Retirement Communities
Preparing for retirement requires plenty of decisions, including how to spend your newfound free time, whether to live in a retirement community and how to make your finances last as long as possible. With the help of this Web guide, you can find a great place to retire in style and reward yourself for your years of hard work.
Expand All Guide SectionsTypes of Retirement Communities
Retirement communities are generally grouped by interest and activity level, while others are age exclusive or more health care oriented. Use the Web resources below to review the types of communities out there, and choose the community that's right for you.
Dulcinea's Insight
- "Retirement communities" are also known as "active retirement communities," "continuing care retirement communities," "age-restricted communities," and "supportive retirement communities." Searching just for "retirement communities" will likely return results for a particular retirement facility rather than retirement communities in general.
- Many states have agencies dedicated to serving aging populations, but the name of the agency can differ from state to state. RetirementCommunities.com lists the Web sites of "elder affairs" departments in several states.
- This guide includes continuing care retirement communities, which most residents enter while they’re still healthy and active, and where they can remain if they eventually need more skilled nursing care. For information on nursing-oriented or assisted-living communities, see our findingDulcinea Long-Term Care Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
To learn about retirement communities …
Retireology.com
explains what a retirement community is and the types of residents that may live there. Read brief descriptions of the types of retirement communities available.
Seniorresource.com
elaborates on the retirement housing options available to seniors, such as modular home communities, congregate communities, "seniors only" apartments and many more. Scroll down to “Relocating Options” to read short summaries of the options, or click the headings to get more detailed information.
For specific types of retirement communities …
AARP
describes what continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) are, how they work, how much they cost and what you should know about choosing the right CCRC for yourself.
RetirementLiving.com
explains active adult retirement communities, leisure communities and independent living communities in this article.
Who knew?
Pacific Retirement Services, Inc.
explains that living in a CCRC might actually give you some tax benefits: the facility entrance fee and the monthly fee could be counted as medical expense deductions.
Finding and Choosing a Place to Retire
Finding a place to retire that caters to your interests and future goals is a big decision, and not an easy one to make. Consider how you'd like to spend your days—whether it's hitting the golf course or nestling into a mountain community—and then turn to the Web for help finding the city or state that will best suit your needs.
Dulcinea's Insight
- If you'll be retiring in a new state, official state Web sites can tell more about the resources, recreation and other important attractions available. Global Computing has a short list of facts and links to the official Web sites for all 50 states.
- See our findingDulcinea Moving Web Guide for online resources about finding moving service companies, moving supplies and packing tips. If you plan to buy a home in a new town rather than move into a retirement community, the findingDulcinea Home Buying Web Guide can guide you through the process of finding and purchasing a new home.
Dulcinea's Picks
For "best places to retire" lists …
U.S. News & World Report
has a search tool that ranks more than 1,000 potential retirement spots based on your personal preferences (health care availability, cultural activities, etc.) Ten of these locations made the editor's picks and were profiled more extensively.
Where to Retire Magazine
makes its focus clear with the name of its magazine. Try an issue of the magazine for free, and then decide if you'd like to subscribe. You can also request free brochures from the states, companies and organizations advertising in the current issue.
For community reviews …
TopRetirements.com
reviews cities and towns, and offers assistance with choosing a location that serves the needs of active adults. Subscribe to the free “TopRetirements eNewsletter” simply by submitting your email address. Check the "Tips and Picks" section for articles prepared by the site's editors that may help you select a town in which to retire.
For international retirement information …
Bankrate.com
urges you to consider the real financial implications of international retirement and offers a list of issues to keep in mind.
MSN Money
teaches you how to be successful at overseas retirement, and suggests locations to consider. Read the list of personal traits found in most people who retire outside the U.S. to help you decide whether overseas retirement is right for you.
Finding and Choosing a Retirement Community
Choosing a retirement community requires careful consideration of many factors, including your personal interests and hobbies, your health needs, your financial situation and your feelings about a facility once you've seen it in person. The following Web sites can help you find a retirement facility online, evaluate some of these factors and ultimately help you decide whether you'd like to visit in person.
Dulcinea's Insight
- For a hardcopy publication about selecting a retirement community, see “Worry-Free Retirement Living: Choosing a Full-Service Retirement Community.”
- Message boards like those available at 50Plus.com can connect you to other seniors discussing retirement. If you chat online, remember that nearly anyone can post on a message board or other forum. Take any claims you read with a grain of salt and make sure to check them against a reputable source of information.
Dulcinea's Picks
To search for retirement communities …
Retirement Net
places retirement communities into a more detailed list of categories than you're likely to find elsewhere. Search for active adult retirement communities, golf communities, RV communities, rental communities and many more. Choose the type of community and then the state in which you wish to search.
SeniorOutlook.com
lists independent living, continuing care and a variety of other adult living and care options. Search by city/state, distance from a particular location or facility name.
55-Alive
explores retirement facilities that cater to active adults. Search by categories such as state, type of community that you desire, the type of home you wish to live in or price of an average home. Glance at the "Community Index" page for additional profiles of featured communities.
To check a facility's accreditation …
CARF (Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities)
accredits retirement communities that meet its standards of quality. Search for CARF-accredited programs and continuing care retirement communities using the links provided.
For tips on choosing a facility …
MSN Money
offers an article on the "11 keys to choosing the right retirement community." Find helpful advice that offers some issues to consider and questions to ask as you review your options.
The Seniors Resource Guide
has a helpful checklist of questions you should ask and features you should look for when visiting a retirement community. This PDF form is printable and may be useful to take with you during your visits.
Paying for Retirement
Financial matters are a major component of any retirement lifestyle. Use the sites in this section to evaluate your financial needs and aid you in making your decision on where to retire.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Sales taxes may be part of your retirement living expenses. Bankrate.com has an interactive page to check sales tax rates in each state.
- For additional resources about paying for retirement, see the "Paying for Long-Term Care" section of the findingDulcinea Long-Term Care Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
Investopedia
offers advice about financial planning and money management before and during retirement.
CNNMoney.com
presents a variety of articles that discuss many financial aspects of retirement, such as "Income for Life," "Harvest a rich 401(k)" and "Can you retire early?"
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
