Archive for Pre-Retirement Planning
Miriam Goodman is a journalist, author, award-winning radio and television producer, and public relations consultant. She has interviewed more than a thousand people, from celebrities to diplomats, from Margaret Mead to Marilyn Chambers. She created, produced and hosted the first nationally syndicated feminist radio program, which ran for seven years from New York to San Francisco on the RKO radio network and dozens of other stations and earned several radio awards. She has been a frequent contributor to National Public Radio, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Miriam was a television producer for Newsweek Broadcasting, a documentary producer for the San Francisco NBC TV-affiliate and received two EMMY nominations her television documentaries. She is a columnist for examiner.com and contributor to other online publications as well. Her written work has appeared in such magazines as Family Circle, New West and MS, and in newspapers around the country. She has covered topics as varied as the Neptune Society to the UN Commission on Women.
Ms. Goodman’s Book, Reinventing Retirement: 389 bright ideas 
about Family, Friends, Health, What to Do and Where to Live has been chosen by the Book of the Month Club, The Quality Paperback Book Club and several other book clubs as a favored selection. It has been a best seller on Amazon in its category. This book is a comprehensive baby boomers guide to all aspects of retirement, from continuing to work to dealing with issues of moving, finding new interests, or feeling good about staying put. Read More→
Boost your financial fitness in 2011 by cashing in your spare change
Posted by:
| Comments
(ARA) – Becoming better at sticking to a budget is a common New Year’s resolution – and one of the hardest to keep. Yet becoming financially fit in 2011 is more important than ever for many American families still struggling with the lingering effects of the economic downturn.
New Year’s is a perfect time to make a fresh financial start. Post-holiday bills and can inspire you to become more financially fit. Financial planners agree that following some basic steps – like setting priorities and taking stock of expenses and income – can give you the best chance of keeping this important New Year’s resolution. Read More→
Top Ten Reasons to Take the 2Young2Retire Course
Posted by: | Comments
www.2Young2Retire.com
Top Ten Reasons to Take the 2Young2Retire Course
1. You are 50 or better and know you have many bonus years ahead.
2. You are ready to take responsibility for designing a future at least as interesting as your past, possibly more so.
3. You are willing to invest in a process that will help you create a life based on what is most important to you. Read More→
Top Ten Ways To Retire Retirement
Posted by: | Commentswww.2Young2Retire.com
- Retire the word “retirement” from your vocabulary. Look it up: it means to “withdraw” or “retreat.” Words can shape reality, and it’s time for this one to go. Doesn’t “renaissance” or “graduation” better describe your post-career life?.
- Realize that retirement is a relatively new concept in human evolution. A few generations ago, before social security and full-time leisure became culturally embedded as the “norm,” elders remained productive members of society, relied upon for their insight, wisdom and skills. Read More→
AVOID MAKING COMMON MISTAKES
By Dr. Eva Mor
In my book Making the Golden Years Golden, I help the reader develop plans for their future retirement. Women tend to be less prepared then men. In this article I address the women that are more likely to be less financially savvy, and thus make costly mistakes.
The statistics show that women live longer than men, on the average 8-10 years longer, 50 percent of marriages end in divorces, so you must be prepared to manage your finances wisely if you should be one of the women that are living on their her own. The following are 10 mistakes that are most commonly made as well as suggestions of how to avoid them, or correct them:
- Being unfamiliar with finances.
Women tend to let their spouses handle family finances and all related decisions. Protect yourself by making sure you know of all investments, all accounts, and your name appears on all of them. Joint ownership establishes your legal right to all assets in the event of your spouse becoming ill, or the unfortunate event of the marriage ending. Read More→
Making the Golden Years Golden with Dr. Eva Mor on Living Fully After 40, 12-9-2010
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Mor an epidemiologist and a health care specialist. She also holds a Masters degree in Gerontology and Health Administration.
For the last 25 years Dr. Mor has dedicated her career to bettering the lives of the elderly. She has done so through work in nursing homes, chronic disease institutions, and acute care hospitals, as well as in home care services. She has been part of planning committees for the improvement of health services for seniors, and has done research to find out what services are available for this specific population, and what should be developed in the future.
Five vital questions to prepare for your financial future
Posted by: | Comments
(ARA) – Have you ever wondered if you’ll be able to afford retirement? Do you question if your finances will keep you afloat if your family were to experience a medical emergency or another expensive and unplanned event?
“Financial awareness and education are extremely important, which is why people need to take a moment and think about their areas of need and risk and determine which steps are the best ones to take to develop a strong financial future,” says Michael R. Fanning, executive vice president, U.S. Insurance Group, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual).
Take one hour to review your finances and discover if there are areas where your plans can be stronger.
Here are five questions created by financial experts at MassMutual to ask yourself: Read More→
You’ve Earned Your Money Now Here’s How to Keep It!
“It’s easy for anyone to believe the government protects it’s citizens’ rights. But the truth is, in matters of taxes, once the IRS gets its hands on your money, you can kiss that money goodbye. You must act before that event takes place. At the end of the day, it’s what your and your family get to keep that counts.” ~ Rick Rodgers, CFP
Tax efficient investing has always been important. It will become even more important if the Bush tax cuts come to an end on December 31, 2010. The top 2% of income earners with total family income above $250,000 will be hit especially hard. Some call it the largest tax increase in history.
Join us, Monday, December 2, 2010 as Lee Pelko, CFP from the firm Rodgers and Associates, shares Living Fully After 40 Radio,
some suggestions to consider to
prepare for 2011.
SCHUMER, KOHL OFFER LEGISLATION TO BAN DEBIT CARDS THAT RAID RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
Posted by: | Comments
Company Now Marketing Card That Allows Customers to Borrow Against Their 401(k) Account; Senators Call Practice ‘Dangerous’
Bill Modeled After Similar Legislation Filed by Schumer in 1996, Which Caused Banks To Abandon Practice—Until Now
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) announced Wednesday that they are introducing legislation barring companies from offering debit cards that raid customers’ retirement savings by borrowing against their 401(k) accounts. The lawmakers said the practice, recently revived by companies seeking to capitalize on tightened access to consumer credit, is dangerous because it can quickly deplete Americans’ nest eggs.
The senators announced the legislation at a hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, chaired by Kohl. The hearing exposed a range of practices, including the 401(k) debit cards, which draw down on retirement accounts.
“After retreating over the last few years, companies looking to raid Americans’ 401(k) accounts are making a comeback. This legislation will protect people’s nest eggs from companies peddling debit cards that can deplete retirement savings with a simple swipe. A decade ago, the mere idea of this legislation was enough to get companies to abandon this reckless practice. This time, we want to push this bill all the way to becoming law,” Schumer said.
“The point is that 401(k) and similar defined contribution plans were created to ensure that people would have adequate savings for retirement, not as a source of credit to use casually,” said Chairman Kohl. “These debit cards allow participants to use his or her retirement savings to make everyday purchases like buying a cup of coffee. Clearly that’s not what the 401(k) is for.”
The consumer product at issue is a debit card tied to an expense account bankrolled by borrowing against a 401(k) account. The card enables customers to make withdrawals from ATMs or use it to cover purchases of everyday items with a simple swipe. The customer pays interest on all withdrawals from the account tied to the card.
The senators said the product appeared to be an abuse of the intent of 401(k) accounts. Schumer pointed to estimates that for every $1,000 an American withdraws from their 401(k) plan, that translates to about $10,000 in lost retirement income.
The legislation filed today is based on a similar bill Schumer introduced as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996. At that time, Bank One was marketing a 401(k) debit card similar to the one sponsored by Reserve Solutions today. The company abandoned the practice shortly after the 1996 bill’s introduction, making legislation unnecessary. But in the wake of the revival of the practice, Schumer said this time he would seek to ensure the bill becomes law no matter what.