Speaker 1: 0:03

Hello and welcome to Inside Marci's Mind. My name is Marci Backus and I am your host. Well, if you're new here, welcome. If you're one of my many listeners that listens regularly, glad to have you. It is another beautiful spring morning here in Chicago. We have had psychotic weather snow, 70 degrees. Snow 70 degrees. Oh, sometimes I tell you, but I will take it. I'm ready for warmth, I'm ready for sun. So any day that we can get that sunny and beautiful and warm I will take, even if it means it's going to snow tomorrow, which it is going to snow tomorrow. So crazy, crazy. But better than just knowing all the time. So I'm here for it. I hope everything is well with you.

Speaker 1: 0:54

I have finished my first two rounds of chemotherapy and I'm doing pretty good, pretty good, ready to keep moving and get it over with. See the oncologist today, blood test, but I'm doing very well. I had a very bad bout of the stomach flu, which is never fun, but that's over and behind me, so I'm back to the gym today. What else let's see? Oh, st Patrick's Day here in Chicago. So they, on the Saturday before St Patrick's is the day they died the river green, I think it's how I got the stomach flu. I definitely I don't drink, so it wasn't that I was out to go see the Green River with a billion other people and I sometimes forget that my immune system is very compromised while I'm going through chemotherapy. So I think that's how I got the stomach flu. You know, I don't know if you ever heard about this.

Speaker 1: 1:58

I was reading something this week, something this week, and in Denmark, which I lived in for a while with Craig and the kids, they have a human library where you can check out humans and they will tell you their story and I thought that is so interesting, so interesting. Another thing I heard this season travel season they've sold 17.8 million seats going out of Chicago O'Hare and last night I yesterday went out to the suburbs to go to our storage unit and get my spring decor and take back my St Patty's decorations and coming back into the city, I was in this, I was headed into the city. Oh, I think I should have been home at 3 30. I got home at 4 45 because they have shut down two lanes to finish this project. They have on the Kennedy and the Kennedy is what takes most people in this area to the airport, so that's going to be an interesting thing this year. It's the outbound lanes and it caused it. I had to go 4.1 miles. It took me an hour and 15 minutes. I got trapped inside this freeway. Hell, I won't make that mistake again. I know my way around the city better than to be trapped in that, but I did get trapped in it yesterday.

Speaker 1: 3:27

Another thing that I wanted to bring up is scams again, and the reason I bring it up is because everybody falls into these traps. So the new scams are while you're scrolling and I know many of us doom, scroll or scroll along something will come up for JCrew and you click on it. It's not the JCrew website, and if you're seeing prices that are too good to believe, believe that they're too good and go to the website on your own, not through your Instagram or your Facebook, because this is becoming a big thing. People are getting scammed, thinking they're ordering things and they are not, and I don't want you to become a victim of these scams. If you click on it through Instagram or Facebook, make sure you look excuse me, I've got the hiccups this morning If you look up at the URL and make sure it is the legal URL for whoever you're purchasing from. This is happening fast and furious. It's happening even faster because of AI, so this was on the news last night and I thought it was really good to let you guys know about this scam.

Speaker 1: 4:44

I'm happy to have my spring decor up. I bought myself some spring slippers yesterday and all the sherbert colors. They're so cute. They're little squares. I'm just ready. I think maybe this year I'm ready even more so because of the chemotherapy. I really want to be outside, I really want warmth, I really want sun and it's nice to have the house have. Oh, my goodness, you guys, I'm so sorry to have all of my spring decor up. So I hope where you are, everything is happy. I know California has been cold and rainy.

Speaker 1: 5:20

I do have a trip planned to California in April. I'm excited about that. I'm going to go see my oldest child, kyle, and my sister and her husband and my nephew and his wife for Easter. But I'm also going to go you know where, with you know who. My bestie and I are going to go to Disneyland and be celebrating her grandson's first birthday, so I'm excited about that. I never turned down a trip to Disneyland and I think it'll do my soul some good.

Speaker 1: 5:53

What else? Anything else? Oh, I think in early May, craig and I were talking about doing a driving trip, just a weekend. I think we're going to do a few more weekend things as I go through chemotherapy, since I can't really do too many big trips, because flying is not a great idea either. With all the cooties, I will be wearing a mask, that's for sure. So when you wonder why people still wear masks right now, they may be going through chemotherapy or they may be going through another illness that you provide a threat to them. So I think the stigma of the mask, whether anybody's wearing it or not, should go away. Hmm, what else? My son's been snowboarding since he's gotten home from his visit here and sharing and then getting pictures of that. They're looking for a new house to rent in Denver, and that's about it. That's going on in my life.

Speaker 1: 6:58

Today we're going to be talking about good places in the United States to retire, and why. About good places in the United States to retire and why there's a lot of reasons to retire somewhere. This isn't Craig and Mai's ending spot. I don't know what it's going to be, but the property taxes here are like I've talked about, are just astronomical. So these are the things you want to look at when you look at cities that you're going to retire in. So hang in there, we're going to go through some of the top places to live, and why?

Speaker 1: 7:30

Oh, I know I, and on, if any of you are on TikTok, I've fallen down the hole of this woman who's moved to Italy and bought a house for beautiful place. Now she's remodeled it, bought it for $25,000, but totally remodeled, totally. She's all in under 50,000. And that's amazing and it's beautiful. And so now she's showing all the houses for sale in her neighborhood, in her area. I don't know how I fell into this, but it's you know.

Speaker 1: 8:06

Again, we're going to talk about the United States, but if your income is fixed and you want to live a good life, you don't have to live here. I just want to say that you don't have to live here, and there are many countries that are beautiful and will take your dollars and are happy to have you. So hang in there and we're going to go through those places. Well, at least the ones in the United States that are better today, all right, well, if I sound a little sleepy, I am, you know, I don't know any of you. I sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and I have a second sleep. So I woke up at two, went back to sleep at four and woke up at seven, and I try to do this podcast while Craig is out running. He's already home and in showering, need a sip of my coffee, and so I jumped up and I ran in here to get things done, and so that's maybe why I sound a little bit like this.

Speaker 1: 9:07

So, retiring in the United States what are some of the factors you consider when choosing a retirement location? We want to talk about the cost of living. Consider the overall cost of living of your preferred area. This is going to include a lot of things. So I know you just think you should retire wherever you want, and if you're financially stable, that's probably a great thing. But for a lot of people, and especially a lot of people of my generation, whose wealth has taken a hit over and over again because of economic crisis, you may not have what you tell you. That having breast cancer in Illinois is has been a godsend for me. My we have the best healthcare here and I happen to have University of Illinois at Chicago is my health group and my hospital, and it's amazing. Make sure that these things align with your retirement budget.

Speaker 1: 10:18

Some states like Delaware, florida and Texas offer tax advantages for retirees, while others have a higher cost of living. So obviously you want to look at all of those things. Taxes is huge. They are not the same state to state people. They are not the same Climate.

Speaker 1: 10:39

Well, I really wasn't thinking about climate when we moved here. But we didn't move here for retirement, we moved here for Craig's job. So and we happen to already own this condo we the condo I live in I may have said this on other we bought 23 years ago. We had it as an investment property, so we've now moved in. We had it as an investment property, so we've now moved in. We've upgraded it immensely new bathroom, new kitchen which has done nothing but help the price on it. So when we go to sell it if we do, we'll get a much better value for it. Our building is a well sought after building. We picked wisely when we moved here. We're in a great area, we're in the center of the Gold Coast, where you want to be, so those types of things are important, but this was not our retirement choice. So climate, do you prefer warm weather year round or experiencing all the seasons? Right now, I'm enjoying experiencing all the seasons. Yes, Does it get. Do I get tired of it being cold? Yeah, but God gave me a 75 degree day yesterday to keep me moving through.

Speaker 1: 11:46

Access to healthcare Ensure the area you choose has access to quality healthcare facilities and specialties to meet your potential needs. As you get older, health care is extremely important. Amenities and activities Think about your interests and your hobbies. Do you want easy access to cultural attractions, outdoor recreation or a vibrant social scene? Choose a location that offers the amenities and activities that you'll enjoy in retirement. Does it have a good airport? Do you like to travel? We are 30 minutes. We can either drive, we can take public transportation to Chicago O'Hare or to Midway, which is our smaller airport, and Craig and I can be out in the country and nothing flat here. We can travel.

Speaker 1: 12:32

I will say one of the things I like about living in Illinois now is it's given us a new jump off spot for road trips. So if you choose to change states, think about that too. Road trips can be economical. There is a lot to see in this country, don't kid yourself. So Craig and I have a whole new jumping off point. One of the places I want to go and I think my sister-in-law, deb and I talked about this I want to go see where my dad was born, where his house was when he was a boy was here in Minnesota. I've never seen it. Minnesota is a hop skip and a jump away. Now it's not from California anymore, so I think probably this summer I'm going to do that.

Speaker 1: 13:11

Community and lifestyle Consider the overall vibe, community atmosphere. Do you prefer a bustling city? I will tell you, I really never knew I would love a bustling city. I freaking love a bustling city. Outdoor recreation oh, I'm sorry, I went back. Do you want a quiet suburban town? Excuse me, that was me. I write things down and then I mess my own self up. But you can follow me. Let's talk again. We're talking about community and lifestyle. Do you want bustling city? Quiet suburban town? A scenic rural setting? Neither one. The suburban or rural setting sound good to me at all anymore. I never want to go back.

Speaker 1: 14:01

If we change, I will be in the city center of wherever it is. I don't know where it's going to be. I don't know if it's going to be Mexico? I don't know. I don't know what it's going to be for us. Obviously, another huge consideration is your grandchildren. So wherever we go, my kids will always be on the West Coast. I don't think they'll ever change. If we're in Mexico, we're easy access to the West Coast actually easier than we are here. Same time zones, things like that. That's all important. So these are things you want to think about when you're retiring. So time and time again.

Speaker 1: 14:43

I did a lot of research on this. I couldn't find a list like I've had before, but I will tell you. The number one state that comes up is Florida. I have no desire to retire in Florida. I would rather retire in Mexico than Florida, known for its warm climate, beautiful beaches and tax advantages. These are things. Tax advantages vary from state to state. You want to look into your state. My state has extremely high property tax, especially downtown Chicago Extremely high, and they talk about raising it all the time, which is asinine my favorite word. Florida is a popular choice for retirees acts for a variety of communities throughout the state, including locations that have vibrant Gulf Coast. So there's a lot that Florida has to offer for people that like that sort of thing. Florida just mindset is not something that I can handle. I will tell you.

Speaker 1: 15:45

The second state that comes up in my research over and over and over and over again is Pennsylvania. Many cities in Pennsylvania come up. It has a rich history, diverse landscapes. It does. It's beautiful. Craig and I did a road trip two years ago. We went down to the Frank Lloyd Wright Falling Water House which is in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is stunning. You can find wonderful communities throughout the state in the suburbs. They have beautiful cities, the Pocono Mountains and they do have tax advantages there.

Speaker 1: 16:21

North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Mountains to the picturesque coastline. North Carolina boasts a diverse landscape and a welcoming atmosphere. Its cost of living, there is something that is bringing people and it's going to change. I think people. North Carolina and South Carolina both are on this list. There are options that are attractive because of, again, taxes, cost of living, good health care, but I think the prices are going to start to go up because I think people are starting to move there.

Speaker 1: 16:58

Georgia, known for its Southern hospitality and affordable cost of living. Georgia offers a variety of top dot retirement options. They do. They have a lot of new areas that are growing. It's growing again, I think, in the next few years, the prices in Georgia are going to go up, I will tell you, and it's not on this list. Another one that came up was Tennessee. Tennessee there's something about taking money out of your 401k. It doesn't get taxed there. Look that up. Don't take me at my word. There's something about Tennessee that's a really great place to retire. It is a beautiful state.

Speaker 1: 17:36

States that act as communities and are very popular are Arizona. It's warm and dry climate. It's stunning landscapes. The prices in Arizona, though, have gone up exponentially, as well as Colorado. Colorado is another one that's on this list, but the prices of property have gone up exponentially since COVID.

Speaker 1: 17:57

Delaware has low taxes. It's coastal location. It's a popular place for retirees looking for affordable and access to beaches. I'll tell you what I have here is access to beaches, and you guys all could go. Oh, you do not. Yes, I do. Take a look at the beaches all along Michigan, wisconsin and Illinois and Indiana. Lake Michigan affords us beautiful beaches. Doesn't look any different than California beaches, only they're better here. So make the right choice for you.

Speaker 1: 18:29

The best place to retire is ultimately a personal decision. Consider your individual needs, your preferences, your budget. Look into that state that you may be thinking about. Look for sneaky things that are going to cost you more, like property taxes. In Illinois, you wouldn't think it, but we're high. We also have the second highest gas prices to California because we tax our gas like California does. So these are things when you're looking at at different States. Arizona has great healthcare access, so that's one of the reasons that Arizona. Arizona has no tax on social security benefits. Helping ensure your fixed income goes further benefits. Helping ensure your fixed income goes further.

Speaker 1: 19:24

Tennessee here is where I had mentioned to you that Tennessee is good. Tennessee's tax structure is among the most friendly to retirees. There's no state income tax, so your social security benefits and retired income will be untouched, and low property taxes help stretch your dollar even further. Delaware has no state or local sales tax. They have tax exemptions, which we did just get two tax exemptions on our property taxes here and got a rebate. For two years. We were paying higher taxes because this was a rental property. We got an exemption now because we live here and we're living in our property, so our property taxes are going down and also over 65, they give you a senior exemption. Look into your state to see if they have exemptions, no one's going to tell you. You got to figure it out and you got to apply for them. Um, delaware also has no estate or inheritance tax. South Carolina's tax benefits. There's no tax on social security income. So these are the things I want you to look at.

Speaker 1: 20:34

This is just a little guide to get you thinking about. If you're thinking about retirement and you're thinking about where to do it, you don't have to do it where you live. Your house may be very valuable, selling it there. You may be able to buy somewhere else and then use some of that money and invest it for retirement. Don't pigeonhole yourself, is what I'm trying to say. You may have planned well. Your home may be the perfect home for you. My sister Cindy's home is perfect for their retirement.

Speaker 1: 21:05

Single story has all the bells and whistles because they've made it the way they want it, and I get that and I think that's great for some people and it doesn't always work. A lot of people, especially in California, have two stories. Two stories isn't the greatest thing. One of the things Craig and I love about where we live is the one story. We have doormen, we have elevators, we have all the amenities we need if we end up retiring and just staying here as we age. So I hope this gives you a little bit of food for thought.

Speaker 1: 21:36

Remember, you can find my episodes on all podcasting platforms. You can find it at my website, insidemarci'smindcom. You can always send me an email at InsideMarci'sMind at gmail and if you hang in there, I'm going to give you a fun fact for the week. In there, I'm going to give you a fun fact for the week. All right? So since we've been talking about retirement, I'm going to give you a golfing fun fact. The average golf ball has 336 dimples on it. So go find a golf ball and count them if you don't believe me. But who knew they had 336 of those little dimples? Well, as I always tell you, go out and do something positive. Talk to you next week.