Category Archives: Retirement

Retirement

For Those Who Want LESS Regulation

A two-income American family with an average income that dutifully invests in a 401(k) plan using typical strategies will lose $155,000 – or about 30 percent of what they should have saved for retirement — to Wall Street fees, according to a study by an economic justice advocacy organization.

The Demos study, released last month, is just the latest in a long string of research showing 401(k) plans are a better deal for Wall Street than for you. Many show that people lose about one-third of their retirement money to fees that they don’t even know they’re paying. The actual lifetime impact of fees is a matter of widespread debate, but it shouldn’t be. In one dramatic example, John Bogle, the inventor of index funds, demonstrated how fees can consume 80 percent of an investor’s money through something he’d dubbed “the tyranny of compounding fees.” (Click on the link to see his proof.)
Bob Sullivan

Ahhhhh….. the beauty of an unregulated free market!

Retirement

C’mon…..Retirement is GREAT in any State


10 Worst-Rated States for Retirement



Cost of living, climate, crime rates and more factor into Money-Rates.com’s rankings



It’s not uncommon to find a list of the best places to retire, either here or abroad. But a list of the worst places? That’s what the folks at Money-Rates.com pulled together.


The finance website looked at such factors as crime rate, climate, longevity and economic conditions, including taxes, job opportunities and cost of living, to compile a ranking of the 10 worst states for retirement.

Some of the bottom dwellers might come as a surprise. Maine finished dead last in the rankings. The high cost of living and harsh climate dragged down the state’s appeal to retirees. Joblessness and tax burdens weighed on runner-up Michigan. Massachusetts received a poor ranking because of cold weather and the cost of living.

Here are the 10 worst states for retirement, with No. 1 being the lowest-ranked, according to Money-Rates.com:

10. Wisconsin
9. New York
8. Washington
7. Rhode Island
6. Maryland
5. Alaska
4. Connecticut
3. Massachusetts
2. Michigan
1. Maine

Retirement

Good Day to be Retired

We haven’t had a lot of snow this winter but we are going to get some today. We have about 10″ on the ground now and it’s snowing hard and supposed to snow all day.
 Yee Haw!!
 A great day to be retired.



The scene early this morning on I-25.

Action, Retirement, Union, UPS

Money, Money, Money


UPS 3Q Profit Rises 5 Percent, Keeps Year View





By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP AP Transportation Writer

NEW YORK October 25, 2011 (AP)
     UPS says the global economy is leveling off, as growth in Europe and some U.S. units make up for sluggishness in the once-hot market for Asian imports.
     The world’s largest package delivery company said Tuesday that improvement in its supply chain and freight business in the U.S. helped it report a 5 percent improvement in third-quarter earnings. It also maintained its earnings forecast for the full year, which bakes in an expectation that the U.S. economy will continue to grow at a very slow pace.
     UPS still expects to earn between $4.15 and $4.40 per share this year. Analysts polled by FactSet Research currently predict $4.23 per share.
     In the three months ended Sept. 30, the Atlanta company earned $1.04 billion, or $1.06 per share, compared with $991 million, or 99 cents per share, a year earlier.
     Revenue rose 8 percent to $13.17 billion. Sales in its freight unit — which hauls heavier items like refrigerators and other appliances — rose 5 percent. U.S. domestic package revenue was up 7 percent. Despite a slowdown in shipments of iPods, computers and other expensive gadgets from China, international package revenue still rose 14 percent. Strength in Europe, despite continued debt worries there, held up UPS’ international unit.



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AP


 



     The most dramatic slowdown in UPS’ business from last year was in shipments from China to the U.S. Americans pulled back on spending this summer amid debt talk uncertainty in Washington and growing fears of another recession. UPS said volume fell between Asia and U.S. in the third quarter; a year ago, it leaped by 47 percent.
     To counteract the slowdown there, UPS is using fewer planes to cut costs. But in a conference call with analysts, UPS Chief Financial Officer Kurt Kuehn said the cuts weren’t enough to account for the steep decline in demand. If American consumers pull back further, the company said it will make more adjustments, mostly by redeploying planes to parts of the world where business is better.
     Higher prices and fuel surcharges helped drive results in the third quarter. Operating profit in its international segment fell 2.4 percent. Operating profit also fell at the company’s core U.S. package business, but rose 10 percent for supply chain and freight. The supply chain unit provides a number of services for companies including help with warehouse and shipping efficiency. It’s growing as more companies look for ways to reduce costs.
     United Parcel Service Inc. made more money from its fuel surcharge plan in the quarter as oil prices fell rapidly. In times when prices are falling quickly, UPS — which charges customers a surcharge based on the price of oil — benefits because the charge lags actual prices by about two months.
     UPS shares fell $1.52, or 2.1 percent, to close at $69.35 Tuesday.