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In a little over two weeks America will be choosing a new president, along with senators, representatives, and other government officials.  I think I can say, without contradiction, this has been the most unusual, outrageous, tense election cycle we have experienced. The differences between the two top candidates couldn't be starker. Ten months ago I wrote the following post on what it should take to be president. What are the skills, basic approaches to governance, temperament, and experiences that the next leader of this country should possess? I am rerunning that post again to see if what was said almost a year ago should be modified or changed in any way. Just like the last time, please don't turn this into a rant about either of the candidates running for president. I would hope that this list, along with your comments, can be re-run before the 2020 cycle to help us think through whatever those choices will be. After a post late last year,  Are We Really So Afraid? , a re...

A previous guest post, Downsizing To a Forever Home , generated some interesting comments about where to retire: an urban setting, long time home in the suburbs, smaller town, or in a more rural setting. Author, Barbara Hammond and husband, Dave, moved from Philadelphia to the seaside town of Cape May, New Jersey. She says the couple have found the perfect place to put down roots. It has a busy, resort feel in the summer and a quiet, locals only vibe during colder weather. That post prompted a suggestion to ask some follow up questions about the benefits and pitfalls of each retirement choice. Betty and I gave serious thought last year to a move to downtown Phoenix. After 30 years in our suburban Scottsdale home we liked the idea of a more vibrant environment, public transportation, and being close to restaurants, theaters, museums, and sporting venues. The smaller housing options were what we thought we wanted, too.  Well, that wasn't our final choice. Being close to fam...

I will admit, this is a post designed to help me. Even so, I imagine there plenty of folks who wonder the same thing when it is time to trade in that old clunker that is smoking up the neighborhood. Betty and I are close to such a decision and I am torn. I have always purchased, not leased, my cars. I will buy used but only if less than 2 years old. I usually pay cash to avoid the monthly payments. That is especially true on a depreciating asset like an automobile that loses 25% in value the moment it leaves the dealer's lot. I get the best deal I can, write a check and am done with it. If we spill something, or the dog has an accident, we clean it up and forget it. When some less-than-considerate driver dings the door in the parking lot, I shrug it off. With a lease I have to pay a few thousand dollars in cash upfront, and make regular payments for the use of the car, normally for 3 years. At the end of that time, I turn the car in, pay for any excessive mileag...

A blog you will find listed on the right sidebar is  Sightings Over Sixty . Tom Sightings writes well and often has a take on a subject that makes me think or chuckle. He also writes regularly for US News & World Report's web site .  While on my 7 week RV trip, I asked Tom if he would write a guest post about decluttering, a perennially popular topic. Here are his thoughts. Like many retirees, our household is downsizing. This summer we sold our house in the suburbs, and at the end of July we moved into a one-bedroom condominium. Six months ago we had a basement full of old boxes and an attic full of memorabilia. We had overflowing kitchen cabinets, closets bulging with old clothes, bookcases bursting with books and tabletops littered with little trinkets and tchotchkes. But now everything has been packed away and hauled out the door. We moved one truckload of boxes and furniture into our condo, and another truckload was sent to storage -- to await the time when we settle ...

We can't believe it: Betty, Bailey, and  I are more than halfway through our seven week RV trip. Over 3,000 miles and twelve states have already passed beneath the wheels. I have visited with my brothers for the first time in several years. Betty and I spent part of a day with a good friend we hadn't seen in 40 years. He and his wife happen to own a vacation home within a dozen miles of one of our campgrounds and were thrilled to make this long-delayed get-together happen. When we met it was as if we had only been apart for a week, not 40 years. After looking at the map, Betty has convinced me to reroute our return so that we spend enough time in all of the states of the Deep South to add them to the map on the motorhome's side. Of course, that sets up an idea for another major trip, most likely in the summer of 2018: the mid Atlantic and New England states. When that jaunt is completed, we will have visited all of the lower 48 states in the RV, probably the perfect time ...

First written almost 5 years ago, these thoughts are worth rerunning for those who weren't reading Satisfying Retirement back then (roughly 95% of you!) There are folks who manage to leave work much earlier, but tell most people you stopped full time work at 52 and they will assume you won the lottery.  I didn't win anything, and neither do you. In fact, far from being financially set when I retired I played with the financial numbers constantly to make sure I hadn't made some horrible mistake. I didn't have nearly enough to live the lifestyle I thought I wanted, but there was enough to make it. Even so,  I took a large leap of faith. The point of this post is to detail the investment/retirement financial approach I took. It may not make sense for you. But, then again maybe it will. Now, one strong caution: if you didn't make a decent start toward retirement in your younger years, then, this probably won't work in your situatio...

When I am asleep I am about 37. I have dreams of a younger man, accomplishing great things or having the normal young adult nightmares that affect us all. Then, I wake up and my body reminds me I am 67. Stiff fingers, painful knee joints and a need to stretch for a few minutes jolt me back to reality. A look in the mirror is always disappointing. So, my question is simple: How do I lose 30 years of my life between the time I fall asleep and the moment I wake again in the morning? This time travel seems to happen most nights. Collectively, I am losing centuries every several days. It is a psychological fact that most of us perceive of ourselves as 20-25 years younger than our chronological age. We know that isn't reality.  But, our mind allows us to create an image of self that has the potential to give us the energy and perception of the future that is rather rosey. Instead of us being the the final third of our life, we think we have all the time in the wo...