By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Once you make the decision to move to a retirement community, it’s important to choose one that protects your financial assets. You’ve worked hard for your  money, so you want to make sure you’re getting the best value for your dollar.

With that in mind, Erickson pioneered the 100% refundable entrance deposit. For people living at Sedgebrook, Erickson’s Lincolnshire community, their  deposit covers the cost of maintaining community spaces such as the on-site medical center, restaurants, hair salon, convenience store, lounge, and climate-controlled walkways.

The deciding factor
When people are considering making a move to Sedgebrook, the 100% refundable entrance deposit is a deciding factor for many of them, since most  retirement communities do not make a similar guarantee.

“Sedgebrook is an unbeatable value,” say residents Phil and Mary Wertz, who moved to the community from Palatine. “The concept of the 100% refundable entrance deposit is just amazing. The pluses you get here just can’t be found anywhere else.”

Most residents pay their entrance deposit using part of the proceeds from the sale of their house. So rather than being vulnerable to fluctuations in the real  estate market, that money is guaranteed to be there in full when residents move or pass it on to their families.

“If residents were to make a real estate transaction elsewhere, there is no guarantee that they would break even or profit from their purchase,” says  Sedgebrook Retirement Counselor Tracy Dellaria. “The 100% refundable entrance deposit allows residents to preserve their assets.”