| Laterlife Today - June June 2009 | |
Click here if this newsletter does not display correctlyDear laterlife subscriber, Hello again and welcome to the latest edition of Laterlife Today - telling you what to look out for at laterlife.com. |
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NEW FEATURES
Our June features are now available - all the regular columns laterlife health, laterlife relationships, YouCanDoIT and Gardener's Diary, plus lots more in laterlife interest
Put the date in your diary to visit
the 2009 Retirement Show in London Click for details and free pre-registration RECENT WEBCHATS Managing your money in a recession This recent webchat took place on the 4th June,
so it's right up to date. So if you missed it, you can still
read the transcript and get some valuable information. Webchat Guests: Tim Moss, head of loans and debt, and Louise Cuming, head of mortgages, moneysupermarket.com
Have you visited the Later Lifestyle Network recently? It’s time for a visit to see what’s been added but we highlight a few things below: Login Do remember to login first (if you aren’t yet registered on the network see the end of this section) because otherwise you can’t do various things. It’s all too easy to get distracted by what’s on the front page, follow some links and then wonder why you can’t do something because the facilities are hidden from you. Once logged in do browse down the front page to see the most recent additions and click on the links to see more Getting together in later life
This is exactly what we want to encourage because if we can all publicise existing clubs or assist with formation of new ones they can add another social dimension to later life. So if you belong to a club that would be of interest in later life do publicise it, or if you would like to find like minded people to start a club then start a Group yourself to see who’s interested and discuss the idea. (If you have any difficulties creating a Group, or anything else on the network, Matt is here to help. See his email details at the end of this section). Humour Have a smile at the latest jokes in the Laterlife Humour group. Well worth a visit I’ve just added a personal recommendation as a result of a visit to the Midlands last weekend – something rather different. We’ve also made it slightly simpler to add your own recommendations. Do spend a couple of minutes to recommend one of your favourite places – it will benefit us all if we share our good experiences. The monthly poll We’ve just added a new poll related to the recent appointment of Sir Alan Sugar by Gordon Brown. You can just vote in the poll to express your opinion or even add a comment as well. (Don't forget to login or you won't see the voting option). Later Life Opinion And this month there’s a chance to give your views about Media Power and Responsibility – Angels or Demons? Blogs in Later Life Have you noticed that we have one adventurous member, Baz, who has started an occasional blog. It’s well worth a read. Why not respond to his blog or even start your own. It would be especially good to hear retirement stories. Click on the blog button in the top menu. Take a new step Each month we highlight something new to try on the network. This month why not try out the ‘Invite’ button at the top of the screen and ask one or more of your friends to come and take a look at the Later Lifestyle network. If you aren’t yet registered on the network
If you haven’t registered yet just
click
here to visit and 'Sign Up' to the Later Lifestyle network.
FEATURES ...and links to new sites you will want to explore
laterlife interest brings the following new features...
Laterlife Interest Extras
Walking holidays are becoming increasingly popular with those seeking a holiday with a difference. More people are opting to pack their muddy walking boots alongside a pair of sandals, and combine culture and sight-seeing with their fitness and wellbeing.
North Wales Borderlands
In an article from Benecol, there's an explanation of why it's especially important for people with diabetes to control the cholesterol-transporting substances in our bodies, known as lipids.
TRAVEL IN 2009
Award winning travel writer, broadcaster and photographer Hugh Taylor spotlights destinations and topics in the travel guide. This month: JERSEY - Enjoy the colours and the festivals NICE - exploring the Riviera ATHENS - Centre yourself View all the destinations in the Travel Guide or go to the relevant index to find what you are looking for:
UK & IRELAND INDEX As well as this month's current features you can always search our past articles, too. Visit the laterlife interest index and the healthwise-index (covering articles in the last 2 years - both of which also provide links to lead you to earlier articles). Don't forget - you can also use the keyword site search facility on every page to find anything on the laterlife site. GUIDE GUIDE - LATEST UPDATES We believe that our series of laterlife Guides is a valuable resource for laterlife readers, so we want to remind you what's there and encourage you to make use of the guides. Each month we highlight the latest guide we've updated, so even if you've taken a look before, it's worth another visit to remind yourself and see the latest updates. This month we're taking a look at our Guide to Holidays for Single Travellers. Many of us will not have booked a holiday yet this year but are thinking about it now and for those who will be going alone there may be different considerations. So take a look at the Guide for some ideas and some things to think about. On the front page, there are some general thoughts about holidaying alone and an interesting statistic about how many people do actually go on holiday by themselves. The next page is about Travelling with a Group. Many people who holiday on their own like to go with a group for the company and the opportunity to meet people and socialise. The page has links to several companies who specialise in organising group holidays. The next page of the Guide is for people who might want something a bit more adventurous. There is information about and links to organisations that offer holidays that are a bit more active and exciting such as white water rafting, sky diving and canyoning. If you truly want to holiday alone, or perhaps just travel with one other person, look at our page on Travelling Solo (or almost). It gives some general advice and also tells you about companies who will help you with your arrangements and/or put you in touch with potential travelling companions. If you are travelling alone there are different things to think about, as we said earlier, so read our Tips page so that you can be pretty sure that you have covered all the angles before you make your holiday decision. The final page of the Guide looks at some of the days out that you can take on your own. Before we go on holidays to far-flung places perhaps we should explore our local environment, so we provide some thoughts about how we might do this on our own. Organising a holiday can be hard work for anyone, whether we are going with other people or on our own. If you are one of the latter, we hope that the Guide will make the planning process a bit easier and more effective. Also, take a look at all the other guides in our series packed full of useful information. SITE FOCUS Focussing on a section of the site that could be new to you or which you may want to re-visit. FINANCE AND INSURANCE Our Finance and Insurance pages have been updated in light of the recent budget and so now is the ideal time to remind you that there is a lot of financial help and advice on the laterlife pages. Finance is one of the biggest concerns for all of us in later life, because whatever our income while working, once we retire and are on a reduced income, making the most of our money becomes crucial. In addition we need to ensure that, if we haven’t done so already, we consider wills, inheritance tax and related matters. On the Insurance side of things we have an opportunity to save money in later life because there are an increasing number of insurers willing to recognise that we are a better risk: for example for Home Insurance. However, for health related insurance it just goes upwards, but there are still ways of alleviating the cost. Start to understand your financial situation. Look at the first page of the Finance and Retirement section. It’ll show you some of the things to consider and will help you to understand your finances. It’ll point out the need for a budget and will show you some of the things to include. Do you understand your pension properly? Pensions are likely to be your biggest source of income in retirement, so you need to know how they work and how much you’re going to get. Take a look at our Pension Planning page to set you on the right track. Equity Release is an increasing source of finance for people as they get older. Do you think that this might form a part of your financial planning? If so, go to our Equity Release page to find out more. Find out about the two different types of equity release and some of the pitfalls. Are you up to speed with Annuities? If you have a personal pension, you are likely to need to buy an annuity at some stage. Do you know what that involves and what your options are? Do you know how annuities work? If not, look at our page on annuities to find out all about them. Then have a look at the Annuity Supermarket page for one source of help in making the most of yours. Making a will can be
crucial for your family. Have you got
a will? Is it valid and up to date? Does it still truly reflect what
you want to happen to your money when you die? Find out about the
importance of making a will and wher Inheritance tax (IHT) is a topic that is linked inextricably to wills and one that engenders much heated debate! If it’s something that concerns you, have a look at the IHT page. The new £624,000 nil rate band will benefit couples, widows and widowers but not single people so make sure that you know where you stand. Insurance is another aspect of finance that gives people in later life pause for thought, especially as it gets more and more expensive the older we get. We’ve got, therefore, a section on insurance that covers home, travel, life and motor insurance. Go to the front page and then click the link or links that you require. We also have a separate page on Health Insurance, which probably causes people in later life more problems than almost any other kind of insurance. There’s information and advice on health insurance and also a link to a health insurance enquiry form, so have a look at this page – it might just save you a lot of problems. If you feel that, with all this financial information to hand, you need some professional help to guide you through the complexities of it, have a look at our Financial Advisors page, which will help you find an advisor near you. Finally, in order to help you make the most of your money, there are two of our Guides that are designed to help you. The first is our Guide to Making the Most of our Money in Retirement, where you will find lots of ideas for helping to make your money go further. It will also give you help in analysing your finances and constructing a budget, issues that are mentioned above. The second one is our Guide to Concessions, which will help you to ensure that you get everything that you are entitled to and that is available to you. Laterlife has a lot of financial help to offer you. All the pages above have links to other organisations and web sites that can provide even more practical assistance to you, so make sure that your finances are in the best of health by visiting Laterlife.
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Win great prizes in our June/July Competitions See the foot of the page
Take advantage of the latest Warner Offers
Enjoy rent-free
holidays for life.
Bluestone Wales
And there's an absolutely superb 25% discount for Laterlife visitors
An exclusive group of the finest small hotels and Inns in England and Scotland.
Exclusive to laterlife Golf & Spa Break Offer at the East Sussex National Golf Resort & Spa, with Driveline Golf Full offer and contact details
Tours for Single Travellers with NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS!
Just You
sk:n the national network of skin and body clinics
Click here to enquire about laser treatments or to obtain a sk:n brochure
Page and Moy for Escorted Holidays
The more you exercise the more you could save Private Health Insurance Lifestyle Policies may interest you.
Dateline Platinum
Standard stairlifts, perch stairlifts, outdoor stairlifts, curved rail stairlifts, plus a range of other options from Acorn
Spirit Health Clubs (at Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza hotels) bring you a free introductory offer and discounted membership if you decide to join.
Visit the MAKING A WILL IS IMPORTANT Have you made a will?
See how Secureplan can make it easy to make a will now for real peace of mind. Health & Nutrition
25% discounts for Laterlife Club Members Superbreak - voted 'Best Short Break Operator' every year for the past 17 years
Theatre Breaks,
UK long stay or short breaks in settings of elegance and beauty from Stately Holiday Homes
London sightseeing by helicopter 10% discount for Laterlife Club Members
Visit the Laterlife Department Store
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KEEP IN CONTACT We welcome any suggestions and ideas for
topics of interest to the over 50s that you would like to see covered and any
comments you have either on this newsletter or the site itself. Please Until next month, enjoy your laterlife! Tony Clack P.S. If you change your email address, please click on the link at the very bottom of this page to change your preferences and then amend your email address accordingly. Otherwise you will stop receiving the newsletter ! If you know someone who would like to receive the laterlife newsletter, they can subscribe by going straight to this link - www.laterlife.com/news.htm. Just cut and paste the link or forward this newsletter using the forward facility below. PLANNING RETIREMENT Take a look at the schedule of Planning Retirement Courses for 2009.
Remaining Courses in June July We normally limit the workshops to 12 people, so that everyone gains the maximum benefit - so book your place soon. Plus there's the online retirement planning workshop which you can do from the comfort of your own home! Why not take a look at our separate retirement courses web site?
and Experience Breaks too.
Travelsphere's Just You collection of worldwide holidays has been designed exclusively for single travellers
Travelsphere is the UK’s no. 1 operator of escorted holidays. You can view details and request brochures on laterlife.com. GOLD PAGES
If you want a break in a small hotel or inn, take a look at Inns of Tradition ,an exclusive group of the finest small hotels and Inns in England and Scotland. Or you could try the only 5-star holiday village in Wales, Bluestone, set in 500 acres of natural splendour. There are lots more, too.
WIN a pair of tickets to an exclusive screening of Last Chance Harvey at Somerset House on June 23rd.
Competition closes on Monday 15th
PREVIOUS WINNERS
Did you win a prize in our April/May competitions? |
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Were
pleased to see some clubs and meetings being added to the
‘Getting together in later life’ group. For example Paule9
has created a group for The Oddfellows S Yorks & N Derbys,
Caz has created a group for monthly lunches in Cheshire and
Veteran has created a group called Norfolk eating places. 
In
this month's
Maggi
Stamp, laterlife`s counsellor
on human relationships, shares more emotional challenges
we meet in laterlife. 
