Alternative Retirement Income Options

Alternative Retirement Income Options in 2005
by: JT McNaught

A very wise and good friend of mine told me once: "One good investment is worth a 'lifetime' of labor." After reading this article, the wisdom behind this statement will be clear to you.

The big question we should all be asking ourselves is "how much do we need to save to be able to support ourselves?". We cant estimate that unless we first make some basic assumptions:

A zero-inflation is unrealistic. It's safe to assume however about 2% inflation. If it is higher than that, it is bad for the economy of the country., The Bank of Canada is is mandated to keep inflation under control, using interest rates. If the average rate of inflation for the next 50 years is 2%, then a dollar 50 years from now will be worth roughly (1 - 0.02)^50 = 36 cents. So if save one million dollars today, these retirement dollars will be worth about $360,000. That's still enough to give you an annual income of $36,000 -- well above the poverty level.

Compound interest is powerful magic. In 50 years, money doubles roughly 7 times, which means that a single $1000.00
investment will grow to roughly $128000.00. Other than the work you did in the first year to save the money, you haven't had to do anything for the next 50 years.

That's roughly one-tenth of the million dollars most people would like to have sqirreled away for retirement. If you also want to have a million dollars, you'll need to invest about ten times this amount: say, $1000 a year for the next 10 years. Or roughly save $100 a month. Not too difficult is it?

If you can save more, sooner and earn more longer; this is better. Hence the name of my website http://www.BetterRetirementSooner.com.

Lets not forget about the federal and state taxes we have to pay every year. We dont have many tax breaks anymore, but the RRSP / 401(k) is there for us to use. Your RRSP / 401(k) is your friend because the money that you put into an RRSP / 401(k) is not taxed until you draw from the plan.

If you can make a 10% return on your money inside your RRSP, you get to keep the entire 10% and the compounded untaxed growth dollars until you retire and start making withdrawals. If this same 10% was earned outside your RRSP/401(k), and your yearly marginal tax rate is roughly 45%, you only get to keep about 5.5 percent of that. So you can reinvest less,and therefore your money over the years will grows slower.

These days...How do you make a double-digit return on your money? GICs are a low risk investment. And respectively, GICS only pay upto 5%. At 5%, it will take 14 years for your money to double. A $10000.000 GIC will grow to about $115,000 over 50 years. If you managed to save $300 each month instead of $100, you could get up to $300,000 or $400,000, but you should also think about taking on a little more risk than just GICs. What do you do if you cant wait 50 years for your retirement nest-egg?

According to Statistics Canada the stock market has maintained an average return of 9% annually. If you're not a seasoned investor, you may not be comfortable with the idea of putting your money into the stock market. Trust me, if you do not know what you are doing, leave the stockmarket to the professionals because you can lose your shirt.

Don't try to time the markets yourself. There are to many variables and you don't have the information required fast enough to make the timely decisions necessary to be profitable. An inexperienced Day Trader will fsail as miserably as an inexperienced gambler! The odds are very much infavour of the house!

Large mutual funds are a good investment vehicle. You can regularly invest a small amount every month in a mutual fund
instead of stocks, realize better growth than if you invested in a stock or two yourself. Mutual funds reduce the risk of losing all your money because they are managed daily by professional money market analysts. Politics and the economy are very difficult to predict. Merely not being able to sell in the first few hours of a crisis can be very very costly to you and your retirement fund. A Mutual Fund manager will be ready and better prepared to properly deal with a major shift in the market so we dont all lose our shirts.

You must Plan and budget to build Savings. If your goals and your expenses are out of balance -- there's no way you can save enough to meet your goals -- make a first pass through your expenses, seeing where you can trim them. Even consider lowering your goals a little.

It is usually much easier to save $100.00, than it is to earn an extra $200.00 because of the taxes payable. Roughly $100 in tax must be paid on that extra $200.00 you earn based on your middle class tax bracket. So planning yor retirement at a later stage in your life, starts with a change in priorities. Begin spending less rather than trying to work overtime to earn more. You may have to do without some of those "nice to have items" that you are dreaming of, or you may end up having to eat cat food in your later years if you don't!

Once you've got some savings accumulated, keep three months worth in a bank account for short term emergencies. Liquid assets are the easiest to get your hands on when yo need them. Dont worry about making big interest on this money. When you have your emergency money saved, we can talk about savings-building options, to meet our goals. Once you have your short term nest egg squirrelled away, you can begin regularly contributing to long term investments for retirement.

Can You retire at 65? Because of modern medicine, our life expectancy is longer. Much longer now in 2005 than it was in 1927. Whereas, we used to live until an average age of 61, we now live to an average age of 78! Do you know? The chances are that if you live to be 65, there is a 25% chance that you will live well into your 90's today.

There is a big problem with this because of our life expectancy, we need live longer on our retirement savings, much longer! So it is harder to retire comfortably today! This means that if you did not start saving significantly when you were young, most likely you will NOT have enough money to live well, for very long, after you are retired, unless you win the lottery. But don't panic! The
situtation is still not that desperate.

In fact, Financial advisors are now telling older people not to retire at retirement age, but instead, keep working. Work, even part time, as long as you can after the official retirement age. This helps to build furthur savings or at least stretch the savings you did have so you can live well in retirement longer and wealthier. The bottom line is, we all need a lot more savings and even so, one can no longer retire well on savings alone - at least not for 20-30 years of retirement - thats for sure!

What if you dont feel like working into your 70's? What if Mopping floors at Walmart and flipping burgers for minimum wage at MacDonalds, until your 70, is not for you? This is the million dollar question!

Remember my friends statement: "One good investment is worth a 'lifetime' of labor."? If you have an investment that is
bringing-in income, month after month; monthy income for the rest of your life , then you have succeed in securing a wealthy retirement for yourself. You can retire and not worry about running out of savings! Cool. What kind of investment are we talking about? We know real-estate rental properties are such a means because they are not a lot of work adn they bring in money month after month. This is not the only way though.

We are lucky today. We have some really good options for earning money now. In fact, because of the internet, we have the entire world as our marketplace now. Via the internet we can all have a home based-business and a customer base too! All we need is an internet business that we can tend to a few hours a day...a business that will generate monthly income for us 24/7/365 days a year, for the rest of our life.

Here are some Recent Internet facts and Figures:

1. By 2007 there will be 1.1 billion Internet users worldwide. - IDC, 2004

2. Worldwide broadband subscribers exceeded 150 million in 2004. - Point Topic, 2004

3. Over 40% of all Americans have made a purchase online. - NDP Group, 2004

4. Over 75% of online consumers do not care whether an online store is run by a large or small company. - TNS, 2004

5. $1.6 trillion was made via e-commerce in 2003; $7.1 trillion is expected in 2007. - Source: IDC, 2004

6. A recent UK study indicated that 82% of Internet users go online to research products and services. - UK Stats Office 2004

7. More than 60 million Europeans now shop online, an increase of 50% since 2003. - Forrester, December 2004

8. US online retail sales will more than double over the next six years, reaching $316 billion by 2010. - Forrester, Aug 2004

9. 61% of small and mid-sized enterprises believe the Internet is a significant advertising medium.-The Kelsey Group, Nov 2004

10. In 2004, paid search advertising grew by 51% to $3.6 billion in the US alone. - eMarketer 2004

The internet has big potential and opportunity that we did no have back in 1927. It should not be overlooked or under-estimated!

If you can save more, sooner and earn more longer; you will have secured yourself a fabulous retirement! Hence the name of my website http://www.BetterRetirementSooner.com

Happy Retirement!



About the author:
http://www.betterretirementsooner.com
email: jtmcnaught@detailsinstantly.com
Re-print Rights: You may use this article in it's entirety, all that I ask is that you contact me with an email here: ReprintRights@BetterRetirmentSooner.com to let me know. Thank You!!
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Do you want to generate extra dollars and new friends in the stock market?

Do you want to generate extra dollars and new friends in the stock market?
by: Alice



What is an Investment Club?

The definition of an investment club is simple: a group of people who share an interest in the stock market pooling their resources into one large investment. Defining how an investment club works is more complicated.

The majority of the time the investment decisions will be made after some research has been done regarding the stock that is under consideration. This will be discussed at length further in this book.

An important feature of an investment club is that the members are there to have fun as they invest their money and learn about the stock market. Making a profit isn’t the only goal of the club and members are encouraged to have fun as they invest their money.

You Don't Have To Be An Expert Stock Broker To Get Started Today! http://www.getwhatever.com/pvinc/

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Real Estate Foreclosure Risk

Real Estate Foreclosure Risk: The Double-Edged Sword in Real Estate Foreclosure Investments
by: Diane Bulmer

As a real estate foreclosure investor, now is the time to take advantage of the growing opportunities and profits in the real estate foreclose market due to rising foreclosure risk. However, without accurate foreclosure investment advice you also face the inevitable challenge of avoiding foreclosure risk; the double-edged sword.
Investment opportunities in the real estate foreclosure market have never been brighter. We have all read the past headlines: "85,000 Homes in Foreclosure", "Foreclosures Hit the Highest Level in 30 years", "U.S. Foreclosure Inventory Levels on the Rise"..., brought about by hard economic times and subprime loans. Now we are seeing a new trend: "What's up? Foreclosures rise in record year"..., while new single-family home starts are breaking records, foreclosures are growing. Rising home prices has led anxious first time buyers to purchase homes with little or no equity, combined with other rising costs, such as property taxes, they run the risk of mortgage foreclosures. A recent study by SMR research indicates a future increase in real estate foreclosures due to the rise of foreclosure risk will continue. Don't miss out on these growing real estate foreclosure investment opportunities, for more advice check out http://www.foreclosure-blogger.com.

Real estate foreclosure investors can take advantage of the investment opportunities and profits available while minimizing their real estate foreclosure risk. A sharp investor should do some simple homework and get accurate real estate foreclosure information. Avoid risk and mistakes concerning a potential property's fair market value as housing prices escalate. Know the true equity available in the home including pending IRS liens. Understand hidden title issues and more. Don't miss out on lost opportunities because of unnecessary risk due to lack of real estate foreclosure advice.


About the author:
For more information visit: http://www.foreclosure-blogger.com

Forex Trading: Great Opportunity or Scam?

Forex Trading: Great Opportunity or Scam?
by: Steve Pickering

A lot of interest has been generated recently in FOREX trading, hailed by some as the great new investment opportunity. There are even companies running TV infomercials, offering sure fire systems that will bring massive profits in an easy fashion.


So what is forex? Is it something new? The exchange of currencies is said by some to be the world's second oldest profession and as long as there have been two sovereign states that have issued their own currencies, there has been foreign exchange as a facilitator for trade.


Forex, as foreign exchange has been abbreviated to, has been conducted for centuries and has become a global market with a daily turnover according to a recent Bank for International Settlements survey of $1.9 trillion (billion, billion) per day. Essentially it is a global market place with no physical exchange building where all claims on foreign currencies are settled - between governments, corporations, investors and speculators among others. Banks have traditionally been the middlemen who provide the liquidity to this gigantic market, which incidentally is traded on an almost continuous 24-hour basis.


Then came the Internet and suddenly it became possible for everyone to get a piece of the speculative action. Brokers sprouted up with their electronic trading platforms and high 'leverage'. Essentially the brokers lend clients funds to speculate with, 100:1 or in some cases up to 400:1 ratio, or leverage. This means that $10,000 can 'control' up to $4,000,000 in the market. This is far higher than is possible in the stock market.


Many people have been attracted to the possibilities of earning fast profits from forex. There are often sharp movements that can turn your $10,000 to $20,000 in a matter of minutes. You can also get wiped out, but the lure of a fast buck has turned would-be speculators into out-and-out gamblers.
The Internet has also made it possible for the individual to obtain so-called 'charts', that allow them to do 'technical analysis' on their own PCs. The theory is that price movement patterns repeat themselves, so if you have a system of analysis, you can predict a future move in the market.


This may well be the case, but it does not address the problems of the psychology of trading - the fear and greed that drives many to irrational behaviour. People are often taken in by the seller of a system, often paying $5,000 for a piece of software that shows a green light to buy and a red light to sell. However, they don't tell you how to manage your money.


So speculators lose. It has been estimated that 90% of new investors in forex lose their capital in the first year - an appalling figure. What can one do to avoid being a victim? Well, forex is a business like any other business and planning is required. It is also a profession and as such, adequate training is necessary so that you understand fully what forex trading is all about.


Many are prepared to invest thousands in forex trading without really knowing what it is all about. Just think if franchises were offered in a major hamburger chain without the franchisees having a clue how to run a restaurant or even make the burgers. The failure rate would also probably be 90%!
As with all investing, it is all a matter of risk and reward. Investing in Government securities is considered low risk, therefore they carry the lowest return. Increase the risk (the probability of loss on the investment), the higher an investor is rewarded in terms of return. An individual trading forex decides his own level of risk, which should dictate the level of reward. However, in the hands of an inexperienced trader, the two factors are impossible to reconcile, meaning in stark terms that traders cannot control the risk or the reward levels.


People attracted to forex trading often have an unrealistic expectation of what can be earned. To start with an investment of $5,000 and expect to be making $100,000 a year after the first year is unrealistic. It is not impossible; then again, neither is winning the lottery.
If the parameters for trading are laid down and adhered to combined with knowledge of forex trading, success is possible. It does not take much in the way of 'enhanced' returns to be able to double an investment. 26% per annum is required to double your investment within 3 years.


Who is going to teach you? There are some very good courses available, but these will only give you the theory, in itself very important. The ideal way is to have a mentor, or guide to show you the way.
Getting mentored is a wise move because it makes it possible to draw on the experience of a veteran expert and avoid making the common mistakes that cause the unwary to suffer catastrophic losses. After a while under guidance, a forex trader will gain the experience


The bottom line is that forex is not in itself a scam. There are for sure scam artists who prey on individuals' greed as there are in any other business. If it is approached in a sensible and realistic manner and the trader is prepared to work hard, forex can provide a good living both financially and materially.




About the author:
Steve Pickering is founder and owner of Forex Trader Mentor and has been engaged in the forex markets since 1971.
www.forextradermentor.com

Spend Wisely to Save Money

Spend Wisely to Save Money


Have you ever noticed that the things you buy every week at the grocery and hardware stores go up a few cents between shopping trips? Not by much…just by a little each week but they continue to creep up and up.

All it takes for the price to jump up by a lot is a little hiccup in the world wide market, note the price of gasoline as it relates to world affairs.

There is a way that we can keep these price increases from impacting our personal finances so much and that is by buying in quantity and finding the best possible prices for the things we use and will continue to use everyday… things that will keep just as well on the shelves in our homes as it does on the shelves at the grocery store or hardware store.

For instance, dog food and cat food costs about 10% less when bought by the case than it does when bought at the single can price and if you wait for close out prices you save a lot more than that.

Set aside some space in your home and make a list of things that you use regularly which will not spoil. Any grain or grain products will need to be stored in airtight containers that rats can’t get into so keep that in mind.

Then set out to find the best prices you can get on quantity purchases of such things as bathroom items and dry and canned food.

You will be surprised at how much you can save by buying a twenty pound bag of rice as opposed to a one pound bag but don’t forget that it must be kept in a rat proof container.

You can buy some clothing items such as men’s socks and underwear because those styles don’t change, avoid buying children’s and women’s clothing, those styles change and sizes change too drastically.

Try to acquire and keep a two year supply of these items and you can save hundreds of dollars.


Better Investing
http://halalhubonline.blogspot.com

E-currency Exchange Trading

E-currency Exchange Trading
by: Tim Rohrer

I have searched high and low and tried MLM's such as Market America, Quixstar, Trek Alliance and Amway. The business idea works, however people need to sell products and build their downline to be successful. I hated the idea of trying to convince people that Market America, Quixstar and all the other MLM's worked. In fact, that was the hardest thing to do was to convince somebody that these MLM's worked!

I have finally found a system that involves no selling, no downline and and garunteed profits with a little learning involved. I thought this couldn't be true, I actually don't have to sell something and didn't have to build a downline!

Let me explain how it works. There are hundreds of companies on the internet that deal with electronnic funds, such as Netpay, PayPal and INTgold. Currency exchanging is relatively unknown but incredibly lucrative business opportunity. While Currencies are traded all over the world (like with Forex), there are both US-based and offshore trading houses that need your flow of dollars to facilitate their business operations.

This is where you,"The Merchant" comes in. By making funds temporarily avaliable to the Global Exchange Network creates float. The company we work with is able to borrow against this dollar amount and the commissions come back to us. The funds you lend to the network are typically returned in a 24 to 36 hour time frame. For example, by pushing $100 in INTGold to another person in exchange you recieve a fee of $3.50. This process takes about 30 seconds. When the funds come back into your account you make another $1. $4.50 isn't bad for something that takes 15 seconds to do. There are other ways to cycle this money back through the system and reinvest profits to your bottom line. On top of building float, your investment is compounded daily and you easily make gains of .35% off of your investment per day. How much is that? Well if you invested $100 that would be 35 cents per day profits. Now imagine when your investment grows to $1000 and $5000.... even $10,000 your daily profits are easily $35 per day. Remember the best part about this is that is compounded daily!

How much can you start with? You can start with as little as $25.00 I recommend a few hundred dollars until you get to know the system and become more comfortable with the exchange network.

I learned the e-currency exchange network through a group of friends online. It is extremely difficult trying to learn how to do this sitting in chat rooms and reading posts. I finally gave in and purchased a guide that literally enabled me to double my investment in under a month. I am very pleased with my results and I can now kiss those MLM's that require downline building and selling goodbye forever!



About the author:
If you would like to inquire more information about e-currency exchange visit our website at wwww.mazumoney.net

If you have any questions don't hesitate to e-mail us at onlinesupport@mazumoney.net I am very down to earth and would not have any problems speaking to you personally if you request a phone call through our support e-mail.

URL: www.mazumoney.net
E-mail: onlinesupport@mazumoney.net Please don't hesitate. Take a look at this opportunity, I can garuntee as long as follow the steps to invest properly you will not be sorry!

Angel Investors: Who They Are & When Are They Appropriate

Angel Investors: Who They Are & When Are They Appropriate
by: Dave Lavinsky

Angel investors are individuals who invest in emerging business ventures. Angels typically provide both capital and know-how to companies who are in either their start-up or expansion phases. To reflect the increased risk of investing in such firms, angels seek a higher rate of return versus traditional public stock investments.

Angel investors fulfill the financing need that exists between capital provided by friends and family and capital provided by venture capitalists. Individual angel investors often write checks from $25,000 to $100,000. Recently, angel investing has become more organized, and angel groups often invest from $250,000 to $500,000 at a time to deserving ventures.

Angel investors often have similar financing criteria as venture capitalists. They want to see proprietary intellectual property, a large market size, management team members with expertise and experience and a current valuation that allows for a good return on investment.

In identifying and attracting an angel investor, companies should seek angel groups that are located in their region. For instance, the Tech Coast Angels have funded over 85 Southern California-based companies since 1997. When seeking individual angel investors, it is critical to network in order to create a personal connection between yourself and the angel. Also, ideally the individual has experience within your specific field so he/she can provide industry contacts and operational expertise in addition to capital.

About the author:
Growthink Business Plans has developed over 200 business plans for clients have collectively raised over $750 million in financing, launched numerous new product and service lines and gained competitive advantage and market share. For more information go to http://www.growthink.com

All About Stock Market

All About Stock Market
by: scott morris

A stock market simulation game is a great way to practice your investment skills before actually investing any "real" money in the stock market.

Simulation games are usually played on the internet, where people can experience the thrill of investing in the stock market without any risks, costs or any fear of losing money when and if they make a poor investment decision.

Many teachers and professors of banking and finance are now using stock market simulation games to teach their students about the rudiments of investing in stocks. Most stock market simulation games come with a fee to get started, but there are some that are free of any charge. One does not need have prior knowledge about the stock market to join.

This is how stock market simulation games usually work:

First, players must register. After registration, players are given an initial sum of "virtual" money to invest in companies of their choice. Players build a portfolio of stocks by buying and selling shares in companies. Most stock market simulation games use real-time market data.

The objective of most stock market simulation games is simple:

To increase the value of your portfolio of stocks so that it is greater than that of the other game players.

Below are some tips on choosing a stock market simulation game:

• Choose a stock market simulation game that is used and recommended by reputable colleges, high schools, middle school, investment clubs, brokers in training, corporate education courses and any other group of individuals studying markets in the U.S. and worldwide.

• Choose a stock market simulation game that is comprehensive and easy to implement in any Finance, Economics, or Investments class. A good stock market simulation game should feature trading of stocks, options, futures, mutual funds, bonds from the U.S. and many of the world's major markets.

• Choose a stock market simulation game that provides a valuable, reliable, and realistic trading simulation at a reasonable price to members and other individuals who are interested in learning more about investing and trading. The simulation game should also have some capability for testing a variety for investment strategies.

• Choose a stock market simulation game that has a toll-free customer service phone number and excellent e-mail support for members. The support function should be able to quickly answer any questions that members/players may have.

• Choose a stock market simulation game that is easy to use and easy to teach even to those who have never had any real hands-on investment experience.

About the author:
Morris gathers information about simple trading systemsimple trading system.

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