estate planning handbook
Retirement Planning Tips
Retirement planning is an integral part of planning for your future. Unfortunately, most Americans place this priority at the bottom of their To Do list because they cannot afford to contribute toward their retirement. Today, a large majority of citizens can barely afford to place food on the table, let alone save money for their golden years.
In a perfect world, retirement planning would be mandatory and begin at birth. Imagine how much interest you could earn if you began saving five dollars a week starting the day you arrived. Sadly, millions of baby boomers are still unable to contribute $5 a week toward retirement; leaving them financially vulnerable when their working days are numbered.
Whether you are 18 or 58 today is the day to start planning for your future. Otherwise, you will be forced to live on a fixed income known as Social Security. By the time most people need it, chances are Social Security benefits will be long gone.
Everyone should set aside money for retirement. The sooner you implement your savings plan, the more financially prepared you will be to continue living your accustomed lifestyle. Numerous opportunities exist to make your money work for you. By becoming educated about retirement planning you will soon discover how much can be accomplished by saving a meager $5 per week.
The key to successful retirement planning is obtaining credible information. The Internet provides a plethora of wealth-building opportunities. Financial experts recommend sticking with government agency, non-profit organizations and professional retirement planners.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is one of the world’s most recognizable retiree advocates. Their website offers extensive retirement planning information and resources. Visitors can download complimentary brochures and financial worksheets.
AARPs wealth-building tools include information about real estate investing, low-cost index investments, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, employee pension plans and individual retirement accounts. Everything you need to know about retirement planning can be found at AARP.org
Social Security financial worksheets, educational and retirement planning tools, and resources are presented at SocialSecurity.gov. SSA provides downloadable worksheets to help citizens determine eligibility amounts of their retirement benefits. Your benefit amount is based on the number of years worked and earned income.
MyMoney.gov was founded by the U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Committee.. This website provides extensive financial information and retirement planning resources. At the time of writing, MyMoney.gov is providing a complimentary financial toolkit which includes a Consumer Action handbook.
Some employers offer retirement planning services by conducting workshops hosted by experts. Others offer counseling or resources provided through corporate Human Resources department. Always take advantage of opportunities to learn how to protect your future.
Chances are your financial institution offers retirement planning services. Contact your bank’s branch manager to discuss available options. Many banks and credit unions provide retirement planning and investment brochures in the lobby and offer complimentary financial planning consultations.
Professional financial and real estate investors can offer advice in developing diverse portfolios which cover both short-and long-term goals. Investors are an exceptional source for obtaining retirement advice.
Take time to become educated about retirement planning. Regardless of how little or how much money you earn, you can find a way to stash some away for retirement. Once you begin exploring options, you will be eager to start saving for retirement!
About the Author
Simon Volkov is a successful real estate investor and published author. Simon specializes in providing information and resources that allow people to make informed decisions. Simon has published thousands of articles on topics ranging from retirement planning to real estate investing and inheritance protection to probate. Start your retirement planning journey by learning more about Simon and the investment opportunities he offers at www.SimonVolkov.com.
My major sounds stupid. Help?
My original majors were German & Real Estate. Unfortunately, since my university only offers the requisite courses every other year, I had to switch to something else in order to graduate on schedule.
I plan to graduate in 2011. It’s so late in the game that I found three majors whose requirements I could fulfill within that time frame: History (B.A. or B.S.), Sociology (B.A. or B.S.), and Mass Communication (B.A.).
I’m not afraid to talk in front of large groups of people, and the latter major seemed the most relevant to business. But I’ve been looking at the student handbook, and I’m not pleased. It’s actually “Mass Communication: Information Specialist Specialization.”
Not only is the name ridiculous; it’s meant for individuals who want to work at chambers of commerce or government agencies–I don’t. But I fear that neither sociology nor history would pay well, or even help me get into business school.
Insights? Ideas? Advice?
A BA in history, sociology, German or real estate pays next to nothing anyway. There are 500,000 unemployed real estate professionals in the US ahead of you for jobs. Mass communications is not that hot either but you do at least have a shot at something and is likely the best choice to get you into an MBA program.
Before the early 20th Century, a college degree was not meant to train a person for a job. A college education was for personal enrichment. To turn you into an educated person with skills in critical thinking to allow you to take up a career in public administration, the clergy or business where you would learn on the job.
There was no intention for a degree to train you for a specific career.
However since the 1940’s the expectation of the public about a college or university degree has changed and a college or university education is now expected to lead you to a career.
Unfortunately the college and university system has not changed with the times.
A degree in Anthropology, Archeology, Art, Art History Creative Writing, General Studies, History, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Literature, Political Science, most any language including English, Music History, Philosophy or Sociology is considered a “personal enrichment” degree. That is, these degrees are degrees that are meant to enrich you personally in the classical sense of a university education without leading to any specific job.
However, in today’s world where people go to university to enable themselves to get a job and hopefully a career a bachelor’s in these fields is essentially useless. With a degree in these fields and a GPA generally over 3.0 you can:
1. Get into law school. However law schools today graduate far more lawyers than there is business for lawyers.
2. Get into graduate school in a different field. Hopefully one without too many prerequisites you do not have. Consider getting a masters in Technology Management. You can make a similar salary to an engineer but you need essentially no sciences prerequisites.
3. Get into graduate school in the same field and eventually into a PhD so you can become a college professor in this field someday. However, there are far more PhD grads in some fields like Philosophy than there ever will be professorships or any kind of teaching programs.
4. Take a teaching qualification, which is usually 2 more years, so you can teach the subject at a public K-12 school.
5. Look for a job in a field where they want you to have a degree without any concern what it is. Where they only want the degree because they want educated people who have proven they can stick with something difficult and see it to completion. Like the insurance industry.
6. If you join the military you are more likely to enter as an officer instead of enlisted personnel.
Do note that if you do go for a more advanced degree, no one cares where you got your bachelor’s degree. Only the school where you got your most advanced degree counts. And that counts for a lot less than the name schools would have you believe.
If your GPA is over 3.0, don’t take a second undergrad degree if you already have one of these degrees. A graduate degree will be more valuable to you.
Elder Law & Estate Administration- signing the documents and post execution3.mov
Toromont Announces Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2010
TORONTO, ONTARIO– – Toromont Industries Ltd. today reported financial results for the three and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2010.