Retirement ain’t what it used to be

In the good old days dreams of retirement almost always had us picturing a place where heavy coats were not required, where you could bask in the warmth of the sun-and had all the time in the world to do just that. But, as we got closer to the day when we thought we could make those dreams come true the, economic realities of growing old rudely awakened us, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens.

The fact is that in this day and age not many of us old timers are confident that we can afford retirement, says AMAC.

A new survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that too many of us who are still in the workforce are stressed at the thought of retirement yet we “are not taking steps to prepare for it.” The poll also concluded that there is a great deal of financial insecurity in the workplace causing workers to have lower levels of retirement confidence.

We all like discounts

Too many older Americans lose out on discounts when they shop or go to a restaurant or a movie because they fail to ask whether they are entitled, says the Association of Mature American Citizens. But, 59-year-old entrepreneur Steve Mitchener says his new cell phone app automatically notifies you of available discounts.

The app is called Skiddy and it uses GPS technology to alert you when a discount is offered. You’ll hear a “ping” when you walk into any of the 260,000 businesses that are currently programmed into the Skiddy application. And, he says he has a team that is constantly looking for new establishments that offer discounts to the over-50 set.

Take your medicine

Whether it is a visit to out-of-town family and friends or a grand tour, more seniors than ever before feel up to taking a trip, but they should take precautions, says the Association of Mature American Citizens.

Top of the list, says AMAC, is to make sure you bring along enough of the medications you take and then some. In fact, make a list of your prescriptions just in case there is an unexpected travel delay and need refills.