mortgage refinance The perfect insurance program should be balanced and designed with the high limits for major loss. You can only achieve these two aims in your insurance program with the help of an expert insurance agent. The agent who would be an expert on all the purposes that you want to accomplish in your insurance program. For example: one of the most important aspect of your insurance program is the price. I know that many people would say here” what is the pig deal? or what is the new thing “. This point deceive many people. Where the price which is the most important is not what you will pay in your premium, but the costs that you will have to pay at the claim time.

juegos Insurance CE is a huge industry; and there are hundreds of training centers across the country which survive solely on insurance continuing education. As the number of insurance agents in the country increases, there is more and more demand for continuing education, as it is mandatory in all the states to have a prescribed number of training hours attended each year, failing which the insurance license may be revoked.

house moving What exactly makes the balanced insurance program?

we have mentioned the five major risks that would face man along his lifetime as : damages housing lead to damage or total destruction or sudden death or injury that lead to a person’s permanent disability or illness that requires a lot of expenses( medical bills) and lawsuits. Accordingly, the balanced insurance program should cover all these five major risk equally.

The mandatory topic of Ethics is the first paper that people will need to take, and for every additional paper they attempt, the pricing structure is different. One thing, however, is certain. The investment it takes for people to get certified online is nothing when compared to what a training institute would charge you outside. That is one more reason (and a major one at that!) as to why a great number of people prefer to shift online for their insurance CE. Since the number of hours is to be logged every year or every couple of years (depending on the state) for the insurance license to be valid, it would amount to quite a bit of savings in the long run.

If you are not familiar with insurance CE yet, get there! You will enjoy it. You will not only fulfill your state requirements, but you will learn a great deal with every course you take. You will learn about new laws, sales tactics, and different products and services available for your clients You can be published without charge. You can to republish this article in your website or blog. Please provide links Active.

The price of insurance depends in the end on the danger the insurer is taking 
over on behalf of the customer. Simply put, this may depend upon the possibility of the 
insured occasion occurring, and the possible value of the outcome. The way in which insurers calculate this 
threat, and quantify the quantity of the premium, is through the use of what is named actuarial science. 
Using sure likelihood and statistical mathematical fashions, the insurance company can predict with a fair 
degree of accuracy, the approximate price of future claims. 
For instance, supposing a someone wishes to insure their $100,000 dwelling in opposition to fire. 
For argument’s sake, lets assume that 1 in a 1000 houses on this space burn down each year. This is able to mean that simply to interrupt even, on the mathematical mannequin, the insurance company must charge $100 a year for the premium. What the insurance company will actually do is charge something greater than $one hundred, say $120. This additional $20 will cowl the overhead 
prices of the insurance coverage company’s operation. It’ll also cover an 
quantity for profit of the insurance coverage company. The only different means the insurance coverage 
firm generates profits is by investing all the policy premiums it is paid. That way, all of the 
premiums earn curiosity, or funding returns, whereas they’re in the possession of the insurance coverage company. Whereas 
this method represents a big earnings for the insurance coverage firm, nearly all of insurance coverage company’s funds do actually come from the fee of premiums. 
It has been argued that those who pay premiums and should not have to make a declare lose out 
by effectively losing their unused premium. On this sense, the insurance business can’t be held to supply any net achieve for society, and therefore, the huge earnings 
they generate are unwarranted. Defenders of insurance coverage companies nonetheless declare that the peace of thoughts they 
offer to all their customers is a big societal profit which they provide. Simply knowing that you’ll be compensated if catastrophe strikes you is price something to individuals, even 
if the disaster never strikes.  
The funds the insurance coverage company holds, from premiums that haven’t been claimed for payouts, is named its float. 
Large earnings will be generated from the float alone. Whereas losses are just as 
attainable as features with all investments, the income comprised of insurance company floats, for the 5 years ending 2003, was $68.four 
billion. In the same interval, insurance companies paid out $142.three billion in insurance coverage claims. Some 
don’t believe that the insurance trade will be able to sustain 
itself for ever on profits generated by the float and so predict massive premium rises for the future.

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moneysupermarket

401k retirement plan is a good option to save for future. Not only it is tax saver but also ensure good returns and is safe too. As employer and employee both make contributions so funds grow to sustantial amount till the time of retirement come. 401k Retirement Plan An Effective Saving Tool

Retirement is a word that brings chill feel to spines but when it is well think of in advance then this same word stands for long deserving restful life after hard days of work. Retirement plans contribute much to this comfort and 401k Retirement plan is one out of good considered retirement plans.

Various retirement plans have different features and it is possible that one plan which is most suitable to your friend could not serve you same way depending on the type of job, income or other related facts. Retirement planning should always be custom designed to get maximum benefits.

401 retirement plan is a popular plan and many of the people opt for this. In this saving plan both parties i.e. the employee himself as well as the employer makes contribution to the retirement fund. Say if you
contribute x % of your annual salary to this retirement plan then your company would also have to make matching contribution towards this account.

This plan is also attractive for the reason that it helps in tax saving. In 401 Retirement plan, contributions deduction is from pre tax salary and these savings accumulated tax free until the time of retirement or withdrawal time and thus helps significantly in tax saving as at time of retirement you probably would have lower income slab and thus lower tax rate.

Funds in your 401k Retirement plan are economic crises proof that means that if in case the contributing employer goes bankrupt then even the funds will be safe and cannot be consider as the asset of your employer, not even for his contributing part. Further, there are various restrictions on before time withdrawal of fund money and this will surely keep you in check if you are one out of undisciplined spenders.

Several other features of 401k retirement plan includes roll over facility that enables you to shift to other plan in case you change your employer. Moreover, under 401K retirement plan you get some freedom as regards to investment of money and can put it into mutual funds, stock market, or other bonds whichever you found most paying.

401k retirement plan has different versions for different working groups. Like for selfemployed people there is Solo 401k retirement plan that takes into consideration their income structure and thus have provisions suiting the need of a self employed person.

However, tremendous information is available on the internet about 401 retirement plan but if you have any doubt or want, best options sorted out then can always seek help of a professional. For starters, 401k retirement plan calculator is also a good tool and is available on many sites. In this, you have to fill some information and its result will show the information regarding money available at retirement time, interest earned and other such things.

So, go ahead and be smart by choosing 401k retirement plan.

Arindam Chattopadhyay

http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/why-401k-reteirement-plan-gives-maximum-benefit-to-you-57180.html

In the world of financial management there are several phases. This article examines the part called wealth accumulation. The phase of wealth accumulation is the part that if it is not accomplished will mean that there is no retirement. Additional resources are contained at the end of this article.

Free Retirement Plan Wealth Accumulation

This is the phase that everyone wants to talk about but few do anything about. The news and popular media talk about wealth and the trappings that go along with it. Popular culture, movies and entertainment tout the benefits of large houses, cars and expensive toys. Rarely do they talk about true wealth and how to accumulate it.

Getting Started .

Let’s get to the nitty gritty of it all. There are a few steps that you need to take before you even get started:

1. Write down every dollar that you spend over the next month. Examine why you have each expenditure, and is it necessary? Could you do without it?
2. Examine your debt. What can be reduced? Put your debt in two lists. Sort one list by size and the other by interest rate. Payoff the small debts first. Create some small successes. As you pay some smaller debts off, look to also eliminate some of the higher interest loans.
3. Make sure and pay your biggest fan first, YOU!! You should save at least 10% of your salary with the goal of taking that to 20%
4. Set a goal of giving 10% of your earning to the charity of your choice. For many that may mean donating your time in the beginning. Use your earnings per hour in your career as a guide.
5. Take advantage of all three of the savings buckets available: Tax deductible savings – Employer sponsored plans. Tax deferred savings – Life insurance, ROTH IRA’s. Taxable savings – These are plans like passbook savings accounts, CD’s and money market accounts. Used for emergency savings.

This is the most important phase that most overlook. You will want to have a liquid account with a value that equals 6 months of your necessary expenses. This is in the event of a job loss, illness, natural disaster etc. so that you household could maintain itself for that period.

The other goals that you will want to accomplish, is to have paid off all your debts that are attached to major purchases over the period of 18 to 36 months. The only debt that should remain is for housing. The goal would be to have housing debt paid off within 48 to 60 months. You would then want to stretch the life of these purchases to 10 to 15 years.

Once you have accomplished all of the goals, except housing, you can move that cash flow towards retirement savings with a vengeance. When housing is paid off, then that should represent a quantum leap in your retirement savings. A key element is to avoid the temptation of “keeping up with the Joneses”. This can mean doing things a little different than others. An example would be cooking your own meals rather than eating in restaurants the majority of the time. Take the difference and apply it to your retirement plan, saving or debt reduction. Spending money on self-improvement is more productive than spending money on entertainment. Each expenditure should be examined and the decision made it this more important than meeting our risk based or retirement needs.

These are decisions that should be continually reviewed. As income increases and / or debt and expenses are decreased you must reallocate your net income.

What is my chosen career?

When making a career choice, keep in mind this is what you are going to do for the next 35 to 40 years of your life. It is important that you make a choice that you will be able to stay with and not lose your sanity. There are many assessments that will help you best determine a career that suits who you are. It is better to chose something that works toward your natural strengths.

Trial and error may come into play. You may have to try a number of jobs before you find the career that will be the right one for you. Career selection is a highly personal choice. For some being able to work outdoors and not be confined to an office is desirable. These jobs become less desirable as a person ages. Usually these careers pay more in the early years, relative to office jobs. This career path requires a level of physical fitness and somewhat less mental fitness. Over time the physical activity becomes harder to maintain and even harder to increase. On the other hand, an office career usually starts out relatively lower in pay. However, over time it becomes easier to increase one’s mental capacity instead of rather than physical ability. This however also comes with a price. A sedentary life style has negative effects on one’s physical health. It may be desirable to schedule exercise as a part of your off time.

Post high school education will not guarantee you a higher salary, but it will help. Either trade or vocational schools or colleges and universities will improve your opportunity to earn more over time. Both of these will require a financial commitment. For an initial period even after your education is complete you may not make as much as those with less education or training. This will be offset over time. The important thing is to get education in an area that you feel you will be able to work in throughout your working career. The next thing to remember is to be prepared to change directions later in life.

Post retirement

Technology will change things as you age. Things that were necessary to society and highly valued may become worthless as you grow older. Buggy manufacturers in the 1800’s were prized but today are very valued. Typewriters in the 1960’s and 1970’s were an important part of business, but today you can’t give them away. Continued study and willingness to adapt will serve you well throughout your career. As science continues to increase our productive lifespan, this may even become necessary.

In the early 20th century, the life expectancy for the entire world was 30 to 40 years. In 2008, the average life expectancy of the world is 66.12 years of age. The United States has a much higher average. The current average life expectancy for the United States is 78.06 years. This means since 1900 life expectancy has increased by 66%. In 1900 you were even expected to live to the current retirement age of 65. Many insurance companies are basing their insurance policies on an age of 120. If this were to happen, it would mean that savings of 35 to 40 years would have to support a life style that would last for 55 years past retirement. You will either have to choose a longer working career, a part-time career, a higher savings rate, or a lower standard of living after retirement or some combination.

Another factor to consider is inflation. Let’s assume you have a retirement income need of $5,000 per month. If we use an age of 65 and assume a life expectancy of 90 having an inflation rate of only 3% will increase that income need to $10,468 per month.

Health insurance is another often overlooked factor. Health insurance costs are rising faster than inflation. This means either you will have to make health insurance a part of your retirement package from your employer, plan for rising costs that will outpace your investment earnings or continue to work for insurance benefits. This along with the cost of home health care in the event of a chronic illness or injury could wipe out your entire retirement nest egg

Summary of How to Achieve Retirement Success

In summary, there are several things to take into account when preparing for retirement.

1. Take advantage of your most valuable asset, TIME! The earlier you get started the sooner compounding can help you.
2. Starting with a relatively more aggressive allocation in younger years and then gradually becoming more conservative as you get closer to retirement is an advisable strategy.
3. Eliminate debt as early as possible.
4. Create a systematic strategy towards eliminating debt and savings.
5. Pay yourself first.
6. Educate yourself.
7. Be flexible
8. Make decisions based a long term strategy.
9. Consistent returns are better than extreme highs and lows

You should always seek the advice of a financial professional prior to making changes in your financial plan. The examples contained in the above article may or may not match your personal situation.

Disclosure

Resources:

EHow

Investopedia

People are worried about their retirement assets especially in light of the current economy. In this article the top 5 questions that a person should ask are discussed.

Free Retirement Plan Retirement Questions

We work all of our lives for several reasons but one of the most important to the majority of people is so that one day we can retire. When we retire we want to enjoy the years of effort and labor we have put into our jobs or careers. As we approach retirement there are 5 questions that you really have to ask yourself. Once you have answered these questions you will have a blueprint of retirement.

1. What is the ultimate goal? – For many people relaxing and working in their yard is the ultimate. For others seeing and traveling around the world is their vision of happiness. Determine the type of lifestyle you want. This will help you determine other things like where will you live? How much are you going to need for monthly expenses etc.

2. Do you or will you have the necessary resources? – What do you currently have set aside for retirement? This is the starting point. Hoping that things will happen is not going to get you where you want to go. Then how much is your “ideal lifestyle going to cost? Most planners will tell you that will need 60% to 80% for your pre-retirement income. This however is simply a rule of thumb. That is why it is best to sit down and look at your actual expenses and then add the things that your retirement lifestyle will require. Make sure the basics are covered first and then go from there.

3. Where are we going to live? – When we are just getting started we tend to live where our jobs and careers take us. This may or may not be the least expensive place to live. You should take that into consideration when you plan your location for retirement. There are a lot of choices out there. You don’t have to retire where you have lived during your working years. Things to think about are access to healthcare, cost of housing, proximity to family, taxes, weather conditions year around, closeness of airports, and access to entertainment. This list is in no particular order. Match the aspects of your ideal retirement with the list and put them in priority. The order may change as you age.

4. Should I plan to sell my home and if so when? – Most people monitor their retirement portfolios. While this is important for many a large portion of their wealth is tied up in their home. This means that they could free up a large portion of their assets by selling their home. It may make sense to sell your current home and move to a place where the cost of living is lower. You may be able to pay cash for another home and still have money left over. You may also want to down size. Don’t dismiss this option immediately. Timing is also important. If the market is down in your area you may want to wait. If it is up you may want to put it on the market right away.

5. What is your plan for your estate? – This is an area that I see people ignore over and over. They think this will just take care of itself. It will but maybe not the way you would want. Do not assume that your spouse will automatically receive all of your assets at your death. In some states the surviving spouse has to right to the deceased spouse’s portion of the assets. A will is the only way to insure things are divided according to your wishes. There may or may not be a need for life insurance. Again don’t assume regardless of your age whether this is true or not. Advanced planning in this area will pay huge dividends.

So now you have my top 5 things to consider when you prepare for your retirement. The sooner you get started the more options your will have. Time is your biggest asset. Since we really don’t know how much time you actually have on the Earth it is better to get started.

Resources:

Investopedia

US News

The third biggest financial goal for a family is saving for a college education. Buying a house and retirement are the first two goals. With the cost of higher education on the rise, parents are beginning to try and set aside money for education as soon as a child is born. There are two popular federal and state sponsored plans that make saving for college easy: the Coverdell and the 529 plan.

The Coverdell Education Savings Account

The Coverdell is a federally sponsored plan that helps you to set aside money for higher education expenses. These expenses include tuition, fees, books and supplies, and even room and board.

The annual contributions are not tax deductible, making the withdrawals tax-free as long as they are used to pay for eligible education costs. There are limits to the amount of annual contributions that can be made each year.

The Coverdell is established as a custodial account, set up by the parent or another adult to pay for the education expenses of a designated beneficiary. The child must be under the age of 18 to establish an account. All balances must be spent within 30 days of the child’s 30th birthday.

Any financial institution that handles IRAs can assist you in setting up a Coverdell, including banks, investment companies and brokerages. The Coverdell is like an IRA in that it is an account. You can put your account funds into any investment you want – stocks, bonds, mutual funds and certificates of deposit are just a few options.

You can establish as many Coverdell accounts as you want to for a child. For example, you could have one account at your local bank and one at a brokerage. Some plans have many fees associated with them. Make sure that the management fees for the multiple accounts don’t cancel out your overall return.

If your child decides not to go to college, he or she will lose a great deal of money. When he turns 30, he must withdraw the balance of the account within 30 days. Any money withdrawn that isn’t used for educationally eligible expenses is taxed and charged a 10 % IRS penalty.

If your child decides not to go to college, that doesn’t mean that his or her child won’t. The child can roll the full balance into another Coverdell plan for another family member, including siblings, nieces and nephews and sons and daughters.

529 College Savings Plans

These state sponsored 529 plans are named after the federal tax code section that provides for their use. All 50 states and the District of Columbia offer 529 plans. The contributions to the plan are not tax deductible, but your withdrawals are tax-free when you use the money for a qualified educational expense.

529 plans fall under two categories: prepaid tuition and savings/investment plans.

The prepaid tuition plan allows you to purchase units of tuition for any state college or university under today’s price. You are buying a semester of attendance for a child. What you buy today will be good for any future date, no matter how tuition rates rise. With private and out-of-state colleges, the child’s prepaid tuition does not include the rise in tuition costs. For example, if you buy two years of college tuition for an out-of-state tuition, you may only receive a single semester in ten years.

Either the beneficiary or the contributor must reside in the state that the 529 is formed in.

With savings plans, an account is opened and investments are chosen within the account. If you start the plan when a child is young, you can choose some aggressive investments for long term growth. As the child ages, you can move your investments into more conservative options.

The withdrawals are tax-free if they are used to pay for college expenses. These expenses can include tuition, books and room and board. An easy way to think about a 529 savings plan is as a 401(k) dedicated to educational expenses. As with a 401(k), there are many different investment choices. Many states programs are open to nonresidents, so look around for the best plans.

If your child decides not to go to college you have three options. You can hang on to the savings plan in case your child decides to attend college at a later date. The account can be transferred to another family member for college expenses. You could also cash out the account and just take the loss. Most states will charge a penalty of 10% of the earnings for any withdrawal not used for education. On top of this, a federal penalty of 10% will be charged also. There is no penalty for withdrawals due to death or disabled status.

The tax-free advantages of a college savings plan makes 529 plans beneficial, but they aren’t right for everyone. If you have a 529 prepaid tuition plan, applying for financial aid is affected by reducing your financial aid on a dollar per dollar basis. Low income families, who are often eligible for large amounts of financial aid, are advised not to participate in 529 plans.

Coverdell plans will also decrease the amount of financial aid available, but only by about 5 to 6% of the account’s value. College savings plans are great for families that will not qualify for financial aid or only qualify for loans. Many times a family doesn’t have enough money to pay for college, but has too much money to get help.

The tax-free status on 529 plans will end in 2010, but many advisors expect that Congress will extend it.

Martin Lukac

http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/education-plans-83541.html

When should you begin putting away for retirement? Now! It is never too soon to put money away for retirement. Americans have several options to put away funds. IRAs, 401(k) plans are the two most popular because they allow your deposits to grow tax deferred. There are several common mistakes that people make that will inhibit their march towards retirement.

1. Avoiding their most powerful ally TIME – Time is on your side yes it is. The sooner you start the sooner compounding can work for you. Don’t make the mistake of putting off getting started. It is better to start with a small amount today and get started.
2. Not having a systematic method of saving – Most people start and stop their savings program. Start with an amount that you can commit to and stick with it.
3. Not having their assets allocated wisely – Use the rule of 100 as a starting point. Take your age subtract it from 100. The resulting number is the maximum percentage that you should have in equities. You can go slightly lower if you aren’t comfortable with that number. However, if you are too conservative you may have to make larger annual contributions to reach your goal. If you are too aggressive, you could suffer heavy losses at a time when you can least afford to have those losses.
4. Not making use of tax-free retirement accounts – The more your money can grow tax deferred the greater the return because taxes don’t knock you back each year.
5. Not having a plan for after retirement – The closer you get to retirement the more important it is to determine an amount that you need to live. Once you determine your expenses, then you will be able to look at your sources of income to know if they will be sufficient.
6. Not giving your 401(k) the proper attention – Most employees have a 401(k) as a retirement option. The majority however don’t pay much attention to their accounts. You should track your investments and make sure your allocation remains consistent with your goals.
7. Make premature withdrawals or loans against your 401(k) – This account should not used as a line of credit. Leave it alone and allow compounding to work for you.
8. Not taking into account inflation or taxes – If you don’t account for inflation or if you forget that you distributions will be taxed at a given rate you could end up with a serious shortfall.
9. Leaning too much on Social Security – If possible use Social Security as extra not part of your core retirement. Social Security does not keep up with inflation in its payments and with changes in the financial situation your date that you can receive payments maybe delayed.
10. Putting too much faith in your company’s stock- This is an area that people tend to have an emotional attachment. Many time people own a large portion of their retirement assets in company stock. This is an investment just like any other and must treated so. Spread the assets around and make sure you are allocated properly.

Can you describe a situation where this would be important. Thank you for your help with understanding this kind of retirement plan.

I don’t know your age, but eventually you may want to include bonds in your asset allocation. The type of bonds you buy (or bond mutual funds) depends on the tax status of the investment vehicle. Treasury strips (zero coupon bonds) and inflation-protected bonds are easier to handle (tax wise) in a tax deferred account – it makes your tax situation easier; and junk bonds so you defer tax on the high yield. Municipal bonds should be in a taxable account (since they are not taxable). If you put a muni in an IRA you convert tax free income into taxable income – bad move.

Stocks held long term should be in a taxable account so that you control the capital gains timing and get a lower tax rate for the capital gain. A $10k capital gain in a 401k is taxed as ordinary income when distributed, which is OK if you’re in a much lower tax bracket after retirement (that was true in the past, but may not be in the future). In a taxable account pick mutual funds that are tax efficient, like index funds; put the fast trading mutual funds in an IRA to shelter the short term gains that trading generates.

1.27.10

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The “three-legged stool” is considered the basic model of retirement savings. It’s a metaphor that has been used since the late-1940s as a way to describe saving for your future. No one is quite sure how the concept was started, but it’s one that stuck. While the legs of the stool were different in the past (they relied heavily on other types of retirement options), today those legs have grown and transformed into a completely different kind of stool.

The problem is: most Americans don’t even have a complete stool, let alone a steady one. This can be attributed to many factors. According to the 2005 Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS), released annually by the Employee Benefits Research Institute, 31% of current retirees believe that Social Security will be enough to sustain them for the rest of their lives. You don’t have to be a government expert to know that Social Security may not last forever. Even if Social Security lasts, most agree that for the system to survive there will have to be some sort of benefits cut for future retirees. Essentially, that means one of the stool’s legs is a bit shorter and a bit weaker. Care to have a seat? Me neither. Those who have only relied on the one leg of retirement planning their whole lives may find that the stool will become a bit difficult to depend on in their later years. But this can all be prevented. After all, there are still two legs left.

The second leg in the modern stool era is a company pension plan. In May of 2005, United Airlines was allowed to default on its employee pension plan. It’s a move that will save the company millions of dollars, but will leave its employees looking for alternative sources of retirement income. Most companies today are switching to 401(k) plans, where the employer has the option to match a percentage of the contributions to the plan. 401(k) plans are more secure than pension plans and they have more rollover options, but employer-sponsored retirement funds are simply one more option in a plan that should contain several strong legs. You should work with a financial professional to craft a specific 401(k) strategy, including rollover options, so that you’re confident the second leg can bear some retirement weight.

The final and increasingly popular leg of the stool is personal savings. Sadly, many people feel they have no major options for future retirement savings. In times of shaky employer provided retirement funds and uncertainty over Social Security’s future, a real personal savings plan remains the strongest of the legs, but ONLY if you plan for your future. You’ve probably heard of IRA’s before, but can you name all the different types and which one suits you best? IRA’s are specific retirement funds set aside for you to save for the future. You can also fund your retirement by investing in mutual funds or any other form of securities you wish. Depending on your current financial situation, you’ll want to consult with a financial expert to decide what plan is best.

There are a few simple steps you can take to start exploring your personal savings retirement options. The first is to contact an independent financial professional who can council you on more options and details regarding your retirement. The second is to calculate your post-retirement income. Calculating your post-retirement income is one quick and easy way to start preparing for retirement. According to the RCS, currently, only 4 in 10 workers have done the simple calculating needed to determine a sufficient post-retirement income. Calculating your post-retirement income is easy and very essential to planning for retirement. Oftentimes, people don’t believe they’ll need a whole lot of savings to retire on. Sometimes, seeing the results can light a fire underneath your retirement plan and cause you to re-think your savings strategy.

One of the biggest mistakes future retirees can make is planning their retirement alone. While something can be said for a “can-do” spirit, trusted financial professionals are more likely to find better ways to help you save money for retirement. When workers were asked about the most helpful tool for saving for retirement in the 2005 Retirement Confidence Survey, the largest percentage of workers surveyed (27%), said they believed advice from a financial professional was the most helpful. Aside from post-retirement income, it’s also important to have some sort of long-term care outlook, in case long-term medical care is needed after you retire.

While Congress debates the future of Social Security, there is always hope the program will be saved and improved. But there are never guarantees in life or politics. Only you can decide what kind of retirement plan you’ll have and how comfortably you’ll be able to live in the future. If you choose to rely solely on Social Security, you may find the going to get rough in the future, especially considering inflation and rising healthcare costs.

If you choose to plan carefully with a financial professional, you have a personal say over your future, instead of leaving your future financial security in the hands of elected officials or employer-sponsored plans. If your retirement is filled with less worry and financial strain, you’ll have more opportunities to live out your days actively, rather than just passing time, sitting on your wobbly stool.

Robert Valentine

http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/retirement-planning-the-wobbly-stool-62753.html