There's a facet to retirement planning often overlooked in the tons of advice we read on the subject.

Most experts forget to address the idea that many of us will opt to stay put exactly where we are prior to retirement: same town, same house, same neighbors. More than half my friends who have reached the age of 55 have made the decision to do just that.

Staying put requires a different sort of planning from the traditional advice. Individuals who elect to follow the typical path pull up stakes and trek to new homes in warmer climates, closer to their grandchildren, or part of a community of "mature" adults.

Planning for retirement for these folks usually includes selling their current family home and recycling the proceeds into a downscaled residence. Their standard of living might change radically, up or down. This requires crunching numbers to make them add up to the magic bottom line needed to fund monthly expenses. Or they might embark on quite a few trips for pleasure, both in the United States and abroad. This necessitates crunching more numbers and maybe adding a sporadic part-time job or two.

However, lots of Americans are getting fed up with the world of financial planners, declining real estate values, and rising medical costs. They suspect they should have gone back to school for a degree in economics just to understand the advice for which their financial planner, CPA, or tax prepare is billing them. And for their children, the thought of having to calculate living expenses at 60 when they're struggling to pay the mortgage at 30 is just plain overwhelming.

Enter another choice.

Many of my friends and former co-workers have chosen to stay in the communities where they lived at the end of their careers. They opted to do so because they're familiar with the cost of living there often to the penny. Many have paid off their mortgages. Planning for them equates to a balance between meeting financial needs and deciding what to do with the extra time they'll have each day as a retiree.

In an area surrounding a major metropolitan area such as Washington, DC, this path is more popular than packing up the family hound and heading off to another state to rest and relax. One big reason is access to top-notch medical treatment.

Retirees who remain also have great public transportation systems and are situated near one or more large airports. They have a ton of cultural opportunities available and wonderful places to eat. They can remain part of their church or synagogue and stay easily in contact with friends, former co-workers, and members of local retirement groups.

For the individual who plans to work part-time after retirement, the lure of staying put is particularly attractive. What better way to network than through the local contacts you established during your career?

No doubt about it, the Internet and cell phones have revolutionized retirement planning. They've made it possible for us to see photos of the grandkids moments after the children do something memorable. Relatives are just a phone call away all day long.

As a result, for many of us, planning for retirement means deciding on the best way to bloom where we're currently planted.

Learn more about this author, Vonda Sines.
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