Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education

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March 2025

Editor's note: This issue of AROHE Matters highlights estate planning and its role in later-life financial and personal wellness and announces a new AROHE brief on estate planning. Have a topic of interest? See the link in "Tell Us Your Story" to suggest newsletter topics.

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*Tell Us Your Story
*About AROHE

President's Message

Cherie Hamilton

Dear AROHE members,

Thank you for your continued membership in our association. We are working to expand our programs and services as we continue to respond to your needs and interests.  Many of you are going through uncertain times as government cuts are occurring. As the go-to organization serving the needs of retirement organizations in higher education, we are here for you. We will try to provide workshops, programs, and webinars to help you navigate these challenges and continue to support your members as they transition to this new stage of life.

Upcoming Webinars

AROHE is hosting several webinars this year. The first is Reimagining Retirement, in three series. The first session was already presented and is available for review on our website. You can still register for the second session on March 11, Navigating Change: Strategies for Transitional Times, and the third session on March 25th, Personal Stories: Tips from Retirees on Managing Cognitive Health. Check the article in this news issue to register. We will also offer a webinar in April, from the AROHE Travel Institute, announcing the trips planned for 2026, with an overview of each itinerary, date TBD—an opportunity for members to travel with individuals from other institutions with similar interests.

Support for Existing and New Members

Our new Board is preparing a list of services to support our current RO (Retirement Organization) members as they enter this new stage of life, possibly including educational webinars and workshops. We also plan to expand our reach to recruit new retirement organizations and individuals to the AROHE family.

Thanks for being a member of AROHE. It’s a great organization and we look forward to working with you.

Cherie Hamilton
AROHE President

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Connections & Conversations: Notes from Valerie

As we embark on an exciting new year, I want to express my gratitude for your continued engagement in AROHE’s newest programming. Your involvement strengthens our community and helps us better serve retirement organizations and the individuals they support.

At AROHE, we are committed to understanding and enhancing member engagement strategies to ensure we meet the evolving needs of retirement organizations. As part of this effort, we have established four North Star Committees to guide our initiatives, and we invite you to consider lending your expertise to this vital work.

In particular, our Finance & Foundation Relations and Marketing & Communication committees would greatly benefit from your insights and experience. If you are interested in volunteering your time and expertise, please fill out our volunteer form, and I will be in touch soon.  Learn about more opportunities on our Get Involved page.

Board Retreat Actions

Our recent semi-annual retreat provided the new Board and Executive Director a valuable opportunity to shape AROHE’s future collaboratively. During the retreat, we developed a five-year strategic plan centered around a clear North Star and four key committees to drive our mission forward:

• Marketing & Communications
• Finance & Foundation Relations
• Research & Education
• Members & Constituents

Since returning, we have actively begun implementing the first-year priorities of this strategic plan. We look forward to engaging our members in this process and welcome your participation as we work to strengthen retirement organizations and the communities they serve. Stay tuned for more ways to get involved!

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Navigating Change

Join us for Navigating Change: Strategies for Transitional Times, where two esteemed experts will share valuable insights to help retired faculty and staff embrace this pivotal stage with confidence and purpose.

• Dr. E. Ayn Welleford (Associate Professor & Chair, VCU’s Department of Gerontology) will offer expertise in lifespan and adult development, drawing on her extensive research and practical experience.
• Dr. Katie Gilstrap (Associate Professor, VCU School of Business) will provide strategies from a marketing and consumer insights perspective, helping participants reimagine their next chapter with fresh possibilities.

Together, they’ll explore building resilience, finding renewed purpose, and navigating change with intention.

I hope you’ll join us for this inspiring conversation.

March 11th 10-11:15 a.m. PST, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. MST, 12-1:15 p.m. CST, 1-2:15 p.m. EST

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New AROHE Brief: Estate Planning Education Programs and Resources

The purpose of this Brief is to explain various approaches a retirement organization, large or small, can use to create programs and to provide information to their members about the critical topic of estate planning. The Brief discusses the potential content of such programs and describes considerations for planning such an educational effort. Real examples from retirement organizations are provided, along with valuable resources such as reading materials and websites. This Brief is not intended to be legal advice; AROHE encourages individuals to seek legal advice when preparing their personal estate plans.

AROHE Members can access the member only benefit in our Knowledge Center on the website.  You must be logged in to access the document.

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Life and Estate Planning - University of Minnesota Retirees Association.

The University of Minnesota Retirees Association (UMRA) has offered several very different sessions related to estate planning in the recent past. UMRA’s Finance and Legal Special Interest Group held a session called Life and Estate Plans: Life, Incapacity and Gifting. An estate planning attorney led the session, and it included information from our U of Minnesota Foundation, as well as on anatomical bequests. They also held sessions on Medicare alternatives and long-term care insurance, as well as finances in retirement. These were open to all members.

Taking a slightly different tack, our all-member Forum in January 2024 featured Pat Miles, a reporter and TV anchor. Her book, titled “Before All is Said and Done: Practical Advice on Living and Dying Well”, detailed her legal and financial struggles after the untimely death of her husband. They had wills and trust, yet implementing them in the fog of grief was overwhelming. Miles interviewed other widows with similar experiences and combined their stories with practical advice for planning. This book, along with viewing the video on UMRA’s website, will help retirees better understand why they need to make that first call to an attorney. 

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Getting Your Affairs in Order (Minimizing the Anxiety of Your Loved Ones

I read an article in UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Center Magazine titled “How to Make Your Death Kinder to Those You Love.” In this article the author, Cianna P. Stewart, recounts the aftermath of her father’s death, as she and her stepmother, attempting to settle his affairs, hit many roadblocks: disorganized files, a computer they couldn’t open for lack of a password, a safe-deposit key with no indication of which bank or branch it might come from.

The author expresses anger and frustration with the troubles her father left for his survivors. I have heard many similar stories in my role at the UC Berkeley Retirement Center and my work in the field of gerontology over the past 20 years.

Overcoming Inertia

When preparing your affairs in anticipation of your death, inertia is understandable. This is not just about organizing documents and understanding legalese. It can involve feelings of fear, grief, loss, and reflection on one’s life. But taking the steps to prepare your documents and document your wishes can help ease your mind and minimize anxiety and stress for loved ones.

One Step to Take

Creating a will, trust, advance directives, and sharing your wishes with a loved one, are essential steps to getting your affairs in order. Equally important is listing contact information for all your providers and accounts -- in one place where your loved ones can find it.

AARP provides a simple template, titled “Valuable Documents at Your Fingertips,” for listing your providers, account numbers, and other vital information. There are many password manager tools available which safely organize all your passwords in one place on a secure website, requiring only one password to access your accounts. See the SeniorPlanet article about this: https://seniorplanet.org/strong-passwords/. Also, creating a list of all of your important contacts can be an important part of your legacy.

For questions, contact Cary Sweeney at cary.sweeney@berkeley.edu, www.retirement.berkeley.edu.

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Why We Did Estate Planning - An Academic Couple Testimonial 

In the early 1980s, my wife and I learned from a friend about the new 401k retirement accounts that were being made available. We both signed up at our respective workplaces (she was a public-school teacher and I was a professor at the University of Maryland).

Over the years the plans evolved and changed multiple times, and by the time we were thinking about retirement in 1998, both of our retirement plans had splintered into a confusing array of accounts that we mostly ignored. About a year before we retired in 1999, we attended a workshop on retirement planning sponsored by the University. This was immensely helpful, teaching us how to balance our investment portfolio.

The workshop inspired us to plan more carefully, particularly about estate and tax planning. Based on that experience, we employed a law firm to set up a family trust. To estimate how much income and major expenses we might have in retirement, I created a spreadsheet that included housing costs, our pensions (both with COLAs), our potential investment income (before and after RMDs), federal, state and local taxes, etc. Based on those calculations we decided to change our official residence back to Florida, where we were both raised, buy a condo, and spend the winters there and the summers in our Maryland home. We ultimately hired a financial planner at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America and consolidated our banking and investments. We are now able to travel the world and enjoy our favorite hobbies. Here’s a link to one project -- https://terpconnect.umd.edu/~toh/ProfessorsGardenMay2024.pdf.

Tom O'Haver, toh@umd.edu

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Retirement Trends and Resources

Before All is Said and Done

For a culture that finds it difficult to talk about the end of life, Before All Is Said and Done is the roadmap we all need to navigate the practicalities of death while experiencing shock, loss, and grief. - Lee Woodruff, NYT Bestselling author

Before All Is Said and Done begins with the experience of author Pat Miles Zimmerman and her husband, Charles Bucky Zimmerman. Pat and Bucky were fully set for life but, regrettably, not set for death. After Bucky's death from an abrupt and short illness, Pat found herself with a plate full of unanticipated emotions, decisions, and legal problems.

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How to Prepare for Your Digital Afterlife 

How do you want your social media pages, smartphone photos and computer files handled after you die? While property and money distribution are usually at the top of the estate-planning list, don’t forget to leave instructions regarding your digital accounts and assets — so your survivors are left with more than just random bits and pieces and pixels from your online presence.

A New York Times tech tip offers a short guide to getting your digital material in order, as well as advice for dealing with the accounts of those who departed without leaving directions.

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Personal Estate Planning Kit - Saint Louis University  

Saint Louis University is fortunate to have dedicated alumni and friends who believe in our mission. In planning your future, many have found our Personal Estate Planning Kit a great resource. A proper estate plan is essential for everyone. The complimentary kit includes:

• A 19-page lesson book designed to help you understand the benefits of smart estate planning
• An electronic record book to guide you in collecting paperwork, taking inventory, and making decisions that you can provide to professionals when creating an estate plan or share with loved ones who may need future access to your important life documents

If you have any questions, please feel free to email SLU at plannedgiving@slu.edu or call us at 314-977-2357.

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At Home in the City: Growing Old in Urban America

To understand elders' experiences of aging in place, sociologist Stacy Torres spent five years with longtime New York City residents as they coped with health setbacks, depression, gentrification, financial struggles, the accumulated losses of neighbors, friends, and family, and other everyday challenges. These pages chronicle how a nondescript bakery in Manhattan served as a public living room, providing company to ease loneliness and a sympathetic ear to witness the monumental and mundane struggles of late life. At Home in the City strikes a realistic balance as it highlights how people find support, flex their resilience, and assert their importance in their communities in old age. At Home in the City: Growing Old in Urban America: Torres, Stacy

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Healthy People 2030: Health and Well-Being Over the Next Decade

Healthy People 2030 objectives help measure our nation’s progress in critical areas of public health — and serve as a reliable data source to support organizations and individuals working to improve health and well-being for all. Topic pages contain objectives related to a health topic or area of interest — so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. Find Objectives - Healthy People 2030 | odphp.health.gov

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Come Join Us in Transforming Retirement

Since 2002 AROHE has supported both institutions and individuals by transforming the experience of retirement – the preparation, the transition, and post-retirement programming – into a smooth and productive life-course change.

To renew, join or learn more, visit arohe.org or contact AROHE by emailing info@arohe.org or calling (530) 219-1049.

Tell Us Your Story

AROHE members are encouraged to submit stories that reflect activities, news and events from your retirement organization and campus that support retirees and highlight the value retirees bring to their colleges and universities.

The May issue of AROHE Matters will focus on Summer programs to support continuing connections and value for retirees during the summer months.

Articles are limited to 250 words. A relevant picture (jpeg or png) and web links are valued additions to any article.

Share your story for the November issue of AROHE Matters by Monday, April 21, 2025, to Patrick Cullinane, editor, at pcullinane@berkeley.edu.

We would love to learn topics of interest from our members! Please fill out our future topics survey!

About AROHE

AROHE's mantra is "Transforming Retirement."

At AROHE, we know that higher education retirees are assets of society who reinvent, NOT retire from, life; positively impact their communities; and contribute to the greater good.

AROHE champions transformative practices to support all stages of faculty and staff retirement, their mutually beneficial engagement, and continuing contributions to their academic institutions. By sharing research, innovative ideas, and successful practices, AROHE emphasizes the development and enhancement of campus-based retiree organizations and programs which support this continuing engagement in higher education.

Privacy policy: AROHE will never sell or give your personal information to sponsors or partners without your expressed permission. This permission is typically done as a part of an event registration where members and registrants "opt in" to receive email notices from a partner or sponsor. In this case a member or registrant's email address is provided to the sponsor or partner.

Copyright © 2020 AROHE. All rights reserved.
Contact email: info@arohe.org
Contact phone: 530-219-1049

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Meditative Moment

A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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