A Wired Retirement?
By: Unknown Author
CBS News, June 20, 2002
Today’s
seniors aren't just sitting by the pool and playing shuffleboard. Many of
them are surfing the Net. In fact, according to a recent survey, about a
quarter of retiree households are online.
Regina Lewis, AOL's online adviser and author of the best-selling book
"Wired in a Week," visits us to talk about what's driving the
phenomenon and how seniors can get the most out of their online
experience.
Did you know?
Active online elder Americans are averaging more than 20 hours a week
online.
41% of online seniors have been online between 1 to 3 years; 48% more than
4 years.
93% of older Americans online say the Internet has improved their lives
overall.
63% say the Internet has brought their families closer together.
(Source: AOL Roper Starch Study of Online Seniors 55 & over)
The following are some Web sites Regina recommends for seniors to Live
Better Longer.
Communication
Emails, chat rooms etc.
Online communication is bringing generations closer together. The ability
to send a quick email with pictures to a grandchild across the country or
to an adult child halfway around the world has impacted life in a profound
way.
Personal
Finance
Quicken.com Retirement Planner
Planning for retirement is big online activity for soon-to-be-seniors.
There are a lot of terrific tools online such as Quicken.com's Retirement
Planner. It starts by asking a few simple questions including your age and
your desired retirement age and from there it helps you build a plan. Many
top line tools are free. Once you sort through some of the basics, which
are a quick and easy to do online, you can get to upgrade to premium
services. You'll probably find yourself upping the desired retirement age
once you run the numbers.
Retirement
Real Estate
Realtor.com
If you're looking for the perfect retirement place, sites like realtor.com
are good resource. Even if you're not close to retirement, it may be smart
to start looking and get a feel for the market.
Travel
Priceline.com –flights and Mapquest.com -road trips
Seniors are big online travel planners whether they're looking to fly
somewhere or hop in an RV and take road trip. You can plan stops along the
way.
Seniors often have an advantage when it comes to booking online travel at
sites like Priceline.com because flexibility is the key to getting good
deals. The opening question on Priceline.com is "How Flexible Are
You?" Seniors who enter open-ended dates and can go anytime are
scoring some unbelievable bargains.
Health
BenefitsCheckUp.org
Even though online resources are a complement to and not a substitute for
good clinical care, the Internet offers a wealth of information for
seniors looking to make informed healthcare decisions and make the most
out of their time during doctor visits. Seniors can order and renew
prescriptions online. And, the National Council on Aging has developed a
fabulous site to help sort through medical benefits. For example: Billions
of dollars are going un-spent because seniors are not claiming Federal
& State benefits because they don't even know they have them.
Volunteerism
Networkforgood.org
There is a giant database of volunteer and charitable giving
opportunities. You can search by zip code or interest. For seniors who
aren't able to leave the house, there are even "virtual
volunteer" programs like eBuddies and other mentoring programs which
are a great way for seniors to contribute their time and wisdom.
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