Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nv89XZG1dM

06-03-2012 04:31 Timing Makes a Difference in Retirement

Here is the original post:
Timing Makes a Difference in Retirement - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F7Xmg_3jP4

06-03-2012 21:18 As Samajwadi Party is all set to take over from Mayawati, bureaucrats close to her are also on their way out. Uttar Pradesh cabinet secretary Shashank Shekar Singh has taken premature retirement from service with effect from March 9. Shashank, who had retired in May 2010 was given two years extension by Mayawati which is due to expire on March 31. It may be noted that his tenure as cabinet secretary was marred by controversies. In fact his appointment as cabinet secretary has been challenged in court several times. For more info log onto: alpha.newsx.com

See more here:
Uttar Pradesh cabinet secretary takes premature retirement -Newsx - Video

Retirement Perks Of A Government Retirement Plan

State and local government jobs may not seem like the height of glamour, but they aren't without their perks. Benefits such as pensions, plus access to tax-advantaged government retirement plans known as 457(b) plans, help make working at the county or municipal level more rewarding for local civil servants.

Employees of the federal government do not have a 457(b) plan; instead they have the thrift savings plan, which comes with its own idiosyncrasies.

A 457(b) is roughly analogous to a 401(k), but it comes with its own quirks.

"It's very similar in that you can only defer a certain dollar amount each year, and the amount you can defer is linked to the cost of living (indexes) as the 401(k) is," says Dominick Pizzano, a New Jersey-based employee benefits consultant at Milliman, an actuarial and consulting firm.

The contribution limit is $17,000 for 2012. If the plan allows it, a participant can make Roth contributions to his retirement account, paying taxes on the contribution before it goes into the account. Interest and earnings would be tax-free in retirement.

Also similar to the 401(k) is one of the catch-up provisions that allow workers older than 50 to put away extra money -- specifically an extra $5,500.

Now for the curve ball: 457(b) plans also may allow workers to squirrel away extra money starting three years before the so-called normal retirement age, which the plan specifies.

The normal retirement age can vary, but the special contributions can begin three years before that point.

"So if someone was to retire at 50, at 48 they could begin the 457 catch-up because it's three years prior to their retirement age. It's called the three-year rule," says Julia Durand, director at CalSTRS and president of the National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators, or NAGDCA.

Follow this link:
The perks of a government retirement plan

Retirement Fundamentals Of Retirement Plans

If you're among the lucky Americans whose employers offer a workplace retirement plan, it behooves you to take full advantage of it. True, some plans will automatically enroll you, so all you have to do is show up to work every day and do your job. If you don't want to join, you have to actively take steps to opt out of the plan.

It would be a mistake to opt out. In fact, it would be a mistake to allow yourself to be automatically enrolled without getting involved in the decisions pertaining to your plan. Otherwise, you may end up contributing just a paltry amount, and your money may go into a fund that's too conservative or too risky or too expensive for your taste.

In this package of stories, Bankrate covers the fundamentals of retirement plans -- everything you ever wanted to know about 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans and 457(b) plans -- plus a whole lot more.

For the uninitiated, 401(k) plans are found in the private sector, 403(b) plans in the nonprofit area and 457(b) plans are offered in state, county and municipal workplaces. All have their arcane sets of rules, and all provide a way for you to save money in a tax-deferred account. Some are stranger than others. Bankrate's story, "Shakeout in 403(b) plans affects teachers," uncovers the unusual situation in the education market and explains why teachers are dropping out of their 403(b) plans.

If you work for a small business that doesn't offer a plan -- and the majority do not -- then it's time to lobby the boss for change. Employers can pick from several different types of plans ranging from simple payroll deduction individual retirement accounts to complex defined benefit plans that require serious commitment. Bankrate's story, "Retirement plans for small biz," covers the nuts and bolts of 10 different retirement plans designed specifically for small businesses and self-employed individuals.

The government devised several different types of plans in order to entice people to save for retirement, even at the expense of federal tax revenue. Retirement savings in workplace plans keep money out of government coffers -- contributions made on a pretax basis are not counted as income, so you dodge the tax bullet on those funds until it's time to take the money out.

To find out if you have a first-class 401(k) plan or a mediocre one, check out "What makes a 401(k) plan great." Get ready for changes in your corporate retirement plan as well. This year, sponsors of 401(k) plans will be required to break out all costs to plan participants, as discussed in the story, "401(k) plan fees to be unveiled." This event will surely be an eye-opener for everyone.

Why should you contribute to your retirement plan? Because doing so affords you options you likely won't have otherwise. Once you sign up to contribute 10 percent or 15 percent of your paycheck into the plan, you won't miss the money. And it's a bonus if you get matching contributions. Over time, you will likely be surprised by how much you will have accumulated. It's your best chance to prepare for your golden years, so you can maintain your lifestyle long after you stop setting the alarm clock to get ready for work.

More From Bankrate.com

Follow this link:
Everything you want to know about retirement plans

Do you work for a small business that offers no retirement plan? Are you self-employed and so busy that you're (regretfully) putting your retirement plans on the back burner? Do you own a small business and want to provide a retirement plan for your employees? You've come to the right place.

Retirement plans provide a tax-advantaged way to grow wealth for retirement. A well-designed retirement plan can help attract and retain talented employees and give the employer the satisfaction of knowing they've helped their employees -- as well as themselves -- toward a financially sound retirement.

There's a host of different plans available for businesses, and each comes with its own set of rules. Some are dead easy to implement; others are more complicated. Some are qualified plans and others are nonqualified plans. Qualified plans meet certain government requirements and offer tax benefits to both the employer and employee. Conversely, nonqualified plans are not eligible for tax-deferral benefits, and they're generally geared to the top brass.

We focus on qualified plans, of which there are two basic kinds -- defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans. Read on to learn about 10 types of retirement plans for small businesses.

Excerpt from:
The best retirement plan for your business

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- He's a mild-mannered man, small, soft-spoken and serene. Behind the quiet demeanor beats the heart of fierce warrior in the battle for better health in rural Appalachia and underserved areas abroad.

That's Richard Crespo, a professor in the Department of Family and Community Health at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, a nationally recognized force in community health.

Inspired years ago by the high infant death rate he encountered in the mountains of Ecuador, he preaches a grassroots approach to better health built on disease prevention and instilling good health habits in childhood.

His arsenal includes rural and school-based health centers, diabetes coalitions, student dental screenings, peer-to-peer prenatal care and creative touch-screen projects to combat childhood obesity.

A self-help guru, he believes fervently in a simple premise: Healthy people take care of themselves.

He's 62.

"My parents were missionaries. My father is from Puerto Rico, and my mother is from the United States. I grew up nine years in Colombia, South America; four years in the States and four years in Puerto Rico.

"I was 6 when we came to the States the first time. When I was 10, it was back to Colombia for junior high. My parents left the mission field about the time I was in high school, so I went to high school in Puerto Rico.

"I wanted to be like my dad. Mission work was the predominant thing. Living internationally gave me a perspective about living elsewhere that I wouldn't have had if I had just grown up in the States.

More here:
Health guru preaches personal responsibility

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35ZZmoXDSwI

09-03-2012 15:43 Personal Online Brand Expert Daniel Wagner - clicktogo.org http://www.youtube.com How To Build A Powerful Business AND Personal Brand [Webinar Replay] Thanks to top branding expert BJ Cunningham for being the inspiration behind this webinar! Following an amazing day's consulting with BJ, here are some of the breakthroughs I want to share with you. But let me WARN you, this is powerful stuff guys! --What's the REAL difference between a business brand and a product brand - and WHY this is essential to attracting and retaining customers --The biggest mistake people make with branding -- and how to avoid it --The proprietary branding system BJ uses with his 20k per day corporate consulting clients like Microsoft and McDonald's. --The ONLY type of trademark you'll ever need for your brand -- and what you need to avoid at all costs... --What exactly do we mean by a personal brand -- and why a strong personal brand is as important as ever, even if you have an existing business --How one of my clients recently generated £50000 in NEW business after her personal brand website went live (...and how you can do the same!) To your 'branding' success Daniel

Continued here:
Daniel Wagner - Personal Branding and Expert Success Training - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgxA9Bxqz4o

11-03-2012 17:25 MagnaVita is a marketing team dedicated to bring you the best opportunity of your life. We work directly with a company called OrganoGold that sells a variety of beverages, nutraceuticals, and personal care products. This is an opportunity to become your own boss and work from home. Our team will ensure success to all those that join us. It seems unbelievable but in reality, the team's success generates greater success for all individuals. Many people see "financial opportunities" and assume it's a scam but as long as an adequate amount of effort and time is invested into the company, we can essentially guarantee personal success. For those who are interested in what may be the greatest financial decision of your life, send a message to this account and we will answer any questions you may have. We will disclose more information to those who show a serious interest in the company and allow you the opportunity to speak to us personally via telephone. magnavita.organogold.com

Read the original post:
Emmanuel Bernstein - OrganoGold Networking [MV] - Video

HAMISH MCDONALD

BARGAIN WHEELS: The Tata Nano is India's cheapest car.

After introducing its now famous so-called US$2500 car, the Nano, to the streets of its home country, India's Tata group is preparing to take the stylish little four-seat bubble of steel and glass to the world market.

Within two to three years, says the group's chairman, Ratan Tata, the company will launch a vamped-up, slightly wider version of the Nano in the United States, fitted with modern safety features such as an advanced braking system. An electric version may come even sooner.

''It will be a full car,'' Tata says. ''US$7000 is still an attractive price.''

While bringing compact size and value to mature Western markets, Tata is also taking luxury motoring east.

It is discussing a joint venture to manufacture Jaguar sedans and Range Rover SUVs in China, already the second-biggest market for these top-end brands acquired from Ford four years ago.

But the ability to think small may turn out to be Tata's unique selling point, even though it's one of the biggest business groups in a country destined to be among the biggest forces in the global economy.

Indeed, thinking small is helping the whole country leap ahead, as in the ultra-cheap packages that have put mobile phones in the hands of small farmers and street peddlers, and the newly-developed $35 tablet computer, the Akaash (meaning ''sky''), that the government plans to hand out to school students.

Bringing his baby, the Nano, into the world has been a fraught process, however, as Ratan Tata outlined in a talk with the Sydney Morning Herald in his office at Bombay House, headquarters of the group founded by his great-great-grandfather, Jamshedji Tata, in 1868.

Original post:
Thinking small makes car a big success

Last week I attended a reception for John Kluge Jr., the son of the late Columbia University alumnus John Kluge Sr.

John Kluge Sr. once donated $400 million to the university, the single largest donation for financial aid made to any American university - a donation of which I am a direct benefactor. My financial aid package comes from his endowment, so it is no exaggeration to say that I wouldn't be attending school here at Columbia without the extraordinary generosity of John Kluge Sr., which reduced the student debt I would have to take on for college to more affordable levels.

At the reception, John Kluge Jr. turned out to be a very nice man, and they played a video of his father formally donating the large sum back in 2008. In this video, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger called his gift "both a testament to his personal history and values and a challenge to all of us to do our best to live up to our nation's ideals."

Hearing Bollinger's words, I couldn't help but wonder if, by receiving John Kluge Sr.'s aid, I hadn't simply taken on a different type of debt.

The call to take our education and use it to help the less fortunate is not new to me. One of the most common recurring conversations among my friends includes the anxiety around our seemingly conflicting goals of achieving success and helping others. Lots of ambitious students come here with dreams of starting or joining a nonprofit, or else a business with a

I've personally seen how students' pursuits of success completely changes their priorities. In the same way that students come here looking to start a nonprofit, many students come with strong interests in learning about less "marketable" skills. However, the culture of success- chasing and fear of bad job markets often pigeonhole these students into drastically different college educations.

It's not uncommon to see English majors succumb to the seemingly job-friendly economics or for linguistic majors to go premed, or for film majors to excessively over-exert themselves acquiring a second (and more quantitative) major. And who's to say these are bad choices? After all, the fact is that there are probably more job options available to the film major with quantitative skills than the one without them.

Nevertheless, I can't shake the feeling that there is something fundamentally disturbing about the necessary insinuation that students who graduate with anything other than STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) degrees have nothing to offer society - or even the job market.

Seeing how the pursuit of success takes students away from their initial goals of helping others or studying what they love, I can't help but be skeptical of these students' working definition of "success."

This raises the question: What is success? Where is the "you are now successful" finish line, and how do you know when you've crossed it? Is it determined by how much money you make? Call me naive, but I really don't buy that. While the goal is always to make at least a comfortable living, I don't think you can call a man successful simply because he can afford his weight in gold.

Original post:
The Freshman: Chasing monetary prosperity isn't `success'