The financial picture for single baby boomer women is looking bleak. According to the latest research, single female baby boomers are the least-prepared to financially navigate their way through their senior years.
About 40 percent of female baby boomers are single now -- up from 30 percent in 1989. Nationally, there are about 17 million single females ages 46 to 64; about two-thirds of them are separated, divorced, or widowed.
Although many baby boomer women stayed home, at least for a time, to raise their children, the generation brought the first sizable number of women to the workforce. But those who joined the work force earned less than their male counterparts, nationally about 77 cents to the man's dollar.
And many who devoted their prime to motherhood find themselves divorced and returning to a work force that doesn't have space or patience for them. These women have less time to build up their Social Security savings or 401(k) plans.
The Federal Reserve Board found in 2001 that only a third of single women had any sort of retirement savings account; at the same time, fewer than 10 percent of single women had pensions through their jobs.
The AARP says boomer women are ill prepared for long-term-care needs. According to a survey of boomer women, more than half of female baby boomers do not have a long-term-care insurance policy, and two-thirds said they couldn't afford the premiums.
Click here to read more: Boomer women and retirement
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Baby Boomer Teachers Wanted
The Teacher Ambassador Program is looking for a few good baby boomers.
The “Teacher Ambassador Program” will train Americans for English-speaking positions at magnet high schools in 13 Chinese cities. It’ll differ from other programs by training participants in how to:
• Appropriately incorporate American styles of teaching (project-based learning, dialogue, critical thinking, etc.); and
• Identify and pursue culturally appropriate community service opportunities in and out of the classroom.
It’s run by United World College-USA (which operates schools and colleges around the world that’ve brought 40,000 students from 100+ countries to learn together, bond and work towards a more peaceful world) and the Ameson Foundation, a charitable organization in NY that focuses on cultural and education exchanges in China.
China is super hungry right now for American teachers (for various subjects, many of which are AP), and some of their best current teachers (in public schools) are folks in their 60s.
The website, if you’re interested: http://www.uwc-usa.org/tap
The “Teacher Ambassador Program” will train Americans for English-speaking positions at magnet high schools in 13 Chinese cities. It’ll differ from other programs by training participants in how to:
• Appropriately incorporate American styles of teaching (project-based learning, dialogue, critical thinking, etc.); and
• Identify and pursue culturally appropriate community service opportunities in and out of the classroom.
It’s run by United World College-USA (which operates schools and colleges around the world that’ve brought 40,000 students from 100+ countries to learn together, bond and work towards a more peaceful world) and the Ameson Foundation, a charitable organization in NY that focuses on cultural and education exchanges in China.
China is super hungry right now for American teachers (for various subjects, many of which are AP), and some of their best current teachers (in public schools) are folks in their 60s.
The website, if you’re interested: http://www.uwc-usa.org/tap
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Baby Boomers and Infidelity
Men cheat for a single primary reason: sex. That's the explanation given by the website InfidelityFacts.com
Last week the baby boomer world was in shock when Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced they had separated. This week we now know why. It was revealed Schwarzenegger fathered a child more than a decade ago with a woman on his household staff.
And let's not forget about baby boomers Elizabeth and former democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who also called it quits when it was revealed he fathered a love child while his wife wss dealing with breast cancer.
So what is driving baby boomer men into the arms of someone else?
According to Infidelityfacts.com, some men cheat because of the sense that there has been a breakdown of fun or spontaneity in the relationship. For example, to men in long-term relationships sex will become routine or mechanical. Not an adventure as it once was, but simply as a means to an end. And so they seek that adventure, that adrenaline rush, with another woman (or women).
To get more InfidelityFacts, click here: Baby Boomer Infidelity
Last week the baby boomer world was in shock when Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced they had separated. This week we now know why. It was revealed Schwarzenegger fathered a child more than a decade ago with a woman on his household staff.
And let's not forget about baby boomers Elizabeth and former democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who also called it quits when it was revealed he fathered a love child while his wife wss dealing with breast cancer.
So what is driving baby boomer men into the arms of someone else?
According to Infidelityfacts.com, some men cheat because of the sense that there has been a breakdown of fun or spontaneity in the relationship. For example, to men in long-term relationships sex will become routine or mechanical. Not an adventure as it once was, but simply as a means to an end. And so they seek that adventure, that adrenaline rush, with another woman (or women).
To get more InfidelityFacts, click here: Baby Boomer Infidelity
Friday, May 13, 2011
Reinvent Yourself at Midlife with a Divorce
Maria Shriver and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have become the latest casualties of baby boomer wedded bliss. After being married for 25 years, they have decided to call it quits.
Surprising? Maybe to some because the media always painted a picture of them as a couple who managed to stay happy in spite of their political and, perhaps, social differences.
The truth of the matter is, aging for women brings about more changes than just in the physical sense. Mentally, we go from being a starry-eyed young woman into a fully-bloomed flower, that is no longer content with remaining tight inside the bud. I was married for nearly 18 years before I had my wake up call.
With children grown and husbands paying less attention to our needs, the desire to breakout of that shell becomes even greater for some baby boomer women. The desire to live for yourself, instead of others, tugs at your heartstrings.
The truth of the matter is, not every marriage is God-ordained. Not every marriage has a happily ever after ending but, sadly, there are still wives everywhere hanging on to their marriage vows. Some choose to remain in bad situations because it's easier to stay and tolerate than to pack up and try to start all over again.
I say to hell with that! I would much rather reinvent myself at midlife with a divorce and give myself the opoortunity to travel on a new journey--than to be married and miserable until death do us part.
Here's another great article about baby boomers and divorce: Why are so many baby boomers divorced?
Surprising? Maybe to some because the media always painted a picture of them as a couple who managed to stay happy in spite of their political and, perhaps, social differences.
The truth of the matter is, aging for women brings about more changes than just in the physical sense. Mentally, we go from being a starry-eyed young woman into a fully-bloomed flower, that is no longer content with remaining tight inside the bud. I was married for nearly 18 years before I had my wake up call.
With children grown and husbands paying less attention to our needs, the desire to breakout of that shell becomes even greater for some baby boomer women. The desire to live for yourself, instead of others, tugs at your heartstrings.
The truth of the matter is, not every marriage is God-ordained. Not every marriage has a happily ever after ending but, sadly, there are still wives everywhere hanging on to their marriage vows. Some choose to remain in bad situations because it's easier to stay and tolerate than to pack up and try to start all over again.
I say to hell with that! I would much rather reinvent myself at midlife with a divorce and give myself the opoortunity to travel on a new journey--than to be married and miserable until death do us part.
Here's another great article about baby boomers and divorce: Why are so many baby boomers divorced?
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Impact of Social Media on Baby Boomers
In case you haven't heard, the baby boomer generation has taken social media by storm. According to a CBS News report, half (47 percent) of internet users aged 50-64 use social media now, an 88 percent growth from the previous year. The number of Facebook users in the U.S. aged 55 and older grew from around 1 million in early 2009 to 10 million in early 2010, according to istrategy.com, a website that tracks Facebook data.
Social Media is having a tremendous impact on just about every aspect of our lives. Check this out:
1.Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web
2. More than 1.5 million pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared on Facebook…daily.
3. 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. in 2008 year met via social media with baby boomers leading the charge to the altar or Justice of the Peace.
4. 2009 US Department of Education study revealed that on average, online students out performed those receiving face-to-face instruction.
5. 1 in 6 higher education students are enrolled in online curriculum. By getting an online degree baby boomers are discovering they can stay where they are and attend school anywhere they want.
6. Percentage of companies using LinkedIn as a primary tool to find employees….80%
7. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females.
8. Generation Y and Z consider e-mail passé…so if you want to reach out and touch your grandchildren, you better learn how to TEXT MESSAGE.
Social Media is having a tremendous impact on just about every aspect of our lives. Check this out:
1.Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web
2. More than 1.5 million pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared on Facebook…daily.
3. 1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. in 2008 year met via social media with baby boomers leading the charge to the altar or Justice of the Peace.
4. 2009 US Department of Education study revealed that on average, online students out performed those receiving face-to-face instruction.
5. 1 in 6 higher education students are enrolled in online curriculum. By getting an online degree baby boomers are discovering they can stay where they are and attend school anywhere they want.
6. Percentage of companies using LinkedIn as a primary tool to find employees….80%
7. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females.
8. Generation Y and Z consider e-mail passé…so if you want to reach out and touch your grandchildren, you better learn how to TEXT MESSAGE.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Baby Boomer Moms Need a Wake Up Call
There's a new survey out indicating more than half of baby boomer generation mothers support adult children financially. Of the women with children over age 18, nine percent said they had adult children living back home for indefinite periods. Twelve percent were primarily responsible for their adult child or their children's financial well-being and 31 percent said they had children who returned home, relied on them but expected to become independent.
The survey, based out of Orlando, Florida by The Kitchens Group only polled 441 women, which is a very miniscule number when you take into consideration there are nearly 40 million female baby boomers in the United Statessiut
So the question is, is this survey really a reflection of what is happening between boomer women and their grown children or is this a symptom of a weak economy? Or did some boomer parents give their children too much growing up, while failing to teach them how to get out and survive on their own terms?
The survey, based out of Orlando, Florida by The Kitchens Group only polled 441 women, which is a very miniscule number when you take into consideration there are nearly 40 million female baby boomers in the United Statessiut
So the question is, is this survey really a reflection of what is happening between boomer women and their grown children or is this a symptom of a weak economy? Or did some boomer parents give their children too much growing up, while failing to teach them how to get out and survive on their own terms?
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
AARP Calling All Baby Boomer Spellers
Is your 401K leaving much to be desired these days? If you can spell, you might want to consider a trip to Cheyenne, Wyoming for the 16th annual AARP National Spelling Bee. You could win $5,000 if you beat all of the other boomer spellers.
I was the fourth grade spelling champion at my school. I wonder how far that would get me.
Meanwhile, here's the official press release:
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (April 4, 2011) – Visit Cheyenne for a SPELL while the city hosts the 16th annual AARP National Spelling Bee, June 17– 18, 2011, at The Little America Hotel and Resort. Open to anyone age 50 or older, the Bee attracts spellers from all over the United States who compete for gifts and prizes. New this year, the top speller winnings have increased to $5,000.
In celebration of the competition, Cheyenne is offering city-wide events and attractions all weekend long, as well as a special hotel rate. In addition, a free pre-Bee workshop, Gray Matters: Training the Grownup Brain, will feature interactive sessions that explain the impact of diet, fitness, and relationships on brain health, and answer your questions. The workshop begins Friday at 8:30 a.m., includes lunch, and concludes at 1:00 p.m.
Whether you enjoy reading the dictionary to keep your mind sharp or just to meet other like-minded adults, the AARP National Spelling Bee always proves to be exciting and highly competitive,” said Tim Summers, AARP Wyoming Director. “Many of the spellers prepare year-round for this competition, and we’re pleased to be able to provide the forum for folks to test themselves. And while they are here, they can also enjoy Cheyenne’s many attractions and events that coincide with the Bee.”
In addition to these events, visitors will enjoy exploring historic museums and hotels, and nearby attractions; shopping at western-themed stores; or finding a special treasure among the many art galleries. The Laramie County Library, named Best Library of the Year in 2009 by Library Journal magazine, is a popular attraction for spellers. Visitors will receive a special rate at Little America Hotel and Resort, which includes a free round of golf, by calling the hotel directly at 800-445-6945 (rate NOT available online). Details of all Cheyenne events and attractions, and additional lodging options, are available online at www.cheyenne.org.
About the Spelling BeeThe AARP National Spelling Bee was created in 1996 by a group of AARP members in Cheyenne, Wyoming, who wanted a fun way to challenge their peers to keep their minds sharp as they age. The competition has been held every year since, and always in Cheyenne. A group of dedicated volunteers select the words, write the sentences, organize, and promote the event. Spellers travel from across the United States to showcase a lifetime of knowledge and to celebrate their years of experience.
Registration is available via www.aarp.org/spellingbeee or by calling 1-877-926-8300. Pre-event registration is $40 for spellers and remains open through June 11, 2010. Walk-in registration costs $50. A complete schedule for the two days, sample word lists, contest details and official rules, can be found online or by calling the AARP office in Wyoming at 1-866-663-3290.
I was the fourth grade spelling champion at my school. I wonder how far that would get me.
Meanwhile, here's the official press release:
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (April 4, 2011) – Visit Cheyenne for a SPELL while the city hosts the 16th annual AARP National Spelling Bee, June 17– 18, 2011, at The Little America Hotel and Resort. Open to anyone age 50 or older, the Bee attracts spellers from all over the United States who compete for gifts and prizes. New this year, the top speller winnings have increased to $5,000.
In celebration of the competition, Cheyenne is offering city-wide events and attractions all weekend long, as well as a special hotel rate. In addition, a free pre-Bee workshop, Gray Matters: Training the Grownup Brain, will feature interactive sessions that explain the impact of diet, fitness, and relationships on brain health, and answer your questions. The workshop begins Friday at 8:30 a.m., includes lunch, and concludes at 1:00 p.m.
Whether you enjoy reading the dictionary to keep your mind sharp or just to meet other like-minded adults, the AARP National Spelling Bee always proves to be exciting and highly competitive,” said Tim Summers, AARP Wyoming Director. “Many of the spellers prepare year-round for this competition, and we’re pleased to be able to provide the forum for folks to test themselves. And while they are here, they can also enjoy Cheyenne’s many attractions and events that coincide with the Bee.”
In addition to these events, visitors will enjoy exploring historic museums and hotels, and nearby attractions; shopping at western-themed stores; or finding a special treasure among the many art galleries. The Laramie County Library, named Best Library of the Year in 2009 by Library Journal magazine, is a popular attraction for spellers. Visitors will receive a special rate at Little America Hotel and Resort, which includes a free round of golf, by calling the hotel directly at 800-445-6945 (rate NOT available online). Details of all Cheyenne events and attractions, and additional lodging options, are available online at www.cheyenne.org.
About the Spelling BeeThe AARP National Spelling Bee was created in 1996 by a group of AARP members in Cheyenne, Wyoming, who wanted a fun way to challenge their peers to keep their minds sharp as they age. The competition has been held every year since, and always in Cheyenne. A group of dedicated volunteers select the words, write the sentences, organize, and promote the event. Spellers travel from across the United States to showcase a lifetime of knowledge and to celebrate their years of experience.
Registration is available via www.aarp.org/spellingbeee or by calling 1-877-926-8300. Pre-event registration is $40 for spellers and remains open through June 11, 2010. Walk-in registration costs $50. A complete schedule for the two days, sample word lists, contest details and official rules, can be found online or by calling the AARP office in Wyoming at 1-866-663-3290.
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