Fighting Obesity to Live through Healthy Aging

Being over weight will hurt you if you let it and do not do something about it. It is not good to be over weight, obesity can cause your body harm.

What are something that can happen to me if am overweight?

If you are over weight there is many things that can happen to you. Obesity is responsible for heart attacks. Obesity is behind sleep apnea, strokes, diabetes and so on. When a person is overweight, they often hurt all the time. Sometimes it makes it difficult to breath. Obesity causes the heart to work harder. You may have a hard time walking across the floor. Obesity can make you feel depressed and not want to go anywhere or do anything. Being over weight is bad on your health.

What can I do to help myself?

You have several options, yet the first is to gain willpower to take control of your body. The next step is to start eating the right foods, getting some exercise and so on. If you can exercise like you want to that is great, take it slow and do a little at a time. Do not overdo it. If you over work your body, the body will let you know. Obesity prevents many from staying active. A persons emotions and mental state is affected by obesity, since you start thinking I don't want to do anything. You have to do something. Get out of the house and take in a movie. Perhaps you could visit some friends that you haven't seen in awhile. The more active you are, you will start feeling better about you and maybe you will lose some weight. You need to go see your family doctor to see if its ok to do this before you start. Your family doctor may give you a diet to go by and maybe recommend the exercises that will benefit you.

What should I eat?

I cannot tell you what to eat. I can however give you a few pointers. Instead of frying your food, bake it. Baking meats, veggies, etc will help cutback grease. Baking will help drain the fat out of the food rather than if you fried the food. Fried foods mean fat, fat, fat and can harm your heart. Eat three times a day breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eat plenty of raw vegetables, and salads. If you enjoy chocolates or sweets, find substitutes. Yogurts may offer you a new taste as well as reduce your risks, especially if you choose the fat-free groups. Try to stay away from fast foods. Fast food has obesity written all over its menu. Heart attacks follow. If you enjoy dining out, then find family owned restaurants, since the family will serve you healthier dishes. When you sit down to eat at home, avoid eating in front of the television. You should avoid seconds as well.

Being over weight is hard on you both mentally and physical. If you have, will power then try to lose weight? Start out by taking it slow. Don't go hog wild since it will only make your heart race. You need to learn your limits to help you lose weight and take control of your health. If you find it still too hard to lose weight then maybe you should see if there is a local support group around so that you can join it and get the support that you need. You might want to stay away from people that do not give you support. You will need lifted up not let down.

Property Investment for Retirement

While many fortunes have been made and lost in the real estate business, many people overlook the value of real estate investing when it comes to planning for retirement. There are many great ways that you can let real estate build a nice little nest egg for your retirement and the sooner you begin the process the better.

While there are all kinds of stocks and mutual funds that confuse even the most intelligent among us, real estate is a pretty straightforward business to get into. The problem is that many people feel it is too risky. The truth is that there are many different types of real estate investing that all carry different risk to the buyer. One thing is for sure and that is that with proper care and attention properties tend to gain value over time rather than lose value. If you purchase properties today and properly maintain them, you can not only reap years of rental income while paying the mortgage on these properties but you can also find your retirement home and pay today's prices for it rather than the prices of tomorrow.

When it comes to real estate it is always good to arm yourself with knowledge before taking any steps and you should carefully discuss all plans for your financial future with your trusted financial planner or advisor. His or her job is to give you guidance when making plans and purchases that will affect your financial stability and security. They can also help you with the matters of taxation, cost analysis, estimated inflation, and the average rise in property value for an area.

As I mentioned before there are always risks when it comes to any sort of investing. The same holds true for real estate investing. Things can go wrong. On occasion you will find lemon properties, for this reason you need to have a complete and thorough inspection performed before you purchase the property. You should also make sure that you are aware of your state and local laws as they apply to landlords. For this reason it is a good idea to consult with an attorney that specializes in this type of financial investing in addition to your financial advisor.

Rental properties aren't the only way to build a property investment portfolio. There are all kinds of property investment opportunities for those that are willing to take the risk. When it comes to property investing, the greater risks often net the greater potential rewards. The thing you must remember is that you are gambling with your financial future. I tend to stick with rental properties as they are a fairly safe bet and actually pay for themselves over the years while building a nice nest egg for my future.

There is the eternally fascinating investment opportunity that property flipping presents for one. When flipping a property you purchase a property below market value-preferably one that requires minor cosmetic repairs. Make the repairs. Then sell the house for a substantial profit. This is a risky venture for those who are novices to the field and many would be investors have lost a great deal of money doing this. Successful investors however can net significant profits in a very short amount of time if they have the knowledge and skills to do the work themselves and time things perfectly.

There are even more property investing opportunities that provide even greater risk, as they are highly speculative known as pre-construction investing. This is the type of investing that creates millionaires. On the flip side it has sent many into bankruptcy along the way as well so tread very carefully before engaging in this sort of real estate investing and take great care never to invest more than you can afford to lose.

As you can see there are ample opportunities in real estate to create an outstanding financial retirement plan for you and your family. The only decision you need to make is whether or not this type of investing is a good fit for your comfort zone.

Elderly Individuals Have Treatment Options for Depression

Your doctor can advise you regarding the treatment plan that is right for you. The plan may involve one or more methods of treating your depression. Chances are good that the plan involves a combination of different treatments.

Treatment Options:

The option that is commonly recognized due to media coverage is that of antidepressants. These medications are believed to be very effective in treating those aged 65 or older. There is a risk that the antidepressant may have a potential negative affect on other medications that you may already be taking; so always tell your doctor and your pharmacist of any other medications you are taking when antidepressants are prescribed for you. It is important to always follow dosing instructions carefully and to continue taking the medication unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Always tell your doctor if you experience a side-effect that is mentioned in the pharmacy leaflet or has been explained to you that you may notice. Your doctor can make changes in dosage or may even change your medication based on these side-affects.

There are many different kinds of antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (tricyclics).

Another treatment option is psychotherapy. This is a method of treatment that is often times done along with medication. Therapy becomes a relationship between the counselor and the patient. Discussions are how the patient works through some of the symptoms or signs of their depression. Therapy sessions are typically 45 minutes to an hour and span weeks, months or even longer depending on the needs of the patient. Most sessions are covered by healthcare plans in full or partially. Psychotherapy is sometimes done when mediation is not a part of the treatment plan because of desire or because of counter indications is present. There are many functional and social consequences of depression in the elderly and psychotherapy has been proven to be beneficial for resolution of these issues.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used when all other methods have failed or when the patient is experiencing severe depression and all other options do not look as promising. It is a method that needs to be evaluated prior to using it. The treatment is performed only by skilled health care professions due to the fact that an electrical impulse is applied through the scalp by electrodes. The patient is under general anesthesia during the procedure. A muscle relaxant medication is usually also given to the patient to relax muscles. Patients are carefully monitored during the entire procedure. The procedure is usually given up to 3 times a week for 2 to 4 weeks depending on the needs of the patient. The patient wakes up shortly after the treatment is finished and usually remembers nothing of the treatment. There is typically a short period of confusion following the treatment.

The best prognosis for recovery from depression is usually achieved when the elderly patient is diagnosed and treated early in the depression and when the patient has a social support network that may include several types of individual and groups including those who love and care for the individual (family and friends), community groups and support groups designed for elderly individuals with depression. Treatment options may involve a combination of medication, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy and also individual and group social networking.

Keeping your Mind Sharp with these Mind Games

Exercising your brain keeps you young. Just treat your brain as any other muscle; if you don't use it, you lose it. Challenging your mind is part of what keeps you focused. When you constantly engage your brain, you keep your mind sharp and you are also more likely to retain new information. Constantly learning is the only way to keep that brain fog at bay.

If you are stuck on ways to keep your mind sharp, there are quite a few things you can do. Read on for some handy tips:

1. Crossword puzzles are a great tool for keeping your brain active. Word games keep those synapses firing and stimulate the neurons in your brain. You could forge new pathways in your brain by keeping it flexible with crossword puzzles.

2. Sudoku is another sharp tool to keep your brain focused. It is a game that is based on a grid with numbers one through nine displayed in various boxes. The object of the game is to number all the blank boxes with the appropriate number between one and nine without repeating them. Sudoku takes some getting used to so most people start off small and work their way up to progressively harder number puzzles.

3. Memorizing your favorite poetry verses or quotes can keep your brain limbered up. Memorizing something means that you working your mental muscles; you are incorporating techniques unique to you in order to accurately remember a poem, a song or something else.

4. Recognizing how you learn can go a long way towards engaging your mind. Some people learn by doing while others are visual or rely on auditory processes. If there are things you need to remember, choose your preferred method of learning to remember what you need.

5. Take a continuing education class. By always learning something new, you can continue to forge new pathways of information in your brain. Plus, the social interaction and engagement helps in keeping your mind sharp and focused.

6. Choose a diet conducive to learning. If you indulge in too many sweets, carbohydrates, alcohol or fatty foods, this can impair your thinking and make you sluggish. You want to eat fresh fruits and vegetables for the vitamin and mineral content. Choose whole grains over refined flours. Eat low-fat dairy and lean meats and fish. Drink green tea for its antioxidant properties. By choosing a healthier diet, your brain power will improve.

7. Sleep plays a big part in remembering things as well as keeping up mentally with others. When you do not get enough rest that means your brain has not had a chance to thoroughly process all the things you have learned throughout the day. So when you try to learn more things, your brain will rebel. Sleep and rest is important for maximum brain function.

So many factors affect your brain power at large. By following the handy hints above, you are doing everything possible to keep your mind sharp and your brain focused, regardless of your age.

The Elderly and Their Depression

Clinical depression or as it is sometimes referred to as, "major depression", is a biologically based brain disorder. This type of depression can affect behavior, feelings, thoughts, and the physical thoughts of the individual suffering from it. The older individual who is suffering from clinical depression will complain about feeling lousy or unwell and others including the doctor caring for them may dismiss the feelings as normal aches and pains of advanced age. It may be misdiagnosed, overlooked or just plain ignored even by well-meaning caregivers. This is a serious disease that has affected 11.6 Americans yearly including those considered to be elderly.

Individuals who are depressed have poor appetite, lack energy, will either sleep poorly or sleep too much and be unable to concentrate adequately to function while doing daily tasks.

Once diagnosed with depression, there is hope for the elderly that they can again return to a normal life. Treatments are very effective if treatment is initiated. The problem is that less than 1/3 of the elderly individuals who have depression symptoms ever seek treatment.

Depression has many forms and no matter why or the cause of depression it is still something that majorly affects your life. The elderly (65 years or older) face many obstacles in life, an illness like depression can seriously undermine any effort to function as in being dependent and even disabled to the point of bringing about hardship for themselves and any family members.

What makes depression in the elderly different?

You would think depression is depression no matter the individual's age, right? Wrong. The very basic difference between a younger individual going through clinical depression and someone over age 65 is that an elderly person is much more likely to have disease issues (usually multiple) that will have an impact on their ability to recover from the physical side-effects of depression. The physical side-effects of depression are by-products of not being able to function due to the depression. As an example:

A depressed individual will either have a great deal of difficulty sleeping or will sleep too much. If the individual is not getting enough sleep than the body will not be in optimal shape to fight off infection, to repair itself from cell damage, or to have an alert mind for making critical decisions regarding healthcare. An individual who sleeps too much will miss medication doses, missed doctor appointments etc., you get the picture.

Depression also leads to an increased risk for cardiac diseases that risk already increases just with the advanced age of an individual; so depression speeds up this process.

Depression studies have shown that the combination of serious illness or chronic illness and depression increases the risk for death from these illnesses; even if the depression is mild.

The depressed elderly individual is also at an increased risk for suicide because the duration of depression tends to last longer in the older individual and has such a devastating effect on health issues; suicide is a very appealing alternative to someone facing the combination described above.

Support:

It is critical that anyone suffering from depression become surrounded by caring and supportive individuals and organizations; it is critical to the survival of the elderly depressed person that treatment and support be initiated as soon as the diagnosis is made. Healthcare workers are becoming increasingly aware of the many risks faced by the depressed elderly in their care thanks to research and study documentation. Recognizing the signs of depression in the elderly is now the main concern of those who are involved in eldercare. Doctors and other non-psychological professionals need to understand that depression is not normal in the elderly. Depression is serious and must be on the mind of any doctor who is seeing elderly patients in their practice.

Planning your Financial Retirement

While there was once a standard age for retirement in this country and people could count on their company pension plans or retirement funds to get them through their twilight years we are finding that people are often living longer than their funds intended and that their quality of life in these years is much better than in decades past. In fact, we are seeing a growing number of retirees that are dedicated to health and good, clean, fun living. This is something almost unprecedented throughout history and yet our retirees are younger in many ways than ever before.

This is where the problem kicks in for most. If you haven't heard, social security, which was meant to secure our golden years is in serious financial trouble. Part of the reason for this is because people are living longer than was intended when this program was invented. For this reason, we are seeing more and more young people taking their financial retirement planning into their own hands-particularly as we are witnessing more and more retirees coming out of retirement in order to put food on their tables because their retirement funds aren't enough to make ends meet.

It's really sad to see those that must return to work in those years where they should be watching their grandchildren playing rather than going into work day after day. If you don't want this to be you then action needs to be taken. You cannot depend on social security for your retirement and chances are that social services will be a long forgotten thing of the past by the time we reach retirement age. There are several things you can do that will help you when it comes to setting aside and investing money for your retirement.

The earlier in life you begin socking away money for your retirement the better. This of course does not mean that there is no hope if you wait until later in life only that you will need to make more substantial investments and save more aggressively if you choose to wait until a later date.

One thing you should carefully consider when planning for your retirement and setting aside funds for that end is how much money you feel you will need in order to have the quality of life you hope to have upon retirement. Many people are working longer than in the past in order prolong their investment period. It helps if you set specific goals so that you have a number to work towards. You should discuss your plans and goals with a financial advisor from the very beginning in order to get the most accurate advice that is customized for your individual needs.

Just as there are very few things in life that are one size fits all, the same holds true when it comes to planning for your financial retirement. We all have goals for our golden years. Some of these goals include jet setting around the world while others of us seek little more than a modest existence, a garden to call our own, and a steady supply of good books to on our nightstands. There are all kinds of retirement plans and they will each require their own unique and individual means of funding.

One important thing you need to keep in mind is that while saving is great, investing is often the wiser option for increasing your funds and netting larger earnings upon which to retire. There is risk involved in investing and you need to be aware of those risks before choosing to do so, however, there are many times where the rewards far outweigh the risks that are associated with investing.

You should always discuss your retirement plans and goals with a qualified financial planner. He or she can offer advice and guidance that could make a huge impact on the scope of your retirement and your lifestyle upon retiring. Choose your planner with as much care as you choose the plan for your financial retirement and you should be in good hands.

Staying Fit and Healthy Aging

The aging process starts from the day we are born. A person may not realize it but we need to work on staying fit and healthy everyday. In the end, you'll feel and look younger all during the aging progression.

There are many things you can do to stay healthy and feel good. Watch your diet and continue activities throughout the course of your life. Your diet has a lot to do with aging and health. Your diet contains vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you need to stay healthy.

If your over weight try getting yourself into an exercise program. Walking is a great program to get involved. Start out walking gradually and work your way up to 12 to 15 miles by walking two or 3 times a week. Walking brings up the heart rate making it do its work. You can loosen the tight and stiffness in your legs and besides loosing weight with diet it will help to tone your muscles. Combined weight lifting with your walk agenda but don't over work, yourself because it will make your muscles sore. Along with your new walking and weightlifting program trim down your diet and take supplements to make up for the vitamins you are cutting out. Exercising will burn up some of your vitamins too so make sure you take enough but not too much of the supplements. If you are not sure about the amount to take, consult you physician.

As you build new activities, you will be meeting people and that always gives you something new to talk about to help keep the depression away. You will need encouragement and support throughout your goal to stay healthy. Seek support from family, friends, or people with the same goals.

As we grow older high cholesterol becomes a health issue with most of us. Your new walking program is a good start to lowering your levels. 2 miles a day, 3 times a week will help you to lower your cholesterol by helping you lose the excess weight you've put on in the last couple of years. If walking doesn't seem to be helping to level out your cholesterol, try eating seven nuts. The combination of both will sometimes bring it to a balance. Be sure your doctor knows what your doing as these things continue. Grease is good in nuts and olive oil to help lower the blood pressure and blood sugar as well. Try changing your diet and eat more whole grain foods while you cut back on the meat you love so much. Instead of using, spreadable fats use olive oil and canola margarine. As a snack...sneak in those nuts:

Has your blood pressure gone up in your older years? Try adding three servings of low-fat dairy products to you diet. Calcium, magnesium and potassium are good to help lower that blood pressure.

Cancer is always a threat to us young or old so we need to start early on trying to help prevent it. Vitamin D is a good vitamin to take along with getting 10-15 minutes a week of sun with no sunscreen on. Watching your diet and taking vitamins, helps reduce the risks of getting colon, breast, or ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer for women is very common, yet women have the power to lower their risks. Green and black tea 2 times a day or even eating an apple or grapefruit will help. Anything that is high in antioxidants is good.

Mixing your foods to cover everything daily is a good idea so you don't get bored eating the same things all the time. Mixing up what you eat in a recipe or on your plate the nuts, maybe some black-eyed peas, whole grain wheat bread or cereal and add a little peanut butter on that bread.

Changing your foods that you eat may not stop you from getting cancer but it is known to lower the risk and help prevent it. Remember your not a doctor so be sure to have regular check ups.

The Aspects of Aging and Staying Healthy

Money is the root of evil, and as we age, our money becomes less and less. You still need to keep in mind that you have to stay healthy. Staying healthy is the key to a long and better life.

The older we get the more we think we know what is going on when we're sick and not feeling well. It is very important to know when it is time to make that visit to your doctor's office. It is good to know how to take care of yourself but there is some things that if let go to long it could be too late. Over the counter drugs may not be the right decision. Recently, studies showed that some over-the-counter drugs are causing serious side effects. Your doctor can help you to find which over-the-counter, or medications to help you stay well.

When you do break down and make that appointment or go to the emergency room for care you need to be able to work with the doctor. Your doctor needs to know what you've already taken at home for the problem so he doesn't give something that will counteract to your home remedy.

Tell your doctor about all your past history of illness. He needs to know what immunization shots you have had and what treatments you've had in the past. If you can't remember, keep records and dates handy. Knowing about your family health is important as well. Some illness run in the family and the doctor needs to have an idea what to look for when he makes his diagnosis. Always keep a list of current medications your taking including the over the counter drugs.

When you go to see your doctor write down questions you may have. Ask him to explain. Always ask questions if he says or does things and your not sure, what they are for. Remember a question not asked is a stupid one. Tell him if you are already taking a drug and you don't feel like it is helping. If you don't agree with what your doctor is saying always feel free to get a second opinion.

Routine check ups are very important to a healthy you. Having routine checks may not seem important but there could be something going on and maybe your doctor can catch it in time before it progresses too far. Make sure you get your flu and pneumonia shots every year as recommended. The shots may not stop you from getting the flu but it can lessen it so you won't be so sick. Get out to help that depression, which sets in on older people faster than others do. Maybe take some classes on diet and exercise. There you will learn and meet new people. The activities will be good for all. If you don't want to take, classes try a support group to meet people.

Most importantly, don't take your health into your own hands. I know with the high cost of medications and healthcare it prevents us from receiving the care we need. Still, you will find resources available to help you get that care.

One little thing like a sore throat that won't go away could be a serious problem and it is very risky in the end. So, don't just keep trying to treat it yourself. This is what doctors are all about.

See your doctor especially if you're experiencing a squeezing in the chest, having severe pain, your vision is blurred. Trouble talking and swallowing, feeling weak on one side or the other, dizzy or confused, your doctor may find something more serious than you think it is. In addition, if you notice blood in your urine or stool, depression set in for any length of time and a fever lasts longer than it should, you should see your doctor. Remember taking your health into your own hands increases your risk of uncommon aging.

Retirees Need to Practice Healthy Snacking

Being retired doesn't mean that life has to slow down. You can adopt new exercise programs, find a part time job or even indulge in a new hobby. Wherever your new retired life takes you, be sure that you take care of yourself first. Part of maintaining your health is a good eating plan, especially when you are snacking or on the go.

As you get older, your metabolism changes. Some people have a hard time eating big or heavy meals while others need several mini-meals a day in order to maintain their energy. If you fall into one of these categories, chances are that you are snacking a lot. You want to ensure that your snacking is healthy, not filled with a bunch of junk food.

There are several benefits to eating right when it comes to snacking. First of all, a healthy snack that contains fiber and other important nutrients is ideal. With a good snack, you can satiate your hunger throughout the day and prevent overindulging at regular meal times. Plus, with metabolisms being different, your rate of burning calories may change. Therefore, smaller meals like snacks can help you keep your metabolism running strong.

There are some snacks that you should avoid and some that you should embrace. Read on for a few pointers that retirees should follow when it comes to healthy snacking:

Snacks to Avoid

* Sugary sodas and other drinks that just provide empty calories that are best spent on healthy snacks.
* Put the candy bars, cookies and other sugary snacks away.
* Nix the extra salt that you find in chips, nuts, jerky and other prepackaged "snack" foods.

Snacks to Embrace

* Fresh fruit, dried fruit like prunes or raisins, and even frozen fruit when some of the fresh is not in season.
* Raw veggies with a low calorie dip are a great snack. Try carrots, colored bell peppers, celery, broccoli cherry tomatoes and more. A low fat dip could be made from yogurt, cottage cheese or you could even use a low fat salad dressing that is low in sugar.
* Stick with whole grain products such as breads and crackers.
* Hummus made from ground chickpea is a winner and chock full of great healthy vitamins and minerals. It great when spread on whole wheat crackers or used as a veggie dip.
* Stick with low fat and fat free dairy products. If you find that you develop a bit of lactose intolerance, switch to lactaid treated dairy or soy milk products.
* Some nuts are good for you. Just be sure that you do not get the sweet or salty versions.

Proper healthy snack choices can be very important as you grow older. Because metabolisms are not what they used to be, you need all the help you can get in order to stay healthy. Add the healthy eating with proper exercise and hydration (carry a water bottle with you everywhere) and you will live a long, productive retirement.

How to Make Sense out of a Retirement Calculator

A retirement calculator is simply a tool that allows you to "reasonably" compute just how early you can retire from working. To arrive at the correct conclusion, however, a retirement calculator needs you to input the following the information.

1. Year of Birth - The earlier you start planning, the better because it provides you with a longer time frame in which to save and invest your money properly.

2. Tax Bracket - This will give the retirement calculator an estimate on how much your income is reduced by taxes, what benefits or additional fiscal dues are associated with your tax classification.

3. Retirement Age - This gives the retirement calculator an idea on how much you should save in order to reach your retirement goals.

4. Years in Retirement / Life Expectancy - The retirement calculator would need to know just low long your plan would be in use as your main source of income.

5. Current Salary - Naturally, your present salary plays a huge role in determining the outcome of your retirement plan. If your current salary is too small, for instance, you may be forced to invest for a long time and wait till you reach the maximum working age of 70 before you can retire in semi-comfort.

The second category that a retirement calculator would ask you to fill out would be regarding your retirement plan.

1. Desired Income - How much do you wish to live on every month after your retirement? You must be realistic when it's time to input a figure because this is something that you have to work hard over the year; it is definitely not a product of wishful thinking.

2. Amount for Heirs - How much do you wish your plan to set aside for your heirs? Most plans usually have clauses that concern the rewards or dues for beneficiaries. It's important that you already know who you'd wish to benefit as well from all your hard work. Along with a retirement plan, it's also prudent to take care of setting up a will early on.

The third category of questions concerns information of your investment portfolio.

1. Growth Rate - What is the percentage of growth of all your investments? This information could be used to shorten the estimate time needed for you to reach your retirement goals.

2.Inflation Rate - This is the opposite twin of the growth rate and it should be taken into account as well because it has the power to drastically affect your investments and cause you to work longer than necessary in order to attain your goals.

The fourth category deals with all other investments, properties and accounts that are subjected to special fiscal or tax considerations.

1. Tax Deferred Retirement Plans - Consider this as manna from heaven because it speeds up the time you need to achieve your goals

2. Tax Deferred Individual Retirement Plans - Meeting certain conditions can make an employee qualify for such plans. Be sure to check with the nearest government agency to find out more.

3.Tax Deferred Investments - You can consult with your bank manager to find out which tax-deferred investments you can benefit from as well.

4.Taxable Mutual Funds - If you have no knowledge of mutual funds, your bank manager can once more provide you with the necessary information

5. Fixed Assets - These assets can also be utilized to shorten the time frame used in your retirement plan.

Tips on Using a Retirement Calculator

- Avoid using simple retirement calculators; although they're certainly easier to use, the simplicity of the formulas they use will often produce inaccurate and misleading results.

- You do not need to approach a financial consultant to benefit from a retirement calculator; there are many retirement calculators that you can easily find online.

- Use a retirement calculator to evaluate your present strategies and goals and see if they are still viable and attainable.

- Do not subject a retirement calculator to one-time-use only. A retirement calculator must be regularly used for you to see if your strategies are continually effective.

- Make sure to use a retirement calculator the moment there are any changes involving your income, investments or even your health condition!

- If there is any possible way to further increase your income or decrease your expenses, do it. Then use a retirement calculator and see how it affects your plan - in a positive way of course!

CSRS or Civil Service Retirement System

The Civil Service Retirement System has been in place since 1920 giving disability, retirement, and survivor benefits to the majority of civilian employees in the federal government. In 1987, FERS or the Federal Employee Retirement System was put into place to replace CSRS, however there are still over one million people collecting CSRS benefits each month.

Retirement benefits through CSRS are a little confusing. The amount of benefit in retirement is based on not only the duration of service, but also the average pay received over the highest three years of pay. In other words, if you worked for them for 25 years, and the last 3 years were the years when you were paid the most, those three years would be averaged together and your benefits would be based on that number. I think. Retirement benefits are presently being financed by both the government and employee contributions to the retirement fund.

There are eligibility requirements to receive the benefits of CSRS. An employee is qualified to retire voluntarily if the following provisions are met: Five years of creditable civilian service; separated from a position subject to CSRS coverage; is covered by CSRS for at least one year in the following two years after leaving the position; and meets age/service combinations of age 55 with 30 years of service, or age 60 with 20 years of service, or age 62 with 5 years of service. Employees who separate from service and have met all requirements except for age/service combination may be permitted to a deferred annuity at age 62. There are also stipulations regarding this benefit.

Honorable active military duty may also qualify, subject to conditions. It was executed before the separation date upon which is the basis for entitlement to annuity; it is not comprised in computation of military retired pay except for certain service-connected disability requirements; if the military service was executed after December 31, 1956, some employees will have to create a deposit for the service to receive firstly or for other employees, to retain credit after the age of sixty-two.

Although the service used in determining an employee's eligibility for retirement is typically the same as creditable service for computation purposes, there are some exceptions: periods of CSRS service refunded, will not be creditable unless a redeposit is made; if the refunded service was executed before October 1, 1990, it will be qualified even if no redeposit is made but the annuity will be actuarially decreased; non-education service is made on or October 1, 1982, is not qualified if a deposit has not been made.

There are so many stipulations and qualifications for the benefits of CSRS, they cannot all be listed here. The best advice that can be given on the benefits of CSRS is to speak with someone in person who can help you better understand your rights and benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System or Federal Employee Retirement System.