Sucessful Retirees Need Three Kinds Of Health

                      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.


                                         Physical Health

                        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?

                      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.

                     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 pedometer, 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.


                                                       Financial Health


                       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.

                       In addition to your annuity, investing 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 Bogleheads advice on the best route to reach financial health.


                                                          Mental/Spiritual Health

                            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 emotional intelligence, 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.

Mans Search For Meaning. 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.



                                                   Your Turn


                                  You are now invited, heck I’ll even beg you to join in on the conversation and leave a comment below.

                            1. How do you handle the three types of health

                            2.  Do you have another type of health  other than those mentioned that you would like to comment on.

                            3. Any comment, suggestion even criticism ( Be nice though) you would like to leave                  



                                        How To Leave Your Comments


                       1. Scroll to the bottom of this page and click on comments

                       2.  A new page will appear for your comments
                            Click on Publish your comment

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Retired 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.

            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!




                                                   Can This Be Changed


               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 Congress 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 health insurance 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.


                                                  
                                                                        Your Turn

                    My blog 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





                  1. Has your annuity been decreased? If you would like to tell us, by how much?

                  2. Do you have any other suggestions to alleviate this problem this problem?

                  3. Any other comments you would care to make.





                                                                                  How To Comment


                                1.Scroll to the bottom and click on ‘‘comments”

                                2. A new page will come up with a block for you to write your comments.

                                3.  Click on “publish your comments“




                                                                         Thanks For Visiting


  

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Seven Questions And Answers About Medicare And TRS Care

                            Texas teachers were ‘‘ present at the creation” of Medicare. President Lyndon Johnson who, signed the Medicare bill into law  in 1965 ,was a Texan 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.





                               1. W hat Are Medicare Part A B C And D ? 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 Medicare Advantage 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.  



                          2. Should Someone With TRS As His Primary Medical  Insurance Enroll In Medicare?  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 Medicare 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!


                      3. How Do I Apply For Medicare?  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.    
                                                    


                    4. Is Medicare Free?  The Noble Prize winning economist Milton Friedman 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
and Medicare part B has a deductible of $155 per year. Oh well, who expected a free lunch anyway?

                              
                 5. What About Medigap? 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 Medigap policy.



              6. Is TRS a Medigap Policy? 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.



             7. Should I Get A Medigap  Advantage PlanTRS 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.                                              

                                                        
                              
                                            Your Turn


                                 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.


                                       How To Comment

                                     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.

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Retiring 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 living abroad, I’ll spend today’s blog relating some thoughts on the pros and cons of retiring abroad.




                                          Be Informed
                   Just the facts mam. Some of you may remember that request from Sgt Joe Friday on the old Dragnet 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.


                   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 Philippines 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.


                                    Climate



                      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
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.    

                      


                              Cost Of Living


                     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 cost of living. 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 Thailand. 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 Panama City 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.


                                 language


                  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.


                     Summing Up




                      

              
 

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The Texas Legislature and Teacher Retirement: Hold That Line?

                     Hold that line. Most of us in the teaching 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.


                                 The Budget Shortfall

                 Most of you are aware that the state of Texas Gone to Texas: A History of the Lone Star State 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?

               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 cost of living (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”.


            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”.



                                    Federal Priorities


             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.  


          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.


                                              Summing Up


     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)


    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”.

   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.




                                           YOUR TURN



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.                                                        
 

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The Year 2001 And Texas Retired Teachers

    September 11thThe September 11th Terrorist Attacks (Days That Changed the World) 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 :
 Working after retirement
Cost of living adjustment


    
                                                    Working After Retirement

        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 TRS annuity The Financial Insider's Annuity Guide: Understanding Annuities And Your Financial Portfolio. Because of fear that the TRS  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 TRTA supported this 2001 law because they were  quite appropriately concerned about the viability of the  TRS fund .

           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.

            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.

             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 TRS 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 TRS and pleaded ignorant,(not hard in my case) and fortunately for me  was able  to speak with a very nice lady in TRS 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.

    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 TRS  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 TRS 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:

     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.

     2. Require that any retiree who returns to work will pay into the TRS 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 retirees.How to Love Your Retirement: Advice from Hundreds of Retirees (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guides)


                                                      The Last COLA

           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 (TRTA) 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 TRTAtrta.org

          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.

           I know that scepticism toward our legislators is a Texas tradition Stand Proud (Texas Tradition Series No 13) ( 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:

 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:

     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.

     2. The legislature might be willing to accept this proposal as less expensive than the full cost of living  proposal usually suggested.


    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;


       Were you aware of the 2001 law on work after retirement and do you think changes are needed?

        Do you think my proposals for a cost of living are wise or just half witted. Do you have any suggestions?

                                    Some further comments of my own

 1. Please no political comments
 2. For those who are not teacher retirees, there will be more general blogs on retirement soon. Thanks to you all for your patience
3. The place for your comments is below. Thanks a million.            
                                                                

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IN Pursuit Of Happiness

All men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among which are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill. July fourth is a propitious time to think about those rights Mr. Jefferson Thomas Jefferson - A Film by Ken Burnsclaimed 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?


                                          Wealth and Happiness

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. LOL

                                           Health And Happiness


What role does good health Omron HJ-720ITC Pocket Pedometer with Advanced Omron Health Management Software 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..
  


                                             Attitude And Happiness


 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:

Does wealth bring happiness and if so, how much wealth do we need?

Can we be happy even in bad health?

Does happiness really matter anyway?



Looking forward to your comments below

      


                            

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