RETIRE IN A HEALTHY STATE

If you're a doctor planning torelocate when you retire, make sureyou check out the credit rating ofthe state, county, and municipalityyou plan to move to. Getting informationon quality-of-life issues isimportant, but a poor economy anda third-tier credit rating can meanhigher taxes and reduced services,which could have an impact on yourretirement lifestyle. With manystates and local governments swimmingin oceans of red ink, it pays tocheck out what the major credit ratingservices think about your potentialretirement locale's financialhealth. A good place to get that informationis at Fitch Ratings (www.fitchratings.com), under the PublicFinance Issuers List. Look for localitieswith AAA or AA ratings.