Edward Palonek info

Retirement Outlook? Bad. Can the Web Help?

Edward Palonek — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:20:42 GMT

Retirement Outlook? Bad. Can the Web Help?

New Research Identifies Which Retirement Firm Web Sites Are Making Retirement Planning and Saving Easier.

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 12, 2006 -- Most Americans are woefully behind on their retirement savings. In theory, the web should offer some hope. The web should allow people to become better informed about retirement planning. The web should make it easy to get started with the right kind of retirement account, thus making saving easier. Unfortunately, the web sites of most firms offering retirement solutions make learning about retirement options much harder than it needs to be.

According to new research released today by Change Sciences Group, more than 50% of sites offering retirement solutions make it hard to find the retirement section of the site, let alone make use of it. For people that make it to the retirement section of the site, about half of the sites do not provide the most basic information about retirement fundamentals, such as finding clear, easy to read definitions of account types, or getting a clear definition of "tax deferral".

What about Full Service?

Most full service brokerages, while sometimes providing helpful content, make it extremely difficult to set up an account, forcing people who may just want to roll over funds to request a printed form, fill it out and fax it back. Most banks don't do much better.

To jump to report details visit:
http://changesciences.com/cgi-bin/reports.html

"Most sites are either cluttered up with too much content that's not written for the web, or too Spartan to be of any use," said Steve Ellis, a Change Sciences partner. "For brokerages, full service or discount, not having a meaningful retirement web strategy simply turns away a wide range of prospects."

There are some bright spots. A handful of sites have taken significant steps toward making their retirement sites easy to use and informative. The best site is more than three and a half times better than the worse site, and more than two times better than the average site. The three best retirement sites overall are:
1. Vanguard
2. Wells Fargo
3. TD Ameritrade

Other sites covered in the report include: A.G. Edwards, AIG SunAmerica, AIG VALIC, American Century, Ameriprise, AXA Advisors, Bank of America, Charles Schwab, Chase, Citibank, E*Trade, Edward Jones, Fidelity, Key Bank, Marshall & Ilsley, Merrill Lynch, MetLife, Morgan Stanley, National City, Piper Jaffray, PNC Investments, Prudential, Scottrade, Smith Barney, SunTrust, T. Rowe Price, TD Ameritrade, TIAA-CREF, US Bank, Vanguard, Wachovia, WaMu Financial, Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo Advantage Funds, and Wells Fargo.

For a detailed research overview including more findings, sample data, the report table of contents, and the complete ranking of all 35 sites visit:
http://changesciences.com/cgi-bin/reports.html

About Change Sciences
Change Sciences was founded in January 2000 to help companies improve online business by basing decisions on how people use technology while they live, work, and play.

If you would like more information about this topic or would like to talk with Steve Ellis, please call Kathy Berona at 888-864-1160.

Contact:
Kathy Berona
Change Sciences Group, Inc.
888-864-1160
www.changesciences.com

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More Communities Draw Bulls-eye on Baby Boomers - New Tool From TopRetirements.com Gets Your Retirement Community Noticed

Edward Palonek — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:02:15 GMT

More Communities Draw Bulls-eye on Baby Boomers - New Tool From TopRetirements.com Gets Your Retirement Community Noticed

Now it's easy for towns and developments to promote themselves as retirement communities. They can create a free listing in just a few minutes that will seen by thousands of baby boomers looking for a new retirement community.

Madison, CT (PRWEB) January 17, 2007 -- Many of the nation's 76 million baby boomersr are starting to think about choosing a retirement community. But up until now these active adults 55+ faced one big problem - where to find an objective list of attractive communities, along with enough usable facts to make an intelligent choice.

Free Listings for Retirement Communities
Hundreds of baby boomers search www.Topretirements.com every day, looking for their perfect retirement spot. Communities seeking to increase economic development by promoting their town or development as an ideal place to retire now have a powerful and free tool -- they can create a free listing at Topretirements. To list a community all that is needed are a few basic facts (population, Jan. temperature, housing costs, etc.), a photo, and short descriptions in various categories. Each review provides helpful information about what is special about the community, along with its cultural environment, medical, and transportation facilities. Editors at Topretirements refine the listings to insure editorial quality, which can then be edited by other Site Guides. There is no charge for the listings -- create one for your city, town, or active adult community at the site's "Add Your Community" feature (http://www.topretirements.com/index.php?title=Special:Userlogin)

Topretirements.com is a peer-reviewed online resource where baby boomers can find their perfect retirement community. One of the reasons why thousands of visitors are coming to the site is to download its free eBook, "The "Baby Boomers Guide to Choosing the Perfect Community -- 16 Factors You Need to Consider". This practical 48 page guide was co-authored by clinical psychologist, Roberta Isleib, PhD, and John Brady.

Visitors can download the Free Baby Boomer's Guide at http://www.topretirements.com/index.php?title=Ebookdownloadguest

About Topretirements.com
Topretirements features peer generated reviews in a Wikipedia-based format that encourages users to create and edit reviews of their communities. Visiting baby boomers will find objective reviews written by real people, instead of glowing advertisements for retirement communities written by marketers. To help active adults make more informed decisions the site presents a searchable database of vital facts about each retirement community such as temperatures, taxes, crime rates, cultural indices, recreational amenities, etc. Discussion Forums for each State and Community provide a venue where visitors can ask questions and give their opinions.

www.Topretirements.com -- Find your perfect retirement community!

Russell Research Shows Ninety Percent of Retirement Income Is From Investment Returns, Not Savings/Contributions

Edward Palonek — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:57:51 GMT

Russell Research Shows Ninety Percent of Retirement Income Is From Investment Returns, Not Savings/Contributions

Almost Two Thirds of Investment Returns Are Earned During, Not Prior to, Retirement

TACOMA, Wash. (Business Wire EON) May 27, 2008 -- Russell Investments has released research to its clients that shows that investment returns generated by 401(k) savings during an individual’s retirement play the critical role in providing retirement income. This challenges the conventional belief that retirement income is derived predominantly from savings and returns accumulated during a participant’s working years.

It would be wrong to conclude that contribution level is not important. Indeed, without contributions there can be no investment return

These findings build off significant research in the defined benefit space conducted by Don Ezra, director, Investment Strategy, almost two decades ago. In this earlier research, “A Model of Pension Fund Growth” (1989), Ezra modeled DB plan growth and found that “for any one plan member, the largest part of the investment return…accrues during the payout stage.”

Dubbed the 10/30/60 Rule by authors Matt Smith, managing director, Retirement Services and Bob Collie, director, Investment Strategy, this new research continues Russell’s efforts to leverage its decades of pension expertise for the benefit of the individual investor. In this case, the findings show that in a defined contribution (DC) context, the plan benefits that a participant receives in retirement can be broken out as:

10% of each retirement income dollar consists of contributions made to the DC plan while working
30% is made up of investment returns generated prior to retirement
60% is made up of investment returns generated after retirement

The basic 10/30/60 pattern proved to be stable even with a range of assumptions. As part of its research, Russell altered several input assumptions – such as the retirement age, the age when saving begins and age of death – and found that only lowering the expected post-retirement return would significantly change the 10/30/60 rule.

“It would be wrong to conclude that contribution level is not important. Indeed, without contributions there can be no investment return,” said Smith. “However, with roughly 90% of distributions being generated by investment earnings, sound investment programs are critical if DC plans are to be effective in meeting goals for financial security in retirement.

“The current turmoil in the markets can cause individual investors to panic and focus only on the short-term. This research underpins the importance of a long-term, diversified investment approach as the best way to maximize the chance of successfully meeting retirement income goals,” said Smith. “Plan sponsors can do their part by diligently reviewing their plan design to ensure best practices when it comes to investment line-ups, including the plan’s default options.”

For more information on Russell’s Retirement Research, please visit www.russell.com.

About Russell

Russell Investments provides strategic advice, world-class implementation, state-of-the-art performance benchmarks and a range of institutional-quality investment products. With nearly $213 billion in assets under management (as of 3/31/08), Russell serves individual, institutional and advisor clients in more than 40 countries. Russell provides access to some of the world's best money managers. It helps investors put this access to work in corporate defined benefit and defined contribution plans, and in the life savings of individual investors.

Founded in 1936, Russell is a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and headquartered in Tacoma, Wash. Russell has principal offices in Amsterdam, Auckland, Johannesburg, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto.

RFD# 0469

Russell Investment Group is a Washington, USA corporation, which operates through subsidiaries worldwide, including Russell Investments, and is a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Russell Fund Distributors, Inc. member FINRA, part of Russell Investments.

Investments are subject to market risk and may lose value.

Senior Something is retiring.

Edward Palonek — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:23:00 GMT

Senior Something is retiring.

With the number of seniors and baby boomers online steadily increasing, SeniorSomething.com is retiring.

Houston, TX (PRWEB) September 18, 2004 -- With the number of seniors and baby boomers online steadily increasing, SeniorSomething.com is retiring. On November 31, after five years online, SeniorSomething's founder and owner, Eric Marchand of Houston TX, has decided to deactivate SeniorSomething.com and seven other websites currently online.

Marchand considers his group to be lucky since no one is actually being laid off. "Our staff of seven has been released with compensation since August 15. We're all over fifty. We all had other lives before this venture, and that's what we're go back to doing. We operated a debt free operation, that's why we don't have to say ouch." He also cites ongoing health issues as his main motivation. "Right now I need to slow down and spend some time with those close to me." The staff members are scattered across the country and operated from virtual home offices.

Having caught the tail of the internet bubble, in early 2001 Marchand unloaded his website and domain name eMoneyGram.com to Traveler's Express. He went on to develope and maintain a high of fourteen websites that catered to a diverse group of niche markets. His website SeniorSomething.com went online in November 1999, and CNN.com highlighted the website on its site for two weeks, one year later. "That was quite a jolt for me. To be recognized at all on the internet after one year was exciting enough, but to have caught the eye of a national news service was very encouraging." SeniorSomething.com was originally developed to make it easier for Marchand's elderly mother to find what she needed online.

When asked how he felt about pulling the plug on SeniorSomething, Marchand replied that he'd like to see all the live websites survive, "but I can't be the one to help them do it right now." Offers are being accepted for the SeniorSomething.com property, and approximately 80 other domain names that are owned by Marchand & Associates. Marchand & Associates does business online at eMarketInvestors.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Eric Marchand
Marchand & Associates
713-270-0821 Voice message
http://www.eMarketInvestors.com

Interviewed by Iko Nomi
12:30PM CST 17Sept2004

# # #

RetirementJobs.com® Announces National Launch of Age-Friendly Employer™ Certification Program

Edward Palonek — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:33:44 GMT

RetirementJobs.com® Announces National Launch of Age-Friendly Employer™ Certification Program

Top career website for age 50+ workers evaluates and encourages workplaces to retain and recruit experienced employees.

BOSTON & NEW ORLEANS (Business Wire EON) April 30, 2007 -- At the SHRM Staffing Management Conference, RetirementJobs.com, the leading provider of career services to people over age 50, today announced the national launch of the RetirementJobs.com Age Friendly Employer Certification™ Program. RetirementJobs.com’s Certification Program is a unique initiative to identify and expand the number of employers that maintain policies, practices and programs consistent with employment of people age 50 and older based solely on their proficiency, qualifications and contribution, and on terms and conditions comparable to younger individuals. Further, Certification indicates an employer’s recognition of the value of age 50+ workers, as well as its commitment to take affirmative action in providing meaningful employment, development opportunities, and competitive pay and benefits.

We are honored that RetirementJobs.com designated our company as a Certified Age Friendly Employer(TM)

Examples of employers who’ve earned RetirementJobs.com Age Friendly Employer Certification include national brands like H&R Block, Marriott, Staples and REI; as well as regional employers: Massachusetts General Hospital, San Francisco’ Specialty Café and Bakery, and ARC of Hunterdon County (a New Jersey facility serving people with developmental disabilities).

“We are honored that RetirementJobs.com designated our company as a Certified Age Friendly Employer™,” said Andrea Smith, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) a $4.1 billion retailer of books, music, and movies. “Borders truly values the diversity of our employees, customers and vendors because it results in our ongoing success. By hiring mature workers, we not only create a workforce that mirrors our customer base, but we also are able to hire talented, loyal and reliable employees who can positively impact the customer experience and our results.”

“The RetirementJobs.com Certification Program streamlines the process of connecting older employees with employers who’ll value their experience, addressing the needs of both parties simultaneously” says Robert Skladany, VP of Research and Certification, RetirementJobs.com.

“Our certification program essentially fuses the principles of Consumer Reports with a job board: a codification to label any and all employers that can prove themselves as age-friendly.”

For more on the Age Friendly Employer Certification Program (including a full-length announcement), or to learn whether your company is age friendly--send an e-mail to certify@retirementjobs.com or visit www.retirementjobs.com

RetirementJobs.com is a registered trademark; Age Friendly Employer, Certified Age Friendly Employer, Age Friendly Employer Certification are trademarks of RetirementJobs.com, Inc. All other trademarks or service marks are property of their respective owners.

Newport Builds New Data Center as Its Business Expands

Edward Palonek — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:53:22 GMT

Newport Builds New Data Center as Its Business Expands

ORLANDO, Fla. (Business Wire EON) June 11, 2008 -- The Newport Group, a national provider of retirement plans, executive benefits and investment advisory services, announced that recent and anticipated company growth has led it to build a new state-of-the-art data center—an expansion of the secure computer area that houses the firm’s core systems, networking and telecommunications equipment.

Due to the recent significant increase in our business, as well as the ongoing growth we expect, we have created a brand-new facility that's over twice as large. This gives us the capacity to expand Newport's data storage systems by hundreds and eventually thousands of servers.

“Presently, Newport’s servers process personal and financial data for 400,000 participants in more than 2,100 retirement and benefit plans nationwide,” said Chief Operating Officer Bryant Kirk. “Due to the recent significant increase in our business, as well as the ongoing growth we expect, we have created a brand-new facility that’s over twice as large. This gives us the capacity to expand Newport’s data storage systems by hundreds and eventually thousands of servers.”

Inside the facility at Newport’s Charlotte, NC service center, a high-tech security system provides video surveillance and monitors the environment and power loads. Newport employs numerous internal and external controls to assure the integrity of client data is protected and its systems are secure, including advanced firewall and backup systems and full disaster recovery planning. Newport’s data center features an uninterruptible power supply and backup power, and systems to maintain and monitor electrical power, fire suppression, humidity and temperature. One new feature, Newport’s in-row cooling unit system, is the largest of its kind in North Carolina.

“Our continuing investment in the latest technology helps keep us at the forefront of the retirement services industry,” Kirk continued. “This in turn allows us to streamline virtually every aspect of client and participant service. Our clients consistently tell us that our technology is second to none in the industry.”

A full service provider of retirement and benefit plans, Newport has earned industry accolades for its plan sponsor and participant technology. With corporate headquarters in Orlando, the firm maintains service centers in Charlotte, NC, Greensboro, NC, La Crosse, WI, Orlando, FL, Richmond, VA, St. Louis, MO, and St. Petersburg, FL.

About The Newport Group

Founded in 1984, The Newport Group is a leading retirement services and asset management firm—specializing in the creative design, funding, and administration of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans as well as co-fiduciary investment advisory services. Through its innovative and customized solutions, Newport is uniquely positioned to satisfy the distinct financial needs of employers and employees, and has done so for hundreds of the country’s largest and best-known companies. For more information, visit www.newportgroup.com.

55CommunityGuide.com - Comprehensive Directory of 55+ Retirement Communities

Edward Palonek — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:47:07 GMT

55CommunityGuide.com - Comprehensive Directory of 55+ Retirement Communities

Retirement Media Inc. launches newest site with plans to have 55CommunityGuide.com be the largest directory of retirement communities, active adult communities and 55 plus homes on the Internet.

Alpharetta, GA (PRWEB) August 28, 2007 -- Retirement Media Inc. announces 55CommunityGuide.com has been launched with a good start on its goal of being the most comprehensive directory of 55+ communities and homes on the Internet. Retirement communities and Realtors specializing in 55+ homes may place FREE Premium directory listings on the 55CommunityGuide.com site. This is helping build 55CommunityGuide.com's directory of retirement community listings while giving excellent exposure to the retirement community, according to Robert Fowler, President of Retirement Media Inc.

55 Community Guide

I had no idea how nice these new Active Adult Communities are and think they will be a big hit to Boomers my age.

Retirement Media Inc. was created in 2006 by Robert Fowler after he sold his home rental ads and property management sites to Consumer Source Interactive. Fowler, age 59, looked at other opportunities and decided his new focus would be retirement sites, especially those related to Boomers and the question of where to live in their retirement.

SmallTownRetirement.com was Fowler's first site in this new endeavor and has done quite nicely showing up organically in the search engines, a skill Fowler developed with his previous sites. SmallTownRetirement.com includes a blog where reviews of active adult communities, small towns and retirement communities are made. Fowler says "A representative of Pulte/Del Webb read our blog and contacted me requesting I review their three new Georgia communities." Fowler was impressed. "I had no idea how nice these new Active Adult Communities are and think they will be a big hit to Boomers my age."

Noting there is no one place to see information on all retirement communities, 55CommunityGuide.com was begun to fill that niche. The site provides Boomers, Seniors and pre-retirees a resource to locate retirement communities and places to retire. The types of properties in 55CommunityGuide.com's directory are 55+ communities, active adult retirement communities, retirement communities, 55+ friendly homes and subdivisions, 55+ condos, manufactured homes, second and vacation homes and brokers/agents catering to 55 plus homes. We even have a category for affordable retirement communities.

55CommunityGuide.com is always free for those looking for a retirement community or a place to live. Communities and agents can place their free premium ad by clicking the "Advertise with Us" link on top of the home page. 55CommunityGuide.com also includes classifieds ads for agents with individual 55 homes to advertise and sections where open houses and preview events can be scheduled, retirement articles and promotional advertising.

About 55CommunityGuide.com
55CommunityGuide.com is a national on line service which provides a directory of retirement communities, 55 + communities, active adult communities. Also the site provides retirement articles, classified ads for 55 Plus Realtors, events and promotional advertising. Based in Alpharetta, Georgia 55CommunityGuide.com is part of the Retirement Media Inc. family of sites which includes SmallTownRetirement.com and others. For more information, visit 55CommunityGuide.com

Helping Boomers Take Action to Realize Their Retirement Dreams

Edward Palonek — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:22:26 GMT

Helping Boomers Take Action to Realize Their Retirement Dreams

Michael Dinich a 1-year MDRT member to hold retirement workshops throughout the month of August in conjunction with MDRT's Retirement Preparedness week. MDRT is a leading non-profit association representing more than 35,000 of the best financial services professionals around the world.

Sayre, PA (PRWEB) July 26, 2007 -- Although thousands of Baby Boomers throughout the Southern Tier of New York celebrate their 60th birthday each day, research shows that a vast majority are not financially prepared for retirement. To help local Baby Boomers better understand -- and overcome -- the unique financial challenges they face in retirement, financial expert Michael Dinich of Sayre is planning educational efforts as part of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Baby Boomer Retirement Preparedness Week, August 6-10, 2007.

MDRT is a leading non-profit association representing more than 35,000 of the best financial services professionals around the world. During Baby Boomer Retirement Preparedness Week, MDRT members are partnering with local media, governments, businesses and community groups to conduct educational activities and events. Michael Dinich, a 1 year MDRT member is planning special retirement workshops throughout the Month of August, for specific dates and locations please call 1-800-729-1564.

It is never too late to take steps that will improve your financial future.

Baby Boomers face financial challenges no previous generation has encountered, including pension terminations, skyrocketing healthcare costs, uncertainty about government programs such as Social Security, decreased personal savings rates and significantly increased life expectancy during retirement.

"To overcome their unique financial challenges, Boomers must take action on their own behalf to prepare for retirement," said Michael. "It is never too late to take steps that will improve your financial future."

MDRT Baby Boomer Retirement Preparedness Week
During Baby Boomer Retirement Preparedness Week, Michael Dinich and other MDRT members will be armed with information and tools presented at the recent MDRT Boomertirement Summit. At that event, Dr. Alan Greenspan (U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman - 1987-2006) and other financial experts, scholars, researchers and thought leaders came together for two days of discussion about solutions to the retirement challenges facing Baby Boomers.

MDRT has also established a Web site -- www.boomertirement.com -- that provides Baby Boomers with tools and information to help them take action in preparing for retirement. Content includes:

Information about steps Boomers of various ages should be taking to prepare for retirement.
A report that provides a summary of each Boomertirement Summit session, as well as links to video/audio of these sessions, audience handouts and other resources.

To get involved in Baby Boomer Retirement Preparedness Week, please contact Michael Dinich at 1-800-729-1564 or online at www.MichaelDinich.com.

ABOUT MDRT AND BOOMERTIREMENT
MDRT is The Premier Association of Financial Professionals. Founded in 1927, MDRT is an international, independent association of more than 35,000, or less than 1 percent, of the world's best life insurance and financial services professionals. With membership from 77 nations and territories, MDRT members demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of sales excellence in the life insurance and financial services business.

Through Boomertirement, MDRT is providing leadership that will help the financial services industry provide solutions that will encourage the biggest generation in history -- Baby Boomers -- to take action to navigate the financial challenges they confront as they retire.

You Can Retire in a Weekend Says America's Retirement Strategist

Edward Palonek — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:07:06 GMT

You Can Retire in a Weekend Says America's Retirement Strategist

Personal financial expert, Bill Losey is the author of Retire in a Weekend! The Baby Boomer's Guide to Making Work Optional and boldly claims anyone can learn how to retire in a weekend. The book is based upon real life and filled with honest feedback from pre-retirees.

Wilton, N.Y. (PRWEB) February 27, 2008 -- There are many books on personal finance and retirement but none based on feedback from over 5,000 pre-retirees and retirees nationwide. Over the past year, Bill Losey, author of Retire in a Weekend! The Baby Boomer's Guide to Making Work Optional, surveyed his clients, hundreds of people who've attended his retirement and investing workshops, as well as thousands of subscribers to his free, award-winning newsletter, Retirement Intelligence®. With more than 12,000 responses, Losey discovered their biggest retirement concerns and the most significant questions they wanted answered.

Book Cover

Most couldn't make sense of all the information. They didn't know what did or didn't matter to their situation, and they didn't know how to synthesize and apply it all. Most importantly, they were hungry for straight talk, not some fear-based sales pitch. As a result, my book is short, simple, easy-to-understand, and laced with humor.

"When I listened to my seminar attendees express how they were confused, and sometimes overwhelmed with all the conflicting financial information available, I knew I had to do something," Losey explains. "Most couldn't make sense of all the information. They didn't know what did or didn't matter to their situation, and they didn't know how to synthesize and apply it all. Most importantly, they were hungry for straight talk, not some fear-based sales pitch. As a result, my book is short, simple, easy-to-understand, and laced with humor."

Losey's book provides straight answers and sound advice in a user friendly, humorous format. It is easy to read in a few hours over the course of a weekend. It shows people how to do what they want, when they want, where they want so they can truly make work optional.

Some of the topics Retire In A Weekend! covers include:

The five biggest retirement concerns - and exactly what you can do about them
Answers to the 10 most common questions about retirement
How to bullet-proof your retirement plan
How to retire today
Everything you wanted to know about money, inflation, social security, but didn't know to ask
The absolute best and proven investing strategy

"It doesn't matter who I am speaking to: male, female; high or low net worth; married or single; widowed or divorced," says Losey. "All of their concerns and questions are exactly the same. My book addresses them all and provides real world solutions to retirement."

"Stop asking yourself if you can retire. It may be a bold statement, but with my book you'll learn how to actually do it."

The book also includes a free DVD, The 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Retiring & How You Can Avoid Them. For more information, about the book and retirement planning, visit www.retireinaweekend.com or www.myretirementsuccess.com

Bill Losey is a graduate of Marist College and obtained his certification in financial planning from The College for Financial Planning in Denver. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association, the Society of Certified Senior Advisors and the National Ethics Bureau. Losey has nearly 20 years experience in the financial services industry and is a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner, a Certified Senior Advisor and Certified RSP-Trained Retirement Coach. He is the founder of National Retirement Planning Month, and publishes Retirement Intelligence ®, a free weekly award-winning newsletter that reaches thousands of subscribers worldwide. As a qualified professional in the areas of retirement strategies and investment alternatives, Bill has been interviewed on CNN, FOX News and Bloomberg Business Radio. He is a former guest host of "Money Matters", a financial commentator for RNN-TV, and guest host of the "Issues on Aging" radio program. He currently lives in upstate New York with his wife and children.

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3 Retirement Challenges the Experts Never Told You About

Edward Palonek — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:25:01 GMT

3 Retirement Challenges the Experts Never Told You About

New research finds Boomers demanding a new set of values as they near retirement.

CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) July 15, 2004 -- Its not what you have for retirement that matters, but how you reinvent yourself so you retire with vigor, finds new research reported in the new retirement planning book, Boomers: Visions of the New Retirement," by a 30-something university dean and retirement transition expert.

Baby Boomers, who will live another 20 or more years after retirement, are demanding a full and rewarding second life that will be much different than the one they left behind," said Dr. Maria Malayter, PhD., who wrote Boomers: Visions of the New Retirement," published this spring by iUniverse. This new vision of retirement is going to force major changes to the services human resources professionals offer to their retiring employees."

An assistant dean for the College of Arts and Sciences at National-Louis University, Chicago, and previously a professor there in Applied Behavioral Science, Dr. Malayter – Doc Maria, as shes know to her students and colleagues – has studied and tracked retiree and retirement trends since 1993. She also owns the consulting practice, Innovations in Change (www.DocMaria.com).

Older workers are bombarded with retirement advice about money, health and relocation issues, yet somehow we have forgotten that in retirement, the need for relationships, the thirst for learning and the desire for meaning become major challenges that retirees struggle to fulfill," said Doc Maria, who, as transitions instructor at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, IL, conducted considerable research with men and women transitioning out of the workforce.

Doc Maria said she recognizes that basic human needs such as housing, income and good health are the foundation of any life. But my research with retirees and Boomers now exiting the workforce shows they face three important challenges to a fulfilling second life that no research or advice has supported until now."

Based on her studies of retirement trends and retirees, Doc Maria said those retirees whove found retirement richly rewarding had to first reinvent themselves for this new cycle of their life. Those challenges are, she said:

-The deep desire and continued need for relationships and companionship: Retirement is a period of soul-searching and transformation. Companions help us find the way and help us define our new identity outside of work. This desire often extends beyond what spouse or life partners can offer. Many Boomer retirees find they need to forge new relationships and develop new companions through hobby-related activities, volunteer work or social activities. Some return to part-time jobs or second careers to fulfill this need.

Such social supports help retirees keep track of each others lives, which provides another reason to live and stay healthy so they can continue to contribute," Doc Maria said.

-A continued yearning to learn: To validate this finding, one need only look at the number of older Americans and retirees attending college or continuing education programs. In fact, Doc Maria notes in Boomers: Visions of the New Retirement," more than 300 U.S. colleges – including Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, have established learning in retirement" programs to meet older adults need to be intellectually challenged.

-Spiritual and holistic well-being: To find meaning in retirement, retirees will return to faith-based endeavors or pursue personal spiritual matters to address well-being issues. Many find such endeavors help to replace the emptiness that comes with retirement after the prestige, position and power of career no longer give purpose.

The time spent in retirement is to make up for perceived missed opportunities due to work commitments," Doc Maria said. Embracing spiritual matters helps many experience self change and self happiness as they enter retirement."

Boomers: Visions of the New Retirement" has special emphasis for human resources professionals who will need to better understand how to deliver the type of retirement planning services retiring Baby Boomers will demand.

The Baby Boomer generation is approaching retirement age, and society will be surprised if preparation is not considered," Doc Maria said.

Boomers: Visions of the New Retirement" is available online at www.amazon.com.

Media Contact
Jim Leman
LemanBizWriter.com
847-543-1090
jimleman@comcast.net

TheRetirementAdvisor.net Brings You the Inaugural Issue of Our Monthly Newsletter, 'The Retirement Advisor'

Edward Palonek — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:19:40 GMT

TheRetirementAdvisor.net Brings You the Inaugural Issue of Our Monthly Newsletter, 'The Retirement Advisor'

TheRetirementAdvisor.net (http://www.theretirementadvisor.net), a fixed income, stock advisory and educational site catered to the mature investor, brings you the free inaugural issue of "The Retirement Advisor."

New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) February 16, 2007 -- TheRetirementAdvisor.net (http://www.theretirementadvisor.net), a fixed income, stock advisory and educational site catered to the mature investor, brings you the free inaugural issue of The Retirement Advisor. Download our inaugural issue at this URL: (http://www.theretirementadvisor.net/images/PDF/01jan2007_theretirementadvisor.pdf).

The Retirement Advisor, published once a month, has been created specifically to address the concerns of the mature investor -- someone who is seeking quality bonds, CDs, and other fixed income instruments as well as individuals who want to keep abreast of the stock market as part of a balanced approach to investing.

The Retirement Advisor provides individuals approaching or in retirement with a resource to assist them in formulating and maintaining a retirement portfolio strategy that adjusts to the changing real World economic events.

The Retirement Advisor is a must-read for any serious investor who wants to protect his or her nest egg from the effects of inflation.

We designed The Retirement Advisor model portfolios to help you reach and maintain a comfortable retirement in today's ever changing world.

Each month, subscribers to The Retirement Advisor can expect to receive:

Timely articles and updates on what is going on in the global economy that could impact their fixed income and stock portfolios.

Updates to our three model portfolios that are designed for individuals who are approaching or in the beginning or latter stages of retirement. The Retirement Advisor model portfolios adjust the allocation between fixed income and equities to reflect our subscriber's stage in life, and their risk tolerance (i.e. how much risk they can incur without losing sleep at night).

Fixed income information including I Bond and Series EE savings bonds, the latest offerings of US Treasury bills, notes and bonds, Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) as well as the best rates available for certificates of deposits.

A summary of the current trends in the stock market, interest rates, and Federal Reserve policy.

A timely, original article that addresses a major investment topic that is relevant to your retirement planning.

A list of recommended No-load mutual funds for investing in money markets, bonds and equities.

About the Authors

Henry K. To

Henry K. To is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has a degree in Mathematics and Economics from Rice University. He co-founded the economic advisory firm, MarketThoughts LLC, an advisor to the hedge fund Independence Partners, LP. He also publishes a newsletter on Marketthoughts.com where twice a week he explores macro economic issues and analyzes the headlines behind the stock market. Henry has been quoted on the New York Times as well as the International Herald Tribune.

Kirk Lindstrom

Kirk Lindstrom has an engineering degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Following 20 years of research and development as a scientist and engineer at Hewlett Packard, Kirk turned his attention to investments where he edits "Kirk's Investment Newsletter" and writes for Investment.suite101.com, one of the oldest and most popular investment web sites on the Internet. For over a decade, Kirk has written about and helped individuals learn to manage their investments.

David M. Korn

David M. Korn is the creator of the web site, BeginInvesting.com and the editor of an on-line financial newsletter that has subscribers all over the world. David's service has been quoted in financial publications such as CBSMarketwatch.com and TheStreet.com. David Korn has a law degree from Tulane Law School and has been awarded the "AV" rating by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, which is the highest possible rating for legal ability and ethical standards for lawyers.

Contact Information:
The Retirement Advisor
http://www.theretirementadvisor.net

"Today's Family" show to feature Northfield Retirement Community

Edward Palonek — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:22:23 GMT

"Today's Family" show to feature Northfield Retirement Community

Minnesota retirement community offers assistance and independence.

Deerfield Beach, FL (PRWEB) May 16, 2008 -- The producers of Today's Family are pleased to announce that Northfield Retirement Community will be featured in an upcoming episode as part of the show's Touching Hearts and Changing Lives series on Seniors and Assisted Daily Living.
The Northfield Retirement Community, based in Northfield, MN, 35 minutes from Minneapolis/St. Paul, is designed for residents to function as independently as they are able, while providing the assistance they need.

Situated on a 36-plus-acre beautifully landscaped campus, the retirement community offers a variety of housing complexes and amenities to meet the physical, social, psychological, and spiritual needs of older adults. Apartments are available for independent seniors with an active life style at both market and limited income rates, as well as other living arrangements that provide increasing levels of service and care. There is also a chapel on campus for Vespers and Sunday worship.

For the active retiree, the Parkview West apartments offer attractive one and two bedroom apartments with full kitchens and baths. The complex also has an elevator, Internet access, complimentary laundry facilities, a private dining room for family gatherings, and a weekly exercise program. Meal, housekeeping and laundry services are optional, and there is also an onsite hair salon, home care, electronic garages, and van transportation to medical and dental appointments, shopping and special events.

Parkview East is for seniors who need assistance with their personal and health care needs. Northfield Manor is a federally funded property that offers comfortable one- bedroom apartments, each equipped with an urgency call cord. The Cannon Valley Suites are for those who need a greater level of health services. All the typical amenities are offered as well as a personalized health care service plan developed in partnership with a nurse for each Care Suite resident. At Northfield Care Center, 24- hour nursing services are available, as well as a weekly therapeutic whirlpool bath.

The Northfield Retirement Community has been caring for its residents since 1969 and has a long-standing affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as a Social Ministry Organization.

For more information, see http://www.northfieldretirement.org/.

National Air Time:

Today's Family
Thursday, May 22, 2008, WE - Women's Entertainment
6:00 a.m. ET and PT
5:00 a.m. CT
4:00 a.m. MT

Wendy Craig Endorses Retirement Apartments

Edward Palonek — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:47:40 GMT

Wendy Craig Endorses Retirement Apartments

Golden Living, the retirement apartment developer, has announced British celebrity Wendy Craig as their brand ambassador.

Preston, Lancashire (PRWEB) February 8, 2008 -- Wendy Craig, best known for her roles in classic British sitcoms, has been unveiled as the new face of Golden Living endorsing the company's stylish retirement apartments.

Retirement should provide the opportunity to relax and enjoy a stress-free life. I believe a Golden Living apartment offers this and more, and I am delighted to be associated with the team.

The BAFTA award-winning actress's ambassadorial role will see her attending all of Golden Living's developments in person as the company continues to expand their retirement apartment portfolio in 2008.

Golden Living, part of Woodford Group PLC, provides privately owned, secure retirement living in desirable locations for people over 55. The company prides itself on an attention to detail that provides quality apartments that are built for retirement.

Trevor Walters Thompson, Golden Living's Managing Director, said: "We believe that Wendy Craig is the perfect ambassador for Golden Living because she exudes professionalism and has a fondness in the hearts of the British public that has been built over a number of years.

"Wendy understands and believes in what we are doing, about the quality of the product and the liberating influence one of our apartments can offer," he continued.

Wendy Craig, who is currently finishing her seventh series of 'The Royal', is well known for her high-profile roles including the hit television series' 'Not in Front of the Children' and 'Butterflies'.
Her sparkling career in film, television and on the stage has seen her claim numerous prestigious awards including a BAFTA for 'TV Drama Actress of the Year' in 1969 and the Variety Club's 'Personality of the Year' also in 1969 and 1973.

Wendy Craig, said: "When I was initially approached to endorse Golden Living, I was impressed with attention to detail. The apartments they are offering are built in great locations and everything they are providing is very well thought out."

She continued: "Retirement should provide the opportunity to relax and enjoy a stress-free life. I believe a Golden Living apartment offers this and more, and I am delighted to be associated with the team."

Wendy Craig will be attending all of Golden Living's developments in person, starting at the company's first development Roseberry Mews in Nunthorpe. Wendy will also be appearing at Ancholme Mews in Brigg, Hailgate Mews in Howden, Stonedale Mews in Haltwhistle and a yet to be named development in Pickering.

About Wendy Craig

Born and bred in County Durham, Wendy Craig has benefited from a long and distinguished career in film, television and theatre. Currently finishing her seventh series of 'The Royal', Wendy Craig is also renowned for her roles in 'And Mother makes three', 'And Mother makes five' and 'Nanny' as well as 'Butterflies' by Carla Lane and 'The Servant' for which she received a British Academy Award nomination.

To date, she has been voted 'TV Drama Actress of the Year' by BAFTA, BBC and ITV 'Personality of the Year' by The Variety Club of Great Britain. Readers of the TV Times voted her 'Funniest Woman on Television' in three consecutive years and she was chosen by the Variety Club as BBC TV's Woman of the Year.

Currently aged 73, Wendy Craig is the widow of musician and journalist Jack Bentley and has two sons, Alaster, an oboist with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Ross, a writer and business man.

About Golden Living

Golden Living, part of Woodford Group PLC, provides privately owned, quality, secure retirement living for people over 55 in carefully selected desirable locations.

Made up of one and two-bedroom apartments, the developments have communal areas such as a residents' lounge, a laundry room and a guest suite. Security is paramount - features include secure door entry, CCTV, 24-hour Careline, a resident estate manager, smoke alarms and emergency lighting.

All Golden Living apartments are set in maintained, attractive landscaped gardens.

The company's headquarters are in Leeds.

For further information visit http://www.goldenliving.co.uk

About Woodford Group PLC

Woodford Group PLC is one of the fastest growing specialist brownfield acquisition, remediation and development companies in the UK.

Placed 7th in Sunday Times Profit Track 100 in 2006 with a profit of ï¿½15.2m - growth of 125% per year, Woodford are the only company ever to have improved their performance three years in a row.

The company has offices in Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Yarm, Cambridge, London and a Head Office in Preston.

Woodford provide a full, in-house service from land buying to sign off of sites fit for residential or commercial building.

Woodford Land, the land acquisition and remediation arm of the Group has extensive experience of returning previously unusable land to public use through their in-house remediation experts.

For further information visit http://www.woodfordgroup.com

The YMCA Retirement Fund Implements iQ4bis Reporting and Analytical Solution

Edward Palonek — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:18:51 GMT

The YMCA Retirement Fund Implements iQ4bis Reporting and Analytical Solution

Not-for-Profit Church Pension Fund Adopts Business Intelligence to Better Understand Retirement Needs of Constituents

IRVINE, Calif. (Business Wire EON) April 15, 2008 -- iQ4bis Software Inc., a global, software provider that offers an end-to-end business intelligence solution for business managers and executives in midmarket enterprises, today announced that The YMCA Retirement Fund, a not-for-profit church pension fund organized and operated for the purpose of providing retirement and other benefits for employees of YMCAs throughout the United States, has implemented the iQ4bis Analysis and DataServer software suite as its business intelligence solution. Integration with the organization’s Microsoft® SQL Server-based proprietary enterprise resource planning (ERP) system was completed in early March.

When the time came for them to deploy a business intelligence solution, they came straight to us. That is powerful testimony to our solution and our company, and we are extremely excited to have The YMCA Retirement Fund as a customer.

“We have made a huge leap forward in technology these past eight years,” said Elliott Buchholz, chief technology officer for The YMCA Retirement Fund. “Our strategic plan included a long term goal to adopt a business intelligence solution that would enable us to analyze and better understand our customers and their retirement needs, understanding what they are today as opposed to five or ten years ago. We need to be able to recognize these trends and adapt to the changing needs.”

“Once iQ4bis completed the proof of concept for our CEO and the business owners, it was immediately apparent that the iQ4bis solution was the right fit for our analytical reporting needs,” continued Buchholz. “They delivered on their promise of reasonable cost, rapid deployment and swift return on investment – something that most solution providers promise, but don’t come close to accomplishing.”

The YMCA Retirement Fund has been providing retirement benefits for more than 85 years and serves three distinct customer bases - participants, retirees and YMCAs as employers across the United States. The organization utilizes the iQ4bis software suite to analyze data related to each of these groups independently, positioning themselves to quickly adapt to customer needs now and in the future.

“We want to maintain our 85-year legacy, but also need to adapt as our environment changes,” continued Buchholz. “We had all of this great data to analyze, but had to rely on traditional IT-based reporting that was labor intensive and only told half the story. With iQ4bis we can ask and answer questions that enable us to provide benefits that hopefully allow our current participants the luxury of retiring as comfortably today as those who retired thirty years ago. “

“The YMCA Retirement Fund first learned about iQ4bis during our seminar on reporting and analytical solutions at the Gartner Summit for chief information officers two years ago,” said Siegfried Plommer, chief operating officer and general manager of iQ4bis. “When the time came for them to deploy a business intelligence solution, they came straight to us. That is powerful testimony to our solution and our company, and we are extremely excited to have The YMCA Retirement Fund as a customer.”

With the easiest-to-use browser interface in the business intelligence industry, iQ4bis offers a robust, intuitive software solution that helps decision makers understand and identify business trends, variances and issues at their root cause. Using standard Microsoft technologies and platforms, complex data is aggregated on the back end then presented in a simple, easily viewable format through a standard browser interface. Rapid and fixed-price deployments allow midmarket enterprises to realize the value of business intelligence at a fraction of the cost of similar products used by larger companies.

About YMCA Retirement Fund

The YMCA Retirement Fund is a not-for-profit church pension fund, organized and operated for the purpose of providing retirement and other benefits for employees of YMCAs throughout the United States. The Fund sponsors the YMCA Retirement Fund Retirement Plan, which is a defined contribution, money purchase, church pension plan. The Fund also maintains the YMCA Retirement Fund Tax-Deferred Savings Plan, which is a defined contribution, church retirement income account plan. On December 21, 2004, President George W. Bush signed U.S. Public Law 108-47, permanently classifying the plans sponsored by the YMCA Retirement Fund as church plans. The Fund manages over $5 billion in assets and has some 80,000 participants and annuitants.

About iQ4bis Software Incorporated

iQ4bis is an independent software provider with a well-earned international reputation for intuitive business analytics solutions for midsized companies. Recognized for its ease-of-use, flexibility and rapid implementation times, the iQ4bis solution is sold, implemented, and supported through offices in the United States, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and Asia. Recently, growing demand for efficient and effective data warehousing for the midmarket has encouraged iQ4bis to increase efforts in the U.S. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, and winner of the “Best Mid-Market Solution Software” at the Gartner Midsize Enterprise Summit¹ two years in a row, iQ4bis provides a data source and application neutral analysis, charting and reporting solution for business users including iQ4bis Analysis™ and iQ4bis DataServer™; solutions for a wide variety of ERP systems including Microsoft Dynamics AX, GP, NAV, CRM as well as JD Edwards and SharePoint Enterprise Portal Integration. For more information, visit www.iQ4bis.com.

¹ Awards presented at Gartner events are voted upon by attendees of the event.

Mercer Launches a New Online Retirement Savings Educational Program – ``Count on Your Retirement''

Edward Palonek — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:45:13 GMT

Mercer Launches a New Online Retirement Savings Educational Program – ``Count on Your Retirement''

Retirement planning program developed in response to Mercer survey results showing people find it increasingly difficult to build retirement nest egg

“Count on your Retirement” shows retirement savings can be as easy as “1, 2, 3”

NORWOOD, Mass. (Business Wire EON) April 17, 2008 -- Mercer, a leading global provider of benefits administration, announced today that it has recently introduced the “Count on your retirement” online retirement savings educational program to employees whose 401(k) plans it administers. By using a simple, numbers-based concept, “Count on your retirement” helps individuals realize that retirement planning can be as easy as 1, 2, 3. In addition, Mercer has made this program – which incorporates simple, easy-to-use retirement calculators – available to the general public at www.CountOnYourRetirement.com.

For even the savviest investor, saving for retirement can be daunting, particularly in light of the current housing and stock market turmoil. That's why we want to share a selection of simple retirement savings suggestions that can make a big difference

“For even the savviest investor, saving for retirement can be daunting, particularly in light of the current housing and stock market turmoil. That’s why we want to share a selection of simple retirement savings suggestions that can make a big difference,” explained Suzanne Nolan, Director of Marketing and Communications for Mercer’s outsourcing business. “We’ve taken what we’ve learned from the Mercer Workplace Survey^TM and have applied our expertise to create the ‘Count on your retirement’ program. The result is an online experience that truly compels people to take action – whether they increase their 401(k) plan contribution rates, run retirement planning calculations, or simply rebalance their portfolios.”

“Count on your retirement” enables users to customize their experience by selecting a savings effort level: 1 - Effortless, 2 - Easy, or 3 - Still really simple. Then, based on their selection, users can explore a variety of savings tips, use retirement planning calculators, and learn about automatic 401(k) plan features – such as contribution rate increase and rebalancing tools – that may be available to them.

This simple approach helps Mercer and its clients positively address key retirement savings related findings from the 2007 Mercer Workplace Survey such as:

For the first time in the survey’s history, “just keeping up with my monthly expenses” has surpassed “saving enough for retirement” as respondents’ biggest financial worry.
69% of respondents who have identified their target retirement savings income are not fully confident that they will achieve their goal.
48% would have saved more of their pay in their 401(k) plan if they could live the last year of their savings and investment life over again.

“Explaining sometimes complex retirement planning strategies in plain English helps build knowledge and, by extension, the confidence to take action,” noted Ms. Nolan. “As an organization, Mercer is dedicated to promoting the idea that saving for retirement is both necessary and within reach. This is why we are pleased to make ‘Count on your retirement’ available to our clients and the public at large.”

About the Mercer Workplace Survey

The Mercer Workplace Survey is a national study of employee attitudes and behaviors regarding their company-sponsored benefit plans, conducted annually since 2003 by Mercer. The 2007 findings are based on a national cross-section of 2,246 active 401(k) plan participants who are also currently enrolled in their employer’s health plan. Online interviews were conducted in June and July 2007.

About Mercer

Mercer is a leading global provider of consulting, outsourcing, and investment services. Mercer works with clients to solve their most complex benefit and human capital issues, designing and helping manage health, retirement, and other benefits. It is a leader in benefit outsourcing. Mercer’s investment services include investment consulting and multi-manager investment management. Mercer’s 17,000 employees are based in more than 40 countries. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., which lists its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) on the New York, Chicago, and London stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.mercer.com.

Securities are offered through Mercer Securities, a division of MMC Securities Corp., a U.S. registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC.

Mercer HR Services and Mercer Securities, a division of MMC Securities Corp., are affiliates of and owned by Marsh & McLennan Companies.

Adult Retirement Community Online Now Lists Over 500 Communities

Edward Palonek — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:04:21 GMT

Adult Retirement Community Online Now Lists Over 500 Communities

Active adult retirement community online now lists over 500 communities.

(PRWEB) October 14, 2006 -- Active Adult Retirement Communities is pleased to announce they now have over 500 listings of active adult retirement communities, all with web sites links for visitors.

http://www.retirecommunities.com

This is a comprehensive site giving basic detailed descriptions of active adult retirement communities across the United States.

Listed by state, giving people a very user friendly interface for them to look at and compare what is available to them in the state they would like to choose.

This site is updated daily and should be visited often in order to review new listings coming online.

With an aging baby boomer population coming into their retirement years, active adult living is expected to become an active growth industry. Active Adult Retirement Communities http://www.retirecommunities.com is constantly accepting information from some of the top retirement home builders in the USA, thereby making this a valuable site for Baby Boomers who are planning their next home for their retirement years.

For listings please visit http://www.retirecommunities.com

###

SOS = Save Our Seniors from Outliving Their Retirement Savings Formidable Problems of Longevity

Edward Palonek — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:40:58 GMT

SOS = Save Our Seniors from Outliving Their Retirement Savings Formidable Problems of Longevity

The US is facing a "sinking ship of longevity" with people unprepared for the financial impact of living longer and their limited source of retirement savings, says LongevityQuotes.com.

(PRWEB) April 28, 2008 -- The US is facing a "sinking ship of longevity" with people unprepared for the financial impact of living longer and their limited source of retirement savings.

LongevityQuotes.com, was launched to raise public awareness of the financial issues and insurance product solutions relating to the increase in the aging US population. The Census Bureau projects that one in nine baby boomers (9 million of the 80 million people born between 1946 and 1964) will survive into their late 90s, and that one in 26 (or 3 million) will reach 100*.

Unlike the UK, the US has just recently started to worry that insufficient attention has been paid to the financial implications of increased life expectancy. One in four workers lack the confidence that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years .

Despite the growing need for Longevity Insurance many insurance companies have had little success in marketing this type of product.

So what is Longevity Insurance?

"Longevity Insurance" is a new spin on deferred fixed annuities, which are typically tax-deferred investment vehicles set up to provide a guaranteed income stream starting at a predetermined point in the future.

There is a real need today for financial products that directly address the issue of increasing longevity. The aim of Longevity Insurance is to secure one's financial protection against the major risk of outliving your money.

For more information or to request a quote on Longevity Insurance visit www.LongevityQuotes.com.

Statistics compiled from the 2007 Retirement Confidence Survey

###

Powerful Retirement Guidance Tool Released by Two leading Retirement Plan Experts

Edward Palonek — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:25:32 GMT

Powerful Retirement Guidance Tool Released by Two leading Retirement Plan Experts

Powerful retirement readiness tool "www.CompassRetirement.com" officially released and user licenses are now available.

(PRWEB) August 23, 2005 -- Nationally respected retirement experts, Brooks Hamilton and Matthew D. Hutcheson, who are both Master Pension Fiduciaries(tm) and two of the three co-founders of the ERISA Fiduciary Guild, release the long anticipated www.CompassRetirement.com retirement readiness Internet application.

Never has the need for such a tool been so great. Baby boomers will start crossing the age-60 threshold next year at the rate of 7,400 a day. This is 220,000+ per month, and according to the Federal Government (agingstats.gov), nearly 40% of all retirees live in or near poverty! 40% is not okay! 10% is not okay for that matter! The mission of CompassRetirement is to help make a difference for Society.

www.CompassRetirement.com is considered to be one of the most sophisticated, yet easy to use and affordable retirement preparation and guidance tools ever created.

www.CompassRetirement.com is the result of the tireless efforts of noted pension attorney Brooks Hamilton and independent fiduciary Matthew D. Hutcheson. This project has also benefited since its inception from the invaluable wisdom and insights of Mr. Scott Burns, syndicated national financial writer. CompassRetirement was developed over a 20 year time frame, and embodies their thought, insight, elegant simplicity, meticulous attention to detail, and depth of knowledge.

Many of us, descendants of the ‘Greatest Generation, saw our parents struggle with the financial burdens imposed by the times, which included both the Great Depression and WWII,” Mr. Hamilton says. He continued by saying, I knew as a young man that I did not want to witness my children facing the same financial dilemmas as my parents. Perhaps not entirely by chance, an entire professional life devoted to the field of employee benefits followed with much thought, energy, and passion focused on a single idea: how could a worker be made aware of her/his likely future financial well-being soon enough to afford them the opportunity to take the simple steps required in order to be financially OK when they retired? Joined by others in this quest, it has been a dream come true to witness the evolution of Compass. We all know hindsight is 20/20; Compass now allows foresight to be 20/20 also!”

Matthew D. Hutcheson stated that "CompassRetirement.com removes a significant obstacle in the retirement preparation process. Individuals who want to improve their retirement readiness need to focus on income replacement, not just the accumulation of funds. For individuals to be truly secure at retirement, they must understand important income replacement concepts. CompassRetirement.com cuts right to the heart of this matter, and solves the income replacement riddle. All workers will benefit from CompassRetirement, as it is the perfect compliment to one's existing retirement plan."

Hamilton and Hutcheson called upon the expertise of Jenna Schmidt, a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) and president of www.artifextech.com. Jenna and her team accomplished a Herculean task with precision and grace. Artifex has poured its heart and soul into developing www.CompassRetirement.com. We have spared no expense and the application is the brain child of some highly intelligent creators. Artifex devoted its top complex logic programmers to the project, making the creators visions come to reality. This was by no means an easy project, but the outcome is everything we had hoped for,” says Ms. Schmidt.

Hamilton and Hutcheson expect to sell several hundred thousand www.CompassRetirement.com subscriptions over the next few years.

About Brooks Hamilton

Brooks Hamilton, an Attorney-at-Law and Master Pension Fiduciary, has been a leader in the pension/retirement plan industry for over 40 years. Mr. Hamilton is an Independent Fiduciary for qualified retirement plans throughout the nation, and is often appointed Independent Fiduciary by federal courts to assume fiduciary responsibility for plans whose fiduciaries have failed in their responsibilities. He has been widely published, has appeared on CBS Evening News, CNBC, Good Day Dallas/Ft Worth, and is frequently quoted in major newspapers and financial magazines throughout the United States.

About Matthew D. Hutcheson

Mr. Hutcheson is a well known authority on fiduciary governance and compliance. Mr. Hutcheson serves, or has served as an Independent Fiduciary for retirement plans of all sizes, including those sponsored by large companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ and the Toronto Stock Exchange. He authored a text for a major University, and serves as an officer of the ERISA Fiduciary Guild and on the Honorary Board of Standards of the American Academy of Financial Management. He earned a Graduate degree in Financial Services; he is a Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) and a Master Pension Fiduciary.

About Jenna Schmidt and Artifextech.com

Artifex Technology Consulting, Inc. provides custom ecommerce solutions and storefronts using proven, revolutionary technology. They specialize in .NET programming, ecommerce solutions, web design, graphic design and ecommerce software development. Their ecommerce storefront solutions are competitively priced and use the latest technologies. They offer the most professional technical, programming, and consulting skills to build a successful ecommerce solution. http://www.artifextech.com

Chocolate Cure for Retirement Blues

Edward Palonek — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:47:21 GMT

Chocolate Cure for Retirement Blues

COACHLYON - THE Pre-Retirement Coach presents: “Creating Your Recipe for a Happier, Longer Life in Retirement”, a new Multi-Media package which includes Chocolate Sauce, and the Recipe to Cure Retirement Blues.

Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) August 24, 2006 -- COACHLYON, the Pre-Retirement Coach presents: “Creating Your Recipe for a Happier, Longer Life in Retirement”, a new Multi-Media package which includes Chocolate Sauce, and the Recipe to Cure Retirement Blues.

"I work with people approaching retirement, to tap into their passions and purpose to come up with the 'Recipe' for their retirement that will have them leaping out of bed in the morning to get to it!" says COACHLYON, The Pre-Retirement Coach.

In his presentation, he takes a unique, entertaining look at the psychological and emotional challenges people face when transitioning from any long-term endeavor. This applies especially to "Retirement" which he refers to as "Honorable Un-Employment". He addresses only "Quality of Life" issues, leaving finances and benefits to others, such as the army qualified financial advisors standing "at the ready."

As a retired Chef-turned-Life Coach, he gives his entire presentation in his Chef's uniform winding it up by making his world famous chocolate sauce for the audience and relating the ingredients in that sauce to ingredients for a “Recipe” that will help them "cook up" a Happier, Longer, Sweet Life in Retirement. Aside from being a real "eye-opener" for those approaching, or in, Retirement, this package can easily be shared with their families - greatly benefiting them with a better understanding of what their Loved Ones may be going through. Besides, who doesn't like Chocolate? For the whole story on the Multi-Media package - Video DVD, Audio CD, 4oz. pouch of Chocolate Sauce, and an annotated Recipe for the Sauce, please go to: www.RECIPEDVD.net

"Transitioning from your core career to the 20 or 30 bonus years ahead should be, but is not always, a piece of cake. Coach Richard Lyon guides you into this uncharted field of possibilities with his tasty "Creating Your Recipe for a Happier, Longer Life in Retirement" multimedia package with grace, wisdom and humor. We loved his chocolate sauce and his simple but powerful tools," say Marika & Howard Stone; Co-Authors, "Too Young to Retire:101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life" (Plume 2004)

- COACHLYON has developed “Creating Your Recipe for a Happier, Longer Life in Retirement” - Presentation, Workshops, and Multi-Media package: DVD / CD, Chocolate Sauce, and RECIPE CARD (ISBN:1-59971-155-9), and “RecipeGear”. See www.RECIPEDVD.net

- COACHLYON is a popular talk show guest in the U.S. and Canada recently interviewing with Marc Middleton on “Growing Bolder”, WFLA; Phil Main, CKNX; Scott & Sims “Morning Retort” , KCTC; and Kat Maudru for “The Public File”, for Entercom’s KSEG, KSSJ, KDND, KWOD, KRXQ, and KCTC.

- “Creating Your Recipe for a Happier, Longer Life in Retirement” has aired on television, COMCAST CABLE, CH 17, Sacramento, CA on four separate occasions.

- COACHLYON has presented “Creating Your Recipe for a Happier, Longer Life in Retirement” to live audiences including:
UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC, STOCKTON, CA - FACULTY & STAFF
SACRAMENTO COACHES ASSOCATION
CA - DEPT. OF PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION
CA - DEPT. OF MOTOR VEHICLES
CA - DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION (2 SESSIONS)
1st ALLIED SECURITIES
Scheduled “Live” presentations:
THE GOLDEN 1 CREDIT UNION
CA HIGHWAY PATROL

- COACHLYON’s articles on Retirement have appeared in Sacramento’s “Health & Fitness” magazine and several Internet sites.

COACHLYON is a native Californian, and graduate of UC Berkeley, in the ‘60s. He served in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, where he later opened an “American” restaurant. This launched him on a 27-year career in Culinary Arts, culminating as a full-time Chef Instructor. After ‘retiring’ from his Culinary career, he discovered Life Coaching, and in 2002, became a Certified Empowerment Coach. For over 25 years he has been actively involved in Community Service, Human Growth & Awareness work, Metaphysical Studies, and Spiritual Practices.

2002 -- Present - Active member of Sacramento Coaches Assn, and International Coaching Federation
2002 - IPEC COACHING CERTIFICATION: Certified Empowerment Coach (Institute of Professional Empowerment Coaching)
1995 - FULL TEACHING CREDENTIAL: California Post Secondary: Culinary Arts
1994 - CULINARY ARTS DIPLOMA: LederWulff Culinary Academy
(Challenged Finals as Chef/Instructor)
1967-69 -- Peace Corps Volunteer - Costa Rica, C.A.
1967 - B.Sc. BUS. ADMIN., University of California, Berkeley

Contact:

Richard A. Lyon, CEC
COACHLYON-THE Pre-Retirement Coach
8795 La Riviera Dr., Ste. 133,
Sacramento, CA 95826
T: 916-739-6432 / eF: 208-330-1732
www.coachlyon.net