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New Seniors have much to offer trailing generations as we continue to travel the road of this great adventure called life.  If ever there was a time for truth and wisdom in America it is now.  That’s why if you’re 65+ you must be willing to give back to the country that was so good to you through a commitment to service.

However, there seems to be a resistance to making waves or getting involved in unfamiliar areas at this phase of our lives.  Sure, New Seniors continue to serve on church boards, participate in the activities of service organizations or engage in some other ongoing volunteer work.  But, you may say, “It’s only natural after 65 to resist tackling something new.”

New Seniors who are making a difference in their communities are finding this kind of thinking to be far from reality.  After all, you’re 65, you’re retired (or soon will be) and you’re capable of doing just about anything you put your mind to.  So ask yourself, “What am I going to do with the remaining third of my life?” 

You have lots of experience, lots of energy and plenty of time that could be devoted to worthwhile ventures.  How much golf can you play, how many books can you read, how many trips can you take and how much television can you watch before getting bored and asking the question, “Is there a meaning and purpose in life after 65?”

More than any time in your life, this is when you can dream about what you’d like to do and then go do it without restrictions.  And the beauty of service work is you are helping others rather than focusing on yourself.  The sense of accomplishment expands when you help another person, and it may well be the incentive to cause that individual to help some one else.  And the chain gets longer and stronger.

If you’re 65+ think about what you learned from parents, teachers, coaches, clergymen, bosses and other leaders – those things that were so freely given to you.  Then consider where and how you can apply this knowledge to make life better at home, in the community and across the country.  All that remains is for you to take the appropriate next steps.

These kinds of commitments are what constitute the New Seniors movement.  It’s not an organized effort, rather it’s people like you and me trying to do the right thing and make a difference in the lives of others.  If you’re already doing your part, tell us about your activities.  If you haven’t started, investigate the possibilities and don’t be afraid to jump in.  You’ll find lots of other New Seniors ready to help you be of service.      

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Fear does not necessarily relate to reality.  However, there are many warning signs as we travel the road to the next phase of life.  Some of these facts may suggest we are on the threshold of a pending crisis.  America’s top 100 corporations were found to have pension plans that were underfunded by over $200 billion.  The number of pension funds considered at risk inside falling companies has tripled.  And, in the last year, a quarter of those in the workforce who were ready to retire have put it off until later.

Government workers are usually guaranteed that any shortfall in their pension funds will be made good by the taxpayers.  Financially strapped states and local governments are revisiting this practice and are making efforts to renegotiate labor contracts, but this will be fought to the bitter end by the unions.  Unfortunately, the general public believes these workers should not be rescued at the expense of taxpayers.  It is unlikely that retired government workers will be affected, but younger ones have plenty to worry about.

Some 60% of non-retired Americans believe Social Security benefits will not be available to them when they stop working.  They have good reason to believe this, since this is the first year when Social Security will pay out more than it takes in; this had been projected to occur in 2016.  Currently 35% of those 65+ depend solely on these benefits for their retirement income.  But the situation will not improve because the number of workers paying for each retiree is 3.3 and will worsen by 2025 to just 2 workers for each one receiving Social Security.

The ever-increasing interest costs on the national debt coupled with the rise in spending for entitlements means that by 2019 more than 90 cents out of every dollar in federal revenue will be required to support Social Security and Medicare, as we know it.  If we ignore these disturbing facts, each of us is headed for financial disaster as the United States goes bankrupt.  This can’t be allowed to happen to the greatest country on earth.

It is imperative that we start a national debate about all entitlement programs.  Our elected official will be required to state their positions and we will demand that they listen to our thoughts.  The problem won’t be fixed overnight, but a dialogue can be established.  Through this process, we will get to know what the politicians believe and what their willing to do.  Then, we can decide who will represent us in the future.

In the meantime, stay calm.  Help others needier than you.  And, be sure to be of service to your family, friends and community.  This sure beats worrying.         

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My friend was a neighbor when we met.  We got to know each other by working on a community project together.  To discuss the work, we had lunch several times and soon discovered we had plenty more to talk about than the project at hand.  He had been the founder and manager of several businesses.  His experiences as a youth, then struggling through the Great Depression and serving in WWII before finally getting the opportunity to succeed in the recovery period in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s helped make him a man I admired – much like my father only in a different way.

His stories were enlightening and often funny.  But there was always something to learn from the memories he shared.  The way he sacrificed to pursue his dreams.  The manner in which business relationships were built and sustained.  And the things he wished he had done differently where all laid out on the table for discussion.  It was obvious that he was smart; but more important he was, and still is, honest.  This meant I could question decisions he made without fear of upsetting him or not getting a straight answer.

What a refreshing change of pace he is from the guarded, uptight ways of many modern business people.  Through our relationship, I learned how to enjoy retirement and seek out something meaningful to do with my God-given talents.  That’s what brought me to become an advocate for those 65+, start my blog and later found the online magazine, NewSeniors.com.  At the same time, I was able to help him through the decision process of moving to assisted living.  And, recently, we talked about him giving up driving.  He already stopped driving at night but fears this next step would substantially restrict his freedom.  So I related how my father did it.  This seemed to help.

Mentoring each other seems natural as we grow older.  There’s nothing to prove.  No control issues.  And no financial considerations.  Just open, one-on-one discussions about whatever is on our minds.  The results are wonderfully therapeutic and amazingly helpful.  So I suggest all New Seniors be open to this kind of relationship.  There are many people from the Greatest Generation who would welcome the opportunity to have us as friends.

There are people at your church or temple, senior centers, study groups, community organizations and anywhere people volunteer to help others.  Maybe the most significant help you can give is to be available for the folks from the generation that give us so much.  They won’t be with us forever, but the time you spend together will create memories that last forever.      

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The Greatest Generation has received accolades from the press for many years.  And rightfully so.  Pre-boomers, those born during the Great Depression and WWII, made important contributions to the country, but were sandwiched between two generations.  So this group was not talked about as a generation.  Their accomplishments tended to be looked at as things done by individuals rather than a generation.  Yet people are beginning to recognize that this is the bridge generation that links the past to the present.

With the boomers turning 65, beginning in 2010 and continuing at the rate if one every ten seconds, we can expect this generation to be in the limelight once more.  The focus will not be about their early protests for civil and women’s rights or against the war in Vietnam and the soldiers who fought there.  They will not be celebrating the free love, drug use or any of the changes they instituted or supported in their self-absorbed youth.  No, this time the news will be that those who once said, “never trust anyone over 30,” will be signing up for Medicare and looking forward to collecting Social Security checks.

Getting older is not the sad part.  Consider the alternative.  What is too bad is many of the “me generation” are not prepared for what is about to happen in their lives.  True, not all boomers turning 65 will be retiring.  Some will remain on the job because they want to and many will because they must.  Baby boomers often lived for the moment and were not prone to saving for the future.  This generation was given much.  Doors of opportunity were opened wide for them to enjoy.  It was only natural to assume the boomers would embrace the American dream and guard it for generations yet to come.

But something went wrong.  Boomers took what they were freely given, discarded what they didn’t want and kept the rest for themselves.  Sure, there are many exceptions; however, under their tutelage, business became increasingly dishonest and more self-serving, government became free-spending and more arrogant, individuals became less dependent on their own capabilities and more reliant on entitlements. 

Add to that the breakdown of our once-shared traditions and the loss of America’s values, and it’s easy to see why the boomers turning 65 have themselves to blame for the problems to be faced as they enter the next phase of life.  Fortunately, those who have made the journey, the New Seniors who are already 65+, are ready and willing to talk about how we can join forces to create a better tomorrow.  It is not too late to make the future brighter for our children and grand children.  The growing group of concerned citizens 65+ has the power to make positive changes.  Let’s put the plan together and implement it for the benefit of others as well as ourselves.   

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This turbulence is particularly unsettling for New Seniors for several reasons.  Those 65+ depend on their retirement plans to complement and supplement Social Security benefits.  Negative growth means the principal is shrinking, because whatever flat sum is needed each month for living expenses is greater than the return on investment.  So many of us are worried about running out of money before we run out of life.  Not a comforting feeling for those who worked all our lives to have a retirement nest egg.

Many of us have a beef because government workers, whose retirement plans are protected from the same volatility, don’t share the uncertainties private sector retirees must endure.  Public employees once made less money in exchange for job security and better benefit packages, including retirement plans.  The tide has turned; now this sector makes more in raw salaries than comparable jobs in private business.  With states and municipalities in financial trouble, taxpayers must pay the bill for underperforming public employee pension plans.  Why?  Because it’s in their contracts.

When the economy was good, these deals were negotiated by the unions representing various groups of government workers.  At best, everyone thought the market would continue to grow and this clause would not be a problem.  The worst case was that elected and appointed officials responsible for putting this plans together, mortgaged our tomorrows so they could look good at the time.  Even if you live in a city or state where these outlandish concessions were not made, the federal government will be called upon to bail out those struggling, which means greater deficits, higher taxes or both.

Concurrently, manufacturing is sputtering and retail as well as home sales are off.  The good news is people have started to save more, but this does not help an economy that is dependent on consumption to grow and prosper.  Jobs won’t be created, other than for government employment, until individuals have confidence enough to start buying.  Then businesses will start hiring.  And taxes will start coming into the various governments.  Taxes don’t need to be raised when people are working and businesses are growing; because this, in turn, generates more tax dollars.

Many politicians don’t want to hear this, because they tend to measure their job performance by how many bills are passed and the size of the budgets attached to the legislation.  That’s why it’s important to elect people this November who understand that the spending spree must end and sound fiscal as well as social responsibility must prevail.  Otherwise, New Seniors and those following us in the years to come will be faced with many summers of discontent.    

Most of us 65+ have led an active and involved life, both on the job and at home.  Now, in retirement or getting prepared for it, we are faced with the possibility of having idle time on our hands.  Something the pre-boomer generation is not used to.  At first, this seems like a happy dilemma, but too much leisure time does little to stimulate the mind and can lead to a feeling of low self-esteem.  Besides, who wants to do nothing when you can get great satisfaction from being of service?

“What can I do?” you ask.  Anything you want!  After all, you did this throughout your life, why stop now?  Think about the dreams we New Seniors had when we were young.  Being the best we could be in the areas where we had interest received encouragement from our elders – parents, teachers, coaches, scout masters and other leaders.  And we carried this with us upon entering the workforce and, to some degree, throughout our careers.  It’s time to dust off those memories and apply them once again, because America needs our knowledge, experience and guidance more than ever.

The nation is in a state of fear-based, self-centered apathy.  If it doesn’t affect us directly, we tend not to care; so don’t make waves.  Gone is the spirit that helped people survive the Great Depression.  The spirit that united us against common enemies in WWII.  The spirit that built a post-war economy second to none.  The spirit that fought social injustices and prevailed.  The spirit that placed men on the moon.  The spirit that outlasted the threat of the Soviet Union.  The spirit that created the Internet and the technology boom.  The spirit that re-united Americans after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. 

Has the life gone out of this great country, or are we just taking a breath before rising up and redirecting our efforts to ignite the spark once more?  Are you ready to carry the torch the spreads the light of freedom and the opportunities that will bring America back from the lonely darkness that separates us and help bring people back together again?

This action can begin to take place immediately, but the road back is long and up hill.  Don’t let that deter you.  New Seniors can make a difference in the way government works and let those in elected positions know who they work for by being active during the period leading up to the November election.  Without regard to party affiliation, those 65+ are expected to account t for nearly 30% of the votes cast this fall.  So get involved.

While this is going on, look for ways to be of service in your community.  Recruit other New Seniors to join you in making a difference.  Tell your friends that you intend to make a difference.  And, demonstrate to your family what it means to make a difference.

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When I was able to finally convince my parents to give up the house outside Philadelphia and move to Los Angeles, it was a big deal for them.  Both were in the mid-eighties and had lived on the east coast all their lives.  Even after down-sizing to a smaller home, they were reluctant to leave the few friends who were still living, the neighborhood where they felt comfortable and the church in which they were active.

Of course, time was taking its toll.  Dad had a couple of major heart operations and mom had arthritis and an increasingly difficult case of osteoporosis.  So, when I showed them the brochures from several places that met their requirements and pointed out that they could see their grandchildren and great grandchildren on a regular basis, both decided to consider the idea.  Within a few months, they signed up to live in a lovely independent living facility, one with assisted living and skilled nursing as well, and only a few miles from my house.  My folks sold their home, sold the car (which was hard for dad) and had a huge garage sale before the movers packed them up and brought their remaining belongings to the golden state for them to spend their golden years.

Fortunately, they made friends quickly and became active in their new community.  Mom loved not having to prepare meals or do housework.  Dad got used to not driving and was fine with not doing handy-work any longer.  I got to spend time with them and so did my kids and grandchildren.  Doctors came to the facility or transportation was provided for appointments with specialists.  Two years after moving in mom fell and broke her hip, shortly thereafter dad experience a similar.  After both had surgery, they ended up sharing a room in skilled nursing but would never go back to independent living. 

They moved into assisted living and spent the last two years of their lives there, interrupted by with many stays in the hospital.  It was sad to see them deteriorate as they aged, but at least we spent lots of time together.  As an only child, I’m grateful for this.  Mom died suddenly just two days after reaching her ninetieth birthday, and dad passed on three months later at age ninety-one.  That was five years ago.  Having them close enough to enjoy visits and outings and being able to celebrate the various milestones together was a blessing for them as well as the entire family.

If it had not been for this retirement community and the care the staff provided, we would have been separated during the last important years.  As a New Senior, I’m not sure what I’ll want to do about living arrangements ten or more years from now.  My long-term care insurance provides for home or facility care, and the family is all in the LA area, so no matter what I choose to do, they’ll be nearby.  To me, that’s the most important thing.  

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A reverse mortgage offers people 62 and over a way to turn the equity in their home into money that can be used to cover living expenses.  Rather than writing a check to the bank every month, homeowners can receive payments monthly, a credit line or a single lump sum.  This may seem attractive to some, because investment markets are still well below previous highs, particularly for those owning their homes outright.

Obviously, the higher the home’s value and the more equity one has in the property will determine how much money can be obtained by going with a reverse mortgage.  Because, this is in actuality a loan against the house, when the borrower vacates the premises for any reasons the loan is due and payable in full. 

Let’s say a married couple lives in the family home and one dies, the other may want to move into an apartment or senior facility.  Another scenario is that the last survivor dies, assuming both were listed as borrowers.  In either case, the survivor or the heirs must sell the house and payoff the balance, with interest.  Anything left is theirs to keep.  However, during the life of the loan, the borrower must be current on payments for property taxes and homeowner’s insurance.

In the past, reverse mortgages have been considered expense due to high closing fees, but some of the major funders have reduced these up front costs by thousands of dollars.  Service fees have also been slashed.  This was done as a necessity since the conversion market is down from last year. 

A primary reason for market slowdown is the decrease in property values, which resulted in lower loan values.  Also, the Housing and Urban Development agency (HUD) reduced the amount of money borrowers could receive by 10%.  These factors caused many consumers to walk away from the possibility of such loans, at least until the housing market experiences a significant upswing.

Current interest rates on a fixed reverse mortgage loan are about 5% and the borrower must commit to the full loan at time of signing and pay interest on that amount over the life of the loan.  For those not needing a large sum of money up front an adjustable rate loan may be better, since rates are right now at about 2%.

Before making major decisions of this kind, counseling is advised.  So seek help from family members, as well as financial advisors and read the information available through HUD and senior groups.  Only then can you decide if a reverse mortgage is right for you.       

The write-downs, caused by passage of the health care bill, that some of the major companies are reporting could lead to elimination of company sponsored prescription drug plans or result in substantial losses to these firms.  This problem surfaced because the government plans to stop subsidizing such efforts, and activities that might have substantial impact on a businesses bottom line required the corporations to report this information to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  AT&T, Caterpillar and Prudential are among the early reporters of potential problems.

More such revelations can be expected as the details are examined and implementation of this large and unwieldy plan begins.  Concerns over what health care benefits will be lost once the proposed Medicare cuts become reality and the quality of care are just two issues that worry New Seniors.  Higher taxes, to help pay for more people receiving insurance, are expected to surface in many forms in the months and years ahead.  And retirees will not be exempt.

To add to the New Seniors worries, on top of the reduced value of our homes and the stock market still well-below the high mark it hit just a couple of years ago, we are faced with extremely low interest rates on whatever saving we may still have in the bank.  In 2006 a one-year Certificate of Deposit (CD) earned interest of almost 5.5%.  Today, that same instrument would yield is about 1.30%.  This provides the retiree with over 75% less money from savings on which to live.

At the same time inflation is increasing, so more and more New Seniors are forced to take out the principal in order to meet expenses.  So were the years of hard work, sacrifices and careful financial planning for naught?  If we are healthy enough to live a long life, will we run out of money and need our families or the government to provide assistance?  Even though we did all the right things to avoid being put in this kind of situation?  This is not what we were taught to do, nor is it what we want to do.

Tell your Congressman or women that the banks have been getting money from the Federal Reserve at low rates and their financial statements are looking good.  So it’s time to take a look making safe investments, like CDs, more attractive.  Otherwise, the government is going to have a real problem on its hands when the 76 million Baby Boomers start turning 65.  This rush of people becoming New Seniors will be taking place every year through 2030.  And, while the government gives lip service to this phenomenon, history suggests that few of those in Washington are prepared for the impending impact the aging of America will have on everyone.

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Arriving at this level of satisfaction – no, make it enjoyment because it’s not my nature to be satisfied – did not come quickly or easily.  After more than 45 years in the pressure cooker known as the ad agency business, a period of decompression was needed.  This took several months.  I tried things like going to bed late and not setting the alarm in the morning.  Leaving my watch in the drawer was another technique I experimented with.  And putting away my desk calendar was another (I was not using the outlook calendar on my computer, because I didn’t know how).

I eventually fell into a routine.  When sleepy, I went to bed; and my natural body clock knew what time to get up.  That worked.  The watch thing did not last long, because people obviously grew tired of me always asking, “What time is it?”  Keeping a schedule by stuffing my pockets with little pieces of paper to remind me of appointments and commitments was haphazard at best.  So I went back to having the calendar on the desk in my study and learned to use outlook as a way to remind me of important times and dates (like birthdays).  This functions very well, indeed.

Then I decided to write the Great American Novel.  It wasn’t so great, but it was American and as fiction qualified as a novel (hey, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad).  This was a year-long effort and took up most of what I considered a normal work day.  The experience was enjoyable enough to get me to write another book the following year.  They have yet to be published, but I have high hopes.  Somewhere along the way I found a social life and was offered a few consulting assignments and several speaking engagements.  Finally my life was balancing out as I settled into a comfortable rhythm.  This continues to be the case, provided I allow life to be organic and live it as it unfolds.

While conducting research about the boomers and the generations preceding them, it struck me that no one was talking to or for the pre-boomers.  This led me to start my first blogging effort last year at age 72.  And the response was so encouraging that I, along with several communications experts, launched an online magazine for New Seniors in January.  This is exciting and one heck of a lot of work.  Getting NewSeniors.com off the ground has been a day, night and weekend effort, but I believe it is something that is long overdo and will serve the needs of the growing 65+ community for years to come.

So there you have it. I have moved from fear of the unknown to immersing myself in the things I am passionate about to having the confidence and the will to do whatever it takes to fulfill my current dreams.  That’s the American way, even in retirement.  Are you living your dreams?