While economic conditions may have affected or delayed the retirement plans of some, there is still a great number of baby boomers reaching retirement age.

According to a Dell Web survey of baby boomers, 55% of them plan to move when they retire.

If you own a home it is likely your most valuable asset. Although there may be many emotional ties to your current home, you should consider if its the right place for you in retirement.

There are many good reasons to consider downsizing or relocating for retirement:

• Retiring with debit is not optimal; perhaps you can downsize and eliminate the need for a mortgage completely.
• Even if you don’t have enough equity to buy a smaller home outright, reducing the size of your mortgage payment will likely improve your financial security in retirement.
• Your housing needs during retirement will most likely be different than your current needs and you may want to find a home and community that better suits your retirement needs.

In addition to a lower mortgage relocating can provide several other financial benefits:

• Moving to an area with a lower cost of living, lower energy costs and better tax environment are all things that can benefit you financially.
• Moving to an area that offers a climate or community that is a better fit for your retirement can have a positive impact on your retirement lifestyle.

Beyond the financial savings relocating and/or downsizing can improve the quality of your life. You can reduce the time and hassle of maintaining your current home and move to an area ideally suited to your values and interests.

You might move out of your large suburban home into a condo by the beach. Or, relocate across the country to be closer to family. Perhaps your health would benefit from a different climate.

No matter your motivation, retirement should be a time for you. Find the place to make these years the best they can be.

Be sure to consider the following points when evaluating retirement locations:

• Proximity to family
• Climate
• Adult education opportunities
• The number and types of doctors
• Hospitals
• Air Quality
• Crime rates
• Availability and cost of recreational activities
• Availability and cost of cultural activities
• Ease of travel—proximity to transit systems, airports, train stations, etc.
• Cultural events and festivals

You will also want to consider how well you will be able to live in the home or condo you choose as you age:

• How easy is the property to maintain
• Does the home have stairs
• Could the home accommodate a wheel chair if necessary?

The questions and concerns can seem endless when you begin the process of selecting a new home for your retirement. There are many organizations, websites and magazines dedicated to helping provide answers to these questions.

Many companies offer the price saving benefit of their relocation program to retiring employees. Be sure to check with your Human Resources Representative about this important benefit. Once you choose your new home and are ready to move—A. Arnold World Class Relocation will be there to get you moved into your new home with ease.

After all the years employees have been relocating abroad, medical advice is still one of the most overlooked details in preparation.  Here are some basics to consider.

Physicians recommend that each person moving abroad should undergo thorough medical, dental, and eye examinations.  During your pre-move checkups, ask doctors, and dentists for copies of the family’s medical records, and prescriptions.  Find out whether immunizations will be required for your destination country, and schedule shots early.

Medical Records

Take documents (i.e., dates and treatments, test results, and illnesses, surgeries and emergency ward visits) with you.  List current doctor’s addresses, and telephone numbers in case you need to contact them for clarification of medical records, drugs or care.

Medications

Know if your medications are available in the destination country and what your alternatives are if they are not.  Pack several days’ worth of medication in your carry-on luggage, and the remainder in your suitcase.  Know that certain medications, even some over-the-counter remedies, may be illegal in your destination country.  To avoid a problem, carry with you verification from your doctor stating the medical necessity.  Persons with chronic illness or drug allergies should wear medical alert bracelet or emblem.

Health Insurance

Some health policies limit coverage to the country of origin.  Your insurer should enlighten you on available international plans.  Fully understand doctor and hospital coverage, and select a policy that allows for emergency evacuation services to your home country.  Medical insurance needs to be reviewed with the company relocation manager as well.  Assure that you have the same comprehensive plan overseas that you have at home.

Follow-up Overseas

Facilities, services, and terminology vary considerably from country to country.  Visit medical facilities as soon as possible upon arrival.  This will help clear up any confusion about routine, and urgent medical care.  It is also important to discuss insurance coverage, rehearse unfamiliar routes, learn procedures, and hours of operation before an emergency arises.  When in doubt or in need or a resource, contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest you.  These entities often will have a list of nearby physicians, and other medical professionals, and should be able to refer you to a reliable source of medical care.

International Medical Resources

IAMAT - This non-profit organization provides medical information worldwide, and is associated with English speaking doctors in over 300 countries.

The Center for Disease Control - The CDC provides health information for specific destinations regarding food and water qualities, vaccines, infectious diseases, quarantine, and more.

Disposing of your Unwanted Books
When you are preparing for a move it’s always a good idea to get rid of things you don’t need or use anymore.  Some of those things may come in the form of books.  Books have a way of piling up, and can add a lot of weight to a household goods shipment.  There are many options available for disposing of your unwanted books; you can recycle, sell or swap them.

Recycling Your Books:
There are many companies that recycle books today.  Because of the glue used in the binding process many books cannot be recycled with your other paper products.  Book-Destruction.com will grind your unwanted books down, and process them by repulping the paper to make new paper.  Recycling in this way is a great option if your books are no longer in useable condition.

Donating Your Books:
If your books are still in good shape and you want to give them to someone less fortunate – the possibilities are almost endless.  Libraries, churches, veterans groups, and other local charities will see that your books get into the hands of the needy.  You can also check out Better World Books – they will pay for the shipping so your books can go to programs that promote worldwide literacy projects.

Swapping Your Books:
Through sites like Book Crossing you can swap books you’ve already read for books you’d like to read.  You can track your book along its journey, write and read reviews of swapped books.    If you have school age children you might consider organizing a neighborhood book swap – text books can be expensive and this could be a way to cut costs.

Selling Your Books:
If you would like to make some extra money from your books, sites like Amazon.com, eBay, and Barnes & Noble all offer programs for selling your unwanted books.

All of these options are great ways to keep your books from ending up in the land fill.

Plasma televisions have gained popularity over the past few years. There are a number of plasma televisions on the market ranging in price from $2500 to $21,000. Because of their extremely high value, proper packing and handling are top priorities to ensure they arrive at your new home undamaged.

There are many potential problems associated with transporting these units and we recommend the following procedures as “best practices” for shipping your plasma screen:

• Units should be wrapped and crated for maximum protection. Some retailers advise you to retain the original packaging materials for the purpose of transport.
• Preparation should include removing the unit from the wall or stand (using a minimum of 2 people) and disconnecting all wires and cables.
• Factory service dealers recommend covering the screen with a soft cloth (to prevent scratching) and placing the unit in a Styrofoam lined     crate. Formed Styrofoam should be 3-4” thick and placed at each of the four corners allowing the unit to be elevated.
• Plasma screens should never be placed directly on cardboard or wooden crate bottom.
• An additional 2-3” of Styrofoam should be placed on the screen as well as the back of the unit.
• Plasma screens should remain upright at all times—they are never to be laid flat or on a side or end.
• With authorization, a qualified third party company will properly prepare the plasma screen for transport.
• Your A Arnold customer service representative can assist you with scheduling this service and provide pricing.
• If the plasma arrives at destination lying flat, this should be noted on the descriptive inventory.
• Plasma screens should never be exposed to rain, moisture, excessive dust, direct sunlight, excessive altitude or extreme temperatures.
• Due to the gases involved in plasma technology, non-use for extended periods of time can affect picture quality. This is a potential inherent problem that your carrier would not be liable for.
•  Lastly, plasma screens should always be listed on the “High Value Inventory” sheet. A copy of which you can find under our “Forms” section.

By making sure your van line takes these precautions, your plasma television will arrive at destination in perfect working order.

If you are not planning to drive your car or other vehicle to your new home you may want to have your van line make arrangements to ship it. Often times the van line will have room available on the truck and your vehicle can be shipped with your household goods. If that is not the case, the van line will make arrangements with a car carrier to transport your vehicle.

There are several requirements that must be followed to ensure the safe transport of your vehicle. The following guidelines apply whether you are shipping your vehicle via your van line or a car carrier. The best rule of thumb is if it’s not bolted in it should be removed.
For example the following items should be removed unless they are factory installed components:

•  Loose radios/CB’s/Tape players/Compact disc players
•  Compact discs (or tapes)
•  Power boosters
•  Equalizers
•  Radar scanners
•  GPS devices
•  MP3 players
•  Extra speakers
•  Decorative ornaments
•  Auto protective covers/bras
•  Truck tailgate nets
•  Auto roof racks (if not factory installed)
•  Theft alarm systems (if you choose to leave the car alarm in your vehicle be sure the system is disengaged prior to shipment)
•  Child safety/booster seats

Additional Tips:

•  No personal belongings of any kind are to be stored in your vehicle during shipment
•  There should be no more than 1/8 tank of fuel in the vehicle
•  Leave a set of keys for the ignition, trunk, gas tank and other locking compartments
•  Tape your extra set of keys to the inside of the glove compartment
•  Be sure the spare tire and changing equipment are secured in the factory positions

By following these simple guidelines you will ensure your vehicle arrives at your new destination damage free. If you have any questions regarding shipment of a vehicle please contact your A. Arnold Customer Service Representative at 800-626-5371.