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  • Best States to Live in for Seniors: Where Should You Retire?

    Best States to Live in for Seniors: Where Should You Retire?

    When the time comes to retire, you want to make sure you’re living somewhere that is ideal for your lifestyle and is the best for your finances. There are a few historically popular places to retire to: Florida, Nevada, Arizona. But are these really the best places to live when you’re over 65? Today we’re looking at some of the best states to retire to, and which are less than ideal.

    Best States to Live in for Seniors

    South Dakota

    Oddly, South Dakota tops the list as best state for seniors to live in, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the state has a very low cost of living, due in large part to its incredibly low population density. The region is largely populated by smaller communities, marked by its flat expanses of land and generally quiet living in the region.

    The tax burden on retirees is rather low, which makes this a great pick for people looking to live in a quiet and inexpensive state. The weather is also quite consistent: while it may snow a bit more than some other states, the risk of things like tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricanes is negligible at best. In all, one of the most plain and “boring” states in the US is actually the best overall for retirees!

    Utah

    Another high-scoring state in terms of retiree living, Utah has many of the same features that South Dakota does. It’s got a low population density, a low crime rate, and few tax burdens for seniors. The high concentration of Mormons is actually partly to thank for the low crime rates: the religiously pious don’t tend to break into houses or hold up banks.

    Utah’s also got very stable and predictable weather, and is unlikely to be hit by extreme weather phenomena. While it’s not quite as quiet and distant as South Dakota, it can feel like the middle of nowhere if you live far from major cities. This, coupled with the relatively low amounts of traffic, makes Utah a prime choice for retirees to move to.

    Florida

    Florida often scores high on lists of best states to retire to. There’s a number of great reasons for this, though they’re a bit more counterbalanced than states like South Dakota or Utah. Florida has no state income tax, something that makes it a great state for retirees with lots of post-retirement income. It’s also got many retirement communities dedicated to providing a place for seniors who move to the region.

    One of Florida’s biggest drawbacks is also one of it’s best features to some people: the weather. It’s a sub-tropical regions (unless you’re in the Keys, then it’s just tropical!) and it experiences warm weather year-round. Other drawbacks to the Sunshine State include the crime rate, relatively high cost of living and high population density leading to heavy traffic in most regions.

    Arizona and Nevada

    Despite its reputation, Arizona scores lower on the list of retiree states than you might expect. Many polls and lists put it around 30th best state for seniors. This is due to a number of factors, but they often sound similar to the reasons that Florida isn’t as attractive as some other states. The same goes for Nevada, which often falls somewhere in the 41st to 43rd place in the list of best states for retirees.

    These states earned these low spots through their incredibly hot and arid weather, their heavy population density, and their crime rates. It’s worth noting that few retirees actually move after retiring: typically people retire in the very state they worked in, or closest to their family. However, if you’re looking to retire far from home, make sure you pick a state that’s ideal for seniors to live in.


  • Best Ways to Stop a Runny Nose: Our Tips

    Best Ways to Stop a Runny Nose: Our Tips

    There’s little as frustrating as battling with a runny nose. No matter what you try, it seems like you just keep blowing your nose with no end in sight. How can you take steps to expel this gunk from your sinuses, and what can you do to prevent this in the future? Here are our top tips for getting out ahead of a runny nose and feeling like your normal self.

    Stopping a Runny Nose

    Stop Sniffling

    This one should go without saying, but we’ll start here anyway. You need to stop sniffling! The more you sniffle, the worse off you’re making your symptoms. The mucus buildup in your nose needs to get out of your body, as your sinuses are too full of the stuff already. Get a tissue and expel as much of the runny, gross green stuff as you can stand. If that’s not working, it’s time to move on to some smaller steps.

    Drink Lots of Fluids

    Drink a ton of water, tea, or similar drinks. If you’re dehydrated, it’ll be more difficult for your body to loosen the sinus congestion that’s causing a lot of your stuffiness and runny nose. When you’re properly hydrated, your membranes can be lubricated more thoroughly. This, in turn, results in your congestion loosening in pressure and making your mucus thinner and easier to get out of your nose.

    As you can imagine, this means you should avoid drinking things that are going to dehydrate you further. This means you should stay away from alcohol and sodas when you’re rocking a cold. We know, you already weren’t dying to pound a rum and Coke when you were nursing a cold, but still, it’s worth noting.

    Hot Drinks, Especially

    We mentioned tea earlier, but that one bears repeating. Your stuffy nose will probably feel a lot better if you drink a big, hot cup of tea. The steam from the heat, the hydration from the beverage and the aroma from the tea are all great for helping soothe your symptoms. Heat and steam are known to help decongest your blocked sinuses and help to open your nose up more.

    Keep a tissue on hand: when you feel that congestion breaking up, it’s like your nose is about to start seriously running. Stop and blow your nose as hard as you can stand when you feel this wonderful breakdown of sinus pressure.

    Hot Shower

    If these steps aren’t cutting it, turn on a hot shower. The steam and hot water will likely have a decongestant effect, much like hot tea, and can help you get the congestion out of your nose. The best thing about doing this in a hot shower is that you can blow your nose as much as you need to and it’ll simply get washed down the drain. No having to burn through tissues, and you’ll feel much better after a long, hot shower.

    If none of this is working, it’s time to bust out the big guns.

    Neti Pot

    A Neti Pot is a type of nasal lavage, or nasal irrigation, in the form of a small pot with a spout. You use the spout to flush water into one nostril and out the other, with the express intent of cleaning out your sinuses. It’s a weird, but extremely relieving, sensation.

    While this might sound gross on the surface, it’s one of the most direct ways to literally flush all of that gunk out of your sinuses. It’s strangely relieving to directly combat the problem in a way that leaves your sinuses clear and your nose free of running and sniffling.


  • Making Extra Money: Working a Side Hustle

    Making Extra Money: Working a Side Hustle

    Whether it’s a part-time job, a gig you pick up or just selling some of your old stuff, getting a side hustle can be a great way to make some extra money. When you’re living paycheck to paycheck, it can feel difficult to get ahead and get a break. If you’re looking for a way to break loose, consider some of these ways to get some extra cash in your pocket and help make your savings account swell. Let’s get our side hustle on.

    Side Hustle

    Gig Jobs

    One of the more straightforward side hustles out there is simply snapping up a gig job. These are often tied to some kind of app service, like Uber or GrubHub. Typically, these include work that you can turn on and turn off at will so you can squeeze in money-making between your normal day job. Jobs like this are ideal for people with less consistent schedules for their main job, such as people who work retail or work at restaurants and have no set schedules.

    It’s often best if you pick a gig job that is in your wheelhouse of skills. If you’re not a great driver, maybe you shouldn’t get into driving for Uber. If you don’t like dogs, maybe don’t go in for a dog-walking app job. In either case, you’re best served if you’re getting into a gig that makes best use of your skills.

    Selling Old Stuff

    Getting rid of your old stuff is a great way to make some quick cash in a pinch. Maybe you’ve got some old video games, or there’s a closet full of clothes you can part with. Often you’re able to make a quick buck by parting with this stuff.

    This goes double for people who are into pricier hobbies. For instance, if you really love painting models, maybe you’ve got some older models you’re not using anymore that you could part with on eBay. Car enthusiasts can often sell spare parts or even older car projects in order to make some cash on the fly.

    Getting a Roommate

    Maybe you don’t have stuff to sell, but you do have a spare room and don’t mind another person being around. You could rent out that room by getting a roommate and get a consistent stream of monthly income. If it’s someone you already know, this can also be a great way to be more social, as you’ll likely spend more time around another person.

    In either case, whether it’s someone you know or a stranger, you’ll want to draft up a roommate agreement that includes when they pay you, how much, and how disputes will be handled. Have them sign this before they move in to head off any potential issues that could show up down the road. The last thing you need is to feel like a prisoner in your own place because you’ve got a nightmare roommate and no recourse to make them pay up or get out of your house.

    Part-Time Job

    The most direct form of a side-hustle is just getting a night job. If you’ve got a consistent schedule for your day job that you can plan around, it’s easy enough to get a part-time job to work with you. Restaurants and bars especially can always use help during nights and weekends, and won’t mind you only working those hours.

    This is a great way to not only keep money flowing in, but also helps you to network even more. Maybe through working as a bartender you’ll meet someone who can get you an interview at their company. This might, in turn, net you a higher-paying job that will let you forego side hustles and more comfortably make ends meet!


  • Ways to Make Your Back Porch Fun This Summer

    Ways to Make Your Back Porch Fun This Summer

    When Summer rolls in, it’s time to have some people over to the back yard to enjoy the nice weather. Between pool parties, cook outs and just taking it easy and having a few drinks, you want your back porch to be a really popping place. Thankfully, we’ve got tons of tips on how to do just that. Let’s look at how you can make your back porch the best summer fun destination in town.

    Making Your Back Porch Fun

    Concrete Patio

    If you’re in need of a new porch to make your backyard parties that much better, consider getting a concrete patio paved in. These are great for a number of reasons. For one, they don’t require the same maintenance and upkeep as wooden porches. For another thing, they’re much more durable and will add a lot to the value of your home.

    On the flip side, the process of installing a concrete patio can be expensive, as well as time-consuming. That said, the end result is a great patio that will make your backyard more attractive and an even better destination for your friends to come visit.

    Patio Covering

    Consider getting your porch or patio covered and screened-in. While this might seem like an expensive ordeal, it’s a great option if you live somewhere with plentiful bugs and intense sunlight. A covered patio is more comfortable to spend the afternoon reclining in, and allows your guests to avoid the bugs and the hot sun.

    You can also install a large outdoor ceiling fan on a patio enclosure if you run power to it and make it sturdy enough. This makes your patio even more welcoming and comfortable. We recommend leaving an un-covered portion of your back patio, however, so you can grill out without having to be in the grass or far from your guests.

    Outdoor Furniture

    Finding the right outdoor furniture is important, but it gets much easier if you’ve got a patio covering. Often, you’ve got to compromise comfort for durability, when the furniture is going to be exposed to the elements. However, if your patio is covered, you can opt for more comfortable, if somewhat less durable, outdoor furniture.

    A nice swing, a cushioned bench, a glass-top table: these all make great, tasteful choices for your outdoor furniture. Another nice touch is a large outdoor rug to make the concrete floor of your patio feel more welcoming, especially to those in bare feet!

    Picking a Theme

    When you’re picking out colors and furniture, make sure you’ve got a theme you’re going with. If most of your outdoor patio has exposed wood grain and looks rustic, maybe a soft, modern-looking center table isn’t the best idea? Pick out a thematic through-line you’d like your patio to have, much the same way you do when decorating the rooms inside your home.

    Consider your outdoor patio essentially an extension of the rooms of your home. Just because it’s outside doesn’t mean it can’t look as great and put-together as the rest of your home! While considering this, you can also hang some wall art on the exterior wall facing your patio in order to make it feel more like a simple extension of your home, not an exterior afterthought.

    Conversations First

    Make sure you arrange your outdoor furniture in a way that is most conductive to hosting guests. And what do you do with guests? You have conversations! Set up your seating around a centerpiece, like a fire pit or nice center table, and make sure that everyone has a good view of everyone else. This helps the space convey its purpose: hosting your friends and enjoying the outdoors while still enjoying the comforts of your home.


  • Finding the Best Realtor: Our Top Tips

    Finding the Best Realtor: Our Top Tips

    Finding the best realtor can be quite the challenge. When you’re selling your home or trying to buy property, you want the best of the best in your corner. Of course, every realtor claims they’re the best there is at what they do. However, all but one of them is lying about that, by process of elimination. So, how do you narrow down the field and find the best realtor in your area? By following our top tips, of course.

    Finding a Great Realtor

    Do Your Research

    The first thing you’re going to want to do is research the field. See what people are saying about the realtors in your area, and who comes highly recommended. A great place to start in this field would be to talk to your family or coworkers. Who did they go with for their realtor, and how was the experience? Look up any name they give you and see what others are saying about that realtor. This will give you a good idea of what kind of job that person does.

    While you’re doing your research, keep an eye out for any complaints against the realtor. You can usually look their name up at the city and see if they have their license, and if any complaints have been formally lodged against them. If they have such a complaint, then you can confidently dismiss the idea of working with them. The same goes if you can’t find evidence that they are properly licensed.

    Buying or Selling?

    If you’re buying a place, and you’re a first-time buyer, you’re going to need a lot of guidance. As such, you’ll want a buying agent who is calm, patient, and able to explain the process to you. This is someone who will guide you through tours of homes and help you understand what your budget means in relation to the home, and what maintenance the place might need.

    A selling agent will help you understand what you need to do to make your home as attractive as possible to sell. This needs to be a person with a great eye for what sells quickly, and who can help to present your home in the best possible light.

    Discuss Important Issues

    During your research phase, you’ll want to make sure you figure out how much of a rate realtors in your area normally charge. What cut of the property sale, if any, will they be getting? Do they work for a firm that takes a cut, or are they working as contractors under their own employ? Figuring out how this person gets paid is an important first step, as you want to make sure you’re on the same page.

    While having this discussion, make sure you also get a feel for this realtor’s style. Are they like you, do they share your buying or selling values? If there’s a personality incompatibility, the buying or selling process is going to be miserable, so you’re better off finding a realtor you’re a better match with.

    Trusting the Agent

    You need to make sure that this realtor is a person you can trust. You’re trusting them to facilitate a major purchase or sale for you, and you need to trust them to be an advocate for you. If you can’t trust them with important information, like your marital status and what your long-term plans for the property are, then this isn’t someone you need to be working with.

    Make sure you’re getting an experienced agent. When you’re discussing things with this agent up-front, you don’t want to be their trial case. Unless this person has experience selling your type of property, you don’t want them overseeing things.


  • Playa del Carmen: Caribbean Vacation Destination

    Playa del Carmen: Caribbean Vacation Destination

    When you think “beautiful Caribbean getaway,” you’re probably normally thinking about some island out in the middle of the ocean, right? There’s nothing wrong with that: Caribbean islands are some of the most beautiful places on Earth. However, there’s another stunning Caribbean destination you might be interested in. Playa del Carmen, a resort city on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, is a place you should be considering for your next vacation.

    Playa del Carmen

    The City

    Located in the municipality of Solidaridad, in the state of Quintana Roo, Playa del Carmen is one of Mexico’s most popular tourist areas. This is due in large part to its location on the gorgeous Caribbean coast, which offers stellar beachfront views and breathtaking natural sights. Another factor in the city’s popularity is its location along the Riviera Maya, a tourism route that cuts down along the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

    This has, in turn, led to the city’s explosive population growth. As of 2019, it is one of the fastest-growing cities in Mexico in terms of population. Cruise ships in and around the Caribbean often use Playa del Carmen as a stop, docking at the nearby Calica docks near the quarry.

    Weather

    One of the biggest draws to Playa del Carmen, and the Riviera Maya in general, is the weather. The region is tropical, sporting sunny and warm weather year-round. It shares this in common with nearby Cancun, another extremely popular tourist destination. In relation to the surrounding towns, Playa del Carmen tends to get hotter weather on average than the other cities in the Riviera Maya, due to its position as southernmost town on that route.

    The region is somewhat insulated against hurricanes thanks to its location along the Southern region of Mexico. However, hurricanes like Wilma in 2005 have been known to hit the city and cause substantial damage. Thankfully, the region is usually at a lower risk for this kind of damage than areas like the Caribbean islands.

    Attractions

    As you might expect, the region’s gorgeous beaches and ample natural beauty make it a no-brainer for tourism. If you’re interested in visiting the area, there’s a lot to look forward to. The numerous five-star resort hotels are only the tip of the iceberg. There’s plentiful nightlife, including clubs and bars, as well as numerous restaurants to sample the local cuisine.

    There are also countless entertainment venues for everything from concerts to burlesque shows. Whatever kind of entertainment you’d like to find in a Caribbean paradise town, you’re likely to find in Playa del Carmen. The Playacar complex is home to most of the resort hotels, and also is home to the world-renowned golf course. The campus is also home to residential developments like condos and apartments for those who want to call the resort town home.

    Visiting the City

    If you’re interested in visiting the region, there are a few ways you can do so. The first, and most straightforward, would be to simply book a vacation package. These can usually include airfare and your hotel stay, and often include a few fun activities in and around the city, too.

    Another option for those who just want to stop in briefly would be to visit the region as a stop on a Caribbean cruise. This will allow you to visit the port city for a day before striking back out to check out the other ample attractions in the region. Some cruises tour the Riviera Maya, stopping in at ports like Cancun. Others head out into the Caribbean Sea, visiting islands like Grand Turk, the Dominican and Puerto Rico. No matter which path you take, there’s no wrong way to enjoy the gorgeous region.


  • Finding the Best Acid Reflux Treatment

    Finding the Best Acid Reflux Treatment

    Acid reflux, also known as heartburn, is an issue that occurs when your stomach acid washes up into your esophagus, causing pain and discomfort. It can be difficult to find relief for this frustrating condition. If you’re looking for the best treatments for acid reflux, you’ve come to the right place. Today we’re discussing the best ways to avoid acid reflux, and the best treatments for when you’re suffering from it.

    Acid Reflux

    Avoidance

    The best thing to do is to just avoid acid reflux altogether. You’re likely aware of some of the triggers of your heartburn, but maybe you’re not as familiar with others. Let’s look at some of the common things you’ll want to avoid when it comes to acid reflux.

    Eating Late

    Avoid eating late at night. The later it is when you eat, the worse off you’ll be when you try to lay down for bed. Often, laying down after a late meal is a surefire way to agitate your stomach and send acid spilling up into your esophagus. This results in the continual chest pain and burning that are typical of heartburn. In order to avoid this, make sure you don’t eat within four hours of the time you’d like to get to sleep.

    Red Meat

    You may also want to avoid red meat in your diet if you have bad acid reflux. Not only will red meat exacerbate your heartburn symptoms, it’s also not very good for you in the first place. Consider eating fish for entrees instead, or even forgoing meat altogether for some meals. This will not only help your acid reflux, but it will also be good for you overall!

    Carbonated Drinks

    As tasty as sodas and seltzer waters are, the carbonation is terrible for acid reflux. It can often excite your stomach acid and irritate your esophagus. This, in turn, leads to your stomach acid splashing up into your esophagus and trigging heartburn. The same goes for highly acidic drinks like juices. If you have bad heartburn, consider drinking water with your meals instead of sparkling water or juice. It’s also a lot better for you in the long run.

    Large Meals

    One of the most surefire ways to trigger your acid reflux is by indulging in a very large meal. Whether this is a splurge you’re enjoying or just you being quite hungry, eating a lot of food often gets your stomach acid going and can cause heartburn. Consider having more meals throughout the day of smaller portions, as this will allow you to avoid triggering your acid reflux.

    Antacids

    One of the most straightforward treatments for heartburn is to take antacids. These help to neutralize your stomach acid so that even if it does splash into your esophagus, it won’t cause as much discomfort as it normally would. Common examples of such medications are Tums and Rolaids. These can help to offer instant relief.

    H2 Blockers

    Another great option for preventing heartburn is the use of an H2 blocker. These have a somewhat complex mechanism of working, but they essentially block your body from producing as damaging of acid. Examples include Zantac and Pepcid. These are usually taken regularly as a way to combat the worst of heartburn symptoms.

    Proton-pump Inhibitors

    Proton-pump inhibitors are great for when H2 blockers aren’t working. They’re a bit more intensive, and work on a different mechanism than H2 blockers, but they’re often much stronger. Prilosec and Nexium are two well-known examples of this type of medicine. You don’t usually start with these, as they’re much more intensive, but they’re a great fallback if H2 blockers aren’t working.


  • Saving Money on Printer Ink: Quick Life Hacks

    Saving Money on Printer Ink: Quick Life Hacks

    Let’s face it: there’s no reason for printer ink to cost as much as it does. There has to be some way to keep the cost of this (apparently precious) resource down to a minimum, right? Today we’re going over some top tips to keep your costs down when you’re buying printer ink, and how you can keep up with your office’s needs.

    Saving Money on Printer Ink

    Refill Cartridges

    You actually don’t have to buy all-new cartridges every time you run out of ink. You can head to places like Walgreens and have your cartridges refilled for a fee. You can usually refill a cartridge four to six times, assuming its in good condition and you don’t do anything to compromise it.

    Doing this not only saves you money, but it’s good for the planet. You’re not supposed to throw away the cartridges, but many people still choose to do so. Instead of disposing of your old cartridges, though, you can have them refilled to save money and save the planet.

    Refilling on Your Own

    You don’t even really need to go to a business to refill your cartridges. You can do it from home, if you have the right tools and patience. With the right refill kit and a steady hand (do this over the kitchen sink) you can refill the cartridge with ink all on your own. No one said being frugal wouldn’t get messy, though! Don’t do this over paper or furniture. Or anything you don’t want covered in ink, really.

    Buying Third Party

    Even when you do need to buy new cartridges, don’t buy straight from the brand-name. Third party, or “compatible,” printer ink cartridges are a great way to save money. Buying from third parties means you get to avoid the upcharge from printer companies like HP. While name-brand ink cartridge makers will tell you to avoid third-party cartridges, there concern isn’t for the health of your printer, but for the health of their wallet.

    Getting third-party cartridges from off-brand companies is fine as long as you’re getting the right size ink cartridges. In order to keep the costs even lower, you could opt for having them regularly delivered through a service like Amazon.

    Remanufactured Cartridges

    Why stop there, though? You could also opt to buy “remanufactured” cartridges. These are ink cartridges that have been previously emptied, but have been recycled and refilled. You can often find these for as little as half the price of new cartridges. Just remember that these might be eligible for fewer full refills than brand-new ink cartridges.

    Essentially, remanufactured cartridges are cheaper up-front, but can be more expensive in the long run. It really depends on how many refills you can manage to squeeze out of them. On average, though, these are a great way to get a refill if you’re out of cartridges and don’t have an empty one to refill.

    Draft Printing

    If you don’t need the prettiest printed copy, set your print job to “draft print” style. This will use less ink and toner, and generally looks a bit shoddier than full settings. However, this is a great way to save ink. If you’re just printing something out for personal reference, not something that needs to look amazing, this is a great way to save ink.

    Finally, make sure you remember to recycle your ink cartridges when they’re dead. Even if they’ve been refilled six times and can’t be used anymore, it’s important that you don’t just toss them in the trash. Often, places like Office Depot and Staples will offer you rewards program points for bringing in older ink cartridges. This is a much better option than just tossing them into the garbage!


  • Which Airline Miles Credit Card is Right for You?

    Which Airline Miles Credit Card is Right for You?

    Frequent flyer miles. You hear about them all the time, any it seems that every company claims they offer the best rewards for frequent flyers. However, they can’t all be the best, right? Someone sits atop the heap, and someone is making stuff up. Today, we’re helping you cut through the noise to find the best credit card for frequent flyers.

    Best Frequent Flyer Credit Cards

    Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

    The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is the first on our list, and it makes the list honestly: through its great options for frequent flyers. Notably, you get a whopping 50,000 miles when you spend $3,000 in the first three months as an intro bonus. That’s the equivalent of $500 in travel, just for spending your money like you normally would.

    The card offers double miles on all purchases, and has a promotion where you can earn ten times the miles when staying at certain hotel brands. Importantly, there are no blackout dates with this card, and the points can be redeemed at any airline or hotel. There aren’t any expiration dates on your miles, and there’s no limit to how many you can earn. You can also transfer your miles across to other loyalty programs.

    Chase Ink Business Preferred Card

    We’ve got another great intro bonus with this card: you get 80,000 points just for spending $5,000 with it in the first three months of having it. 80,000 points amounts to roughly $1,000 in travel rewards, so that’s a pretty sizable intro bonus! You also earn three points for every dollar on your first $150,000 spent on travel each year.

    Otherwise, you get one point per dollar on normal purchases. Excitingly, there’s no upper limit to the miles you can earn, making this is a great card for big-spenders! The points on this card have no expiration date, and you can use them as long as your account is open. There are also no foreign transaction fees, a great feature for any travel card.

    Discover it Miles

    The Discover it Miles card has a pretty substantial marketing push behind it, so you’ve certainly heard of this one. Well, we can confirm that it’s not all marketing hype: this is a pretty solid airline miles credit card. To start, the introductory offer sweetens the deal immensely. At the end of your first year with the card, Discover matches all of your miles. This essentially doubles all the miles you earn in your first year.

    The card also has no annual fees, a great plus for any credit card. It offers 1.5 times miles on all purchases, includes no blackout dates, and its points are redeemable at any airline or hotel chain. You also get a free credit scorecard, as well as a simple on and off toggle for freezing your account, should you lose the card.

    Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

    The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a highly sought-after credit card for airline miles for a number of reasons. Firstly, the intro bonus is very generous. If you spend $4,000 through the card in the first three months of owning it, you get 60,000 bonus points. That translates to about $750 in travel rewards, which is a lot to earn just for using your credit card.

    The card offers double points on dining at several restaurants, as well as on all travel expenses. Conversely, it offers one point per dollar on other types of purchases. There are no fees for foreign transactions with the Sapphire Preferred Card, and you can transfer your points to several high-profile travel loyalty programs. It’s easy to see why people love the Sapphire Preferred Card for travel, between all of its great features.


  • Best (and Worst) States for Retirement

    Best (and Worst) States for Retirement

    When it comes time to retire, that doesn’t mean you should have to give up your financial viability. In order to keep more of your retirement savings and income, you should look into moving to one of the more retirement-friendly states. Today we’re looking at two of the best states to retire to, and two of the worst states to retire to, and explaining what makes them earn their place on the list.

    Best and Worst Retirement States

    Notes on Retirement

    It’s worth noting that the vast majority of people in the US stay put when they retire. After all, most people have family and friends in the city they retire in, or they’re enjoying having a fully paid-off house in the region, so they have no real desire or need to move. However, some people simply want to find a nice place to live out their retirement years and don’t mind moving across country to get the best tax rates and locale for their golden years.

    On average, about 1.5% of retirees end up moving between the ages of 55 and 65. That’s a pretty small amount, statistically, though the practice isn’t exactly uncommon. Of course, there’s a glaring exception to this rule, but we’ll get to that shortly.

    Wyoming

    Wyoming is the second best state in the country for retirees for one simple reason: it’s got no personal income tax. This alone is enough to make it a major draw for retirees looking to keep more of their hard-earned money. That said, Wyoming is somewhat far from many major regions in the country, and is hardly the most metropolitan of states.

    Wyoming’s relative distance from big cities, beaches and the hustle and bustle of modern American life can be a draw for some people, however. It’s laid-back, rustic feel is exactly what some people what when they retire.

    Florida

    Far and away the biggest state for retirees, Florida has earned its “snowbird” reputation honestly. The state, like Wyoming, has no personal income tax, and it offers a distinctly different climate and atmosphere from the Midwest. Many retirees from New England love moving to Florida, both for the tax breaks they get as well as the sun, sand and beaches.

    Far and away, if a retired person is moving after they retire, they’re most likely moving to Florida. This has given certain communities in the state a reputation as being entirely for Northerners fleeing the harsh climate of the Northeast for the warm beaches and sun of the sub-tropical state.

    Worst States for Retirees

    One of the worst states for retirees, West Virginia has one of the nation’s lowest life expectancies, and it also has one of the nation’s largest concentrations of resident aged 65 and older. In spite of these seemingly contradictory facts, it’s even stranger to consider that West Virginia has the lowest percentage of workers aged 65 or older of any state in the country. In short, it’s not the sort of place you want to retire to.

    Another state to avoid as a retiree, Alabama has the absolute lowest life expectancy of any state in the US. A number of factors contribute to this, such as overall lower quality of life, worse medical coverage and worse education compared to other states in the US. However, it hardly makes the state one worth considering moving to.

    Finally, some other states that retirees tend to avoid include California and New York, as these states have some of the highest costs of living of any in the US. Also on that list are Hawaii, Connecticut and Alaska, which sport astronomical costs for housing and high taxes on income and sales tax.