Financial planning for retirement

My husband and I are both 22, we are both graduating from college and can no longer keep our student jobs. We are moving to another city and looking for work, we aren't expecting to make much money initially because we have BA's. We might even just get two part-time jobs each to begin with. We have $29,000 in student loan debt. If we pay that off in five years, we will only be paying $5,000 in interest. With a ten-year plan, we would be paying about $11,000. Needless to say, we are going to try pay the debt off in five years. We don't currently have an adequate emergency savings and would like to buy a house in a few years. I have a plan to save $20,000 in three years for a down payment on a home (I live in TX, you can find a perfectly good home for $100-150k) which will also serve as our emergency savings during that three year period. In order to follow this plan, we will need to be making a combined $38,000 a year, which is not a lot. We are used to living thrifty and the cost of living in our state is very low. However, if we are splitting our extra money between an emergency/house fund and student loan debt, we won't have money to put towards retirement. Should we wait until we find full-time jobs to begin saving for retirement? Should we wait three years until we get a home? Or should we pay our student loans off more slowly in order to save for retirement? Planning for retirement at 25 sounds pretty good to me, but I'm no financial guru. Thanks!

Need to have someone check out my life insurance, put a trust together for me, and help me put my finances into a plan for retirement, college for my son, etc.

Joe Jedlowski, After familiarizing yourself with the types of residential care, it’s time to conduct a thorough inventory of the senior’s wants, needs and goals. Some key issues to consider: Joe Jedlowski,Temporary versus long term care: An older person may go to a nursing home for rehab following a surgery or stroke, then return home. In other circumstances, a senior’s needs are better served by planning a move into a situation that is likely to remain the same for the many years to come. Independence: Can the senior live alone, and more importantly, does he/she want to? Or would living in a more service-oriented environment be more nurturing? Privacy: Independence and assistance generally form a continuum: privacy decreases as the need for assistance increases. If the senior's desire for privacy is paramount, independent living, assisted living, or a Continuing Care Retirement Community would all be preferable to a board & care home or a nursing home. Needs for personal care: How much and what kinds of personal or “custodial care” are needed or desired? There are online needs assessment questionnaires to help determine this and then match the care needs with the right type of housing. Needs for medical care: If the senior has a chronic illness that necessitates special medical care, or ongoing services of medical professionals, independent living and even assisted living may not be suitable. Costs: Learn about the financial aspects of senior housing to determine what options are affordable for you. Walk through and evaluate several care facilities or senior communities that seem suitable. Reviewing facility comparison checklists can help you determine which type of environment fits the senior resident’s requirements and preferences. Seek guidance from professionals who are experts in senior housing issues such as medical social workers, case managers or geriatric care managers. They can help with all phases of this process: identifying goals and values, assessing needs, determining what is affordable, and suggesting appropriate facilities.

Ok so I already know that the Active Duty Army will NOT take an RN as an Officer if they only have an Associates and a license (to be and AD Officer you have to have a Bachelors). I read on the GoArmy website ( http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/nurse/corps_benefits.jsp ) that in the Reserves you only need an Associates degree in Nursing (ADN) and your license to become a Nurse Corps Officer. How does that work? In case the link doesn't work here is what it said: RESERVE NURSE CORPS BENEFITS When you become a nurse and Officer on the U.S. Army Reserve Health Care Team, you can work in your community and serve when needed. In addition to generous financial incentives and retirement plan options, you'll have the opportunity to enhance your career and provide our Soldiers and their Families with the best nursing care. SPECIAL PAY Provides up to $15,000 ($5,000 per year for a maximum of three years) to nurses with a diploma or an associate degree in nursing. <------------------------------ <----------------------------------- <----------------------------- Provides up to $30,000 ($10,000 per year for a maximum of three years) to nurses with a BSN, MSN, DNSc or Ph.D. in nursing. Provides up to $37,500 ($12,500 per year for a maximum of three years) for critical care nurses with a BSN or higher. As a certified registered nurse anesthetist, you can receive special pay up to $45,000, ($15,000 per year for a maximum of three years) paid in three yearly increments of $15,000.

Your sister turned 30 today, and she is planning to save $3,000 per year for retirement, with the first deposit to be made one year from today. She will invest in a mutual fund, which she expects to provide a return of 10% per year. She plans to retire 35 years from today, when she turns 65, and she expects to live for 30 years after retirement, to age 95. Under these assumptions, how much can she spend in each year after she retires? Her first withdrawal will be made at the end of her first retirement year.

do you know that exists a secret elite of bankers,lobby and multinationals that hold the true power of the world? these companies are managed through dummies by a narrow group of situated people in the high finance of wall street. They decides the election and the fall of heads of State, they decide the wars,financial crysis, make attempt political and they influence and check us through the Mass Media. Through these way they want that we live in terror. This "Global Elite" of which speak more and more writers it practises pagan rites and it is connected with all the secret societies of the world. The same Obama is only a puppet in their hands chosen with the precise intention to let in the people to be a symbol of hope and change to believe. Thanks to this he is able to make things that would not have been permitted to other presidents. The objectives of the elite are: 1) an Unite Global World (they are realizing little by little it unifying all the countries of a continent under an only government. you see European Union, Union North American of which few are to knowledge and trailer the same will happen in Africa and East) 2)a World army (he is already realizing. I don't know if you have listen that has been proposed to create an only army under the power Nato) 3)Installation of Microchip underskin to the population to controls minds(I know that it seems a scenery of film of science fiction but it is already reality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAI2-_hnFH0 to the beginning they will tell us that it is for our own good and that it will be voluntary. Then it will become obligatory 4)Retirement of all the cash money and payment through the microchips above quoted. We will have a sort of bar code in the arm to pay. 5)Conclusion: total enslavement and slavery of the human race They has been responsible of the 2 world wars, of the War of Vietnam, of the Gulf, the civil war in America between North and the South and all the wars to the Oil. As well as the various political assassins like that of Abramo Lincoln and John Fitzgerald Kennedy that wanted to remove the power from the banks and they has been for this eliminated. Obviously also on September 11 and all the economic crises to hoc are been built for favoring the few of the elite. it is hard to be accepted but it is the hard reality. There are many writers that say this since years. Nevertheless their plan won't be successful look this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrpRocaEfQE

The Department of Labor and the Department of the Treasury (the "Agencies") are currently reviewing the rules under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the plan qualification rules under the Internal Revenue Code (Code) to determine whether, and, if so, how, the Agencies could or should enhance, by regulation or otherwise, the retirement security of participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans and in individual retirement arrangements (IRAs) by facilitating access to, and use of, lifetime income or other arrangements designed to provide a lifetime stream of income after retirement. The purpose of this request for information is to solicit views, suggestions and comments from plan participants, employers and other plan sponsors, plan service providers, and members of the financial community, as well as the general public, on this important issue. http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/2010-02028_PI.pdf Hey Dbags in the Dept of Labor, what happens if I want a lump sum from my 401K? You going to regulate that as well?

I have been supporting my mom and helping her out a lot financially between the ages of 18 and 23. I pretty much worked 30-35 hours a week while attending a really hard college and worked two jobs during school vacations to help support her and myself. I'm 27 and am about to graduate from law school. Anytime I finish something major (like a big paper or something), she frequently says "we did it" and it makes me angry because I have no idea what she is talking about (I am the one writing the papers, not her and the most she ever does is cook a meal for me once in a while and wake me up from short naps). I feel like she is taking credit for my accomplishments and believes that I once I get a job she will benefit financially in terms of me giving money to her when I have no intentions of doing so. She didn't/couldn't contribute a dime towards private high school, college, or law school. I had financial aid and scholarships for the most part but still have to pay back $170 K in loans. She has been underemployed, working on average 2-5 hours each week (I'm lucky if she makes $100 a week) and no matter how hard I try to pursuade/motivate/encourage/force her to take her GED and get a real 9-5 job, she refuses to do so. I have given her information and contact numbers for job training/social services for 50+ aged people, given her information for community-based job training services and she either keeps saying she'll go next week or flat out says she won't go because her knee hurts, she's tired, or it's too cold. I know she is suffering from an undiagnosed depression (it has taken me a year to get her to agree to see a psychiatrist and she will see one for the first time in 1 month or so) but I feel like although I love her very much, I can't sacrifice my life to pay for her ongoing mistakes. I'm too young to be responsible for taking care of a parent who is only 62 and capable of working to support herself but chooses not to. I give her spa certificates as birthday and christmas presents but realize that I myself have never been to a spa because I can't afford it. I'm only 27 and I feel like I should be worrying about buying clothes, planning a vacation, or saving for my own retirement, not worrying about how much money I have to give my mom so that she can catch up on two months of missed rent. Has anyone else had this experience? How can I get through to her without leaving her to be homeless?

I was raised by a single mom. She raised two sons and emigrated from another country to settle in the U.S. She mostly took low wage jobs, while raising a family on her own. I worked as soon as I was legally eligible. However, as I look at her finances--assets, liabilities, etc., it looks like she'll be working for a while. Currently, she lives on her own in rent control apartment in NYC, only paying $650 per month since she's been in that apartment for over 15 years. She always avoid financial planning and while she has some money saved up, it won't be enough for her to retire full time. This worries me because I've helped her get out of debt, but she continues to get back in it. I helped her set up a budget to better manage her money, but she abandons it after a couple months and goes back to paycheck to paycheck living. Her only extravagance is travel, which she uses to visit her family oversees once a year, all on credit cards. So it's a revolving door of debt to debt living. I don't ming talking care of her financially, which I already do, but it just frustrates me that she wants to spend her retirement years paying of credit cards and working part time just to make ends meet, even after I tried to provide help. Anyone can relate?

It is a commercial for a financial services company or a retirement planning company where a green line keeps people on track.

The link to them is below: https://retirementservices.wystar.com/Online/Financial/Business/Service?action=planworksLogin I need the EIN number and can not seem to get it or find it. I know they are a part of Wachovia and used to be called Allegient Plan Works....any help would be great!

Here is my financial profile: 1. No credit card debt 2. Mortgage which I am comfortably paying each month AND I sometimes pay extra to the principal. 3. No kids or dependents to worry about (at the moment) Now, I have an extra 10K and I'd like to invest it. Someone suggested American Funds (mutual funds). Any other suggestions? My goal is long term. I'm 30 and have another retirement fund which I will make the max contribution this year. This 10k is seperate. Thank you so much for your time. So, I just spoke with my financial advisor. He suggested an annuity from Prudential. Some sort of package where even if the market tanks (a la sept. 2008) my funds would go into some sort of gradual fixed income mode. I'm so confused. Is this the right way to go?

dissapointed? Personally I was all for alimony until I read this: "The parties will have to share in the financial consequences of the end of their relationship. In general, however, the court will not force someone into bankruptcy to provide support for the other party, although there are times when a support order will result in the payor racking up debt." Racking up debt for a divorced spouse, for her or for me, doesn't seem fair. Also, it could compromise the retirement fund. Anyway, that is it. I think all major assets should be shared (car, house, furniture, etc) and I have no problem with that. I basically just want to protect my retirement. I think she would to (it would apply both ways.) I don't think I'd be comfortable with a spouse who would want a chunk of my retirement fund if things don't work out. Assets are understandable, but a retirement plan? Why would anyone want to diminsh that? Even if things don't work out? I'd cut the whole thing if she didn't sign it.

I am not interested in people complaining about their services, I just have some basic questions if you would please steer away from the rest. I am about to start working for Chrysler Financial, and... 1. What are the benefits for Chrysler Financial? I know what they have, but is it Blue Cross Blue Shield, what are the plans, retirement details, etc? 2. Is there a lot of room for advancement? 3. I am starting out at $13.65/hour, what are the raises? Are they every 6 months, year or what? 4. What positions within Chrysler Financial make more than $100,000 or really close to it? (I ask this, because I have my MBA and did not go to school for nothing) I would like to make this eventually. Thanks for everyones time, if you want to add more comments about the company of Chrysler Financial for anything at all, please do, but try not to knock the company over the head too hard, they are trying to re-model themselves, so of course there will be a lot of negative obstacles to overcome.

Need advice - Should I sell or retirement? Help - Sell? Or Retirement or What? Maybe there are some people who went through a divorce who can help me. I have two grade school kids. I went through a divorce that ruined my credit when my husband left for another woman. He is a high powered lawyer and I couldn't afford one so he is paying minimum child support, less than the mortgage. I then lost my job. I have looked for another one for 7 months. I am over 45 and over educated so I can't even get a job at Sears. I need some financial planning advice. I have a home worth $250,000. The mortgage balance is $120,000. An apartment with two bedrooms in my area is $500 per month more than mortgage. I can't get an apartment because of my credit and no job. I have $50,000 in my retirement account. Question: Should I take out my retirement? It would help me pay the mortgage and expenese for three years. I would have to hope that I have a job or some business by then where I have income. I could sell the house but then where would I live? Maybe there are solutions that I do not see. I can't see. I have condidered suicide. I really need some guidance here.

Help - Sell? Or Retirement or What? Maybe there are some people who went through a divorce who can help me. I have two grade school kids. I went through a divorce that ruined my credit when my husband left for another woman. He is a high powered lawyer and I couldn't afford one so he is paying minimum child support, less than the mortgage. I then lost my job. I have looked for another one for 7 months. I am over 45 and over educated so I can't even get a job at Sears. I need some financial planning advice. I have a home worth $250,000. The mortgage balance is $120,000. An apartment with two bedrooms in my area is $500 per month more than mortgage. I can't get an apartment because of my credit and no job. I have $50,000 in my retirement account. Question: Should I take out my retirement? It would help me pay the mortgage and expenese for three years. I would have to hope that I have a job or some business by then where I have income. I could sell the house but then where would I live? Maybe there are solutions that I do not see. I can't see. I have condidered suicide. I really need some guidance here.

I went through a divorce that ruined my credit when my husband left for another woman. He is a high powered lawyer and I couldn't afford one so he is paying minimum child support, less than the mortgage. I then lost my job. I have looked for another one for 7 months. I am over 45 and over educated so I can't even get a job at Sears. I need some financial planning advice. I have a home worth $250,000. The mortgage balance is $120,000. An apartment with two bedrooms in my area is $500 per month more than mortgage. I can't get an apartment because of my credit and no job. I have $50,000 in my retirement account. Question: Should I take out my retirement? It would help me pay the mortgage and expenese for three years. I would have to hope that I have a job or some business by then where I have income. I could sell the house but then where would I live? Maybe there are solutions that I do not see. I can't see. I have condidered suicide. I really need some guidance here.

financial stability? Do you have a "plan" in case things do not work out (God forbid)? *you are staying at home, allowing your husband to work and pay into social security for his retirement~ if things do not work out what will you do? I would love to think all women have an "in case" plan. Even if you do not ever need to use it. Thanks !!! *edit* sah parents, not only moms.

in this age, its possible for a woman to make more than enough money to support herself. Once that's done, she no longer needs the support of a man (father, brother,significant other) to care for her. And even in old age, with sound financial planning, she can even cover herself for retirement. In terms of sexuality, with the latest technology, a woman no longer needs the presence of a man to satisfy sexual desires. Of course, for children, women with the financial means, can now adopt. With all of these changes, is marraige still necessary for women in the millenium? Interesting...so it's assumed that without marraige a woman cannot have love in her life? Is not the love of friends, family, and children enough to satisfy the desire to experience love?

Im supposed to do a finacial plan for a 25 year old 2nd grade teacher. her financial plans are to have a nice retirement and wants money for traveling. shes still young so she could get married and have kids.........any answers are appriciated :)

Is the transfer of responsibility (risk) from our ‘benevolent’ corporate masters to individuals, known as the ‘401k’, serving us well? Before the 1950s it was something only the wealthy could afford to do. Everyone else needed an income, and most folks struggled to get by in the industrial economy as their faculties deteriorated. Then came ‘Retirement’ for the masses. The social reformist dream became reality with the 1935 Social Security Act, the spread of the corporate defined benefit pension plan and Medicare in 1965. For most workers the last stage of life became a time of leisure, recreation and enjoyment. Is that now disappearing? The Age of Retirement was one of America's most successful social reforms ever. But that era seems to be over. A new vision of old age is emerging from the trauma of the credit crunch and the Great Recession: Forget retirement. Keep working. The key question is no longer "How early can I retire?" For many it has become "How can I retire?" Of course, like all tectonic social and economic shifts, the trend isn't new. It has been building for the past three decades with the move away from traditional pensions, with their involuntary contributions and steady payout, in trade for 401k-type plans, with their voluntary contributions and uncertain returns. For workers nearing their retirement years, the median balance on 401k's and IRAs combined - a mere $78,000 in 2007. And the stock market reached its all-time peak that year! But the Great Recession has devastated portfolios since then, a stark reminder to millions of near-retirees that they haven't saved enough to fund a good retirement. For many, Social Security has now become the prime, rather than supplemental, source of retirement income. Indeed, taking into account the declines in financial assets and housing, the National Retirement Risk Index as of mid-2009 signals that 51% of households are at risk at age 65 of not having enough retirement income to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living. That's up from 44% in 2007 and 43% in 2004, according to the index's creator, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Yet companies are far from eager to fill their ranks with an aging workforce. Combine that with a contention for resources (jobs) from the younger, more educated, more ‘energetic’ members of society and a stage is set for some ‘interesting’ conflicts/experiments in our social evolution. This will also introduce some ‘dramatic skewing’ in market demographics, especially for some industries. The same energy and marketing savvy that created mass tourism and leisure will need to be expanded on building satisfying careers and job opportunities for a highly experienced but graying and less robust work force. For workers burning the midnight oil in a tough economy - they're bone tired from working. Health problems are wearing them down. And, as the astute social commentator H.L. Mencken noted back in 1922, occupation matters: If he got no reward whatever, the artist would go on working just the same; his actual reward, in fact, is often so little that he almost starves. But suppose a garment worker got nothing for his labor: Would he go on working just the same? Can one imagine his submitting voluntarily to hardship and sore want that he might express his soul in 200 more pairs of ladies' pants? The transition to the new world of the older worker brought about by the 401k in lieu of the corporate retirement plans our parents enjoyed, will be difficult. But Americans can afford to grow old. They will grow old gracefully - and on the job. So, how’s that 401k working for ya? As good as Pop’s corporate funded retirement – or not? Interested in opinions. In any event, it sure is cheaper for our rich benefactors. That much would appear to be clear. The greatest game ever – and it sold/sells itself? Not hard to sell choice, and profitable if you set it up right? The 401k replaced the corporate pension plan, not Social Security.

The following is a paragraph in a research paper I'm finishing up. I really need another set of eyes to look over and catch grammar mistakes! Suggestions on making this a perfect paragraph will be greatly appreciated!! Here it is... As high schools prepare our youth for adulthood and becoming a member of society, it seems only natural that they should play a major role in equipping them with invaluable financial planning and understanding skills. For several years public high schools have required the passing of an Economics course for graduation. However, this course is designed to teach national economy, inflation, and the terminology of the stock market and not designed to teach students the fundamentals of household finances and how credit works. The need for a program that goes beyond the standard Economics course and addresses the great need for basic money-management, which would include budgeting, interest accumulation and saving adequately for retirement is necessary for the future of our children and thus our nation. In 2006, the Jumpstart Coalition was successful in getting a bill passed which makes a financial literacy program a requirement in public school curriculum for grades K-12, and specifically requiring a semester long course for high school graduation. The program is to be officially implemented within the school year of 2009/2010. Here is the transition sentence from previous paragraph... The Jumpstart Coalition is an education organization which operates on the basis of their beliefs and research that “the average student who graduates from high school lacks basic skills in the management of personal financial affairs. Many are unable to balance a checkbook and most simply have no insight into the basic survival principles involved with earning, spending, saving and investing.”

Here is my third paragraph in a research paper I'm working on. Can you please look over and point out any grammatical errors or way I could improve? My central theme/thesis is that high schools should require financial planning classes. I have not cited all my sources appropriately- I know that and will remedy once I have any grammatical errors corrected... "Financial mistakes are often felt when it is too late, and the resources to overcome have become scarce. When the economy is doing poorly, as it is today, and jobs losses are felt in mass numbers, the reality of very little savings hits the American family and those 20-somethings hard. Today’s economy boasts a mortgage crisis, steep tuition increases, decreased credit availability, and a weak job market. This recession certainly culminates into an uphill trudge to accomplish even the basics such as home-ownership and saving for retirement. Often people hit by a monetary set back must take drastic measures, such as moving back in with elderly parents, losing their home to foreclosure, filing bankruptcy, or liquidating college and retirement savings for survival. The number of bankruptcy cases filed in fiscal 2009 increased by 35% over the previous year.// These troubles could be avoided in most cases if our youth were taught the importance of saving, how to manage money efficiently, and what to do in financial crisis. " Oh the "//" is just a reminder to me to cite =)

... a much worse super-depression that will occur sometime in late 2011, early 2012? Some analysts are predicting 40% or larger losses in stock values worldwide in the next couple of years. If you DO agree with that, what would a reasonable strategy be for reworking my retirement portfolios? I'm 45 and don't plan to retire for another 22 years. Most of my retirement investments are in higher growth potential funds, which would take a huge hit in any global depression. Should I change my portfolios over to low-risk assets?

Me and my fiancee are getting married next October. We have discussed children (we both want them, a few years after were married, and I will be a stay at home mom, as we both feel a traditional family structure is the best way to raise kids). We already have a pretty seamless financial plan, which we worked out before we ever moved in together. It has worked well for us for years, is changeable as life changes, and is fair to both of us. We have also discussed how finances will change after we have kids and I stop working. Neither of us have any debts, we paid for college as we went (which took much longer to finish), we paid for our shared car cash, we haven't bought anything ever on credit, and we don't have credit cards. We set up a high yield savings account a few years ago, so we have a good chunk of money waiting for a down payment on a house when we're ready for one. We both carry health insurance, have car insurance, and renter's insurance. Our wedding will be small, and we can more than afford to pay for it up front, without having to make payments. We have discussed our individual future goals, and touched on the subject of a retirement fund. We work out our disagreements respectfully and productively and never ever go to bed mad (a bit of advice from my parents, who have been happily married for 37 years). I think we have the big issues in life covered, finances, children, future goals. We're going into this debt-free, so we won't have to worry about that. We love each other, and we can work through anything life throws at us (we started dating when we were both at the lowest points of our lives and worked up from there together, which wasn't easy, but we made it). We just wanted to hear some advice from both sides, those who have been happily married for years and those who got divorced. You can learn as much from other peoples mistakes as their successes. This is a HUGE step for us, and we want to make sure in the remaining months before our wedding to iron out anything else that may become a big issue later on. What other types of things that we haven't discussed should we before we tie the knot? Thanks :-) We do know things change and don't always go as planned. But we just want to start out with a good framework so we can build on it and focus more on a happy marriage than stupid little things. On the subject of religion and children (or in general), he was raised in the Potters House (a Christian church), and I was raise Catholic. Both of us lost all faith in going to church over the years. You don't have to sit in a building with a hundred other people on Sunday to find God, pray or have faith. Both of us believe that. Our children will be raised on that basis, and if when their older they want to attend a particular church, or become a particular religion, that will be their decision.

Husband and I own one home and are upside down, can't get help due to we are not in a hardship situation, I want advice on that to see if we have any options open to us...we still need to re fi soon or mortgage will go up. Also, would like to buy a 2nd home in my name only since everything else is in my husbands name, need advice on that. Also wondering if the fact that we usually file taxes jointly will hurt me getting approved by myself for a home, or if we should file separate (we still have that option) and if that would be better for us. Financial planners seem to be mostly about retirement planning & funds investing...or are they? Is there one professional to help me with all these questions? Or do I have to search around separately?

Accounting Not everyone knows what career choice they would like when they are young. I on the other hand, am pretty sure I know. I want to be an accountant. To many people, this job may be the most tedious ever, but to me it is interesting. There are a lot of jobs out there that are target to help a certain group of people. Accounting is not just targeted at one group, but is capable of helping the entire world. Planning ahead is very important to me. I grew up in house where both of my parents were not very successful. My dad went into the army after he finished high school. My mom did not finish high school and is now taking care of old ladies. They tell me and my siblings to go to college so we can get a good job, settle into a house and then make a family. As I was growing up my interests became different all the time, I finally realized that through everything I have always been good at math and it is quite interesting to me, and accounting fits my interests so it is the perfect job for me. Body paragraph 1 I believe that accounting as a good career choice for me because the basic qualifictations that are required to be an accountant I have. Such as doing basic math like, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and possibly division. To do this job I should also have a good memory, which I have. The reason I would need a good memory is because I need to remember what accounts increase on the debit side, and what accounts decrease on the credit side. I also need to be able to take full responsibility of everything I do. Why? Well because in accounting there are certain steps that I have to take in order to reach the end and If I do not do them in the order they belong then others are going to have a difficult time doing their job. I am learning in my accounting class that in accounting I have to start from the beginning and work till the end. body paragraph 2 In order to be an accountant I need to get atleast a bachelor’s degree either in accounting or a related field such as: a certified public accountant, a system accountant, or a tax accountant. Some jobs may require a master’s degree in business administration. Having the certification or license to be an accountant will certainly give you and advantage for obtaining a job. body paragraph 3 body paragraph 4 Body paragraph 5 Accountants have a wide range in salaries because of the size of firms, the location of the firms, and the level of education. If you have up to one year in experience you are able to make any where from $28,250 to $45,000. With one to three years you can make 33,000 to 52,000, senior accountants make anywhere between 40,750 to 69,750. Financial managers are one of the top employees of accounting and they can make anywhere from 48,000 to 90,000 dollars. Finally the top employees of accounting firms make any where from 64,750 to 200,750. Getting my bachelors degree in accounting will start me off with 43,269 a year, and If I were to get my masters degree I could start with 46,251 which is a good start. The benefits that come with this job are amazing, I would most likely get paid vacation, sick leave, health insurance, profit sharing, and retirement plans. If you have any special skiils you can make double or triple the top salary range. body paragraph 6 body paragraph 7 body paragraph 8 conclusion Body paragraph 4 Many of the activities done in accounting firms all across the world probably do most of the same tasks. In the accounting class I am taking right now we are learning exactly what real accountants do. I think that the job is quite simple but many think it is tough. The basics are keeping track of businesses money, writing check, and making sure that everything adds up correctly. It could be really simple or it could be really tough depending on if I am capable of remembering what accounts do what and being able to know how to add and subtract. I would also need to know how to take full responsibility for the things I do, because if I do something wrong my colleagues could be penalized for it. With being an accountant comes the responsibility of making sure that the nation’s firms are being run correctly, making sure that the public records are accurate and kept that way, and that taxes are paid on time. This is a really tough job because a lot of people during this t Body paragraph 4 Many of the activities done in accounting firms all across the world probably do most of the same tasks. In the accounting class I am taking right now we are learning exactly what real accountants do. I think that the job is quite simple but many think it is tough. The basics are keeping track of businesses money, writing check, and making sure that everything adds up correctly. It could be really simple or it could be really tough depending on if I am capable of remembering what accounts do what and being able to know how to add and subtract. I would also need to know how to take full

Including how many savings accounts to have and how to much to keep in each one and how to manage them. I've heard that you need an emergency fund, a retirement account, and an account for saving up for purchases you can't afford off the bat.

Ok for one of my social studies classes I have to write a debate to be pro healthcare im not really pro i dont know anything , here it is: Pro Health Care Reform There has been so much buzz about health care recently and as you may know Obama is the leader of it, we are here today to convince you to be pro health care First we have two true stories about people who's problems could have been fixed by health care: The first is about a woman named Lori Hitchcock. Lori is currently self-employed and trying to start a business, but she has hepatitis C, she cannot find an insurance company that will cover her. The second is about a man who lost his health coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because the insurance company discovered that he had gallstones, which he hadn't known about when he applied for his policy. Because his treatment was delayed, he died. This is happening to more and more people every day, so that is why we need to pass health care reform know. There are four main ways the reform will provide more stability and security to every American. 1.If people don't have health insurance, the reform will give them a choice of high-quality, affordable coverage for people and there families. This will be high quality coverage that will stay with users if they move, change jobs, or lose there job. 2.Reform will finally bring sky high healthcare cost under control, which means real savings for families, businesses and our government. 3.The reform will make Medicare more efficient, so the government will be able to ensure that more tax dollars go directly to caring for seniors, instead of just putting the money into the insurance's pocketbooks. 4.The Health Care plan will also reduce the amount our seniors pay for their prescription drugs. Some of the statistics of Health Insurance are: 1.nearly 50 million Americans don't have health insurance 2.25 million are under insured 3.that number has grown nearly 60% over the past four years 4.the amount people pay for health insurance increased 30% from 2001 to 2005 5.the income only increased 3% 6. almost 50% of personal bankruptcies are due to medical expenses 7.25% of people choose employment based on better health benefits 8.it cost an estimated $635,000to cover healthcare cost in retirement 9.insurance cost are outpacing income by 8 folds 10.the cost of healthcare causes bankruptcy every 30 seconds 11.1/3 of the U.S. Population has no insurance 12.health insurance is the fastest growing expense cost component for employers 13.health insurance premiums have grown four times faster than wages If we maintain the rate , we will continue to see 14,000 Americans lose there health insurance every day Premiums will continue to skyrocket our deficit will continue to grow insurance companies will continue to profit by discriminating against sick people The presidents plan is to create a government-sponsored health insurance program that would be an for all Americans Millions of people who don't get insurance through their employer try to get insurance on their own and are turned down because they have a pre-existing condition. (show map of health insurance coverage status) The health care reform will preserve the employer-based health care system, meaning an estimated 200 million Americans will continue to get their coverage through their employers It will also allow people to choose their own doctors and hospitals Health care reform will not give the government the power to make life or death decisions for anyone Health care reform will help ensure doctors are paid fairly so they will continue to treat Medicare patients The health care reform will help lower prescription drug costs for people in the Medicare Part D coverage gap so they can better afford the drugs they need The health care reform will also strengthen the financial status of the Medicare program The president and congress have committed to producing legislation that will be paid for so it won't saddle our children and grandchildren with debt If we do nothing the share of your income spent on health care will nearly double in the seven years IN THE END In the end. When one in three Americans say someone in their family skipped pills, postponed or cut back on needed medical care due to the cost; when countless bankruptcies are related to medical expenses; when the number of uninsured approaches 50 million; when government spending on health programs rises so rapidly that it jeopardizes other priorities; and when employers struggle to pay for the cost of health care, the fact is we can't afford not to fix health care. ok thats it please comment and keep in mind i have to debate about it, and yes i did make it myself, please help by giving ways to improve or tell me the weaknesses too. THANKS!!!!!

Ok so I have been trying to do these problems for a couple hours now, and I still can't figure them out. Please help and give as much detail in your answers as possible so I can understand it. Thank you! Herman and Grace Rohrbach are in their mid-thirties. They are reasonably well off financially insofar as Grace's mother has established a trust fund to educate their two children. The Rohrbachs lead rather simple lives and have no desires for lavish spending. However, they do face one major financial challenge: how to have sufficient resources in their retirement years. Herman owns his own camera shop and Grace has no employment income, although she often works in Herman's store. The Rohrbachs have accumulated around $50,000 in savings, which is invested in a bond mutual fund, currently earning 5 percent after taxes. They have no other savings programs, either personal or through the business. If Herman retired today, his only income would be Social Security, which he estimates to be $18,000 annually. He would sell the business immediately prior to retirement. He has no idea what it will be worth then, but he believes he could get $100,000 for it today. To live a comfortable retirement, the Rohrbachs think they need an annual income comparable to their current one, which is $60,000 after income taxes. The Rohrbachs clearly need help to determine if they need to increase their annual savings to meet their retirement goal. Finally, the Rohrbachs will live off Social Security and interest from accumulated savings available at retirement. They will not touch any principal in their savings accounts, preferring instead to leave that money to their children. Retirement is planned in 30 years. 1. Social Security is indexed to inflation. IF the inflation rate is 3 percent over the next 30 years, how much Social Security income will the Rohrbachs receive? How much will their income (currently 60,000) be at that time, assuming it grows at the 3 percent rate? How much, then, will be the shortfall -- the difference between the two? 2. How much will be in the bond fund at retirement, assuming that it continues to earn 5 percent? 3. Herman has a very good location for his camera shop and can renew the lease indefinitely into the future. Suppose that its value increases by 10 percent annually over the next 30 years. How much will it then be worth? 4. Combine your answers to questions 2 and 3. The total represents an amount available to the Rohrbachs at the beginning of retirement. Now assume that they sell the camera shop and put the proceeds into the bond fund, and the fund continues to earn 5 percent during their retirement years. Are these annual earnings sufficiently high to meet the income shortfall determined in question 1? Your answer should be "no." Determine how much they must invest each year to accumulate a sufficient amount, which can also be deposited into a bond fund. Assume they earn 12 percent on these annual (end-of-year) investments. Thanks buz that's helped, but i still don't understand how to finish number four. I got all of the answers correct up until that point. Could anyone give extra help? Thanks a bunch!

Here is my dilemma, please let me know your thoughts. My wife and I have been married for 15 years, no kids. I make sufficient income that a second income isn't absolutely necessary. However, additional savings, investments, retirement or vacation money or just an extra safety buffer would always be welcome, in these or any other economic times. My primary concern is that my wife is an adult with a good college education and expertise in an employable field, but lacks the desire to seek gainful employment. To be brutally honest, if I died, she wouldn't be able to maintain her standard of living, after my life insurance ran out she would need to sell the house since she couldn't even pay the taxes. Then there is the societal impact for me. I find myself avoiding functions that involve introducing my wife, since how many ways can you say "unemployed", before its a joke? My job is good, managerial and technical, then necessarily involves people with drive, inspiration, creativity and insight. Yes, please meet my wife, oh what does she do? She stays at home and reads mostly, and there is probably 2 hours a day of housework which doesn't tax anyone's creativity. I've consistently asked my wife to seek employment, but there are always general excuses about not finding anything. We have shared our finances since marriage, and I don't plan on changing this, but what I do plan on changing is how its done. I know that my income isn't the only reason that she doesn't seek employment, like I said its been 15 years, and while I make a good living now, thats not always been the case. Cash was tight before and we used to argue about money (or actually, the lack of it, which is probably typical), since my cash flow has gone up, those arguments have diminished, but I still feel passionate that she needs employment outside the house. Also, I don't claim to be innocent here, I'm sure that I've helped to enable her in this, since as the lack of her work outside of the house became more apparent, I made sure that she was at least maintaining the household. So she does at least vacuum, clean, cook and do the laundry. We used to share these chores, but I stopped contributing one at a time since she was not employed outside the house. So here is my plan, please let me know your thoughts. I feel guilty in one respect since this is obviously a planned series of events, but since she hasn't asked me whether it would be okay if she wasn't employed, I'm not feeling compelled to ask about making financial changes. The general idea is to take away any excuse and also place an emphasis on the economic aspects of income and that she is a kept woman. First, I have opened a personal bank account, and shifted my employer's direct deposit into this account. I will then deposit half of our living expenses, once a month into our shared account. Once "our" resources are depleted, I will make up the difference with a second deposit that is also half. So twice a month, I will fund "us" with half deposits. The remainder will stay in my account. The plan here is to fund "us" from "my" account, and I understand that I live in a community property state, and technically what is "mine" is "ours", but not from a day to day basis. Second, I am hiring a maid to come a few times a week and a lawn service to maintain the yard. Third, I understand that the changes being made are trivial, in effect, if someone simply doesn't care, but my intent is to inspire my wife to activity. My intent is to remove the excuses and shame her into action, but I expect the effect to be the removal of the safety blanket that is the current economic situation. Lastly, I understand that this might be a lost cause. I have no desire to "change" someone to fit my reality or my goals. However, to me its a deal breaker to not expect someone to be an equal partner in a relationship, part of that is as a financial partner. If anyone has any experience in this or insights, I'd appreciate your thoughts. Also, please don't suggest "just talk about it", since that road is well trodden.

I am 40 and my boyfriend is 44. We're planning to get married in the next year or two, but I am very concerned about our financial future. I don't have a head for that kind of math and he seems to want to just remain oblivious and pretend... We both have bachelors degrees and he is currently finishing his masters. I have been out of work for a few years, trying desperately to find a job, but because I owned a successful company for many years, I'm continually getting the party line about being over-qualified, etc. I am getting by and making ends meet and have only accrued about $4,000 in debt. My last full-time salary was $65,000/year. My boyfriend, however, has about $80,000 in debt: ~$50,000 in school loans and ~$30,000 due to a failed marriage, alimony, etc. He currently makes $65,000/year. I don't know what his earning potential will be with a masters. Neither of us has planned much for the future. I just wasn't smart about it (being self-employed and without the standard 401K to fall into) and he works for a small company that just doesn't offer much beyond salary. My question - how feasible is it, at our ages, to pay off his debt, buy a modest home, and still have time to save responsibly for retirement by 65-70 years of age? I don't even know where to start. GNA is making four bad assumptions. 1. I am not in victim mode. I am being realistic about my innate abilities (lack thereof) and trying to learn. 2. There are no leaks. Our expenses are the bare minimum; very frugal lifestyle. 3. I am OK with his debt because it was all unavoidable - none due to poor spending habits, etc. The majority of it is for education, i.e. good debt. 4. I did not run the financial end of the business. I am not equipped (yet) to handle our finances. Hence, starting my research here. 401K/IRA is the obvious answer, but what I am trying to learn is - is that the smartest? I'm reading many sources recommending stocks, but how does one learn the best stocks and how to invest? Also, we currently rent. It seems like a big peace of mind in retirement is to own. Am I correct in thinking we need to buy as soon as we can? If so, what is smarter the first few years - maxing 401K or putting ;ess there and more towards down payment at first? Thank you so much Uncle Leo and George. I was pleasantly surprised to find more answers and great, helpful ones at that. I'm feeling a lot better about things. I talked it over with my boyfriend, who is on the same exact page regarding what we want to save and how we want to do it, so that's great, IMO - critical that we work on this together. I also had a very pleasant surprise in learning that I misunderstood what he told me. He's only $50K in debt. He told me he had $30K in CC debt and when I asked about school loans, he meant to convey that those *bring the total* to $50K. I thought he was saying they were $50K in school loans. He was actually saying he has $20K in school loans. We're going to max our 401Ks immediately and then, after we marry and combine, we're going to work with a financial planner to make any chances, e.g. put less in 401K and more in an IRA, etc. We're also going to work towards a 5-year goal of buyin Thanks, everyone, for the great advice.

I have $642 that I accumulated at my last job in 401K. I want to roll it over into a new retirement plan. I can choose from Ameriprise Financial, ETrade Financial, Merrill Lynch, or TD Ameritrade. I know nothing about this kind of stuff. Which would be better? Will I earn interest having that money sit in there until I retire? Do I have to continue to put money in every year? Do any of these companies charge me for having my money in with them? Any info would be great.

Your parents are approaching retirement and they go to an investment adviser at Bank of america to discuss their investment options. They expect to have $900,000 in retirement savings and plan to purchase an annuity that will generate income of $50,000 per year for the rest of their lives. The advisor claims that they could get them a higher annual income because she "knows" how to invest their savings in financial instruments that can yeild at least 10% per year. Your parents wants you to provide second opinion of the analysis done by the adviser. Compare the two alternatives and highlights the risks and benefits of each alternative. PLEASE HELP! Thank you

My GF wants us to get married. She is 25 and I am 28. I feel I am not mentally and financially ready for that. She thinks that is normal for guys and they adjust after marriage. By mentally I mean, I am presently doing things for myself only like, work, gym and career growth classes. After marriage I need to find time for her, her family, relatives, friends etc which I don't know how I can do. From financial perspective I mean I am not doing any investment which I should be. A check with people in my company reveals people of my age group should have about 100K saved(or invested properly) before marriage as marriage is expensive, then the children, mortgage, planning for retirement and rainy day savings. This scared me as I don't nearly have as much. Neither I or my GF earn in six figures which makes me think twice. I proposed to her that once we cross the six figure mark, we could marry, but she does not want to wait for that. I was told by her that we both could take a second job to supplement our income which I am not inclined as my regular job, gym and career growth keeps me busy for 85hrs/week so I don't know how I can do a second job. Few questions for people in my boat now or have been in the past. Is waiting till I become mentally and financially strong enough to support a family the best option for people like us? Or, should we both take a second job and take the plunge hoping things will roll in place automatically as my GF thinks, but I am skeptical? What are the things men should be ready for before marriage? I know the main is finances in which I am not too strong, but what are the other things? Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

The following is from http://www.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/retirement/articles/2008/06/19/should-you-pay-off-your-mortgage-before-you-retire.html "The interest you pay on your home mortgage is tax deductible on up to $1 million in debt. You can also typically write off interest on up to $100,000 of home-equity debt. But you benefit from this tax perk only if all your itemized tax deductions, including your mortgage interest, add up to more than the standard deduction that almost everyone gets automatically..... Jonathan Pond, a financial planner and author of Grow Your Money! 101 Easy Tips to Plan, Save, and Invest, argues that you need to be in the 35 percent tax bracket, or make at least $350,000 annually, for the tax break to be worthwhile. Most Americans in the 25 percent tax bracket might pay, say, $10,000 in mortgage interest but save only $2,500 in taxes." If I pay $10,000 in mortgage interst but only save $2,500, that seems nonsmart to me. Is the above quote correct?

What are some good questions to ask an insurance agent who wants to sell you a policy? Is finding out who their affiliates are a good idea? What kind of interest rates are good for retirement plans? Is it a bad idea to place more than the minimum required amount down when starting the policy knowing that I can't access my money until the next 7-10 years? If you are in Barbados, what are some good insurance/financial agencies to start retirement plans with? ANY TIPS AT ALL WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!! Thanks...

This may sound like a stupid question, but what does Northwestern Mutual actually do? Can someone just lay it out for me in very easy to understand terms and explain like I'm an idiot. I'm only 20 years old, so talking about mutual funds, investments, stock or insurance, it's all "blah blah blah" when I hear it because I was never taught about these things and it's hard to think about retirement at this age, but I know I should start. The way I got talking with a rep is because my boyfriend's friend has an intern there and he needed to make a quota of appointments. So my bf met with him and he had to refer people so he referred me. I met with them once, and they just asked questions about myself and said they will try and figure out how they could help me. My main goal right now is to save for a house in a few years. I never even thought about life insurance at my age because I'm not married, I don't have kids, I don't have a house, and I have no debt. But they said they could help me save for my house in a few years. So what exactly do they do? Do they have savings type accounts such as Money Markets or something? And how do they make their money? They asked me to refer other people, but I don't know what to tell the other people I am supposed to refer. Are they like a financial planning company? Or are they just life insurance and nothing else?

Please answer these simple short answer questions for me if you are over 60 years old. Thanks!! It's for a HMDV project, to learn about the emotional part of the aging process. Thanks for your help! 1. Describe a typical day for you. 2. What do you do for recreation and fun? 3. Describe your physical activities, such as exercise. 4. In your life, how did you decide what direction to take as far as work, and/or finding 
a partner—what guided you? 5. Describe the interactions you have with your family—do you help them, do they help
you, or is there give and take? (“Family” can be children, grand children, 
siblings, parents, and other relations) 6. How often do you interact with your family? Describe the most common ways you 
interact/converse/get together. 7. When you think back about your life, what do you feel have been your
greatest accomplishments? 8. When you look forward to the future, what else would you like to do? 9. What would you change if you could—either what happened in the past or 
more recently? 10. If you think about the optimum living environment for you now, what would it be? (housing setup, companionship and chores, for example) 11. What has been the most challenging aspect of getting older? 12. What was a surprise or unexpected about getting older? 13. How do you feel about your current health situation? 14. What plans did you make for your financial situation in later life, and how 
do you feel now about your planning? 15. If you worked, what plans, other than financial plans, did you make in advance for 
your active life after retirement? 16. If you could give me advice, what do you think would be important to tell me?

1. Describe a typical day for you. 2. What do you do for recreation and fun? 3. Describe your physical activities, such as exercise. 4. In your life, how did you decide what direction to take as far as work, and/or finding 
a partner—what guided you? 5. Describe the interactions you have with your family—do you help them, do they help
you, or is there give and take? (“Family” can be children, grand children, 
siblings, parents, and other relations) 6. How often do you interact with your family? Describe the most common ways you 
interact/converse/get together. 7. When you think back about your life, what do you feel have been your
greatest accomplishments? 8. When you look forward to the future, what else would you like to do? 9. What would you change if you could—either what happened in the past or 
more recently? 10. If you think about the optimum living environment for you now, what would it be? (housing setup, companionship and chores, for example) 11. What has been the most challenging aspect of getting older? 12. What was a surprise or unexpected about getting older? 13. How do you feel about your current health situation? 14. What plans did you make for your financial situation in later life, and how 
do you feel now about your planning? 15. If you worked, what plans, other than financial plans, did you make in advance for 
your active life after retirement? 16. If you could give me advice, what do you think would be important to tell me?

if anyone can help me with this please email me at mpitts1947@yahoo.com Excel spreadsheet and 5-10 slides Details: Your younger sister, Cassie, just received information from her company on her company benefits. She tells you that she is not interested in reading the retirement information because she has another 30 years of working before she can even consider retiring. You are a financial planner so Cassie asks you to take a look at the information. In doing so, you see that her company offers a great 401(k) plan that matches contributions up to 5% and has been offering an average return of 10% annually. At this time Cassie is making $40,000 per year and receives an average raise of 2% per year. Prepare a spreadsheet for Cassie that shows how much money she could expect to have in her retirement account in 30 years given the following two scenarios: * She takes advantage of the 401(k) plan offered by his employer by putting 5% in the plan for the next 30 years. (Assume that the plan will continue to earn 10% annually.) * She waits 10 years to begin putting 5% of her salary in the plan.

Basically instead of writing legislation that gives people the option to opt in, you instead write the legislation so that people are in by default and must opt out. This seems to imply that the govt. knows better what's best for the people than the people themselves. The "default" would be for all the stupid people not smart enough to opt in on their own. Do you think this is a good way to write legislation?? http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091028/us_time/08599193278900 The classic example of the power of the default is the opt-out 401(k) savings plan. In a 2001 study, only 36% of the participants signed up for a retirement savings plan when they had to opt in - even though their employers were matching their contributions. Free money, and only 36% took it! But when participants were automatically signed up for the same plan but given the chance to opt out, 86% of them stuck with it. Scholars have found similar status-quo results with organ donations. If we have to sign up, very few of us become organ donors. If we have to opt out, most of us remain organ donors. Similarly, when our electronic gadgets come with the energy-saving auto-power-down function enabled, we're cool with that; if we have to enable it ourselves, we rarely bother. (See 10 players in health-care reform.) This kind of behavior doesn't fit into neoclassical economic models, which assume that human beings are rational agents who act in their own best interests. In the real world, human beings are human beings. Sometimes we're too dumb to know our own best interests. Sometimes we're too lazy to slog through the forms to figure out our own best interests. Often we're conformists; we assume the default must be the default because that's what most people do, and we're desperate not to be social deviants. These insights are at the core of the challenge to traditional neoclassicism posed by behavioral economics, which has burst into prominence in the Obama Administration. Budget director Peter Orszag is so obsessed with defaults that he used to bring a copy of that 401(k) study to all his meetings; chief regulator Cass Sunstein co-authored a book called Nudge that's all about defaults and other noncoercive policies that can promote desired behaviors. The Administration has pushed one nudge after another, from simplified financial-aid forms after studies showed they could increase college-attendance rates to automatic savings plans for small businesses. It even doled out our payroll-tax cuts in the stimulus bill by decreasing our weekly withholding rather than cutting us big lump-sum checks, because the research suggested we'd be less likely to notice it and more likely to spend it. guru............Don't you see a difference between educated individuals and a mass of drones??

Sam is exactly 35 years old. At the end of this year, Sam will begin making regular deposits into a tax-sheltered account at a Bank. Sam plans to make annual payments until he retires on his birthday at age 55 (the last deposit occurs on Sam’s birthday). The bank anticipates that the account will earn 6% APR compounded semi-annually until Sam retires at age 55. At retirement, Sam will begin withdrawing a fixed amount of $50,000 semi-annually (the first withdrawal will be six months after retirement). Sam is in excellent physical condition and for financial planning purposes wishes to ensure that he can withdraw funds to age 90. Assume that Sam’s money will also earn 6% APR compounded semi-annually after retirement.

MANILA, Oct 21 - The Philippines on Wednesday issued rules to implement a new law to allow the creation of tax-free personal retirement plans that will see funds flow into the domestic debt and stock markets. Similar to the 401K plan in the United States, the Personal Equity Retirement Account provides tax incentives for long-term savings channeled into local financial instruments. "The PERA law provides an organised framework for cultivating retail savings and offering the means to transform the resource of saving into the opportunities of long term investment," central bank governor Amando Tetangco said in a speech. The law allows a maximum annual contribution to tax-free savings accounts of 100,000 pesos per individual and double that amount for Filipinos working overseas. Funds invested into PERA may be placed in a host of local financial instruments, including stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Fund managers said they were waiting to see the details of the rules, which will be published this week, and it was too early to say how much this scheme would impact the stock and debt markets. The law will take effect immediately after the rules are published. Nestor Espenilla, central bank deputy governor, told reporters it was hard to gauge how much funds would actually flow into the capital market, but the potential was huge. "The total deposit base of the banking system is already in the order of around 5 trillion pesos," he said. "Of course only a portion of that could be re-directed towards long-term but we are after those outside the system, those who have not been saving before, especially OFW money," Espenilla said. More than a tenth of the country's 92 million people live and work abroad. Last year they sent a total $16.4 billion pesos to their families and the amount is expected to climb 4 percent this year, based on central bank estimates.

I work for Costco Wholesale in Financial Accounting as an analyst for one our departments. I look at individual orders all the way to the department P&L's and gross margin numbers. I like what I do and the pay isn't bad. I know I can make more elsewhere, but I've been with the company for 18 yrs and at the age of 40 I'm a little scared to leave. Mind you, I have no kids nor am I married. Condo owner with little to no debt minus the mortgage. I meet all the requirements to take the exam and am seriously thinking about it in the next 1-3 years. I plan on taking the Becker Review. The classes are conveniently located less than 10 minutes from where I live. Here is my dilemma. I'm not sure I want to quit Costco and I know for a fact I do not want to move up into management (quite honestly, a CPA license would be total overkill at Costco). I was thinking that if I did get my license I could get something going on a part time basis. My question is....just how feasible is this? I mean, I know I could find some work during tax season, but if that's all that I'm going to be able to do, why get the license. I'm wondering if there is someone out there who is a part time CPA? :) I can slowly see myself weening off the Costco tit (so to speak) and developing my own side business and having it turn into something on a more full time basis, but this isn't something I would want to do until close to retirement age. It's too scarey for me to leave that security I have at Costco (6 weeks vacation, great benefits and the NOT low man on the totem pole). Guess I'm looking for words of encouragement or to see if there is anyone else out there who thinks this is a feasible plan :)

I'm 17 almost 18 in December. I asked my parents if I can open a Roth IRA with $2,500. My Asian parents said NO! My Asian parents have retirement accounts with fidelity. Once every 6 months they send a huge envelope that show my parent's earning at fidelity $44,000. I am planning on opening a roth IRA with fidelity online. My Asian parents said my retirement will hurt my financial aid. I have $8,000 in the bank and $500 in my savings. I currently have a job. I have no 401K. My Dad LOST his job and my mom is working to support 3 kids in college. I am the last one to go to college, currently a senior at HS. I have good grades. 1) How can I achieve my goal of opening a roth? How can I tell my parents it's smart to open one now? 2) Will my future 401K conflict with my Roth IRA??? 3) If I DIE what will happen with my Roth? should I care? 9 minutes ago 4) Ths current 2008-09 limit for contributing is $5,000. What happens if I don't contribute? Do I have to? 5) What if I lose money in my Roth IRA and it falls below the $2,500 requirment at Fedility will I be charged? http://www.themoneywisecoach.com/tag/financial-aid/ says here, that it wont my financial aid because the aid only assess the income not your retirement!

I need to give a presentation on financial planning or parts thereof to a group of people (about 20- 30). They will only come if they like the topic so topic will dictate the audience. Obviously the idea is to generate more interest to come again or to want to use the services of the business. It could cover budgeting, investing, retirement, insurance and more. What is it you would like to hear about? What problems could be solved? Thanks for the idea on Health Insurance. I will cover insurances but from a New Zealand perspective as this is where my talk will be.

Both of us are working adults that have been working multiple jobs (steady fulltime) and going to college part time. We graduated with bachelor's degrees (after 7 years going year round) this spring. I got a slightly higher paying job, but he has applied to 40+ jobs and has been turned down (due to the economy). He pays child support (children from a previous marriage) and health insurance (all of us) so most of his money never makes it to his paycheck. Also, due to the economy he is no longer able to get any overtime. Our financial aid covered our rent. I had planned to get a Master's degree and our rent would have been covered via loans but, the tuition is too high. We have applied for many evening and weekend part-time jobs but we can't get hired! We do have a lot of bills to pay. Loans are in deferment. Two family house is also up for sale! Should I borrow against my retirement for two to four more months of rent (and $100+ will be deducted from my paycheck every paycheck for several years) or do we move back in with my parents (small house but we lived there six years ago)? Thanks so much for your responses. I feel lost and need some advice bad.

Dinner with Obama Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor. I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room. We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner. The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate, and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen. "Sorry about that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry." "I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty.. It was just a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp. "And his brother Eric is very thirsty." said the President. I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I will play along. I don't want to seem unkind. My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite. "Eric's children are also quite hungry." With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room. "And their grandmother can't stand for long." I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken. I turned back to the President. "Their grandfather doesn't like the cold." I wanted to shout - that was my coat! But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled.. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him. "Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement, and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do." My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor. The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops. "By the way," He added, "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a whole bunch of Eric's and Andrews out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars." I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his crème Brule. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle. Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us. What had I done wrong? As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands. "You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said. Wake up, America !