Welcome to Boomer411. We hope you will visit again. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed.

Ever wonder, how various regions in your state fare in terms of the number of Seniors, their health and wellbeing? Well, if you live in the state of Missouri, wonder no more. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services publishes an annual report on this very same subject. You can find their latest report here. Use the quick links on the left of the report to access various sections of the report. Be sure to check the box titled ‘Data and Maps’ and use the ‘interactive data reports’ option to create your own custom reports and analysis of this information. 

Based on the data, the senior population is increasing in the southwest part of Missouri. You can also see how each county fares in taking care of its seniors, using the county profile tables.

The report, first of its kind in the nation, as per this article can be a planning tool for seniors, Boomers as well as service organizations and businesses. Projections are available for years 2010, 2020 as well.

According to Charisse Pappas, a spokeswoman for the Missouri department of health and senior services, “The surge in the senior population is the biggest public policy issue of our time. Seniors will outnumber youth and children for the first time in history by 2050.

I guess it’s time for other states to follow suit and compile similar reports. A quick search did not indicate the existence of such report in other states.

This simple, no-nonsense, back to basics guide to retirement from The Motley Fool is informative and covers the most important aspects all in a single web page. Please note that this article is not your reference guide, but if you haven’t a clue on where to start and how to approach retirement, then this is a good starting point. Also, if you are already investing for your retirement, it is still a good read to review and refresh your basics.

When we work hard to produce a situation or a result and in the end it somehow doesn’t work out, we usually end up saying “I gave it my best shot, what else could I do?” and so on.

Here is another uncommon perspective and is worth pondering over…

“It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required. ”
- Sir Winston Churchill

This is especially relevant in our times of turmoil, challenges. Rather than blindly going about working hard and ‘giving our 150%‘, may be we should take a little bit time to figure out what is it this situation demands or requires me to do and smartly getting to work on those items; this would make a world of difference to our mood and our energy.

Can you believe that sports related injuries are the no. 2 cause for doctor visits, behind common cold?

Can you believe that this is because we have come to expect to be able to continue our regular exercise routine into our 50’s, 60’s or even 70’s?

If you don’t, read this New York Times article and find out why. Some in medical circles have a new name for this syndrome, Boomeritis.

In summary, by continuing to exercise in our middle and later years, we try to keep our body healthy and fit and more active, no doubt. But at the same time, we have to listen to our body and be careful to not stretch it to the point that it experiences breakdowns. You know, as active as you may be, as we age we lose the strength, the stamina and so at 60 your body cannot do the things you easily did when you were 30. So tone your workout routines to your age and listen to your doctor.

How are we as americans doing in regards to saving for our retirement? That is the question posed and answered in this recent bankrate.com survey conducted last September. Read this article to get more details. The interesting finding is only about 28% are able to meet or exceed their monthly retirement savings goals. About 68% or more of the country’s population is not able to meet their monthly savings goal due to various reasons. The number of reasons is only growing due to the overall issues with the country’s economy. Jobless rate is growing, real estate prices are going down and so on and so forth adding more stress to the already strained wallet of the american consumer. But the fact is, when you reach your retirement age and looking at your finances and contemplating whether you can afford it, the current economic problems are not going to matter in the big picture that is your life and your retirement. Sometimes, just a few small steps can go a long way and may be a matter of taking the time to learn about them. The point to note here is, sometimes it may not even cost us a whole lot in the short term, but building a discipline and taking a few critical steps regularly and without fail can make a big difference.

We linked to a few such steps in one of our recent blog posts here. Also, while we are at it, let’s get rid of some of the common myths surrounding retirement savings. Check this out.

To summarize, start thinking about savings, start learning and planning about it. As you begin to learn, you will begin to notice opportunities for making an impact to your retirement savings, that you previously would not have noticed. This only takes a little bit of your time, but will go a long way.

All the best…