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AARP AARP States North Carolina Health & Wellbeing

What’s Your Retirement Plan?

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Photo: Volunteers Mary Kay Corr and Harriett Bartnick at the Decide.Create.Share training



By Andrew Behm

Do you have a long-term plan for retirement?  If you’re like most people, then you probably don’t.  AARP’s “Decide. Create. Share.”  program is designed to help women ages 35 and up plan for a healthy and secure future.

AARP volunteer Helen Mack from Winston-Salem is interested in helping people stay healthy. She was part of a training this week with AARP Health Specialist volunteers and said, “It’s important to teach women about planning for retirement, because the majority of the time they end up being the caregiver in their families.  This responsibility is one that women tend to put ahead of taking care of their own needs, leaving them at a disadvantage when it comes to preparing for life after retirement.”

Preparing for retirement includes many things like thinking about your long-term care needs, planning your finances,  staying healthy  and setting up living wills and trusts. According to AARP Associate State Director Suzanne LaFollete-Black, “Although it may sound complicated, having a plan makes it easier. ‘Decide. Create. Share.’ a national education & awareness initiative of AARP, is dedicated to helping women take charge of their future with free resources.”

Black added, “’’ Decide.Create.Share.’ can help you plan with three simple steps:  Decide on what you want after retirement.  Create a plan for how you want to achieve it.  Share your plan with your loved ones.”

Retired educator Dwight Story from Thomasville is one volunteer who has been instrumental in helping people think about their retirement needs. “I want to spread the word about ‘Decide. Create. Share.’ and other AARP resources to more educators to ensure that they are better prepared for their retirements.”

When it comes to retirement planning, people are turning to a wealth of resources AARP offers including:

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