3/26/2012 6:16 PM ET

By Robert Powell, MarketWatch.com

With many Americans short of the savings they'll need to retire comfortably, the forecast looks grim. These are some of the areas were action is clearly needed.

President Barack Obama, in his State of the Union speech back in January, didn't really touch on the subject near and dear to the hearts of millions of Americans -- the state of retirement in the U.S.

No doubt he had other pressing matters to address. So allow us the pleasure of issuing -- thanks in large part to many experts on the topic -- our state of retirement column.

In short: Things are bad and, in the absence of action or in the presence of ill-advised action, they could get much worse.

"I think the state of retirement in America is endangered, as the Great Recession has taken a toll on the financial status of many and as retirement savings were not adequate for many prior to the Great Recession," said Matthew Greenwald, the president of Matthew Greenwald & Associates, a leading retirement-research firm.

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Retirement rescue needed

The average income that workers can expect from their pensions has fallen by 13,000 a year since the Millennium (Sao Paolo: TIBR3.SA - news) , actuaries say.

While a 30-year-old in 2000 could have expected a pension of two thirds of final salary, he or she is now in line for just 39pc of salary. Assuming that the average salary on retirement is 48,450, this equates to a fall of 13,000, according to the Alexander Forbes National Pension Index.

Even a year ago the worker could have expected 45pc of final salary. The figures are for someone saving 12pc of salary into a defined-contribution pension scheme. The pattern of pension income expectations is similar for other age groups, the company added.

Pension savers have been hit by a toxic combination of turmoil in the financial markets, rising longevity and falling annuity rates. Workers who don't belong to generous final salary schemes which are dying out in the private sector must build up a pension pot, which is used to buy an annuity or income for life at retirement.

The value of their pots has been hit by falls in the stock market, while annuity rates have fallen sharply as a result of declining yields on government gilts.

Alan Carey of Alexander Forbes Consultants & Actuaries said: The Governments quantitative easing programme has adversely impacted annuity rates, which in turn has seriously hurt peoples retirement income expectations. Hopefully gilt yields, which influence annuity rates, will recover to some extent when QE stops, improving annuity rates and reversing the worst of the serious deterioration over the last year.

The latest figures make difficult reading for people saving for their retirement, but the news is not all bad. Pensions remain one of the most tax-efficient ways for people to make long term savings; many employers make generous contributions to DC pension savings, which is in effect additional deferred pay for workers and by taking advantage of workplace salary sacrifice people can boost their pension savings further.

"The real message of this years National Pension Index is that people need to understand and take control of their own pension savings as soon as possible, as a few low cost changes made early can make all the difference to peoples financial security in retirement.

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Retirement incomes fall by £13,000 since Millennium

It's a surprisingly honest, if musically uneven, album from the Queen of Pop.

AP Images

Well, then. So much for the "World Peace" message she left us with at the end of her Super-Bowl halftime performance this year. Then again, it was never the right message for Madonna, pop music's most excellent conflict-causer for three decades now. When she reemerged into the spotlight at the beginning of 2012, she was in full provocateur mode, sniffing that Lady Gaga's music was a mere "reductive" knockoff of her own material, tossing antifeminist insults at Ricky Gervais during the Golden Globes, and releasing a track list replete with click bait titles like "Girl Gone Wild" and, well, "Gang Bang." She was reminding people not only that she was back, not only of her staggering rap sheet of hits, and not only that she started this whole game that Gaga, Rihanna, Perry, Ke$ha, Britney et. al. have been making so much money playing. She was reminding that more than any of those new-nice upstarts, Madonna's edge is that she has edge.

The music is huge, and some of it good. The factory-ordered club fizz of "Girl Gone Wild," though, opens things inauspiciously, making it appear as if MDNA will be entirely about chasing last year's chart trends. But then the Material Girl goes actually wild in her dancefloor aspirations with a one-two followup: the aforementioned robotic revenge tale "Gang Bang," and the spider-web synths and cascading choruses of "I'm Addicted," which takes the love-as-drug cliche and embodies the icky rush that the cliche suggests. It's not till the eighth track, though, that MDNA delivers its biggest jaw-dropper. Producer Martin Solveig opens "I Don't Give A" with some chintzy '80s FM funk guitaring, and then Madonna starts rapping: "Wake up, ex wife, this is your life." It's a narration of the her daily routine in the wake of her 2008 divorce with Guy Ritchiethe way she hustles about with her kids, meets with managers, forgets to say her prayers, and can't escape recurring guilt about her failed marriage. It's a fun, fun song that also, in its specificity, feels true. Rarely do pop stars as high gloss as this one so convincingly reveal their inner lives to be a mess.

Maybe this is why the lead single, "Give Me All Your Luvin'," has failed on the charts: It's peppy, but, lately, Madonna isn't. The song's speaking-and-spelling cheerleader choruses feel put-on and fakey. Ditto for "B-Day Song," a bonus track featuring M.I.A. that might just be ironic in its sunniness: "I'm a happy girl" Madonna insists over and over. But with an album title like MDNAa nod to club drugs and to the idea that here we have Madonna at her Madonna-esteven the dumbly smiling radio grabs feel like noble failures. Guilt's been with Madonna since before her "Like a Prayer" days, and so has the idea of pop music as escape from it. "World peace" was indeed the wrong slogan for her. The kind of serenity she's really after is personal.

Excerpt from:
Madonna's Manic, Personal 'MDNA'

HOUSTON, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. (NYSE: KRA - News), a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers or "SBCs," announces the first product of a series of new compounds for automotive interior applications that utilize slush molding technology. Kraton ST5100 provides the automotive industry with an environmentally-friendly alternative to PVC and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) in addition to superior features and benefits.

"We are engaging several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 (major part suppliers) throughout the automotive industry," said Christian Kafka, Global Market Development Manager, Kraton Performance Polymers. "They recognize that our new offering for interior surfaces fulfills properties for both the slush molding process and ongoing material qualifications while also addressing demands for environmentally-sustainable solutions that offer lighter-weight, higher-performance and low VOCs," he added.

Kraton Performance Polymers is committed to working with our customers to create new solutions for innovative products.For additional information regarding Kraton ST5100 products for soft skin technology, please contact Christian Kafka at Christian.kafka@kraton.com or call +1-800-4-KRATON (572866).

About Kraton Polymers Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc., through its operating subsidiary Kraton Polymers LLC and its subsidiaries, is a leading global producer of engineered polymers and styrenic block copolymers ("SBCs"), a family of products whose chemistry was pioneered by us almost fifty years ago. SBCs are highly-engineered thermoplastic elastomers, which enhance the performance of numerous products by delivering a variety of attributes, including greater flexibility, resilience, strength, durability and processability. Our polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants and lubricants, and medical, packaging, automotive, paving, roofing and footwear products. We currently offer approximately 800 products to more than 700 customers in over 60 countries worldwide, and are the only SBC producer with manufacturing and service capabilities on four continents. We manufacture products at five plants globally, including our flagship plant in Belpre, Ohio, as well as plants in Germany, France and Brazil, and a joint venture plant operated in Japan.

Forward Looking Statements This press release may contain "forward-looking statements," which are statements other than statements of historical fact and are often characterized by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "intends," "plans" or "anticipates," or by discussions of strategy, anticipated performance, plans or intentions. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are more fully described in "Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors" contained in our Annual Report on 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and as subsequently updated in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We hereby make reference to all such filings for all purposes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update such information.

Kraton, the Kraton logo and design, Cariflex, Nexar and the "Giving Innovators their Edge" tagline are all trademarks of Kraton Polymers LLC.

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100728/DA42514LOGO)

For Further Information: Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. Media: Marcie Coronado +1-281-504-4975 Investors: H. Gene Shiels +1-281-504-4886

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Kraton Performance Polymers Launches Kraton™ ST5100 - A New Compound for Slush Molding (Soft Skin Technology)

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 27, 2012) - Dress for Success Toronto, an international non-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women, announces The Power Walk for Dress for Success, which will take place in 5 countries and 40 international cities on Mother's Day Weekend - Saturday, May 12th, 2012.

The 2012 Power Walk for Dress for Success marks Dress for Success Toronto's inaugural instalment of this signature event, which is the only international fundraising walk dedicated to the promotion of an active, healthy lifestyle for women and families.

The 5k Power Walk for Dress for Success will promote the Health and Wellness initiative of the Professional Women's Group, a program which provides successfully employed Dress for Success clients with a network of support, practical information and inspiration to achieve self-defined success.

Serving as the spokesperson for the Toronto walk is Joanne McLeod, one of the leading health and wellness experts in the country, who will empower participants to power walk their way towards overall wellness.

"This walk exemplifies the importance of a healthy lifestyle, a key element to a woman's ability to gain and retain employment and become self-sufficient" states Joanne. "Dress for Success helps women achieve their potential and I am delighted to partner with such a remarkable organization."

Dress for Success launched the Power Walk for Dress for Success as a "walking testament" to the organization's work to help disadvantaged women become healthy in all aspects of their lives - careers, physical well-being, emotional health and more. With mothers accounting for over 80% of the women served by Dress for Success, it is fitting that the Power Walk for Dress for Success takes place during Mother's Day weekend.

"Dress for Success seeks to provide women with the foundation for various skills that enable them to achieve financial stability and personal success," said Sheila Debly-Magnus, Executive Director of Dress for Success Toronto. "Keeping active is part of a healthy lifestyle, and one of many ways women can empower not only themselves but also inspire their families."

The Power Walk for Dress for Success is open to the public and participants are encouraged to create a team of friends, walk with family, participate as individuals or sponsor a walker. All participation will support the programs and services of Dress for Success.

For more information and Power Walk registration, please refer to our website: http://www.dressforsuccess.org/toronto, or via email: publicrelations@dressforsuccesstoronto.org or call us at 416-901-6022.

About Dress for Success Toronto

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Joanne McLeod from BodyBreak(TM) Joins Inaugural Power Walk for Dress for Success in Toronto to Bring Fitness and ...

Sweet Success In Hunt For Honey's Healing Factor

Comvita, the New Zealand-based global exporter of natural health and beauty products, and collaborators have identified key compounds in honey that stimulate the immune system, paving the way for a range of new wound-healing products.

The ground-breaking research, carried out at Industrial Research Ltd (IRL), Plant & Food Research and Massey University, found that different varieties of New Zealand honey appear to trigger different immune responses.

IRL's role was to provide its world-class expertise in the extraction, analysis, and purification of complex molecules that play an important role in biological systems.

Comvitas Chief Technology Officer Dr Ralf Schlothauer says the research provides the tools for understanding why honey stimulates healing of stalled wounds.

We know a lot about the anti-microbial properties of manuka honey but had much less scientific information about the immune system-related effects of honey in wound healing.

The findings suggest there could be a number of honeys to consider if you want to stimulate the immune system. Ultimately, it might mean we produce medical honey products that are specifically tailored for certain treatments or that we select a range of honeys for their particular properties to include in a specific blend.

Headquartered in Paengaroa in the Bay of Plenty, Comvita is the worlds largest manufacturer and marketer of Manuka honey and produces natural health products for the wound care, health care, personal care and functional foods markets. It also produces Medihoney wound care products that are sold through a global licensing deal with US-based Derma Sciences.

Prior to the latest work, Dr Schlothauer says published research had shown there were big carbohydrate molecules in honey that stimulated immune cells but their structure had not been analysed.

Comvita put two students, Swapna Gannabathula and Gregor Steinhorn, onto the task and their discoveries eventually led the company to Crown Research Institute IRL.

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Sweet Success In Hunt For Honey's Healing Factor

LOVELAND, Colo., March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- While many middle schoolers cringe at the thought of math, 210 sixth and seventh grade students at Conrad Ball Middle School in Loveland, Colo. are eager to dive into their lessons. That's because they're taking part in McGraw-Hill Education's revolutionary Power of U, an all-digital learning program that uses Promethean ActivProgress to create an adaptive, personalized learning environment for students. The program's success to date demonstrates that students can improve their grades and test scores and increase their confidence in math when they have the opportunity to take more control of their own learning.

"We were looking for a program that would optimize personalization and provide individual learning roadmaps to drive student success in math, no matter their proficiency level," said Scott Elias, principal of Conrad Ball Middle School. "We've already witnessed how the adaptive nature of Power of U, which offers real-time, prescriptive feedback after each lesson, motivates students. It allows them to play a more active role in their own learning process and helps them make connections between what they're learning today and what they'll need to know tomorrow."

Administrators in Loveland's Thompson School District wanted to pilot Power of U because of the program's proven track record, the district's desire to introduce personalized learning programs through its "Vision 2020" plan, and a need to improve students' stagnant Colorado State Assessment Program scores in math. Power of U also addresses math achievement at a critical juncture in students' academic careers: middle school, a time when many students begin to struggle as the coursework increases in complexity.

Says Travis Hamilton, a director at McGraw-Hill Education, the program "is about putting the 'you' in learning." Hamilton's team developed the Power of U with partners CTB/McGraw-Hill and Promethean, launching the pilot program in Indiana in 2010 after extensive field research and testing. "Research shows that the closer teaching comes to a one-on-one interaction, the more effective it is. By using technology that recognizes and adapts to individual learning needs, innovative programs like the Power of U create a 'class of one' an experience that is personalized, customized and mobile, that can extend learning well beyond the classroom."

"Learning beyond the classroom is key," said Jim Marshal, president of Promethean North America. "By focusing on the learning needs and objectives, we are helping schools create 21st century learning environments. In this program, the students are not limited and are challenged to continually strive to higher levels of mastery. It also give teachers access to critical student progress data with the tools to help them build collaborative learning opportunities for all students."

In January, Colorado became the latest school district to pilotPower of U, which has already shown to improve student achievement in other schools.The program, which runs on Promethean's web-based data management and social learning solution toprovide real-time feedback to the student,empowers them to learn at their own pace, in their own way, using the method of instruction that works best for them. As a result, teachers have been able to focus less on administrative tasks and more on what matters most: teaching.

Every day, the data-driven Power of U program groups students according to their skill or content mastery, rather than using traditional class structures that are fixed at the beginning of the school year. The platform, which adapts to students' progress daily, also matches students with the most appropriate instructional method, whether its teacher-led instruction, small group instruction, one-on-one tutoring or independent study.

"We are proud to partner with the Thompson School District and excited to see that Power of U is making its way into classrooms across the country," said Hamilton. "The 'one size fits all' approach to learning no longer addresses the range of student needs found in the diverse 21st century classroom. Thanks to technology and programs like Power of U, we are able to personalize both instruction and learning, which benefits teachers and students alike."

Power of U, which is available via subscription, was introduced in summer 2010 to 26 sixth graders in Perry Township, Ind., all of whom were struggling in math during the regular school year and saw improvements in their grades after participating in the program. Power of U was officially adopted as the math curriculum in two Perry Township Middle schools and is now rolling out to school districts in other states. McGraw-Hill Education plans to extend the program to different grades across several disciplines.

About McGraw-Hill Education

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McGraw-Hill Education's All-Digital Math Program Makes It Personal For Colorado Middle Schoolers

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -03/26/12)- Editors note: There is a photo and a video associated with this press release.

Mayhew, a premier Ontario design firm focused on workplace strategy, is celebrating 30 years in the GTA and kicking off the milestone anniversary as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies with Marcia Mayhew at the helm.

Mayhew has a team of over 150 designers, workplace strategists, construction managers, ergonomists and product experts. Their innovative and award-winning designs and workplace solutions have physically shaped the way brands like CTV, GlaxoSmithKline, Pfaff Automotive Partners and University of Windsor do business. As a workplace consultancy and design firm Mayhew also celebrated the launch of Toronto's first co-branded work-showroom with Steelcase in late 2011.

Ms. Mayhew is a young entrepreneur and fourth generation leader, who is progressively carving out a profitable path for the company. This award stands not only as a badge of honour for the company, but also serves as a great personal accomplishment: "The confidences my parents invested in me and the expectations set for the business once seemed so daunting," says Ms. Mayhew, President of the family run firm. "But my resolve to pull together the right resources and ensure that Mayhew was financially sound and primed to grow has not only proven its worth, but has made me a better person, a better leader and a proud daughter. I sincerely look forward to designing the future successes of Mayhew."

Pfaff Automotive Partners is a prized client of Mayhew and also recognized as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies. Their most recent collaboration, Canada's first-ever McLaren dealership, was met with design accolades worthy of the elite product team that filled its space.

"It is always a pleasure to work with Marcia Mayhew and her project team," says Christopher Pfaff, CEO of Pfaff Automotive Partners. "The talented design team always marry form and function to design a space suited to the calibre of the cars we showcase and the behind the scenes work that goes into a successful automotive business," he says.

"I am so proud to be named among Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies. It is a testament to the strength and talent of our entire team," says Ms. Mayhew, President of the family run workplace consultancy firm. "We have successfully navigated volatile economic conditions and proactively implemented our succession agenda. We drove down costs, accelerated operational efficiencies, invested in our business model and executed these same principles in our client projects," she says.

About Mayhew

Mayhew has 150 employees and is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario with offices in Kitchener, Windsor and Stoney Creek. Synonymous with space and interior design ingenuity, Mayhew has designed award winning spaces for Business News Network and the CTV Olympic Digital Lounge among others. With a mission to create and maintain workplaces that work, Mayhew has designed over 22 million square feet of space, successfully moved 300,000 people, and supplied and installed over 100,000 workstations. For more information or detailed case studies visit http://www.mayhew.ca.

To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://www.marketwire.com/library/20120326-Mayhew%20Case%20Studies%20Image%20large.jpg

Link:
Designing a Future of Success: Mayhew Honoured as One of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies

HACKENSACK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Vidyo, Inc., the first company to deliver personal telepresence, today announced a partnership with UST Global, a leading provider of IT services and solutions for Fortune 500 and Global 1000 enterprises. UST Global plans to adopt Vidyo's personal telepresence platform as a company-wide vehicle for day-to-day internal business communications, and also use the Vidyo platform with its rich APIs to create customized retail, financial and healthcare solutions, in conjunction with its software development business. UST Global has over 8,000 employees located in the US, India, UK, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore.

We are pleased to welcome UST Global as an important new member of the Vidyo partner community and as a customer who will be using Vidyo's solution to meet their own global communications requirements to drive productivity across multiple continents," said Ashish Gupta, Vidyo's CMO and Senior VP of Corporate Development. "It is a testament to the strength of Vidyo's platform that UST Global, whose focus is on delivering innovative solutions to Global 1000 companies, has selected our platform to build Vidyo Enabled Business Processes (VEBP) for UST Global customers."

"We are excited to be the first global systems integrator to join the new Vidyo Developer Program and we believe that Vidyos technology compliments our strategy to build collaboration directly into custom applications especially mobile applications," said Tony Velleca CIO, UST Global. "Vidyo's APIs are ideal for systems integrators; no other video communications platform offers the kind of flexible architecture, level of interoperability, and technology that can affordably scale and grow with our business needs."

Vidyo's platform enables partners to expand their reach into new markets with applications that are made possible only by using Vidyo's rich APIs. Unlike video codec vendors, Vidyo provides the architecture needed to deliver high-quality video conferencing, not just an SVC codec. Building on this platform, Vidyos System Integrator partners such as UST Global can deliver innovative applications that enhance their customers business processes with HD quality video communications. Integration strategies can be customized to needs and budget with Vidyo API packages, engineering support services, and multiple levels of integration options.

About UST Global

UST Global provides IT solutions that propel businesses forward, helping CIOs build the future for their organizations. Merging industry-specific expertise with transformative thinking, UST Global delivers market-defining solutions to Global 1000 companies with speed and agility. The company is distinguished by its community of collaborative innovation, relentless commitment beyond contract, measurable accountability to current and future business outcomes, and an entrepreneurial spirit that fuels transformation. As a trusted partner to clients worldwide, UST Global uses an optimal blend of locally based senior resources and highly accomplished and cost-effective offshore teams. Headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, UST Global fosters client-specific cutting-edge innovation from its state-of-the-art centers in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. For more information visit: http://www.ust-global.com

The Vidyo Difference

The Vidyo communication and collaboration platform is software-based, highly flexible and can be easily customized for individual enterprise and vertical market video conferencing needs. The patented VidyoRouter architecture introduces Adaptive Video Layering, which dynamically optimizes the video for each endpoint leveraging H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC)-based compression technology and Vidyos IP. Adaptive Video Layering eliminates the MCU and offers unprecedented error resiliency, low latency rate matching thus enabling natural, affordable, high-quality video to work over the Internet, LTE and 4G networks. The platform allows users to quickly leverage the latest hardware innovations and new consumer devices, making it uniquely attractive to partners. Vidyo has been active driving H.264 SVC and SIP videoconferencing interoperability in various standards bodies since 2005.

About Vidyo, Inc.

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UST Global and Vidyo Partner to Develop Customized Video Conferencing Solutions for Global 1000 Companies

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz4VA0qSvtE

26-03-2012 14:37 Dr. Dani Babb welcomes you to The Babb Group and provides a brief overview of their products and services for online educators, online professors and online students.

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Welcome to The Babb Group Educational Solutions - Video