If you are in your fifties or sixties now, you may be starting to think about retiring. It has probably never been harder to do due to financial constraints and poor pension investments. But we all want to do it, even if it means we have to sell the family home and move to a smaller apartment to get it. If you are thinking about retirement and you’re not sure how to go about doing it you can read on for some top tips.
2015 is starting on an optimistic note. The general feeling is that things will steadily improve financially for most of us. The housing market is already improving well in some states, and the downturn appears to have started to reverse. Interest rates on savings are also looking more healthy for this year, so pension pots should start to increase again. If you are hoping to make a move away from work soon, consult your independent financial advisor about the best options for you.
Historically, retirees looked to move to Florida where it is warm and sunny almost all year. More recently, those who are retiring searched out other States including the Carolinas and Georgia. However, Florida holds an awful lot of benefits for those looking to retire soon. People are still retiring and moving their homes to Florida to take advantage of those benefits too. We give you the top five reasons why you might want to join them in 2015.
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The weather – It doesn’t get much hotter than Florida, but the vast majority of buildings are fully air-conditioned. There are plenty of top maintenance companies around to keep them going too. In the winter it is still warm and sunny, so most of your favorite outdoor activities like golf are still viable. For those of you who enjoy walking, the weather makes it a wonderful pastime for early mornings or evenings. Sailing can be enjoyed any time of year here and is a very popular hobby for retirees and young people alike. The scent in the air is unique to Florida and has been described as a pleasant orange blossom. The sea breezes around the coast make beach life very fresh and pleasant. The average hours of sunshine does not vary too much from over seven hours in the winter months to around nine in the summer. The temperature can reach ninety degrees in the summer but averages out to the low eighties. In winter, it can get chilly but usually stays in the seventies.
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Health services – It goes without saying that as we age our bodies and minds start to degenerate. It is a sad but true fact that often these illnesses shorten our lives more than they need to because of the lack of access to good health care. With an older than average population in Florida, there is an excellent infrastructure of specialist health services. The good climate is attributed to staving many age-related illnesses away including arthritis and heart disease. The local population report happier lives on average too, with the weather and services in the local area both being contributing factors.
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Diet – The cost of living appears to be quite a lot cheaper in Florida than some other populated areas of the United States. With an abundance of fresh seafood and fish, it is thought the diet in Florida is better than other places too. Fresh fruits like oranges grow plentifully in your own garden. They provide healthy juice and vitamin C. With such a good and affordable diet, it is no wonder that people from Florida look so well. Of course, the healthy glow from all that sunshine certainly helps!
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Taxes – Perhaps THE most important part of Florida living for retired people is the lack of income tax. You do not need to pay any tax on your pension or any earnings you draw from other sources like employment. With no taxes to pay, the pension you have is the pension you get to keep. This makes you richer in Florida than in most other States. Your money will go further, and you may be able to afford a bigger place to live than you were expecting. There are also no inheritance taxes to worry about. The sales tax in Florida is quite high, currently at 6%, but the cost of goods and services tends to be a little cheaper than elsewhere. This helps it even out. When you are retired, you are unlikely to be buying as much as you used to anyway, which will help keep costs down.
Bradenton Beach photo from Flickr
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Things to do – Lots of us go to Florida for the holidays because there are so many attractions in the State. Living there takes all the hassle and time out of travel, and being retired gives you the opportunity to spend quality time in each place. You can take the grandkids to one or more of the many enormous theme parks in the State. You can enjoy golf or the beach. Sailing and diving are also popular, but you may need health clearance from your doctor to charter if you are over a certain age. There is an extensive array of wildlife in Florida too. Some it is in the wild and others are in giant parks or sea life centers for you to get up close and personal to. It has been said there are more things to see and do in Florida than you could possibly get around to in your retirement if you retired in your seventies. We’ll let you be the judge of that! Some of the best bits of Florida to see include The Key West Butterfly Conservation Park and Dry Tortugas Nature Park. If you like diving you can visit the Vandenburg wreck dive site. For more relaxing activities try Yoga on the beach and enjoy Sunset Pier at Key West. If you are feeling particularly daring, make sure you include a visit to the Everglades at least once, to see Florida’s natural wildlife in their own home.