Archive for the ‘business’ Category

It’s All About Aging:What I’ve Learned

Friday, October 1st, 2010

There seems to be a big need for a site like It’s All About Aging. Too many people are dealing with issues involving their parents and/or themselves with no single source of information. No way to get your ducks in a row and plan for the future, and so much to plan for.
Five years ago when I was conceptualizing it, and figuring out my exit strategy from my former company, people were tossing crazy sums of money at Internet companies. Since this would be my second “child” getting it funded should be easy (easier?). Right. By the time I was looking for funding, the economy had crashed, and money had dried up.
But this isn’t supposed to be a rant about trying to build a new business in the face of adversity, and how the obstacles just get higher and higher. It’s supposed to be a blog about the amazing people I’ve met in the journey, and the lessons  learned along the way. I’ve made new friends that will be friends for a long time, and I’ve started to learn what makes me happy.
One of the things that makes me happy is food and cooking. For those of you who get the newsletter, you know I’ve been working on a cooking show and related site, the Accidental Locavore. So I’m shifting my focus to developing that along with this and a couple of other related projects. Look for my blogs, recipes and videos on www.accidental-locavore.com. I’ve also been writing a monthly column for my friend’s EcoPlum site.
Thanks for your continued support, and I look forward to filling you in on my cooking adventures.

I’m still going to be a member of the Blogging Boomers Carnival, but under the Accidental Locavore blog. Check out this week’s posts.

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Posted in aging, boomers, business | 2 Comments »

Long Term Care Insurance: Got it? Get it!

Monday, September 13th, 2010

Like me you’ve probably thought about Long Term Care Insurance, and maybe you’ve looked into it, or maybe not. The first time I did was about ten years ago. The insurance agent I met with was one of the most dour individuals I have ever come across, and what he had to say was enough to make even the happiest person on earth, reach for the antidepressants or a gun…Not to mention that the insurance that you don’t want to deal with was expensive, and would only cover your entry into a nursing home. Pleasant huh?

Fast forward ten years. One of my goals this spring was to review insurance policies, my will, and health care proxies. I’ve pretty much gone over all the insurance policies, and fine tuned them when possible. What I decided to do was to cancel a disability policy, and turn it into long term care for my husband and myself. He’s going to be 65 this fall, and we wanted to nail the long term care down before it got stupidly expensive. We found an interesting new policy from MetLife that gives you options for your care. You get a lifetime “bucket” of money, the amount you determine, that you can spend on home care, assisted living, etc. If you’re married, you and your spouse get your own “buckets” but if one spouse uses up their “bucket” they can tap into the other spouse’s pot. There are lots of options for dollar amounts as well as inflation riders, etc. It seems about as flexible as an insurance company can get. Donna Desideri and Gail Linn have been really helpful in maneuvering us through the maze.

Be prepared that it’s not an easy or quick process. There are many forms to be filled out, and a 30 minute phone interview to check your physical and mental health. The trickiest part of it came at the end, when you’re asked to remember ten words, use them in a sentence, and repeat them back when requested. Using them in a sentence was easy, but when it came to coughing them up a few minutes later…I got eight out of ten, but for the life of me, couldn’t remember the other two. Here’s where you’re going to laugh, one of the two words I forgot? Husband!

Don’t you forget this week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival!

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Posted in aging, boomers, business, Insurance, will | No Comments »

Lettuce Running Amok, Infidelity, THC, RV’s, It Must Be The Blogging Boomers Carnival!

Monday, July 26th, 2010

What do you think is the number one site used in divorce cases involving infidelity? What happens when lettuce runs amok? Where else could you find the answers to these and other burning issues for Boomers, but the Blogging Boomers Carnival? I’m hosting this week and invite you to check out and comment on:

  • Family law attorneys say the number one site most often used as evidence in divorce cases involving infidelity is Facebook. Read about it at LifeTwo.com.
  • Over at Contemporary Retirement, Ann reports on a new study that suggests that it’s friends, and not children or grandchildren, that could be the key to a happy retirement.
  • SoBabyBoomer tells us about two boomers, concerned with surviving their individual career challenges in a declining economy, visit the library to discuss how to proceed with their phased retirement.
  • As it turns out, the medicinal properties of THC found in cannabis or marijuana go far beyond soothing pain and nausea.  They may even cure cancer someday!  Learn more here.
  • A trip down Memory Lane with The Boomer Chronicles. My fab RV trip down South.
  • It used to be easy. Wear red shoes with a red purse. How things have changed! Get the scoop on the modern rules for co-ordinating your purse and shoes at Fabulous after 40.  
  • Vaboomer has a giant lettuce plant gone amok in her crazy garden.  Help!
  • Janet Wendy at Gen Plus has fallen in love all over again…with an Android.  The Droid X by Motorola, to be exact. 

    • And I’ve got another blog,the Accidental Locavore, check it out and see what I’m cooking and eating that’s local and fresh. This week’s farmbasket was loaded with tomatoes, corn, and lots of other goodies.

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    Posted in boomers, business, family, health, memories, people | 2 Comments »

    Hurricane Season and Your Records. Huh?

    Thursday, July 15th, 2010

    It’s hurricane season, and depending on where you live, it’s a cause for preparation, or just another couple of months on the calendar. Well, no matter where you live, hurricane season is a great reason to safeguard all your important papers (and if you have a business, do it for the business too). My friend, CPA, Linda Hamilton offers the following tips:

    Create a Backup Set of Records Electronically. Taxpayers should keep a set of backup records in a safe place. The backup should be stored away from the original set.

    • Keeping a backup set of records – including, for example, bank statements, tax returns, insurance policies, etc. – is easier now that many financial institutions provide statements and documents electronically, and much financial information is available on the Internet.
    • You might also want to add copies of your passport, drivers licence, even credit cards.
    • Even if the original records are provided only on paper, they can be scanned, which converts them to a digital format.
    • Once documents are in electronic form, taxpayers can download them to a backup storage device, like an external hard drive, thumb drive, or burn them onto a CD or DVD.
    • Taxpayers should consider online backup, which is the only way to ensure data is fully protected. With online backup, files are stored in another region of the country – so if a hurricane or other natural disaster occurs, documents remain safe (I use Carbonite).
    • Document Valuables. Another step a taxpayer can take to prepare for disaster is to photograph or videotape the contents of his or her home, especially items of higher value. A photographic record can help prove the market value of items for insurance and casualty loss claims. Photos and videos should be stored with a friend or family member who lives outside the area, or can also be stored online. Putting the videos on YouTube, is probably not a great idea…
    • Update Emergency Plans. Emergency plans should be reviewed annually. Personal and business situations change over time, as do preparedness needs.
    • Don’t put it off. The next rainy day, is a good day to do it.

    And don’t forget this week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival. Where else can you get info on everything from PSA tests to why you should be on LinkedIn?

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    Posted in aging, boomers, business, crisis, people, taxes | 1 Comment »

    Have You Ever Heard of a Credit From Goodwill? Read On.

    Friday, June 11th, 2010

    My former business partner, Leslie and I have an ongoing challenge as to who has the cheapest mother. Over the years the title has  bounced back and forth. There was the time several years ago when the Sunday NY Times ran an article about our former business, Project Solvers. I called my parents to see what they thought of the piece. My father sounded uncomfortable and mumbled something about talking to my mother.

    “What, don’t tell me you didn’t buy the Times today!”

    “Your mother will have to explain it to you…”

    When my mother got on the phone, she told me that she had asked one of their neighbors who subscribed to the Times to save it for her. In the meantime, she had gone down to the train station, and snuck a peek from a copy there.

    “Mom, it’s not like my last name is Bush, and I’m in every day. You should have told me and I would have sent you the $5.”

    That kept my mom on top of the competition for quite a while.

    More recently, in a cab going to dinner after my cousin’s graduation from Harvard (doctorate in Public Health, it never gets old!), my mother was telling us about a recent Goodwill purchase. “I talked your father into going to Goodwill because I had a $4.99 credit. I found a teakettle, and between the credit, the senior discount, and the Tuesday discount, I came out with a teakettle, and a credit for $.77!

    I think the same thought crossed the minds of everyone in the car at the same time…

    “Back up a minute. You had a $4.99 CREDIT at Goodwill? Aren’t you supposed to be giving them stuff?”

    “Well, I bought something and I didn’t like it, so I returned it.”

    Is there anyone who isn’t howling with laughter? We were!

    “You returned something to Goodwill????”

    “Of course, I bought a pair of jeans for $4.99, I took them home, and they didn’t fit so I returned them.”

    More laughter!

    Anyone got a story that could top that?

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    Posted in boomers, business, family, seniors | 2 Comments »

    From Protest Dogs in Greece to Helicopter Parents for Dogs: You’ll Howl at Blogging Boomers Carnival 162!

    Monday, May 17th, 2010

    It must be Blogging Boomers Carnival time!

    It’s All About Aging is hosting this week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival 162 and for some reason it’s gone to the dogs…

    • Starting with a strange phenomenon that occurs at the protests in Greece. A protest dog appears at each protest, barking away at the police. Read more at Vaboomer.com: http://tinyurl.com/protest-doggies (I had to friend the dog in Facebook, how about you?).
    • SoBabyBoomer has previously reported on boomer helicopter parents and today reveals how boomer women are finding activities for their dogs-–just like they did years ago for their kids.
    • Before you add a dog to your LinkedIn pages, Andrea Stenberg tells you how to decide who to connect with on LinkedIn. She says on the social networking site LinkedIn, a network of 500 highly targeted connections is far more valuable than a network of 5,000 random people.
    • How relevant is sex as we age?  Is it possible that your best sex is still to come?  The Midlife Crisis Queen tells you more about this!
    • Then… What makes the female brain unique? Read “7 Sexual Secrets Every Man Needs To Know About Women” at LifeTwo to find out.
    • After that, don’t we all want to live to 100? Coming to a pharmacy near you… drugs that will help us all to live to 100.  Ann at Contemporary Retirement takes a look at the once-daily pills that will stave off the effects of old age and help us remain healthy and disease-free.
    • What’s the most gorgeous city in the world? Paris? Rome? Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels, who is midway through a four month backpacking trip around Mexico and Central America, claims that Guanajuato, Mexico is the most beautiful city in the world. Check out her photos and see if you don’t agree.
    • If your son or daughter is getting married, and you’re wondering what to wear to look elegant but fashionable, check out these top 5 trends for mother of the bride dresses from the Glam Gals at Fabulous after 40.
    • Janet at Gen Plus remembers the days of actual, on-paper, rejection letters, while The Boomer Chronicles says: My parents spoke Yiddish. All of us offspring do not. If the language dies out, it could be our fault.
    • Check out my new blog, the Accidental Locavore on eating local and fresh. As we progress into spring I’ll be giving you hints on how to pick great produce and some easy, delicious ways to cook with it. Let me know what you think, OK?

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    Posted in aging, boomers, business, health | 4 Comments »

    How Have Men Survived? 10 Calls That Did Not Change the World.

    Thursday, May 6th, 2010

    Have you ever wondered how men have survived all these years? Here’s a perfect example…

    Last week, someone very close to me decided to go to LA for business. In a weak moment I sent him a link to a cheap fare on Virgin America.

    1. First call: “I can’t find the site, can you send me the link?”  Link sent.
    2. Second call: “There’s no cheap fares here.”  Try going directly to Virgin America.
    3. Third call: “It’s not cheap if I go next week”  Have to purchase 14 days in advance.
    4. Fourth call: “What if I go the 20th & come back the 21st?” You have surgery scheduled for the 21st. “Oh, right.”
    5. Fifth call: “I’m going to go the 26th & 27th.” What about the work you have to do on the Tony Awards?
    6. Sixth call: “I called and there aren’t any rehearsals scheduled for those two days.” That could, and probably will change.
    7. Seventh call: “I can’t find any cheap fares for when I want to go.” I go to Expedia, type in May 18th & 19th and find three fares to LA under $300. Try Expedia.
    8. Eighth call: “I booked it for May 19th & 20th. Great (thinking this is the end)!
    9. Ninth call: “Do you think I need a hotel room?” Well, you are spending the night, where were you planning on sleeping?
    10. Tenth call: “OK, I booked a hotel and a compact car.” That’s wonderful! (thinking it’s amazing there were no calls about a car…)

    Let’s just hope the volcanic eruption in Iceland doesn’t decide to change directions between now and May 19th!

    What’s your best survival of the fittest story?

    Don’t miss this week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival, some great travel advice this week.

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    Posted in aging, boomers, business, love, men | 2 Comments »

    A New Twist on Spring Cleaning

    Friday, April 9th, 2010

    This year along with gleefully putting away the scarves, gloves and snow shovels, why not make part of your spring cleaning taking a careful look at insurance policies, wills and health care directives? Often things in your life have changed since you first created these documents. What situations have changed for you? Are all your directives still valid, or is someone you haven’t spoken to in years still your executor? Isn’t spring a perfect time to dust off those documents, and rethink your priorities?

    Since I sold my company 5 years ago, first we got rid of the partners life insurance. Now, I’m  looking at my disability policies. Should they be changed to long term care as that might be more relevant to my life going forward, or were they written long enough ago that they’re too good to give up? Mind you, if you are disabled, according to a recent GMA investigation, you might find yourself being tracked by the insurance company. Isn’t it always amazing that you pay so much for insurance, and they’re so loathe to pay it back to you? Maybe the answer is to cover your bets, and keep most of the disability and add some long term care. What do you think?

    Then, I’m making an appointment with my attorney to review my will, health care proxy, etc. to make sure they’re all up to date, and still the way I want them. At the same time I’m going to review my beneficiaries, and update those retirement plans and insurance policies. Remember the blog from a few weeks ago? Maybe this time I’ll even get my husband to finish and sign his (hint, hint).

    What documents do you have that could use a little spring cleaning?

    Don’t forget the other Blogging Boomers, this week’s carnival is hosted by So Baby Boomer.

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    Posted in boomers, business, cleaning, Insurance, legal, people, will | 1 Comment »

    Need Funding? What’s in the Dodd Bill That Could Hurt Entrepreneurs

    Thursday, April 1st, 2010

    It's All About Aging Bill SigningAre you an entrepreneur looking for funding? In the new comprehensive finance reform bill that Chris Dodd is heading up, are provisions that would increase the cost, and the time to complete angel financing for new business ventures. As someone who knows first-hand how difficult (if not impossible) it is to find funding, the idea of regulating angel investors, will just make an extremely difficult situation, essentially impossible.

    According to a recent Huffington Post article: “Under existing law, start-up companies can raise money easily and quickly from “accredited investors” — individuals with substantial wealth or income. There is no need for the companies or the investors to gain approval from any state or regulatory official.

    All of this would change if Section 926 of the Dodd bill is included in any final reform legislation. That section would require, for the first time, companies seeking angel investment to make a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which would have 120 days to review it. This would both raise the cost of seeking angels and delay the ability of companies to benefit from their funding.”

    With loans, even when they’re SBA backed, non-existent, a credit crunch, and now this, how are businesses going to get started? Bootstrapping is fine for a while, but there comes a point with most new ventures when growth requires capital. How will the economy recover if no one is starting ventures? And how did a bill that is supposed to reform those “to big to fail” manage to impact those of us who are too small to lobby?

    I’m getting off my soapbox now, but if you care about saving entrepreneurs, and creating jobs, let congress know.

    On a lighter note, check out this week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival.

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    Posted in boomers, business, legal | 1 Comment »