During the first 6 months of 2017, over 80,000 reports were made to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) of scams costing nearly $40 million dollars. Those over the age of 45 seem to be the hardest hit so what can you do to […]
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Decluttering your home and your life while you’re retired
It’s probably easier to actually do something to declutter your home and your life at the beginning of the year before all the pressures of just living make it too hard to contemplate. For those of you who have the courage to make a start, […]
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Your attitude in retirement keeps you young – or makes you old
I recently spent some time with an old friend I hadn’t seen for a few years. He’s in his early eighties and moves a little slower than he used to. What hasn’t changed is his positive attitude to life and his desire to make the […]
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Retirement – Mind & emotions: Being grateful is good for you
I’m guessing that many of us have been making New Year resolutions which hopefully haven’t been abandoned yet. Many resolutions are about improving our lives in various ways and looking for better outcomes in 2018. I’d like to suggest that as well as looking for […]
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Boomers or bust
In the Weekend Australian of Dec. 9-10, Bernard Salt wrote a thought provoking article about Baby Boomers retiring and the major impacts that this trend will have on society. As Baby Boomers have moved through their life cycle, they have dramatically changed many of the […]
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Retirement planning is about your life… Not just your money
Most of what passes for retirement planning in Australia is focussed heavily on peoples’ finances. We are led to believe that if we get out finances properly organised, retirement will be like a one long, happy holiday. For most people, that’s simply not true. Now […]
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Don’t worry, be happy – in retirement
Most of us have heard the song. The good news is that we are in control of our own happiness and if you want to be happier than you currently are, and are prepared to work at it, you can experience more happiness in your […]
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Are we “seniors” or “super adults”?
It’s well known that lots of baby boomers don’t see themselves as “old” and don’t like to be regarded as “seniors”, “retirees”, “oldies” or other terms that suggest that they’re “past it”. We all think that the date on our birth certificate is wrong and […]
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Facing the Future
It’s common knowledge that people in their 60s and 70s today are much healthier and fitter than their parents and grandparents of a similar age. We are living longer and many of today’s school children in advanced economies will live to 100.
It’s unrealistic to think that in the near future we can continue to start work in our early 20s and retire in our 60s. This would mean being retired for around 40 years and it’s unlikely that many people would have acquired enough superannuation to last that long.
The obvious solution is that most people will be working into their 70s and the Government is already legislating for this to happen. However if people are to continue working in jobs that they find satisfying, it will be necessary to remove age discrimination from the workforce. Currently it’s alive and well established.
One way to help achieve this is for older people to be seen as productive members of society and not people whose “use by” date has arrived. Many of the terms used to describe people over 60 come from the first half of last century, when many in their 60s were old and frail. That’s not the case today and we really need a new description that reflects the life of 60s and 70s in the 21st Century.
The popular web site”Starts at 60” ran an article recently asking viewers if they preferred to be called “Seniors” or “Super Adults.” This article generated over 200 responses. Some loved “Super Adults” and some hated it. I think this was OK. The worst result would have been if people thought that “Super Adult” was so bland that they neither liked or disliked it and didn’t respond at all.
This new term gets noticed. It’s a humorous send- up where older people are prepared to laugh at themselves and push back against those descriptions that stereotype people over 60 as “old” and “past it”. To be a “Super Adult” says that you have a sense of humour, you are involved with life and still have a useful contribution to make to society.
Caravanning when you’re retired
Travelling with your partner can be a great experience or it can cause domestic friction as you both spend a lot of time together in small spaces. Here are 10 tips that should help make your next caravanning trip more fun 1. Expectations: Set the expectations of […]
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