Retirement Day-The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes. Count your age by friends, not years. There are far better things ahead than we ever leave behind. Retire from work, but not from life.
Free Retirement Poems
When you search for retirement poems online, they will yield two results. There are free retirement poems and for sale. You don’t have to worry if your research will direct you to the ones that require you to take out some money from your wallet, because you are still left with other option – the free retirement poems.
The free retirement poems you can find on the internet are not only available for you to read, but also you can use them as retirement gift ideas or for which might inspire you to write one in your own words. That is if you prefer to have original ones. But, there’s more! You can also make them part of your retirement speech. As a matter of fact, some of the sample free retirement poems are specially made so that some of the words rhyme with toast. Here is an example of free retirement poems that could be inserted after rendering your speech and before the retirement toast:
This final time you leave your post
Your workmates here would like to boast
We’ve wished you the most
Happy life – down on the coast
While we continue here –
In our daily work engrossed.
And with that,
Let us together toast
You
Our friend and colleague (name)
Or, you can have the option to change some of the wordings to best suit the one who is retiring. For instance, if the person who is retiring is not spending his time at the coast, you could fill in something that would still rhyme with toast for as long as it makes sense, of course!
If you need free retirement poems that are of humorous message, this is a good example:
Warning
Jenny Joseph
When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin candles, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three more pounds of sausage at a go
Or only bread and pickles for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.
Free Retirement Speches
For some is the time when you can do all the things you wanted to but couldn’t while you were still working. You know how our jobs take most of our time. To some, unfortunately, it is the time when they would feel no longer active. However one feels about retirement, always look forward to its coming as this is the time to pursue other interests to feel functional again.
Nevertheless, when someone retires, most people would consider it a very special occasion as it’s like the culmination of a career. It is very difficult to express how they really feel inside much more what to say; most especially since retirement speeches are given at a party. If you are to make a retirement speech, it will probably take you time to think what to say, right? If you might need a little help making one, you can find several free retirement speeches on the internet. To make those free retirement speeches sounds like you made them, you just have to fill some blanks. To give you a clearer idea of what free retirement speeches look like, read on this one.
Present Date
Address the group (Members of the Board, Colleagues, Friends, Family….
Thank you for this great (party, dinner, luncheon…).
I have (been appreciated, been honored, learned so much, grow so much, been challenged…) while I have been with this organization.
I have come to think of you as (close friends, great associates…)
We have been through many (challenges, ups and downs, Christmas parties…) together and these have made us (closer, stronger, survivors…)
I remember when (our big merger happened, success…) and how we all (worked it out, fell apart, laugh till we ached…)
When I look back on my time with this organization it is with (a great fondness, full of happy memories…)
Thank you to each of you for making my time here (so rewarding, worthwhile, fun…)
I am taking up (golfing, bowling…) in my retirement to have something to keep me always active and fit.
I wish all of you to have (wonderful challenges and successes, happy memories…)
The many free retirement speeches you can possibly find online can be modified according to your liking. Just remember that retirement speeches don’t have to be very emotional. You can even make your speeches humorous to keep the audience from flooding with tears.
If it helps, think of your retirement as part of your life that requires no appointments, pressure- practically free from headaches! Keeping it light and a little funny will make the whole occasion, party, or however you celebrate your retirement a celebration your team, colleagues, or co-workers will last remember you- someone who has taken off the burden of work and leaving to a happy and leisure life waiting.
Gay Retirement Communities
There are more than three million gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual Americans who are over the age of sixty five, and for these adults they want a nice peaceful place to retire. Aging gays and lesbians fear what lies ahead for them with the thought of discrimination and sometimes abuse in mainstream care facilities and other types of senior housing including assisted living facilities. The answer to this entire dilemma might be one of about twenty five retirement communities in the United States, catering particularly to gays and lesbians, and are now available and more planned for the near future.
Gay retirement communities provides the chance for adult gays to create a larger society of people with the same lifestyles and interests, gives them the opportunity to be independent from their families, and increasing the social openings for gays and lesbians over fifty years old. Social contact and not forcing them back into the closet is a key to staying healthy. Less isolation means enhanced mental and spiritual health for these senior gays and lesbians.
Two of the top Gay Retirement Communities in the US include:
Carefree Cove
One of the gay retirement communities with a 165-acre residential development of beautifully hardwood forest, featuring unsurpassed natural beauty developed exclusively for the Gay and Lesbian community. Owners can take pleasure in a safe and warm-feeling neighborhood with coded security gates that guarantees privacy and calm environment. Located off of North Carolina scenic Highway 88 in Zionville, Carefree Cove has been developed with full attention to maintaining the natural assets. Careful planning has brought no severe grades in the road system and there is an ideal home site for any preferred mountain setting. The exceptional mountain beauty has been confined through creative deed restrictions. The community features a split rail fencing, wild flowers, native gardens, and stone structure that captures the look of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a telephone entry system allows homeowners the means to let guests in the gate from their home. The Clubhouse is the focal pint of the community and the hub of activities, which features community dinners, social hall for dances, indoor and outdoor hot tub with a view. Aside from the clubhouse, there will be a lot of areas for all residents to enjoy.
Birds of a Feather
Located in Pecos, New Mexico, Birds of a Feather is one of the gay retirement communities that is open to those who want to live harmoniously in a non-traditional community. This community is situated in 140 acres of forested land with excellent natural beauty and stunning views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the northern New Mexico often called “The Land of Enchantment”. The community features casitas (pre-designed floor plans), and “Econests”. The community is also on its way to developing phase II. The Birds of a Feather is closely located to Santa Fe, a city of multi-cultural tradition, stimulating cultural environment, shopping, world-class restaurants, and a perfect climate.
Gay retirement communities offer senior gays and lesbians social comfort without having to hide away the real person that they are, thus making these communities appealing to them.
Holiday Retirement Corp
Holiday Retirement Corp. is the biggest proprietor and operator of retirement housing in the globe. The corporation and its affiliates runs more than two-hundred sixty retirement facilities located in thirty-nine states in the US, six provinces in Canada, and properties in France and the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1971 as Holiday Management Company with a general partnership made up of three current company shareholders, the Holiday Retirement Corp. was formed in 1987 and presently employs seven thousand five hundred people with about two hundred located in its company headquarters in Salem, Oregon.
With its forerunner Holiday Management Company, the Holiday Retirement Corp. has spent the last thirty years developing the infrastructure for the running of various retirement projects on a national basis whilst preserving a consistently high quality of service for the residents of Holiday.
Residents of Holiday Retirement Corp. takes pleasure in the organized social activities and the meal and maid services, making them probably feel like they’re on a permanent vacation. Holiday Retirement ensures facilities management by hiring couples to live on-site and run the communities. Here are some of the Holiday Retirement Corp. communities in the US:
The Marquette
The Marquette is located at Park Lake Road, Michigan and features suites and apartments with studio types, one bedroom units, and two bedroom units. Amenities of The Marquette includes three meals per day, guest room, housekeeping, utilities included, laundry service, transportation, scheduled trips, resident manager, thermostat control in unit, emergency call (panic button), and sprinkler system. For entertainment amenities, The Marquette features cable TV, big-screen TV lounge, billiard room, library, craft and activity room, exercise room, and fitness trail, plus just across the street Golf Course.
Yardley Commons
Yardley Commons is located at Laurel Road, New Jersey with suite and apartment features that include kitchenettes, one bedroom unit, two bedroom unit, and studios. Amenities feature housekeeping, guest room, three meals per day, laundry service, transportation, utilities included, scheduled trips, resident manager, thermostat control, and emergency call. Activities and Entertainment include Big-screen TV lounge, billiard room, library, craft and activity room, and exercise room.
The Bentley
This Holiday Retirement community is located At Forest Lane, Dallas Texas and offers cottages, kitchenettes, one bedroom units, two bedroom units, and studios. Amenities include three meals per day or one meal per day for cottages, guest room, housekeeping, laundry service, transportation, scheduled trips, resident manager, thermostat control in unit, utilities included, and emergency call. Activities and entertainment features billiard room, library, exercise room, craft and activity room, big-screen TV lounge, and nearby Golf Course which is just less than a mile.
All of the communities of Holiday Retirement Corp. allow for gracious retirement living, giving each community “The Touch” that underlies the company’s fundamental belief and outlook in life that is based on treating people the way we would like to be treated ourselves, making their residences completely unique.
How to Earn Extra Retirement Income
Retiring doesn’t necessarily mean you’re totally going to depend on your pension check. Although you’re past the prime of life, it does not mean that it’s too late to start investing as well. Let’s face it, daily expenses won’t stop coming upon retirement, it maybe reduced in some ways, but sometimes it can also be increased due to frequent travels and relaxations and to even personal things acquired for the satisfaction of the word “retirement”. Of course none of these things is bad at all; it’s been what you’ve been dedicatedly working for all your life, to reap of the fruits of retirement.
However, it can also be the time for investing. With some simple financial planning on how to earn extra retirement income, a retiree can invest for the future, for them or for their children. How to earn extra retirement income will need some steps to follow, starting with setting of goals. Setting goals is all about evaluating spending and income, and deciding on what you’ll need to do to boost your income to meet the goals. Do away with tapping you 401 (k) plan and other tax-deductible retirement accounts, and consider starting your own small business or getting a part-time job to meet the expenses, it might be fun.
How to earn extra retirement income is also about throttling back on risk. Even though you might be enticed to invest heavily in high-risk stocks, resist. Put a fraction of your pooled money in such stocks no more than ten percent to twenty percent, depending on your taste for risk. Put a bigger percentage of your selection in tax-exempt bonds and other lower-risk stocks. A number of consultants recommend to keep at least forty per cent in bonds or bond funds after retirement, which is also one way of how to earn extra retirement income.
Think about selling your home and moving to a retirement community, profits from the home sale can be invested to help fund for your retirement, or consider a reverse mortgage if you decide to keep your house. Look around for reverse mortgage.
Take benefit from investing brochures, stock analyses, personal-finance magazines, and other resources that can be availed of online and at the local library. A lot of libraries carry Morningstar assessments for mutual funds. A website that offers free tips on protecting oneself from scams is the American Association of Retired persons (AARP), and some senior centers from time to time host free-low cost investment seminars.
Another good initiative is to start estate planning and deciding on how to distribute your assets after death. A lot of experts say that to maintain a current lifestyle in retirement, seventy percent of your pre-retirement income is needed.
Retirement Home
Employees or workers who have stopped functioning their professions or occupations often prefer to live in retirement homes. A retirement home is a dwelling or residence intended for the elderly or retirees.
The common outline is that each individual or couple in the institution has an apartment style quarters or suite of quarters. Other amenities and services are added and provided within the building or structure. These facilities and services often include but not limited to meals, recreational activities, gatherings and other forms of wellbeing or hospice care services. The level of facilities and services of these retirement homes varies extremely among retirement homes. A space in a retirement home can be bought or purchased in perpetuity, very much like purchasing a condominium or it can be paid for like an apartment on a monthly rental basis.
These types of homes are not the same as a nursing home, because nursing homes are mainly intended for providing medical care. A retirement home differs from a retirement community or retirement village. Retirement villages and retirement communities offer unconnected and independent homes for its residents.
In choosing the right kind retirement home that suits you or the ones that are important to you, you must highlight the “home”. A considerable amount of care and attention to detail is important to circumvent dissatisfaction in the future. It is advisable to first make a short list of the lifestyles of the retirement homes that you have selected and then have a look at the other details like the terms and agreements, personal care, hospice care, and the most important of all, the payments and fees.
Also the staff and personnel of the retirement home must be friendly and caring, not just to its visitors but also to the ones staying one the retirement home. Verify if the medical personnel and staff are qualified and registered. It is recommended that you find some opportunity to socialize with the residents and inquire about the amenities and be acquainted with them.
Find out how the retirement home is supervised. It is important that you know what rights you have when you become one of the residents. Inquire other residents regarding the owners and if there are any problems that you should be acquainted with (inconspicuously of course). Double check the finances before moving in the retirement home. Make sure that you have knowledge on all the finances and you must always be aware if there are any costs over and above the initial charges. Do not hesitate to ask if the food and medical expenditures are included. The main idea in moving in to a retirement home is that you must be comfortable on your new home. After all, it is you that is going to spend the rest of your life on these homes.
Retirement Income Planning
The simple truth about retirement income planning is that it is important. Important in the sense that we have to identify and project everything about expenses and save as much as we can if we wanted to live the kind of life we always dreamed for our retirement. You may have a perfect life today and decided to worry about retirement when it is around the corner. If this is what you are doing, you could be in trouble! No one can say retirement income planning is easy. In fact, it is very difficult and requires careful considerations of many things, such as unforeseen expenses, health, and more.
But before you start to worry, let me explain what I meant. What I’m trying to say is that; if, at the present, you have worked so hard to live comfortably and with sense of contentment, did you not think that you are supposed to live like that, or more than that, when you retire? I would say, most definitely! When you reach the point in your life, where in you are no longer physically able to do the things you used to, wouldn’t it be right to just enjoy everything what you have worked for and saved your retirement? Yes, it would and this is exactly the idea why retirement income planning is very crucial.
To be able for you to effectively succeed in doing your retirement income planning, you have to take several steps, such as:
Project your retirement expenses
It maybe is hard to identify and project your retirement expenses, especially if retirement is still far off, but still it is essential to take this step to establish your retirement income planning properly. But, always remember that the cost of living will eventually go up.
The common expenses that you must consider include the following:
- Food and clothing
- Housing
- Bills
- Transportation
- Insurance
- Debts
- Taxes
- Education
- Recreation, and many more
Decide when you will retire
To determine your total retirement needs, don’t you only have to estimate how much annual income you will need, but also you have to consider how long you will be retired. In other words, the longer your retirement, the more years of income you need to fund it. If you want to retire earlier, say 50, to get the most out of your retirement. You might as well need booming stock market or a generous early retirement package.
Estimate your life expectancy
Your lifespan is one thing to consider in determining how long you’ll be retired. Again, the longer you live, the greater the funding is.
Identify your sources of retirement income
The nest step to take after you have determined your retirement needs is to assess how prepared you are to meet those needs. You employer may offer traditional pension that pays off your monthly benefits and, of course, you can also count n Social Security to provide a part of your retirement income.
Make up any income shortfall
After making your retirement income planning and the result proved that your expected income sources will be more than enough, count yourself lucky. If it comes up short, don’t panic for you are not the only one with this kind of dilemma. This is probably the time where in you will the assistance of financial professionals –retirement planners. They’re the ones expert in helping you out with your retirement income planning to let you enjoy your retirement golden years without financial fears.
Plan Your Retirement Income Carefully and Accurately
When you are asked to look into your future, how far can you see? Can you see yourself being retired? And, how do you feel about that? If you have saved enough or maybe started saving for your retirement, you only have a few reasons to worry. For others who haven’t figured out yet the importance of saving for their retirement, they have a lot of things to learn.
We all know how important it is to plan for our retirement, where in we will be relying son our retirement income. But, where will you start? Well, there’s no easy way to do it. However, you can always start by estimating how much you will need to fund your retirement. Your specific needs depend on your goals and many other factors that can’t be foreseen. On the other hand, if you do your part of the bargain and work for your retirement income, you will have a comfortable and happy retirement years you have always wanted.
It has been suggested by many professionals that you’ll need approximately 70 % of your current annual income to fund your retirement. This could be a perfect place to start, but the question is, is it enough? Actually, the answer depends on how close you are to retiring. If you are still young and still have many years to work out for your retirement income, that approximation may not be reliable for your income needs. It is because there are still a lot things that can happen between today and the time you retire. But as you near retirement, there is only a thin gap between your present needs and the future’s. Just keep in mind that your current income only serves as a general guide, although retirement is just around the corner. To get a specific estimation of your retirement income needs, you still have to take some additional steps.
Your retirement income should be enough, better yet more, to meet your retirement expenses. This could be the reason why estimating those expenses is a big piece of the retirement puzzle. To help you get started in identifying and projecting your future expenses, here’s a list of the common retirement expenses:
- Food and clothing
- Housing – rent, mortgage, property taxes, etc…
- Utilities – water, electric, gas, telephone, and more
- Transportation – car payment and insurance, gas, maintenance and repairs, public transportation
- Insurance – medical, dental, disability, long-term care
- Healthcare not covered by insurance – prescription drugs, deductibles, co-payments
- Taxes – federal and state income tax, capital gains tax
- Debts – personal loans, business loans, credit card payments
- Education – children’s or grandchildren’s college expenses
- Gifts – charitable and personal
- Savings and investments – contributions to IRA, annuities, and other investment accounts
- Recreation – travel, dining out, leisure activities
- Care for yourself, parents, or others – cost for nursing homes, home health aide or other type of assisted living
- Miscellaneous – personal grooming, pets, club memberships
Retirement Jobs
Money is a very important factor when preparing for retirement. Many of today’s retirees go back to work because they are either bored in doing nothing on their home, or yearning to go back to work because of financial matters. Retirement jobs impose a significant constructive impact on the finances of a retiree. Below are the four factors of why most retirees prefer to go back to the work force.
Financial Factor – the possibility of earning additional earnings is one of the most significant factors why retirees tend to take retirement jobs. Because not only does retirement jobs extend their retirement funds, retirement jobs can make a retiree have enough money for a few extravagances that they want to experience.
Love of Work Factor – there are some retiree who chose to go back to work because for the love to work. Retirees whose works involves resourcefulness and self-sufficiency, like artists and proprietors, tend to go back to work. It is because their jobs are a great part of their existence.
Friends Factor – there are some retirees who want to go back to the work force because they are bored at staying all day on their homes. These are people who are sociable and are fond of mingling with other people. Retirement jobs offer a flamboyant social moment in their retirement,
Apprehension Factor – people who are devoted completely on their profession prefer working at retirement jobs as much as necessary. The fear of doing nothing but eat and sleep all day renders them to look for retirement jobs.
Some time ago, retirees would not consider going back to work. These days more and more retirees make most of their retirement years by having retirement jobs. If you are a retiree and want to go back to the work force the best place to look for a retirement job is your previous employer. Ask your previous employer if they have any sort of part time retirement job that they could give you. Recent studies show that most of employers allow their older employees to decrease their working hours more willingly than allow them to take full retirement. More and more employers these days are interested in hiring retirees because of their experiences and expertise. There are even some employers that set up atypical recruitment courses for retirement jobs to catch the attention of the retirees. Making some of them consider taking the retirement jobs.
More and more retirees choose to integrate retirement jobs in their retirement. More and more employers are hiring individuals who want to go out of retirement, thus, creating more and more retirement jobs for the retirees. If you are considering of going out of retirement, it is advisable that you begin planning or start looking for a retirement job that you want as soon as possible.
Retirement Jokes
When the time comes where you will spend the rest of your golden years away from the usual daily routine that your work demands, wouldn’t it be nice to have something to brighten your day? Well, there are a lot of things that you can do to occupy your day and to keep from feeling bored. Things like gardening, mending something that has been broken that you haven’t paid attention to while you still had your job, and many more. But, one of the things that you can do to let the hours go is read retirement jokes.
From the many retirement jokes you can find over the internet, you’ll be surprised how effectively humorous they are. Some of the jokes are even presented in honor to all of those who have worked hard all their lives and to those who didn’t do anything at all. If you start reading one of the best retirement jokes, I bet you wouldn’t want to stop. I personally have some of the jokes and believe me you will laugh your heart out! To those who are already retired, about to retire, and even baby boomers, you will get a share of laughs from my personally picked retirement jokes. Enjoy reading!
To get more of these retirement jokes, you may visit retirementjoke.com. Here are a couple of retirement jokes that would hopefully make your day.
A young man saw an elderly couple sitting down to lunch at McDonald’s. He noticed that they had ordered one meal and an extra drink cup. As he watched, the old man carefully divided the hamburger in half, and then counted the fries, one for him, one for her, until each had half of them. Then, he poured half of the soft drink into the extra cup and set it in front of his wife. The old man then began to eat, while his wife sat watching with her hands folded on her lap.
The young man decided to ask if they would allow him to purchase another meal for them so that they didn’t have to split theirs.
The old gentleman said, “Oh no. We’ve been married 50 years and everything has always been and will always be shared 50/50.
The young man then asked the wife if she was going to eat, and she replied, “It’s his turn with the teeth.”
Not Forgetful
Three ladies were discussing the travails of getting older. One said, “Sometimes I catch myself with a jar of mayonnaise in my hand while standing in front of the refrigerator and I can’t remember whether I need to put it away or start making a sandwich.”
The second lady chimed in with, “Yes, sometimes I find myself on the landing of the stairs and can’t remember whether I was on my way up or on my way down.”
The third one responded, “Well, ladies, I’m glad I don’t have to that problem. Knock on wood.” As she rapped her knuckles on the table, she then said, “that must be the door, I’ll get it!”