Retirement

Greg Cantori plans to downsize when he retires. Really, really downsize. His retirement home is 238 square feet — one-tenth the size of the average new American house — and sits in his Anne Arundel County yard. He and wife Renee can hitch it to a truck and take it with them wherever they go. "It's so cheap — that's what's so cool about this," said Cantori, 52, who envisions a surf-and-turf future, alternating between the house and a sailboat. "We bought the house for $19,000.

More than a year-and-a-half ago, The Baltimore Sun stopped offering the app you are using right now. On May 23, the app was retired to coincide with the launch of our new mobile-optimized site. You may visit this new site at http://touch.baltimoresun.com . The site, accessible via any modern Web browser, was specially built for touchscreens and automatically adjusts to whatever smartphone or tablet you are using. Access to the “touch” site content follows the same model as our desktop site.

Sad to see that University of Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun is retiring today. As a Connecitcut native, I've had hours and hours of fun watching the team -- especially during the three national championship years. You have to live in a state without major league sports to appreciate the fanatacism of Connecticut fans, and the university's basketball teams command the most loyalty. On the Hartford Courant website, for example, the sports section offers the choices of "UConn Men" and UConn Women," and everyone in the state knows that refers to the basketball teams.

T. Rowe Price plans to launch a new series of 11 target-date retirement funds later this summer, the Baltimore-based money manager said Wednesday. Target date funds automatically become more conservative as investors age. Price began offering such funds in 2002 and they had assets amounted to $88.1 billion at the end of March. This original series is designed to provide income for a retirement lasting 20 to 30 years. The new series, called T. Rowe Price Target Retirement Funds, will provide income for a shorter withdrawal period.

It is with considerable sadness that I read Ann Egerton's op-ed piece of moving to assisted living ("Leaving home and heading for 'the home,'" July 5). Granted, my husband and I are both still in our 60s and in good health. For the past 35 years, we have resided in our Baltimore County home with its acre of lawn and gardens. But I witnessed my parents make a similar decision as Ms. Egerton and her husband when they moved from an independent home to a more communal, less independent setting.

- Johns Hopkins Hospital's Dr. Ben Carson tested the political waters Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference, where many said he would be a popular Republican contender for the White House. Carson's speech was met with several standing ovations - with the most enthusiastic applause following a veiled comment about his plans after retiring from Hopkins. And he ranked well in a straw poll, where he was on the ballot against nearly two dozen of the nation's most prominent conservative voices.

Thomas Firey of the Maryland Policy Institute offers a libertarian approach to economic security in retirement ("Better pension reform," July 27). Mr. Firey argues that because some Illinois teachers chose in 1998 not to take a "buy-in" for increasing their eventual pension benefits, Maryland state employees should be able to "buy-back" future pension benefits. The employees would receive cash now in exchange for benefits they would otherwise be entitled to when they retire, thereby reducing the state's long-term pension obligations.

According to a report out of Venezuela, former longtime Oriole Melvin Mora announced his retirement from major league baseball Thursday while in his home country. Mora, who will turn 40 in February, was released by the Arizona Diamondbacks last June after hitting .228 in 127 at-bats for the Diamondbacks. He said earlier this winter that he wanted to play again if he could find the right opportunity, but apparently that did not happen. Mora was traded to the Orioles by the New York Mets in July 2000 as part of then-GM Syd Thrift's fire sale.

Eileen Ambrose delaying Social Security from 66 to 70 to boost benefits after 70 by about a third ("Here's what you should know about Social Security," March 11) advocates. But there are factors this conventional wisdom overlooks. If one forgoes 100 percent of benefits for four years, he or she must live 12 years after 70 to break even. Will one live to and after 82, and how active one will one be after 82 to enjoy the extra funds? Taxable IRAs and 401(k)s are subject to Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)

I read with interest Eileen Pollock's essay about retiring to Baltimore ("Why I'm thinking about retiring to Baltimore," Feb. 17). My hat's off to her for espousing Baltimore's strengths instead of the usual (and frankly, tiresome) complaint about the city's high taxes. Look at what downtown Baltimore alone has to offer: Four colleges and universities, easy proximity via MARC train to the District of Columbia, museums, symphony, wonderful restaurants, two major sports stadiums, four Circulator bus routes providing free transportation (see if you can find that in Manhattan)

During a career spanning four decades, Baltimore police Officer Ron Starr says, he never really considered leaving the department's Southeastern District and moving up the chain of command. "I never wanted to," Starr said, a longtime foot patrol officer. "I'm not knocking what they do, because we need administrators, but when you put three stripes on, you're not out there working with street, and I've had a love affair with the street for 38 years. " Starr, who is single, flashed a silver band with a blue line that he wears on his ring finger.

Anne Arundel County's Circuit Court judges this week began the process of selecting a new state's attorney to replace Frank R. Weathersbee, who is retiring to accept a gubernatorial appointment to the state Parole Commission. But as the application process opened, Anne Arundel Republicans leveled criticism at Weathersbee, alleging that he's "interfering" in the judges' choice by supporting one of his deputies to take over. "The State's Attorney's efforts to skirt not only the democratic process, but also a fair appointment process, are nothing but 'inside baseball' politics at their worst," said Alan Rzepkowski, chairman of the Republican State Central Committee of Anne Arundel County, in email remarks.

This was for every guy who ever had a mid-life crisis and tried to do something nobody thought could be done. Fifty-year-old Jockey Gary Stevens took Oxbow to the front early and never looked back on the way to an upset victory in the 138th Preakness Stakes that was truly one for the ageless. Oxbow was a 15-1 shot when he left the gate, and he wasn't the one beating the longest odds at Old Hilltop on Saturday. Stevens became the first grandfather ever to win a Triple Crown race, and he did it against a Kentucky Derby winner - Orb - that was considered almost unassailable.

Troubled inside linebacker Rolando McClain informed Ravens officials Wednesday that he will retire from the NFL, a decision he reached before participating in one practice with his new team. McClain signed with the Ravens on April 12, was arrested just nine days later and then made the surprising decision Wednesday to call it quits on his playing career at the age of 23. Taken eighth overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2010 draft, McClain played just three seasons, his career marred by on-field inconsistency and off-the-field legal issues.

Carmel Quinn, a homemaker and volunteer, died of a heart attack Sunday at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center. The Timonium resident was 83. Born Mary Katherine Carmel Fay in Belturbet, in County Cavan, Ireland, she moved to Baltimore in 1952 after her marriage to Dr. Michael Kevin Quinn, a physician and general practitioner who was also born in her hometown. She worked as a receptionist briefly at Mercy Medical Center after moving to Baltimore. Mrs. Quinn lived in the Hampton section of Towson for many years and played tennis with friends and neighbors.

When Dr. Charles Brown first looked into taking the athletic director job at UMBC in 1989, the Brooklyn, N.Y., native wasn't real savvy about the school. "I thought it was a military base when I showed up," he said with a chuckle. "It said UMBC. I didn't know what it was. I lived near USMA, the U.S. Military Academy [at West Point] when I lived in New York. " Now, after 24 years at the school, he's retiring as the longest-tenured Division I athletic director in Maryland history and the driving force behind UMBC's greatly enhanced profile in both intercollegiate and club sports.

What our reporters and columnists are saying about Ray Lewis announcing his retirement today: Jeff Zrebiec, reporter: The timing on Ray Lewis' announcement, to me, is overblown. After 17 mostly dominant seasons, he has earned the right to go out however he wants to go out. And if there is anybody that deserves the ovation and the adulation that Lewis will get the rest of the week and especially on Sunday, it is Lewis. Was Lewis' career is Baltimore spotless? No. Any summation of his career has to include his legal issues in Atlanta.

How much in savings and investments should you have by age 35 or 45? Or, for that matter, at 65 when you're likely to be near retirement? If you don't know, you have plenty of company. So many figures are bounced about that it's often difficult for people to know what's the right amount. Many workers end up saving what they can and hoping for the best. That's why some financial advisers now use a simple yardstick to help clients quickly see how they measure up. It suggests the amount of savings and investments you should have in relation to income at different ages.

David Waldemar Gjerde, a retired Procter & Gamble executive who became a restaurant investor and consultant to his sons, Spike and Charlie, died of a heart attack May 2 at his Cockeysville home. He was 75. Born in Mankato, Minn., he was the son of Waldemar Gjerde, an engineer, and the former Ferne Sorenson, a church organist. Raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa, he earned an engineering degree from the University of Iowa. He served in the Army National Guard. He joined Procter & Gamble in Iowa and moved to Maryland in 1968 with his wife, the former Alice Silletto, and their two sons.

Amy Michelle Gross has been appointed to replace Robert W. Schaefer as executive director of the France-Merrick Foundation, the Baltimore-based charity announced Tuesday. Schaefer is retiring after 17 years leading the area's fourth largest charitable organization with more than $200 million in assets. Established in 1959, the foundation is charged with improving Baltimore's quality of life. "It is a bittersweet time for our foundation," said Wally Pinkard, president of the France-Merrick Foundation, in a statement.