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Sometimes you have to laugh...to keep from crying.

‘Disability’ Would Be 8th Most Populous State

(CNSNews.com) - The total number of people in the United States now receiving federal disability benefits hit a record 10,978,040 in May, up from 10,962,532 million in April, according to newly released datafrom the Social Security Administration.

The 10,978,040 disability beneficiaries in the United States now exceed the population of all but seven states. 

1. California 38,041,430

2. Texas 26,059,203

3. New York 19,570,261

4. Florida 19,317,568

5. Illinois 12,875,255

6. Pennsylvania 12,763,536

7. Ohio 11,544,225

8. Disability 10,978,040

9. Georgia 9,919,945

LINK to full article

Record High Beef Prices Dampen Memorial Day Weekend for Millions

More good news about our economy from the Wall Street Journal...this time it hits a little closer to home for a lot of people who enjoy their barbecue...

By KELSEY GEE, IAN BERRY and CURT THACKER

As Americans prepare for Memorial Day—the official kickoff to a summer grilling season of burgers and T-bones—rising beef prices have some consumers balking in the grocery aisles.

Retail beef prices are widely expected to set new records in coming weeks after wholesale prices, or the amount meatpackers charge sellers for beef, hit an all-time peak this past week.  

John Boyanoski, 35 years old, said he plans to offer only chicken breasts at his annual Memorial Day cookout in Greenville, S.C. "We were going to have hamburgers again, but prices were high for good meat," said Mr. Boyanoski, who usually grills burgers and hot dogs for the 20 or so friends who attend his party. "It was a bit of sticker shock."

Link to article:

Sitting is the New Smoking...WHAT?

'The chair is out to kill us,' a Mayo doctor says. Several studies point to the health risks of too much sitting.

The human body was designed for walking, and people did a whole lot of that for millenniums. But lately, not so much. In general, scientists believe, Americans now sit for more than half of their waking hours. 

click HERE for full article:

Sitting at your desk for hours on end, slaving away diligently, can increase your chances of getting a promotion — but also diabetes, heart disease or even an early grave.

Every hour of TV that people watch, presumably while sitting, cuts about 22 minutes from their life span, the study's authors calculated. By contrast, it's estimated that smokers shorten their lives by about 11 minutes per cigarette.

LINK to full article:

Gen Xers may NEVER be able to retire

Typical Generation Xers now in their late 30s to late 40s saw their net worth drop by a larger proportion than older Americans during the financial crisis and came out of it less prepared for retirement than the post-World War II boomer generation, according to a new study.

click below for article:

Click HERE

48% Cashing in IRAs Early...

THE IMPACT OF EARLY WITHDRAWAL OF FUNDS AND THE EFFECTS OF LOW INTEREST RATES WILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT OF THE FUTURE PLANS OF MILLIONS...

Most people know they can withdraw funds from their IRA, penalty free, after the age of 59 ½ (earlier for certain exceptions). And, most people have no plans to do so. After all, the money you put into an IRA is for “retirement,” after the age of 65.

According to BloombergBusinessweek, however, a report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that 48 percent of people, 61 to 70 in the bottom half of income distribution took funds out of their IRAs during the period from 2002 to 2010. Of those in the top quarter, income-wise, 29 percent of 61 to 70-year-olds pulled IRA funds.

The amount taken out was substantial. High-income earners withdrew 12 percent of total funds, while those at lower income levels took out 17 percent of the money they had been saving for retirement.

Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/news/13/05/3599265/boomers-are-cashing-in-their-iras-early-according-to-report#ixzz2TmEUqUUM

If You're Between 50 and 70, You're DOWN $100K...

Boomers lose more than $100,000 in retirement savings in down economy

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Unexpected setbacks, ranging from stock market declines to suddenly supporting an adult child, have taken a major hit to Baby Boomers' retirement savings, according to a recent survey.

Such "retirement derailers" set savers back an average of $117,000, according to an Ameriprise Financial survey of 50-to-70-year-olds with at least $100,000 in cash savings and investments.  Link below.

Read more: http://www.wptv.com/dpp/money/consumer/boomers-lose-more-than-100000-in-reitirement-savings-in-down-economy#ixzz2TQ2yENf5

Wealth in America...It's Not What You Think it Is.

9 Out Of 10 Americans Are Completely Wrong About This Mind-Blowing Fact

Infographics on the distribution of wealth in America, highlighting both the inequality and the difference between our perception of inequality and the actual numbers. 

The reality is often not what we think it is.

Click on Video to watch.

How to Clean Your Arteries With a Fruit...

A new study published in the journal Atherosclerosis confirms that pomegranate extract may prevent and/or reverse the primary pathology associated with cardiac mortality: the progressive thickening of the coronary arteries caused by the accumulation of fatty materials known as atherosclerosis.

The journal Clinical Nutrition published the results of a three year clinical trial in an Israeli population, finding that the daily consumption of pomegranate juice reversed carotid artery stenosis by up to 29% within 1 year.

Impressed?  Click below for link to article.

LINK:

United States of Food Stamps

The fact that food stamp usage continues to move up is a very telling sign of our current economic situation.  Over 47.77 million Americans are now on food stamps.  

In many parts of the country, Wal-Mart stores have adjusted store hours at the end of the month to coincide with food stamp debit cards (EBT) being reloaded allowing people to shop.  

Click link to full article.

LINK:

"You don't need us to tell you GAS prices are UP."

How the media works...funny, but not new.

At least 6 out of every 10 people you know...

Most Americans Not Happy at Work: 

In an economy where millions are unemployed for months or even longer, you might think that those who are employed would be feeling good about their job, maybe even lucky.

Think again.

A joint survey from PARADE magazine and Yahoo! Finance of 26,000 Americans found that almost 60 percent would choose a different career.

Full article with video:

U.S. Homeownership Rate Falls to Lowest Since 1995

The ugly  TREND of  "not being able to afford a mortgage" is driving investors. 

The U.S. homeownership rate fell to the lowest in almost 18 years, reflecting rising demand for rentals and investor purchases in the housing market.

The share of Americans who own their homes was 65 percent in the first quarter, down from 65.4 percent a year earlier and the lowest level since the third quarter of 1995, the Census Bureau reported today.

Investors are buying single-family homes and renting them out to capitalize on demand among families unable to qualify for a mortgage.

The homeownership rate will continue to fall throughout the year. It peaked at 69.2 percent in June 2004, spurred by easy credit.

LINK to article