tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81426089566050481252024-02-21T10:37:48.487-06:00Retired Texas Teacher BlogThis blog will feature issues concerning retirement, Texas, and teaching. A little nostalgia will also make an occasional guest appearance.richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-83250836841119213062014-07-28T11:54:00.000-05:002014-07-28T11:54:27.463-05:00TRS Care and the Future<span style="font-size: large;">Do You have a spare billion dollars? If you do the TRS Care program would like to borrow it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You see, the state health care program for retirees is currently a billion dollars in debt. In other words the TRS Care program will soon be broke and unable to pay the medical bills for retired teachers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The state of Texas has belatedly decided to do something about this deficit by directing the Teacher Retirement System( TRS) <a href="http://www.trs.org/">www.trs.org</a> to study options for making the system solvent. You can read in depth about these options on the website of out teacher retirement association. <a href="http://www.trta.org/">www.trta.org</a>. The purpose of this blog is to briefly summarize these options for those who don't have the time to read the TRTA report and to give an opportunity to discuss your views on how to solve this crisis.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Option 1 </span><span style="font-size: large;">Pre-fund the TRS Care fund. This would create a permanent fund much like the TRS Care pension fund. Currently the TRS Care is funded every biennium by a combination of contributions from the state, the school districts and the active teachers. Retirees are required by law to pay 30 per cent of the cost through premiums. Currently the state contributes 1% of payroll, the districts .55% of payroll and active employees .65%. TRTA estimates that if the state decides to prefund , the cost to the state and districts would rise from 1.55 % to 6% of payroll and the premium costs for retirees would rise by single digits. This is because the state law requires that retirees pay 30% of the cost of TRS Care. <span style="color: blue;">My comment: I agree with TRTA'S comment that this would solve the long range funding problem but would be very expensive and painful, particularly to most retirees. I would suppose under this option here would be a fund which would be invested?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Option 2 </span><span style="font-size: large;">Continue the pay as you go option. In other words, maintain the current system which funds TRS Care every biennium. </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Even with this option costs for the state, active teachers and retirees would go up. As TRTA points out on their website, this would merely put off the long range problem for two more years. <span style="color: blue;">My comment: Of course the legislature could just decide to not fund the program at all during some future biennium.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Option 3 </span><span style="font-size: large;">Prefund the program as in option one but only for ten years, rather than 30. TRTA'S take is that this option will be less costly than option one but will still not be a permanent solution as option one would be. <span style="color: blue;">My take: I think this option deserves serious consideration. There will be added costs to the state, active teachers, the districts, and maybe even to retirees but less than option one. Plus given the changing world of health care , the situation in ten years may require a complete reevaluation anyway.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Option 4 </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Retirees </span>pay full cost of "optional coverage". Most TRS retirees are aware that there are three tiers in the TRS Care program. Tier one is considered "catastrophic coverage" The retiree actually pays no premiums for tier one but has a very high deductible. Under option two and three the retiree pays premiums but the state subsidizes the cost. Tier two and three are considered "optional" coverage. Option 4 would require retirees to pay the full cost of tier two and three. TRTA'S take is that this option would require the retiree to bear the full load of the needed reform. TRTA gives an example that a retiree on option three would find their premiums increased from $ 295 to $ 616! <span style="color: red;">My take. Holy Batman! Any legislator who voted for this plan is no friend of retired teachers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Option 5 </span><span style="font-size: large;">Make the Aetna Medicare advantage plan the "mandated" plan for medicare eligible retirees. Currently about 60 per cent of medicare eligible retirees have chosen the medicare advantage plan. TRTA'S take. This option would not in itself solve the funding problem but would be used in concert with other options. </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">My take: </span><span style="font-size: large;">I question if TRS can force all retirees onto the Aetna Medicare Advantage plan. I think under Federal law all those eligible for medicare have the right to original medicare.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Option 6: </span><span style="font-size: large;">Move to a health retirement account. Under this option, employers give a certain amount of money to the employees to buy insurance. The contribution is tax free to both the employer and employee. TRTA'S take: Trta is not even sure this is possible under the law because health savings account are usually given by employers and TRS Care recipients are not employees since they are retired. TRTA also comments that this would be a complete move away from the state's commitment to provide an accessible health care for retirees. <span style="color: blue;">My take: While I understand TRTA'S concerns I suspect that in the long run the entire U.S. health care system is going to move increasingly toward the idea that the consumer be given some amount of money and will buy their own health insurance on exchanges like the Affordable care exchanges. I think as retirees we need to assure if such a change does take place, that the state gives enough money to TRS Care retirees to make the insurance truly affordable and accessible. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A couple of final thoughts and questions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Why is TRS Care one billion dollars in debt. Someone obviously dropped the ball, whether, TRS, the Legislature, or the comptroller.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> the major cost of TRS Care is those retirees who are not yet eligible for medicare( that is the time period between the time a person retires and they reach 65). Changes to the law in the last legislature will basically require those who retire in the future to be 62 years of age, with those grandfathered out whose age and years of service <span style="color: lime;">add </span>up to seventy at the time the law was passed. This should certainly strengthen TRS Care in the long run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> The law states that premiums from retirees must equal at least thirty per cent of the costs of TRS Care. Perhaps we should consider a two tier system such as medicare currently has and have retirees who have annuities greater than, say $90,000 pay a higher premium. Just a thought.</span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">your turn I would be "pleased as punch" to have your comments. Which, if any of the six choices do you favor. Any other solutions would also be appreciated. Of course a correction to anything I have written above that is incorrect is also welcome. Just be nice, so as not to hurt my delicate self image. Just scroll down and click comments. Thanks for visiting my blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-60457317516760018782014-06-25T12:52:00.000-05:002014-06-25T12:52:03.377-05:00Retirement anxiety<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">What in the heck, you might ask is"retirement anxiety"</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Anxiety is the fear that something <u>might</u> happen in the future, as distinguished from a real fear, which is something actually happening right now. So, for example, if you wake up in the morning and fear a tornado could strike your house, thats an anxiety; if you if you look outside and there's a twister heading for your house. then that's the time to have some real fear</span> .<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what are some of these anxieties retired teachers or those pondering retirement might have? Following are a few examples:</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">Financial anxiety </span>; <span style="font-size: large;">The famed actress of the 1940's , May West said " I've been rich and I've been poor and believe me, rich is better". Well a retired teacher might not be rich but we sure don't want to be poor either. Here are a few suggestions for alleviating <i>financial anxiety</i>.</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"> Find out how much income you will have from your Trs annuity. The best route to find you answer to that question is to head down to Austin and visit TRS. I'm sure you will find them very nice folks and can give you the options on your annuity during retirement</span></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Use your summer break to try out how comfortably you can live on the annuity you will receive from TRS. That is live during your Summer break on the income you will receive from TRS when you retire rather than your regular teacher's salary.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Find the amount you have in your IRA OR 401k from your Human Resources Department. When you turn 59 and one half you can begin to withdraw from you IRA or 401K without penalty At 70 and one half you <u>have </u> to begin taking out the money from your IRA/401k. If you haven't already started a 401 K, quit reading this blog immediately and talk to your Human Resources Department.</span></li>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Find out more about investing. You could hire a financial adviser or just educate yourself. There are many superb books on investing. I'm no financial adviser, but I do have a tip. I am a strong believer in index investing and there is a wonderful website where followers of Vanguard founder Jack Bogle give wonderful, and free, advice on investing.<a href="http://www.bogleheads.org/">www.bogleheads.org</a></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"> Health anxiety. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Most Texas teachers, like most Americans, receive their health insurance through their employers. Obviously retirement will end that option. However retired Texas teachers become immediately eligible for TRS Care. TRS Care is a less expensive option than COBRA and most other options available for those who retire before they are eligible for medicare.. A word of caution though, TRS Care is facing a funding crisis and all retiring teachers should keep themselves aware of the options being considered to "solve" the problem. <a href="http://www.trta.org/">www.trta.org</a>. I plan on blogging about these options in the near future. Of course anyone who retires at 65 or beyond will be eligible for Medicare if they have paid in for 40 quarters.</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The good news is that after retirement you will have more time to develop an exercise routine to keep yourself in good health.</span><br />
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<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">Time Anxiety .</span><span style="font-size: large;"> "You've got the money honey, I've got the time." Well your Honey may or may not have the money, but you'll definitely have the time when you retire. Some retirees have a really difficult time with all that spare time. So if that's one of your anxieties, here are some not so original suggestions, but I think ,sound suggestions.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"> If you don't already have some hobbies and passions, develop some. Learn a foreign language, take a class( cooking dancing etc.,) Take up golf, tennis or some other sport</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">Strengthen your relationships. Now you actually have all that time you always said you wanted to spend with your family. Enjoy your new found time with your spouse( but not too much time) and you children and grandchildren . Also don't forget friendships. Set aside time for a weekly breakfast or lunch with your friends.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">Volunteer. There are a plethora of organizations out there seeking someone to volunteer to help their undermanned ship. They will welcome you aboard. Call up one of your local nonprofits or visit these websites: <a href="http://www.volunteers.aarp.org/">www.volunteers.aarp.org</a> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">Work part time. Working part time will not only help relieve that financial anxiety but also help build new social bonds. I myself do some substitution, but if you find that thought about as appealing as a root canal, there are many other possibilities in the world of work. For further suggestions visit: <a href="http://www.snagajob.com/"> www.snagajob.com</a></span></span></li>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Do absolutely nothing but get up each day and look upon it as a day to enjoy your free time. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this use of your time. You've earned all that time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">Your turn. If you have any of these anxieties or other anxieties about retiring, let us know. If you are already retired and have found a way to overcome these anxieties, we definitely want to hear from you. Your readership and comments are the key to this blog, so just scroll to the bottom of this page, click on comments and write to your heart's delight.</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span><br />
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<br />richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-77594481502093357262014-06-09T11:35:00.000-05:002014-06-09T12:13:41.098-05:00D Day and My Dad's worst birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">June 5th 1944 was my Dad's worst birthday. I know this because he spent that birthday with 160,000 other seasick, anxious and probably scared soldiers off the beach at Normandy. They were awaiting the order to land on the beaches and begin liberating Normandy from the iron grip of Adolph Hitler.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Dad , Hersell T. Wilson, (who I will often refer to as Hersell: just remember Hersell is my Dad)was born in Corsicana Texas on June 5th 1915. Like many of his generation, he had to drop out of school and was working as sharecropper on a farm when he met and married my Mother, Aileen, in 1936. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The winds of war blew into Texas in the early 1940's and Hersell was drafted into the army in October 1942, leaving alone his pregnant wife Aileen . This writer was the not yet born child.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Hersell was assigned to the 90TH Infantry Division. The division was called the TO Division because they were primarily from Texas and Oklahoma, but later the TO was said to stand for Tough Hombre . Allegedly the tough hombre tag was given to them by General George Patton himself, as they were assigned to his Third Army. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Dad and others in his division spent 1942 training in Death Valley California because they were ostensibly going to fight in North Africa. This being the Army though, after training for North Africa, they were sent to England to take part in the Normandy invasion. After training in England my Dad's unit was assigned to take part in the D Day assault and that was how he would up off the coast of Normandy on his birthday of June 5th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Actually General Dwight Eisenhower, the commander of Allied forces for D DAY , had planned for the attack to take place on June 5th, my dad's birthday; however a storm front with heavy rains and winds struck the English channel and the province of Normandy on June 5TH and the assault had to be cancelled. Most weather forecasters were predicting the storm would last for several days which meant the invasion would have had to be postponed indefinitely because the tides would have prevented the invasion after June 8th. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The meteorologist assigned to the allied forces told General Eisenhower that he believed there would be a break in the storm on June 6th. General Eisenhower trusted his weather forecaster enough to give the order to attack on June 6th. Had the German weather forecasters been right and General Eisenhower's forecaster been wrong the invasion would probably have failed, thousands of Allied soldiers including my Dad would have died, and Western Europe would have remained under Hitler's control. That Allied forecaster may have made the most important weather forecaster in history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Dad , like most of those who were there never talked much about the horrors of that June 6th on Omaha Beach. Those of us who saw the opening scene of the movies. <u>Saving Private Ryan</u> or <u>The Longest Day </u>probably have some small idea of what those men went through. My Dad only mentioned that he nearly drowned climbing from the troop ship to the landing craft( lSI landing ship infantry), that was to take them to the beach. Apparently to save himself, he dumped the tripods for the machine gun in the channel. When they reached the beach and an officer asked about the tripod my Dad informed him the tripod was back in the water and he was welcome to go get it if he wished. The tripod stayed in the ocean. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hersell and the other survivors of that Longest Day( ten thousand died) moved inland after securing the beach. General Patton's third Army led the Allied forces in the liberation of France and became the first Allied unit to cross into Germany. Hersell's war, however, ended in October 1944, when he was seriously wounded at St' Lo France, losing a finger and suffering other wounds from a mortar shell. After several months in a hospital in London he returned to the United States In 1945.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Mother has told me that Hersell would often wake up at night during the middle of the night, shouting, as the memories of the carnage and cruelty he had seemed invaded his sleep. One memory that stands out to me is a conversation between Hersell and an acquaintance when I was a teenager. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Acquaintance:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> How much disability payments do you draw from your World War II wounds</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Hersell</span>: About $ 50</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Acquaintance: </span><span style="font-size: large;">Why that's a shame :only $50!</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Hersell: </span><span style="font-size: large;">Fingers were going very cheaply in those days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hersell lived to celebrate many more birthdays after that terrible 1944 birthday. He spent most of his working life with Seven Up company in Waco Texas and even managed to survive the youth and teenage years of my brother and I which hopefully weren't quits as traumatic as that day in Normandy. I know he particularly enjoyed his retirement years with my Mother and the time he was able to spend with his two lovely granddaughters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My Dad has been gone for seventeen years now and it has been 70 years since his worst birthday, but not a June 5th or 6th goes by that I don't think of him and those other wonderful World War 11 veterans I had the privilege of knowing. They were my heroes when I was seven and they are still my heroes at the age of 70. </span><br />
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<span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">Your turn: I would be most pleased to have you comment on the article or tell about your own relatives or friends who may have been veterans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-8995964909342267532014-01-08T17:28:00.000-06:002014-01-08T17:28:58.322-06:00Elvis is 79 <span style="color: lime; font-size: large;">Elvis Is Alive</span><br />
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Elvis may have left the building but he is still alive in our minds and heart. January 8TH would have been Elvis' 79th birthday.. So why am I writing about Elvis on this site; after all Elvis didn't live long enough to retire, was not from Texas, and was not a professional teacher.All true but I think most of us who are currently retired teachers do have vivid memories of Elvis from our youth so I'll share my memories and hope you'll share your memories or thoughts.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Elvis and we Who Were Once Young</span><br />
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Elvis was born in Tupelo Mississippi in 1935. After public schooling and a brief stint as truck driver Elvis began singing at various places near his native Mississippi. The first time I heard of Elvis was when I was about 14 and an uncle of mine who was stationed in the air force in Louisiana came to visit us and said he had seen this young singer on a local country and western show in Louisiana. "Mark my words this Elvis Presley is going to be a big star.". I can't remember if I marked his words but I have obviously remembered them. Elvis first hit public fame when he checked into <b>Heartbreak Hotel,</b> warned us not to "<b>Step On His Blue Suede Shoes" </b> and scolded us for being <b>"Nothing But a Hound Dog"</b><br />
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These hits led to Elvis being featured on the biggest variety show of the time the <b>Ed Sullivan Show</b> and the second biggest show <b>The Steve Allen Show.</b> Elvis reputation was made when NBC ordered the cameras to not show Elvis from the waist down because Elvis made some moves while singing that were quite suggestive for the 1950's. Elvis may not have given birth to Rock and Roll but he soon became it's king. This of course insured his popularity with all of us who were then in our teens and were looking for a rebel with a cause. The fact our parents disapproved of him was of course even more in his favor. I've always thought Elvis came along at just the right time . After all there were 74 million Baby Boomers ( born between 1946-64) and they had money to spend because the USA was the richest country in history in 1954 and teenagers, a new concept in the 50's, had disposable income which they spent mostly on records. Yes, there was once a thing called records. I myself talked my parents into buying me a guitar, which I'm sure they couldn't afford. Other than my striking resemblance to Elvis it soon became evident that my guitar playing left much to be desired . OK OK so I don't have a striking resemblance to Elvis either. Elvis went on to make one hit song after another in the 1950's . My personal favorite was <b>I Can't Help Falling In Love with you".</b> All of this ,of course, further consolidated Elvis as the King of rock and roll.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Elvis Went to Germany and the British invaded.</span><br />
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In 1958 Elvis was drafted into the army and served two years in Germany. In my mind this has always stood out more than any other fact about Elvis character because he could have found a way to avoid service but chose to interrupt his career and served honorably for two years Elvis met a the young daughter of his commanding officer there, a stunning fifteen year old named Priscilla who would become his wife and a star in her own right. Elvis left Germany in 1960 and I joined the army arrived in Germany myself in 1962. I always joked that the army sent me there because they didn't want the German Frauleins to be to disappointed over Elvis leaving. The Frauleins did not seem to impressed by my arrival but I know many never forgot Elvis.<br />
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Elvis career took a downturn after he returned to the states at least partly because the new trend from Britain of bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones had come to dominate rock. The King was not yet dead but he would never again sit on the throne of rock a she had in the 50's . Elvis also had a movie career in the 60's( I always thought his movies were terrible) and then recreated his career as a Las Vegas entertainer. Elvis personal life went downhill though in the 1970's with his divorce from Priscilla and his descent into drugs and over indulging his appreciation of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Elvis died in 1977<br />
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My own personal thoughts are that Elvis is one of the more important entertainers of the Twentieth century given his role in the birth of Rock and Roll . I also think he had one of the great voices and could sing in many genres including not just rock but country and gospel. I could go on but this is after all a blog and not an essay. Besides it's your turn.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Your Turn</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> </span>OK enough of my musings. Time for your thoughts.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> WHAT are your memories of Elvis</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> What were your favorite songs</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> If you're one of the young readers( below 60 is now young to me) what are your thoughts</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> Any other thoughts you might have</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> Just scroll down to the bottom of this page , click on comments and write away.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">Thanks for reading</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-82387947840420048852014-01-08T17:18:00.001-06:002014-01-08T17:18:00.734-06:00Elvis+Presley<a href="http://media.photobucket.com/user/al7n6awi/media/Elvis+Presley/ElvisPresley0z1221.jpg.html#sthash.urCW9Owt.cmfs">Elvis+Presley</a>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-86627973630084894462013-07-18T10:14:00.000-05:002013-07-18T10:14:37.804-05:00Former Republican party presidential candidate Governor Rick Perry speaks during a pro-life event called "Treasure Life" at the Tampa Aquarium in Tampa, Florida on August 28, 2012. The Republican National Coalition for Life and FRC Action's event, "Treasure Life," honored the pro-life contributions of the former Republican party presidential candidates Sen. Rick Santorum, Rep. Michele Bachmann and Gov. Rick Perry for their advocacy for every stage of life, from conception to natural death. AFP PHOTO/MLADEN ANTONOVMLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/GettyImages<a href="http://goo.gl/photos/G98MVVVu9N" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-pBCsYHKeSBA/Ub9q0IdyfnI/AAAAAAAACM8/3JP3TgXwS2g/s512/Rick%252520Perry.JPG" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Was Rick Perry a good governor of Texas? More narrowly, but more important from the viewpoint of this blog, was Rick Perry a good governor for the retired teachers of Texas?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">The negatives</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rick Perry was the governor of Texas from 2000 to 2013. (Actually his term will continue until 2014) During his terms of office Texas' retired teachers have received only one cost of living adjustment and that was in the last session. The result is that Texas retired teachers have lost one third of their buying power since 2001.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">During a large part of the governor's term he allowed the state contributions to fall to the minimum of six per cent. A plethora of studies have shown that the single biggest factor in the proper funding of retirement funds is the state contribution. Had the state contributed more than the minimum the fund might actually been fully funded now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A third negative for Governor Perry is the lack of leadership shown by Governor Perry on issues important to retired teachers. I realize there are many issues that compete for the governor's attention but the governor chooses which issues to concentrate on and for whatever reason Governor Perry showed little leadership or even interest in retired teachers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">The Positives</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The positives of Governor Perry's terms mainly are related to the powerful performance of the Texas economy. This, at least in my opinion, has to count in the Governor's favor since, in addition to our being retired educators, we are citizens of the Lone Star state. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">First is the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate in Texas is only 6.5 percent while the unemployment rate nationwide is 7.6 percent. The more people employed the more consumed and the more revenue for the state. Not only is this good for the people who now have a job but also for the TRS fund as the state will now have more funds to pay into the fund.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A second positive for the governor's record is the low cost of living. This means that our cost of living at least remained reasonable, even if we didn't get a cost of living adjustment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A final positive for the Governor is that the pay for teachers actually went up faster than inflation during his term. Since contributions to the TRS fund are based on total teacher payroll, the more pay for teachers, the better for the TRS fund.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">The Conclusion</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since this blogger was in the education business I'll give my conclusions about Governor Perry in the form of a grade. In terms of what he did for the Texas retired teachers I would give him a D, In terms of his overall grade as a governor of Texas I would give him a B . </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Your Turn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So what do you think?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Was Rick Perry a good governor for Texas Retired teachers?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Was he a good governor of Texas?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If he ran again, would you have voted for him?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">To leave your comments just scroll to the bottom of this page and click on "comments" and leave your opinion. Thanks in advance </span><br />
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<br />richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-59949878725561403902013-07-09T10:12:00.000-05:002013-07-09T10:12:38.249-05:00Getting Better Not Older<h2>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"> Are you getting better or just older. Well if you're like me it depends on the day. Eric Pfeiffer in his book <u>Winning Strategies for Successful Aging </u>says we can get better as we get older but we must have goals and strategies to get better as we age.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><i>Author's thesis</i>: Pfeiffer says that " in this book you will learn that you probably have years and years to live after you reach 65, in which to enjoy yourself and to accomplish things you have had to postpone until now". The question is will you use those years wisely. Pfeiffer carries out his thesis in a way that will be familiar to those of us retired teachers who have ever written a curriculum guide, he has a goal in each chapter that will help us to age gracefully and then he lists strategies to reach that goal. Pfeiffer divides this into pragmatic goals, health goals and what he refers to as spiritual goals.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <i>Pragmatic goals. </i>The author writes that one important goal is to choose your ideal place to live . Pfeiffer's strategies include determining whether we want to age in place( stay in our present home), move to another state or country, or move to a retirement community. The author suggests that if we choose to age in place we should start now think about how to make the house "age proof" by ,for example, putting grab bars in the bathroom. The choice to move somewhere else may come from a sense of adventure , a desire to escape the climate where one now lives, or to be near children ( or away from them). This blogger's views are that the author is correct that anyone planning to move to a new state or country should first spend some time in that state or country. I have spent the large part of the last three years in a foreign country ( the Philippines) and while there is much to be said for the experience of living abroad, there is also a need to learn to be very adaptable. As for a retirement community, I would have to grab a gun and mask and rob a couple of stores to afford them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"> A second pragmatic goal covered by the author is "do you have the money to allow you to age gracefully"? The author suggests the retiree should divide his money into lifetime money and non-lifetime money. Examples of lifetime income include social security and pensions. Of course in the case of retired Texas teachers most of us have either little or no social security , and so our guaranteed lifetime income is our TRS pension. Examples of non-lifetime income are defined contributions plans such as 403B. Pfeiffer suggests turning the non-guaranteed income into lifetime income by putting at least some of the 403B type of investment into an immediate annuity that guarantees a lifetime income. Further strategies recommended include keeping taxes low and finding a financial adviser. My only disappointment with Mr. Pfieffer 's recommendations was his failure to mention index funds which cover the entire market, such as Vanguards Total Stock Market Index . I would also suggest visiting a website called Bogleheads <a href="http://www.bogleheads.org/">www.bogleheads.org</a>. This site provides a forum where a bunch of very intelligent guys and gals answer your questions about investment for free. Why pay for advice? No I have no financial connection to Vanguard except I wish that site would have been around when I was young and I might actually have some money myself.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> Health</i>. Good health is a prerequisite for successful aging. That's how Pfeiffer begins the first of three chapters on health. He writes that our first strategy must be to take charge of our own health by knowing our vital numbers such as cholesterol , blood pressure and blood sugar and keeping them under control. A second strategy is to learn about a healthy diet and follow that diet. In addition he gives the advice we have all heard that we need to get up off the couch and get on the move. He suggests we need to get some exercise every day and recommends walking and a pedometer so we will know the number of steps. Though I am a committed jogger, I think he is right that walking may be the best exercise as we age .</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The chapter on brain health is particularly interesting and useful. Pfeiffer is a genuine pioneer in the field of the brain and aging. His strategies for maintaining brain age as we age is to exercise our brains. His examples of exercising our brains include learning a new language, learning a new dance step( I think I'll skip that as I have always been a threat to the health of the feet of any lady kind enough to dance with me), learn the art of tai chi and read, read, read. He also discusses Alzheimer's and has in the book <u>The Seven Warning Signs of Alzheimer's </u> which he himself created. The warning signs are listed on page 121 of <u>Successful Aging.</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Relationships. Dr.</i>Pfeiffer instructs us to make our relationships a high priority. Numerous studies have shown our relationships play an essential role in successful aging. The author writes that if we are married that is the most important relationship and we need to work on that relationship. His strategies for successful relationships include belonging to a church , volunteer work or joining a group. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>sex</i>: OK now that I have your attention, Dr Pfeiffer assures us that we can engage in sex into our 70's 80's or even 90's. I guess this is indeed good news about aging but I still think the news that coffee and chocolate is good for us is even better news. He also has a section on sex in nursing homes which put images in my mind I could have done without. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Maintaining our independence: I suspect one of the greatest fears we have of aging is we will become dependent on others and lose our sense of independence. Dr. Pfeiffer's strategies for keeping out independence is don't take unnecessary chances such as climbing on the roof or ladders. I felt some degree of trepidation after reading this as I had just got off the roof . Another strategy is to foolproof your home.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I hope I have given you some idea of the flavor of this book so you will want to take a bigger taste. I do believe the strategies mentioned in this book will help us age successfully. </i></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">Your Turn</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"> Thanks for reading. I would love to have your opinions. What are your goal and strategies for successful aging.? What are your thoughts on living to 100? Just scroll down to the bottom and click on comments.</span></i><br />
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richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-12636792029712720792013-06-25T09:44:00.000-05:002013-06-25T09:44:09.130-05:00Retired Teachers and the 2013 Texas Legislature<span style="font-size: large;"> Hide all the women and children, the Texas legislature is in session. O.K.,so this is an old and maybe not so funny, and besides the session is now over; so did the Texas legislature help or hurt Texas retired teachers this session? It all depends on the viewpoint.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Just The Facts Mam,</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: red;">1. </span><b>So if I may paraphrase Sgt Joe Friday, the protagonist of one of my favorite shows of the fifties, " Lets just look at the facts" from the recent legislature</b>.</span><b style="font-size: x-large;"> The Legislature through Senate Bill 1458 , now signed into law by Governor Perry, gave a three percent cola to teachers who retired before 2004 . This is, as most of us know, the first cost of living adjustment for any retirees since 2001. The adjustment is limited to a maximum of $100 per month. </b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> <span style="color: red;">2. </span>The state contribution was raised from the minimum of 6 per cent in 2012 and 2013 to 6.9 per cent in 2014 and 7.4 percent in 2015. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> <span style="color: red;">3. </span>Active teachers contribution was increased. The contribution was increased to 6.4 percent in 2014, 6.7 percent in 2015, 7.2 in 2016 and 7.7 per cent in 2017.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> <span style="color: red;">4. </span>Active teachers who are not vested, five years or less of service, will need to wait until 62 to receive their full annuity. They will receive a 5 per cent reduction for each year they retire before 62. The rule of 80 remains in effect for those with five or more years in TRS.</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: blue;">The Good The Bad And The Ugly</span> </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> OK, so there's no bad and even no ugly since I didn't post my photo, but there are some parts of these changes that could have been much better , in the humble opinion of this blogger.</b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> The Good: The cost of living increase for the teachers who retired before 2004 is certainly good. Many of these retirees have been struggling for quite some time as their spending power has decreased by one third since 2001 due to inflation. A second good result of the recent changes is the increased contribution from the state will move the fund toward being "actually sound". More about this "actuarily sound" in a moment.<span style="color: orange;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> <b>The maybe not so good : Though I see much good in this legislation as mentioned above I don't have as sanguine an opinion as my favorite organization , the Retired Teachers Association <a href="http://www.trta.org/">www.trta.org</a>. Some of my questions follow. Was the choice to base the cost of living on a year, such as 2004, the fairest choice. For example a superintendent who retired before 2004 and is receiving a six figure annuity will receive a cost of living adjustment while a secretary who retired in 2005 and makes $ 15,000 will not get an increase. Could not a more fair system have been found such as a 2 percent increase for those who retired before 2004 and one per cent for those who retired after 2005. That way everyone would at least get some increase. Another maybe not so good is the increased contribution from the state. I agree that the increased state contribution is a good thing but what is preventing the state from returning to the minimum contribution in the next biennium as they have done before. And, by the way, we are told this will move the TRS fund toward being "actually sound". So I'm puzzled about this term " actuarily sound" since the TRS website <a href="http://www.trs.state.tx.us/">www.trs.state.tx.us</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>says that the fund has sufficient funds to last until 2068. If that's not" actuarily sound "then what is ?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">Your Turn</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">OK you've heard enough from me. I would love to hear your comments, agreements, disagreements and corrections Just scroll down below and click on comments and leave your thoughts. Thanks in advance.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #38761d;"> Just for fun trivia: Who sang the 1950's hit song" How Much is That Dogie in the Window"</span> . I<span style="color: #38761d;">f you answer correctly, I unfortunately can't give you a prize, but you'll know you're smarter than a fifth grader.</span> </span></h2>
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richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-60676222010309347412012-08-13T20:53:00.000-05:002012-08-14T12:23:56.802-05:00Texas Retired Teachers and the Elections <br />
Are you ready for some hardball? OK, so hank Williams Jr. said football, not hardball but hardball may be the sport retired teachers need to play during this election season. So what do I mean by playing hardball?<br />
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I first heard the term hardball used by Richard Nixon, who was himself quoting Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt said that in politics we must play hardball, meaning"reward our friends and punish our enemies". In a political context that means vote for your friends. I'm a pretty consensus kind of guy and don't like to think about <u>enemies</u> but I do think we need to vote for our friends: but first we have to find out who our friends are.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">How Do We Find Our Friends?</span><br />
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The current general election season is the perfect time to find out who our friends are. My suggestion is that we should go to the candidate forums and have a list of questions for the candidates. Our best friends, TRTA , may have some suggested questions on their website <a href="http://www.trta.org/">www.trta.org</a> . I have not seen such a list though, so here are my suggested question<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> 1. <span style="color: blue;">Are you aware that Texas Retired teachers do not have any automatic cost of living adjustment and have not received any cost of living adjustment since 2001. This means that retired teachers have lost 30 per cent of their purchasing power since 2001, putting some at the poverty level</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: blue;">2. If you believe that this situation should be corrected , are you willing to raise the state contribution to give the teachers some relief?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: blue;">3. What other legislation or ideas do you have to rectify the cost of living situation for Texas retired teachers?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"> 4. Are you aware that Texas teachers do not pay into Social Security or receive social security but have a defined benefit retirement program . Some have suggested changing the defined</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">benefit plan be changed to a defined contribution plan where Texas teachers will be completely dependent on their own knowledge of investments to fund their retirement. Do you favor changing the current defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan? </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">What Do We Do With This Information?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"> </span>After we have the answers to out questions, what can we do with those answers ? Here are some suggestions:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> <b>Write letters to your local newspapers and explain the issues concerning retired teachers and the candidates stand.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b> Work for a candidate. I have worked in many campaigns through the years and, believe me, they always look for and appreciate help. </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b> Go to your trta local meetings and share what you learned about the candidates stands and see if there are any other suggestions.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b> <span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Your Turn:</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b> Do you agree with the suggestions above about playing "hardball?</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b> Do you have any other issues you think the candidates for office should address? </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b> Just scroll to the bottom and click on comments. a screen will appear for your comments. Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments. </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> </span>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-36079507469278962262012-01-20T00:22:00.000-06:002012-01-20T00:22:04.991-06:00Texas Retired Teachers , Defined Benefits, Defined Contributions And Social SecurityThree Proposed Reforms Does the current Teacher Retirement system of Texas need reform? Apparently some politicians, journalists and other inquiring minds think so. The main purpose of this blog is to discuss the two main reform suggested: moving from the current defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan and moving the retired teacher system into social security.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;">The Current TRS defined benefit Plan</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"> </span>The current retirement plan for Texas Retired Teachers is a defined benefits plan. <a href="http://www.investopedis.com/terms/d/definedbenefitspensionplan.asp">www.investopedia.com/terms/d/definedbenefitspensionplan.asp</a> The defined benefit plans are a promise of a defined amount of pension for life based on a predetermined formula. In the case of the Texas retirement system the formula is to multiply the number of years paid into the system by 2.3 and then multiplying the average of the three highest salaries by that number. Lets say a teacher had taught for thirty years ; multiply thirty by 2.3 and you get 69; lets further suppose this retired teacher had an average of $ 50,000 for their three highest years; multiply that number by .69 and you get $34,000 for our fictional teachers lifetime pension. You probably already know the average retired Texas teacher makes quite a bit less. Though the purpose of this blog is descriptive and not persuasive I will reveal that this current TRS defined benefit plan, with some tweaking, is my choice. Now, onward to the proposed alternatives.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"> The Defined Contribution Alternative</span><br />
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Some state legislators and political commentators such as Bill King, Houston business man and occasional Houston Chronicle columnist. <a href="http://www.billkingblog.com/">www.billkingblog.com</a> have suggested that future the TRS be changed from a defined benefits plan to a defined contribution plan. What would that mean? Well, rather than a guaranteed lifetime amount, the retired teacher's final retirement amount would be based on the amount of contributions made by the teacher( with possible contribution from their school district) and how well or ,how poorly, these investments chosen by the retired teacher or at least those choices allowed by their district, perform over their active career in education, very much like the 403B plan most of us are familiar with. Obviously the investor ( teacher) would need to educate themselves about investing, which would require not only an interest in investing, but probably some aptitude for investing as well. My speculation is that under this system, some retirees would be better off, some about the same and some worse off, maybe a lot worse off.<br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Moving To Social Security</span><br />
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A second reform mentioned is that Texas would move all the teachers out of the TRS and join the social security system. <a href="http://www.ssa.edu/">www.ssa.edu</a>. Would this be good for future teacher retirees? Probably not. The average social security recipient receives $18,000 while the average TRS annuitant makes $ 32,000, so although I was not a math major, I think I know enough math to recognize a bad deal when I see it. However, if retired teachers go another decade without a cost of living adjustment then the Social Security option might start looking better. I also think a case could be made for changing Social Security into a true retirement system by requiring that all Americans including members of Congress join the system and assuring that all American<u> workers </u> receive a pension worth 80 % of their working salary. However that's a topic for a future blog.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Your Turn</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"> </span>I would really love to have your opinion on:<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">1. Do you favor keeping the current defined benefit TRS system or one of the reforms.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"> 2. Is there another reform you would favor?</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"> 3. Another comment you would care to make?</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="color: lime; font-size: large;">Just scroll to the bottom, click on comments and a space will magically appear for your comment Thanks for reading.</span>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-84866925576552316762011-10-21T00:43:00.000-05:002011-10-21T00:43:17.566-05:00The pensions of Texas legislators and the pensions of retired Texas teachers The Face book page of the Texas Retired teachers Association <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/TRTA-Texas-Retired-Teachers%20-Association/126989714019649">www.face book.com/pages/TRTA-Texas-Retired-Teachers -Association/126989714019649</a> recently posted an article from USA Today describing how state legislators pass laws to give themselves lucrative pensions. In the case of the Texas Legislature, the House and Senate passed a law tieing their pensions to the salary of state judges, and then in the intervening years raised judges salaries from $42,000 to $125000, and thus have now guaranteed themselves a retirement pension of $125,000 per year. By way of contrast the average retired Texas teacher receives a pension of $ 30,000.<br />
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This obviously reflects poorly on the legislatures' sense of equity and openness. Perhaps the old joke is true that" no man's life or property is safe as long as the Texas Legislature is in session". Should something be done to correct this accumulative abuse of power? Absolutely! Would this make us feel better? Probably! However this would do little to improve the problems of retired teachers in areas where laws could ameliorate those problems. Instead we need to insure we have clear <u>goals ,</u> and <u>strategies </u> to reach those goals, in order to persuade the public and the legislature to favor our cause.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Goals</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> </span><b>1. Cost of Living Adjustment.</b> As most of us are well aware retired Texas Teachers have not received a cost of living adjustment since 2001. Although, fortunately, the inflation rate has been low the past couple of years, the inflation rate has still averaged three% for the decade, meaning a teacher who retired in 2001 with an annuity of $ 30,000 now has the equivalency of $20,000 in spending power. Ten more years without a COLA and the same inflation rate would leave the same retiree with $ 10,000 in spending power. I, therefore, believe that a COLA is the most pressing problem facing retirees. However there are others that the legislature needs to adjust such as:<br />
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<b>2. TRS Care.</b> The TRS Care program for retirees is currently serving 212,000 retirees, their spouses and their beneficiaries. Unfortunately the program is funded on a pay as you go basis meaning each session of the legislature must declare the funding is available for the next biennium. The fund is currently due to run out of funds by 2014. Some form of permanent funding must be created quickly. These two problems must be addressed at the state level but some others must be addressed at the national level, such as:<br />
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<b>3. WEP and the Offset</b> The U.S. Congress passed two laws referred to by the acronyms WEP and the offset. One of these laws limits the amount of Social Security a TRS retiree can draw by up to two-thirds, while the other prevents the spouse of the retiree from drawing any of his/her social security.<br />
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<b>4. </b>Paying TRS Care premium pretax. One of the benefits enjoyed by many workers including those still employed by school districts is the premiums for health care are paid pretax ; a benefit not currently enjoyed by TRS annuitants. To illustrate, a current TRS retiree might be receiving a pension of $35,000 and paying $4,500 a month in TRS Care premiums. Under current laws the TRS annuitant must pay taxes on all $35,000. If Congress were to change the tax laws to give TRS retirees the pretax befit of most employees, the retiree in the previous example would only have to pay taxes on $30,500 of their pension, rather than on the entire $35,000. This would be a nice bit of relief for most retirees.<br />
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<b>5. </b>You may be aware that Medicare has frozen their premiums the past two years because social security recipients did not receive a cost of living adjustment. Guess who did get an increase in their medicare premiums. Well, yours truly for one. When I called Medicare to inquire about my increase I was told that Congress only exempted Social Security recipients. I explained that in Texas teachers did not have a social security option and not only did we miss a cost of living adjustment in 2010, like social security recipients, but Texas teacher retirees had not had a cost of living adjustment since 2001! After some weak attempt at sympathy I was told that nothing could be done because Congess' action only dealt with Social security; so my medicare premiums are now$110 rather than $ 96. So we are basically punished for not being part of a system we were not allowed to join.<br />
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<b> 6. In a future blog I will suggest some strategies I believe will help reach some of these goals.</b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Your Turn. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>Please give your thoughts on the goals mentioned. Which of the goals do you consider most important ?Are there other goals you think we should push for that were not mentioned?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">How To Comment:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span>Just scroll to the bottom of this page; click on comments and a box will open for your comments. Thanks in advance for your participation.richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-65537126735743196592011-09-30T06:02:00.001-05:002011-10-05T22:11:13.235-05:00Retired Teachers: Finding a Way to Use All That New Time<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Some of you may remember the old Hank Williams song <u>If You </u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Got The Money Honey I Got The Time. </u>Well in retirement we may or may not have the money but we do have some new found time. How could we use that new found time? Well we could tell our spouse what to do but the only use of time that would provide is the time building the dog house we would soon be living in. A more productive pursuit might be to find a hobby, voluntary activity or part-time work. The purpose of this blog is to provide some ideas concerning hobbies or part-time work using a career personality survey called the Self Directed Search. <a href="http://www.self-directed-search.org/">www.self-directed-search.org</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What Is The Self Directed Search</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span>One man deserves credit for the <b>Self Directed Search: </b>Dr. John Holland. Dr. Holland is a professor of psychology at Johns Hopkins University and one of the nations preeminent career counselors. He developed the theory of the <b>Self Directed Search </b>while working as a classification specialist with the U.S. Army. Dr. Holland concluded that there are six basic personality types and six work environments and that by matching the personality with the work environment , one could help career searchers and those searching for college majors choose a satisfying career. The tests and surveys based on these personality types( Dr. Holland called them codes) have become the widest career counseling tools in the world. So what are these six types? Glad you asked; here they are:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Realistic</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Investigative</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Social</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Artistic</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Enterprising</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Conventional</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Realistic: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Realistics are people who prefer what they consider the real world, the world they can see hear, smell , touch and feel. They like to work outdoors or with their hands. They usually like sports and are often quite good at them. Their favorite T. V. shows might include <b>Extreme House Makeover and any sports shows.</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Possible hobbies and jobs for Realistics:</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> gardening, landscaping, woodworking, golf, tennis work at Home Depot or Lowes, teach a physical skill.</span></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Investigative: </span>Investigative types usually like math and science and enjoy solving problems. Favorite T. V shows CSI</b>; House</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">POSSIBLE HOBBIES AND JOBS: </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> Webb designing, math and science tutor, work in electronic stores like Best Buy and Frys , detective</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Artistic: </span>Artistic types not surprisingly , are creative and like music the visual arts or writing. Favorite T.V shows: Glee, American Idol<span style="color: orange;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Possible hobbies or jobs: square dancing or Latin dancing, writing classes, learn to play a musical instrument, freelance writing, dance or art teacher, photography</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Social: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Social types enjoy working with people and also excel usually at mentoring and teaching. They are also good team players. Favorite T. V. shows: Dr. PHIL, Oprah</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Possible jobs and hobbies. teaching,tutoring, any retail work that is service related, church worker, volunteering in hospital</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Enterprising: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Enterprising types like to be in responsible positions, are good decision makers, and are action oriented. They also are often good at speaking to groups. Favorite T.V.shows: Donald Trumps <b>Apprentice</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Possible jobs and hobbies: Toastmasters , sales, speak to groups about jobs, start their own business announce sporting events for school</span></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Conventional: </span>Conventional types like to use organizational or clerical skills. They are usually very good at detail work and math. Favorite T. V. show: </b>Numbers</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Possible jobs or hobbies: Helping others with income tax or budgeting, cooking, working in bank, helping people organize</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"> Your TURN</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">1. Which of the Holland personality types are you and does it fit with any of your work history or hobbies?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">2. How do you spend or plan to spend your extra time in retirement?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">3. Any other comment you wish to make as long as it's not a personal attack or overly political.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">4. To comment, just click on "comments" below and a screen will appear for your comments</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"></span></b></span>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-44089570713958079442011-04-22T01:45:00.000-05:002011-04-22T01:45:14.778-05:00Seven Questions And Hopefully Some Answers For Retired Texas Teachers If you’re new to this teacher retirement thing, this is meant as a primer for those who are just taking those baby steps into the world of retirement. I will present this in a question and answer format ( the Socratic method though I make no claims to be a Socrates) with the questions based on questions I myself had when I retired in 2005 and questions I have been asked by more recent retirees. If you have a question I don’t ask please go to the comments page at the bottom of this blog and ask your question. O K here goes: <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b>1. Where Should I Start</b></span><br />
If you’ve already decided to join our group of happy <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Retiree-Training-Teacher-T-Shirt-CafePress/dp/B004WB77E0?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">retirees</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004WB77E0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> the best place to start is by visiting the TRS website. <a href="http://www.trs.state.tx.us/">www.trs.state.tx.us</a> . There , if you haven’t already done so you can order the packet you need to fill out to make your retirement official. The TRS website also has calculators for determining your retirement annuity( TRS refers to your monthly payment as an annuity) and you can also find out where TRS is holding meeting for retirees. I found these meetings most useful and reassuring and I believe most of you will also.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b>2. What Is A Standard Annuity And What Are My Options</b></span><br />
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The standard annuity is quite simply the maximum annuity you can receive. The standard annuity is calculated by : first the average of your five highest salaries , second multiply your years of service by 2.3 and, third multiply your second figure by your average salary and you have your annual annuity. In addition to the standard annuity there is the joint and survivors annuity. These options allows the retiree’s spouse or beneficiary , in return for a reduced standard annuity, to receive a percentage of the retirees annuity if the retiree predeceases the beneficiary. Under option 1 the beneficiary would receive 100 percent of the annuity, under option five 75 percent and under option 2, 50 percent. This is a critical decision and the employee and his/her spouse needs to think this over carefully. The amount of the reduction from the standard annuity depends on an actuarial calculation. You will need to contact TRS to get the exact amount; hey, sorry, I measured in history, not math. <br />
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b>3. What About Health Insurance?</b></span><br />
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You could of course try to go with out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Spin-Insurance-Corporate-Deceiving/dp/1608192814?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">health insurance just </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1608192814" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />as you could choose to sleep over night in a rattlesnake den but neither would be a wise choice! If you are a “seasoned” citizen and have reached the age of 65 you will need to apply for Medicare. If you are eligible or receiving social security, Medicare will contact you; however if you are only with TRS you will need to contact Medicare at least three months before you turn 65 to sign up. If you are retiring before 65 you will probably want to sign up for the health insurance option for retired teachers: TRS Care. You can also sign up your spouse for TRS Care if she is no longer working. TRS Care has two options with different deductibles and premiums; make certain you reflect carefully on these options as TRS will not allow changes When you turn 65 ,TRS Care will become your secondary policy and will pay most of what Medicare does not pay. Also if your spouse is still working you could find out the cost of the coverage for you and compare this to your Medicare and TRS Care options.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b>4. Can I Work In The Public Schools After Retirement?</b></span><br />
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The short answer is yes. However the state legislature passed a law in 2001 that limited the amount of work a r<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Retiring-Ol%C3%A9-Way-Retirees-ebook/dp/B0036OSCA2?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">etiree</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0036OSCA2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> can work in a public school or college to 50 percent of what is considered full time for that month. For example in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Going-Public-Child-Thrive-School/dp/0830745777?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">public schools</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0830745777" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, a retiree may teach for a half day or two weeks of a month. Adjunct professors at a community college could teach two classes in the spring and fall semester since five classes are considered a full load and one semester in the summer since two classes are considered a full load. So what happens if you exceed this limit? You will receive a nice little letters from TRS saying you must return your annuity for that month; I know because I once received one of those “ nice little letters”. There is no limit on the amount a retiree can work in a private school and no limit on substituting, except your desire to go fishing that day.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b>5. What About My 403 B</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you have a 403 B plan at work, which allowed you to invest tax free, and hopefully was matched by your district, (sometimes referred to as an annuity) you will need to decide what to do with your investment. Your first step should probably be to visit with your plan administrator to check on your options; usually these include rolling over to an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/IRAs-401-Other-Retirement-Plans/dp/1413310311?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">IRA</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1413310311" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> or keeping your investment with your districts plan. If the thought of investing is about as appealing as translating ancient hieroglyphics ,you might want to consider finding a financial advisor or better yet educating yourself. Allow me to make one suggestion: there is a wonderful website called <a href="http://www.bogleheads.org/">www.bogleheads.org</a> that has a lot of guys and gals who are very knowledgeable about investments. Best of all they will answer your questions with great insight and the only cost is the time needed to sign onto the internet.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b>6. Are There Any Organizations For Retirees</b></span><br />
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I’m really glad you asked that question! We have a wonderful organization called Texas Retired Teachers Association. <a href="http://www.trta.org/">www.trta.org</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/OPI-Collection-Austin-Tatious-Turquoise-Lacquer/dp/B004M7J82I?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Austin</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004M7J82I" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and Washington. You will also be able to avail yourself of many discounts such as dental insurance and you will have an opportunity to meet a lot of nice folks in your local chapter.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><b>7. What Will I Do With My New Spare Time?</b></span><br />
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This is not a trivial question and merits serious thoughts; however I think I have thrown enough words at you so I’m going to make that the subject of my next blog. Yes this is a shameless enticement to keep reading my blog.<br />
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Your Turn<br />
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I would be very happy to have your comments on:<br />
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1. Any elaborations or corrections you might have<br />
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2. Any questions you might have not brought up in this post.<br />
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</div>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-32097252978492623252011-02-21T23:09:00.000-06:002011-02-21T23:09:25.021-06:00Sucessful Retirees Need Three Kinds Of Health<span></span><br />
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Be healthy. A television anchor I once listened to used this simple but sagacious sign off to his program. Health is a condition we should all strive for but for retirees health is an even bigger factor as age increases the chances of health problems and a short-circuiting of retirement’s pleasures. There are three types of health essential to any retirement: physical, financial, and mental/spiritual.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Physical Health</span><br />
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Are you feeling ill? Well, if you are, hopefully that’s not because you’re reading this blog, and ,of course hopefully you’re not feeling ill at all, but absence of illness at the moment does not, unfortunately, mean one is healthy. As I pointed out in another blog; http://www.myretiredteacherblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/numbers.html; in order to be healthy one has to know at least three numbers. The first number is blood pressure and you want to keep the top number below 140 and the bottom number below 90. For maximum health we should try to keep the top number below 120. The second number is cholesterol. The key numbers here are 240 and 200. If your cholesterol level reaches 240 you are considered to have high cholesterol, and below 200 is considered best for maximum health. The third number is blood sugar. The trenchant number here is 100. Normal blood sugar is considered below 100 and a number between 101 and 125 is considered pre diabetes . So what can we do about these “darn” numbers?<br />
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Well we could just sit in the front yard with a glass of ice tea and contemplate those numbers. Though I myself enjoy occasionally drinking ice tea, sitting in the yard and contemplating; that alone is not likely to lower any of those numbers. The answer is basically pretty simple: eat right get the proper exercise and keep our stress level under control. So what does that mean “eat right’ ; well it means about what our Mom told us all those years ago “eat your fruits and vegetables”. Nutritionists who study such things tell us we should eat between 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. I know, I know, that’s easier said than done but we could at least try to eat some fruits and vegetables a day . Of course eating right also means less sugar, salt and fat, so a daily lunch of a Big Mac, French fries, and a large coke is probably not so great an idea though ,since I’m a great believer in “good ole Aristotle’s” idea of moderation, I think an occasional splurge is probably not too sinful.<br />
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Exercise is another must, which means put that glass of ice tea down and do something . The exercise you choose should be something you enjoy so you’ll make it a habit. That might include riding your bike, swimming, running or walking. Though I myself am a long time jogger( over 50 years now) as I get older I become more convinced of the simple advantages of walking. One great way to motivate ourselves is to buy a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DMC-03-Multifunction-Pedometer-Distance-Calories/dp/B002MVZEKQ?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">pedometer</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002MVZEKQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, which is under 5 dollars and will add up your number of steps each day. Take 9,000 steps and you’ll have those numbers heading in the direction you want.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Financial Health</span><br />
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So just what is financial health? Financial health for retirees means we have enough resources to live comfortably, meaning we can choose whether our vacation will be a cruise to the Caribbean or a flight to Disney World rather to choose between food or medical care. Those who write on finances often say retirement funds should come from social security, a private pension if available from your work and investments. For retiring Texas teachers that means our TRS annuities, 403 b investments and social security for those eligible for it. If you are considering retirement but aren’t sure yet, my advise is to set up an appointment with TRS in Austin and make sure exactly how much you will receive from you TRS pension. This will allow you to know exactly how much you will need to take in the future from you 403 B , savings and part time work, if necessary, or desired.<br />
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In addition to your annuity, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Neatest-Little-Guide-Market-Investing/dp/0452295823?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">investing</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0452295823" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> your money wisely is another necessity for financial health. Let me repeat again I am most assuredly no financial advisor but I do have a suggestion. Learn as much as you can about investing even if you later decide to hire a financial advisor. I have a further unsolicited piece of advise ; my greatest teacher on investing is a website called http://www.bogleheads.org ,a group of successful investors who follow the philosophy of the founder of Vanguard, John Bogle. That philosophy includes asset allocation investing in low cost index funds and avoiding attempts to beat the market. Visit the site, read for yourself and I think you’ll find yourself much better informed even if you don’t accept the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bogleheads-Guide-Retirement-Planning/dp/0470919019?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Bogleheads</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0470919019" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> advice on the best route to reach financial health.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Mental/Spiritual Health</span><br />
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Mental health is not just the absence of mental illness but the ability to adapt to life’s ups and downs, find some balance in our life and managing our emotions. One of the advantages for we retirees is that we have lived a long time and have had a lot of practice at all those skills. Speaking of managing emotions, we are really talking about what the writer Daniel Goleman calls <a href="http://www.amazon.com/EQ-Difference-Powerful-Emotional-Intelligence/dp/0814408443?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">emotional intelligence</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0814408443" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, the ability to understand our emotions ( Am I feeling gluttonous or do I really need that second piece of cheesecake) and managing those emotions so they help us meet our goals whether physical, financial or mental health.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/0807014273?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Mans Search For Meaning</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0807014273" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Many of us find that meaning best through religion, but there are other ways of reaching spiritual health including volunteering in such activities as Habitat For Humanity or Wounded Warriors, or some passionate hobby whether gardening or golf , or best a combination of all these.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Your Turn</span><br />
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You are now invited, heck I’ll even beg you to join in on the conversation and leave a comment below. <br />
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1. How do you handle the three types of health<br />
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2. Do you have another type of health other than those mentioned that you would like to comment on.<br />
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3. Any comment, suggestion even criticism ( Be nice though) you would like to leave <br />
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Click on Publish your commentrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-30987949539245239762011-02-18T23:28:00.000-06:002011-02-18T23:28:48.035-06:00Retired Texas Teachers Get A Tax Increase Last month President Obama and the leaders of Congress proudly announced they had “ saved Americans from a tax increase” Surprise! Surprise! Apparently the President and Congress should have said” We have saved everyone but the retired Texas teachers from getting a tax increase”. That’s what we found out recently when our new annuity checks had been reduced by $50.<br />
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According to the Texas Retired Teacher Association (http://www.trta.org) the reason for the annuity reduction was that “though the Bush era tax cuts were extended” some of the “ tax brackets were extended”. In other words out taxes were increased! Another factor mentioned was that the program called “Making Work Pay” was allowed to expire. In other words our taxes were increased!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;">Can This Be Changed</span><br />
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The TRTA suggests that we should write our Congressman and “ let them know that the tax increase is making a bad situation worse” given that there has been no cost of living increase for10 years for teacher retirees in Texas. ( notice TRTA is asking you to write your Congressman in Washington, not your state legislator as the tax increase is a national action not on the state level). While the chances that<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ken-Burns-America-Congress/dp/B000BITUG6?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"> Congress</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000BITUG6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> will give retired teachers back the tax loss are slim and none and slim just left town, the TRTA suggestion is undoubtedly still worthwhile just to plant in our Congressman’s mind the problems we face as Texas retired teachers ,especially with no cost of living adjustment . I do have one other suggestion though, and that is we ask our Congressman to vote to pass the proposed legislation that would tax us only on the income after our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Health-Care-System-Everything/dp/0312649347?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">health insurance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0312649347" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is deducted. In other words if a retiree has an annuity of 3000 dollars a month and pays 300 dollars a month in TRS premiums the retiree would be taxed each month on 2700 dollars rather than the full $3000. This would at least offset the new tax increase. I have more discussion of this in my earlier blog The Texas Legislature And TRS Hold That Line.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;">Your Turn</span><br />
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My <a href="http://www.amazon.com/ProBlogger-Secrets-Blogging-Six-Figure-Income/dp/0470616342?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">blog</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0470616342" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is shorter than usual today, mercifully so some might say. LOL! I would be greatly pleased to hear from you on the following and anything else you would like to comment on<br />
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1. Has your annuity been decreased? If you would like to tell us, by how much?<br />
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2. Do you have any other suggestions to alleviate this problem this problem?<br />
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3. Any other comments you would care to make.<br />
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richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-86991339288805619662011-02-09T23:37:00.000-06:002011-02-09T23:37:37.089-06:00Seven Questions And Answers About Medicare And TRS Care Texas teachers were ‘‘ present at the creation” of Medicare. President<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lyndon-Johnson-American-Kearns-Goodwin/dp/0312060270?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"> Lyndon Johnson</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0312060270" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> who, signed the Medicare bill into law in 1965 ,was a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/NFL-Houston-Texans-Travel-Mug/dp/B001MYKIPA?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Texan</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001MYKIPA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and a former Texas teacher. Another bit of historical info is that the first Medicare card was given to former president Harry Truman who was present at the signing ceremony and had been a committed supporter of the idea of health insurance for the elderly. The purpose of Medicare was to provide health insurance to the elderly( senior citizens was not yet widely used ,so we were still just ‘‘the elderly”) Most retired Texas teachers will, at least at some point in their lives, be a beneficiary of Medicare; so the purpose of today’s bog is to look at some questions tra retirees might have about Medicare and it’s relationship to TRS Care, and hopefully provide some answers.<br />
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1. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">W hat Are Medicare Part A B C And D</span> ? The bill signed into law in 1965 created Medicare part A and then Medicare part B; the two together are sometimes called “original Medicare”. Medicare part A is called hospital insurance and covers inpatient hospital care, inpatient care in a skilled nursing facility, hospice care and some home health care. Long term custodial care or nursing home care were not provided for in the original Medicare nor or they covered today. Medicare part B is called medical insurance and covers doctor’s bills , outpatient care, and some home health care. Notice that doctor’s bills are paid separately in part A and B , so if you go into a hospital your care in the hospital , nurse care, tests, food etc., will be paid by part A while any doctor visits while you are there may be paid by Part B. Part C is often referred to as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Medicare-Advantage-Alternate-Program-Century/dp/1608760316?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Medicare Advantag</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1608760316" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />e and though paid for by Medicare is administered by private insurance companies , usually as HMO’S or PPO’S. Medicare Part D IS The Medicare prescription plan enacted in the 2003 Medicare Reform Act. This program is again paid for by Medicare but administered by private companies. TRS Care already has a prescription drug program administered by Caremark and advises their retirees on Medicare that they are usually better off staying with the TRS prescription drug plan. <br />
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2. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Should Someone With TRS As His Primary Medical Insurance Enroll In Medicare</span>? Absolutely. W hen a retiree reaches 65, TRS assumes that the retiree has Medicare and pays accordingly. So for example if you go in the hospital or to a doctor TRS will assume that Medicare is paying 80 per cent of your expenses and TRS will pay the other 20 per cent minus the deductible. A person with a total doctor bill of $ 40,000 but who had not applied for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Social-Security-Medicare/dp/1615640126?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Medicare</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1615640126" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> when she became eligible would find TRS assumed Medicare had paid 80 percent and would pay only $8000 leaving the retiree to pay the other $32,000!<br />
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3. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">How Do I Apply For Medicare?</span> If you are already on Social Security you will be contacted 90 days before your 65th birthday. However if you are not on social security ,but only on TRS , you will need to contact Medicare or Social Security yourself to enroll. I found this out the hard way as I am not on social security but only retired on TRS. I waited to hear from Medicare and finally 30 days before my 65th birthday I called Medicare and found out that I was the one responsible for calling and enrolling. ( Another lesson I learned from my call was that the folks at Medicare are very nice, but you should have something to read, perhaps Gone With The Wind ,because you will wait a long time on the line) So unless you enjoy trying last minute heroics, I suggest calling Medicare at least 90 days before your 65th birthday. Medicare will then send you the appropriate enrollment forms. <br />
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4. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Is Medicare Free</span>? The Noble Prize winning economist <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Capitalism-Freedom-Anniversary-Milton-Friedman/dp/0226264211?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Milton Friedman</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0226264211" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> wrote a book called There’s’ No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. This is certainly true of Medicare. Start off with the fact that Medicare will pay only 80 percent of your total medical bill. In addition Medicare has premiums ; most Medicare recipients will not pay a premium for part A because they have paid into the system for their 40 quarters, but the premium for part B is currently $110.50. Medicare part A has a deductible of $1,100<br />
and Medicare part B has a deductible of $155 per year. Oh well, who expected a free lunch anyway?<br />
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5. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">What About Medigap</span>? Medigap policies are private insurance policies that pay most or all of the amount not paid by Medicare. Since Medicare only pays 80 percent and medical bills today can quickly run to $ 50,000 or more, most retirees could quickly fine their savings vanished “ without a trace” . So though Medigap policies can be expensive they are certainly worth the expense if you have a large medical bill, an eventuality none of us can be sure we can avoid. If you choose a private Medicare part C plan mentioned above you will not need a<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Medigap-Policy-Insurance-ebook/dp/B004KKY5N4?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"> Medigap</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004KKY5N4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> policy.<br />
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6. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Is TRS a Medigap Policy</span>? Although TRS does not consider themselves a Medigap policy they act much like one as they pay most of the 20 per cent Medicare does not pay. I have found TRS to be a good secondary plan, though fortunately I have not yet had any serious medical bills.<br />
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7. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Should I Get A Medigap Advantage</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Plan</span>TRS Care. Many Medicare Advantage plans provide dental and vision coverage which traditional medicare does not. None the less, if you are on Medicare and your spouse is still using TRS Care as the primary insurance: beware! This is true in my personal case. I could actually get some better options price wise by using a Medicare Advantage plan. However when I called TRS the person I talked with said that since my wife was eligible for TRS Care only because she was my spouse, that if I chose a Medicare Advantage plan I would no longer be on TRS Care and therefore my wife would no longer be eligible. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Your Turn</span><br />
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I thank you for reading this far. Now I would appreciate your thoughts. If you have any Medicare TRS questions you would like to discuss or if you would like to add anything or correct any of my answers please feel more than free to do so.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: large;">How To Comment</span><br />
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To comment, just scroll to the bottom of this page, find the orange “comment’’, click and then a new screen will appear with a square for your comments. Thanks in advance. <br />
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</div>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-33212270122768708442011-01-31T06:19:00.000-06:002011-01-31T06:19:02.847-06:00Retiring Abroad: Some Thoughts From Experience White sanded beaches. Exotic, friendly neighbors. A low cost of living. If all of these pictures occasionally dance into your daydreams, then retiring abroad might be something for you to consider. Since I am , as the title of this blog would suggest, retired ,and also <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Kit-Overseas-Living-Fourth/dp/185788292X?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">living abroad</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=185788292X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, I’ll spend today’s blog relating some thoughts on the pros and cons of retiring abroad.<br />
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Be Informed<br />
Just the facts mam. Some of you may remember that request from Sgt Joe Friday on the old <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dragnet-1969-Season-Jack-Webb/dp/B0041SI7A2?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Dragnet</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0041SI7A2" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> television series. Knowing the facts is essential if you are going to make a wise choice on whether to retire abroad and where to retire if you decide to do so. Fortunately the internet gives today’s researcher an incalculable resource for investigating retiring abroad. Of course not all information is equally valuable or accurate, so as always on the internet, remember “caveat emptor”. However, I will mention some of the sites I have found to be most credible.<br />
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One of those valuable sites is http://www.retire-abroad,org. This site contains a plethora of articles from expatriates from the U.S. and other countries, discussing their experiences. Another valuable website is http://www.escapeartist.com. The information here is oriented toward senior citizens retiring abroad, but also gives links to many other retirement abroad forums. Since I am personally living in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Shock-Philippines-Survival-Etiquette/dp/0761456716?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Philippines</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0761456716" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> I will mention a couple of websites and forums that are Philippines specific, but provide insight about expatriate life that can be generalized for other countries, especially developing countries. The first such site is http://www.liveinthephilippines.com. This is a web magazine run by an American who lives in Mindanao in the Philippines and is well organized and balanced. A second Philippine oriented site is http://www.livinginthephilippines.com. This was not a misprint, the only difference in the domain title of the two sites is the ing. This is the oldest of the sites and gives useful information, though occasionally views life in the tropics through rose colored lens.<br />
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Climate<br />
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Life in a warm tropical climate probably sounds awfully appealing to any of you shivering in sub freezing temperature. I have to admit that knowing I’ll be nice and warm, makes getting out of <br />
bed each morning here in the Philippines much easier . On the other hand as the day wears on and the heat and humidity take their inexorable toll, I start thinking some cool weather would not be so insufferable. (Notice I wrote “cool” not “cold’’). If you like the four seasons you need to keep in mind that in the warm balmy tropics you only have two seasons, rainy and dry and both are warm. Deciding what type of climate you prefer is a key question in determining where and if you want to leave the climate in the U.S. you are currently accustomed to. <br />
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Cost Of Living<br />
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I enjoy playing a game occasionally where I ask my friends and acquaintances “ if you had unlimited resources and could retire and live anywhere in the world, where would that anywhere be? ( My choices are San Diego and Hawaii but I’m open to new options) Well, in the real world most of us don’t have unlimited resources so we have to take into account the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Beat-High-Cost-Living/dp/B00007GZRS?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">cost of living</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00007GZRS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. There are some countries where a person can retire on a social security, or a military pension alone and not work at all , at least for a salary. These countries are usually in the developing world and three countries that are often mentioned are Panama , the Philippines and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Discover-Thailand-Country/dp/1741799945?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Thailand</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1741799945" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I know some Americans who are living in the Philippines or Thailand with their families for as little as 1,200 U.S. dollars. My own opinion is that if you live in the provinces or small towns you could probably do fine on 2000 U.S. dollars, but if you lived in the cities such as Manila, Bangkok, or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Spotlight-Panama-City-Canal/dp/1598805355?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Panama City</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1598805355" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> you would need about 2,500 U.S. dollars. This would also depend on lifestyle choices such as how many American foods do you feel you couldn’t live without ( they are more expensive because they have to by imported) and how often you feel the need to travel back to the U,S, to visit family and friends. Airfare from a Pacific area country could cost as much as 1,200 U.S. dollars while flying from Mexico or Panama City would of course be much less expensive.<br />
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language<br />
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I have found one of the more surprising and stressful factors in living outside of the United States for me is the frustration of not understanding what is being said around me. I find this limit’s the experience of living abroad because I can’t communicate with as many people and they also are not comfortable in communicating with me in English. ( I actually have learned a lot of Bisayan words, the language spoken in the part of the Philippines where I reside , but the combination of my age, the idiomatic expressions of any language, and my trained in Texas tongue, keeping up with conversations is a huge obstacle) and so my advice is to try and learn the language of the country you would like to retire in ; my own personal belief is that some people have a natural skill at learning language like some people can naturally hit a jump shot) or retire to a country that has a low cost of living and speaks English. Belize comes to mind.<br />
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Summing Up<br />
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</div>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-18257387020296777772011-01-20T00:26:00.000-06:002011-01-20T00:26:15.707-06:00The Texas Legislature and Teacher Retirement: Hold That Line? Hold that line. Most of us in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Outside-Box-Students-Brains/dp/0787974714?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">teaching</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0787974714" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> profession have heard that old cheer, which basically means to keep your loss of yardage to a minimum. Given the current financial turmoil in the state budget, maybe “hold that line” should become our lead cheer. Let me explain.<br />
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<b>The Budget Shortfall</b><br />
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Most of you are aware that the state of Texas <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Texas-History-Lone-State/dp/0195138430?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Gone to Texas: A History of the Lone Star State<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1590521382" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></a> currently faces a looming budget deficit of between 20 and 27 billion dollars. State law forbids the state from running a budget deficit and, unlike the U.S. government ,Texas can’t just print money so cuts across the state budget are almost inevitable. So how does that affect retired teachers?<br />
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A recent update on the TRTA website http://www.trta.org/viewupdate quotes Carl Eiland as saying that the state will probably cut the state’s contribution to the TRS fund from to the minimum amount; 6 percent from the current 6.6 per cent. This would mean the TRS fund would be further away from being fully funded and reduce the chances of retirees getting a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Beat-High-Cost-Living/dp/B00007GZRS?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">cost of living</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00007GZRS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (COLA) in the near future. So I believe our number one objective in the current state legislature should be convincing the state legislature to keep their contribution to at least the current state contribution of 6.6 per cent. In other words “hold that line”.<br />
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Another piece of bad news in the TRTA update linked above, is that the state may reduce the contribution to the TRS Care fund from 1 percent to .05 percent. This will almost certainly mean a premium increase for those who are either relying on TRS Care as their main health insurance and those who , like myself, are on Medicare and have TRS Care as our supplemental insurance. A premium increase in combination with a continued absence of a COLA would be a double whammy. So my second priority would be to persuade the legislature to keep the state contribution to TRS Care to the current 1 percent. In other words “ hold that line”.<br />
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<b>Federal Priorities</b><br />
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The need to “hold that line” on the state level might give us more of a chance to advance the ball on some Federal legislation that could be helpful to retired Texas teachers. One helpful step world be for the Congress to allow TRS Annuitants to be taxed on their income after health insurance premiums are withheld. Many of you probably remember that you were taxed only on the amount of your salary after medical insurance, TRS withdrawals and other exceptions, while working full time. Current Federal law does not allow the same advantages for TRS retirees. TRTA has long pushed for legislation that would allow this tax advantage for retirees. As an example of how this would be advantageous , if a retiree was drawing a monthly pension of $ 3000 and paying $450 for TRS Care , he/she is currently taxed on the entire $3000, but under the change mentioned above a retiree would be taxed only on the amount after TRS Care premiums are withdrawn, or, in other words, the $3000 minus the $450. The taxable income would now be $2550 rather than $3000; a modest but still helpful benefit. <br />
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Another change in Federal law that would be helpful for many TRS retirees would be to r remove the “off set” provision on social security. This has been a long term fight but probably one still worth fighting, especially since advances at the state level will be most difficult.<br />
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Summing Up<br />
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1, The chances of getting a COLA, given the states budget problems are probably slim and none and slim just left town. So should we completely give up on the COLA this session? No, we should continue to educate the legislature about the need for a permanent COLA, and make sure they are aware that retirees have received no cost of living adjustment since 2001 ;but we should lower our expectations and also realize that we can’t just always only ask’ what can our state do for us” ( Hard to believe it’s been 50 years since JFK made that statement in his inaugural address)<br />
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2. We should instead make our main goal this session to hold onto what we already have by convincing the Legislature to keep the state contribution to the TRS fund at 6.6 percent and the TRS Care contribution at I percent . Again “ Hold that line”.<br />
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3. So what can we do? Support our major voice by joining TRTA if you haven’t already done so and keeping yourself and your legislators informed.<br />
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YOUR TURN<br />
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Please leave your thoughts and comments by going to the " post a comment" page at the bottom of this blog, click and leave your thoughts. Without your contribution there is no purpose to this blog. Thanks for reading. <br />
richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-81795698443328607052010-07-07T06:02:00.000-05:002010-07-07T06:02:11.505-05:00The Year 2001 And Texas Retired Teachers September 11th<a href="http://www.amazon.com/September-Terrorist-Attacks-Changed-World/dp/0836855795?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The September 11th Terrorist Attacks (Days That Changed the World)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0836855795" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0836855795" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is another day that will “live in infamy“. As a matter of fact, on a macro level the whole year will probably live in infamy, given the fact that it lead to war. However, this blog is concerned with the more micro level and two acts of the Texas legislature that were passed in 2001. The two acts concerned :<br />
Working after retirement<br />
Cost of living adjustment<br />
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Working After Retirement<br />
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Before 2001 there were no restrictions about working after retirement; a retiree could continue working after retiring in a public educational establishment as much as he/she desired. However by 2001 there was much concern that many teachers and administrators were working out agreements with their districts that allowed them to retire, then be rehired at their former job, be compensated as they had always been and also draw their <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> annuity <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Financial-Insiders-Annuity-Guide-Understanding/dp/0984376305?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Financial Insider's Annuity Guide: Understanding Annuities And Your Financial Portfolio</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0984376305" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0984376305" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Because of fear that the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> fund would be severely damaged by this practice, the legislature passed a law that limited retirees in the amount of time they could work in public schools and universities . Retirees could work only 50% of what would be considered full time. There was no limit on working in private schools. If I remember right <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRTA</span> supported this 2001 law because they were quite appropriately concerned about the viability of the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> fund .<br />
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However I believe that some reforms of the 2001 legislation would be in the best interest of retirees. Please indulge me a couple of personal examples of my experience with the legislation.<br />
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When I retired from the public schools in 2005, I continued with my part time job teaching classes in a community college Because the community colleges consider five classes as full time I was allowed to teach only two classes, since obviously I could not teach 2.5 classes. In addition since the community colleges pay by course I was limited, in my case, to a salary of $3,400 per semester or at most $10,200 a year ; but someone hired by a public school for one half day could earn half of a full time teacher’s pay , let’s say $20,000.<br />
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A second surprise I received that first year was in the Summer when I taught my usual schedule, two classes in the first semester but none in the second semester. In July I received a miserable missive in the mail(miserable for me anyway) which informed me that I would have to return my annuity to <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> for the month of June since I had exceeded the amount I was allowed to work. It seems that 2 classes per semester is considered full time in the Summer, so I was in violation. Notice that the salary I received for the Summer was exactly the same I would have received had I taught one class per semester, the allowable amount. I called <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> and pleaded ignorant,(not hard in my case) and fortunately for me was able to speak with a very nice lady in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> who told me I would be forgiven this time but not a second time. I thanked her profusely and made sure there was no “second time”. I know another retiree who was asked to return their annuity because they taught two college classes and did some substituting. The 2001 law allows unlimited substituting but if one reaches the 50 % rule , no substituting is allowed.<br />
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This 2001 work after retirement law is confusing enough that some colleges have a full time staff member assigned to assuring no one breaks the rule . I even had a staffer at <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> tell me over the phone that they wished the law would be repealed because of the amount of confusion from retirees and even occasionally on the part of <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> staff themselves. I believe that ,though the 2001 law had some merit, that reforms are needed to make this law conform to the best interests of retirees today. My suggested reforms are:<br />
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1. Simply require that a retiree cannot work full time for one year after retirement. This rule is already in effect for principals and assistant principals and should be a sensible solution for all. <br />
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2. Require that any retiree who returns to work will pay into the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> fund but cannot expect any larger annuity from the fund than the annuity earned at the time of retirement. This should actually strengthen the fund and give the retiree the option of whether they wish to work full time. I believe this law especially needs reform given the cost of living problem for <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0974629278" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />retirees.<a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Love-Your-Retirement-Hundreds/dp/0974629278?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">How to Love Your Retirement: Advice from Hundreds of Retirees (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guides)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0974629278" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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The Last COLA<br />
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For some inexplicable reason whenever I hear or write the word cola, my mind snaps back to my childhood and the drink RC Cola. (Anyone remember those? Are they still around?) Oh well, forgive me for that aside and back to the COLA that is the topic of this blog. Another act of the legislature in 2001 was the granting of a cost of living adjustment to retired teachers. This has turned out to be the last cost of living adjustment. That means for the last ten years when inflation has averaged 3 % a year that Texas retired teachers have lost something like 20 % of their spending power More explicitly a retiree who receives $40,000 at retirement in 2001 would now have the equivalent annuity of $32,000. That is the reason that the staff of Texas Retired Teachers Association (<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRTA</span>) and many members on the local level have worked so hard to get the Texas legislature to grant a permanent cost of living adjustment. I think <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRTA</span><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">trta</span>.org<br />
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Will they succeed in getting this cost of living adjustment at the next legislative session. Let us hope so; but I fear not. The reason I fear not is that a looming battle is near on funding public pensions throughout the country with states like Colorado having passed legislation to reduce the amount of COLA going to retired teachers and state personnel. . In addition the Texas Legislature is under pressure from many fronts to spend more money on highways, prisons welfare, schools etc; and to keep from raising taxes.<br />
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I know that scepticism toward our legislators is a Texas tradition <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stand-Proud-Texas-Tradition-No/dp/0875650449?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Stand Proud (Texas Tradition Series No 13)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0875650449" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0875650449" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> ( No man’s life or property is safe as long as the legislature is in session) but I think as Texas citizens we have to feel some sympathy for the dilemmas they face. After all we are, in addition to being retired Texas teachers ,also taxpayers, and use services such as driving on the highways. So can we get our Cola and still help the state keep spending under control. I would like to make a proposal that is different than the usual approach but I think might give us at least part of what we want. Remember this is only a proposal, more in the form of a thought experiment:<br />
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My proposal. Rather than ask for a full cost of living proposal for all retirees, why not phase in the COLA. Those who retire before 65 would not receive a cost of living proposal. The rationale for this is that we are healthier than ever and most of us can continue to work, at least part time, if needed. From 65-70 there would be a COLA of 1.5 %. After the age of 70 there would be a full cost of living adjustment. My reason is that after the age of 70 health concerns might keep many from working. This proposal has two main advantages:<br />
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1. It gives us, at least many of us, an immediate cost of living adjustment and would assure the rest of us that there would be one later.<br />
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2. The legislature might be willing to accept this proposal as less expensive than the full cost of living proposal usually suggested.<br />
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Sorry for the length of this post but these are key issues for retired teachers and those who will be retiring. Now I would dearly love your comments;<br />
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Were you aware of the 2001 law on work after retirement and do you think changes are needed?<br />
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Do you think my proposals for a cost of living are wise or just half witted. Do you have any suggestions?<br />
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Some further comments of my own<br />
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1. Please no political comments<br />
2. For those who are not teacher retirees, there will be more general blogs on retirement soon. Thanks to you all for your patience<br />
3. The place for your comments is below. Thanks a million. <br />
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</div>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-66267314999264395282010-07-03T00:55:00.000-05:002010-07-03T00:55:54.149-05:00IN Pursuit Of HappinessAll men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316167258" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Guide-Developing-Lifes-Important/dp/0316167258?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316167258" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. July fourth is a propitious time to think about those rights Mr. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Jefferson-Film-Ken-Burns/dp/B000BITUJS?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Jefferson </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000BITUJS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Jefferson-Film-Ken-Burns/dp/B000BITUJS?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Thomas Jefferson - A Film by Ken Burns</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000BITUJS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />claimed on that July 4th 1776. Most of us have a pretty good idea of the meaning of life and liberty, but what about happiness; how do you pursue happiness and would we recognize the often elusive emotion if we caught it?<br />
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Wealth and Happiness<br />
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Will money make you happy. A comedian once joked that money may not bring you happiness but it will buy anything that what will bring you happiness. A good line, but can money really buy you happiness and if so how much of it do you need? Aristotle gave an answer many years ago that has held up quite well with time: Enough wealth is needed to provide for the needs of life but anything beyond that brings only limited satisfaction Modern happiness surveys have confirmed Aristotle’s belief. Wealth that allows an individual and family to escape poverty certainly can add to happiness, but beyond that, money contributes little to happiness. But is this true, that we only need enough wealth to provides for our basic needs, such as food shelter and clothing. What if I’m happy with an 1800 square foot house but you want a 3000 square foot house? Also has modern technology and advertising changed what we need to be happy. Could we be happy without our computers, colored televisions and mobile phones? I’m feeling unhappy just writing about it. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">LOL</span> <br />
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Health And Happiness<br />
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What role does good <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0671797506" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HJ-720ITC-Pedometer-Advanced-Management/dp/B000MN92WM?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">health</a> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000MN92WM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HJ-720ITC-Pedometer-Advanced-Management/dp/B000MN92WM?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Omron</span> <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">HJ</span>-720ITC Pocket Pedometer with Advanced <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Omron</span> Health Management Software</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000MN92WM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> play in our pursuit of happiness ? Common sense tells us that we are happier when we are healthy. Can someone who suffers from chronic pain, for example, be happy and if not does that again bring fourth the question of money and happiness; after all, wouldn’t one need enough money to buy the medication to manage the pain? The good news is, that counter intuitive though it may be, studies have concluded that people undergoing even the most difficult health challenges such as dialysis and cancer can continue to be happy. Possibly the reason good health doesn’t add more to our happiness is we don’t realize what a blessing good health is till we lose it..<br />
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Attitude And Happiness<br />
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If wealth and happiness don’t guarantee happiness, What is the key to pursuing happiness? More and more evidence is accumulating from the fields of cognitive science and neuroscience that our attitude and the way we think about life’s occurrences may play a bigger role than any other happiness factor. These factors sound an awful lot like what we were taught as children: Be grateful for what we have, help others, look for the positive, and work to maintain our relationships with family and friends. The good news is that studies shave shown that as we age , our skills at these simple but vital attitudes improves, and thus the chance for happiness actually grows . So hopefully I haven't rambled so much I've made you unhappy! I would love to hear your comments on:<br />
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Does wealth bring happiness and if so, how much wealth do we need?<br />
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Can we be happy even in bad health?<br />
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Does happiness really matter anyway?<br />
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Looking forward to your comments below<br />
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</div>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-7339932460259774252010-06-28T02:29:00.000-05:002010-06-28T02:29:47.145-05:00Pension Funds And Texas Retired Teachers The website for Texas Retired Teachers Association http://www.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">trta</span>.org had some good news last week. The <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> fund has increased by $30 billion dollars to $96.6 billion. In 2008 the fund had been down to only $67 billion ,after the financial meltdown of 2008. This represented a 35 % increase. For those of you who have not seen the report, the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRTA</span> had several conclusions including :<br />
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These investment gains are among the best in the country<br />
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The <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> fund may be in a stronger fund than just about any other fund in the country<br />
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The gains have still not made the pension fund <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">actuarially</span> sound<br />
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The Texas Legislature must find a way to make the system more <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">actuarially</span> sound.<br />
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Some Not So Good News<br />
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The <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRTA</span> site also reported that the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-York-Times-Complete-1851-2009/dp/1579128254?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">New York Times</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1579128254" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> was reporting that the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> fund had 14 million shares invested in <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">BP</span>. Of course as most of you are probably well aware these are not exactly happy times for <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">BP</span> and their stock shares have taken a corresponding hit. The good news within the bad news was that supposedly this represented only one tenth of one percent of the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> fund. One more reason to hope the oil leak in the Gulf is soon just a distant memory.<br />
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Other State Pension Funds<br />
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A <a href="http://www.amazon.com/USA-Today-3-month-subscription/dp/B000CSTEAC?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">USA Today</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000CSTEAC" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> article reports that, according to a study By the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/City-Journal/dp/B0038M2RJO?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Manhattan Institute</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0038M2RJO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> the pension funds of the 50 states are underfunded by $950 billion. The report says the average state teacher funds are funded only at about 54 %. More good news;<span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> is doing much better than the average. Still, you may be sure that these funding concerns will be used by those who are opposed to any cost of living adjustment. Another interesting ( or maybe disturbing) part of the USA article was that the study proposed converting state pension funds from a defined benefits plan as now constituted, that is pensions are based on number of years of service and salary and member the contributions are invested by a state pension fund, to a defined contribution system, much like 403 B’s in which each teacher would be responsible for investing their own money and their retirement would be based on the outcome of their investments. . The Texas Retired Teachers Association has been vehemently opposed to changing to a defined contribution system .<br />
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So DEAR HEARTS AND GENTLE I would be “pleased as punch” if you would leave your always thoughtful comments.<br />
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Are you worried about <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">TRS</span> investments or do you have trust?<br />
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What do you think of the <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">BP</span> investments?<br />
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Do you think moving to a defined contribution system from our current system would be wise?<br />
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I look forward to your comments. <br />
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</div>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-64777539951019083222010-06-27T03:47:00.000-05:002010-06-27T03:47:01.823-05:00The Numbers One of my favorite Americans ,Benjamin Franklin, stressed the bountiful benefits of being healthy, wealthy and wise. I think most of us would agree that remaining healthy is a goal we desire for ourselves and those we love ,whatever their stage in life. Certainly most of us who are retired know that keeping up our health is a key factor to maintaining a happy and productive retirement. There are three numbers that we absolutely need to know to maintain our health. Those three numbers are :<br />
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Blood Pressure<br />
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Cholesterol<br />
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Blood Sugar<br />
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First a caveat: I am not nor have I ever been a doctor. Again I was just a ‘little ole history teacher“. But I’ve done a lot of research and this is the result of that research into the “numbers”<br />
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High Blood Pressure<br />
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The chances of developing high blood pressure increase with age and estimates are that over half of all Americans over 65 have high blood pressure! So what can you do about it? Well, you can’t do much if you don’t know you have it, so get that physical you’ve been putting off. What are the numbers? Well, blood pressure is given in two numbers. The upper number is called systolic and the lower number is diastolic. The top number is measured when our heart is pumping life giving nutrients to our beautiful bodies and the second number is when our heart is taking a well deserved rest. According to the American Heart Association your heart is said to be normal when the number is below 120, pre high blood pressure between 120 and 139 and when above 139 you have high blood pressure. Because our blood pressure varies, the pressure needs to be taken more than once to reach a definite conclusion.<br />
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cholesterol<br />
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And what “Great Caesar’s Ghost” is cholesterol? According to our friends at the American Heart Association, it is a fat waxy substance (yuck) that is naturally found in our body and is even helpful, but the problem arises when our diet causes us to have too much of this good thing. To much cholesterol can lead to plaque blocking the blood flow to our brains and heart and result in heart attacks or strokes. So what are the desirable numbers? Total cholesterol numbers below 200 are considered desirable, those between 200 and 239 are considered borderline and those above 240 are considered high. However as in high blood pressure there are two numbers we need to know: HDL and LDL. Low density or LDL is the bad guy that causes the plaque mentioned earlier. An LDL total should be below 100 to be really optimal but when the number gets above 160 your LDL needs attention High density or HDL proteins are the “good guys”. you want this number to be high. Because HDL helps remove the bad LDL. An HDL number above 40 for men and above 50 for women is thought to provide some protection against heart disease and stroke<br />
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blood sugar<br />
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The third number we need to be aware of is blood sugar. The blood sugar level you need to know is actually one type of sugar called glucose. The body needs glucose for energy, but once again too much of a good thing can lead to something bad like type 2 diabetes, as well as damage kidneys, eyes and the heart. Doctors will usually suggest you fast before the blood sugar test ( just use this as an excuse to have a big breakfast after the test) to increase the accuracy of the test. Normal blood sugar measurements are considered to be less than 100, pre-diabetes between 100-125 and diabetes is diagnosed when the number gets above 126.<br />
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So What Now<br />
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Knowing and managing these numbers can play an essential role in having a happy energetic and productive retirement. You say you don’t know your numbers; then what are you sitting there for ,get up and make that doctor’s appointment.<br />
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Bad news department: The chances of developing bad numbers on all three go up with age<br />
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Good news department: these numbers can be managed with medication, if necessary, but often with just a change of lifestyle and the same changes can lead to better numbers for all three: those lifestyle changes are a healthy diet , exercise for 20-30 minutes four or five times a week, don’t smoke, keep stress under control and keep up those relationships with friends and families.<br />
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Now dear hearts and gentle people I would love to have your comments below on:<br />
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1. Do you have a good story about how you and/or someone you know has turned bad numbers into good numbers.<br />
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2. What steps do you take to keep those numbers under control.<br />
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Thanks for readingrichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-27606742456473640732010-06-25T00:48:00.000-05:002010-06-25T00:48:13.376-05:00Are You In The Retirement Box? What in the “heck” do you mean by the “retirement box” Well I actually took that term from the renowned career counselor, <a href="http://http//www.jobhuntersbible.com">Richard <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Bolles</span> </a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2010/dp/1580089879?ie=UTF8&tag=retiredtexast-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">What Color Is Your Parachute? 2010: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1580089879" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Mr. <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Bolles</span> says that we usually allow ourselves to be placed in three boxes : the education box, the work box and the retirement box.<br />
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The education box<br />
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We usually find ourselves locked firmly in the education box until the age of about six.( even longer for today’s <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">pre</span>-kinder kids!). “Up in the morning and off to school, the teacher is teaching the golden rule. O.K. I couldn’t escape the “nostalgia box”. Does anyone remember that song? All right back to the education box. Of course, during our high school and college years we might escape into the work box temporarily, but usually we are expected to go to school and study. When we finish our schooling, whenever that might be , then “poof” out of the education box and jump right into the work box.<br />
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The Work Box<br />
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Welcome to the wonderful world of work. Most of us can remember that first pay check, mine was $3,900 in 1968, and then we settle into our work box and forget the education box we now have managed to escape. Though many of us worked in jobs such as teaching, that required us to occasionally update our education, we did so only because this was a requirement to remain in the work box and not because we chose the education for the pure joy of learning. After about 30.-40 years ( Wow that seems like a long time when put in that way) we decide to retire, so we submit a letter and “ lo and behold” the education box opens and we step into the retirement box.<br />
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The Retirement Box<br />
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According to Richard <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Boilles</span>, this third box was supposed to be spent in leisure, which traditionally might mean just sitting on one’s front porch until one died. No thought was expected to be given to returning, even <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: yellow; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">temporaraily</span> to those other two boxes we escaped from, the education and work boxes.<br />
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Breaking free of all the boxes<br />
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Today we have a more promising paradigm . Instead of one box for each stage of life more and more of us are mixing education, work and leisure at each stage of our lives. Here ,dear hearts and gentle people, is what I would love to hear your comments on:<br />
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1. If you’re in the retirement stage, do you escape the retirement box by engaging in work and/or education. Keep in mind, “work” could be something you volunteer to do. Of course there is nothing wrong with just enjoying your leisure!<br />
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2. If your in the work box, how do you escape ,at least occasionally, into the world of leisure and education.<br />
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Look forward to your comments below. <br />
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</div>richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8142608956605048125.post-49246090752375639902010-06-16T01:19:00.001-05:002010-06-16T01:22:39.328-05:00My Retired Texas Teacher Blog-A Welcome Thanks for landing on my blog. Like the airlines say I know you could have chosen a lot of other blogs. O.K. enough of these airline analogies. What is this blog all about?<br />
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Well the name tells a lot. This is my blog, but I certainly can't have a blog without you. So this is really <b>our</b> Texas retired teacher blog. I don't think Blogger would mind if we change this ; just between us.<br />
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Second this is about retired teachers in the state of Texas, so we'll look at some issues that effect Texas retired teachers, like the cost of living adjustment. ( This retired teacher blog, of course, includes retired administrators. Your input is much valued.) We'll also just discuss some issues that effect retirees in general such as maintaining our health, traveling, hobbies, and the good and bad of retirement. Of course I also hope we'll have some visitors who are just thinking about retirement or maybe only dreaming about it. After all, all of us retirees were once just dreaming and thinking about retirement.<br />
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Third, I can't help adding a little nostalgia topic now and then. Elvis Ike and Marylin may even make an occasional appearance. I will tell you that my next two topics will be:<br />
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<i>The Retirement Box</i><br />
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<i></i> <i>Those All Important Health numbers</i><br />
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<i></i> I'm told that all first blogs should be mercifully short, so,<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002M3SOC4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> dear hearts and gentle people, ( Anyone remember that song?) I'll close for now. Please comment below and especially share ideas to make this post an enlightening and enjoyable experience for us all. <br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=retiredtexast-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002M3SOC4&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=retiredtexast-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002M3SOC4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12902954468103105755noreply@blogger.com5