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An Uncertain Economy & Your Retirement Money



Many of you are in the red zone right before retirement, or you’ve already retired. No doubt your number one fear is running out of money in retirement. You’re part of a very large and growing demographic force: 35 million over age 65, 50 million drawing Social Security and 78 million baby boomers now turning 62. This means the future demand for everything used by the “retirement set” will increase, and “retirement prices” will rise dramatically. Many of you may have accumulated a retirement nest egg in a pension account, will draw a company pension and/or have other savings and investments earmarked for retirement. Where should you keep your retirement money?

If you’re keeping up with economic and financial developments, here’s what you’re seeing: sub-prime credit meltdown that has destroyed housing and is now spilling over into automobile debt and credit cards; highly volatile stock and bond markets; a weak dollar fueling higher prices for oil and other goods; more unemployment and rising inflation; retail sales, consumer confidence and new jobs creation in sharp decline; drastic interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve to avoid a recession; a money giveaway stimulus package from Washington to prop up the lagging economy; widespread talk of recession and stagflation. These all add up to troubled economic times which should prompt you to review where you have your retirement money.

You’re told the stock market is the best long term, but “long term” has a different meaning in retirement. Didn’t the dot.com stock market meltdown in 2000-2002 send many retirees back to work and prevent others from retiring? Aren’t the current inflation-adjusted stock market indexes below their previous peaks? Regardless, the loud voices of Wall Street and investment companies are advising you to buy now at bargain prices. Are the markets headed higher or is their advice self-serving? Who can forecast the economy or the stock market?

If the stock market craters as it did in 2000-02 and 1973-74, and you lose some of your retirement money, how will you replace it? Since there will be no second chance, I encourage you to think carefully before you commit your money. If you’ve been told that you’ll do just fine over the longer run (generally meaning ten years), make sure you can wait this long for a market rebound. Also remember that a rebound is not certain!

What about fixed rate places like government bonds, bank CDs and money market accounts? These are rock-solid safe unless your greatest fear is outliving your money. Since current fixed rates are lower than inflation, you’ll be losing purchasing power with these choices. The potential loss of purchasing power will only add to the risk of outliving your money. What about real estate, collectibles and non-market investments? These are not only risky but generally illiquid. Before committing your retirement money, ask yourself this question: “How will I handle the worse case outcome?”

There is one savings place that offers an “opportunity” to make an above-market rate of return without the risk of loss if held to term. It is guaranteed by some of the world’s oldest, strongest and largest financial companies. The rate of return is determined by stock/bond market indexes with owners sharing in the upside potential but avoiding downside losses. The worse case outcome is a guaranteed positive rate of return. The earned interest is income tax deferred until actually withdrawn and there is no mandatory age when the money must be used. Additionally, it can be turned into a guaranteed lifetime income that can be started, stopped and stored. What’s more, it offers penalty-free partial liquidity for emergencies and bypasses probate if the owner names a beneficiary. It can be opened for a small or a large amount, and sometimes more money can be added later. There is no law which limits the amount of money that can be placed in it. It is truly a safe place to keep retirement money.

It is maligned by Wall Street and bankers because it competes with their products. The financial press doesn’t like it either – primarily because they are uninformed, misinformed or just plain biased. I’m talking about fixed index-linked annuities that are offered by insurance companies: the same companies that insure your home, live, health, business and other valuable assets. The worse case outcome is a positive, albeit small, rate of return if held to maturity, but there is an opportunity to do much better. Fixed index-linked annuities are not for everyone, but you need to consider them as one of your safe options for retirement money. Where are you keeping your retirement money in today’s uncertain and troubled economic climate? If in risky places, now is a great time to review your options.

Shelby J. Smith, Ph.D.

February 2008

Size Does Matter to Color Poster Printing – Primer on Different Size Uses



You can make the most out of your color poster printing. A colorful print, after all, can do a great deal to attract the eyes and reach out to all audiences.

Reach out to a particular location with your posters or draw out the crowd with the given extra large sizes these come in, both ways, you already have the advantage of getting high visibility among pedestrians.

Size does matter

You can have an extra large poster printed digitally to grace your store front and call out to nearby people. Or you can have a hundred pieces printed offset, which you can post in various strategic locations to get people visiting your store.

However, always remember that the saying size does matter can prove to be true, even with your posters. So, when getting your color posters printed, here are some useful size specifications for your poster designs:

11×17 Posters:

- Smaller sized posters are ideal for those with limited budget. It is bigger than the standard legal sized paper that most home made posters used, and is printed in a far better quality than most household desk jet printer.

- It is also best for indoors with limited space. Its small size makes it flexible to fit in most display areas, and can be seen fully from a distance of a few feet. When used outdoors, it can be placed almost anywhere, phone booths, comfort room, pillars, walls, and wherever legal.

- You can use these posters to advertise and invite audience for events for student organizations and other non-profit events. Like invitations, these posters are designed to hold visually attractive graphic with limited text information.

- When your business also has a celebrity endorser, or has wonderful graphics, these posters can also be given away as pin up promotional posters to customers.

18×24 Posters:

- 18×24 or 1.5x2ft posters are the standard indoor poster. They are large enough to hold your graphics or photographs with enough space to hold more information. The graphics can be used to capture attention, while the fine print can hold the information.

- It can be used to advertise promo mechanics, awareness campaigns, or important notices. These are often placed in waiting areas where people have time to read these prints.

- These posters can also work well with large indoor areas or covered walk ways that have pillars or display areas. The design and heading is large enough to be visible from a distance by pedestrians, but small enough to be noticeable if placed for motorists.

24×36 and 27 x39 Posters:

- This is generally an outdoor poster, although there are those who use this size to achieve higher impact for their indoor poster. As an indoor poster, the bigger size is targeted at high density or high traffic areas such as train stations, cafeterias, trade halls, etc. It attempts to capture and hold audience’s quick attention span.

- As an outdoor poster, the 24×26 or 2×3 ft poster can advertise to both motorists and pedestrians. The large space may be capable of holding more information, but the context in which it is placed make small prints difficult to read.

Custom Sized Posters:

- These custom sized posters are individually printed using digital printers. When you have a specific display area in mind like a store window, or a particular wall, custom sizes allow you to specify the size you need with half inch increments starting at 8×8 inches to as large as 58×100 inches. Use this color poster printing to create extra large impact on your viewers.

How Cloud Hosting Works



Cloud hosting is a web hosting service that is derived from a group of servers that are all connected together to increase features. These connected servers are what are referred to as a ‘cloud’ or ‘cluster’ and they enable any users on those servers to utilize all the resources from all the servers on the cloud.

Features like processing speed, power, memory, and hard drives are all shared. These servers can be easily added or removed and the best part is for the users, is that if one server goes down an alternate server can be used. Because cloud hosting providers measure what are known as compute cycles, which is measure of time it takes to process something, this allows for users of the cloud hosting to actually be billed for the resources that they use and need as opposed to the traditional web hosting billing methods.

Besides being able to be billed for what they need, many users prefer using cloud hosting for different reasons, some of which include:

o Scalability: This allows you to very easily add or subtract the resources you need without having to move to a different server. Such flexibility provides you with more control over your spending and also allows for you to adjust as you go along.

o Uptime: Typically with cloud hosting you get a better uptime than you do with the traditional web hosting services and this leads to your site being down less and ultimately will help keep money in your pocket. Sometime though cloud hosting can experience downtime if there is a problem within the network of servers and the servers are having trouble communication with one another.

o Traffic increases: Sometimes you see where a company that is profiled in the news has their website go down because their server couldn’t handle the big spike in traffic volume. When you use cloud hosting this is not a problem as the added servers can simply absorb the traffic spike.

o Technology integration: Hosting in the cloud different technologies can be used together that can’t be used together with regular hosting. For instance, with cloud hosting it is possible to use .php and .asp files together and even in the same folder because it can draw the technologies needed from the cloud. This gives you better flexibility and the ability to use almost any type of technology you want to and know that it will mesh without a hitch.

o No hardware installation: Since you are connected with a whole host of servers, instead of downloading hardware or software you can simply connect with a server that is in the cloud that has what you need.

Cloud hosting is relatively new and the track record is therefore anything but long. The biggest complaint with this type of hosting is that the lack of root means that there is going to be a lack of control. But still this type of technology is quickly gaining popularity and may just be the way that everyone in the future experiences web hosting.

Small Business Marketing Strategies – Niche Marketing Begins With You



Many entrepreneurs think that in developing their small business marketing strategies, they are best off selling to the widest possible market. They are afraid to pursue a niche because they fear they’ll lose business by turning away customers. The truth is that if you are not marketing to a distinct group of customers and offering them a unique solution, you will not be heard or found online.

Benefits of Niche Marketing When you market to a specific niche, you can focus your marketing resources. You understand the needs and language of your niche, so you can communicate better with them and speak directly to their situation.

By focusing on a niche, you become an expert at providing your service or product. And as an expert, you command higher fees and leverage your efforts to create multiple streams of income.

Above all, when you target a niche, you can differentiate yourself. You significantly reduce your competition and create a distinctive personal brand.

Niche Definition There are many definitions of niche and target market, and the two are often used interchangeably. But there is an important distinction.

A target market is the group of people most likely to buy your product or service. They are the people to whom your product is being marketed

A niche adds another dimension. A niche combines your target market (WHO) with the solution you are providing (WHAT). When you combine your “what” with your “who”, you have your niche.

Niche = target market (who) + the problem you are solving/need you are fulfilling (what)

The key to understanding niche marketing is realizing that people don’t buy a service or product, they buy a solution. That solution can help them solve a problem or achieve a goal. Being a solution provider is critical for good relationship marketing. When you become the solution provider for your target market, you are a winner.

How to Find Your Niche To identify your niche, is it best to start with your “who” or your “what”?

You can go either way, but in many cases, it is best to start with YOU.

You can’t be great at everything, but there is an area in which you have something special to offer — a unique skill or perspective or approach. What is unique about you and what you have to offer? What are your passions, skills, interests and expertise?

Once you have identified that, think about who wants what you have to offer. There has to be synchronicity between what you have to offer and what your target market wants. When you find that connection, you can identify your niche.

Remember, there is only one YOU, and you will ultimately attract those who find you compelling. Be true to yourself and you have the ability to help other people in ways that nobody else can.

Government Small Business Grants



Crucial facts about grants and funding

Finding and identifying the numerous government agencies that give business start up grants for categorical reasons in specific subject areas needs time, effort, and research. Here is you may find a starting point for attempting to find it.

If you are trying to find funding for an existing or new for-profit business, you’ll find that it is more difficult in finding and getting grant funding. Government grants are usually (though not really always) given to non-profit associations for programs and services that benefit the community or the public as a group.

The first place that you must look for govt grants is the United Kingdom government web site. This site will help you to be in a position to electronically find and apply for the diverse different grant opportunities from all grant-making agencies.

You may also look for information on the different sorts of grants and the govt. agencies which make grants. Also, you can join receive instant notification of future grant opportunities in your mailbox. Domestic assistance (CFDA), which hosts a total listing of various Government grants and other types of help that is available.

Here’s where you can get information on grants by class and topic Area or you can search the catalogue by key words etc. If you find it simpler that way. If you find a particular grant that has interest for you, ensure that you carefully read the section on suitability Requirements to find out if you would be qualified to sign up for that particular grant.

You should also know that most regime grants are not available all year-round.

When an agency makes their money available for a grant, it usually puts an announcement in the Fed.

Grants that are offered to individuals are generally given to them for instructional support ( financial support ), the humanities, and diverse other types of research, though some agencies will give away grants to individuals for other purposes. You should not be conned by adverts and promotions that say you can get free cash just by writing a letter. There’s a lot of competition out there for grant funds. If you want to be successful in getting a grant, you must supply the funding agency with an excellent proposal that explains your objectives and also offers a plan and a comprehensive budget plan for your activities.

Grants are only free in that you do not have to repay the cash. However , if you are awarded a grant you may be required to provide progress reports, program analysis, and / or financial reports to the governing body agency that gives you the grant.