A lot of people dive into retirement only to learn there are a lot of things they never thought of. Don't let unanswered questions ruin your retirement dream. These five questions will allow you to make sure you are ready to get your retirement rolling.

Am I ready to retire?

Some people are ready to retire at age 62, while others decide to keep working until well in their 70s (and congressmen never seem to retire). When you retire is going to make a big difference on how much of a nestegg you need. So if you aren't ready to stop working, maybe you decide to put off retirement for another couple of years. Another option is to ease into retirement by going part-time, either at your existing employer or with a new career that is more of a personal hobby. No matter which option you choose, make sure it is the right one for you, so you can enjoy retirement without being discontent with your working situation.

What is my income plan?

Speaking of income in retirement, how much money do you plan on making or drawing in your retirement? For years, the rule has been that 4% annually from your portfolio will be enough to live on as well as enough to maintain a reasonable lifestyle, but that rule doesn't work for everyone. If the 4% rule doesn't work for you, consider taking out a SMALL amount more, or trying to cut expenses, so the rule will work. According to Holly Johonson from ClubThrifty.com, "If you get used to cutting unneccessary expenses early on, you can focus your retirement spending on living a fulfilling retirement instead of just paying bills."

Remember to count all your income. Income would include retirement savings, social security, investment income, part-time work or any pensions you may have.

People are living longer, so make sure you are planning for a long retirement. According to the Social Security Administration, the average "man reaching age 65 today can expect to live until age 84.3" and the average "woman turning age 65 today can expect to live until age 86.6."

What is my plan for health insurance?

More than likely you've always had your health insurance through your work, but what are you going to do when you're no longer working?

Medicare is an excellent option for anyone looking for affordable healthcare, but it doesn't cover everything. Jason Patterson from MedicareWallet.org tells us, "The average person going on Medicare at age 65 will pay $100 a month to have a Medicare supplement to complete their coverage, but this will vary greatly from state to state." Take the time to look at the Medicare options and alternative supplemental plans, like Medigap or Medicare Advantage, to make sure you have the coverage you need.

Do I have a will?

Speaking of your health, you aren't going to live forever, do you know what's going to happen to your estate once you pass away? Sure, making a will isn't the most fun thing you can do, but it's one of the most important financial steps you can take to make sure your family is not left with a mess. Most people seem to understand the importance of a will, but a Rocket Lawyer survey shows that over 50% of Americans will die without a one. Do not put your family in a situation where they have to deal with the government to decide what happens to your estate.

Do I have the right life insurance?

Speaking of death, have you thought about life insurance recently? Life insurance is one of the most important purchases for you and your loved ones. According to Dave Michaelec of TrueLifeQuote.com,"The purpose of life insurance to make sure that your family is taken care of if anything were to happen to you." This can include replacing income or just making sure that no one is financially burdened with your final expenses.

There are plenty of options for life insurance, even for someone getting close to retirement. Obviously, a 30-year term policy probably isn't the best bet, but a 15-year term is an affordable way to go. If you're close to retirement, your kids are grown, and there isn't anybody relying on your income, maybe it's time to switch to burial insurance and save yourself thousands of dollars.

Getting close to retirement?

Retirement is an exciting time of life. You've worked hard, and now it's your time to enjoy it, but don't go into it blindly. Without some planning, your retirement dream can fade into a retirement nightmare. Asking yourself a few simple questions can drastically change how prepared you are for retirement and give you the advantage you need to enjoy those years on the beach or out on the golf course without having to worry if you've done enough.

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We constantly hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but this is especially true for diabetics. For type 2 diabetics, it's crucial that you enjoy an excellent filling breakfast, but eating the wrong thing could be worse than skipping breakfast altogether. Because you've been asleep for the past 8 hours your blood sugar levels could be doing crazy things, which make eating breakfast even more important.

To safely manage your diabetes, there are several common foods that you should avoid eating, especially first thing in the morning:

Doughnuts

It's tempting to sneak a doughnut (or two) when your coworker has bought two-dozen for the office, but these sugary treats are one of the worst things a person with diabetes can eat early in the morning. Not only are they loaded with sugar, but doughnuts also have an enormous amount of carbohydrates. Sugar plus carbs equals a diabetic's worst enemy in the morning. While it might be tempting to indulge in your favorite doughnut in the morning with a cup of coffee, you'll regret the decision later.

Bacon

For most people, bacon is their favorite breakfast food, but for diabetics, it can be one of the worst ways to start your day. Because bacon doesn't have a ton of carbs, some might think it's a good idea to add it to every meal, but it can wreak havoc on a diet. The meat has tons of added calories with VERY little health nutritional value.

If you're craving some meat early in the morning, there are some better alternatives to the fat-filled bacon. Cooking healthier meats like turkey bacon or Canadian bacon is a much better option, but you should still be cautious of the quantity you eat.

Sugary cereals

According to a recent ABC News poll, a whopping 31% of Americans start their day with a bowl of cereal. It's quick, easy, and delicious. Plus there are hundreds of different kinds. But it can quickly turn a diabetic's day into a rollercoaster of glucose spikes. Skip the Lucky Charms and Frosted Flakes. Even if you think you're picking a "healthy" cereal, you probably aren't. Just about ALL of them have sugar and refined grains that can cause a diabetic's glucose levels to skyrocket.

If you're looking for a better cereal option, look for anything with whole grain as the main ingredient. These whole grains give you plenty of fiber to control your sugar levels throughout the rest of the day.

Instant oatmeal

Most people will find oatmeal to be the most surprising breakfast food on our list. The majority of Americans assume that oatmeal is one of the healthier breakfast items to choose from, but it can be one of the worst.

Instant oatmeal is typically flavored with additional artificial flavors, sugars, and tons of salt. While it's quick and easy to cook, it is a bad way to start your day with diabetes.

If you love oatmeal, but don't want the sugar spike, choose steel cut oats instead of the instant kind. If you're looking to spice up the oatmeal, you can add a few nuts, berries, and a tablespoon of cinnamon. Cooking the steel cut kind might take a little longer, but it will keep you from suffering those awful hyperglycemic episodes.

Pancakes

Who doesn't love a stack of fluffy pancakes with syrup? Pancake mixes are made of white flour, which is awful for anyone with diabetes. Aside from the huge amount of carbs, everyone drowns their pancakes in syrup, which is obviously loaded with sugars.

Still want to enjoy a nice stack of pancakes without wrecking your blood sugar levels? Go with a healthy whole-wheat recipe and go easy on the syrup. You can add a handful of blueberries and strawberries for added sweetness.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for diabetics. Living with diabetes is never easy. You always have to watch what you eat, but no meal is more difficult than breakfast. All of the easy meals you can grab on the go will leave you feeling worse than eating nothing at all. With a little preparation and planning, you can have a delicious and healthy meal to start your day off right.

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Kids are a beautiful part of life; they bring us joy and happiness like nothing else can.

As children age, it's amazing to see some of the traits, habits and behaviors they reflect from their parents. While it might be cute when they have their father's brown eyes, it's not as cute when they mimic his poor financial behaviors.

The ways parents spend money can significantly impact the ways children use their own finances when they start earning income.

Here are seven financial behaviors you don't want your kids to learn from you.

1. Not having a budget

This is one of the biggest mistakes your kids can learn from you. Not having a budget is like trying to build a house without having blueprints. Sure, you can do it, but the end product isn't going to look great.

The idea of creating a budget (and actually using it) scares a lot of families, but it's not as bad as you might think. With the help of a couple of apps, creating a simple-to-read budget has never been easier.

Apps like Mint are excellent for creating a quick and efficient budget that's easy to follow. Mint syncs up your bank accounts, credit cards and investments and displays all the information on one screen. The other nice thing about Mint is it tracks all of your spending and puts it into categories. It will even show you areas you are overspending in and give you suggestions on how to squeeze more money out of your budget.

2. Not having financial goals

If you don't know where you're going, you'll never know if you've gotten there. It's important your children realize you have financial goals. While you don't have to give them specific details, it never hurts to share some goals with your children. Tell them how many months you plan on paying off debt. Show them how you've broken down your goal of paying off your car to two years.

Teach them how some investments protect your family, your lives and your life goals. When you make financial plans with your spouse and you have a family depending on your income, it's critical to get life insurance and create a will. If you want to retire someday, you have to have retirement accounts in place and fund them regularly. Show your children exactly what you are doing to accomplish your overall goals.

When your kids start planning their own financial futures, they will be grateful you taught them and gave them real-life examples of what to do.

3. Buying with credit cards instead of saving

Using credit cards to buy everything is a relatively new idea. Once upon a time, people had to save up enough money before they could buy anything, which is what you want to show your kids.

There is nothing wrong with using credit cards for certain purchases or emergencies, but don't let your children think they can use credit cards to buy things they can't afford.

4. Living for now and not for the future

What child doesn't want a new car? What teenager wouldn't like a new cell phone?

Everyone wants something new and shiny, but teach your kids why waiting to buy something might be a better idea. Parents are just as guilty of living for now and not thinking ahead as children are, but if your children enter the real world with this mentality, they could end up with thousands of dollars of debt.

This behavior is easy to teach. The next time they ask for something, explain why saving money and using it for something more important is probably a better idea.

5. Buying something just because you want it

If I want it and have the money (or the credit card limit) for it, why shouldn't I buy it?

This behavior goes along with the last one. Before your children are responsible for their own incomes, teach them the difference between WANTS and NEEDS. Show them why buying everything they want isn't the best way to handle finances.

If it helps, tell them that if they want something, they should wait at least one day, and if they still want it after that, then they can go back and buy it.

6. Thinking debt is unavoidable

In 2015 the average American household had more than $130,000 in debt. This included mortgages, car loans, student loans and credit cards.

Debt has become so common that consumers don't even think about swiping a credit card or having several car loans, but this isn't what you want to teach your children.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with debt such as student loans or mortgages, teach your kids why most debt isn't a good thing. Many Americans have revolving debt, which is debt that just goes from one credit card to another; explain to your children why this isn't the best way to handle their money.

7. Keeping your finances a secret

Let's be honest - unless you've just won the lottery, talking about money is rarely ever fun. Many couples admit they rarely, if ever, sit down and talk about their finances. Don't be one of those couples.

Show your children why talking about finances is not only important but necessary. Keeping your finances a secret is not only bad for your bank account but bad for your family relationships as well.

Nobody ever said raising kids is easy. Between the messes, soccer games and homework, it can seem as if they will never move out, but eventually they will.

And when they do, it's your job to make sure they have the right financial behaviors to survive in the real world of salaries, credit cards and 401(k)s.

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From PTA meetings to soccer games and homework, having children completely changes your life. While you might want to pull out your hair most days, there are some health benefits to having children that most parents don't know.

Here are five ways that having and spending time with children benefits your health:

Improves mental health

Sometimes it might feel like your kids are driving you crazy, but they could actually be improving your mental health. A group of researchers at Taiwan's Mental Health Foundation conducted a study using 2,930 seniors. The research looked at the mental health of older adults, some with children and others without. The study showed that those without children had a significantly lower score on the questionnaire tests.

Another study from the Women's Health Aging Project in Australia looked at the effects children have on grandparents. The study followed 186 different women, 120 of whom were grandmothers. The study showed that the women that spent time with their grandkids once a week had improved mental health and less risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, versus those that did not spend time with children.

Improves happiness

Children can bring some of the greatest joy that you can't get anywhere else. Parents have always expressed that their kids are their biggest source of happiness, and now there are studies to back that up.

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research conducted a study using 200,000 parents in 86 countries across the globe. The research was done over an extended period, spanning from 1981 to 2005. The study looked at the happiness of parents over time and showed some exciting news for parents. Those age 40 years old or older with one to three children were happier than those without children.

For anyone over the age of 50, parents were happier than any couple without children. The author of the study, Mikko Myrskyla called children a "long-term investment in happiness," stating that as children grow older, the parents' happiness also becomes greater. The increase of happiness wasn't dependent on sex, income or partnership status.

Lowers your blood pressure

While it might seem like kids make your blood pressure skyrocket, a research study by Brigham Young University has revealed the opposite: that children may actually lower your blood pressure. The study looked at the blood pressure of 200 married couples, both men and women — some with and some without children. The data showed that the couples with kids had significantly lower blood pressure than those without children.

And lower blood pressure means lower medical bills and less expensive life insurance.

Helps you drop bad habits

After having children, many parents feel a deeper need to take care of themselves. Having a kid makes many people realize that a child is relying on them, which motivates them to drop bad, harmful habits — anything from smoking to eating poorly to not exercising.

Many parents say that they quit smoking after their child was born because of the harmful effects it could have on the baby and themselves. And many parents start driving slower to prevent accidents, or watching more carefully how they spend money (the desire to save money for college may have something to do with that).

Increases your life span

Having children could make you live longer than those who don't. There have been many studies completed that analyze the connection between life spans and having kids, some of which say that having children results in a longer life.

A recent study from Aarhus University in Denmark looked at 21,276 couples that did not have children but were going through fertility treatments between 1994 and 2005.

The data, which was released in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggests that men that wanted children, but couldn't have them, had a death rate that was doubled. For women, the death rate was four times higher than women with children. The study emphasizes, however, the fact that couples that do not have children voluntarily may not see the increase of premature death, unlike couples that want to have children but physically cannot. The researchers also explained that adopting children could reduce the chances of early death, but not as much as having a biological child.

Parents say that having children completely changes their lives. Children bring joy and a new meaning to life that most couples did not think possible before. But aside from the newfound joy, those children can improve your mental and physical health like nothing else.

The post Did you know this one thing you do is actually benefiting your health? appeared first on FamilyToday.

Type 2 Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. In 2014, there were over 21 million diagnosed cases of diabetes with an estimated eight more million undiagnosed cases. The number of new diabetes diagnosis every year is alarming, but what is causing all of these new cases?

Lifestyle choices are one of the biggest factors in being diagnosed with diabetes. Many Americans are increasing their chance of becoming diabetic without even realizing it.

You can drastically reduce your chance of diabetes with these lifestyle changes:

1. Don't skip breakfast

After you take a shower, get dressed, get the kids ready for school, and put your shoes on, who has time for breakfast? According to the NPD Group, 31 million Americans are skipping breakfast every morning. But skipping breakfast could significantly increase your risk of becoming a type 2 diabetic.

A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined the eating habits of around 30,000 men and the effects of eating breakfast versus skipping it. The results from the study showed that after calculating men's age and weight, those who skipped breakfast were 25% more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes than those that ate breakfast.

Tip: You don't have to sit down to a 3-course breakfast to reduce your chance of diabetes. Simply eating small amounts of food that are diabetes friendly before you rush out the door can do the trick. Grabbing a breakfast bar, piece of fruit, or eating a bowl of cereal could have a huge impact on your long-term health.

2. Stop being a night owl

All you night owls are at a higher chance of being a type 2 diabetic than those getting a full night of sleep.

Getting too little sleep can wreak havoc on your health. Less than 7-8 hours of sleep has been shown to impact negatively on blood sugar levels, and hormone levels in the body that can increase hunger. Not only do night owls tend to eat unhealthy foods, but they also tend to eat more food during the rest of the day.

Not only does poor sleep increase your chance of diabetes, but it also increases the chance of being obese or being diagnosed with cardiovascular complications.

Tip: Instead of staying awake all hours of the night, hit the hay early to make sure you get a full 8 hours of sleep. Getting the recommended rest every night will boost your metabolism, increase your energy, and increase your insulin resistance.

3. Stop binge watching TV

Television has changed the way Americans live. It has changed everything from sports, to the way we eat dinner. Families rarely sit around the dinner table and discuss their days; instead, they huddle around the television for hours to catch up on the latest sitcoms. The average American spends around 3 hours every day (some studies suggest as high as 5 hours) watching television. In fact, it's how 90% of Americans spend their leisure time. But all that time in front of the tube could be putting your health at risk.

While it's nice to unwind by binge watching your favorite TV show on Netflix, it's not the best option for your health. More than 2 hours of TV a day can increase your chance of type 2 diabetes by an average of 20%, according to a study completed by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Not only are those long hours watching TV bad for your health, but most people spending hours watching TV are also eating junk food, while enjoying their favorite show. Studies have shown a consistent link between Americans that watch several hours of TV every day and the amount of snack foods like chips, sodas, and candies.

Tip: Instead of coming home from work and cuddling on the couch, spend some time at the gym or going for a bike ride around your neighborhood. If you're going to watch TV, walk around your living room while you watch your favorite show.

Avoid the Risk

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States and complications from the disease account for more than 70,000 deaths every year. Millions of Americans are making small choices every day that are putting them in danger of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

This is not only putting a strain on the health care system it puts a strain on an individual's wallet. With higher prices for health insurance, life insurance, and the cost of medication, people with diabetes experience higher costs than someone without the disease.

Instead of binge watching a whole season on Netflix until four a.m. while eating a carton of ice cream, go for a quick walk before bed and resist those late-night cravings. You will stay healthier, feel better, and have a greater chance of avoiding diabetes.

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