Hot Topics: Aging in Place or Stuck in Place?

Boomers who opt to "age in place" may end up stuck in place without the necessary means to get around once they get too old to drive, according to a new study. By 2015, more than 15.5 million Americans 65 and older will live in cities where access to buses, subways and other public transportation is poor or nonexistent, according to the Aging in Place, Stuck Without Options report, compiled by the Center for Neighborhood Technology.

Atlanta ranked worst of any metro area with more than 3 million people; in four years, 90 percent of seniors there will live in areas with poor access to any transportation means other than driving, according to the report.

Other cities predicted to have high percentages of seniors with limited access to public transportation include Montgomery, Ala., Augusta, Ga., Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Fort Worth-Arlington, Nashville, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif., Houston and Detroit.

The report was compiled as part of the Transportation for America campaign created by a coalition of public and private groups to promote federal government legislation supporting public transportation.

Creating Caregiver Contracts: Speaking of aging, more adults who shop, drive or provide other care for older parents are doing it for pay, under so-called "caregiver contracts," according to this Reuters report. The contracts have been spawned by economic hard times and a change in the law that made it harder for seniors to give away assets to qualify for Medicaid benefits. If your family is considering such an agreement, treat it like any other job: Set up weekly or other regular payments and make sure Social Security and other taxes are withheld, according to the report.

How to Get Rich: A million dollars doesn't go as far as it used to. Four in 10 millionaires responding to a recent Fidelity Investment survey said they wouldn't feel "rich" without $7.5 million in assets. So how does one get rich these days? Jeremiah Sullivan, professor emeritus of international business at the University of Washington, shared the following maxims with MSN Money: Start a business that sells something directly to consumers, and use it to build up a brand; borrow like crazy -- there's no downside; sell simple high-margin items, like potato chips; and sell something that's mostly water, which is plentiful and cheap. Oh, and also -- be prepared to work hard and make a lot of sacrifices.

Companies Reinstate 401(k) Matches: Companies are starting to reinstate matches to 401(k) retirement savings plans that were cut during the recession to save money, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, some companies are contributing less, linking contributions to profits or making employees save more before they'll make a contribution. UPS, for example, used to match 100 percent of what an employee socked away, up to 3 percent of eligible pay; now it's 2.5 percent up to 5 percent, according to the report. More companies are tying 401(k) contributions to performance because they don't want to have to take away benefits again in the future, Shawn Fegley, a research analyst with the Society for Human Resource Management, told the paper. "If they have a terrible 2011 and have to take away matching contributions again, it doesn't send a good message to the work force," he says.

Don't Let Failure Get You Down: At 47, Conan O'Brien is a failure, but that's OK with him. "My generation of comedians wanted to be David Letterman. And none of us are. My peers and I have all missed that mark in a thousand different ways," the comedian told Dartmouth graduates in a commencement speech this week. "It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It's not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound reinvention." In the speech, O'Brien said he thought he'd reached the Holy Grail of comedy when he became host of The Tonight Show in 2009. He ended up walking away seven months later (and $45 million richer) after NBC announced plans to reinstall Jay Leno in his time slot. "No specific job or career goal defines me, and it should not define you," O'Brien told grads. "Today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality."

Ending on a High Note: Talk about going out with a bang. Marc Recchi, the oldest active player in the National Hockey League, led the Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup victory Wednesday before announcing his retirement. The 43-year-old right wing scored 577 regular-season goals and assisted on 956 others in a 22-year career that included three Stanley Cups. Of the Bruins' seven-game series win over the Vancouver Canucks, Recchi told The New York Times: "We stuck together and did it. They kept me young."

TED Talks on Aging: Inventor Ray Kurzweil discusses the transformative power of technology, researcher Rachel Sussman reveals the oldest living things on earth and Ed Ulbrich discusses how Benjamin Button got his face in three of 10 Fascinating TED Talks on Aging. Hear Dr. Bill Thomas' TEDx Talk on society's bias against the elderly in The Battle Against Rampant Ageism.

Last Word: "Take some wheatgrass, soy paste and carob. Toss in the garbage and cook yourself a big-ass piece of pork." --Actress Betty White, 89, sharing secrets of her longevity on The Late Show