My blog sponsor Cathy DeMartino wrote a fabulous article about retirement for women. As always, her financial advice is so refreshing and informative. Also, she is holding an amazing Facial and Fiance Evening this Thursday at Rye Grill and Bar. If you are local come by to meet Cathy and get your complimentary facial with the fabulous Park Ave Medical Spa. Remember to RSVP HERE.
The number of men and women in the United States appears to be equal, however, women are living much longer than their male counterparts. By age 65, we outnumber men by two to one. Considering we have varied roles throughout our lives: partner, mother, employee, business owner etc. and those paths frequently can change, we need to take charge of our own retirement planning.
Here are three myths women face:
MYTH #1 – RETIREMENT WILL REKINDLE THE ROMANCE
Once the kids have moved out and you are ready to wind down your careers, you finally have time to rediscover your relationship with your significant other. In reality, many people struggle with this adjustment as they enter retirement. The proverbial “Honey-Do List” may become Honey, please do something on your own! Communication and planning are key to overcoming relationship challenges in retirement. We often come across people who put more time into planning a two-week vacation than they do planning for thirty-years in retirement.
MYTH #1 – SAVING FOR A 20 YEAR RETIREMENT IS ENOUGH
Women are living longer than men, so the changes of us outliving our savings is much higher. As of 2020, the average life expectancy is 77.3 for men and 82 for women. Our retirement planning needs to have a longer time horizon than just twenty years. Depending on your age at retirement, you may spend thirty years or more in this phase of your life. Adequate coverage for Long Term Care is a major concern that I hear every day from female clients. The average cost of nursing home care in New York is approximately $125,000 per year and considering Medicare will not pay for Activities of Daily Living (ADL) which make up the largest portion of LTC expenses this is something that should be part of any woman’s well-rounded retirement plan.
MYTH #2 – MY SPOUSE’S BENEFITS ARE ENOUGH TO COVER MY RETIREMENT
Even if you have your own retirement benefits, it is critical to understand what assets are available to you as the beneficiary of your spouse’s retirement and pension plans. Women on average earn $0.82 for every $1 earned by men, which generates a significant lifetime income gap. According to Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement women retirees tend to receive only half of the average pension benefits that men receive. Women are already at a savings disadvantage, and if you never worked, you may be even more dependent upon your spouse’s retirement plan. It is essential to review your spouse’s policies carefully and plan for missing income gaps.
Cathy DeMartino is a Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. Strategies for Wealth is not an affiliate or subsidiary of Guardian. 2022-136703 Exp. 4/2022
I have owed this to you for so long. I am not sure why it has taken me so long to get to Home Goods. I was so disappointed the last few times I went so I think I kept delaying my next visit. But today did not disappoint. There were so many great things. I went to the Port Chester Home Goods today. Also, a reader told me that I have to go to Home Sense? Have you been? Send me an EMAIL and let me know what you think!!!
I really was in a yellow mood, I was drawn to a lot of yellow things in the store today but fell in love with these garden stools…perfect for someone’s patio!
For the readers who asked me for some really modern-looking lounge chairs…love these!!
I found these temple jars…how gorgeous are they???!!!!! The colors are amazing!
And these stools…RUN DON”T WALK..they are going to go FAST!! I wish I had a place for them!!!!
What a great chair for a bedroom or dressing room!!!!
There were a few of these blue benches. You cannot really see the beautiful detail in the fabric but they were the perfect size for the end of the bed!!!
I don’t know if it is that I am still in a Florida frame of mind but these monkey lamps really spoke to me..I could see them with some really great bright geometric shades!!
Love the distressed wood and brass details of this bar cart!!
Amazing color and design….
Such a great mirror..fun for a pool house or cabana….
I also loved this one..the turquoise and rattan..perfect combination!!!
These agate prints were so pretty in person…A great statement for only $12.99 each!!
Everyone is always asking for good-looking recliners…love the blue..also perfect for a bedroom or dressing room!!
I cannot get enough of mercury glass vases. Great to have on hand to cut some branches or greens and give as a gift!!
Another beautiful side table….love this color and design too.
This mid-century-looking lamp is perfection…I can see it on a bar…in fact, I wish I bought it for my own bar!!!!!
I received a few emails asking me for some spring flat recommendations. There is nothing I love more than flats with a good pair of jeans, white or blue!! I have so many great selections for you. A few animal prints, a few jeweled, and lots of bright colors!!! Happy Spring Shopping!!!
Click the numbers below to see more information about each pair!!!
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, ELEVEN, TWELVE
This week’s Book Club choice is so juicy!!! I just ordered it and am dying to read it!! A “surprising look” into Jackie’s world. I cannot wait..can YOU?????
What was it like to meet and talk to people who knew Jackie Kennedy Onassis well? Each of these eight people gave me a surprising look into what it was like to live and work in Jackie’s world.
1 Nancy Tuckerman was Jackie’s friend from boarding school and also her lifelong assistant.
2 Jackie was wary of Nan Talese, one of the most important people in publishing. Jackie was also envious of Nan.
3 Distantly related to her by marriage, Louis Auchincloss gave Jackie a hard time when she wanted to slip out of the spotlight.
4 Sarah Giles was an editor at Vanity Fair. She worked with Jackie in her apartment at 1040 Fifth Avenue on a book that got them both into trouble.
5 Ruth Ansel knew Jackie via man about town and major photographer Peter Beard. When Jackie had a rare chance to acquire an authorized biography of Audrey Hepburn, Jackie confessed to Ruth why she couldn’t do it.
6 Rosamond Bernier gave sold-out lectures at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was married to The New York Times’s art critic. Their wedding was at Philip Johnson’s famous glass house in Connecticut. Nevertheless, Philip Johnson later proved treacherous both to Rosamond Bernier and to Jackie.
7 Francis Mason advised Jackie when she wanted to switch jobs. The story of how she ignored his advice and managed to remain friends with him is testimony to a high-spirited talent that the two of them shared.
8 Edith Welch and her husband went to India with Jackie. Jackie didn’t always behave well on these trips, nor did Edith’s husband.
For more information or to purchase this book, click HERE.
I have been a HUGE fan of Elizabeth Chilla designs for a while now. I am so impressed with how talented she is and how unique her monogram styles are. Elizabeth takes great care to get the monogram just right whether it be just initials , a single letter or a chic image. She has so many options to choose from and so many wonderful items to monogram. Recenlty she monogrammed a fabulous cashmere grey sweater with the coolest purple initial monogram. It is so chic and I love it with jeans, leather pants and cannot wait to wear it with white jeans, as the weather gets warmer!!!
To see more of Elizabeth’s items, follow her Instagram HERE.
Every year around Easter I start to make Tomato Pie. It is always everyone’s favorite by far and it is so easy to make. Once you try it you will make it all summer long! I like to use sea salt and you can even add a little truffle salt to give it a little extra kick! Bon Appetit
Bake a 9 inch pie crust until brown (you can use a store-bought crust)
Roughly chop and squeeze tomatoes (to remove liquid) about 6 large tomatoes to fill the bottom of the pie shell (make sure they are firm tomatoes not soft!).
Sprinkle with basil ( just when you think you added enough, add more)
Add salt (I use sea salt) and pepper
Filling:
1 cup Mayonaise, 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese- Spread Over Tomatoes
Bake on 350 for 35-45 minutes until the cheese becomes bubbly.