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50 years in 3 minutes

Great photos! How many do YOU recognize?

Sit back, turn up the volume and enjoy a review of 50 years of history in less than 3 minutes!

Click on the watch to view

Thanks to Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire" and someone from the University of Chicago with a lot of time to Google, you can watch historical events unfold from 1949 to 1989.

For more insight into these events and the reason behind Billy Joel's song, open the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Didn't_Start_the_Fire

Useful Resources for Charlotte's 50+

Active Adults & Active Seniors

¨ Charlotte Mecklenburg Senior Centers The Charlotte Mecklenburg Senior Centers provides health, wellness, social, economic and educational services and opportunities for the senior community and their families. There are four locations throughout Charlotte.

¨ Jewish Community Center Great resource for classes, outings, and community information

¨ North Carolina DHHS: Links to Other Aging Web Sites

¨ North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services Wealth of information and links to resources covering all areas of aging and health

¨ North Carolina Health Information

¨ Senior Living in Charlotte Designed to be a comprehensive guide to retirement communities for every senior living option

¨ Senior Grapevine Senior Grapevine is a unique communication tool designed to be an informative, community email bulletin service for the sole purpose of reporting senior-related activities and events to individuals, agencies, and companies who request such information.

¨ Shepherds Center in Charlotte A senior citizen’s center dedicated to mobilizing active older people as volunteers, to offering programs to encourage learning and to offering services to older adults to aid them in remaining securely at home for as long as possible.

Additional National Sites

¨ AARP Website of national organization for those 50 and older.

¨ Active Adult Communities Directory

¨ Administration on Aging The Administration on Aging's goal is to inform older adults and their caregivers about benefits available to them. Page provides many resources for helping and coping with aging concerns.

¨ AgeNet One-stop information source for older adults. Includes health, legal and insurance information specific to older adults.

¨ AgeVenture Reporting lifestyle trends of babyboomers and retirees.

¨ Aid & Attendance Pension for Veterans

¨ Aid & Attendance: Veteran Eligibility Link

¨ Alliance for Aging Research

¨ Alliance for Retired Americans Strong organization of retired seniors whose goal is to preserve, protect and promote the health and economic security of older Americans.

¨       American Society on Aging     Very valuable resource for accessing educational programming, publications and training resources for professionals in the field of aging. Good website for people involved with aging issues.

¨       American Associations of Homes and Services for the Aging

¨       American Geriatrics Society

¨       American Healthcare Association

¨       American Medical Association

¨       American Seniors Housing Association

¨       Assisted Living Federation of America

¨ The Baby Boomer Generation Open Topic - Baby Boomers Please Speak Up ... Baby Boomers, The Silent Internet Majority ...

¨ Boomers International - World Wide Community for the Baby Boomer Baby Boomers Fun Web Site, Social, History, Time line, Hippies etc.

¨      Center for Medicaid Information    Website for Medicare and Medicaid information

¨       Dr. Marion        An experienced, nationally recognized geriatric care manager.

¨       Elder Law: Information & Attorneys      Source of information with a focus on elder law issues. Locate an elder law attorney.

¨ Elder Law: National Academy (NAELA) Elder law services include legal, tax, medical, long-term care, Fiduciary Administration, Social Security, retirement benefit planning etc. Locate an elder law attorney.

¨ ElderWeb Virtual community of computer-using older adults.

¨ FirstGov for Seniors Think of this web page as the government at your fingertips. Contains the most comprehensive information for seniors and others looking for online resources related to governmental issues.

¨ Gerontology Society of America, The

¨ Go60.com Website devoted to helping seniors improve with age. Use the resources here to help you age well, wisely and successfully.

¨ MedlinePlus: Seniors' Health MedlinePlus will direct you to information to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus brings together authoritative information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations. Preformulated MEDLINE searches are included in MedlinePlus and give easy access to medical journal articles. MedlinePlus also has extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials, and latest health news.

¨ National Association of Area Agencies on Aging Umbrella organization for statewide agencies that provide services which make it possible for older individuals to remain in their homes as long as possible. Use this toll free number to help you or a caregiver locate services in your area: 1-800-677-1116.

¨ National Association for Home Care & Hospice

¨ National Association of Home Builders 50+ Housing Council

¨ National Association of State Units on Aging NASUA was started to promote social, health and economic policies for the aging population. Organization is comprised of 57 state and territorial government agencies on aging.

¨       National Caucus of Black Aged    The only national organization whose major focus is improving life for African American and low income minority elderly. Subjects covered include health and wellness and senior employment

¨       National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare    Website of grassroots citizens organization committed to the retirement future of all citizens. Useful information includes issues and actions, latest news on social security and medicare and an Email question and answer forum for all your concerns.

¨       National Council on Aging    National non-profit association of over 5,000 organizations and individuals who are dedicated to promoting the dignity, well being and contributions of older persons. NCOA's knowledge, creative ideas and research help community service organizations reach out to seniors in neighborhoods across America.

¨ National Senior Citizens Law Center The NSCLC is a national orgainization addressing legal issues for low income seniors and persons with disabilities. Their website allows you to find information on news, issues, and cases of importance for these older persons.

¨ National Investment Center for the Senior Housing and Care Industries

¨ Nursing Home Care Everything you need to know when planning for nursing home care

¨ Pulte Del Webb Communities

¨ Retirement Living Information Center

¨ Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The

¨ Senior Drivers Offers driving refreshers and fitness tips for seniors using streaming video. From the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

¨ SeniorLink National eldercare resource, referral and consultation service for seniors and their families

¨ Senior Site Online community for seniors and their families.Information on travel bargains, free books, and health news for senior citizens.

¨ Social Security - Benefits and Employment Explanation of the effect working has on Social Security benefits. Link available to the Social Security homepage for additional topics. 30.

¨ ThirdAge Midlife Health, Relationships, Career Advice, Technology, Investing, Travel and More

¨ TriCare - Medical Benefits for Veterans As a member of the military community, one of the most important benefits you've earned is comprehensive health care coverage. TRICARE is the Department of Defense's health care program for members of the uniformed services, their families and survivors. TRICARE also offers health care programs for retired servicemembers, including TRICARE Pharmacy, TRICARE Dental (United Concordia), and TRICARE for Life.

¨ U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Website of the Senate's Special Committee on Aging and their views, discussions and debates regarding the issues facing older Americans.

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Top 9 Reverse Mortgage Myths – Separating Fact from Fiction

RISMEDIA, January 20, 2010

Recent headlines pointing to the detriments of reverse mortgages aren’t getting the story straight. One of the nation’s leading reverse mortgage lenders, Generation Mortgage Company, wants to separate fact from fiction.

The top 9 most common reverse mortgage myths include:

Myth: If I take out a reverse mortgage the lender will own my home.

Fact: False. Homeowners still retain title and ownership to their homes during the life of the loan, and can choose to sell the home at any time. As long as the house is maintained and property taxes and homeowners insurance are paid, the loan cannot be called due.

Myth: My children will be responsible for the repayment of the loan.

Fact: False. Reverse mortgages are non-recourse loans. That means, if the property is sold to pay-off the loan when the homeowner passes away or decides to leave the home for other reasons, there will be no mortgage debt for the family and heirs to repay. The maximum amount owed is the current market value of the house. If the homeowner’s heirs want to keep the home, they would pay the balance in-full to the reverse mortgage lender.

Myth: I can’t get a reverse mortgage if I have an existing mortgage.

Fact: False. With enough equity, you may be able to pay off your existing mortgage or other debt with the reverse mortgage. The reverse mortgage must be in a first lien position, so any existing mortgage must be paid off. Seniors who take out reverse mortgages are free to do anything they want with their reverse mortgage proceeds. Paying off an existing mortgage is the number one reason most seniors take out a reverse mortgage.

Myth: Only low-income seniors get reverse mortgages.

Fact: False. Although some seniors may have a greater need than others for the monthly proceeds or lump sum funds reverse mortgages offer, most simply prefer to be free of monthly mortgage payments. Without monthly mortgage payments, many homeowners find they can maintain their existing quality of life and build their savings to help with future expenses. A growing number of people who have no immediate need are taking out these loans so that they have a financial cushion for future expenses.

Myth: If I outlive my life expectancy, the lender will evict me.

Fact: False. Reverse mortgage lenders put no time limit on how long seniors can stay in their homes. Since homeowners still own the property, lenders cannot evict them, provided they follow the program guidelines.

Myth: There are no objective advisors available to seniors trying to decide if a reverse mortgage suits their needs.

Fact: False. Borrowers are required to work with independent, third party counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in their local communities. This educational session helps them make the right decision for their unique situations.

Myth: There are restrictions on how reverse mortgage proceeds may be used.

Fact: False. There are no restrictions. The cash proceeds from the reverse mortgage can be used for virtually any purpose and borrowers should be cautious of lenders attempting to cross sell other products. Many seniors have used reverse mortgages to pay off debt, help their kids, make ends meet or to have a financial reserve.

Myth: Reverse mortgage lenders take advantage of seniors.

Fact: False. Seniors who have been victims of reverse mortgage lending schemes are extreme exceptions and typically victims of unsavory lenders. As a consumer, you should only work with lenders who are Better Business Bureau and National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) members and adhere to those organizations’ strict Code of Ethics and Standards for Trust.

Myth: I’ve heard I won’t qualify for a reverse mortgage because of my limited income.

Fact: Unlike a traditional mortgage where mortgage payments must be made each month, a reverse mortgage pays you. Because of this, many seniors who do not qualify for traditional financing are eligible for a reverse mortgage.