On July 22nd & 29th: Healthcare & Financial Management in Retirement Classes at Triton College

Bringing a rare fusion of expertise in financial planning, various facets of retirement and gerontology, a longtime adjunct professor at Triton College is leading a pair of retirement-related classes over the next two weekends.

From 9 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, July 22nd, Jim Flanagan is teaching Health Care in Retirement at the college's River Grove campus. Registration remains open until the session begins. To register, contact Triton College at 708-456-0300, extension 3500. Material will be provided on the day of the class, and is included in the $20 tuition. There is also a $7 registration fee.

The following Saturday, Flanagan will teach Financial Management in Retirement, with tuition for that session also $20. Each class can be taken independently of the others; students are not required to attend both.

All material is provided on the day of each class.

In "Financial Management in Retirement," he will address how saving and investing near or during retirement is dramatically different from any other type of financial concern. For example, income, less risk and lower volatility in investments all become necessary components, yet too few people adjust their portfolios to align with these changing needs.

Founder of Bentron Financial Group and the non-profit Celebrating Seniors Coalition serving Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park, Flanagan is a Certified Estate Advisor. He has served on the national advisory board for the National Association of Financial and Estate Planning, and is also a Certified Estate Planner, Certified Senior Advisor and Registered Financial Consultant.

The Healthcare in Retirement course will help attendees navigate the complexities of Medicare Parts A&B, Medicare Supplements, Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, Medicaid and Long-Term Care insurance. Flanagan will ease the intimidation factor of these health-care options by educating students on the basics of each insurance plan.

Flanagan acknowledged that the details are so numerous "that people can get discouraged quickly" about their prospect of making sense of it all.

"As complicated as all of the options are, as daunting a task as it can be, if you break it into pieces, it becomes very manageable," Flanagan said. "That's what my session will do."

Against the backdrop of the economic crisis of recent years, it has become more crucial than ever before for retirees to maximize their fixed income, he noted.

That class will provide an in-depth look at various savings vehicles and investment products. Flanagan will teach attendees how to analyze income potential, risk and liquidity of various investment products. He will also advise students on tax favored retirement accounts such as IRA's, 401(k) plans and Roth IRAs.

"I'm giving tools for a new and different retirement than any generation has ever experienced before," Flanagan said. "This type of education hasn't existed in the mainstream before."

Saving and investing near or during retirement is drastically different from any other type of financial concern. Income, less risk and lower volatility all become necessary components, yet few people actually adjust their portfolios to reflect these changing needs.

Flanagan outlines the current and likely future changes in retirement and then advises attendees on how to take control of them. Students walk away with a better knowledge of how to create a comfortable, virtually stress-free retirement experience.

Chairman of the Oak Park Township/River Forest Township Senior Services Committee, Flanagan, through his estate planning and wealth management services, has been assisting senior investors for more than 20 years.

In addition to having a Master's Degree in gerontology from the University of Southern California, the father of three is pursuing doctoral studies in Leadership and Gerontology at Concordia University in River Forest.

He can be reached by email at jflanagan@bentron.com and by phone at 630-505-8375 or 708-386-3100. Online: http://www.bentron.com.