Browse Retirement and Retirement Planning

DO YOU HEAR a growing rumble in the distance? Chalk it up to the coming the Baby Boomer Express, an enormous number of older folks in this country getting ready to retire. In fact, every 7 seconds an American turns 50 -- more than 12,500 people every day, the U.S. Census Bureau reports. Just three years ago, Boomers began turning 65, took their IRAs and pensions (if they had them), and started quitting their jobs and drawing social security en masse. Who are these boomer-people, and why do they seem to scare so many politicians and younger folks?

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AS A NEWLY retired person, do you REALLY expect EVERYTHING to go as planned? Consider the retiree who chooses to move to another country as an expat and then winds up going back home, giving up on the dream of living in a new culture because he or she can't seem to make needed cultural adjustments.

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To survive as a stranger in a strange land – a visitor in a new land – requires education and enough personal depth to avoid unfair prejudices that result from ethnocentrism. AFTER WORKING nearly eight months months to get a special “pensionada” visa, scouting out the correct pet carriers to bring along her dog and cat, holding umpteen garage sales and finally selling her mission-style bungalow at a small profit – all to retire in Paraguay as an expat – Bess G. flew off to retirement paradise. By the end of three months, Bess returned home.

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“People who lived through those days will tell you that something shifted in their hearts after Medgar Evers died, something that put them beyond fear…. At that point a new motto was born: After Medgar, no more fear.” Maryanne Voller, Esquire THERE MAY BE SOME WHO still ask "who was Medgar Evers and if they recognize the name, at all, what role did he have in the modern civil rights movement?" After all, American history books rarely do much service in telling the true and complete stories of this country’s early and modern civil rights movements.

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"You are asking me if I am surprised?" Bill and Kay are sharing a private moment talking about diversity changes planned for their regional bank, along with the initial executive board response. "Well, I knew we would have some resistance from at least one board member after we presented the plan. I guess I am a little surprised that Jerry K. used 'research' to back his opposition, saying diversity training simply doesn't work," Kay tells Bill. "Next board meeting, I'll have even better data," Kay smiles.

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Who knows? This could have been an overheard conversation at any office water cooler: James: Hey John, I'm retiring next month. John: Congratulations, man. This will be the beginning of the rest of your life. James (to himself): Whoa. Why did I open my mouth? Is John saying he thinks I am going to die or something? SAY YOU ARE James. How does John's message of congratulations really come across? Isn't retirement a scary word for most folks? Doesn't it conjure feelings of anxiety and depression, anticipation or relief?

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"I thought I left business and work and all of that snarly stuff - and now you want me to write down my business plans? To write down my goals? NOT!!" Sue is a newly retired office manager turned blogger who wants to make a small business of what she is doing -- blogging about business.

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WHY ARE WE STILL talking about the murder of 14-year-old Emmett TilL some 50-plus years postmortem? I blogged on the topic last August upon the 56th anniversary of this young African American boy’s brutal death back in 1955. Now his name is frequently appearing as national and international reporters, civil rights observers and historians link some aspects of Till's Mississippi lynching to the recent killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.

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ARE YOU A retiree who is looking for something intriguing and fun to do, while making extra money? If your answer is yes, you are not alone. In fact, most older employees (65 percent) recently told researchers they would like to have some form of work in their retirement, according to a 2011 Harris Interactive survey of 1,001 people age 55 and older commissioned by Sun America.

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Retirement planning means far more than addressing money issues, Jane C told me. The retired nurse expected to feel happy upon retirement, but found herself, instead, "just miserable nearly every day." Sitting at her kitchen table, drinking a cool ice tea, Jane told me her story. As a medical professional, Jane knew that her own loneliness, sadness, loss of sleep and other symptoms are often described as depression, so she set out to fix the problem by discovering a proactive approach to retirement - finding something worthwhile to do while adding to her retirement income base.r

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Most of us spend a considerable amount of time and energy in our lives working for our families and accumulating wealth. But unless you're careful, all of it will be going to waste. That's why a well-crafted estate plan is so critical. It ensures that your hard-ea ed wealth (including intangible, non-financial assets) can pass intact to those you intend to be your beneficiaries, instead of being siphoned off to government processes and bureaucrats, or even being lost. We all dislike handing over our resources to those who don't have our best interests in mind.

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One of the biggest goals of the affluent is to reduce estate taxes as much as possible when passing family assets to the next generation. As of 2007, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows every individual to pass two million dollars as an inheritance to be divided by their children or ...

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Over the last few months, most people were not sure whether their investments would still be with one of the large brokerage houses, or sold at auction to the highest bidder. With Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, AIG, Bank of America, Barclay Bank and Washington Mutual in the ...

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Whether you should put some of your retirement savings into a traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA), or a Roth Individual Retirement Account (Roth IRA), could be considered the Eighth Wonder of the World. The rules, just like most aspects of the investment world, are very confusing. ...

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When it comes to taxes, you can either laught or cry, so with tongue firmly in cheek, we'll try for some laughter. Unfortunately as you will see, this satire is based on certain sad facts. NEW YORK STATE’S NEW TAX Interview with the Commissioner of Taxation for the state of New York I interviewed New York State Commissioner of Taxation, the Honorable Grabyur Moola shortly after his appointment by newly elected Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo. Me: “Thank you for seeing us, sir. Our readers have questions about the new tax that is in front of the legislation right now.”

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THE BEST TAX TIP…EVER!

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The Return of Prosperity – A Three Part Series. Part One: An objective Viewr Part Two: The good signsr Part Three: What to do right now! Part One: An Objective View. “If it ain’t bad, it ain’t news”rn-Unknown reporter at the scene of Joey Gallo’s murder, April 7, 1972.

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About twenty years ago, I became incredibly curious about how the second half of one's life can develop. Some of this interest came from observing my family: when I was born, my grandparents were in their early forties, and I was fascinated with choices they made in life. We talked about their professional lives, their interests and hobbies at length, and it was only later in life that I came to fully understand and appreciate the value of the insights they gave me.

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At some point in life, we start noticing that all of our mistakes are just variations on half a dozen or so major mistakes. Have you ever noticed what yours are? In this article, I'll help you avoid some of the most common mistakes people make with their retirement finances, but you can apply these principles to your general financial affairs just as well.

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The world has been fascinated with Warren Buffett, and rightfully so. Berkshire Hathaway has a better performance than any other stock or mutual fund with at least a 30-year history. A dollar invested in Berkshire in 1976 would have been worth $1500 in 2011. A recent paper by Andrea Frazzini and David Kabiller of AQR Capital Management, and Lasse Pedersen of New York University explains the magic behind the wizard's performance.

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Economists say that 4 factors converged to cause the conditions of the financial collapse: nn-- low interest rates and easy credit; -- deregulation since the 1970s and lax regulation under the Bush Administration; -- bank and mortgage dealers aggressively pushing housing loans to unqualified ...

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Don't be idle with all the opportunities out there! Check out the many, many listings for paid jobs, volunteer opportunities, and even internships at any of the websites below. Many volunteer jobs provide training and/or open the door for positions with remuneration, so keep an open ...

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Recently, a friend asked me whether I was worried about the current financial meltdown in the U.S. and what I was going to invest in. I asked him, "How crazy do you want to get?" I have been a pessimist about the U.S. financial markets for several years for many, many reasons. The truth is ...

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Low Cost Retirement in Mind? "Step Away From the Coasts"! Most of the experts think that our economic mess could continue for the next few years. If you have just retired and are trying to figure out how to adjust to life with a smaller portfolio, this article might help with some perspective. ...

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CMS Reminds Medicare Beneficiaries to Review and Compare Their Current Drug Coverage. On September 25, 2008, CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems announced the 2009 Medicare prescription drug and Medicare Advantage plan options for those of us enrolled in Medicare. Almost 97% of beneficiaries ...

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If every Boomer were to need to go into a skilled nursing facility, the U.S. Government would be bankrupt. This is not just a U.S. problem. I was at a meeting of international experts on food security. At one point all the delegates were shaking their heads, wondering how their governments ...

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The word “crisis” suggests considerable pain and suffering. We all wince at the memory of the crises in our lives: having to choose which college to go to or career to start after High School, getting married, having a child, changing jobs, moving, divorcing, etc. In fact, the word “crisis” ...

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Before Sandy moved to a senior living community, she lived alone in a Pasadena condo. Early retirement from an engaging and challenging career meant the loss of daily contact with friends she was accustomed to and enjoyed. Her daughter, Michelle, began to worry about the toll isolation was having on her mother. Michelle considered building an addition to her home for her mom to live in, but the cost was prohibitive. And, honestly, Sandy didn’t really want to burden her daughter’s family.

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Community living gets a bad rap, and it’s rare to encounter an older adult who’s excited about making the move. Often, the decision to downsize and leave the family home is a big barrier.

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Thousands of people tu 55 each day in Canada. Most of them will retire for the first time, unsuccessfully, at age 57. Why “unsuccessfully”? Because while many pre-retirees plan and calculate their financial resources to ensure an adequate nest egg to fund their retirement, almost none of them invest time and energy planning the non-financial aspects of retiring. For example: • When is the right time for me to retire? • Do I expect retirement to consist of full-time leisure? How do I know that will be satisfying for me?

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Whether you are already in a transition or just exploring some new options, you have the opportunity to examine whether a change of job or career is appropriate - and any perceived barriers to making that needed change. It takes courage to face what isn’t working in our lives – but the wonderful consequence of taking that courageous step is often a major leap forward in our personal growth. Rather than facing the need for change, many of us prefer to stick our heads in the sand. We want to avoid looking at our needs and challenges directly.

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Whether you are between jobs, wish you were in a different job, or just want to experience more satisfaction in your current job, a Career Coach is there to help you. A coach will enable you to make some important discoveries about yourself and the work environment in which you can be your best self. These discoveries are translated into concrete career choices that, perhaps for the first time in your life, will satisfy you at a deep level.

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For a great number of us, work is the primary domain from which our sense of self is derived. For better or for worse, we live in a culture which strongly dictates that we identify with our work roles, defines who we are by what we do and routinely structures our lives so that we know where we ...

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We’ve all heard about the “new retirement”, the mix of work and play that many of us assume we will have in our lives one day. We do not expect “retirement” to be all leisure. While this is becoming a cultural assumption among baby boomers, it is interesting to see that certain financial assumptions haven’t really changed with the times.

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Confusing doesn’t even begin to describe it. Throughout the very long debate over health care reform, a great deal of misinformation (spurred by presumption or misunderstanding) was circulating. Additionally, many changes and alterations to the proposed law were made along the way. At this point, some of the arguments your friends, neighbors or co-workers continue to debate don’t even factor into the legislation signed by President Obama. So what’s the truth behind the Affordable Health Care for America Act? Q: Will I be forced to change insurance? A: No.

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Question: My husband and I have made the decision to start working with a financial planner this year. The problem is there are so many to choose from. How do I know who I can trust and who is a good fit for me?

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Retiring from ones job can be a stressful time but it doesn’t have to be. Realize that it’s natural to be nervous, anxious and/or confused when you’re going through a major life change. Your decision to retire is causing you to step outside your comfort zone and is forcing you to make many new decisions and learn new things. Most importantly, remember that you only get one shot at retirement and you don’t want to make any mistakes. So here are some of the more common mistakes people make when retiring and how you can avoid them. 1.

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www.bradcooperpresents.com When it comes to Retirement Readiness, we are facing a crisis of epic proportion. Many Americans have no idea how far Behind The Retirement Planning 8 Ball they really are. Whether you are retired or very close to it, whether you've accumulated a couple hundred thousand dollars or several million, planning for your retirement is more challenging today than ever.

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What’s your retirement style? I've identified four different types of retiree - Activists, Individualists, Specialists and Traditionalists. Activists are the movers and shakers in retirement, the trailblazers - the ones who start new charities and foundations. They are the ones who fight for their rights and the right of others. Activists have a determination to make life better for somebody, somewhere, and their cause can be the environment, health, education or community.

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What’s your retirement style? I've identified four different types of retiree - Activists, Individualists, Specialists and Traditionalists. I think of Individualists as the self-actualisers of the second half of life - they have the need to fulfil their potential and be all that they can be, and their ideal retirement would be a portfolio of activities which combines: • meaningful work, • learning, • personal development, and • community and/or voluntary activity.

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What’s your retirement style? I've identified four different types of retiree - Activists, Individualists, Specialists and Traditionalists. Specialists are the enthusiasts, the devotees, the people who have a continuing (often lifelong) passion for their work - they love what they do so much that they'll never retire and they'll just keep on working until they drop.

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What's your retirement style? I've identified four different types of retiree - Activists, Individualists, Specialists and Traditionalists. Traditionalists want a traditional 'rest and relaxation', 'pottering about' type of retirement. They don't want to change the world, or even themselves. They don't particularly want to work part-time or get a retirement career or start a retirement business... They worked all their lives and they're done with work.

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Brazil. Russia. India. China. These four nations have some of the fastest-growing economies on earth and are becoming drivers in the world economy. In the coming decades, they may command as much attention as the U.S., Japan and other “heavy hitters” … or more. The future aside, we know one thing about the BRIC nations and other emerging markets: collectively, stocks in these countries have outperformedU.S.

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Two of the potential pitfalls of the 'Routine' stage of retirement are becoming set in your ways by having too rigid a routine and leaving no time or scope for fun and spontaneity in your life. With that in mind, here are my top ten ideas for bringing more everyday 'adventures' into your life: 1. Start by being open to new ideas and opportunities. Look out for them. Write them down in a diary or journal so that they don't evaporate into the ether. 2. Do your very best to try something new every day...

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'Retirement is often viewed as an 'event' when retirement is actually both a process (requiring planning and adjustment) and a life stage (lasting for multiple years.)'Christine A. Price, Ph.D rn'It's just a stage you're going through...' - how many times have well-meaning friends and family members said that to you over the course of your lifetime? And don't expect them to stop now, because, as far as retirement is conce ed, there are six identified stages that most retirees go through to varying degrees. They are: 1. Pre-Retirement (the working years) 2.

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'It's just a stage you're going through...' - how many times have well-meaning friends and family members said that to you over the course of your lifetime? And don't expect them to stop now that you're about to retire, because, as far as retirement is conce ed, there are six identified stages that most retirees go through to varying degrees. In this article I take a look at Stage 2 - The Retirement Event. Stage 2 of the retirement process is The Retirement Event (otherwise known as 'the big day').

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'It's just a stage you're going through...' - how many times have well-meaning friends and family members said that to you over the course of your lifetime? And don't expect them to stop now, because, as far as retirement is conce ed, there are six identified stages that most retirees go through to varying degrees. Stage 3 of the retirement process is The Honeymoon phase. This is the time when many of the fun trips, projects and activities that you spent all those years planning are executed.

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'It's just a stage you're going through...' - how many times have well-meaning friends and family members said that to you over the course of your lifetime? And don't expect them to stop now, because, as far as retirement is conce ed, there are six identified stages that most retirees go through to varying degrees. In this article I take a look at Stage 4 - The Disenchantment stage. The Disenchantment stage is where letdown - a feeling of disappointment or uncertainty - can occur.

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'It's just a stage you're going through...' - how many times have well-meaning friends and family members said that to you over the course of your lifetime? And don't expect them to stop now, because, as far as retirement is conce ed, there are six identified stages that most retirees go through to varying degrees. Stage 5 of the retirement process is the Reorientation phase. After the honeymoon and the subsequent letdown of the disenchantment stage, Reorientation is the process of adjustment and adaptation to the reality of retirement.

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'It's just a stage you're going through...' how many times have well-meaning friends and family members said that to you over the course of your lifetime? And don't expect them to stop now, because, as far as retirement is conce ed, there are six identified stages that most retirees go through to varying degrees. Stage 6 - and the final stage of the retirement process is the Routine phase. Routine comes when you've sorted out all your 'issues'.

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That is the question being contemplated by millions of American’s and their tax preparers. In case you haven’t heard, beginning January 1, 2010, any investor may convert their traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Unlike prior years where where there were income limitations, no IRS income limits will apply or stand in the way of the conversion starting in 2010. So why is this a big deal and should you convert?

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The stock market is unsettled … and perhaps its fluctuations are unsettling you. It’s a stressful time for the economy and Wall Street, and you may be conce ed about your portfolio given what’s going on with oil prices, the real estate market, and rising unemployment figures. It may be a good time to review how your assets are invested. Is your portfolio balanced? A balanced portfolio may help you ride out stock market turbulence.

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Question: This stock market is nuts! How am I supposed to protect my IRA and 401k from losing money when I’ve only got three years until I retire? Bonnie, Ohio Answer: A few years before retiring, if possible, you should begin to accumulate an amount of money that's equivalent to 2-5 years worth of cash withdrawals (based upon your expected income needs). This systematic accumulation of cash is done on purpose so that you have a "safe-money" source to pull from when the balance of your investment portfolio and the stock and bond markets may be declining in value.

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Every day, people draw on money they don’t actually have – via credit cards, payday loans, home equity lines of credit, and even their 401(k)s. Many of them end up making minimum payments on these high-interest loans – a sure way to stay indebted forever. If this is your situation, you may be wondering: how do I get out of debt? Let me give you some ideas. 1) Make a budget. “Where does all the money go?” If you are asking that question, here is where you learn the answer. You might find that you’re spending $80 a month on energy drinks, or $100 a week on lousy movies.

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Do you see a warning light flashing? Americans with high net worth and high incomes are preparing for the likelihood of higher taxes in 2011 and subsequent years. High earners are almost certainly going to take the hit if the EGTRRA and JGTRRA cuts fade away at the end of 2010. Here’s a summary of what’s happening – and a look at what might happen. There are some developments you will want to remember, and some tax breaks you might very well want to exploit.

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Question: In a recent post you had strategies for strengthening your retirement picture for people in their 50’s and 60’s. What about those of us in our 20’s to 40’s? Maxine, Tenafly, NJ Answer: Maxine, I didn’t mean to leave you and the other youngsters out. Here’s a checklist to get you on track in 2010 as well! 1. If you haven't started already, open an IRA and/or fund a 401k.

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Question: My husband and I (age 62 and 57) want to make some resolutions to sure up our retirement picture in 2010. Any thoughts you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Bea, Stamford, CT Answer: Bea, here’s a checklist to get you on track in 2010! 1. If you haven’t maxed out your 401k/403b contributions at work, you are eligible to take advantage of what is known as the catch-up provision.

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Question: I’m getting closer to retiring and everything I read says I should get more defensive in my portfolio. Does this make sense for me? Answer: It depends. How is your portfolio allocated now? Do you own mostly stocks or do you have a lot of money in bonds and CDs? What’s your current asset mix or asset allocation? Do you know what your portfolios expected return is? Can you quantify how much risk you’re taking with your current portfolio? Are you comfortable with the risk?

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Question: What are some things I should keep in mind if I want to reach the goal of retirement within three years? Thanks in advance for your response. Lorri, MA Answer: Lorri, whether your goal is retirement in 3 years, a new car in 5 years, or college education in eighteen years, in order to reach your goal a savings/investment plan has to have four distinct yet interrelated factors, each of which contributes to the success or failure of your plan. Factor #1: Your contribution amount. How much are you saving every paycheck now?

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Question: I’m 55 and not really happy with my job any more. I’d like to retire but I’m not sure I have enough money. What should I do? Liz, New York Answer: Liz, realize that you’re not alone. Many baby boomers are tired and burnt, and no longer want to wake up to their alarm clock come Monday morning. Here are a couple of suggestions. Talk with your employer about a phased retirement. For some reason, people think they need to stop working altogether or keep working full-time.

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Retiring from ones employment can be a stressful time but it doesn’t have to be. Realize that it’s natural to be nervous, anxious and/or confused when you’re going through a major life change. Your decision to retire is causing you to step outside your comfort zone and is forcing you to make many new decisions and learn new things. Most importantly, remember that you only get one shot at retirement and you don’t want to make any mistakes. So here are some of the more common mistakes people make when retiring and how you can avoid them. 1.

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The Automatic Rule Start saving money today. Even if it’s only a buck or two each pay period, savings is a habit you must start and stick with for the rest of your life. To improve your chance of savings success, automate the process. Have money withdrawn automatically from your paycheck or directly from your checking account each month. If you don’t want to think about saving, automation can take care of it for you. The 1% Rule At a minimum save 1% of your earnings each payroll period.

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Question: If one has a properly diversified investment portfolio, what percentage do you feel is safe to plan on withdrawing annually so that my account value never decreases? Susan, New Jersey Answer: Susan, as long as you limit your withdrawals to the amount of interest, dividends and capital gains generated, you won’t have to touch your principal and the value of your account won’t decrease. For example, let’s assume you have a $400,000 account value and by the end of the year your balance has increased to $425,000.

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Question: My company recently sent out a memo saying they were going to suspend their matching 401k contributions for the rest of 2009 and maybe 2010 as well. This could dramatically affect my ability to retire. Are they allowed to do this? Christine, New York, NY Answer: Christine, each company has their own 401k plan document which contains its own set of rules that normally allow for the suspension, reduction, increase or termination of matching contributions.

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Each time we have a bad market, the media pundits starts saying “it’s different this time” and we all buy into it. The reality is they’re partly right because the circumstances surrounding each drop are rarely the same. However, I attended a conference and was shown how in each of the last 12 bear markets since the Great Depression, the decline IS actually the same. First, after each decline, the stock markets have always come back and often very dramatically.

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Editor's Note: The following is an excerpt from Retire in a Weekend! The Baby Boomers’ Guide to Making Work Optional. Catch a sneak peek of the authors DVD, The 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Retiring & How YOU Can Avoid Them at www.RetireinaWeekend.com.

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Question: I plan on retiring in 15 years (at age 60) and currently have 85% of my money in stocks. I’ve been maxing out my 401(K) since I was 21, and in the last year, I have seen some frightening drops in my funds. Should I be making any kind of changes to prevent more losses? Larry, Texas Answer: Larry, you’re the poster child for retirement. Congratulations for maxing out your 401k since your first started work.

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Question: This stock market is nuts! How am I supposed to protect my IRA from losing money when I’ve only got three years until I retire? Joan, NY Answer: Joan, as I mentioned in my last post, a few years before retiring you should begin to accumulate an amount of money that's equivalent to 2-5 years worth of cash withdrawals (based upon your expected income needs).

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Question: I’m turning 60 next year. While I don’t want to continue working full-time anymore, I don’t have the desire (or nest egg) to retire completely. What do you suggest? Doris, PA Answer: Doris, how about a phased retirement? Instead of working 40 hours per week, talk with your employer about a reduced workload with a corresponding pay cut. The result could be just the answer you’re looking for. Phased retirement is a new phrase being tossed around corporate America in recent years.

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Question: As a self-employed empty nester, what advice can you give to starting our retirement nest egg at this late date? My husband and I are both in our early 50’s. We would like something simple that we can contribute small ($50) amounts to at a time. Joy, PA Answer: Joy, I did some digging for you but the challenge was in finding mutual fund families that have low minimums or no minimum investments required that can accommodate beginning investors.

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Dear Bill: I’m 60 years old, divorced, and was forced into early retirement two weeks ago. My 401(k) is still down 25% from its all-time high and I’m real nervous. Now that I don’t have a paycheck and since I won’t become eligible for Social Security for two more years, I have to live on this! How should my account be allocated? What’s an appropriate allocation for someone in my situation? I was also wondering what you think about the possibility of another market freefall?

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Everyone has seen the statistic of what the return of an average investor is and what the return for the S&P 500 has been. So why do we continue to let our emotions drive our investment decisions? It simply because we don’t know we are doing it most of the time. Here are some of our common behavioral investing mistakes: Loss Aversionr In the recent market down turns I have spoken with many investors who are hanging on to that stock that they picked until “it comes back”. What does that even mean?

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Question: I’m trying to decide if an annuity is right for me but I’m confused by all the different types. Can you explain the differences? Geraldine, NJ Answer: Sure Geraldine. An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company. Your money grows tax-deferred inside an annuity ...

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If you talk with 10 different advisors, they’ll all have their own opinion as to what the best way to invest for retirement is. Some prefer actively managed investments. Some prefer passively managed investments. Some like to trade daily while other advisors like me prefer a combination of ...

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Many Baby Boomers are literally built to last 100 years. In fact, the CDC estimates at least one million boomers to achieve that goal. Will you become a member of this one-in-a-million longevity club? Could be. Afterall, living a long time takes more than smart-genes and dumb-luck. Eighty ...

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I always suggest to my retirement coaching clients and course attendees that, once their retirement begins, they don't leave it too long before implementing some form of exercise routine. And, if they already have the 'exercise habit', I suggest that they may need to consider increasing the amount of exercise they take each week. Weight gain can be a real problem for new retirees and, speaking from experience, the extra pounds really can creep up on you until, before you know it, you have a battle on your hands.

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Are you struggling with retirement? It's not uncommon. Once the 'honeymoon' period is over and disenchantment starts to set in, up to 1 in 5 people can feel that their life is in the doldrums, they're not getting the retirement they deserve and that, if this is all they have to look forward to, they wish they'd never retired in the first place! If all this sounds horribly familiar to you, don't panic... Use these 10 thought-provoking questions to help give yourself a Retirement Detox: 1. What do you want more of in your life? (What makes you happy?) 2. What do you want less of?

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How do you know when it's time to retire? Try some of the following on for size... 1. Work has begun to interfere with all the many other things you want to do - fitting them all into weekends and holidays is becoming more impossible or unpalatable. 2. Life just seems too short to carry on working. 3. You crave your freedom. 4. You want to have control over your time. 5. You want to retire while you have the health and strength to do everything that you enjoy. 6. You have a sense that you would regret continuing to work full time if you did it for much longer. 7.

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1. Make an early start on planning and thinking about your life after retirement - not just the financial aspects of retirement, but the way that you want to live your life, where you want to live it, how you want to spend your time, who you want to spend it with, etc. 2. Try to become less absorbed in your work (especially if you have a tendency to become absorbed to the point of the exclusion of other, life-enhancing pursuits and activities) - aim to get (and maintain) a good work/life balance. 3.

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I recently read 'The Gift of a Year' by Mira Kirshenbaum. Its subtitle is: 'How to achieve the most meaningful, satisfying and pleasurable year of your life'.

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Did you see the recent film, 'The Bucket List', starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson? It's about two men who meet in a hospital cancer ward after each has been given only six months to live. The 'bucket list' of the title refers to a list that one of the men has been advised to compile of the things he wants to accomplish before he 'kicks the bucket'.

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Question: Do I need $1 million to retire comfortably? Answer: Imagine a world free of alarm clocks, bosses, long commutes, office politics and limited vacation time. Wouldn’t it be nice to call the shots, spend more time with your family and friends, doing only those things that you’re ...

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Question: I just inherited $50,000. If I put it in a bank CD, how many years will it take before it’s worth $100,000? Answer: 14.4 years – assuming your interest rate is 5%. In the financial planning world there is something called the “Rule of 72”. It’s a very simple way to compute and ...

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Question: I’m 62 and still working. Is it better to take Social Security now or should I wait? Answer: It depends on a lot of factors. Social Security retirement benefits usually begin at full retirement age (FRA), which is currently age 65. For those born after 1937, FRA will be gradually ...

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As a financial planner there is one thing I consider to be the most important starting point for anyone wishing to plan for their future. It sounds exciting, but I’m afraid it’s not. It’s actually pretty boring, and tedious; which is perhaps why so few people actually do it… Budgeting.

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rn...preserves the value of your business in the event of the death, disablement or critical illness of a key person. How? By understanding the adverse financial consequences for the continuing principals and their families. Business continuation and succession planning is not optional; it is essential for every business. For example, some questions that every business needs to address are: • Will the ongoing principals and equity holders have the funding to acquire the exiting equity holder's business interest?r

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I thought it wise to share with you what a financial planner actually does, because in my experience most people either have misconceptions or just don't know.

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I've been thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of downsizing to a smaller home after retirement. This is what I've come up with so far... Advantages The first and most obvious advantage is that, if your existing home is worth a lot of money because of its location and size, and/or you have a lot of equity in it, the sale of the home could give you a cushion of money to make life in retirement a little easier and fund some of those 'bucket list' adventures.

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In a recent interview, I was asked the following question: What are your best tips for single women who want to plan their retirement? This was my answer: 1. If you haven't done so already, start to think about what a successful retirement would look and feel like for you. What do you think are the component parts of a successful retirement? Write them all down. Try to define your successful retirement in a paragraph.

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What should you do with your old 401k retirement plan if you change jobs? Uncertainty and inaccurate advice can cause anxiety and catastrophic financial consequences. As you may know, a 401k or other defined contribution plan is an excellent retirement savings vehicle. You can accumulate a substantial amount of money over many decades providing you let the money grow. With a traditional 401k, you also get the additional benefit of tax-deferred growth. With a Roth 401k, you forego the pre-tax advantage for tax-free withdrawals later in life when you take your money out.

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Much like niche restaurants that come and go, niche investments come into and out of favor, as well. Just as everyone had to be the first to try out that new donut or cupcake shop on the corner, the new craze to hit the investment world is the narrowly-focused exchange-traded fund. <img align="right" class="size-medium wp-image-9282" src="http://www.glassmanwealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/104140602-GettyImages-584932100.530x298-300x169.jpg" alt="Yuriko Nakao | Bloomberg | Getty Images" width="300" height="169" />

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One of the best financial investments you can make before the end of the year is to spend a little bit of time and money to meet with your accountant and start planning your taxes. Don’t wait until March when your CPA is slammed with number-crunching and tax preparation. And, it’s about time you used your accountant as more than your “data input” tax preparer. Using your CPA as a consultant can pay off big time. Here’s how: Avoid a surprise tax bill

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Last year, the Department of Labor issued a mandate stating that all financial professionals who work with retirement plans or give retirement planning advice must begin acting as a “fiduciary” starting April 2017. Recently the fiduciary rule has made headlines yet again, this time due to Donald Trump’s executive order calling for an investigation into the rule’s effects. What does that mean for you as an investor? What is the fiduciary standard?

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As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. But that actually might depend on the picture. For instance, if you were to take a snapshot of your financial portfolio, what would it look like? Most financial advisors provide their clients with a pie chart, which assigns a color to each of your assets. It’s useful information, but it’s static. This picture only tells you what you own right now without shedding any insight into the different decisions you may have made over the past weeks, months, or even years to arrive at where you are today.

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If you’re like me, it’s easy to make your New Year's resolutions but hard to keep them. You may start off strong and have good intentions, but the demands of everyday life get in the way, or the goal becomes overwhelming. This is true for getting your financial house in order too.

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Financial implosions make headlines. It’s also news when rich and famous people like Jack Kent Cooke make huge, public estate planning mistakes. Yet the average person is just as prone to making painful financial errors time and time again, even if their mistakes never go viral on social media. That’s true even in Washington, DC, which is one of the most educated populations in the country. Trust us: we have seen the worst and the best, after decades of providing financial planning services to Washington-area residents.

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One challenge facing today's two career families is how to deal with the issue of both husband and wife retiring. At some point these couples will confront situations they may not have anticipated. Making plans for one retirement is stressful enough but without addressing potential problems ...

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The choices we make in life and how we react to events is a major factor in our happiness. In this regard, there are two types of people, those who act from a position of empowerment and those who take a passive stance. Empowered people take responsibility for their choices and act accordingly. ...

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On the occasion of my 62nd birthday - well, actually, the two weeks prior to the event - I decided it was time for a short depression. I earned it. I was entitled. And I was going to wallow a bit. This was followed by a two-week celebration, so it all balanced out, and the whole experience is ...

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Sinking or Soaring at Midlife? Midlife! That wonderful period of confusion, reassessment, stuckness and change …. Welcome! Midlife is a normal developmental life stage. It can be a positive and mindful process of the whole person you will be for your second adulthood. It cannot be avoided. ...

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Did you notice the Christmas decorations going up on Halloween? Did a chill run down your spine? The holiday season seems to be getting longer and longer and shorter. Yes, shorter. Look at the expectations this season puts on you. Fifty five days are nowhere near enough to achieve Countessa ...

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Support Roses have trellises to support them. Buildings have scaffolding, then infrastructure. Even bicycles have training wheels. What kind of support do you have? Somehow, many people hold a rugged, independent notion that they can make it on their own. Citizens of the United States love to harken back to pioneer ancestors who allegedly struck out on their own. Yet, those pioneers were some of the most interdependent people you could ever find. They had to reach out and help their fellow travelers and their neighbors if they expected to survive.

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Passion wants to burst forth, to fly up and be noticed. It wants to express itself in creative ways. The enemy of passion is fear. Live life at full throttle." —Grace Cirocco I have been reading Take the Step and the Bridge Will Appear, by Grace Cirocco, and have fallen in love with her ...

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"Within us, possibilities are born in our hearts. We must feel them, become passionate and then move our mountains." —Grace Cirocco I love the sequencing in this quote: Must feeln Become passionaten Move our mountains! How do we begin the feel the possibilities born in our hearts? ...

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“I’ve hit the wall once again!” How to get past those dark dreary days when you've hit the wall. I’m not talking about the crises, the big disappointments, which come along every once in awhile. Just those times when you wonder what you are doing? And why? Is it ...

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I have written so many articles on everything in this title it's almost crazy. And so have most other business coaches. Why? Because it's just that important. Think about it. How will you design a website, even a one page website, if you don't know who you are talking to or what you're talking about? You can't. When someone ask you that dreaded question " So, what do you do?" are you just going to say "oh a little of this and a little of that." No, of course not. First of all, you cannot serve the world. You cannot help the world. You cannot market to the world.

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I used to think there was. I used to think that everyone slowed down in the summer and picked up again in the fall. But over the years I have changed my tune on that. The good news is that so many people really believe in the 'summer slump' that they in many ways just stop working on their business. They assume that everyone does this, that no one is buying, no one is doing anything but laying around in the hammock and maybe 'dead heading'!

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I wonder how many of you even know. I'll bet a lot of you don't know. Or you kind of know but not really. It's vitally important for you to know. For some of you, if you have a more 'elaborate' retirement planned (lots of travel etc) you will need more than someone who has very simple wants and desires. There certainly is no right way but you need to know your truth. One of the lucky things about being a woman is you generally live longer than men. Wonderful!! But you will need more money.

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Seriously, this is something you really need to add to your business if you have not already. I have done so many of these myself and I love them! There are many people who use these two terms, VIP and VRD, as being the same. I see them differently.

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First of all let me say, there is nothing wrong with being a volunteer!! I have volunteered a lot in my life and always will. Right now I am a Disaster Mental Health volunteer for the Red Cross and I am Program Chair for a non profit for women divorced and/or widowed. I put a lot of time and energy into these two and I love doing it. That said I don't believe you want to be a 'volunteer' when it comes to your business. At least I surely hope not.

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As with any remodeling or moving you are in a position to make decisions for what to keep and what to purge. I have purged A LOT and ARC and Goodwill are very happy with me. That said, I have also saved some things. Closets were filled with prom dresses, ski jackets, other kinds of jackets and coats. All belonging to my adult daughters. Back packs, purses you name it. I would line them up on the couch and take pictures and text them to my girls. Do you want these? No. No. No. No. Oh, maybe save the prom dresses for Halloween.

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My daughters (Emily just turned 30 (EEEKKK) and 27 years) have been bugging me for years that I needed new carpet upstairs. And they were correct. But the thing was, I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready emotionally nor financially. It meant remodeling the master bath, the girls bath, painting and... then carpet. The very last thing. They kept saying, "Mom, just do the carpet first and then do the bathrooms." Nope. Doesn't work that way. I think they get that now. And starting your business and sustaining your business is the same way! Things have to be done in order.

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I realize that's a pretty bold title but I am serious about this. Attempting to build a business only doing things on-line will be like taking that "Slow boat to China" I know it feels hard. You know it feels hard, but do it anyway. Most people don't pick up the phone, which is why it is so powerful. It's like most people don't send mail through the post office, which is also more powerful than an email.

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The goal here is not to make things complicated, but keep them simple. KISS. There are lots of secrets to your success but I will highlight only 3. Be very clear and honest about your value. If you aren't clear yourself you will never be able to demonstrate this to potential clients. When you know your worth, when you know your value you will feel much more confident and, the best news? You will be able to charge more because you know you are worth it and you know you can genuinely help your clients get the results they are looking for.

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Do you want thousands of highly qualified people in your network? Of course you do! Do you have something to offer people that they really, truly want? That’s the ticket right there. Keep in mind it’s about giving people what they want, not what you think they need. You can give them what they need at a later time. To build your network there are many direct methods. • Article writing & submitting • Social media • Blogging • Getting involved in discussions • Speakingrnr

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Just for the record, even extroverts don’t always like to Network! One of the best tips I think I can give you is go to a networking event with a purpose in mind. If you enter the room with no purpose it could feel very daunting and you may find yourself just wandering around aimlessly. You are not there to sell anything. If you are going to have an offer it might be for a free ‘Discovery Session’ to get to know them better, what they do and if you have any solutions for them.

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It certainly could! That piece is totally up to you. With fall dancing around and teasing us with its hint of cooler weather, trees turning yellow and orange (and we had snow last week, not much but snow none the less, there are many opportunities at hand. Many of you have been cocooning in your warm house and outdoor activities which is fine and wonderful and I love that too! But then fall and winter comes closer, not being able to go outside without the boots, coat, hat and gloves makes it seems so much like maybe it's time to buckle down. At least it does that for me.

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It hardly seems possible that it's almost mid-September. I don't think I really was paying much attention until all the stores are selling school supplies, and then I took notice. School? Already? Yup, our street will be really quiet with all the kiddos back in class. That also means everyone starts thinking about fall. And when you think about fall you think it's time to really get cracking and get back to work on your business.

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You have heard this many times before but we all need to be doing more launches! And I can honestly say I have done more than enough launches that have failed. Which in the end means I didn't get the sign ups I was hoping for. Clearly something was missing from my process. Let's go through this step by step. This is only one article so I can't go into a lot of depth but hopefully I can get you thinking in the right direction.

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Sadly, most women will answer 'yes'. That said, you have more control over your financial situation than you probably think. And if you don't think you have any control then it's time to be proactive and take some action. This is your life. This is your future.

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If you don't have more than one revenue stream please read this article carefully! By having only one income stream you are putting yourself in financial danger. Let's say you just work on 1-1 with clients. What happens when times get slow, like in the summer or holidays? Where will your income come from? We all need income right? Plus, with only working 1-1 you are constantly looking for new clients and not only can that be a pain, I don't want you coming across as desperate for clients because you will push potential clients away.

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How would you describe your home office? Neat, tidy and organized? Chaos? I can honestly say my home office is often less than stellar. It's a project I am working on as I write this to you. I don't care how long this takes me; I am going to create my home office to be a place I really want to be in for however many hours a day. How much time do you waste just looking for something? You know you have it on your desk somewhere, right? Here are some tips to help you:

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None of us goes through life without any grief or loss. And it can stop us in our tracks when it does happen. And death is a part of the Circle of Life, so why is it so hard? For me, even though my husband had been so very sick for so many years, it still comes almost as a shock. While he was on his own journey, I was on my own journey as well. Here are some things that I have learned. Many of which I am still learning. No matter how long someone has been ill, when things start going bad, you still think they are going to 'beat' this like they always have before.

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You have spent all this time and energy to create a product or service and now you are ready to put it out to the world. It's easy to think, oh no, this is going to be more work than creating the product in the first place! Don't scare yourself that way. I am going to give you some step- by - step instructions that will make this doable and successful.

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The good news is you are around long enough to be aging! (As 'they' say, it beats the alternative.) As I age I notice older people around me and how they live their lives, and it's fascinating! Some of you live your life to its fullest, some of you act older than you need to and sadly, some of you have health issues that may interfere with what you really would like to do. I have had the lovely experience lately of being around people my age and a decade or two older and I have been so impressed.

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How are you at setting goals for yourself? You all know how important goal setting is. At least I assume you do! But there is one part in that you set goals for yourself, personal and professional. And then there is that other piece which is the tough part and that is following through and actually doing what you 'said' you would do! The one thing that I learned many years ago is the importance of breaking the goal down into small chunks. So often we set lofty goals for ourselves then get overwhelmed because they seem HUGE.

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If you have had your own business for some time now, you have probably heard about the power of Joint Ventures. We hear all the time that being a Lone Ranger is a long, slow and painful path to a successful and thriving business. And even though you may know that, it's amazing how many of you still do that lone route. I used to be a Lone Ranger too, so I get it. You all have voids in your business. Empty spaces that you can't fill either because you don't have the knowledge or you don't have the time and energy. This is where Joint Ventures come into play.

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What is your tradition for family meals during the holidays? Do you have one? I bring this up because, as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for 23 years in private practice, I've heard it all: from great times to grim times. When you think of gathering everyone together, do you cringe? I am happy to say I actually love it. I love having as many people as possible. I start planning at least a month in advance, gathering recipes, decorating the house and just getting excited to get everyone together.

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You all know that networking is an extremely important part of owning your own business. That said, it doesn't mean you relish the thought of doing so. It means getting dressed and looking nice so you make a good impression on people. You have maybe 10 seconds to make an impression and if it's a bad one?? It's hard to do a Do Over. I was at a conference a few years ago and a very successful 7 figure coach was there. In her pictures she looked great. But in person? Oh Dear.

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Networking is a requirement if you have your own business. I mean, it's not a law in the legal sense, but it almost should be. Here is Secret #1: Be consistent. Your networking needs to be consistent. That means you have several groups that you attend on a regular basis. It may be tempting to only go network when you have a new product or service you want to promote but that will backfire on you. Others may notice that you only show up when you are selling something.

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Does that sentence ever run through your head? I can tell you the honest truth that this is exactly what I am feeling right now. Here I sit trying to write something you will find interesting, fulfilling and maybe even fun. But my mind is blank and feels like mush! So, I thought I'd write about that and see if you ever felt that way. For those of you who send an ezine (newsletter) out to your list, do you always include an article?

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Poor titles will keep you poor. Now, that's a pretty powerful statement isn't it? It really doesn't matter how good you are, the first thing that people read or hear is your title. It will immediately get them to click to get more information or they will simply delete. You might have the greatest program or product around; you might be so passionate to help people and have the best signature system, but if they don't get past the title it hardly matters.

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If this is you, you are certainly not alone. I am an extrovert and I don't relish the thought of networking events either! I love being around lots of people, but networking is like a party with a purpose. The purpose is to meet new people or connect with those you already know. You might go there looking for a new client or looking for someone you might want to joint venture with. Let's go back to the title of this article and the word 'should'. You know you 'should' go to networking events but why? • It gets you out of your home officernr

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Any entrepreneur or small business owner knows how important it is to be accountable. Are you accountable to yourself, accountable to your business and, at times, accountable to others? It is the same as simply being responsible and answerable. You hear this term more and more often it seems. For those of you in business, being self-employed, if you were not accountable to not only yourself but your clients, you would have no business. But today, I want to talk about how you hold yourself accountable.

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This is a really, truly important question that you should know the answer to. Do you? You know how often I talk about Niche. And you know how I believe it's so important. You also probably know, if you have known me for any length of time, how important it is to know who your Ideal Client is. (If you aren't clear about these 2 important pieces of business let me know and I can help you with this!!) So, I am going to assume now that you know your Niche, you know the people you want to work with, your Ideal Client.

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I know you are committed at least on some level or you wouldn't even be reading this article. But seriously, how committed are you to make your business really be a success? By being successful I mean how much money are you really making (and keeping) and how many people are you helping? I was lucky enough to see a 15 minute clip of a very energetic and earnest preacher T D Jakes and his whole sermon was about commitment. He spoke about your commitment to your family, to yourself, and to your work.

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I read a lot about the lives of women after 50. Being one myself and even though I am a business coach, clearly there are other things going on for us. One of them is our retirement. It's frightening out there and most women do not feel confident. How are you going to support yourself in your older years? One very sad statistic is that 50% of women fear becoming a 'bag ladies'. That's half of all women!! And yet, another statistic says women control a larger share of personal wealth in the U.S. than ever before by 66%.

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It certainly could! That piece is totally up to you. With spring dancing around and teasing us with its hint of warmer weather, green grass and flowers, there are many opportunities at hand. Many of you have been cocooning in your warm house with the fireplace going which is fine and wonderful and I love that too! But then spring comes closer, being able to go outside without the boots, coat, hat and gloves makes it seems so much easier doesn't it?

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I talk a lot about building a business around your life. I do so because I think it's so darn important. As women after 50 we have probably raised our children but we may still have aging parents who need our help. As in the title of this article, it certainly does take faith, action and the determination not to throw in the towel and quit when times get challenging.

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Can you really build your business around your life? I believe you can. Do you believe that? You hear that all the time but is it really a reality? It depends, of course, on many things. Do you work for someone else? If you do, and most of all do at some point, usually in the beginning of our working life, then your flexibility may be less than desirable. You probably start out getting two weeks' vacation and the longer you are there, they may add on more time. They may also have restrictions on 'when' you are allowed to take off, so it may not be in your control.

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My motto is Simple & Elegant and I try to run my business that way, as well as my life. It can be very frightening starting an on-line coaching business, or any business for that matter. But please don't let that get in your way. Sure, there are steps you need to take but if you do them one at a time, sure enough you will have a business. Some basic suggestions:

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Here we are, where we were last year and the year before and where we will be next year. I know that's a mouthful but it's true! Every year at this time we take a look back to the past year and see how we can make this year better. Even if last year was a great year, we can also do it better this year. Or different anyway. I want to share with you some simple daily strategies that you can use starting right now to get your business off on the right foot this year. Don't over complicate it. Keep it simple.

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I had some real plans for how to spend my less busy time during the holidays. From December 19th to January 1st I only had 1 client each week. Wow. Certainly different than my usual week! Here are some of the things I accomplished and feel really good about. If any of these actions look like something that you need to do to start the year out fresh then keep reading.

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So many coaches I work with are so darn creative I am constantly impressed. And I consider myself creative too. But did you know there can be a downside to that creativity? Speaking for myself, and I also know from other coaches that I have worked with over the years, we can get too caught up in the details. You can put so much pressure on yourself to get so many things done and you keeping plugging away which is admirable, but most of those things are not revenue producing.

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You work so hard getting a product or service ready that you know everyone is going to want... but no one is buying! We have all been there. I know I have been there and it's not a fun place to be. You love your clients and the others on your list, in your data base. You even asked them to answer some questions on your survey and you thought you were giving them what they said they wanted. So, what went wrong? Here are some thoughts:

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I know that sounds a bit dramatic but I know sometimes its daunting to look into next year. Or maybe it seems daunting every year! You always hear people say how important the planning is for the upcoming year but then it looks so huge in front of you sometimes. How can I plan out 12 months? Or even more? Some people plan out the next 16 or 24 months! You can do this. Did you plan for last year? Yes? Did you follow your plan? Or no, you didn't even have a plan or if you did you didn't follow it.

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So, you have finally decided to start your own on-line coaching business. Now what? To have a successful business, clearly you need clients. And I don't want you to get into overwhelm so I will make this really simple. A strategy call is basically a free session you offer your potential clients. It's an opportunity for you to speak with people and ask them really powerful questions about their business or their life.

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It seems like I have been in this situation too much lately. I know it's a seasonal thing often times. At the same time, it has felt like for the last few months or so I have been spinning, spinning and spinning some more. This is not to be whining. After all, it's what I have set up for myself. But maybe it's time to take a look at what I am doing? I mean, when you are self-employed and work for yourself you have no one else to blame right? No one but little ole me.

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Is there ever a bad time? I don't think so. And I also believe that if you ramp up your business your life will change and if you ramp up your life, your business with change. I really don't believe you can separate the two but for now I want to focus on your business.

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I know you can't be a woman 'of a certain age' which is who I generally write for, and have never been stuck. This can be a time when you were stuck in your life or stuck in your business. Even the word 'stuck' has that 'uck' factor. Yuck. Muck. It happens to everyone. I don't know a person in the world that hasn't been to that place.

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Isn't it grand being a woman? In all my decades of years I don't think I have ever wanted to be man. (Well, except when I am hiking or skiing) I think we are really special beings. I also believe we don't give ourselves enough credit when credit is due. And what do we say when someone says 'Thank you for all your hard work' we say, 'Oh, it was nothing'. What do we say when someone says to us "I just love your outfit" we say "I got such a good deal on this, with a coupon and it was a great sale!"

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If you haven't added teleseminars to your business yet, I think it's time that you do! They are easy to add to your existing business or if you are already doing them you can take them in a different direction, create products from them and much more. One of the best parts about Teleseminars is that they are so easy to run. All you and your clients need is a phone! You provide them with a Bridge Line where everyone can call in and that's it. It's that simple.

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Why? -Because you need to. -Because the statistics are very grim, very scary. -You live 5 years on average, longer than men. -You make less money than men, overall. -You are much more likely to be poor. -Most of the residents in nursing homes are women. I know you have heard these stats. I talk about them all the time and so do many others. So, what are you going to do about it? You certainly can't leave it in the hands of someone else. At least, that is my personal opinion.

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Have you ever had a time in your business when you felt you just really needed to take that big step, that really big jump to help your business move forward? Everyone kept telling me I needed to do a live event and how it would change my business. Well, the idea of that scared me to death! Seriously, I am an extrovert for the most part and love to be around people. But the idea of running a live retreat, by myself, for 2 days freaked me out. So, consequently I never did it.

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Do you have an entire notebook page of priorities for things you need/want to get accomplished? Or possibly is your list 2 or 3 pages? I am in that situation now! Maybe it’s the change of seasons, but it always makes me look ahead at what I want to accomplish in the next 3-9-12 months. Now clearly I can’t get them all done at once, and some require faster action. Definitely I need to do a list building event before I offer other programs and services so that I have more people to offer it to.

Published · 1,227 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

When I was growing up as a child and adolescent I was pretty competitive. I was a gymnast, a swimmer and snow skier and water skier. We were in teams of course, but individually we were competitive. As a team we collaborated. My own daughters grew up the same way with soccer, tennis, swim team and a variety of other team sports. None of us is cut throat of course, but we like to win. I still like to win! This is where how we live our lives and how we run our businesses take a different path.

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Do you ever feel isolated in your home based coaching business? Would you like a situation which will energize you, and raise the bar on your own business as well as others? I strongly suggest you find yourself a Mastermind group. I have been in many myself, both live and virtual and they are both fantastic ways of taking your business to the next level and being connected with other people.

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Seriously, have you ever considered that? I know I thought about it and thought about it and thought about it until finally I just did it. Seems like it took me forever to make that decision and now I wish I had made it so much sooner. When you do a live retreat or a conference it really makes you put together all your material in a format that flows. It makes you look at what you should keep because it's really great information and it also makes you realize what you can get rid of.

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Courage, guts, nerve, bravery, common sense, good sense, horse sense. That is what I get when I put my mouse over the word 'gumption' and right click. Do you have gumption? How did you get it? I have no doubt that you have gumption. You would have to have it if you own your own business. Women entrepreneurs, (and you men also) take a risk; take a leap of faith, to do what you do. It's much easier to just get a pay check every other week with insurance benefits than to do what you do. You are brave. I know this may sound like a crazy question, but where did that come from for you?r

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I've been wondering that a lot lately it seems. I appear to be going through a period of time where I am not getting done the things I believe I just have to get done. I have this whole list of certain things, work things, that I really want to complete so that I can offer them to you, to share them with you. And since I just put a load of towels in the washing machine, I realized I need to be more vigilant. So, I have set my kitchen timer that is on my desk to 30 minutes and I am not budging until I finish this article to you.

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You know you need to add another revenue stream to increase your cash flow, but which one? There are so many directions you can go in, how do you know which is right for you? You could do a Telesummit, start a membership site, create a Platinum, high ticket coaching program.........the ideas are limitless. Since my theme song is Simple and Elegant, my first choice right now is a VIP day, also called a Virtual Retreat Day.

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Are you stuck? Do you feel afraid? Are you confused what you should do next? I have been in all of those places so I get it. I know how awful it can feel. But I also know how I got myself out of those feeling and I can help you get away from wondering why in the world you started this business anyway. I am going to assume, for the sake of this article, that you have some sort of a list; you have people who like who you are and what you do. And hopefully, this is a targeted group of raving fans.

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The Holiday time can be a challenge and you may think this is a terrible time to market your programs and services but let's think about that again! It seems like I have gotten more holiday cards earlier this year than usual. I have barely even thought about them yet so I best get going! The Holidays are actually a good time to do some things differently. It's a time to offer something that you might not usually offer. Here are some ideas for you and I am sure you can come up with more ideas on your own; these will just get you thinking in the right direction.

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I know that probably sounds very woo woo or simplistic to you but don't you think that it's possible? I believe it is. Having just turned my 6th decade a bit before a holiday of gratefulness I do truly believe it. All the big Positive Psychology gurus will attest to this. They have done many studies and proven that being grateful every day can change your life. There are other things of course, as well, but this article is about gratefulness. -Grateful you made it to you next birthday.

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I have this phenomenon that has been going around in my head and heart for the last few months. I want my business to be simpler. As may be true for you, I have been through stages in my business where I have been too stressed, too overwhelmed and too exhausted. I was working too hard and often felt I was just spinning my wheels and not really moving forward in spite of all my hard work. As my business has grown I have realized I needed to make things work more smoothly and easily.

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I know there is a lot of talk about the importance of being happy in your life and in your business. It's important to include both in your overall happiness because if you are not happy in one, the other will suffer. If you are not happy with your life, your business will suffer because of it. And vice versa, not happy in your business, your personal life will suffer. My suggestion to you is to put your life first. I always talk about building your business around your lifestyle.

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There may be some things that you can compromise on when you run your own business but your website is not one of them. Your website is a big, live business card! If you do not have an on-line presence, even for an offline business, you are hurting your business which means hurting yourself.

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Don't make this harder than it is! You must have a way to keep in contact with your list. You simply must. There is no two ways about it. Don't over think it and then decide it's too hard so you don't do anything. You cannot have an on-line business without a consistent way to keep in touch with your list.

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I know you know this. I know you know you must keep in touch with your list, your tribe, and your peeps. The problem is that sometimes it just seems like such a daunting task! You see what some others are doing and quite frankly, it probably looks like a ton of work! You can keep it simple. I encourage you to keep it simple. The reality is you must keep in touch with your list at the very least.....monthly.

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I suspect it is. Even if you are a newer business, once you have your free pieces in place and have your Signature System, you can offer a high end program. You can run this as a group program or you can simply create a program for individuals. Statistics have proven that 20% of your list wants a higher level program. The nice part is you do not need a big list! There is an exclusivity feeling with Platinum. People like to feel special and cared for and this is the perfect way to offer that.

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Well, maybe your first question is why do I need a Signature System. Your clients will love them and your life will be much simpler because you will know exactly what your presenting to them and when. It's that simple. Let me review a few of the reasons why right here. • Clients will love that you have a system to offer them because it makes their life much easier knowing they will follow the system you have created for them. They don't have to come up with one on their own, you will lead them and they will have confidence in you.

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Have you ever noticed how uncomfortable some people get when the subject of money is brought up? Probably one of the most awkward questions you could ask someone is "How much money do you make?" At least that was how I was raised. You just didn't talk about it. It was rude. It was a secret that you kept to yourself. Is that how is it was in your house? Now, truth be told, I don't go around asking people how much they make. But there are a lot of people who are very open about this topic.

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It's summer. It's hot. People are on vacation it seems all the time. No one is signing up for your teleclasses or any other of the wonderful things you are offering. How are you supposed to grow your business at this rate? Well, maybe there are other things you can do instead of feeling badly or twiddling your thumbs. Let's take a look and see! 1. How does your office look?r

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This seems to be a very popular topic as of late! I believe it's always been around, how could it not be, it's so logical? But as logical as I and probably many of you think it is, it's amazing how some people just don't seem to get it. The reality is if you want to attract and keep clients, you have to figure out ways to get them to know, like and trust you.

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I hear many times from entrepreneurs that they feel like their clients are running their business that they feel like they are at their beck and call. This certainly can happen when you are new in business but it also happens to seasoned business women. I believe this affects us women more than it does men. We are the pleasers, we want everyone to be happy and will bend over backwards to make that happen. The problem with this is that you will burn out sooner, feel frustrated too often and I'll tell you, these clients probably won't be happy or satisfied anyway.

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You're new to building your business. You have been in business for some time now but you don't have as many clients as you wish. Either way one of the tricks is to figure what the missing piece is. Where is the disconnect? Is it the marketing? Is your niche not tight enough? Does your website need work? All of those, and more, are possibilities but today let's talk about 'credibility'. This is the piece where people believe you are the real deal and they want to have a business relationship with you.

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Building a business from scratch is a very exciting time in the eyes of a solo entrepreneur. Usually it is something you have been thinking of for quite some time, not something where you woke up one day saying, "Wow, today I am going to start my own business!" It's a journey building and sustaining an on line business but I can personally tell you after 25 years of owning my own business it is well worth it. I can also share with you that you will be much better situated if you take the time to do your homework and your due diligence in the early days of your business.

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How well do you really know your spirit? How well do you value your beliefs and your mindset? I know you want to build a successful coaching business and I know you want to do it in a successful manner, now. Before that can happen however, there are a few items that need to be put into place. And when I say this I am not talking about your website or opt-in box. That’s the practical stuff and clearly it’s important but first things first.

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A Virtual Retreat is a vehicle for helping your business reach new financial gains. I have done many and just love the ease and the transformations that can occur in a short period of time, as well as generating income. These VIP Days are wonderful when people don't want to travel due to expense, family responsibilities or simply because traveling can be so frustrating these days. There are 2 different designs that I use for my Virtual Retreat Days: Design #1: 1-1 VIP Virtual Retreat Dayrnr

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You have probably heard the statistics and they aren't pretty. If you read the numbers that the U.S. Government Small Business Administration's website states it says that 50% of small businesses fail within the first five years. You might have come out of another employment situation and are ready to venture out on your own, or you may have been out of the working arena and are thinking about getting back in. Whatever your situation, do your due diligence. Even if you have had your business for awhile, be sure to read this carefully and make changes if need be.

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Does that sound pie in the sky to you? Does that make me sound like I don't live in the real world of business? Trust me I do, after 25 years of working for myself, this has become more and more clear to me. Even as a therapist in private practice, it was a competitive world. In the world of coaching competition takes on a whole new outlook. If I really think about it most of my 'competiveness' comes from competing with myself. Can I do better at this than I did before? How can I make this program better than the last? How can I make more money than I did last year?

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Do you know what that 1 mistake might be? Can you guess? Let me just say that it’s not as difficult as you might think. This mistake can be avoided if you just pay attention. Now I know that doesn’t sound as though that should be very difficult but you would be surprised! As a woman born in the times we were, Woodstock and all that…….it seems like paying attention would be easier than it really is. Here are my thoughts on something I fear that we don’t pay attention to and I would love to hear your thoughts.

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What does planning for your summer vacation and planning for your retirement have to do with each other? I can just hear some of you saying “they have nothing to do with each other” and others saying “they have a LOT to do with each other.” What do you think? I have been working and learning in this area of ‘retirement’ for many years now and I have learned a lot from all of you. When baby boomers plan for a vacation they consider many things such as: • How much time do we have • How much money can we spend • Where would be a exciting/happy/relaxing place to gornr

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You have heard people say “It’s in my genes” or “It’s in my DNA” which basically means that it’s just the way it is so I can’t change it. “My parents, grandparents, great grandparents were all diabetic, or overweight or died of cancer. There is nothing I can do about it.” Sorry to take that excuse away from you but from what I have been hearing and reading there actually are things we can do to basically change our DNA. Your genes are not your destiny. You actually can do things to change them.

Published · 1,701 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Has your work ever interfered with your ‘other life?’ That ‘real’ life that does not include work, even if it’s work you love? What I mean is true leisure. Not thinking about, planning about or doing anything even close to work. I am talking especially for those of you entrepreneurial types.

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If so, you are certainly not alone. Also, women are more apt to extend this date then men. Women earning $75,000.00 or more have a six out of ten chance of delaying retirement. Those are high numbers and now there is even a term for this. If you are one of the six, you are part of the Threshold Generation, a term coined by the Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. Are you one of the women on the ‘threshold’ of retirement?

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Do you believe you are financially comfortable? Possibly more than comfortable? You were able to work less or not work at all while you raised families or cared for an aging parent. That was then, this is now. This is the New Environment. You may not realize it but 78% of the job lay offs have been men. So, what does that mean for you? It means you are returning to the work force in droves.

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The answer is probably a resounding “No.” Or maybe you’re not even sure what that Crucial Conversation is. This conversation is about how you are going to live the rest of your lives together as a couple. On one hand, this may sound pretty simple but when you really dig in and start talking, you may be in for some big surprises. Or you may think it’s just not all that important. But you are wrong. It is very important.

Published · 1,562 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Do you even know what an Active Vacation is? Let’s just say it’s the opposite of sitting on the beach with a book in one hand and an umbrella drink in the other. Not that this isn’t desirable at times, but more and more boomers want more action than that. Assuming you are a health-minded women, this type of vacation might be right up your alley! Have you ever thought of a Yoga Retreat or a bike ride through France (or Iowa)? What about hiking the Grand Canyon? Not only does your body get a good workout but so do your mind and even your soul.

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Ethical Wills have been around for many generations but seem to be regaining their strength. That may be simply because many of you are getting to the stage in life where you begin thinking about what you are passing along to your children or other loved ones. Another term for Ethical Wills might be a “Values and Vision Statement.” In a nutshell, it is a tool for passing your memories, values and traditions to your loved ones and future generations. Keep in mind that an Ethical Will is not a legal document.

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Family vacations may have been wonderful when your kiddos were still little and you were in charge. You were definitely the parent, roles were defined and everyone knew their place. Then, lo and behold, those youngsters grew up! This changes many things in your life but it's the natural order of things. They grow up; you become less of a parent and more of a friend, a comrade.

Published · 1,791 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Isn’t it grand being a grandparent? You probably don’t want to be called Grandma or Grandpa because that would make you seem older than you believe you are. You’ve probably come up with some clever name for yourself, which is great. But do you want to know how to be the cleverest grandparent of all? The key is to keep the grandkids happy as well as the parents. Here are some tips to help you along the way: * Start a tradition with your grandchildren. Think about what your common interests are and what activities that are related to them.

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Always the feisty ones, you boomers aren’t going to let the economy slow you down! If you have retired already or have been laid off you may have a desire to get back into the employment seen. Well, hate to tell you this, but that may be easier said than done. So what? You’re resilient and flexible. What’s your Plan B? Maybe it’s time to look at something new. Companies are doing more laying off than hiring. Often times when you change jobs or re-career you receive less pay and fewer benefits.

Published · 1,633 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

Myth # 7: Annual or regular Doctors appointments and tests are not necessary. Wrong. Early detection of most diseases can be much more easily dealt with. It will save you money and it will save your time. It may save your life. Regular preventative care will keep you living longer and ...

Published · 876 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Last ezine, two weeks ago, we went over the first 3 myths of a Boomers Health. Just as a review for you here is a review: Myth # 1: I don’t have time to work out at this point in my life. I‘ll get back on track after I retire. Baloney. Do it now. Myth # 2: Eating healthy is just too much ...

Published · 882 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

How do you feel? Right now. Today. Did you hop out of bed this morning ready to tackle the day? If yes, wonderful! If not, why not? Did you not sleep well, eat too much, drink too much or are you too stressed? As a boomer you may be one of those people who have done a pretty good job of ...

Published · 938 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

It’s no secret that Boomers make up the majority of the world population. Even while there is much discussed about the “graying of America, it is certainly not in a negative way. England and France have boomers as Presidents/Leaders. Hillary had a running chance to be added to that ...

Published · 1,031 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

No matter what month it is, you have the opportunity to make your business better and stronger every day. You know it is in your own hands, right? Yes, it is totally your responsibility. This is not something you can blame on others. I know because I tried to do that!! It did not work. Bottom line is it is up to you. So, what can you do, right now, to make your business better and more financially stable?

Published · 1,135 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Yes, this is possible but you have to take the right steps and do them in order. Now, you could probably do those out of order and do okay, but why settle for okay? Do you know who your Ideal Client is? When you are asked that scary question of “What do you do?” do you have a good, solid response?

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When you look back at your life are you proud of who you are and what you have become? Are you the person you thought you would be? As a woman in your fifties or beyond you have had more than several decades as an adult. I am sure you had hopes and dreams, goals and plans. At least I hope you had hopes and dreams for yourself! And even if you didn’t you can always start them now can’t you? You can always step forward to create a different life for yourself if you put your mind to it.

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You go to school, you get your education, you get your experience and your working world should be in pretty good shape right? While that may be true for many of you I’ll bet my bottom dollar it’s not true for each of you. Would you like this to be true for you? Heck Yes! Why wouldn’t you? What would you need to change to make this career of yours sing for you?

Published · 2,055 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Remember when your kids were little and you thought they would never grow up? You felt like you were going to be tying sneakers forever, going to parent/teacher conferences and endless soccer tournaments till you were old and gray. Well, you are older…maybe gray…maybe not. But, they really DID grow up! They no longer need you in the ways they did before. That certainly doesn’t mean they don’t need you, just differently. You did the best you could do as a parent. You gave them to best you had to offer.

Published · 1,694 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

Have you ever tried for something so hard, for so long, that you wanted so badly and then it worked? I’ll tell you, I watch these athletes in the Olympics and I am always so amazed. I grew up watching them with my folks, and my daughters and I watched in their growing up years. They are ...

Published · 917 views