Why Join A Retirement Community?

By Kelly Hunter 

 

Retirement communities may be called various terms but the consensus on the definition of the term recognizes one true definition. Retirement communities refer to the different types of housing and accommodation that have been created to cater for certain people. The people in the definition are people who are beyond working age and who have retired. Such people are usually of certain age from the mid-fifties to early sixties and much older.

In a retirement community you usually have a collective group of seniors who share a particular interest. Retirement communities may be built around specific themes, some retirement communities are built in for people who share an active interest in golf and other similar activities. These people have nothing else to do in their lives except to receive reports on their investments and spend the money that they have accumulated over a lifetime of hard work. Most of these establishments can be found in rustic locations far ways from the hustle and bustle of city life. The calm nature of the environment makes a welcome change and a worthy reward for the years spent toiling and making money. Recreational facilities provide these seniors the chance to explore the fantasies that they dreamt about while working at their occupations a long time ago. Some people spend their retirement days doing things like fishing and other leisurely sports that do not require too much physical exertion. They can also benefit from the presence of their mates and discuss matters that are of particular interest with people who come from their age group.

Residential communities aren't solely about fun and entertainment. These communities also supply other facilities such as healthcare facilities in case of any adverse conditions that may require hospitalization. A lot of professionals skilled in everything from care-giving to the organization of various recreational activities are also resident in these establishments.

In old age people have much lesser hopes and dreams than when they were young, they simply want to be able to live and spend the rest of their days in peace and relaxation. They also want companionship because their children will probably have grown up and left their homes. Certain retirement communities will provide support for seniors who may not be so healthy. This includes seniors suffering from certain ailments that have no known cure. These ailments include Alzheimer's and a number of other ailments of a similar nature.

Individuals resident in these communities also enjoy a number of other benefits such as financial benefits like tax advantages. People tend to earn lesser and cannot work at retirement age so the government responds by keeping taxes and other financial obligations to a certain minimum. The fact that the government acts by keeping obligatory expenses to a minimum has no bearing on the quality of life that people resident in these places enjoy. A number of resources exist in order to provide information about such communities to people who require it. Whatever your needs and expectations, you'll certainly find a retirement community that meets explicitly with your requirements.

Kelly Hunter operates http://www.best-retirement-communities.com and writes about Retirement Communities. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Hunter

The Benefits of Retirement Protection Disability Insurance

By Toby Lason

 

Americans place a significant amount of importance on retirement savings. According to a global retirement survey conducted this year, U.S. workers save just shy of $700 a month for retirement—a figure double the amount saved by workers in Germany, Italy, and France and over ten times the amount saved by workers in China. With Social Security's uncertain future, Americans see saving for retirement as more vital than ever before.

Now consider how a disability could affect your ability to save for retirement. The two primary aspects of most successful retirement plans are positive annual returns and consistent contributions. A disability will not affect the performance of the money you have already invested in retirement, but it certainly can bring your contributions to a halt. Fortunately, there is a way to ensure that a disability will not derail your retirement contributions.

A retirement protection disability insurance policy pays the insured a benefit of up to $3,670 per month that can be contributed to a retirement plan if he or she becomes disabled. This benefit not only pays the insured's current contribution, but will also cover the amount their employer matches.

A retirement protection disability insurance policy is independent of other disability coverage you might have, but it shares many of the same great features of a personal disability insurance policy. Retirement protection disability policies can be own occupation specific, non-cancellable, and guaranteed renewable to age 65. They also offer the flexibility of a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to guard against inflation, and a Future Increase Option (FIO) Rider that allows the policyholder to increase coverage without providing evidence of medical insurability.

While they have different functions, retirement protection and personal disability insurance policies both prevent your hard work and careful planning from being destroyed by a disability. A personal disability insurance policy prevents financial disaster, but retirement protection disability insurance allows you to continue saving for retirement on your terms.

Toby Lason is a freelance writer for http://www.doctordisability.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Toby_Lason

Baby Boomers - The Quest to Reinvent Aging

By Joseph Wilson

 

If you are part of the baby boomer generation you will probably never admit to thinking your parents were ancient when you were young. Especially now that you are probably older than they were when you thought so. At your young age you most likely swore you would never be old and thought your parents were born somewhere around the time dinosaurs roamed the earth. Baby boomers and aging is one of the hottest topics these days as this generation has become famous for doing everything humanly possible to avoid being labeled old.

Exercise is one of the tools used by baby boomers to keep their body more flexible and younger looking. While their parents just accepted aging, baby boomers are determined that they will fight it every step of the way. From the health foods they eat to the strenuous workouts to keep a younger and more fit look, baby boomers are not going to accept growing old with grace.

Retirement was a gold watch and a nice dinner for your father. However baby boomers do not look at retirement from this perspective. Their idea of retiring is to really begin to live. Traveling to destinations that they have dreamed of for years is one way they plan on spending their 'golden years.' Whereas their parents retired, stayed home more and watched television, went fishing once in awhile, and maybe took up a hobby they had left years ago, this is not the lifestyle baby boomers want for their retirement. Baby boomer retirement is 100% different than that of their parents.

Some members of the baby boom generation may be in a second or even third relationship. Their quest for staying young and not becoming their mother or father is utmost in their minds. They do not want to become comfortable and retire to the rocking chair on the porch. The drive to live a totally different lifestyle than their parents had is cause for a lot of relationships to fail. The comfortable, no surprises, cook Sunday dinner for the kids type of life is not for the baby boomers. They want more. They want youth and are willing to sometimes go to extremes to get it.

Better jobs and investing are some of the ways baby boomers are making sure they have the financial means to live the life they choose to live. Saving money for traveling and doing the things they love to do is easier than it was when their parents were working. They probably had a savings but the thought of just keeping that money in the bank had far more appeal to them than it has to their children. It's as different as night and day but baby boomers are enjoying themselves to the fullest.

Joseph Wilson is a baby boomer and writer. He knows what the lifestyle is all about and is happy to make sure you too can have an understanding of baby boomers and baby boomer retirement as it pertains to this new generation. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Wilson

Financial Security in an Unstable Economy

By Randy Gilbert

 

Few families pass on actual knowledge about wealth building to their children. Negative feelings of poverty and scarcity can last for generations.

Accountant and financial advisor, Dr. Joseph Simini says, "Most people are illiterate about finance. Finance isn't all that tough. If you want to become financially independent, you can't depend on someone else to do that for you. You have to do it yourself with knowledge."

Dr. Simini started out in life in a poor immigrant family and learned the basics of creating personal wealth from his father's teachings and the school of hard knocks. He manages family owned investments and advises people on the subject of financial independence.

He offers practical advice on how to become financially literate and financially independent:

1. Buy Your Own Home: It is important to buy your own home because with a small amount of money, and a lot of someone else's money, you can get started. Instead of paying rent and making your landlord wealthy, you will be paying into your own mortgage. Eventually, you are going to own the building, leading to tax benefits.

2. Deduct Property Taxes and Mortgage Interest: These items can be deducted from your regular income and that is a big savings. Most people just use their standard deduction, but by adding the property tax deduction and the mortgage interest deduction, you can increase your deduction by thousands of dollars.

3. Save 10 Percent of Your Income: Fill out a budget categorizing all your bills and when they should be paid. At the top of the list of bills to be paid, put your own name. Pay yourself first. Nobody can help you, but you.

4. Make a List of Necessities: Make a list of the necessities that you need to live: rent, mortgage, clothes, food, etc. After this, make a list of the discretionary things. Decide if you really need all the things you are spending your money on. Are they necessary? Can you cut back? These are the financial questions you need to answer.

5. Take Advantage of Compound Interest: One of the most important fundamentals of wealth building is compound interest. Instead of giving you a nice return, compound interest will give you a sensational return.

Compound interest is the interest added to the principle, and then the interest rate is on the new amount of money. Each year it becomes a little more. After years of compounding interest, it becomes a tremendously larger amount of money than if it were only simple interest.

All of these wealth building strategies require awareness and a change in habits. Change your attitude about money. Change your financial habits. Read financial magazines, the business section of the paper, and financial magazines. Know what money can do for you.

Look beyond just employment income. Put your skills and talents to work for you. Create additional streams of income teaching or selling the hobbies you are already interested in. This additional income will give more opportunities for saving and paying the bills. You have to go out and build income of your own.

Avoid putting your money into cash. That includes: a bank account, notes, and bonds. These will only give back a small amount of interest. They are the worst things to invest in.

The stock market has the potential for incredible wealth building if you learn the rules of the game. Do your homework, researching all the information available about investing in stocks. Become stock literate to protect your investment in the stock market. Find advisors and take responsibility for your own choices about your own money.

Do not get caught up in limited thinking. Expand a little bit and take some different actions to benefit yourself financially. This is the foundation of building financial independence. Get yourself started onto the road of financial success by becoming financially literate.

Once you learn the financial principles and practices pass them on to your children. Get your children involved in the basic skills of finances and building wealth. Knowing about money is as important as knowing the ABC's in today's world.

Financial literacy will lead you to additional wealth building techniques. You will be able to come up with a plan that will take you from paying someone else, to becoming the person who other people are paying.

Dr. Proactive, Randy Gilbert enjoys producing the "Inside Wealth Success Show". He presents his insightful interview with Joseph Simini based upon the tips from his book. Hear the entire interview for free by going to: http://www.insidesuccessradio.com/Guests/Joseph-Simini Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Randy_Gilbert

Retirement Planning - Why You Need to Turbo Charge Your Pogo Stick

By Michael Rubin

 

Your retirement isn't a three-legged stool - it's a pogo stick.

Sorry, but it is what it is. Formerly, the three legs of the retirement funding stool for most Americans were:

1. An employer pension

2. Social Security

3. Personal savings

No longer.

Preferably in private, go ahead and curse the members of society whom you blame. Pick a Congressperson or two - even a President; the current one or any of his predecessors. Why limit yourself to politicians? Pick a corporation that dissatisfies you because of its irresponsible behavior, its failure to follow through on its promises to its employees.

When you are done with your ranting, you need to go on to the next phase: to start dealing with it. This is your reality. Your personal savings are going to be the primary source of your financial independence; your money to live on during retirement.

Your screaming may feel good, but your best bet is to begin treating those other two legs (the employer-paid pension and Social Security) as though they are not going to be major factors in your retirement. Treat them, at best, as "gravy."

With only leg of the three-legged stool remaining, you don't need to be a physics teacher to understand that such a stool is not going to be a comfortable place to sit down.

Taken together, this means you need to turbo-charge your pogo stick. And that means choosing to live a life Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck.

By accepting the fact that you're on your own, you're forced to act more responsibly. After all, denial isn't much of a way to go through life. Take advantage of your youth and build your savings to a turbo-charged pogo-stick level. A pogo stick is much more fun than a boring old stool anyway.

Michael B. Rubin, CPA, CFP, MBA is the author of Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck: A Conversation About Income, Wealth, and the Steps in Between http://www.paycheckbook.com Michael is also the founder of Total Candor http://www.totalcandor.com a financial planning education company, which may be best explained by what it doesn't do: sell financial products. Rather, Michael and Total Candor simply provide the unbiased financial education you wish you had already received. As a true expert gifted in simplifying money matters, Michael has appeared in various media, including Fox News Chicago, radio stations across the country, and national media such as latimes.com ,The Wall Street Journal, SmartMoney.com, Financial Advisor Magazine, and Investment News. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Rubin

Retirement Financial Planning and Retirement Ideas

By Anthony J Smith

 

Too soon we get old, and too late we get smart is the old Yiddish proverb. This applies to most people as they do retirement planning. Retirement ideas range from imagining yourself living in a life of luxury, playing golf, taking 9 month vacations, and enjoying life, down to living in a retirement community where your basic needs are taken care of. Failing to plan for your retirement can have very negative consequences on the quality of your retired life.

To do proper retirement financial planning, you should start early – that's the "too late smart" part of the proverb. You're getting older every day – are you getting smarter? Fortunately, there are retirement books that can help you with this. One of the most important is "401(k) Basics" by Motley Fool publishing. It will steer you into how to make the most of a company 401(k) plan, while taking an unsentimental retirement view – telling you that there is no fast road to riches, only steady, regular savings and investing will help ensure you against retirement losses.

Your retirement benefits should contain a mix of growth funds early on, wealth preservation funds and income generation tools as you age – this can be found online through a number of retirement calculators, and will help you plan the day when you can send your company your retirement letters and say "I'll be on the golf course!" Most retirement calculators are driven by an investing rule called the Rule of 72 – take 72 and divide it by your rate of return in points (for example, getting 6% on a savings account or CD) and that will tell you how many years it takes for your investment to double. In this case, 72 divided by 6 is 12, meaning that sitting an investment down in a 6% account means it will double in 12 years.

Remember that slow and steady contributions win the day; you can't rush this later in life. Start early, invest everything you can afford to, and know that your money is working for you in the long term. If you're eligible for a 401(k) program, you should take it – it benefits you in multiple ways, from employee matching (which doubles your investment) to being take out of your paycheck before taxes (which is fundamentally giving you a 20-35% increase in the net investment from doing it in post-tax income) to tax deferral on the interest it accrues. A 401(k) is by far and away the best retirement investment vehicle possible.

One thing you should not count on is Social Security; due to changing demographics, we're going to be disbursing more from Social Security than it takes in in about 5 to 10 years, and the fund will literally run out at the current rate of contributions in thirty years. Presume that you're on your own and plan accordingly.

For further ideas on retirement, check out the advice at http://retirementinformation4u.com.

Anthony Smith is a 1978 graduate of the Ohio State School of Business. Read all Anthony's articles on Health Insurance at: http://healthinsuranceinfo4u.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_J_Smith

Retirement Planning Tips For Women

By Chris Campos

 

A lot of the attention to retirement planning lately has been spent on preparing men for retirement. That's a crock since women are going to live longer than men. And still have the rest of the retirement savings, what's left of it anyway, to use for the rest of their years.

But, if a majority of male baby boomers are having trouble saving for retirement, are female baby boomers in the same boat?

You don't have to answer. I'll pretend you nodded.

This article will talk about how women can plan for their retirement and start saving for their retirement lives.

Setting up a retirement plan and saving for your retirement may be many years away for you but, if you start early, especially in your twenties and thirties and do that until you retire in your fifties and sixties, you'll have a much more comfortable retirement than your female counterparts who didn't save anything and now are relying on the government to help them out.

Planning for your retirement may seem too far in the future but it can be here before you know it and the sooner you start saving the better off you'll be when it sneaks up on you.

Studies show that there are 60 million working women out there and a little less than half are enrolled in a retirement plan. It will be hard to have a retirement fund if there are no contributions to it.

Women don't work as long as men do at the same job. This is due to taking time off to care for the family to raise the kids. So women don't build up the required years to qualify for a sizable pension or retirement plan, leaving them with little or no savings from the companies they are working for.

Women live longer than men. If you retire at 55, you can expect to live another 27 years on average. Men can expect to live another 23 years on average. If you're married and your husband was the bread winner and you have no retirement savings of your own, where will the income come from for those extra 4 years?

Women also are risk averse when it comes to investing, choosing to invest in conservative investments and bonds which have guaranteed returns but lower overall returns. You'll preserve your capital but you won't have much to show for it when you retire and start drawing on those savings. So the choice is either have more money working for you in low, but safe, investment vehicles as you near retirement or invest more aggressively.

Either way, women need to read about retirement planning as much or even more so than men because you will be spending more of your life in retirement. Talk to a financial advisor, read retirement planning books and check out all the free resources out there to help you save for your retirement. Most people have less than $60,000 saved in a 401k or IRA. There is no way this will last men or women for 20+ years of retirement. The government is not going to be able to supplement everyone...

Chris Campos offers several retirement planning tips for women to help other women prepare for the last quarter of their lives. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Campos

Successful Retirement - 3 Common Mistakes To Avoid At Retirement

By Kristina Von Rosenvinge

 

Most people look forward to retirement. They envision this to be a time when they are not driven by the clock, have to commute or deal with work demands, and can do whatever they want. Even couples who have prepared financially for retirement are often taken aback to find that they have not prepared themselves for the emotional and mental changes that they experience after retirement.

Mistake #1:To Underestimate the Emotional Adjustment

Retirement foremost is a time of profound change. For instance, if both partners have held jobs they are now faced with figuring out how to spend days that suddenly allow for so much togetherness. If one partner has been home and the other enters that environment that also requires a major emotional adjustment. Couples who accept and acknowledge that their mixed emotional reactions are normal are well on the way to dealing with the changes.

Mistake #2: Not to share how you envision retirement

Since there are two separate people in a couple relationship it also follows that each person has his or her own ideas as to how they envision retirement. These expectations need to be brought into the open and discussed. Additionally, there are times when one thinks one knows what one wants only to find that it is different in reality. For instance, Tom thought he would want to take it easy for at least six months only to realize after three weeks of unwinding that he got bored and yearned for more structure. Whatever Tom now planned to do would also affect his wife and her ideas as to what she expected from the couple relationship.

Mistake #3: To Assume that Without Communicating all will work out.

Retirement becomes a time when couples need to communicate more than what they probably did before. They have to rely more on each other to plan and figure out how to do their retiring. Couples need to keep in mind that retirement is a whole new experience for them. They can not have it all figured out as to what will make them happy. Much of it will evolve as time goes on. They need to talk with each other as to what they need for themselves and what they want from the couple relationship in order to have a joyful retirement.

For more tips and tools on second act success and vibrant relationships by relationship and retirement planning expert Kristina von Rosenvinge please visit http://www.kristinavonr.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristina_Von_Rosenvinge

State Of The Art Retirement - The Bridge Job

By Kim Kirmmse Toth

 

The word "retirement" seems to surround you, it's everywhere you look! Has it gotten a bad rap? It seems to be an unpopular term as people continue to try to be creative with new names and titles, such as 3rd Age, Second Act and Bonus Years.

Regardless of the word you use, people know this is what happens after your career ends. With the evolution of this stage of life come new ideas and new terms to describe them.

Bridge job, is one of these new concepts. What the heck is a bridge job? It's a job you might have during the period of time between your career and when you really retire, meaning being totally and unequivocally, unemployed.

The important thing to keep in mind is that retirement is a process, not an event. It may be a marathon, but not a sprint. It's a phase of life we can do over time. You don't have to have a long career and bam! Retire. You can, but you don't have to.

A bridge job might be the perfect transition for you, especially if you define yourself by your work. It might be a new line of work, it may be part time, it may mean self-employment or if you are self-employed you might enjoy working for someone else and letting them handle most of the responsibilities.

There are also some very hard hitting truths as to why you might consider a bridge job for yourself.

*There are many unanswered questions about Social Security and how stable it will be when it comes your time to collect.

*Many of you simply haven't saved enough during your working years to be able to retire when you thought you would.

*Too many contracted pensions and retirement plans have been a victim of over promised and under delivered.

*You are living longer and healthier than ever before. With life expectancy at an all time high, it obviously will cost you more if you wish to be self supporting and not rely on you children and/or the government.

In the United States, the average retirement age is 56 years old. That could mean 30 years living without working! Even if you have saved diligently, that's a long time to live without a pay check.

There are many statistics, available to interpretation. Generally speaking, 79% of Baby Boomers expect to work in later years. 52% work part time. Only 10% of the Baby Boomer generation will retire in the traditional sense, moving from a full time career to a non-working lifestyle.

Kim Kirmmse Toth is a certified life coach. She works with baby boomers on the many transitions faced including the non-financial side of retirement planning. She may be contacted at: kim@myretirementbydesign.com or at her website: http://www.myretirementbydesign.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Kirmmse_Toth

Fear or Fun at Retirement

By Diane Zorn

 

As my retirement fast approaches, I feel the same mix of emotions as I did the first day of school: excitement, anticipation, apprehension and fear. Has my career really sped by so fast? Will I enjoy the time to myself as much as I expect to, or will I quickly find myself bored and wishing I had decided to work just a few more years?

We baby-boomers have typically had the good fortune to have attained more material possessions, enjoyed better health and planned for retirement earlier than our forefathers. As a woman, I have had more options for careers than my mother or grandmother could have ever hoped for. In fact, like many career women, I have changed roles several times during my course of work, thus making my life richer and more rewarding because of the growth. I like to think that I embraced change and grew with each new experience.

Retirement is only that - a new experience. So why do I hesitate when the time draws close for me to leave my job? Maybe it is because of the question I keep asking myself - did I accomplish most of what I expected to? In all honesty, I must answer no! But then I never got straight A's in school, either. Should that stop me from moving forward? Indeed not, there are new challenges waiting out there. In fact, in this new millennium, we are so fortunate to have so many choices.

When I consider the opportunities I will have to fill my day, I begin to feel excited again. Learning is a life-long experience, so there are lots of courses out there I can enroll in. For example, I have the chance to improve my computer skills - only, this time, for my benefit instead of job advancement. I could build on that accomplishment to start a home business. I could volunteer to instruct others how to apply the same skills I have learned, or mentor young people in the community.

Just like I chose options from the semesters offered in school, I can now make selections that appeal to me. Maybe it is time to learn a new art medium, participate in a writing group, study nature through the lens of my camera, or see if I can understand the intricacies of line dancing. Wow, there might even be time for me to tidy my recipe boxes, sort through my material stash and even organize all those photos I have avoided for years. Wait, that might prove too much like work! After all, I am going to really enjoy myself in this new phase. Oh boy, oh boy, where is my skipping rope, I can hardly wait to get started!

Diane Zorn has a certificate in Human Resource Management. She has over 15 years experience operating 2 retail businesses and has started a home-based e-commerce site http://www.beyondhandbags.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diane_Zorn

Road Map To Riches A Strait Out Lie?

By Frank D Thomas

 

The claim: Working with the Roadmap to Riches system you get to keep 100% of all your profits you make. No other company on the Internet offers that (no quite true), You will earn $999 per sale, and with all the help in your new back office and working closely with your sponsor (if you get one with a conscience) you can easily find where to market and start making money right away (right away? Average 24-48hr to get approval from you payment processor.).

Roadmap to riches has top earners and newbies alike, jump ship and leave their ongoing affiliations to a "rosy red" world of automated sales.

They will all have you believe that you will simply wave that magical "guru wand" around like a bad Harry potter movie and the meter in your bank account will start spinning faster than the $$$ dial at the gas pump!

And I know I'm going to bust a lot of financial dream bubbles here but unless this is told, people are going to walk right into this type of business model and expect overnight spinarounds with their present money situation just to find that the cash isn't sitting peacefully in that bank account the next morning.

A new study shows that the vast majority (72%) of folks joining with these opportunities, usually come in with just enough cash to get the administration fee squared away and scrape nickels and dimes to render their sponsor his dues (for the cost of the product). All this to leave nothing or very little for trials and errors. You see, the sad reality is simply this: You (the novice) come in with very limited knowledge of running a successful marketing campaign that wont bust you flat before you're ready to see a return.

Consequently you are left with a near "0" margin for any kind of mistake. A little bit like playing Russian roulette with five rounds in a six-shooter chamber!

In other words if for any reason whatsoever you apply the wrong (or even the right method) of advertising in a moving trends environment you could easily lose several hundred dollars in a very short time period (try 24 hrs). But here's the lifejacket (or so it appears), your sponsor, the person you signed up under, has a vested interest in seeing you succeed A.S.A.P (remember the 2up system?) because you have become part of his or her cash-cow! And so now you say to yourself, Great! I can't lose!

But the thing is 67% of sponsors out there are themselves new at this game and would much rather have you beg, steal, or borrow money to put down on "pay per click" ads and google sponsored links campaigns so they don't have to get into lengthy discussions about true marketing thus exposing their lack of knowledge in the field (scary).

Now that you understand the risk of running out of money before you see a dime in dividends, let me switch gears and have a heart to heart with you about my experience with the two up system and similar business models.

As of today the aussie two up (the scientific name) is likely the best leverage system ever designed. Simply put, it allows you the user, to leverage (use other members resources) your income in ways that no other system does.

I have used the two up and more recently a modified version of it, from its inception to its application to wealth building systems on the Internet.

It (2up) has allowed me to go from immerging out of a bad business merger to securing a five figure monthly income in a fairly short span.

The difference here was my perfect understanding of the advertising world and my vast knowledge of the existence of "free effective" online advertising. Did you jot down this last line? I said "free" and that his the only variant through which you will achieve any kind of real success in the 2up model, period. Unless you are in a position to set aside four or five thousands for market research and failures (fear not I took care of that), Free advertising is the only avenue when taking your first steps in an exciting but sometimes costly business venture.

So to sum this up, you got a one in three chances of getting a sponsor that is just about as green as you are in this fast but rewarding world or grab the opportunity to inform yourself by staying in a safe environment and letting me help you achieve your financial goals. The mindset, should you accept the challenge is: Be ready to work hard, yes you heard me, set aside 25hrs out of a seven days week and no less, and be willing to be treated like a kindergartener (no disrespect intended), and lastly go ahead and have fun with this as you make progress and I can make it happen for you and your family.

Frank Thomas as been heavily involved with advertising in the offline business world for 14 years . He has however bee closely affiliated with internet marketing since 1998, teaching and helping fellow marketers how to apply his innovative brand of "guerrilla advertising". His desire to see others succeed has propulsed him into the ranks of some of the best known mentors in the industry. For more: http://www.rocketwealthsys.net/main Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_D_Thomas

Retirement Health Insurance

By Milos Pesic 

 

Health care is a priority at any given age. After retiring however, health care probably becomes the most important focus as one tries to stay in good health; this means more visits to the doctor for routine checkups and preventative tests. There's also that chance of ones health declining as they grow older and the increasing need for expensive prescription drugs and medical treatments. This is the main importance of retirement health insurance.

Retirement health insurance allows for those aged sixty-five or older to be lessened with worries when it comes to paying health care when they retire. Most retirees presumably are eligible for certain health benefits from a federal health insurance program, Medicare, when they reach the age of sixty-five. But if one retires before this age, then they'll need some other way to pay their health care until Medicare benefits take effect. Some generous employers may offer extensive retirement health insurance coverage to their retiring employees, but this is most of the time and exception rather than a rule. If employers do not extend health benefits, then there is a need to buy a private retirement health insurance policy, which will be expensive, or extend the employer –sponsored coverage through COBRA.

But take note, Medicare will not pay for long-term care if one ever needs it. They'll need to pay that out of their own pockets or depend on benefits from long-term care insurance (LTCI), or for those whose assets and/or income are low enough to allow them to be eligible for Medicaid.

Nearly all Americans automatically qualify or become entitled to Medicare when they reach the age of sixty-five. Factually, for those who have been receiving Social Security benefits does not need to apply for Medicare because they will be routinely enrolled. However, they will have to decide whether they need only Part A coverage, which is premium-free for the majority of retirees, or if they want to also buy Part B coverage. Part A, frequently referred to as the hospital insurance portion of Medicare, helps pay for hospice care, home health care, and inpatient hospital care. Part B assists in covering other medical care such as laboratory tests, physical therapy, and physician care. Persons who want to pay a fewer out-of-pocket health care costs may opt to enroll in a managed care plan or private fee-for-service plan under Part C of Medicare or Medicare Advantage.

The likelihood of prolonged stay in a nursing home ponders heavily on minds of many senior Americans and their families, so does the thought of health conditions that may need expensive treatments; however, with the aid of retirement health insurance, this burden is lightened.

Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of popular and comprehensive Retirement information site. For more articles and resources on Retirement related topics, Retirement Plans, Retirement Communities, Individual Retirement Accounts and more visit his site at: =>http://retirement.need-to-know.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Milos_Pesic

Retirement Planning - The Distribution Years - 3 Steps to Making Your Retirement Easier

By Melanie Pelayo

 

The day has finally arrived: you're ready to pack up the office and say goodbye to the daily grind for good. So long to long commutes, office politics and the demanding boss. Welcome to the world of retirement. Here are some practical steps to take to as you begin the distribution phase.

1. Get your portfolio in order

During retirement, the absolute last thing you want to worry about is whether or not you'll have enough money to last your lifetime. To that end, here are a few helpful hints to managing your money so you can focus on the more important task of enjoying your new free time.

First off, make your life a lot easier (and less bogged down by paper) by consolidating your accounts. This includes rolling any 401(k)s you might have into a single IRA account, and consolidating any taxable accounts. Having only 2 or 3 accounts to keep track of makes your portfolio much more manageable.

Once your accounts have been consolidated, it is a good idea to do a portfolio check up to make sure you are doing all the right things to ensure your money will last throughout your retirement. In particular, pay close attention to:

ASSET ALLOCATION:

Studies have shown that asset allocation is the major factor for determining the amount of risk you are taking in your portfolio. It is especially important to make sure your asset allocation is reflective of the appropriate amount of risk for your situation during the distribution phase of retirement because, unlike during the accumulation and transition phases, time may no longer work in your favor. For one thing, you are less likely to have the ability to offset major market losses with ongoing contributions of new money to your account. At the same time, you also will most likely need to pull money out of your portfolio, which could put it deeper into the hole when the market is going through a downswing. On the other hand, not taking any risk could be just as detrimental to your retirement plans. Because of the effect inflation can take on an income-only portfolio, we recommend that a retiree's portfolio carry some growth positions ( i.e. stocks) to stave off this threat. It might be a good idea to seek the advice of an investment management professional to help determine what the appropriate amount of risk is for your particular situation. As a general rule of thumb, though, the percentage of equity in your portfolio should be no more than "120 - your age."

DIVERSIFICATION:

Equally as important in managing risk for a retiree is to make sure your portfolio is well diversified. A diversified portfolio owns as many different assets as possible (some ways to diversify: through international holdings, through market capitalization, through owning different asset classes) so that not all of your holdings are moving in the same direction at the same time. Diversification dampens the volatility of your portfolio so that rather than experiencing wild swings up and down, instead you get relatively steady long-term growth.

2. Set up your income stream

Once you are retired, you no longer get that monthly paycheck from your employer to help pay for your expenses. Most retirees will need to start drawing from their investments in order to supplement any income they receive from the government (via Social Security) or their employer (via a pension plan). To make life easier, we recommend that clients who require income from their portfolios set up a regular distribution from their account so that funds are moved automatically into an account from which they pay their monthly bills. This distribution would act just like a direct deposit for a monthly paycheck and eliminates the burden of continually having to contact your account custodian to have them distribute funds as needed.

Something important to remember, especially if you have periodic distributions set up, is to keep an eye on the amount of cash available for withdrawal from your account. In most cases, your account will be invested in things such as stocks, bonds and/or mutual funds; though the value of these holdings may be more than enough to cover your withdrawal, if there is no actual cash available you can run into an "insufficient funds" error with your custodian. As a general rule of thumb we recommend keeping at least 3-6 months worth of expenses in cash and available for distribution. This takes care of your distribution needs while also keeping your cash position at a minimum, leaving the majority of your portfolio invested for the potential of long-term higher returns. In addition, when it comes to replenishing your cash balance, remember that interest, dividends and capital gains distributions generated from the positions you own will help with this. However it is a good idea to stay apprised of your amount's cash balance so that if you do need to sell a holding for funds it can be done in time so as not to interrupt the your monthly distributions.

3. Make estate planning decisions

If you haven't done so already, you should make sure your estate plan is in order early into your retirement. The longer you put off implementing an estate plan, the more you risk making decisions when you are less healthy and not as mentally sharp as you were before. One of the main purposes for an estate plan is to legally minimize taxes and ease the burden on your heirs in their time of grieving, so the decisions you make should be well thought out and with this in mind. Some key things to think about during the estate planning process are:

ACCOUNT BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS:

You should make sure that any accounts or insurance policies for which you have named a beneficiary reflect your wishes. Because named beneficiaries on file for accounts where this is possible take precedent over any wishes expressed in a will or trust, it is important to make sure that this information is kept up-to-date.

WILLS AND TRUSTS:

At a minimum you should create a will so as to give your heirs some direction with regards to your estate planning wishes. In some cases, especially for estates that exceed the annual exclusion for estate tax purposes ($2 mil per person in 2007) it is a much better idea to establish a trust to handle your estate. We would recommend talking to an estate planning attorney, who will help you create the documents needed in any good estate plan. In addition, once your plan has been created, you should spend some time with the successor trustee or executor to go over its details, such as asset distribution desires. In fact, it would also be ideal to sit down with all beneficiaries and explain what your estate plan is, as this reduces the ever present possibility of infighting at the time of your passing.

GIFTING STRATEGIES VS. INHERITING:

It is an age-old decision: do you gift away your possessions while you are still alive or wait until you have passed away to do so? Again, this becomes an important question especially for people whose estates exceed the annual exclusion amount for estate tax purposes. Your estate planning attorney should be able to help you come up with a plan that will benefit both you and your heirs, and minimize the taxable impact for your estate.

POWERS OF ATTORNEY:

Establishing Powers of Attorney for financial and healthcare decisions is very important. Though this is a morbid topic, it should not be avoided, less your family suffer like that of Terri Schiavo's. Again, think of this as a matter of easing the burden on those left behind to make the decisions; if you have done your estate planning correctly the way will be much clearer to them.

Your retirement years should be looked at as a reward for all of the hard work you put in prior to leaving the workforce. As such, you should start the distribution phase off right by taking the appropriate steps to help make the ensuing years less stressful. First, start by making sure that your portfolio reflects your risk tolerance and that it is invested properly so it has the potential to meet your income needs throughout retirement. Then establish a means to tap into that income by setting up automatic distributions from your invested assets so you do not have to worry about cash flow problems. Finally, create an estate plan that expresses your wishes and takes care of both you and your heirs. With these three things seen to, you can spend your retirement time worrying about more important things, like your golf game.

Melanie Pelayo, CFP is a financial planner and investment advisor for Financial Perspectives, Inc., a Bay Area financial advisory firm. She focuses on finding retirement planning strategies for the pre- and post-retiree, and is particularly interested in helping people her own age get educated about their finances. For more information, please visit the Financial Perspectives website at www.financialperspectives.biz. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melanie_Pelayo

6 Tips For Evaluating Retirement Communities

By Lee Dobbins 

 

Today, retirement communities are springing up everywhere so there's a huge variety of places to choose from for the soon-to-be retiree. However, if you were looking for a community to spend your golden years in it's in your best interest to do a bit of research first to be sure that you will be spending the rest of your life in a place that you will enjoy. Here are six things you should think about when choosing a retirement community.

1. Location. One important thing is where the community will be located. Are you sick of winter? Then maybe you want to relocate down south. However, if you want to stay near your family to be with the grandkids then you might have to look at communities near where you live now. In addition to the geographical location, you'll want to consider whether you envision yourself living in the city or country setting and choose the community accordingly.

2. How do other people like it? When you've narrowed it down to a few communities, you want to find out what it's really like to live there. Even if the place looks great on the outside there may be problems in the management or with fees or simply with other people in the park. Make a second visit armed with a notebook and asked questions of everyone, take time to mingle with the residents and see how they really like living there.

3. Expenses. Most retirement communities offer some sort of amenities, some more than others and with these come expenses. You want to be sure you know what the park fees are as well as the costs for any programs and services. Find out what's included in your park went and what is extra. Also this is a good time to find out about future development and how that may affect you.

4. Amenities. One of the great things about retirement is you have a lot of time to do stuff and it can't be more convenient than having these things right where you live. Think about what you want in a retirement community. Do you want to be on the golf course? Do you want to live in a place that has lots of shows and activities so you can be busy all day? How about a pool? If these things are important to you you'll need to find out what the communities you are looking at offer so that you can choose one that has all the things you want.

5. Housing. Perhaps you will be downsizing when you retire and you simply want a small apartment, or maybe you still want a house of your own. Either way you'll be able to find a retirement community that has just what you need. Some of them offer standalone houses along with condo style living and others are filled with mobile homes. Figure out what type of home you'll be happy living in and find a park that offers that.

6. Services. Some retirement communities do all of the outside maintenance, some just mow the lawns and some do not do anything at all. Choose a community that suits your needs depending on the amount of maintenance you want to do.

Get the latest on retirement by visiting http://www.retirementviews.com - a website that offers information on retirement including tips on retirement planning, saving for retirement and retirement communities. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins

Retirement Planning With Stocks & Mutual Funds

By Mike Selvon 

 

Retirement planning doesn't have to be a daunting task. In addition to a pension, social security and a 401k, the happiest retirees secure investments long before they retire and reap the benefits for that Bahamas cruise later on.

Stocks and mutual funds aren't just terms for Wall Street brokers anymore. They're assets to anyone with a desire for more money. Why not benefit as the economy benefits and share in the wealth? That's what "capitalism" is all about.

A stock is a share in the ownership of a company. For the company, a stock is a fundraising loan that they needn't repay, but will typically yield greater income for both the company and its shareholders in the end. As an owner, you are entitled to your share of the company's wealth.

You won't be able to control how the company is run per say, but the good news is that you will have a claim to assets and limited liability (meaning that you're not personally responsible if the company can't repay its debts).

Stocks can be daunting since there's always the risk that the company won't be profitable and you'll lose your investment. When retirement planning, the AARP recommends investing for the long haul in companies that are likely to succeed (instead of trying to "time" the market) and invest small in many different stocks to minimize risk and maximize returns.

A mutual fund is a lower-risk investment. Investors pool their money and allow professionals to select stocks for them. While stocks may generate a larger return, mutual funds are better for retirement planning because of their low risk and maintenance.

Mutual funds spread your investment dollars around and gives you the expertise of a money manager to ensure the success of at least some of your investments.

Mutual funds are constantly being bought and sold, so you can easily sell your shares for money. Many people choose the automatic investment option, which takes a certain amount of money out of each paycheck to invest. When the market's down, more shares are bought to increase your ownership and when the market's up, less shares are bought at the higher price.

So how will you make money off your stocks and mutual funds? One way is through appreciation, meaning that the fund will be worth more than what you paid for it as the market changes and you'll be able to resell, making a small profit.

Another way is through dividends, which works like interest that is distributed among shareholders annually or sometimes quarterly. A third way is through capital gain distributions, which is the portion of the shared company profit that you can receive annually or monthly.

Retirement planning investments shouldn't be touched until retirement however, since this money will be included in your taxable income.

You may be wondering, "Where can I get started on investing in my retirement plan?" For information, check the US Securities and Exchange Commission website to find what questions to ask before you get started with your retirement planning investments.

The local library will also have many resources for eager investors. To jump right in, make an appointment with your local bank.

Browse to Mike Selvon portal to find out more about your retirement planning options. We greatly appreciate your feedback at our retirement planning blog. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Selvon

Career Planning After Retirement: Ideas for Self Employment

By Alison Braidwood

 

Why career planning after retirement? There are many reasons to keep working. You may need the extra retirement income. You may miss the social interaction of the workplace. Maybe you're bored and realise that hobbies aren't enough to fill your days. Or maybe your other half is threatening to brain you if you don't get out of their hair and find something to do!

Whatever the reason, more and more people are resuming some form of employment after official retirement.

Career planning after retirement can present the opportunity to do something completely different. If you were an accountant, now you can be a freelance writer. If you were a nurse, now you can train to be a yoga instructor. When it comes to making money after retirement, the only limits are your aptitude and determination.

Decide on the basics first.

Do you want to work full time or part time? Do you want to work at home or go out to an office? Are you interested in sales or a service business? Do you like dealing with people or would you rather work on your own?

If your own business has been your goal for a while, you may already have some ideas for self employment in mind. Do your research. Go to your local library and check out books on entrepreneurship and setting up your own business. Go online and investigate other people who are engaged in similar enterprises.

If you know you want to work for yourself, but can't narrow it down to a particular business, then again, go to the library. Roam the aisles with a pen and paper and jot down any and all ideas for self employment. Brainstorm when reading the paper and watching television. You can get ideas anywhere. Surf the internet and get inspiration from across the globe.

Take your time and do your homework! You don't want to set up your own small business and then discover you hate it.

Maybe at first glance your dream job seems like it would be too time consuming (or too costly to set up). The whole idea of making money after retirement, of career planning after retirement, is to give you more freedom, not to tie you down to a desk and burden you with debt.

In that case, why not take it virtual? If running a real riding stable would be too much, why not set up a website about riding stables and horses? If bass fishing is your thing, but the idea of a shop or tour operation seems like too much work, why not have a website that sells fishing equipment or promotes other people's guided fishing tours?

If you think that sounds unworkable, try doing a search online for any term that interests you. I'll bet you'll find people making money with websites on the same theme. Whatever you decide to do, remember that you have experience and maturity on your side. This is your chance to do something for you.

Alison Braidwood is a writer living in Northern Ontario. For more on career planning after retirement self employment tips and how to become a Mature Entrepreneur, please visit http://Silverpreneurs.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Braidwood

Affect Change with the Help of Personal Development Programs

By Josh Neumann 

 

So what age do people consider retirement planning? Unfortunately, for many people this age is way too late. The truth is it is never too early to start plan for retirement, because of the wonders of compounding interest.

The honest reality is this: most people get out of college saddled with a lot of debt, then take a mortgage for their home, car payment, and are pretty much in debt for the rest of their life. Therefore, they spend the rest of their life trying to pay off their debt and keep up with the bills, instead of playing for retirement.

Once they reach retirement, they realize they don't have nearly enough money to live on. They should not be a problem for you, if you manage your money wisely.

First of all, realize that as it is never too early to start retirement planning, even if you're just beginning your working career. In order to know exactly what you want to do, first you need to figure out what kind of lifestyle you want to live during your later years. While this seems obvious, most people never do this simple step.

For this, sit down and map out exactly where you want to travel, what kind of house you would like to live in, and exactly what kind of lifestyle you want to live in your retirement. Once you know this, simply figure out how much money approximately this will cost, and then find the right investment vehicle to get you there.

Here's a helpful tip; one of the least known about and most overlooked investment vehicles for retirement planning is real estate. Quite simply, real estate investing provides a long term passive income, and requires very little effort once you know what you're doing. No matter what age you consider retirement planning at, real estate investing can help you achieve your goals.

However, there are many other vehicles for investing for you to examine, such as stock market, bond investing, it etc. You need to simply find out for yourself which investment vehicle will help you get your goals fast as, and do that.

Remember, there is no age at which people consider retirement planning that is too early. Follow these important tips, and you'll be able to achieve whatever retirement goals you set yourself, no matter how lofty.

For more great retirement planning investment advice, check out http://www.online-retirement-planning.com, and get some great retirement planning help. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Neumann

Payroll Services for Retirement Planning

By Mike Selvon

 

As a new business owner, naturally you'll want to make the most informed, cost-effective decisions. One of the most crucial decisions is how to process payroll and tax information.

You'll have to factor in local and federal tax regulations, retirement planning and quarterly financial reporting. These responsibilities can seem overwhelming without the right assistance.

Here you'll find several different options to make payroll a breeze: accountants, payroll software or payroll services.

New businesses are advised to "Hire an accountant," which is very sound advice if you're looking for peace of mind. A salaried accountant could provide tremendous payroll services but could also set you back $50,000-$80,000 annually, which isn't feasible for smaller companies.

Sometimes your best bet is to hire a consultant for $100-200/month to cover book keeping. Ask around to find a personal accountant who is reliable. The last thing you want is late tax returns or penalties due to an accounting error.

You can hire a company like H&R Block to cover your tax filings, but they won't be able to provide you with retirement planning services.

To save time, medium to large sized companies choose to outsource payroll services and retirement planning to a company. ADP and Paychex 401k plans and services are ranked among the best in the nation.

There's always a danger in using one of these service providers with over 543,000 clients, that you may be the one to slip between the cracks. Some clients report poor customer service, false promises, late deposits and hefty penalties.

Yet in general, you can sleep sounder by not having to spend all of your time micro-managing payroll and taxes.

Quickbooks Assisted Payroll costs half the amount of payroll services, around $59/month on average. Instead of waiting by the phone or fax machine, you can enter data into your computer immediately and have information updated in real time.

You may choose to print your own paychecks or directly deposit funds into employee bank accounts. Similar to outsourcing, Quickbooks will cover state and federal tax filings as well, taking a huge load off your shoulders. With just the click of a mouse button, you can have W2's printed right in the office.

With Quickbooks or other payroll software, you will have maximum control over your financial pay-outs so you can feel comfortable knowing all your employees and tax agencies will be satisfied.

To help with your retirement planning needs, Quickbooks Retirement Solutions is easy-to-navigate software with clear-cut employee retirement plan options.

The importance of payroll services should not be taken lightly. Whether you're assessing your business retirement plan options, filing your taxes or simply paying your workers, payroll services are a vital part of every business.

A good accountant can keep you out of lawsuits and jail, keep your employees happy and give you the peace of mind you need to run a successful business.

Browse to Mike Selvon portal to find out more about payroll services options. We greatly appreciate your feedback at our retirement planning blog. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Selvon

Retirement Planning - The Income vs Growth Conundrum

By Chuck Gibson

 

As baby boomers begin en mass to the retirement door exits the retirement landscape is radically changed from previous the past the majority of employers took the responsibility of providing for and meeting the needs of retirees. As defined benefit plans have gone the way of the dinosaur and are virtually extinct and the advent of the 401(k), the retirement burden has fallen directly on the shoulders of the retirees. Unfortunately, most retirees are unprepared for taking on this task and will soon have to be making some very important decisions.

The general rule of thumb is that you should take less risk in your retirement years because you don't have the time (or income) to make up for large losses. But if you are like most people you will have to take some risk to insure your portfolio income stream and value keeps up with inflation. The downside of taking risk is potential sleepless nights and unrecoverable drops in your portfolio value.

Say you had a $600,000 portfolio at retirement and put it all in guaranteed fixed income investments (assume it earns 6%, the long-term average bond return). Your portfolio will generate a nice, steady income of $3000/month. You do all the right things at retirement and make the necessary changes to your lifestyle and adjust your budget to insure you can survive on $3000/month. The good news is that in 20 years, if you only withdraw your investment dividends to live on your portfolio will still be worth $600,000 and generating the original $3000/mo. Unfortunately, If inflation is a reasonable 3.5%/year over that period of time, the difficulty becomes your $3000 income stream would now be worth less than $1500/month and your portfolio worth only $300,000. What may have been a comfortable retirement at $3000/mo becomes unlivable when you only have half that amount. If you retirement lasts more than 20 years you can see the picture becomes even bleaker. If you decide to take some of the principle and increase your withdrawal amount to keep up with inflation rather than keep them steady at $3000/month you would run out of money in 17 years!

Ideally, if you are lucky enough to be one of the very few who can retire and live off their assets without having to take risk, the investment decisions ahead of you are relatively easy. If not, you are looking at ways to best replace the steady stream of income your paycheck gave you and have it last through your lifetime. How do you create a steady stream of income from your existing asset base but also insure it lasts your lifetime? Putting it all in fixed income investments will generate the steady stream of income but inflation will quickly erode your buying power. Adding too much risk to your portfolio could subject you to losses so great you could never recover. What the right portfolio mix (asset allocation) will determine the success of your retirement. Asset allocation/risk determination is the most important item to control throughout your investing life and will be determined by many variables that are unique to each retiree including but not limited to time horizon, age, cash flow needs, retirement nest egg etc. I recommend everyone meet with an investment advisor to assist you in its determination before your retirement is underway to help assure a happy, prosperous, and worry-free retirement.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chuck_Gibson

Retirement Planning with Investment Properties

By Mike Selvon

 

All around us, people are getting rich off real estate, buying at just the right time and reselling at higher values or by using tenant rent money to pay off an existing mortgage. Are investment properties a good idea? Or is the market in a downward spiral?

As with anything, there's no one-size-fits-all solution, but getting information is the first step to assessing whether or not investment properties will be included in your supplemental retirement plan.

Pros of owning investment properties are obvious. Hypothetically speaking, imagine owning a six-plex in a slow-changing, yet prosperous part of Atlanta where you charged each tenant $1,000. Your monthly mortgage for the building might be $3,000 but you'll still have that extra $3,000 cushion each month.

Another benefit of property investments is the generous tax kickback you may receive. If you delight in getting your lump s