As you save and invest for retirement, what are your ultimate goals? Do you plan on traveling the world? Purchasing a vacation home? Pursuing your hobbies?

People often think and plan for these costs. Yet, too often, many of us overlook what could be a major expense during our retirement years: health care.

By preparing for these costs, you can help yourself enjoy the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned.

Many of us may ignore the impact of health care costs because we assume Medicare will pay for everything.

But that’s not the case. In estimating health care costs during retirement, you may find that $4,000 to $6,000 per year per person for traditional medical expenses is a good starting point, although the amount varies by individual. Furthermore, this figure excludes the costs of long-term care, which can be considerable.

To illustrate: The national average for home health aide services is nearly $45,000 per year, and a private room in a nursing home is nearly $84,000 per year, according to a recent survey by Genworth, a financial security company.

So what can you do to help cope with these costs? Here are a few suggestions:

•Estimate your costs. Try to estimate what your out-of-pocket health care costs might be, based on your health, your age at retirement, whatever supplemental insurance you may carry and other factors.

•Know key dates. Things can change in your life, but try to identify, as closely as possible, the age at which you plan to retire. This will help you spot any coverage gaps before you become eligible for Medicare at age 65. Also, be aware of the seven-month window for enrolling in Medicare, beginning three months before your 65th birthday.

•Review your insurance options. Medicare-approved insurance companies offer some other parts to Medicare, including Part D, which covers prescription drugs; Medigap, which covers gaps in Parts A and B (in-hospital expenses, doctor services, outpatient care and some preventive services); and Part C (also known as Medicare Advantage, which is designed to replace Parts A, B, Medigap and, potentially, part D). You have several options for Part D, Medigap and Medicare Advantage, each with varying coverage and costs, so choose the plans that best fit your needs. (To learn more about Medicare and supplemental insurance, go to www.medicare.gov.)

•Develop a long-term care strategy. To meet long-term care costs, you could self-insure or purchase insurance coverage. To learn about long-term care insurance solutions, contact your financial advisor.

•Invest for growth and rising income. Health care costs typically rise as you move further into retirement, so make sure that a reasonable portion of your assets is allocated to investments with the potential for growth and rising income.

•Think about health care directives. If you were to become incapacitated, you might be unable to make health care decisions — and these decisions may affect not only your quality of life but also your financial situation, and that of your family.

Talk to your legal adviser about establishing a health care directive, which allows you to name someone to make choices on your behalf.

Health care costs during your retirement may be unavoidable. But by anticipating these costs, you can put yourself in a position to deal with them — and that’s a healthy place to be.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SHANKLIN: Prepare for health care costs during retirement

NOIRMOUTIER, France— Dressed in a genuine World War II nurse's uniform, Pam Coffield said she now understands what it's like to be a movie star.

"Everybody keeps asking to take my picture," Coffield said.

Coffield borrowed the uniform from the Baker Block Museum, where she is a volunteer, when she and her husband, Joe, joined Crestview's delegation to the French island of Noirmoutier, where they helped their hosts celebrate Saturday's 70th anniversary of France's liberation at the end of World War II.

She wasn't the only one dressed for the occasion. The Coffields' hosts, Jean-Paul and Dominique Brochard, and their son, Anthony, provided Joe with a recreated uniform identical to that worn by celebrated and unconventional "Black Sheep Squadron" leader, Maj. Pappy Boyington.

"You see where Dominique had to fix the length for me," Coffield said, laughing as he displayed about 5 inches hemmed up from the bottom of the khaki trousers he wore.

An intermittent rain during Saturday's victory celebration didn't damper the Coffields' spirits, nor those of an estimated more than 1,000 residents, visitors and dignitaries, including the Crestview delegation and Northwest Florida State College performing arts students.

As a brilliant sun illuminated Noirmoutier, which is Crestview's sister city, Pam and Joe Coffield, riding in Anthony Brochard's Willys Jeep, participated in a victory parade of restored war-era vehicles that, led by a Sherman tank, snaked around the island through all four towns and along its beaches.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview residents celebrate France's WWII liberation

Many people treat their lawn with an insecticide when they see mole crickets in the spring or at the first sign of a brown area in their lawn.

What they don't understand is the biology of this pest.

Mole crickets spend the winter as adults in the soil. As temperatures warm in late February and March, adult mole crickets emerge and begin to mate. Male mole crickets construct a chamber in the soil and chirp to attract female crickets. Attracted females fly to the males. After mating, males die and females fly to a suitable area for egg laying.

Mated females begin tunneling and laying eggs in the tunnels. They lay about four clutches of eggs in different areas, averaging 35 eggs per clutch. Female crickets die shortly after laying their eggs.

Use of insecticides during early spring is not recommended because adult mole crickets are not easily killed, they cause minimal lawn damage during the mating and egg laying process and re-infestation from subsequent flights is likely.

The best time to treat for mole crickets is during mid-June through -July, when eggs have hatched but before the nymphs (immature mole crickets) are large enough to do much damage. Proper timing of the insecticide application is important to achieve control.

If you are not sure whether mole crickets are present, you can find out with a soap solution.

Mix 1½ fluid ounces of a lemon-scented liquid dishwashing soap in 2 gallons of water in a sprinkling can or bucket. Pour the soapy water over an area approximately 4 square feet and count the number of mole crickets that emerge. It only takes several minutes for mole crickets to crawl to the surface after the soap treatment if they are present.

Repeat the process around the yard where you suspect mole cricket problems. If you flush an average of two to four crickets per site, treat the lawn with an insecticide. Follow up with spot treatments if any crickets escape the first insecticide treatment. But don't treat at all if there is no evidence of mole cricket activity.

There are a number of products for mole cricket control in home lawns. Look for insecticides that contain the following active ingredients: bifenthrin, carbaryl, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin or permethrin.

Before using any product for mole cricket control, first identify the problem as mole cricket damage by using the soap flush technique. Then choose an insecticide that lists mole crickets on its label.

Finally, read the container carefully for use directions, application techniques, irrigation requirements and precautions.

Larry Williamsis an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: WILLIAMS: Here's a soapy solution to monitor for mole crickets

CRESTVIEW — The Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Crestview is hosting the 7th Annual Dance for Life soon.

The evening of ballroom dance, to benefit Covenant Hospice, is at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 16 in Crestview High School's Auditorium. The event will feature amateur and professional dancers from across the Emerald Coast.

“Dancing is truly a celebration of life, and Covenant Hospice is all about quality of life, helping patients and their families make the most of every moment," said David Colon, owner of the local Fred Astaire Dance Studio. "It is such a worthy cause and a rewarding partnership for both organizations to come together for Dance for Life.”

Advance tickets are $15 for general admission and $30 for VIP admission, which will include premier reserved seating for the show and an exclusive post-event cocktail party. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $35 for VIP admission at the door the night of the event.

Tickets can be purchased at Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 301 N. Main St. in Crestview, or by phone at 682-1455.

There's just one change this year, but it shouldn't matter, Colon said.

“While we may not have celebrity performers flying in for the event as we have had in the past, I think attendees will be quite impressed with the amazing talent displayed by the professionals and students right here in our community,” Colon said. “It also allows us to return a greater portion of the event proceeds to Covenant.”

DID YOU KNOW?

•Covenant Hospice is a not-for-profit organization that provides services to patients and loved ones throughout life-limiting illnesses.

•Events such as Dance for Life help fund certain Covenant Hospice programs — bereavement services, children’s support programs, spiritual support services and charity care — in Okaloosa and Walton counties.

•Covenant Hospice accepts patients regardless of ability to pay.

•In 2014, the organization provided over $1.7 million in care for uninsured or under-insured patients facing a terminal illness.

For more information about Covenant Hospice or to make a hospice inquiry, contact the local branch office at 729-1800 or visit www.covenanthospice.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Dance for Life returns to Crestview, benefits Covenant Hospice

Mother’s Day is almost here. This occasion may have special significance for you if you’ve been fortunate enough to have your mother around for your adult life. So naturally, you’ll want to bring Mom some flowers or another gift.

But if she’s planning to retire soon, you may want to think about a longer-term way to improve her life — namely, by initiating a conversation about her retirement income strategy.

Of course, she may already have matters well in hand. But a great many people on the verge of retirement have not planned for those years, so you may be able to provide some valuable suggestions. Here are a few ideas:

•Boost contributions to retirement plans. If Mom is still working, urge her to contribute as much as she can afford to her IRA and her employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k).

The chances are pretty good that she will be spending many years in retirement — in fact, the average life expectancy for a 65-year-old woman is 20.5 more years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So she’ll want to accumulate as much as possible before she bids “adieu” to the working world.

•Discuss appropriate withdrawal rates. Encourage your mother to meet with a financial professional to determine an appropriate rate of withdrawal from her investments.

To help ensure that she doesn’t outlive her resources, she needs to avoid taking out too much during her early years of retirement.

•Take care of legal arrangements. If you haven’t already done so, ask your mother if she has drawn up the important legal documents related to her estate plans.

Does she have a will? Has she created a durable power of attorney, which allows her to name someone to make financial and health care decisions on her behalf if she becomes incapacitated?

As you know, this is a sensitive topic, so you’ll want to approach it with care.

•Evaluate Social Security options. Your mother is probably well aware that she can start taking Social Security as early as age 62, but will get much bigger monthly payments if she waits until her full retirement age, which will likely be 66 or 67.

But she may not know that she might be able to benefit from a Social Security “spousal strategy” that could result in her receiving more income than she could get by just taking her own benefits.

For example, if her spouse is the higher wage earner and can afford to delay taking benefits, your mother could eventually receive higher survivor benefits.

Or, your mother and her spouse could employ a “file and suspend” strategy. Under this strategy, her spouse, upon reaching full retirement age, files for retirement benefits and then immediately requests to have those benefits suspended. As a result, your mother can file for spousal benefits, which would be larger than what she would receive at her full retirement age.

To make sure they are making any Social Security-related moves correctly, though, your mother and her spouse will want to consult with a tax adviser who is thoroughly familiar with Social Security rules.

You want your mother to enjoy a long, happy and active retirement. So, talk to her about the moves she can make to help turn that aspiration into reality.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SHANKLIN: 4 ways to help Mom with her retirement income strategy