• RetireHub
  • Posts
  • Long-Term Care Insurance: When to Buy

Long-Term Care Insurance: When to Buy

Trivia: Measured by surface area, what is the world’s largest inland body of water?

In partnership with

Trivia: Measured by surface area, what is the world’s largest inland body of water?  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Hands Down Some Of The Best 0% Interest Credit Cards

Pay no interest until nearly 2028 with some of the best hand-picked credit cards this year. They are perfect for anyone looking to pay down their debt, and not add to it!

Click here to see what all of the hype is about.

Long-Term Care Insurance: When to Buy

Planning for the future can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to health and finances. One topic that often comes up for older adults is long-term care insurance—a type of coverage designed to help pay for services like in-home care, assisted living, or nursing facilities when daily activities become difficult. But the big question many people ask is: When is the right time to buy it?

Long-term care is expensive, and relying solely on personal savings or family members can put a heavy burden on everyone involved. That’s where insurance steps in. By paying premiums now, you can potentially save yourself and your loved ones from significant costs later. However, timing matters.

Experts often recommend considering long-term care insurance in your mid-50s to early 60s. At that age, you’re typically healthy enough to qualify for coverage and can lock in lower premiums before health issues appear. Waiting until your late 60s or 70s can mean higher costs—or even being denied coverage if certain medical conditions are present.

That said, it’s not just about age. It’s about your overall health, financial situation, and family history. For example, if you have relatives who needed extended care, you may want to plan earlier. On the other hand, if you’re in excellent health and have strong financial resources, you might delay a few years.

It’s also important to shop around. Policies vary in cost, coverage length, daily benefit amounts, and inflation protection. Talking with a trusted financial advisor can help tailor a plan that fits your needs and budget.

In the end, long-term care insurance isn’t right for everyone, but for many it provides peace of mind. It ensures that if you need help with everyday activities down the road, you’ll have choices in the kind of care you receive—and you won’t have to worry as much about draining your savings or depending solely on family.

The bottom line: The “sweet spot” for buying is often before health problems arise, when you’re still in your 50s or early 60s. But the best time is whenever you feel ready to secure your future and protect your independence.

When do you think is the best time to consider long-term care insurance?

From the RetireHub Archives: What kind of exercise community would you be most excited to join?

Looks like lacing up a good pair of walking shoes is the clear favorite—nearly 4 in 10 readers said they’d be most excited to join a neighborhood walking group. Gentle yoga and tai chi came in strong too, with many drawn to their calming, low-impact style. Water aerobics splashed into third place, showing the pool is still a popular place to get moving. Dance groups and online options had their fans as well, proving there are plenty of fun ways to stay active—whether it’s side by side with friends or from the comfort of home.

OUR FAVORITE COMMENTS

  • “I enjoy 3 walks a day with our little dog Clyde. Also enjoy a Bone Builder class, at the local Senior Center. Love keeping active!”

  • “I am in a cross fit group for people 60 and older. The coach is great she will modify the workout to your ability.”

  • “I meet with a friend and attend a different exercise class 5 days a week at the local YMCA.”

 

Poly-Reading After 60: How Multiple Books Can Jump-Start Your Aging Brain

When we think of reading, many picture sticking to one book at a time—but exploring several books in different formats can actually help keep your brain sharp well into your later years. Frances Brown explores the idea of being a “poly-reader,” someone who juggles multiple books at once—perhaps a print book, an ebook, and an audiobook—and how this habit isn’t just indulgent, but possibly beneficial for your cognitive health.

Physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks each activate different pathways in the brain. Reading text in print tends to engage more “natural” reading circuits in the brain, while electronic text stimulates other areas. Listening to narration—with audiobooks—adds yet another dimension of brain activity.

Reading more than one book at a time can come with unexpected perks. For many poly-readers, it increases enjoyment of reading, sparks new insights, and allows ideas or themes from different books to intersect and resonate in surprising ways. For those over 60, this variety can help maintain mental agility, widen perspective, and keep the mind engaged without overwhelming it.

READ MORE

 

Follow us on Social Media!

Join an online community thriving in retirement! Find us on:

Every day we post retirement tips, highlights from our newsletter so you can comment and discuss in the community, and some fun retirement-themed motivation!

 

Slang Phrase of the Day

Phrase: Memory Pop

Meaning: A “memory pop” is the sudden and often vivid recall of a past event, sound, smell, or image that seems to come out of nowhere. It’s like a little bubble of nostalgia rising to the surface, sparked by something familiar—a song, a photo, or even the scent of fresh-baked bread.

In a sentence: "During our afternoon walk, the smell of jasmine gave me a memory pop of my childhood backyard, and for a moment, I could see it all as if I were there again."

 

Good News of the Day

Athens Is Turning its Old Airport into One of Europe’s Largest Parks

A former Athens airport site is set to host one of the continent’s most ambitious urban greening projects. Called the Ellinikon Park, it won’t only add an unforgettable attraction to the birthplace of Democracy, but also a shaded refuge for residents of the continent’s hottest city. The park will stretch over 400 acres along the […]

READ MORE

 

Top Deals From Around The Web

We find the best daily online deals so you don't have to!

CHARMKING Compression Socks for Women

🧦 50% OFF — CHARMKING Compression Socks for Women & Men Circulation (3 ($8.99)

napfun Neck Pillow for Traveling

🧳 46% OFF — napfun Neck Pillow for Traveling, Upgraded Travel Neck Pillow ($11.86)

Under Armour Men's Charged+ Assert

👟 25% OFF — Under Armour Men's Charged+ Assert 11, 002 Black, 10.5 ($55.89)

🖼️ 23% OFF — Digital Picture Frame, Frameo 15.6'' Digital Photo Frame WiFi ($99.96)

🍳 Instant Pot Duo 6 Qt 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

The soundtrack to your morning coffee

Every song you grew up with, ad-free and on demand. Amazon Music Unlimited has a free trial — build a playlist of your favorites and cancel anytime if it's not for you.

Start your free music trial
 

Other Publications We Like

Check out these other email newsletters we think you’ll enjoy!

 

RetireHub Trivia

Want more trivia? Play our “Nostalgia Trivia Game” on our site! We add fresh questions daily, so there’s always something new to test your knowledge.

Not into trivia? No worries! We’ve got plenty of other fun games to enjoy, like:

The oldest known dated printed book — the Diamond Sutra — was produced in which year?

Jonas Salk’s inactivated polio vaccine was declared “safe, effective, and potent” and announced to the public in which year?

Measured by surface area, what is the world’s largest inland body of water?

A QUICK ASK: First off, thank you for reading RetireHub every day. It fills our cup that so many thousands of people get joy from our little publication.

As you know, good content costs money. In order to continue supporting ourselves and to continue delivering the content you enjoy every day, we need to pay our writers. If you can, we ask you to subscribe to our paid account (for $5/month - less than a cup of coffee!) below.

If you choose to purchase a paid subscription, please know you’re supporting not only our publication, but tens of thousands of other 50+ year old Americans that get joy, entertainment, financial tips, and more from RetireHub every single day.

If you don’t join the paid plan (or can’t), no worries at all. We know times are tough. Thank you for being a part of our tiny, joyful part of the Internet.

- Jay

Support Our Writing

**RetireHub may receive affiliate compensation for links clicked within this newsletter.

***RetireHub may share poll results with advertisers.

Join RetireHub — it’s free

Together with Soft Landings

Cover of Soft Landings: Spiritual Wisdom Book 1 by Jerry McDaniel

Spiritual wisdom from a man given a second chance at life

In January 2020, Jerry McDaniel had a heart and kidney transplant and spent 238 days in the hospital. Now 71, he's turned that second chance into Soft Landings: Spiritual Wisdom Book 1 — a collection of calm, uplifting reflections written for readers in their 40s and beyond.

It's a non-fiction spiritual book with a metaphysical bent: everyday stories and gentle messages about navigating loss, fear, and uncertainty with an open heart. The sub-chapters are short by design, so it works as a quick read you can pick up for a few quiet minutes at a time.

The Kindle edition is $9.99, and it's rated 4.9 stars on Amazon.

A light in the fog, a few pages at a time.

Read Soft Landings on Amazon →

🏆 Best Poll Reply of the Week

After you vote in today’s poll, tell us why in the comment box. Every week our editors pick the best written reply, and the winner gets a $25 Amazon gift card. We’ll email the winner directly and may share the winning reply (first name and last initial only) in a future issue.

No purchase necessary. US residents 18+. Official rules.