A viatical settlement is the sale of a life insurance policy by the policy owner before the policy matures. Such a sale, at a price discounted from the face amount of the policy but usually in excess of the premiums paid or current cash surrender value, provides the seller an immediate cash settlement. Similar to reverse mortgages, viatical settlements involve insured individuals with a life expectancy of less than five years. In countries with high health care costs (such as the United States), this is a practical way to pay extremely high health insurance premiums and other senior care expenses that severely ill people face. Some people are also familiar with life settlements, which are similar transactions but involve insureds with longer life expectancies (two to fifteen years). - From Wikipedia and other sources 5/2007Drought of 'Green' Retirement Communities Found by Topretirements.com
Madison, CT (PRWEB) November 7, 2007 -- Baby boomers have long led the charge to preserve the environment. Many in this huge demographic group will soon want to live in green (sustainable) retirement communities. Unfortunately, Internet searches for green retirement communities generally only turn up developments with green in their name - e.g.; "Green Acres". Worse, some over 55 communities that advertise themselves as "eco-sensitive" are taking advantage of boomers' environmental interest - without delivering true sustainability or "Smart Growth".
Topretirements.com, "Find Your Perfect Retirement Community", has just produced a practical resource to help retiring baby boomers evaluate environmentally responsible active adult communities. Written by Carol Gulyas of Greengeezer.com, this practical guide to green standards explains what to look for in a sustainable community, and what to take with a grain of salt. For example, just because a community shows a picture of a biologist doesn't mean the community actually meets any green standards. Key considerations to look for include water and energy conservation, access to public transportation, use of recycled or local materials, and indoor air quality. The article includes many links to additional helpful resources.
John Brady, Topretirements' editor, commented on the state of environmentally responsible 55+ communities: "When we set out to find environmentally responsible communities for retiring baby boomers, we figured we would find a lot of places. The reality is, unfortunately, an amazingly short list of green communities, including some making claims not justified by the facts." Brady cautions that, not unlike the plethora of "organic" or "natural" claims a few years ago, people need to be skeptical when they see "green" marketing messages.
Topretirements notes that there has been some progress on the green issue. The EPA has made recommendations about "Smart Growth" which can improve conservation and make healthier housing for people over 55. The successful commercial LEED certification is being adapted for the residential sector, and the National Association of Homebuilders has launched its National Green Building Program.
Topretirements' free report on "Looking for Green Retirement Communities" is available at http://www.topretirements.com/tips/Green_Communities/Looking_for_Green_Retirement_Communities.html
About Topretirements.com
This website has independent reviews of the best retirement towns and communities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The list of reviews is available at http://www.topretirements.com/reviews Besides photos and maps, the site offers a free weekly newsletter http://www.topretirements.com/Newsletter.html with inside information about the best retirement communities.
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