 or you feel like your memory is beginning to get a little fuzzy.
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Posted on December 2, 2011 by Erin
We go over how to prepare you for your retirement a lot on this blog. But it never hurts to keep reminding people what it will take to make sure they will have enough money to last their entire lives. Typically, if you retire at age 65, you will have to fund over 20 years of retirement. If you’re a woman, that number increases. So what can you do? First off, start here at our retirement calculator. You can enter your information and then change it around to see what one small move can do to help make your retirement plan a little stronger.
Next, sit down and think about what decisions you can make today that can greatly affect you in the future. One, is pushing back your retirement date feasible for you? Would you be able to physically and mentally handle a few more years of working? The longer you work, the longer you can contribute to your 401(k) and each additional year of working is one less year of supporting yourself on retirement funds. Can you delay social security? This alone guarantees you a better annual rate of return. Look into annuities and make sure you can protect yourself with long term care insurance. Unexpected medical bills can ruin the best of retirement plans if not planned for. Try playing around with the retirement calculator and see what happens to your outlook when you make changes.
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Posted on December 1, 2011 by Erin
Yesterday we told you about a study that showed young investors are no better prepared for retirement than the boomers before them, and that in some cases, are actually less educated about their investments. Well on Monday, the Pew Research Center released a study that shows the wealth gap between the younger and older generations is indeed getting much wider.
Right now, the gap is the biggest it has ever been in recorded history. Older Americans are actually increasing their net worth while younger Americans are seeing noticeable declines. Why is this happening? Well for starters, kids graduating from college are facing an extremely difficult economy. Many times people in this age group have no choice but to delay their careers because they simply cannot find work. Others choose to continue with their education by going back to school . Although higher education typically means higher paychecks down the road, the loan amounts that students today are acquiring are much larger than the generations before. The fear is that if this trend continues, this younger generation will never be able to play catch up and the future for both them and the country’s economy may be dim.
How far along are you with your retirement planning? Are you further ahead than most? Try out our Retirement Calculator to see where you stand.
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