Steve Selengut asked:


First, the good news: From June 2007 through September 2008 (i.e., during the credit crisis) Income CEF payouts per share were virtually unchanged. From June 2008 through September 2008, payouts rose slightly— 29 funds raised their payouts and 17 lowered them. Your portfolio spending money should be higher than it was a year ago.

Brokerage firm monthly statements are designed to promote either fear or greed, depending on the current market environment. Nowhere on your statement can you find numbers that report your net investment, your total working capital, or your true asset allocation. Current and projected income numbers are given little attention, and monthly withdrawals are treated like losses of principal.

Income portfolios are reported upon using the same format as growth portfolios, and too much analysis is required to determine if the income production is either safe or adequate based on each investor’s personalized plan. Even for portfolios that, by design, are retirement income providers, sleep-inducing comfort information is not provided.

The most disconcerting column on the statement is the “Unrealized Gain/Loss Column”, particularly when you manage your portfolio according to the Working Capital Model. All profits of any magnitude are realized ASAP, and you should not expect a lot of your positions to be “in the black”. Wall Street statements create a perception that the red numbers are bad, without any analysis of what should be expected based on market conditions.

Wall Street has long ignored the income portion of the portfolio, combining it in overall totals and summaries to confuse and befuddle those who would prefer to have comfort and clarity on a more personalized level. Recently, some pretty boring securities have been speculatively sliced, diced, and re-formatted into MBWMFDs (Mortgage Based Weapons of Mass Financial Destruction), causing most income investors a great deal of discomfort.

The “Investment Grade Value Stock Expectation Analyzer” helps investors understand the market value movements of high quality equity securities. No statement should ever be a surprise— in either direction. A similar presentation for income CEFs cannot be produced for lack of a recognized content rating system. The statistics in the first paragraph are based on a portfolio of 114 managed income CEFs.

Income investing is naturally less risky than equity investing, except when the credit markets are in turmoil as they are today. Steps are being taken to reduce the problems, but no cure should really be expected overnight. There have always been two types of risk in income investing, and in that sense, nothing has changed.

(1) Credit risk involves the ability of corporations, government entities, and even individuals, to make good on their financial commitments; we minimize this risk by selecting only higher quality (investment grade) securities. Thus far, there have been extremely few actual defaults on high quality debt instruments— none, I believe, in the Municipal arena.

(2) Market risk, or the change in current market value, is uncontrollable and unavoidable, but the impact of loss can be minimized with proper diversification. There are many varieties of income producers ranging from corporate, municipal, and government debt, through various kinds of preferred securities, REITs and other real estate investments, royalty trusts, etc. Typically, IRE (interest rate expectations) moves these markets more than any other factor.

Understanding that market value changes are normal, and having a plan of action for dealing with such fluctuations, is essential. It is important to understand as well, that providers of non-market influenced savings vehicles like CDs must invest your money elsewhere to pay you the amounts that they promise. You have access to the very same investment vehicles— and without as much overhead.

Confucius say: Investor with income securities in safe deposit box is always happy— because he has no idea what the market value is, and the income keeps rolling in.

Monitoring investment performance the Wall Street way is inappropriate and problematic for income investors. It focuses on short-term dislocations and uncontrollable cyclical changes, producing constant disappointment and encouraging inappropriate transactional responses. But safe deposit boxes are inconvenient.

One way to keep your eye on the income ball is to follow “Base Income” statement totals instead of market value totals. Base income includes only the dividends and interest produced by your portfolio and, if you don’t focus on it during market corrections, you can be certain that your portfolio income at retirement will be inadequate. A cost-based asset allocation formula is needed to grow your retirement income.

The income portion of the portfolio will grow better where the focus is on “working capital” instead of market value. This year, for example, I have seen fearful investors move from CEF portfolios of insured municipals yielding over 5% into 2% taxable CDs and Money Market funds— only because the fund market value has fallen in reaction to the credit crunch.

The market value myopia normally makes income securities more attractive at higher prices and lower yields, just as investors generally feel much safer throwing their money at the stock market when it is achieving new ATHs (All Time Highs). They do it all the time— this Wall Street conventional wisdom keeps most investors hypnotized forever.

A Working Capital Model approach to your income portfolio will keep you focused on the income and will make that whole retirement investing thing significantly less scary. As far as the stock market is concerned, this has now become the biggest investment opportunity in at least the last twenty-five years.

Wall Street, as preoccupied as most of it is with survival, hasn’t had a chance to tell you, and the media— well here’s that catastrophic hurricane they’ve been hoping for. Why aren’t you buying!



PORTILLO

My Wealth.com asked:


There have been a lot of news reports recently about 401(k) plans becoming more transparent.

The government is discussing a new bill “401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act of 2009” in which the funds offered have to disclose their fees and expenses in a plain-English way to their participants. This is excellent news, but this may not be the only answer people need. People need financial education.

If you invested $500/mo in your 401(k) and made a 10% annualized return over 30 years, you would end up with $1.1 million dollars. Sounds great!

But look at the expense ratio of the funds in your 401(k) – some can be as high as 2% per year! That means your $1.1 million dollars is now worth $745,000 (assuming an annualized return of 8%). The fund company took $350,000 of your money!!

How do you make the most of your 401(k) and invest wisely? How can you stop giving your money away to the fund companies?

 A strategy that is frequently used by financial advisors is the “401(k) match / Roth IRA” strategy.

Contribute to your 401(k) and maximize your company match on contributions. Fully fund your Roth IRA. Return to your 401(k) and invest.

Companies mainly do contributions in 2 different ways (however there may be some other variations in your company plan): Contributions on base salary or a match on your contributions. For example:

If your company contributes 3% of your base salary, don’t contribute anything yet. Skip to step 2 immediately. If your company matches the first 3% of your contribution, then only put in 3% to get the full match. You’ve just made a 100% return. FREE MONEY!

Now you should continue your retirement savings using a Roth IRA. This savings vehicle is an amazing tool. It lets you pay taxes on your contribution now, lets it grow tax FREE and you can withdraw the money and use it in your retirement (as well as other situations) TAX FREE. You do not pay taxes on the growth at all!

 

Assuming our example above, if you put $500/mo into a Roth IRA over 30 years, you will have paid taxes on $180,000. However, after those 30 years, you should have around to $1,000,000 to use TAX FREE!

 

Now step 3. A rule of thumb for retirement savings is to try and save 15% of your income. Assuming you have not reached this guideline by steps 1 and 2, it’s time to return to your 401(k).

 

Pick an in-expensive fund (based on the expense ratio and your overall asset allocation) and invest your money there. Do look at the performance of the fund as well, as some cheaper funds are also poor performers, and some expensive funds have outperformed the market for years. Use your judgment as an educated investor we are teaching you to be!

 



MOSBY

Jenni asked:


As we face the next phase of our life, we know that change will be rampant. Going into this change with eyes wide open and ready will help us lead a happy retirement. After all, retirement is a little like adolescence, with life changes, upheavals and physical differences.

Consider retirement as a blending of the stages of your life, a combination of the education of your youth, the productivity of your middle years, and the leisure of your latter years.

Leaving work and making a lifestyle change brings up many issues that need to be dealt with.  As we’ve said before, some people don’t really plan to “retire,” but rather make a career change into something that will fit their new standard of living. As Nancy Schlossberg, professor at the University of Maryland and retirement author, states: "Retirement implies that you’re just leaving something; it doesn’t reflect that you’re going to something. But it is really a career change. You are leaving something that has been your primary involvement, and you are moving to something else."

In addition, she said, “You are changing so much about your life—your work role, your relationships, your daily routines, your assumptions about yourself."

Let’s discuss some of the changes we can expect to see:

Income: Unless you’re extremely fortunate, you will see a decrease in money coming in to deal with bills, car payments, healthcare, and everyday living expenses. Daily Routine: Those of us who have worked in a 9-5 work world will see a great change once we leave our jobs. No more alarm clocks, commutes, fast food lunches and noses to the grindstone. Identity: We will lose something we may never have put much thought into—our work identity. Many of us describe ourselves by our paying jobs (architect, manager, accountant) rather than other life roles (parent, mentor, provider). Status: Leaving the job means changing our status in life. As one senior executive put it, “I moved from being a big fish in a little pond to just a fish alone.” Work/Colleague Relationships: While we probably won’t miss commuting to our jobs, we will miss our co-workers. Because so much of our time is spent at work, these people can be more than just our coffee break companions, but our primary support group.

Leaving work

As we leave our traditional working life, we may have:

Security issues: Can I survive on the money I have? Emotional issues: I will get lonely without my friends around me every day. Self-worth issues: No one needs me anymore. Self-image issues:  Who am I if I’m not a XXXXX?

Many other changes may take place. Perhaps it’s a role reversal where the partner who usually stayed home with the house and kids is now doing either paid or volunteer work while the previously full-time worker stays at home and tends the garden. Or, you might undergo a metamorphosis of appearance, attitude and self-image through a new exercise regimen. And, while some of us will feel relief from the pressure of unrewarding work or physical labor, others may be giving up something precious to them.

The good news is that psychological studies show that as we become “senior citizens” we tend to regulate our emotions better than younger folk. We better maintain positive feelings and decrease negative feelings. One theory is that as we get older, we become cognizant of our mortality and the limited time left, and we direct our minds to more positive thinking, activities and memories.

Transition towards retirement

An important thing for us Baby Boomers to remember is, as the Nike commercial said, “There is no finish line.”  Whereas our parents worked toward a definite retirement age (the finish line) we Baby Boomers will just stay on the track. We may slow down a bit, but we will continue to run.

As we step on the next stepping stone to transition into this new life phase, we need to consider our psychological needs every bit as much as our income. We get lots of advice about saving for retirement, but, although there has been a great deal of research on the subject, we get very little help in dealing with the changes ahead. So, as we go forward, our main task is to construct something that will fulfill our psychological needs.

We need to create goals and grasp opportunities to reach those goals. It may be time to completely “rewire” our minds and lifestyles to fit this time. We need to open ourselves to anticipating new experiences and challenges. Some of us, for example, may want to physically reorient ourselves by travelling to a different country to create a new life. If “life is the sum of all your choices,” as French author and philosopher Albert Camus said, you still have a lot of alternatives to consider.

Dealing with Emotions

Everyone, of course, deals with retirement differently. But these phases of change are realistic when we think about how we cope with loss of any kind. We have to deal with the fact that we have “lost” our old lifestyle and need to adapt to a new one.

First thing to do is to dump the emotional baggage. How many times in your life have you fantasized about escaping from your current life and starting over from scratch? This is a good chance to do so! Leave your baggage at the door and start reinventing yourself. The opportunity is here to leave the worst of the past behind and concentrate on the positives.  Of course, this is much easier said than done.

Feeling emotional in some way is inevitable, and we may have particularly high-charged emotions if we are suddenly thrust into a retirement caused by redundancy, illness, or financial crisis. Our current recessive economy has given all of us pause as redundancies become commonplace, which among other things cuts us off from important benefits such as sick leave.

And, perhaps for some Baby Boomers, there is resentment that we can’t just relax on our hammocks during this next phase, but rather need to plan a new, active, money producing future. How we deal with this resentment will influence our success in adapting to retirement.

Relationship issues

One thing you can be certain of is that your relationship will change.  In this next phase, it is likely both partners will have different roles and responsibilities, plus spend a lot more time together.  Planning this next step can make this a time of shared goals, shared experiences and shared fun.

You need to work together now to ensure that your goals and your purpose are fairly similar.  Interests and passions don’t matter so much—those can be shared or not—but if you are pulling in different directions you are going to experience a lot of tension.  This is your chance to work through those issues and emerge with common goals, common purpose and a common expectation of the future.

Family issues

This is also an important time to make sure your family’s expectations and your expectations are based on common ground. For example, adult children may feel abandoned if you leave their area or may feel trapped if you move into their area. They may think that since you have “nothing better to do” you can be the on-call babysitter. If you find a new companion in your retirement years, your children may have trouble dealing with that.

Additionally, your aged parents may feel neglected if you go on more trips. In fact, they might resent your active retirement versus their very traditional one.

The best laid plans might change

Common sense tells us that all our planning for the future may change based on unforeseen events, such as the death or illness of a partner, our own illness or disability, the illness or disability of aged parents or adult children, or a personal financial crisis.

Your expectations

The disenchantment phase we mentioned earlier will probably be our biggest obstacle. Stress and anxiety can be caused by having high expectations of retirement that aren’t met by reality: finances, health, responsibilities or lack of access to services or opportunities. As life goes on despite our best laid plans, we must adapt and cope. You need to know yourself and manage your response to change. You will miss some of your old life: work role, routine, relationships and identity.  How will you compensate for these? You must take time to grieve the loss of the dream and then take time to rebuild a new realistic dream that fulfils your needs. Be open to new ways to achieve the same life satisfaction.



FLAHERTY

Steven Floyd asked:


Are you wondering if you’re ever going to be able to retire? You’re not alone. Many Americans age 55 and over are asking themselves that same important, yet frightening, question. Or maybe you already are retired, and you’re wondering how long your money will last. Read on for some answers to your questions.

These questions have always been important concerns, but they have taken on a whole new edge in the current economic situation. You’re trying to get an answer during one of the largest recession we have ever experienced. This recession is much deeper and wider than anything anyone would have ever thought possible.

The economic news has indeed been gruesome. The S &P 500 is down by 40%, unemployment is approaching historical highs, real estate values have plummeted, and we have just financed our future in the trillions of dollars. What should you do? Is there any hope at all? How can you get the answers you need to get some peace of mind, and, more importantly, strategies that will help safeguard your future to the greatest extent possible in these challenging times. Fortunately, there seems to be some good news of sorts.

1) The worst is over:

Evidence shows that the economic tailspin has bottomed out and we have by now experienced the worst of our financial situation. That’s not to say that we don’t face continued challenges, but the market has shown some resistance at current levels and some signs of future prosperity are slowly coming to light.

2) Expert advice is key in this risky market

While planning for your retirement is always important, right now it is absolutely crucial to get expert advice. You don’t want to forfeit your opportunity to revive your nest egg and make it grow again - soon.

After all, the market is still full of risks, and you need someone by your side who has experience and strategies to help you plan for your retirement in the mid-range future, i.e., for the next six to twelve months.

3) Careful and methodical plans are crucial

The decision is yours, of course. Are you willing to carefully and methodically plan your retirement money’s growth with every tool available? Just like a carpenter, who, when building a house, will purchase the best saw possible, you too should build your retirement with the best possible tools.

4) How to adjust your portfolio to see safe growth

Now is the perfect time to adjust your portfolios to take advantage of good buying opportunities such as high yield bonds and large blue chip stocks, and to weight your portfolio in the health and certain commodity sectors. With such an approach, your expectations of growth are indeed realistic even if you choose to play it safe. Just be sure to look for safe high yield investments and keep a watchful eye on possible continued volatility.



KAISER

Jim Scherrer asked:


When we made Puerto Vallarta, Mexico our permanent residence a decade ago, our friends back in the States frequently asked if we felt stranded in the Third World. The answer was no; perhaps the Second World! Prior to the demise of the USSR, the Second World consisted of the communist bloc countries. Since the collapse of the iron curtain, there are no longer any Second World countries, so perhaps we can promote Mexico to the New Second World!

Actually, Mexico along with China, India, Brazil, Turkey, and others are recognized as Newly Industrialized Countries or NIC´S. These NIC´S have more advanced economies than the developing countries of the Third World, yet have not attained the level of developed countries of the First World.

Regardless of what World we were in, it was a cultural shock and required a number of changes to our daily living habits. As an example, the Mexican TV had only five or six channels which were either old movies from the US with Spanish subtitles or Mexican shows obviously directed to sixth graders. The only channel that we could understand and relate to was CNN with it’s biased, almost anti-US commentary that was only a bit more palatable than the sixth grade Mexican shows! Newspapers and magazines from the US were few and far between and the news was usually history by the time they were made available here. Mail delivery was so pathetic in Vallarta ten years ago that the only way to be assured of receiving mail, including newspapers and magazines, was through Mail Boxes Etc. which delivered from El Paso to Vallarta once a week. The service was fairly priced and we had a good chance of receiving most of our mail. Ten years ago we had dial-up, ultra slow Mexican speed internet service. It worked most of the time but was pitifully slow and got disconnected constantly, especially if there was a threat of rain.

Ten years ago, the grocery, drug, and hardware stores varied from absolutely horrible to almost acceptable. The choice of foods and supplies was limited but enough to survive. We had bottled water, Microdyn to clean fruits and vegetables, pills to keep us free of amoebas and bacteria, and the rest of the basics needed to live in the tropics known as Paradise! We did have a decent golf course, world class fishing, and an absolutely perfect climate with Pebble Beach type views from everywhere. Most importantly, we were meeting a bunch of similar minded, adventurous, recently retired North Americans that came to enjoy a new pace of life. One could probably say that we were stranded in the Third World but the benefits of living in Paradise just about offset the drawbacks and limitations associated with this new style of life.

During the past decade, Puerto Vallarta, known as PV or Vallarta by the local residents, has changed dramatically. The population has exploded to 350,000 inhabitants, most of which are now speaking or at least understanding English. We have many new businesses and stores including a Super Walmart, Sam´s Club, Office Depot, etc with all the latest in electronics, hardware, and building supplies. The many new huge and modern grocery supermarkets are equal to the finest in the US with a complete selection of frozen foods and most of the other food products that we 50,000 Americans and Canadians are accustomed to, all of which are imported from the States.

Vallarta has grown to the point where there are now seven beautiful golf courses with more under construction; hundreds of tennis courts, and of course, Vallarta still has the world class deep sea fishing. The medical care in Vallarta has changed accordingly with the population boom. There are three new hospitals and numerous modern clinics. The water is as pure as in the States and the food purchased from the modern air-conditioned supermarkets is equal to the finest in the US. There are a number of new, huge cinemas, new theme parks, and hundreds of world class restaurants in Vallarta.

Now, let’s return to the idea of being stranded in Paradise. Today, most all North Americans have satellite TV with 350 channels from the States or Canada. We all have high speed internet service with exactly the same information at our fingertips that we would have anywhere in the States. Most of the Americans and Canadians use Vonage or a similar telephone provider for almost free and unlimited calls to their friends and family back home. Mail service in PV is excellent, however all mail is routed through Guadalajara or Mexico City and serious delays still happen in these cities. Therefore, any items of importance are sent via DHL, FedEx, or UPS. Most items mailed by DHL will be received within 48 hours and are easily tracked on the internet. American newspapers and magazines are current and can be purchased at news stands located throughout Vallarta.

With the thousands of houses and condos currently under construction, the totally new city infrastructure, and the future ten year building plan underway, PV is no longer a developing economy; it’s a booming economy! With all the modern internet technology, nobody should ever feel stranded in Vallarta unless they desire the old Mexican pace of life which can be had by simply avoiding the technology.

There are a few things for certain in Vallarta; none of the retired North Americans will have to go to work tomorrow, the weather will be perfect for doing whatever pleases them, they will enjoy being with their friends, and with two to three hour flights leaving for the US all day everyday, none of them will feel stranded in the Third World!



LI

William B asked:


Unfortunately, there are many, many of us that are all in the same situation. This is not good news for the Baby Boomer population. Many of us over the past several months have lost thousands of dollars in our 401K plans. What do you do? Most of us are in it for the long haul, so most money management retirement financial counselors are telling us to just ride it out. It is in one of its typical down cycles and will recover.

That may or may not be true. The expert economists are telling us that this is the worst that it has been since the stock market crash of the late 1920s. So are you someone that will be patient and wait it out to see if this is true and that it will recover? Or, are you like me and don’t want to wait, only to find out after it is too late!

There is help available for you to be proactive about building your personal retirement package. All it takes is 10 minutes of your time to further investigate the options.

The purpose of this report is to give you a no nonsense approach to learning the truth and facts about Cash Gifting programs. Each of the program overviews listed below provides a description of some of the features that each program brings to the table. We hope that this information will be helpful for you, in the event that you choose to further pursue investigating these opportunities, or, decide to join one of these programs in the future

#6 - Number One Success System - NOSS (Currently TLC2003)

NOSS is a 1-UP style gifting program and has been around for over 7 years. NOSS appeals to many people because it has 3 levels of participation: $500, $1,500 and $3,500. Leaders within the program also conduct several live overview calls each week as well as a daily training call which is primarily motivational. It’s professionally administered using a 3rd party tracking software system that keeps track of referrals and gifts received, etc. The tracking software runs about $120 per year.

With the lowest entry level being only $500, it’s accessible to the masses. The weekly conference calls to invite prospects to is well scripted and professional. Their system is simple and simple to follow for duplication. Cash gifts are delivered to participants via FedEx, UPS or DHL.

NOSS has mass appeal for people that don’t mind cold-calling and doing heavy phone work (which is a very small minority), but most participants don’t find this stuff out until AFTER they join and realize what they’re going to have to do to be successful with the program. In an age where the internet can automate so much of the explanation process, it makes no sense that they don’t offer an internet based system for their members.

#5 - Spirit of Wealth (SOW Today)

SOW is very similar in many ways to NOSS and was supposedly founded by a group of former NOSS members that broke off to start their own program because they wanted more freedom in the way they could market the program online. Like NOSS, it also appeals to many people because it has 3 levels of participation: $500, $1,500 and $3,500.

It’s administered using a 3rd party tracking software system that keeps track of referrals and gifts received, etc. The tracking software is $129 per year. Many teams within SOW use automated internet-based systems like websites, videos, streaming audio, etc.

With the lowest entry level being only $500, it’s accessible to the masses. Most members use replicated websites that incorporate recorded overviews so no personal explaining is necessary and this in turn keeps the follow up minimal. Cash gifts are delivered to participants via FedEx, UPS or DHL. The program converts well for all members that apply themselves and consistently advertise.

SOW has taken some of the negatives from other programs and uses the rest of the positives like the internet systems, direct mail, etc.

#4 - The Overnight Cash System (TOCS)

As an internet-based cash gifting activity, TOCS has been around with its new structure since January of 2008. It uses a 1-Up style structure and there are 5 levels or tiers, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, and $10,000. Interested prospects visit the website to read all about the program, listen to the audio recordings, read the testimonies, watch the movies, then they can call in toll-free or submit a Callback Request and get all their questions answered by team leaders.

In other words, members never need to speak to any prospects or answer any questions. There are additional fees required to become a member. These fees are determined by which level you choose to get started with and range from $200 to $1,000. There is also a monthly fee of $29.95 for the hosting of the replicated websites as well as access to all the marketing tools. They give a discount if you purchase a one year subscription up front. Just to be clear, the fees mentioned are in addition to the initial cash gift that’s sent to the sponsor.

TOCS Team Leaders answer your prospects questions for you, so it can be almost completely hands-off on the members’ part. This really appeals to people that either have a fear of the phone or just want to be more anonymous and fly under the radar.

TOCS has a good concept by having team leaders answer questions for you; however, having someone else in control of your potential members is NEVER a good idea in ANY program. Also, the conversion ratio of people who visit the site versus the number of people who actually join needs to be improved dramatically.

#3 - Cash Arrive 365

Cash Arrives 365 is a 1-UP gifting program and has been around for about 7 years. CA365 also appeals to many people because it has 3 levels of participation: $500, $1,500 and $3,500. It’s administered using a 3rd party tracking software system that keeps track of referrals and gifts received. The tracking software runs about $120 per year.

This is a pretty similar program as to NOSS without the cold calling approach to prospecting. Cash gifts are delivered to participants via FedEx, UPS or DHL. This system has a low entry fee of $500 makes this program accessible to many people and the daily calls are conducted by industry leaders.

Other than the 1-Up, if you can find a good team and marketing system, you could have a shot at being successful in this one.

#2 - Gifts for Life (GFL100

GFL has been created for the Little Guy out there that can’t afford the other gifting programs. GFL appeals to many people because it has 4 levels of participation, with the lowest entry level of all at just $100. The other 3 levels are $250, $500, $1,000. It’s professionally administered using a 3rd party tracking software system that keeps track of referrals and gifts received, etc. The tracking software is $25 per year.

The GFL system uses one main information website that incorporates recorded overviews and flash videos so no personal explaining is necessary. Cash gifts are also delivered to participants via overnight courier. With the lowest entry fee out there in the cash gifting industry, the program converts very well for all members that apply themselves and consistently advertise.

GFL fills a gap in the industry and provides a solution for many people that can’t afford to join some of the higher-end gifting programs online. It has a simple and well organized system in place, but truthfully, with most people joining at $100, members may find themselves doing a lot more work for less.

# 1 - Achieve Abundant Wealth Today

Achieve Abundant Wealth Today is the very first cash gifting activity of its kind and is quickly becoming the most popular choice for individuals looking to rapidly change their financial status for the better and truly live an abundant lifestyle.

According to the Universal Law of giving and receiving, the first ingredient is giving and the second ingredient is receiving. Achieve Abundant Wealth Today thrives on the actual meaning of the Law, once you give; you are in a position to receive that very moment. Unlike most other cash gifting programs (1-Up) where you have a third ingredient of give again before you receive by having a qualifying step or a qualifier.

Unlike the 1-Up programs, the Achieve Abundant Wealth Today program is a No 1-Up program so you never have to qualify by passing 1 up, and you’re instantly ready to receive on all levels that you have selected to participate on during registration. Achieve Abundant Wealth Today has 4 levels of participation, with the lowest entry level being $500. The other 3 levels are $1,000, $2,000, and $4,000. It’s professionally administered using a tracking software system that keeps track of referrals and gifts received, etc. The tracking software is $120 per year.

When you join you become a member of a team. The teams are committed to supporting you along the way by giving you the necessary training, resources, tools and coaching to help you succeed. This consists of one-on-one sessions helping you to get started. This is truly people helping people. Cash gifts are delivered to participants via FedEx, UPS or DHL.

The Achieve Abundant Wealth Today program is second to none and that is why it is rated as the #1 Cash Gifting program.

In conclusion, one of the most important things to keep in mind when evaluating a cash gifting activity is whether or not all of the information is presented to you before you join. So, now the ball is in your court. Should you decide to further pursue one of these activities, do your due diligence and investigate the opportunity you are interested in joining to get all of the information up front before you make a mistake.

2 Corinthians 9:6 says, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”. See how this passage can work for you.

If you would like further information, you can go to the website listed below:

http://www.achieveabundantwealthtoday.com



DARNELL

Fred Gibbs asked:


There are so many Retirement Communities today in the US that choosing the ideal one is now easier than ever before. All you have to do is search to find the best retirement communities and then decide on one that you seem to like. There are so many options for senior living today.

The fact is, the meaning of retirement has also gone through many changes with time. It is only after retirement that there is finally some time to enjoy them. Luckily, all these activities can be found at the many active retirement communities that are available.

There are, of course, those who would just want to relax after doing a lot of running around and leading a really active life while they were working. So they just want to laze around and relax in the sun, with greenery and peace all around them. There are manicured lawns and jogging tracks that they can use to keep themselves fit.

But, it is important for you to know that all the amenities and activities that are mentioned above are not available in all active retirement communities.

You may want to do some checking on the Internet prior to scheduling a visit if you are interested in Charlotte, North Carolina based Retirement Communities. But truthfully, not only in the state of NC, you will actually find retirement communities elsewhere as well. Not just in the sunshine states, these communities can be found all over the country.

You might also be willing to take a look at the amazing community and the Villas at Sun Valley. There is a lot you will find here such as walking trails, great dining and shopping options, a clubhouse, recreational areas, and walking trails too. Other facilities include Sunroom, Brick fronts and ultra-modern kitchen. And on top of that, these kinds of properties also attract low Union County tax and this is naturally wonderful news.

In southeast Florida there are many options from which you can make a choice such as Cascades at St. Lucie West or the Coral Cay Plantation of Margate. Not just these two, you will find many others as well. In the state of California there is the Del Mesa Carmel, Cypress Ridge and the Chandlers Gate. And here are a few of them in Arizona - Cimarron Ridge - The Villas, Desert Harbor and the Dolce Vita at Superstition Mountain.

They came into existence in 1983 and since then, they have been offering a maintenance free lifestyle. You will find these communities at various locations in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas. Needless to say, these rank among the best Retirement Communities.



MITCHELL

nurkholis asked:


On September 25 the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) announced its seventh annual awards call for “the best employers for workers over 50 years. The non-winning companies have won the trio simply offering traditional insurance: health, life and disability.

These companies, among which are SC Johnson, Principal Financial Group, Michelin North America and Mercy Health System-have been honored by the AARP for providing workers with more than 50 years of benefits “that look towards the future,” as alternatives such as working hours, learning or training opportunities throughout their working lives and a program that allows workers to care for their elderly relatives. AARP’s ruling included the statements of its CEO, William D. Novelli, at which emphasized the obvious: focusing on older workers have much economic sense and pays dividends from the companies that value the expertise of these employees.

“As you increase the gap between demand and supply of veterans and experienced workers, employers in all sectors should pay greater attention to recruitment and retention of experienced employees of a certain age”, said a recently published national report on the aging of the workforce conducted by MetLife Mature Market Institute, the information and political resources of the company. “This is true especially in sectors such as health services, government, education, manufacturing, energy and aerospace, which is particularly hard to cover the loss of veteran workers when millions of people from the baby - boomers begin to leave the labor market.

The influence of baby boomers

“Companies are making a big mistake assuming that older employees have no desire, motivation or physical condition to keep working,” says Wharton management professor Sigal Barsade. And since today’s veteran employees tend to enjoy better health than their predecessors, what does today the term “older worker”? Wonders Barsade. Companies that do not attach importance to its work force veteran “not only are behaving unfairly, Barsade says, “but they are also wasting extra workers with relevant knowledge about the institution and are still ready, willing and anxious to do an excellent job”.

According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released in September by the CSR (Congressional Research Service), the demographic profile of the workforce in the U.S. “will suffer a profound change” when the baby boomers, i.e. those born between 1946 and 1964, reached retirement age but are less young people join the labor market. The number of people aged between 55 and 64 will increase by 11 million between 2005 and 2025, while the number of people between 25 and 54 will increase by only 5 million.

According to the MetLife report, Americans aged 55 to 70 years of age remain in the labor market for two main reasons: “financial needs and the desire to remain active and / or try something new.” Those who are now between 60 and 70 and some years represent “perhaps the last generation fortunate enough to enjoy widespread access to corporate pensions and Social Security,” the report adds. Employees of the baby boomers who are now between 50 and 59 years face a background of increased financial uncertainty.

Wharton Professor Olivia S. Mitchell notes that the sheer size of the cohort that makes up the baby boom generation is estimated to be 78.2 million people, is a very attractive. “The baby boom generation is so great that everything you do influences popular culture and news media, which is one of the reasons why it is now talking about it,” says Mitchell, director Executive Pension Research Council at Wharton and director of the Boettner Center for Pensions and Retirement Research. “But in my opinion the baby boomers will change the definition of retirement”.

In fact, in his new book, Redefining Retirement: How Will Boomers Fare? (Redefining retirement: What will the baby boomers?) Mitchell and two co-authors argue that “people will not follow the old pattern of work, and then retire. Rather they will accept what we call bridge work, that is, they will leave the company they have worked virtually his entire life and accept jobs part-time transition. Some set up businesses and become entrepreneurs and other volunteer work, Mitchell says. “This has changed from previous generations, and there is evidence that expectations have also changed. What I really do not know is whether there will be demand for such workers. Even if in the labor market supply continues to fall, “employers are interested in older workers? I think it is too early to tell”.

Mitchell recognizes that in some sectors, “this has already happened. We have already gone to older workers for call centers, hotel reservation companies to fill jobs or cyclical. But these are not permanent jobs, which brings us to the definition used to redefine retirement. Under this new definition, people not reach certain age and stop working no more. “

The Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli, director of the Center for Human Resources at Wharton, says another warning in regard to the labor market for people of a certain age. “Companies are still pushing them towards early retirement programs,” he says adding that despite some employers actively strive to retain them “in some posts that can be taught skills. It is worth remembering that employees have always left the companies. Nothing has changed. The companies retained knowledge through development programs that prepared young workers to be able to perform these tasks. The big problem is that companies have been more or less abandoned those programs.



BLACKMAN

Nico Barton asked:


Previously it was believed that after people retired, the journey towards the end of life started off. However, the scenario has completely changed now. Today, age doesn’t limit a person from living a life they have always cherished and even if they have crossed the threshold of 55, they lead as spirited life as that of a young boy or a girl. Longevity of people has increased with healthy eating in the form of organic foods and high standards of medical facilities that are available. For the so called senior citizens who have turned 55 or have crossed it long ago and are hale and hearty, the world has now become an oyster where they can discover new surprises each day. Those of the senior citizens who are searching for something new, there is a over 55 retirement community that can become their new address.

A recent survey has found out an astounding fact that over seventy-five million aged people are choosing these retirement homes as their homes because there are some great advantages. And the best news is that, they are at peace with themselves as they have many options to select from now.

An interested person can opt for a residential community which showers with benefits like the chance to play golf, do swimming or engage in other sports events. Sporting activities like fishing, golf, boating, swimming etc. are indispensable part of this kind of living. The provocations of these activities are simply too much and thus there are many who want to experience them, even if they have never done so before. The ones who are choosy about the location, need not worry as there are plenty of sites. An over 55 retirement community can be easily available in the neighboring areas or locations where your relatives and immediate family live in. If you decide to stay in a warm and bright climatic condition, you will not be disheartened too. A quick glance through the internet will more than suffice the urge to settle down in a place of one’s liking. The people associated with real estate business have discovered this new trend and are fast building up these kinds of communities almost all over the country.

In almost all parts of the country these types of communities have come up now, owing to the fact that they become so popular. These are a couple of suggestions for you to follow while looking for Over fifty-five Community Housing.

• Give more emphasis on the location of the community if you are single or married. Or do you want to live at a neighboring place, which is not far off from your friends?

• Expand your search options beyond the known, to all those states where you had always wanted to live.

• You need to search for your over 55 retirement community carefully because there are many catering to different lifestyle needs. Make a list of the things that you think are absolutely necessary for you to have and you can then customize your search according to your needs.

At http://www.myactivecommunity.com you can know more about over 55 communities and also find them. You will surely find your perfect 55+ retirement home here.



HASSELL

sanjeev asked:


BODY and MIND SOLUTION news Letter 2.1, Jan 2008

Article of the month

The Bhuj Phenomena

Sanjeev Rastogi

These are the excerpts from editor’s memoir after a weak long visit to earthquake hit Bhuj in 2001 Gujarat in. He was there to attend a medical relief camp run for victims. The article reveals some intricacies of human behavior, which are reflected only when there is a crisis.

Bhuj has become the epitome of real humane side of the human being. Flooding of relief material, rescue people and volunteers not only from nearby places but from the places as far as Seychelles, Canada, Germany, Spain, U.K. and many more is a clear indication of survival of the sprout of fraternity deep somewhere, though hardly reflected anywhere in current society with changed values of life.

In one week of my stay at Bhachau as a leader to a medical team, when I meet a team of Seychelles comprising of 9 member with different professions, I was totally convinced that the human race will survive all the odds and even in the ages to come. Rose Anne, the troupe leader from Canada was literally craving as for not getting any work to do for the complete one day of their stay. “We did not come here for site seeing. We are ready to do the job as hard as anything can be. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get someone who can guide us where to go and what to do? Out of their 9 members 4 were from paramedical and rests were volunteers. They were from a disaster management group and were exposed in natural calamity management. Their worry was genuine. Even this was same with me at least for the very first day of my arrival at Bhachau, as I could not find a real work to do what I was expecting. “I will try to make something to you people”. I assured them and took them to a mobile hospital running near by the Ukrain military doctors. It was nice as at least two of them could absorbed in the hospital for minor processes like changing the bandages and giving the intra muscular and intra venous injections. The satisfaction I could see over their faces after finding some thing to do was the biggest praise one can ever get.

Imagine the feeling of a heart, which is heading from 10,000 miles away to a place unknown to him and to work for the people unknown to him. Can the humanity be better defined than this?

I was looking after a dispensary run by a NGO in Bhachau, a taluka in Kuchh region worst hit by Jan 26th disaster. This taluka comprises of around 80 thousand people with many villages scattered around. In taluka nothing could survived the burnt of earth quack. Even the villages formed no exceptions. All the villages have turned into the piles of stones interrupted with doors and windows occasionally. Though the mortalities were relatively less in villages, the number of injured people was exceptionally high. Surprising was to see the smiling greeting faces of village folks when we went to deliver the medical care at their door. This disaster has definitely snatched a lot of lovable among them but could not take of the smile and hospitality they had traditionally. In this area where water is a valuable, we have been repeatedly asked for chach and tea almost at every door. They are tough in build and mind both.

Repeated draughts (it rains here once in 2-3 years) have made them perfect to face the troubles. Many a times we were simply refused by some elderly person to accept medical help for his minor ailment. Can you believe that there are people who are struggling for their survival between the bare land and naked sky can refuse for more of the blankets as they already have got one and feel that next should be given to the one who is in real need of it? Yes, this was an every day happening here in Bhachau villages. They are with high morals and self-respect.

Bhuj has projected a very different side of India this time. After initial chaos in the management, it gradually come to the ages and has become a phenomenon to Indian management. The administration has give up at least for the delivery of relief material to the needy people to NGOs without any restriction. Everyday hundred of truckloads arrive and is handed over directly to the NGOs for its proper utilization.

NGOs have done well in every field ranging from food, temporary shelters, dead body disposal, and medical management to rehabilitation. Not only from Gujrat but the people from every corner of India have come to take part in relief voluntarily. Many organizations and business individuals have started adopting the villages as a whole for its complete rehabilitation. Most satisfying is that, at this time, this all is going without much hype, slowly but steadily, and with a commitment. Say for Mr. Chauhan, a retired executive engineer from Delhi who is making a colony to give shelters to at least 500 families in Bhachau. How many of these Chauhans are there, is difficult to figure out.

This was pleasing for me to hear a foreigner exclaiming, “this is wondering to see the disaster management here, we were expecting it too bad and so were prepared to do as we did in African Countries”.

This has shown a new face of India too to the outer world. In fact, pain is the biggest binding force between human being. It binds the people in closest ties without seeing for their race, religion, caste or country, provided if you could feel for it.

Though immensely painful, this Bhuj phenomenon was perfectly able to show the goodness of globalization and to say for, that we all are of the same origin as we feel the similar pain and concern for every human being. (This article has appeared in 9:2,2001 issue of NAMAH)

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