6 Habits of Confident Retirees

Most folks today have a low opinion of their retirement prospects. Few actually believe they?ll be able to retire before they?re 80, and even then they expect to work to supplement their retirement income. Another sad statistic: Approximately 75% of people in their 40s are actually more afraid of outliving their savings than they are of death!

In the midst of all this pessimism, there are many retirees who are confident that they have saved enough to live out their retirement comfortably. Why is their outlook so different? It isn?t that they know something most people don?t. It?s that they?ve taken action in ways most people never do.

Real-World Retirement Advice

A recent survey of more than 1,000 retired 401(k) participants identified six specific actions these confident retirees took as they saved for retirement.

  • 90% increased their 401(k) contributions when they were able.
  • 87% made the most of their 401(k) plan.
  • 84% estimated their retirement income needs before they retired.
  • 83% reviewed their retirement strategy on a regular basis.
  • 77% enrolled in their retirement savings plan early in their careers.
  • 73% saved the maximum about of money permitted by their 401(k) plan.

Boil it all down, and this is what you get: Save as much as you can for as long as you can, and be involved in selecting and monitoring your investments. It?s advice we?ve heard?and given before. And as these real-world retirees can confirm, it?s advice that works.

You Have the Power

The study points out that it?s hard to be confident about retirement when you?re not saving for retirement. That may sound obvious, but how many people do you know who worry about having enough money to retire but then admit that they don?t have a plan to save that money?

If you?re one of those people, you need to understand that your actions have more influence over your retirement success than taxes, stock market performance or nearly any other factor. Simply increasing the amount you save can result in a better retirement than almost any other action you can take.

Start Saving Today!

It?s a lot of pressure to know that the outcome of your retirement savings plan rests so heavily on your shoulders. That?s why it is important to work with an experienced investing advisor you trust to help you create a plan and implement it.

One of Dave?s investing Endorsed Local Providers (ELPs) will answer your questions and help you get started on a retirement savings plan you can follow through on. Contact your ELP today!

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Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/6-habits-of-confident-retirees/lifeandmoney_investing

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Three People Who Can Make Or Break Your Investing Success

Herbalife CEORegardless of all the moving pieces involved, you really need only two things for a successful flight:

  • A safe airplane.
  • A pilot who knows what he's doing.

No matter how great the pilot is, he can't stop a broken plane from falling apart.

No matter how safe the plane is, it can't protect passengers if the pilot has no idea what he's doing.

It's the same with investing in a company.

Evaluating ratios and sales numbers is important, but if you don't also take a look at who's running the show, you're missing a big piece of the puzzle. What if the pilot doesn't know how to steer the plane?

Even the best, most profitable companies can't survive for long if the people at the top don't know what they're doing.

So put down your spreadsheets and financial calculators. Today, we're going to spend some time looking at the pilots.

The CEO

Ah yes, the CEO. The head honcho... The top of the company... Occupier of the corner office...

But what does he really do?

I like to think of the CEO (and the board of directors, but we'll get to that in a minute) as one of the BIG PICTURE people. His chief role is to run the show, and his big ideas guide future business strategies. 

The ideal CEO is always aware of his surroundings. Sure, he's keeping an eye on current resources and operations but he's also envisioning the future.

Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs decided to build the iPhone because he obsessed over competition that could mess with Apple's success. Jobs' conclusion: "The device that can eat our lunch is the cell phone. Everyone carries a phone, so that could render the iPod unnecessary."

Even with the overwhelming success of the iPod, Jobs kept an eye on what was around the corner.

Look at these questions when you're evaluating the CEO:

  1. Is the CEO a longtime employee or an outsider recently brought in? It's generally believed that hiring a CEO from inside the company will keep it on its current path, while hiring an outsider can be a sign that management is looking for someone to change the company's direction.
  2. What's the CEO's prior experience? Does he have a solid foundation to draw from?

The Board of Directors

The board of directors is mainly responsible for two things: establishing corporate policy (e.g. determining the quarterly dividend payment and executive salaries) and weighing in on major company issues. For example, Apple's board of directors pushed Jobs to address the iPhone 4's broken-antenna issue after its release.

Like the Supreme Court, the board serves as a check-and-balance system over company executives. And with billions of dollars on the line, it makes sense that investors should look for a board that minimizes conflicts of interest.

You want a mix of executive insiders who know what's going on in the company and outsiders who present independent insights and objectivity. Too much of one and you're left with either a board that knows too little about what the company does or one stacked with sycophantic yes men.

It's important to cover these bases when you're evaluating the board:

  1. Is the chairman also the CEO? If he is, it could indicate a board more dedicated to executives than to shareholders.

  2. Is there a mix of company insiders and objective outsiders?

  3. Does the board meet frequently, or once a year? If it doesn't meet often, the board might not be very receptive to shareholder concerns.

Senior-Level Employees

Earlier I mentioned that I like to think of the CEO and board as the BIG PICTURE people. It's obvious why these people are vital to know — they decide the future of the company.

But when you're as high up as these folks, it's hard to see what's actually happening on the ground floor. That's where the senior-level employees come in. They work with the people actually creating and designing the company's products. They set goals, troubleshoot problems and generally have a better idea of what goes on in the day-to-day.

They're also not as visible to the public as the CEO or board of directors. Newspapers typically don't profile them. The Wikipedia entry for Apple CEO Tim Cook is nearly 1,000 words, but there are only 153 words on Bob Mansfield, Apple's senior vice president of technologies.

 * * *

So how do you get to know these people? Sadly, there's no quick number you can just pull up on Morningstar or Yahoo Finance. This time you're stuck with homework.

Few companies would grant individual investors private meetings with executives and board members, but a glut of interviews, articles and commentary are available on most.

Start with shareholder letters, which are in the company's annual report — but remember, these are written and controlled by the CEO, so take their rosy outlook with a grain of salt.

Conference calls are a great resource. Note how management handles questions from independent journalists and analysts and you'll come away with a good understanding of how they run the company.

If you're interested in hearing from senior-level employees, look for big company presentations like annual forums or major product announcements. These department heads usually will be responsible for presenting their department's major achievements.

Biographical information also can help provide some basic insight into who these people are and what experiences they draw from. Will the new CEO at a failing auto giant be prepared to right the ship? It might help to know if the last company he ran was a small tech start-up or a major clothing retailer.

But here’s my favorite resource: guest lectures. They're not always easy to find, but the information you can take away from them is unbelievable. This is where the senior-level employees shine. They're the people who have boots on the ground, and when they talk to college students (especially grad-level), their stories are honest and real, painting a candid picture of the company's highs and lows.

Recently, I watched a video of retired Intel Chief Architect Dr. Bob Colwell discussing the future of microprocessors to an engineering class at Stanford University. During the 90-minute presentation, Colwell discussed the Intel projects he had led, as well as his views on the industry's future. (His big bet — mobile.) He voiced concerns that when it came to the next major move for chips, the executives at Intel were wearing blinders.

Oh, yeah, did I mention that he gave this presentation in 2004?

Colwell had seen the writing on the wall eight years before Intel got slammed for missing the mobile boat. He knew the company and knew what executives were asking chip-makers to focus on — key details that individual investors can't discern from P/E ratios and don't often hear about in earnings reports.

The Investing Answer: Before you throw money into your next investment, research the management. Start with the basics — letters to the shareholders, conference calls and a little bit of history. Even if the ratios and earnings numbers are exciting, stay objective and ask yourself: "Does this pilot really know what he's doing?"

SEE ALSO: 10 mistakes that turn investors into their own worst enemy >

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The Glory Days Of Smartphone Growth Are Over, Warns Samsung

samsung apple adSamsung has reported record quarterly profits up 76 per cent on the back of Galaxy smartphone sales, but warned there were signs that future growth could be held back by intensifying competition.

The note of caution follows soon after Apple’s iPhone sales disappointed investors.

“The furious growth spurt seen in the global smartphone market last year is expected to be pacified by intensifying price competition, compounded by a slew of new products,” Samsung said in its earnings statement.

It said that the strongest growth in the future would come in the market for low cost handsets in developing countries.

“In the first quarter, demand for smartphones in developed countries is expected to decelerate, while their emerging counterparts will see their markets escalate with the introduction of more affordable smartphones and a bigger appetite for tablet PCs throughout the year,” Samsung told investors.

While Apple’s iPhone 5 failed to meet expectations, sales of Samsung’s broad Galaxy range continued to power the Korean giant’s rise to the top tier of global technology firms.

It did not provide unit sales figures, but analysts estimated Samsung sold 63 million smartphones in the quarter, including 15 million Galaxy S IIIs and 7 million Galaxy Note IIs, compared to Apple’s 47.8 million iPhones. Apple's sales were a new record but fell short of Wall Street targets.

Samsung’s net income rose to £4.2bn from £2.3bn in the same three month period a year earlier, beating expectations. Profits in its mobile phone division, the biggest in the world, more than doubled on the year to £3.2bn.

"Overall its earnings momentum remains intact, and smartphone shipments will continue to grow even in the traditionally weak first quarter, as Samsung's got a broader product line-up and Apple appears to be struggling in pushing iPhone volumes aggressively," said Lee Se-chul, a Seoul-based analyst at Meritz Securities.

Apple shares have dropped by more than a third since mid-September as investors fret that its days of hyper growth are over and its devices are no longer as 'must-have' as they were.

By contrast, shares in Samsung have risen 12 percent in the same period as the company once seen as quick to copy the ideas of others now sets the pace in innovation.

Some industry observers expect Samsung to introduce its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy SIV, at a special event the firm will hold in Monaco early next month.

Dominic Sunnebo of industry analysts Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said competition is intensifying.

"Samsung is the number one handset manufacturer in Britain, driven by its wide ranging portfolio from the wallet friendly Galaxy Ace through to the boundary pushing Galaxy Note II," he said.

"As most developed markets near or surpass 50 per cent smartphone penetration – it’s 61 per cent in Britain - easy wins are certainly becoming harder to find.

"In Great Britain there is a significant shift to the contract market which exacerbates this further as consumers find themselves tied into 24 month contracts. This is an area that carriers and retailers alike are trying to address, with deals providing a discount to consumers wanting to upgrade early, but it remains a difficult line to tread between maintaining driving consumer satisfaction and maintaining margins.”

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Samsung Earnings: Looking To Upstage Apple With Mobile Surge

The burgeoning demand for smartphones during the holiday season is likely to have propped up the display and chipset divisions as well, helped along by a possible recovery in chipset prices, towards the end of the quarter.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/01/24/samsung-earnings-looking-to-upstage-apple-with-mobile-surge/

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19 Problems You Could Easily Solve With Baking Soda, Dryer Sheets And Beer

beer drinking glass

Cleaning products and personal care items once consumed a sizable chunk of my discretionary income.

But now the cabinet under my sink only has trash bags, a bottle of vinegar, and a box of baking soda.

Household items like vinegar, baking soda, salt, and even beer can replace many of the products you use to clean, do laundry, garden, or take care of yourself. And they’re cheaper to boot. 


1. Clean glass

Mix a quarter-cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of water in a spray bottle, and you have a better glass cleaner than any commercial product you could buy. 

Just spray it on, wipe it down with a piece of newspaper, and you’re done!

2. Clean porcelain and chrome

I use the same vinegar mixture to clean my bathroom. The vinegar is mild enough that it won’t etch the porcelain on my vanity, and it makes the chrome faucets shine.

3. Scrub stuck-on food and stains

Baking soda works as an alternative to abrasive cleaners like Comet. You can sprinkle dry baking soda on stuck-on food, or combine the baking soda with a little water to make a softer scrub for bathtubs and shower tiles.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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A Million Bucks In Scholarships ? That?s Not Me Kidding around!

Surety securities are not a great investment connect, somewhat they’re a 3 get together (principal, obligee, and certainty) assure. We are going to readily illustration (using mortgage brokers) to make it easier to be aware of. Their state (obligee) the large financial company is functioning in necessitates that a certainty connect be recorded so that [...]

The post A Million Bucks In Scholarships – That’s Not Me Kidding around! appeared first on legal debt help online.

Source: http://www.legaldebthelponline.com/2012/06/26/a-million-bucks-in-scholarships-thats-not-me-kidding-around/

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A Million Bucks In Scholarships ? That?s Not Me Kidding around!

Surety securities are not a great investment connect, somewhat they’re a 3 get together (principal, obligee, and certainty) assure. We are going to readily illustration (using mortgage brokers) to make it easier to be aware of. Their state (obligee) the large financial company is functioning in necessitates that a certainty connect be recorded so that [...]

The post A Million Bucks In Scholarships – That’s Not Me Kidding around! appeared first on legal debt help online.

Source: http://www.legaldebthelponline.com/2012/06/26/a-million-bucks-in-scholarships-thats-not-me-kidding-around/

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49ers Are More Dominating Than The Ravens

With so few games in an NFL season, a better way to measure which teams have been most dominating is to look at their point differential (the difference between points scored and points allowed). And if we compare the two teams in this year's Super Bowl, we see that the 49ers are the more dominant team.

San Francisco has outscored their opponents by 142 points (7.9 points per game) this season. In contrast, the Ravens have outscored their opponents by just 87 points (4.6 points per game).

The niners have also been more consistent this season while the Ravens seem to be peaking at the right time, with their curve only turning up in recent weeks...

Ravens vs 49ers

Data via Pro-Football-Reference

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Bethenny Frankel's Divorce Gets Ugly As Ex Fights For Primary Custody And $5M Apartment

Bethenny Frankel Jason Hoppy

After Bravo reality TV star and Skinnygirl cocktail founder Bethenny Frankel filed for divorce from Jason Hoppy earlier this month, her husband of two years is fighting back.

While Frankel wants primary custody of the former couple's two-year-old daughter Bryn, Hoppy now, too, is requesting primary custody, according to TMZ.

And that's not all. Hoppy is seeking child support from his wealthy estranged wife who made a fortune after selling her Skinnygirl cocktails to Jim Beam for a reported $120 million in 2011 — but Frankel is also seeking child support from Hoppy.

Frankel wants Hoppy to pay for medical and dental insurance as well as related expenses for herself and daughter Bryn. Hoppy is requesting the same.

Both parties also want to maintain life insurance policies that include the other, and their daughter, as beneficiaries.

Both sides also want "exclusive use and occupancy of the marital residence" — a massive $5 million Tribeca apartment featured on the Bravo show "Bethenny."

The 3,400-square-foot luxury apartment was recently featured in Traditional Home magazine and boasts a den-turned-master-closet and tons of work space for Frankel's home office.

Though estranged, the couple were still sharing the downtown Manhattan residence until this week when Frankel temporarily vacated for the Upper East Side.

While Hoppy has been spotted recently walking around New York with his wedding ring still on, Frankel is reportedly casually dating billionaire Warren Lichtenstein.

Lichenstein is the head of $4 billion New York based hedge fund Steel Partners, which he co-founded in 1990 -- and the owner of the apartment building where Frankel is currently staying.

After Hoppy responded to Frankel's divorce petition this morning, Frankel tweeted:

Bethenny Frankel Twitter

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