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A New Trend Is Born...

Question: If nearly 30% of all new parents are now getting financial assistance from their parents, how are those who end up supporting their children making up the difference for their own retirement?  Think about it. ...Dennis

Young Couples Moving Back Home To Save Money For Baby

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – You’ve heard of college graduates bunking with mom and dad as they look for their first job.   But today, some would-be moms and dads are saving for their new additions in a new way.

“Young couples, when they have a child or when they’re planning to have a child, are moving back in with their parents,” said Carmen Wong Ulrich, BabyCenter Financial expert,. “Ten percent of young women are staying, living at home with their parents to save money to have children. This is a new trend.”

13% of ALL Homes In US are Underwater!

With all the talk about "recovery" let's not forget that nearly 6.4 million homeowners in the United States are still "underwater" on their mortgages, owing the bank more than their house is worth. ...Dennis

6.4mn home mortgages in US still underwater

"Nearly 6.4 million homes, or13 percent of all residential properties with a mortgage were still in negative equity at the end of the third quarter," said CoreLogic, an Irvine, California based company providing financial, property and consumer information.

Losing Ground? This Chart Says It All.

                                           (CLICK ON CHART ABOVE TO ENLARGE)

The median net worth for U.S. households headed by boomers aged 55 to 64 was almost 8 percent lower, at $143,964, than those 75 and older in 2011, according to Census Bureau data. Boomers lost more than other groups in the stock market and housing bust of 2008, and many also lost their jobs in the aftermath at a critical point in their productive years.

...

“Baby boomers are the first generation without the safety net of pensions and other benefits their parents have,” said Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. “They’re facing a much more challenging old age.”

...

Lee (refer to LINK below) is hardly the only baby boomer who didn’t save enough, worked for companies without 401(k) accounts or lost significant amounts in the financial crisis. Today, her retirement savings of $120,000 are right at the median 401(k) balance for households headed by baby boomers, according to 2011 data from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

That will provide just $4,800 a year to boomers when they turn 65, assuming they take out 4 percent annually, the limit financial planners say should be withdrawn to assure retirees don’t run out of money in their lifetimes.

LINK:

Hey There's No Inflation...If You're A Vegetarian That Is...

I like to watch food prices like this because they indicate how inflation impacts the "guy in the street."  This is a good topic to discuss with your friends (and prospects) concerning the future and how people are coping with rising prices everywhere.  Of course we have a SOLUTION!  ...Dennis

Price of Ground Beef Hits All-Time High

(CNSNews.com) - The average price for a pound of ground beef hit its all-time in the United States in November, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In January 1980, when BLS started tracking the average price of 100-percent beef  ground chuck, a pound cost $1.82. By this November 2013, the same pound of ground beef cost $3.61 per pound. That was up from $3.49 per pound in October.

Retirement Unpreparedness is a GLOBAL Problem

This from The Canadian Press:  Not only are Canadians woefully unprepared for retirement, but there is a new report which shows that other industrialized countries are facing the same "ticking time bomb."   According to the US Census Bureau, 579 million people around the world are retired.  That number is expected to TRIPLE by 2050.  Their advice? "Don't rely on only ONE source of income."...Dennis

Special) - The media these days is full of reports about the Canadians' financial unpreparedness for retirement. Some recent studies show that Canadian Baby Boomers are more than $400,000 short of their individual retirement savings goal and there is a huge gap between how much money they say they will need to retire and how much they are actually saving.

Now a new global report by HSBC based on the opinions of 16,000 people in 15 countries shows Canadians are not alone in this financial predicament.

The "Waiter Terminator"...Coming to a Restaurant Near You.

Let's say you are working as a waiter and you dare complaining about needing more money.  It's now very possible that your boss may say something like, "you are welcome to quit and go find another job, because we're installing a iPad tablet that will do your job...and never complain." ...Dennis

As Fast Food Workers Go On Strike In 100 Cities, Applebees Unveils The "Waiter Terminator"

Earlier this week, restaurant chain Applebees unveiled what may soon be the "Waiter Terminator."

Most Underestimate or Have NO CLUE...

Most people DRASTICALLY underestimate how much they will be spending each year on out-of-pocket health care costs.  THE ACTUAL expenses for a 65-year old couple that retires today and lives for 25 years is estimated to be $283,000.  Are you ready for that?  How about your neighbors, friends and relatives?  This is THE top fear according to a nationwide survey.  ...Dennis

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than three in five (61 percent) pre-retirees now say they are “terrified” of what health care costs may do to their retirement plans. The annual survey by Nationwide Financial released today reveals the number of affluent pre-retirees jumped 30 percent from the fewer than half that used the word “terrified” last year to describe their concerns about paying for health care costs in retirement.

Healthiest Beverage On The Planet...In One Pill.

Imagine a product that has all the BENEFITS of drinking 14 cups of green tea a day. Try sharing this article with 10 people next week and then tell them about TeGreen.  It's really THAT EASY to pick up new customers...and THAT means regular VOLUME!  ...Dennis

10 Reasons Green Tea Is The Healthiest Drink In The World

Green tea is the healthiest beverage on the planet.

It is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients that have powerful effects on the body.

This includes improved brain function, fat loss, a lower risk of cancer and many other incredible benefits. 

Here are 10 health benefits of green tea that have been confirmed in human research studies.

Link to FULL ARTICLE:

"Encore Entrepreneurs" – 1 in 4 Are Interested Right NOW!

According to this study, it is HARDER for someone over 50 to return to the workforce if they've been "downsized" due to the recession.  It takes them a lot LONGER to find a job so, the author suggests, "entrepreneurship is a good way for them to use the skills that they have acquired throughout their lives."  And we just happen to have the PERFECT business for them to look at! ...Dennis  "

Baby boomers make an encore appearance in business world

An influx of entrepreneurs over the age of 50 are starting new businesses accross the nation.

When the nation’s economy crashed and the recession began, more than 13 million Americans lost their jobs — many of them nearing the age of Social Security.

In fact, a study conducted by Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research showed displaced workers over the age of 50 “are projected to be significantly worse off: their earnings are 14 to 19 percent lower over the remainder of this decade, financial assets are 22 to 30 percent lower, and they are up to 8 percent more likely to experience another layoff.”

This "Trait" CERTAINLY Applies to Our Business!

Great article and video below.  Of all the traits that would identify success in our business, I would have to say that THIS is at the top! ...Dennis

The Most Important Trait Of Successful People May Surprise You

Hey, super smart people. Got some news for you.

During a recent TED Talk, psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth said that while intelligence matters, a high IQ is not the greatest predictor of success.

Rather, the key is to have grit, or determination — the willingness to push through even when the odds are against you.

Watch Duckworth’s short lecture, and then we’ll keep going:

Read more: http://www.careerattraction.com/the-most-important-trait-of-successful-people-may-surprise-you/#ixzz2mMjQUXI7

Hey...There's No Inflation...Unless You Use Electricity

For those who think that inflation is low (because the Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates down), I think you might want to consider the cost of electricity (something everyone MUST have to live nowadays).  October was the 11th straight month when the average price of electricity continued to creep up.  Not that big of a deal...unless you are trying to live on a budget.  Talk to your friends about it.  You have a business that can help them! ...Dennis


Price of Electricity Hit Record for October; Up 42% in Decade

The price of electricity hit a record for the month of October, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That made October the eleventh straight month when the average price of electricity hit or matched the record level for that month.

The average price of electricity in October was 13.2 cents per kilowatt hour (KWH), up from 12.8 cents per KWH in October 2012—and up from 9.3 cents per KWH in October 2003.

Americans now pay 42 percent more for electricity than they did a decade ago.

- See more at: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/price-electricity-hit-record-october-42-decade#sthash.wGqToNxY.n5rl5MZm.dpuf