Business & Finance   

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), a.k.a., lifecare communities, are a housing option for older adults where a continuum of lifetime care is provided in exchange for a hefty entrance fee and monthly expense fee, thereby providing peace of mind about end-of-life care. Typically, older adults enter a CCRC in an independent living unit and progress to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing services, if needed.

People typically enter CCRCs in their mid- to late 70s but can also become CCRC residents in their 60s or 80s (if able-bodied and high functioning). This class will discuss reasons to consider a CCRC, advantages and disadvantages, types of CCRC contracts, waiting list procedures and deposits, health and financial qualification criteria, meal expense requirements, CCRC financial statements, CCRC resources, and more. The instructor will also share personal experiences in vetting and selecting a CCRC for the next decade of her life.

About one-third of Baby Boomers are single (mostly divorced or never-married). In addition, around 20% of Baby Boomers are childless, double the percentage of the previous generation, and the oldest Baby Boomers will start turning 80 in 2026. Solo agers without a traditional family support system of a spouse/partner, children, or close family have unique financial planning needs. This class will discuss common issues of concern including finding and funding alternative support networks, retirement planning, living alone, housing decisions, long-term care, relationship boundaries with professional advisors, estate planning (naming trustworthy fiduciaries), philanthropy, and more.

Join Chair Michelle Stone for Progress with Purpose: The State of the County Address, where she will spotlight key initiatives driving purposeful progress in Marion County. Attendees will gain insights into current developments and future plans shaping the county’s growth.

A "good ending" to one's life can be described as dying in peace, sharing important financial data with trusted surrogates, and leaving little or no confusion upon your death. Twelve financial planning strategies to get "affairs in order," beyond standard legal documents prepared by an attorney, will be discussed.

The twelve strategies are:
1. simplification and downsizing of both personal possessions and financial accounts
2. a net worth calculation
3. emergency contact cards
4. a financial “notebook” (an actual notebook or digital equivalents)
5. a digital assets inventory
6. a list of insurance policy and retirement account beneficiaries and personal representatives named in legal documents
7. Untitled property planning (i.e., who gets a person’s “stuff”)
8. a letter of last instruction
9. a personally authored obituary
10. a pre-planned and/or pre-paid funeral
11. lifetime gifts, testamentary gifts, and philanthropy
12. communication with surrogates and heirs. 

At some point in later life, many older adults- including long-time ”do-it-yourselfers”- decide they do not have the time, knowledge, experience, and/or motivation to make important financial decisions on their own. Instead, they need some help. Personal finance can become complex in later life with multiple streams of income, required minimum distributions, changes in income tax brackets, and more. As a result, many people consider hiring a financial advisor. This class will discuss types of financial advisors, how to find local professionals, questions to ask when interviewing advisors, and strategies to communicate effectively with a financial advisor.

The SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) Program provides free and unbiased health insurance counseling to elders and individuals with disabilities, their families, and caregivers. SHINE wants to remind you about the importance of planning for long-term care. Researching your options, choosing the type of care desired, preparing financially and informing/involving your loved ones will make your transition much more smoothly. Long-term care services involves skilled nursing, custodial and hospice or palliative care. Did you know that long-term care activities of daily living in a home, community, or facility will not be covered by Medicare?

Having a great checklist is helpful; and understanding all of the resources available will be key to the planning process. Did you know there are Federal or State programs such as: VA, Federal & Uniformed Services; the CARES, Ombudsman, and partnership programs; along with other resources that can guide a beneficiary and loved ones through the process. There is a self-assessment guide, a consumer guide; steps on choosing a nursing home or other long-term care providers, a shoppers guide for choosing long term care insurance and ideas on how to use your home to stay at home. It is also important to share your wishes with family members about future medical care, therefore, having advance directives, living wills, health care proxies, Five Wishes, and POA's in place are key to preparing for future health care needs.

Resources are available at your fingertips, all you need to know is where to find it. Let us be your resource connection!

There are many facets to a successful retirement including adequate savings, health, relationships, and meaningful activities. Every once in a while, a book is published that addresses them all. The best-selling book, How to Retire, by Christine Benz, director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar, contains information about 20 topics related to retirement (spending, taxes, health, long-term care, investing, finding meaning and purpose, housing choices, and communicating with loved ones). The book's content was generated from interviews with leading experts. This class presentation will mention "nuggets" from each chapter. Reading the book before the class is suggested but not required.

One of the most challenging financial aspects of retirement, especially for people who have been diligent savers throughout their working years, is taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their tax-deferred retirement savings accounts (e.g., 401(k)s/403(b)s, TSP, SEP, Traditional IRA) beginning at age 72. RMDs can have a significant impact on a retiree’s income tax liability. New RMD tables went into effect in 2022. This workshop will discuss basic facts about RMDs, the new IRS life expectancy tables, tax implications, tax withholding for RMDs, tax penalties for incorrect RMDs, ways to reduce the tax impact of RMDs, and options for using money that is withdrawn from tax-deferred retirement savings accounts.

A personal representative is a person or institution that manages a deceased person's financial affairs and estate. In Florida, this term is used instead of executor or administrator. Duties include collecting assets, paying debts, and distributing remaining assets, if any. This class will provide a deep dive into the process of serving as a personal representative from both a financial planning "lens" and the instructor's recent experience serving as a personal representative and developing an Excel spreadsheet to track creditor claims.

This course will explore the many types of spending habits we use everyday. The role that advertising, self-esteem and others have on our spending habits. We have a self evaluation tool to help understand what your spending habits are and how it effects your financial situation. We will provide tools to help your spending habits. 

Spreadsheets are a useful tool to aggregate numbers, organize data, and present data in an attractive format. One of the most popular spreadsheet programs is Microsoft Excel, which is part of the Office suite of programs. Excel spreadsheets are useful for financial planning decision-making (e.g., tracking expenses) and periodic status checks (calculating net worth, asset allocation, and cash flow). Learn how to use Excel to simplify your financial life. It will include an overview of Excel functions and descriptions of specific financial planning applications. Attendees will be provided with several Excel templates for personal use.

Many older couples avoid talking about “the elephant in the room;” i.e., death and widowhood. In some situations, one spouse “handles the bills” and the other knows little about family finances. As couples get older, the likelihood of widowhood increases. However, many surviving spouses are unprepared for financial challenges that lie ahead. This class will discuss steps that couples can take to prepare financially for the inevitable first death and steps to take afterward. Topics to be covered include financial record-keeping, estate tax portability, communication about finances and changes in income and income taxes.

Many people like having financial planning guidelines that serve as a framework for personal financial decisions. While these guidelines are not “set in stone” and should be adjusted for individual circumstances, they can provide reasonable metrics to measure financial success and inform future action steps. Frequently cited personal finance guidelines often contain numbers. Examples include the 4% Rule, the Rule of 72, three to six months of living expenses saved for emergencies, and the 100 (or 110 or 120) - your age rule for stock investing. This class will take a deep dive into 25 financial guidelines and how they can be used to set financial goals and make financial decisions.

Social Security benefits are an important source of retirement income. About 90% of older adults receive Social Security benefits, with roughly 25% relying on Social Security for at least 90% of their income and about 50% receiving at least half of their income from Social Security. This class will provide a "deep dive" into Social Security rules for people who are about to claim, or have already claimed, benefits. Topics include qualifying for benefits, benefit calculation, benefit reductions (e.g., the IRMAA surcharge for Medicare), working while collecting benefits, benefits for a spouse or ex-spouse, taxation of Social Security benefits, and more.

At the end of each calendar (tax) year, taxpayers lose most opportunities to reduce their taxable income and lower their tax bill. Thus, time is of the essence to take action to save money on taxes before each year ends. This class will describe over a dozen actions that people can take before December 31 including early RMD withdrawals during financial "gap years," preparing a draft tax return to estimate potential taxes, comparing current and prior year income and expenses, tax loss harvesting, qualified charitable deductions (QCDs), Roth conversions, bunching deductions, donor advised funds, safe harbor rules for tax withholding, deferring income and capital gains, and contributing to tax-deferred savings plans if still working.

Every year, new trends, events, financial products, and government policies and legislation affect our personal finances. This presentation will recap 2025 through a personal finance “lens” by reporting noteworthy personal finance news items and their implication for personal financial planning. The session will also include results of important 2025 research studies about financial topics and a preview of announced changes related to income, estate taxes, and Social Security for 2026.