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When stuck inside in winter because of the cold, ice and snow, it’s an opportune time to chill and do what you normally don’t have time to do.  You can veg out or be really productive—and try new things. You'll be surprised how terrific you will feel after tackling a new recipe for paella or buche de noel, soaking for an hour in a hot tub, cleaning and dusting your bookshelves which you haven’t had time to do in a year, working on that novel which you’ve been writing in fits and starts in your head, or just sitting on...

As the atavistic adage goes: “With age comes wisdom” if you look and listen well. Old age may suck as you watch your parents' friends and family members die and as their own bodies break down if they're lucky enough to reach their Eighties and then Nineties.  I know this firsthand. I have watched my mother hit 80, 85, 90, 95, and soon 97! How remarkable, my friends say. And I know I’m lucky to have her around. However, it's become an increasingly time consuming second job for me to be there emotionally and physically, socially, even if not financially,...

by Jaime Goodman,  CDFA®, CRPC®Senior Vice President-Wealth Management & Senior Financial Advisor The Goodman Group, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. White Plains, NY  In a divorce, it's bad enough that you lose someone you once loved or may still love. It’s even worse when you learn you may lose your house.  Finding a replacement won't be easy. After all, lenders tend to give mortgage loans to people with good credit and a steady income stream. If you were previously a two-income household, you aren't now. If you're paying alimony, you have less money than you did. If you're receiving...

Complaints about the sharing economy have come down like someone on a high who's going through withdrawal. There are prejudiced hosts who exclude people from booking homes because of race, religion, or sexual preference. Other hosts suck valuable revenue and guests from hotels and B&Bs. Neighbors become outraged about strangers lurking in their 'hood.  Today, everybody's a critic, yet nobody is focused on what hosts of the most stylish homes need to rate five-star reviews from today's most discerning guests. In the spirit of transparency, those well put together houses don't morph out of nowhere or even from the brains...

Usually, we have a roomful of women attending our talks and signings about becoming Suddenly Single after 50: The Girlfriends’ Guide to Navigating Loss, Restoring Hope, and Rebuilding Your Life, based on our book by that title and our weekly blog, www.lifelessonsat50plus. Occasionally a guy attends, often to be supportive of a female friend. But weren't we surprised--and delighted--the other day when a talk in Barbara's hometown brought forth several guys, and one asked a very touching question:  Question: I'm a widower; I lost the love of my life, and I don't know how to move forward. What advice can...