Guests: Fred Frostic, former member; Peter Swain, prospective member, guest of Jim Blackerby; Alison Tarzwell, daughter of Tom; Donna Vignali, prospective member, guest of Valerie Szlatenyi.
When paying with a Credit Card, fees approach $1 per transaction, Cash is preferred.
Announcements
Tom sent in the first round of donations from our club to support Rotary International charities. If you have not yet given, please do. The club goal is to contribute at least $100 per member, so dig deep.
The Board of Directors is meeting Wednesday, March 20, 5 PM at Easter Seals.
The next Leadership Program is Saturday, March 30, in Lincoln. See Tom for more information.
Chariho Rotary has asked our club to partner on a fundraising dinner on May 10. Tickets are $100 per person and each participant is expected to buy four tickets as well as contributing an item for the silent auction. After a brief discussion, the members decided not to take this on as a club activity.
New Members Proposed and approved by the Wakefield Rotary Board, Please contact Membership Chair Russell or President Tom with any concerns.
Second Notice, Fred Frostic, Former member of the Wakefield Rotary Club, Sponsor President Tom
First Notice, Peter Swain, Sponsor Jim Blackerby
First Notice, Donna Vignali, Sponsor Valerie Szlatenyi.
Thank you for your service above self!
Happy Bucks
Beth Leconte announced that a film about aging, “Life Well Lived” will be shown at URI, and she is happy that the contributions to the “little red schoolhouse” for Alzheimer’s research are adding up nicely.
Gene Corl is grateful that his granddaughter got a job offer at Baystate Medical Center.
Karl Mindunsky recently celebrated his 75th birthday and was skiing in the Alps.
Bob Cruz’s youngest son was accepted for his master’s at the Eastman School of Music, his first choice school.
Sandy Cutting paid a dollar because her picture was published in SORI.
Jim Buchanan just had his 4th grandchild.
Spencer Seitz paid a (borrowed) dollar for mentioning his business.
Nancy Kleniewski is celebrating the publication of the 5th edition of her textbook.
PROGRAM
Spencer Seitz on “Avoiding Potholes in Pre-Retirement Planning”
Spence introduced himself as the 7th place choice for speaker since he invited six people who turned him down. His theme was that starting early to plan for retirement and of course speaking to a financial advisor will help you avoid some potholes that may arise. He gave several examples.
Pothole #1: Public pensions. Spence outlined the case of a municipal employee who retired with an 80% pension and full medical benefits funded by a public employee pension fund. Unfortunately, the municipality experienced fiscal problems later on. The pension amounts were reduced and the health insurance was eliminated, creating a huge gap for the retiree who thought he was covered for life.
#2: Social Security. Self-employed people may be able to handle their employment and their spouses’ employment to make Social Security more beneficial. See your financial advisor and tax professional.
#3: Medicare. When you sign up for Medicare, your own situation will drive what you need and what you are entitled to receive. Some people do not sign up for everything they need and consequently cheat themselves. The South Kingstown Senior Center has good advisors who can help you fill out the forms correctly and understand all of your entitlements.
#4: Long-term care. If you bought a policy several years ago, it is probably robust, but the policies offered now are not as generous and need to be investigated carefully. One little-known option is if you have a 529 college savings plan, you can use the funds to pay for emergency long-term care.
Finally, not a pothole but a little-known benefit. Veterans who served at least one day of active duty during wartime are eligible for “Aid and Attendance” benefits. These can be used for home health care and other long-term health needs, and it also covers surviving spouses of eligible veterans.
Spence did such a good job of explaining the potholes that the audience had no questions!