No. 6: Your Spending Habits Those who spend substantial portions of their earnings on big-ticket items such as RVs, boats, vacation homes and the like can obviously expect to retire later than those who funnel the money into their retirement savings instead.
Among the companies that can handle the trip are these: Blue Heron Boating Vacations with offices in Mount Vernon, N.Y., (800) 320-1224 or (914) 668-1040, fax (914) 667-2762; www.blueheronboats.com.com
The real increase has been in "non-purpose" or securities-based loans, which are used for other needs or, well, for fun — a second house, a boat, a vacation, etc.
Will they show up in summertime, when most people are outdoors, on their boats, on vacation?" That question is an anxiety inducing one for Ms. Huffman and Mr. Russell, especially since they lack a marquee Seattle name like Mr. Savage.
Everything was the best: the best view (he pointed out the window toward 5th Ave and Central Park), the best marble on the floor (he even traveled to Italy to choose it!), the best boat (he vacationed on a 282-foot yacht, the Trump Princess), the best plane, and the most magnificent dresses on the most beautiful wife.
Andy Weiser, an agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is used to dealing with boat-minded vacation-home shoppers.
The home equity craze allowed people to plunge even deeper into debt to buy flat-screen TVs, boats and vacations.
And when recreational boat dealers and vacation time-share promoters complained that they had been shut out of the credit markets, Senator Mel Martinez, a Republican from Florida, weighed in on their behalf with the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, who promised he would take up the matter with the Fed.
"The relationship between Sony and Lionsgate was going to continue a lot longer than the relationship between Toshiba and Lionsgate," he argued, making cell phone calls from a boat while on vacation off Long Island, N.Y.
A small part of his audience listened and watched from the decks of their vacation boats on the water.
