Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 17, 2012

13

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, November 17, 2012 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

IS A LONGEVITY ANNUITY RIGHT FOR YOU? 

Dear Savvy Senior:

What can you tell me about longevity annuities? I come from a family with long life expectancies and I 
would like to protect myself from running out of money in my old age. - Looking Ahead

Dear Looking:

If you’re worried about outliving your retirement 
savings, longevity annuities are definitely an option 
worth looking into. 

Longevity annuities are simply deferred annuities 
that pay you income for life, but only if and when 
you make it to a certain age. How does it work? 
You give an insurance company a lump-sum of money when you retire (say age 60 or 65), in return 
for monthly income usually starting at around 80 or 85. 

The advantage of choosing a longevity annuity over an immediate annuity is that the payouts are 
much higher. For example, a 65-year-old man who puts $30,000 into a longevity policy could expect 
to receive around $1,600 per month (that comes to $19,200 per year) starting at age 85. Buying a 
$30,000 immediate annuity at age 85, he’d get only around $370 per month. 

Why such a big difference? Because the insurer has more time to make money off your money before 
it must begin paying you back. And, they’re betting you won’t live long enough to receive many, if any, 
checks. National statistics show that a 65-year-old man will live, on average, to 82, and a 65-year-old 
woman to 85. 

Another great benefit with a longevity annuity is it gives you the freedom to spend down your nest 
egg, knowing you’ve locked up an income stream for your later years. 

But as tantalizing as those big payouts may be, longevity annuities have their drawbacks. For starters, 
a basic longevity policy offers no escape hatch for you to retrieve your money during the 20 years or 
so you’re waiting for benefits to start. And your heirs won’t get death benefits if you die before you 
begin to collect. 

If that bothers you, you may want to consider a longevity policy that offers flexible features like a 
death benefit to be paid to your heirs, early payment options, inflation protection and more. The 
downside, however, is that every extra feature you add will reduce your monthly benefit. 

You can use the Brandes Retirement Simulator (see www.brandes.com/institute) to figure out if you 
should consider a policy. Plug in your current and projected income, expenses and investment strategies. 
It will show you the possible impact of a longevity product on retirement spending and on your 
income after age 85. Brandes does not sell longevity insurance.

When to Buy

Most people purchase a longevity annuity at or just prior to the time they retire. To estimate how 
much coverage you should get, figure out how much of your essential expenses you can cover with 
Social Security, pensions, and other forms of guaranteed income, and buy longevity coverage for the 
rest. But don’t overdue it. Experts recommend you use no more than 10 to 15 percent of your assets to 
purchase a policy, and leave the rest in your portfolio to provide income until it kicks in. 

Also, when choosing a product, remember that you’re buying income that will not kick in for 20 years 
or more. So be sure to go with a company with a good reputation and solid financials which you can 
check online for free at ambest.com, standardandpoors.com and thestreet.com/insurers. Insurance 
companies that currently sell longevity annuities are MetLife, Hartford Financial Services, Symetra, 
New York Life, Northwestern Mutual and MassMutual.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

 By Pat Birdsall

FYI: Last Sunday,Veteran’s Day, the Harry L. Embree VFW Post 3208 recognized those men 
and women in our community who have admirably served our country in various branches of the 
military. There were three speakers. Two of whom were in the Vietnam War and the third, and the 
youngest, was severely injured in Felucia, Iraq, not too long ago. He has had 25 surgeries to date 
after being injured by an IED. A combination of feelings welled up in their talks; anger, fear, horror, 
disbelief and rollicking humor. Without that humor perhaps some memories would be entirely too 
painful to revisit. Fourteen new plaques were unveiled. The ceremony was held at a very special place 
in Sierra Madre, the Veteran’s Memorial Wall. The Wall itself is the result of one man wanting to leave 
“something behind.” The man was the late, John Grijalva. He worked tenaciously to see the tribute 
to local veteran’s come to fruition. He drew up the plans, researched the plaques and even collected 
funds to erect it…sometimes dollars at a time… and on several occasions talked to a very unwilling 
council. I think he finally wore them down because the Veteran’s Wall was finally approved both 
in design and location. It was dedicated in October, 2003. Thanks again, to the dedication and the 
determination of one man…John Grijalva.

There are many spaces left for new plaques. If you or a friend, family member or neighbor served 
in any of the United States military branches the criteria for inclusion is simple: You must have lived 
in Sierra Madre for at least one year sometime in your life and have a picture of yourself in uniform. 
Please call Dave Loera, Commander of VFW Post 3208, to be included and for more information: 
(626) 355-3382. We’d be proud to have you!

You can help: I’ll list groups each week that need your help until I run out. The first one is a group 
that helped the young man severely maimed by an IED in Iraq in the story above. It is the Wounded 
Warrior Project: www.woundedwarriorproject.org/programs 

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~MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT ENDS DECEMBER 7~

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HELPFUL HINT To stop the static shock in rooms with wall to wall carpeting, fill a spray 
bottle with a mixture of one part liquid fabric softener and five parts water, then lightly mist the 
carpet.

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FOR YOUR FUNNY BONE 

A little old lady is sitting on a park bench in Trailer Estates. A man walks over and sits down on the 
other end of the bench. After a few moments, the woman asks, “Are you a stranger here?” He replies, 
“I used to live here years ago.” “So, where were you all these years?” “In prison,” he says. “What did 
they put you in prison for?” He looks at her, and very quietly says, “I killed my wife.” “Oh, so you’re 
single then?”

A guy was sitting quietly reading his paper when his wife walked up behind him and whacked him 
on the head with a magazine. “What was that for?” he asked. “That was for the piece of paper in your 
pants pocket with name Laura Lou written on it,” she replied. “Two weeks ago I went to the races, 
Laura Lou was the name of one of the horses I bet on,” he explained. “Oh honey, I’m sorry,” she said. 
“I should have known there was a good explanation.” Three days later he was watching a ball game on 
TV, when she walked up and hit him in the head again, this time with an iron skillet which knocked 
him out cold. When he came to, he asked, “What was that for?” She replied, “Your horse called.” 

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 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

 Alberta Curran, Carmela Frontino, Lena Zate, Joe Pergola, Janice Kacer, Flo Mankin, Valerie 
Howard, “Mike” Ruggles, Lois Stueck, Joan Ruggles, Jean Wood, Shirley Yergeau, Kathi 
Jefferson, Pat Krok, Irene Nakagawa, Anna Ross, Mary Steinberg, Christine Durfort, and Sue 
Quinn. To add your name to this list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737 YEAR of birth 
not required.

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Quote of the Week: 

 

 No one is free when others are oppressed. ~Author unknown

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ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Park House (Senior 
Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

YMCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale Senior Café: Monday-Friday at 12:00 Noon

(Participants are urged to arrive no later than 11:45 A.M.) 

 All seniors 60 and up can take part in the lunch program. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 

for those 60 and over and $3.75 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary as space is 
limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256

 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: On the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11:00 am-12:00 pm: A nurse 
from Methodist Hospital, Arcadia volunteers to do the readings. No appointment necessary.

 

Bingo: Every Tuesday afternoon from 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm Cards are only .25c each! 

Free Chair Yoga: Every Wednesday morning from 11:00 am-11:45 am. Volunteer Teryl Willis offers 
this class that focuses on senior yoga techniques. It is geared toward gentle movements, breathing 
techniques and balance improvement. No reservations are necessary.

Free Legal Consultation: Pasadena attorney Geoffrey Chin volunteers on the 2nd Wednesday of 
the month. He focuses on estate planning, trusts, wills, probate, conservatorships and business law. 
*Appointments are a must. Please call 626.355.7394 to make yours. 

* Conflicting court schedules can occasionally cause cancellations.

Birthday Celebrations: The 2nd Thursday of the month the Senior Center celebrates the birthdays of 
our patrons at 12:30 pm. Please join us for free cake and ice cream and “celebration.” (The cakes are 
provided due to a generous donation from the Sierra Madre Civic Club.)

Game Day: Game Day: Every Thursday at 1:00pm. Poker is usually the game of choice, or should 
I say chance? Board games and other card games are also available. Outside, on the patio, a beautiful, 
one-of-a-kind chess table is anxious for players.

Free Strength Training Class: Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 1:00 pm -1:45 pm

Conducted by long-time volunteer Lisa Brandley. The class utilizes light weights for low-impact 
resistance training. Weights are provided by the Sierra Madre Senior Center. It’s a great way to stay in 
shape and to socialize with your peers. (Gossip included) 

Senior Citizens Club: Every Saturday-at the Hart Park House (Senior Center) Brown bag lunch 
at 11:30am; Club meeting at Noon; Bingo at 12:30- 3:30 pm. For more information call Pat at 
626.355.7290 

EXCURSION: CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER- CLEOPATRA 
EXHIBIT AND IMAX MOVIE (LOS ANGELES, CA.)

Date: Friday, December 14, 2012

Departure: 9:00am from the Hart Park House

Lunch and Activities: 10:00am- 2:00pm

Return -Hart Park House: 3:30 pm (time approximate)

Cost: $32.00 (does not include lunch)

Come discover more than 150 priceless Egyptian artifacts from nearly 2,000 years ago. Unearthed by 
two of the world’s leading archaeologists the exhibition features colossal statues, jewelry and coins 
from Cleopatra’s lost palace in Alexandria. After the IMAX movie, patrons can either visit the other 
exhibits or have lunch on your own at the California Science Center. For more information visit www.
californiasciencecenter.org Reservations or more info call the Park House at (626) 355-7394 


DO NOT GO GENTLE 
INTO THAT GOOD 
NIGHT...

 It seems like no matter what 
your job is, there are going to 
be staff meetings. Sometimes 
these gatherings include a 
printed agenda so you can 
follow along, as if you were watching a play or 
musical performance. Any typical meeting might 
proceed as follows: Prelude: Welcoming of new 
interns, Act 1: Latest budget cuts. Intermission 
(to compose yourself after hearing about the 
budget cuts). Etc.

 If you’re lucky to have a boss who dislikes 
meetings as much as the majority of the 
employees do, you might get out of there before 
you punch the clock at 5:00. But if your boss likes 
to hear him/herself talk, you might be stuck there 
for a few hours. Even worse than a loquacious 
boss are the occasional coworkers who live for 
a captive audience whom they can torture with 
circular arguments and tangential comments. It’s 
times like these that put you to sleep --sometimes 
literally.

 Though falling asleep during a staff meeting 
isn’t polite, I’ve witnessed more than a couple of 
my coworkers nodding off. First their eyelids start 
fluttering like a drugged butterfly, then before 
they know it, their heads flop down for minutes 
on end. It’s easier for the ladies to get away with 
this by letting their hair down to partially block 
their faces. I’ve never heard snoring, but there’s a 
first for everything. They’ll stay semi-conscious 
until some rousing moment of the meeting jolts 
them back to reality. If staff meetings were a 
purely spectator event, my slumbering coworkers 
could probably get by with sleeping away the 
last hours of the day. But so often the boss or a 
visiting presenter will tell us to break into groups. 

 Once formed, the groups need to designate a 
“recorder” who will write down our scintillating 
late-afternoon thoughts, and a “presenter” who 
will deliver these nuggets of insight to the rest of 
the staff. But I digress, I’m sure you’ve been there 
before and know 
EXACTLY what I’m 
talking about.

 While it can be 
funny watching 
others try to feign 
alertness, the things 
people do to stay 
awake are even 
more humorous and 
varied! Grad school 
comes to mind. I’d 
almost forgotten the 
long nights of grad 
school until I recently had dinner with a friend. 
Although she has many years of experience and 
several credentials, the brass in her field keeps 
tacking on “mandatory” courses. So, my friend 
puts in a full day of work, then drives another 15 
miles to sit through a class until nine o’clock! 

 How does one make it through these long 
nights? Some drink coffee or Red Bull, but after 
you’ve reached a caffeine tolerance, you have to 
get creative. (If you’re easily grossed out, this 
is your warning to stop reading!) Some of my 
friend’s classmates brush their hair or stare into 
small mirrors and pop pimples. One guy even 
plucked a nose hair. Yes, it’s true; and he wasn’t 
even discrete about it! He made a big, digging 
movement with his arm to uproot the thing, then 
brought it near his eyes to get a better look. 

 Since attending Pasadena City College about 
10 years ago, I’ve always wanted to go back and 
take all the interesting classes I deprived myself 
of when I was a teenager. I imagined myself 
attending a pottery class on a Wednesday night. 
In my dream class, I’m skillfully throwing and 
shaping smooth slabs of clay into artful, fluid 
designs. My classmates are similarly inspired, 
and we talk about the latest novels we’ve read. 
This fantasy is very appealing while I’m looking 
over the course catalogues from PCC. But in 
reality, I’d probably either be falling asleep at the 
pottery wheel or fixated at a classmate pulling ear 
hairs. Higher education is great, and I think I’ll 
save myself for it until I retire. Happy learning! 

 
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PASADENA SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE CHANGES HOURS

Effective November 19, 2012, the Pasadena Social Security office will be open to the public Monday 
through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday. In addition, 
beginning January 2, 2013, the office will close to the public at noon every Wednesday. On November 
23, the day after Thanksgiving, all Social Security field offices will be closed to the public. 

 Most services do not require a visit. Applying for retirement, disability or Medicare benefits, signing 
up for direct deposit, replacing a Medicare card, obtaining a proof of income letter or a change of 
address or telephone number can be done online at www.socialsecurity.gov or by calling 1-800-772-
1213.Hearing impaired may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778. 

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SENIOR MOVIE PROGRAM: Free Movies are shown on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday 
of the month. The films, one contemporary and one vintage, are chosen by the seniors 
themselves. This month’s selections are:

November 27- The Odd Couple (1968) Written by Neil Simon, this is the hysterical 
tale of two men separated from their wives who try sharing an apartment; one is 
a neurotic neat freak and the other is a fun loving slob. Jack Lemmon and Walter 
Matthau star.

Movies are shown in the Sierra Madre Council Chambers (222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.) at 1:00 PM.