Financial Trackers

I like to manage and track my finances myself instead of paying someone a lot of money to do a relatively simple task. For major investments, I use mutual funds that have very low management fees and have better growth over time than that of any financial firm. The online services of major mutual fund groups offer all the information and analysis iI need

For over 20 years, I’ve used Quicken software to track all my finances and keep track or net worth. It’s been very useful, but it's always had a lot of features I don’t need or use. Over the years it’s become slow and prone to problems, but I stuck with it because it was familiar with it. However, under new ownership, it has switched from being an application you could use for years to an overpriced annual online subscription, so in January I began evaluating some top FREE online money managers. I narrowed the choices to three, Mint (owned by Intuit, the old owners of Quicken), Personal Capital, and the Money Manager provided to Truliant Credit Union members (other credit unions also offer money managers to members).

I used all three trackers simultaneously for a few months to evaluate them. Personal Capital ads and phone calls can be annoying and it doesn’t allow you to split transactions into different categories or delete them. If you don’t need to track your spending closely, then it's okay. Truliant Money Management is easy to use and has no ads. It lets you split transactions but not delete them. Mint has ads but they are unobtrusive. You can split transactions and delete them. It automatically updates your home and vehicle values. Although the Truliant tracker is a good choice, overall, all I like Mint the best and have been using it as my sole financial tracker for the last 6 months.

I got the call!!

After 35 years of planning for retirement living, 5 years of touring retirement communities in the triad area and lots of research and analysis on the subject, I finally got the call.

In February 2019, I will be moving into the Salemtowne Retirement Community in Winston-Salem NC.

I will be posting updates (under the My Quest topic in the menu) about my experiences during my transition from a house to an apartment in an independent living retirement community. Once I move in, I'll be adding more information to the blog about what its like to live in a CCRC and I'll create a page of tips for Salemtowne residents, some of which may be useful for residents of other CCRCs.

A new concept in residential living for those suffering with dementia

Dementia village, a new concept in residential living for patients with dementia, started in 2009 in Norway. The Hogeweyk (from the Hogewey nursing home) is a specially designed, self-contained,  residential neighborhood with 23 homes where 152 elderly people with dementia live in maximum privacy and independence in a lifestyle similar to that with which they are familiar. There are 7 lifestyles available: city, Goois, domestic, Christian, traditional, Indian, and cultural.

With the assistance of staff, the residents run their own households to the best of their abilities. In the neighborhood are streets, squares, courtyards and a park where the residents can walk safely in freedom. The neighborhood has various facilities including a restaurant, café, supermarket, and a theater. Interacting in this type of environment appears to trigger memories in the patients and helps slow the progress of dementia.

The dementia village concept is spreading around the world. The first village in the United States, Town Square, a new adult daycare facility using this concept, is opening in San Diego, California. The facility represents a "town" from the years 1953-1961. It encompasses 8,500 square feet with 24 buildings and 12 storefronts — including a diner, post office, barbershop, pet store, library, museum, and a movie theater. Dementia patients will be able to spend the day exploring the facility independently, in small groups or with their families. The facility offers a secure environment, under the watchful eye of dementia care professionals operating the storefronts and other businesses and interacting with the patients throughout the day.