Nutrition enhances longevity and requires financial planning
Last July, Larry Haubner from Fredericksburg, Virginia celebrated his 107th birthday. He credits his longevity to good nutrition and exercise. Haubner exercises daily using some old equipment that he keeps in his room and he takes no medications. The doctor who treats him for free says that he is in good health and that he will probably live a lot longer.
The only problem is that Haubner is broke. The assisted living center where he lives costs $3,500 per month. Two years ago, supporters raised $56,000 to help Haubner stay at the center, but the money has run out, and he is still alive. Haubner never married and has no surviving family or friends who can help him financially. He receives $1,200 in monthly pension and Social Security payments, but that is not enough to cover his expenses at the assisted living facility. Without more help, he will have to apply for Medicaid and move to a nursing home.
Calorie Restriction with Optimum Nutrition (CRON) has been shown to extend longevity in many species. There are many people practicing caloric restriction with the objective of living longer lives in good health, but Social Security is also running out of money. In recognition of the fact that people are living longer, the age for receiving Social Security has been progressively extended. Retirement age used to be 65, but it is now 66 for persons born between 1943 and and 1954. The retirement age will be 67 for those born after 1959.
As Americans get older, the number of people paying into Social Security is decreasing, and the Social Security trust fund will begin to spend more money than it takes in through tax revenue in 2016. The trust fund from which Social Security payments are made will be unable to pay retirees full benefits by 2037, and the program that subsidizes disabled Americans will run out of money in 2020.
If you are planning to live a long life, you better save a lot of money to finance your old age.
Learn how to budget your income
© Copyright - Antonio Zamora
