Over 50? Make These 8 Changes Today

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Whether you’re just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, or you’re already retired, there are money moves you need to make to ensure your golden years are golden.

What you want is a happy, stress-free life. How you’ll get it is with ideas like these.

1. Diversify your wealth with gold

One of the hallmarks of successful investing is diversification: having money in different types of investments that behave differently in various situations.

One alternative investment that’s been used for thousands of years is gold. It’s historically held its value over time, making it an ideal investment to protect against inflation, political turmoil, dollar weakness and other scenarios.

But be careful who you deal with. Not all gold dealers are on the up-and-up.

Oxford Gold Group is one company to consider. They allow you to invest in a Gold IRA that adheres to Internal Revenue Service regulations. They also offer gold bars and coins, as well as silver (including silver IRAs), platinum and palladium.

Oxford has a 4.9-star rating (out of five stars) on Trustpilot, where 96% of reviewers call the company “excellent” and 4% call it “great.”

Oxford has an AA rating with the Business Consumer Alliance and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

If you’ve ever thought of investing in gold, give Oxford Gold a try.

Request Your Free Investors Guide Now

2. Turn your mortgage payment into a monthly payday

You’ve spent years maintaining and building equity in your home. Now it’s time for your home to pay you back.

A reverse mortgage is a government-insured loan that lets homeowners 62 and older convert their home equity into cash, but without selling their home. Take the money however you’d like: monthly, lump sum or line of credit. Use it however you’d like: home repairs, bills, traveling or simply living a better life.

Your home remains yours. You hold the title until you die or choose to move elsewhere, provided you maintain the home. When you leave the house, the loan is repaid.

A reverse mortgages can make huge difference in your quality of life. But they’re not for everyone, so it’s important to get more information. Also important: not all lenders are equal. Be careful who you deal with.

One lender that’s highly rated and happy to answer questions is Longbridge Financial. They’ve earned 4.8 of a possible 5 stars from Trust Pilot and Consumer’s Advocate says, “By far the best online experience and tools among all the reverse mortgage lenders we reviewed.”

If you’re 62 or over and have equity in your home, it’s time to at least need to see what your options are.

Click here for some friendly, free no-obligation information.

Get Your Free Reverse Mortgage Quote

3. Diversify with real estate

In the past, investing in commercial real estate, like apartment or office buildings, required tons of money and oodles of expertise.

Not anymore, thanks to an online investing platform called Fundrise. Now people with modest amounts of money (i.e, $10) can own a piece of lucrative real estate holdings. Fundrise tears down the traditional barriers needed to invest in real estate property, and so far over 1.7 million consumers have used this innovative platform to invest.

It takes a mere $10 to get started investing on Fundrise.com. The platform is easy to use, open to all investors (of all experience levels) and there are other investment options too, like IRA and venture capital funds.

Fundrise.com investments have seen an average annual rate return of 5.29% over the past five years, a stark contrast to the average, annual 0.23% interest your money gets by sitting in a savings account.

While there are obviously no guarantees, and every investment entails risk, Fundrise has the potential to make more than the money sitting in a savings account – or under the mattress.

At least learn a little about it.

Note: This is a testimonial in partnership with Fundrise. We earn a commission from partner links on moneytalksnews.com. All opinions are our own.

Check it Out Today

4. Use this secret source for massive discounts

Are you over 18? Then you’re eligible to save hundreds every year simply by joining AARP.

“What?” You say, “I thought AARP was for old, retired people.”

As it turns out, AARP doesn’t have a minimum age to join. And members get discounts on hundreds of things, like:

  • Up to $200 person off flights
  • Up to 30% off rental cars
  • Up to 15% off restaurants
  • Up to 20% off hotels

You’ll also save on eyeglasses, prescriptions, meal deliveries and lots more. And that’s not all. AARP offers a Fraud Watch Network, job listings, retirement planning tools, games and tons of information, programs and resources.

Anyone trying to save money can’t afford not to join AARP, especially since the cost is as low as $12 per year with auto-renewal. You’ll likely recoup the cost in the first week.

They even give you a free gift to sign up!

Create an Account and Get Started Saving Today

5. Protect your family and your future

Here’s hoping your retirement years are active, healthy and vibrant and that you’re able to function as you always do, right up until the time you shuffle off this mortal coil.

The reality? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 7 in 10 people who turn 65 today will probably need some kind of long-term care.

Some people think you can’t get affordable long-term care insurance after age 30. But GoldenCare has clients who are much older than that. (Unless they live in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii or Washington, the four states where GoldenCare doesn’t operate.)

Here’s another misconception: that Medicare will take care of all your health needs. For example, it doesn’t cover “custodial” care — say, when you’re released from a hospital into a recovery center or nursing home until you can live safely on your own. You’d be on the hook for that bill yourself. (Hint: It won’t be cheap.)

It’s impossible to say whether your current health will stay good. That’s why investigating long-term care insurance is so important: It protects you and your family. Get a free quote today.

Get a Free Quote

6. Protect your home from costly repairs

Home repairs aren’t cheap. Whether it’s a leaky roof or a broken appliance, your home can quickly become a nightmare and cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars to fix.

But you don’t have to worry. Luckily, with a company called America's First Choice Home Club, you can safeguard yourself against giant repair bills. From home appliances to electrical, plumbing to heating and cooling systems, it can all be protected.

Plus, their in-house service team is available 24/7 to help and ensure a hassle-free repair process if anything goes wrong. You can even choose your own technician, or they can send you one from their nationwide network if you don’t have someone in mind.

All over America, homeowners are choosing AFC Home Club for the savings, service and peace of mind that it delivers.

Stop worrying about household breakdowns, and get a free quote in 30 seconds.

Shop Plans Now

7. Don’t waste thousands on car breakdowns

As a nation, we’re hanging on to our cars a lot longer: The average U.S. vehicle is now 12.1 years old. Trouble is, most of the big-ticket auto repairs happen long after the warranty has expired.

Driving your car until the wheels fall off means no car payment, and more money to invest. Paying out thousands in car repairs every year means less money to invest. Fortunately, you can get great coverage for repairs with Endurance.

Endurance sells vehicle service contracts, which are similar to auto warranties. They’ll cover your ride up until it’s 20 years old. Think of it as up to eight more years without a car payment, which is pretty great given that the average new car loan is about $700 a month.

You can choose from among three different plans. All of them include 24/7 roadside assistance, a rental car allowance, and a free year’s worth of the Elite Benefits program (which features key fob replacement, a collision discount, complete tire coverage and a $1,000 payment if your vehicle is declared a total loss.

Endurance has more than 350,000 ASE-certified repair facilities on speed-dial. Repairs are paid for up front, which means the only thing you need to cover is the deductible.

Protect yourself from costly auto repairs. Get your fast, free quote today.

Get Your Free Auto Warranty Quote

8. Make sure you’re on the right track

Wherever you are in life, it’s critical to ensure you’re on the right path.

One of the best ways to do that is to enlist the help of a knowledgeable professional. Even if you’ve managed your finances your entire life and consider yourself an expert, getting feedback from an objective observer never hurts.

Even doctors go to doctors for periodic checkups.

The value of working with an adviser varies by person, but according to one independent study, people who work with a financial adviser feel more at ease about their finances and could end up with about 15% more money to spend in retirement.

While there’s obviously no guarantee, if an adviser can increase your returns, it could make a big difference. Consider this: if you save $500 a month for 40 years and earn an average annual return of 5%, you’ll end up with nearly $725,000. Double that return to 10%, and you’ll retire with almost $2.7 million.

That’s a life-changing difference.

But who can you trust for guidance? In the past, you’d have to turn to a stranger and take your chances. But that was then.

These days there are no-cost online services that make discovering your ideal financial adviser a snap.

You fill out a short questionnaire, then get matched with up to three local fiduciary financial advisers, all legally bound to work in your best interests. The process only takes a few minutes, and in many cases you can be connected instantly with an expert for a free retirement consultation.

Use SmartAsset's free matching service to connect with three qualified financial advisers in your area in five minutes. It’s a great way to replace uncertainty with peace of mind.

(Please carefully review the methodologies employed in the Vanguard white paper, "Putting a Value on your Value: Quantifying Vanguard Advisor's Alpha."

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