Debbie Perlman Blog

After feeling cooped up during our long winters, I’m eager to enjoy the great outdoors. Once the snow is gone, it’s time to tackle the lawn, trim the hedges and get the blooms ready. But let’s be smart about it; we can’t just jump into an activity we haven’t done for several months. A long day in the yard raking, mowing, planting and weeding can take a toll on your body, especially your back. Around 80 percent of adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives, and it’s common among people age 60 and older. Let’s look at ways we can enjoy a great hobby like gardening – and do it pain-free. Tips for gardening pain-free Start gardening slowly and build up your endurance. Pace yourself and don’t try to do everything in one day. As you get older, your endurance and exercise capacity might not be what they used to. Trying to do too much will put you at greater risk of injury and strain. The more you can strengthen the muscles that support your spine, the ...

Look past cookie-cutter approaches when saving for retirement to build a nest egg that's right for you.   Your retirement plan needs to be aligned with what you need and want. “As a whole, retirement plans can never be one size fits all, because everybody is very different,” says Ephie Coumanakos, co-founder and managing partner at Concord Financial Group in Wilmington, Delaware. Finding the right retirement plan involves: Thinking about your values and goals. Identifying your risk tolerance. Considering your age. Projecting your retirement lifestyle. Adjusting your plan as needed. Follow these strategies to create a customized retirement plan that's best for you. Understand What's Important to You The ideal retirement can vary greatly depending on your priorities and goals. Think through what's meaningful for you and how you might want to spend funds. "Sit down with your spouse or loved ones and discuss what you would like t...

Term life insurance is among the devices that people should consider when they want to provide an immediate estate for loved onces after their death. Although term insurance is not always the most effective type of life insurance for all of a client’s death benefit needs, it can be useful in many circumstances. Since term insurance is not just one product, but rather many variations on a general theme, different types of term insurance are indicated for different client needs. Keep in mind, term insurance, more than any other type of insurance, is pure death protection with little or no ancillary or lifetime benefits. Therefore, the two overriding considerations in the use of term insurance, regardless of the specific application, are Will death protection alone meet the need? Will the coverage last as long as the need? In short, with term life insurance — as with any other decision about appropriate coverage — the product must match the problem. Term Life Insurance Ad...

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, today's average 65-year-old has a 70 percent chance of needing some kind of long-term care as they age. They also report that although one-third of today's 65-year-olds may not ever require long-term care or assistance living, that one out of five will need it  for more than five years , that's 20 percent. If we use this information, paying for five years of assisted living or long-term care services or housing can be extremely expensive. One more statistic which is surprising is: 8 percent of people between 40 and 50 years old, have a disability that could require long-term care services At a time when many hardly have their retirement fully funded, it pays to look into the options for long-term care and what kind of costs are involved with a Long-Term Care Insurance Plan, regardless of your age. Having the facts can save you money long-term, and help...