Most of my charitable contributions (taxes) go to Obama's government 

Obama & Company will decide how to spend my money.

Hmmm, the article never mentions the federal government, yet so many comments about the feds? Weird. I'm retired and I don't have much interaction at all with the feds. I do get SS, but I mainly live off investments and a company pension. I declined Medicare because I like my private insurance. We built a small house, large enough for our needs, thick walls and ceiling, spray foam insulation. With the metal roof, geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, rainwater retention system, our little rural Texas home has no electric, gas, or water bills. The small size keeps property taxes low for what's really a luxurious home. Every day needs like groceries,recreation​, doctor are within 15 minutes waking distance. Granted, I got so many residential energy tax credits from building the house that I haven't paid taxes in three years. Everybody has to plan their retirement their way, this article just says the obvious. Hey, try living a healthy lifestyle to avoid high medical cost!

< No. 6 > NEVER INVEST YOUR ASSETS (SAVINGS) WITH FISHER INVESTMENTS!

(PURIX), A Mutual Fund “Actively” Managed by FISHER INVESTMENTS (KEN FISHER, CEO and Principal Owner).  The Portfolios of FISHER INVESTMENTS “Private Client Group” Mirror This Data and Performance Returns!                       

DETAILS: 

Last NAV update 1/23/2013 4:00 PM ET                                    

CUMULATIVE PERFORMANCE OF $10,000:

 Year to date performance as of 1/23/2013 7:00 PM ET

PERFORMANCE:

* Annualized returns.  Performance as of 1/23/2013 7:00 PM ET           

PEER COMPARISON:

The Morningstar Rating for mutual funds, commonly called the "star rating," brings both performance and risk together into one evaluation. Morningstar adjusts for risk by calculating a risk penalty for each fund based on "expected utility theory," a commonly used method of economic analysis. Although the math is complex, the basic concept is relatively straightforward.  It assumes that investors are more concerned about a possible poor outcome than an unexpectedly good outcome and that those investors are willing to give up a small portion of an investment’s expected return in exchange for greater certainty.  A "risk penalty" is subtracted from each fund’s total return, based on the variation in its month-to-month return during the rating period, with an emphasis on downward variation.  The greater the variation, the larger the penalty.  If two funds have the exact same return, the one with more variation in its return is given the larger risk penalty.

The list is OK, far as it goes.  But they never ever mention the key part - YOU will have to live there for maybe a long time.  You better think about whether you LIKE the place you'll live in. And the key like is not the town, nor the building, but the inside of that place.

Presuming that you are able to or will be able to retire (and I feel greatly for all who really have little choice or ability to do so), the key thing to do is really THINK about it first.  There is NO one model for all.  But I'll offer you a clue: it will, unless you are extremely rich, be choices and alternatives and trade-offs.  I am retiring soon.  My wife and I have to make some BIG choices, as whatever we decide will hugely impact THE REST OF OUR LIVES.  We're in OK-to-good health, and have things we want to do, besides park in front of the tv. So... we could move to the Big City, where she came from (but I have zero use for the sirens, rude people, crowds, loud neighbors next door, or apartment living in general), or out into the country, where we always dreamed of having "a spread" (we love the idea of space, quiet, vistas - but know that would become way too much work soon...).  What we'll do is move to a small town and rebuild my dad's old house.  We'll get privacy, be close to good care and food, pretty peaceful, and, best of all, we'll have lots of control over our immediate surroundings into the future.)  Aside from doctors, services and food, your real considerations include: you WILL need more space than at first you believe (no, few of us actually will be happy for long constantly sitting on top of our spouse - having a little "his and her" space eases things, specially when you are old.), and... maybe bigger than most ever think of... you WILL end up spending more and more of your time INSIDE your abode. Fact of life.  So, I suggest that you do the best you can to make the space you'll spend your time in enjoyable for you.  Sitting inside a place you hate and staring out a window at a scene you hate will not be rewarding.  You may not have a lot of choice where you'll live, but take as much control of what you will live IN as you can.  You'll really appreciate this later on, when it's gray and rainy out, and you can no longer get out much!

Any place WILL cost - and you need to consider the value of your comfort and control of your surrounds against what you have to spend.  Us?  We would rather spend a little more of our nest-egg to have the (newly-rebuilt - thus pretty low maintenance for the next many years) house and control and comfort, and perhaps have to save and scrimp a little elsewhere, than MAYBE save a little but have to live with whatever neighbors and landlords and the surrounding scene you'll get - all of which can and will change more, and unpredictably, in the apartment/condo setting.

Just saying.