Retire2Enjoy : Qualified Retirement Plans, Save Yourself Retirement Program, Retirement Living TV, Buy an Annuity

Qualified Retirement Plans in a Nutshell

Many businesses sponsor retirement plans for their workforce. Qualified retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans, profit-sharing plans, and pension plans, offer three key federal income tax advantages.

• The business that sponsors the plan receives a federal income tax deduction for plan contributions.
• Employees receive an income tax deferral on their retirement plan contributions or benefits until a distribution is made.
The income of the trust that holds the retirement plan assets is tax exempt.

These tax advantages come at a cost — the retirement plans must meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. Qualified retirement plans are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) except those that are sponsored by a governmental entity or a religious organization. Under ERISA, plan fiduciaries have personal liability for breaches of their duties.

Save Yourself Retirement Program by Suze Orman

National personal finance expert and talk show host Suze Orman will mark the official launch of her new Save Yourself Retirement Program on September 19 and 20, exclusively on QVC. The Save Yourself movement began two years ago with the launch of Orman’s book, Women & Money. The movement encouraged investors, particularly women, to take control of their finances by opening a new “Save Yourself” account at TD AMERITRADE. Once they made 12 consecutive monthly deposits of $100 or more, TD AMERITRADE gave investors $100 as an incentive for following the plan.

The Save Yourself Retirement Program is designed to demystify and simplify the retirement planning process for women. It is the first program of its kind to be offered exclusively to QVC audiences.

Retirement Living TV: World Alzheimer’s Day

In recognition of World Alzheimer's Day, Retirement Living TV (RLTV) will air an exclusive television special, "Not Fade Away" on September 21 at 8PM (EDT).

Annuity Security

Results from a Gallup survey released today demonstrate that non-qualified annuities contribute significantly to the retirement security of middle-class Americans, and that those who own an annuity have great confidence in their financial future even amidst the recent recession and market downturns.

Trimming Down: Duke University Retirement Incentives

Duke University will offer early retirement incentives to some salaried employees. The latest Duke University retirement incentives are a small step toward cutting the University's budget by $125 million over three years. About 100 salaried employees will be given the option to retire early starting in October. It is estimated that 10 to 20 of them will choose to retire by a Dec. 31 deadline.

TIAA-CREF Survey

A recent TIAA-CREF Institute survey shows that investors approaching retirement are focused on assuring an income that can maintain their standard of living. The survey of 1,002 people who work in higher education and participate in a retirement plan found that within the past two years, 60 percent of respondents have sought  objective retirement planning advice; 87 percent of respondents said that such advice; and an equal proportion say advice about paying for healthcare in retirement is important.

Growth of Alzheimer’s

As the baby boom generation moves through retirement, the number of people affected by Alzheimer's is likely to well exceed 11 million by 2040.

California Counties in Trouble

California county governments sweetened retirements for employees when times were good, but now that the economy has soured, taxpayers may end up paying a hefty price.

Retirement investment funds for Riverside and San Bernardino counties each lost about $1.5 billion - roughly a quarter of their value - in the fiscal year that ended June 30.

Financial Advisers

Independent advisers will benefit from expected new limits on which financial professionals can advise retirement plan participants. Financial advisers whose compensation is affected by an individual's investment choices, by contrast, could be prevented from advising employees in company-sponsored retirement plans according to a proposal being floated by the Employee Benefits Security Administration.

Five Ways To Make Your Nest Egg Last a Lifetime from AARP

AARP has released two tip sheets that "challenge conventional thinking and offer general guidance about how to make the best decision for you and your circumstances." Together, they offer these five pillars of advice:

1. Delay Taking Social Security

Retirees and would-be retirees need to consider matching their fixed and, best-case, inflation-adjusted sources of income against their fixed expenses. And one way to create the best inflation-adjusted source of income at the moment is to delay taking Social Security for as long as possible.

At the moment, many people claim Social Security -- even though it means a reduced benefit -- at age 62, using the faulty logic that they may not live past the so-called break-even point. The break-even point is the date at which the sum of your reduced early benefits no longer exceeds what you would have drawn with the heftier, delayed benefits.

There are plenty of Wed-based calculators to help you figure your break-even age. But the calculators fail to address at least three issues, according to Anthony Webb.

1. The calculators typically overlook one of the biggest realities of married life: husbands tend to die before their wives. For that reason, husbands who take a reduced Social Security benefit ultimately reduce their surviving spouses' benefit as well.
2. predicting your life expectancy is impossible.
3. Creating the largest Social Security benefit is fast becoming the orthodoxy in retirement planning.

2. Consider purchasing an annuity

For those who are retiring with a large nest egg and who don't have enough fixed and guaranteed sources of income to match their fixed expenses, an annuity might fit the bill.

3. Pay down your mortgage

4. Allocate your assets wisely

According to conventional wisdom, retirees should rebalance their nest eggs in favor of bonds as they age. But AARP's view is that retirees should build portfolios that are broadly diversified and based on risk tolerance rather than mere retirement status or age.

5. Withdraw funds carefully

Conventional wisdom suggests that you should withdraw no more than 4% of your savings during retirement. But AARP argues retirees need to be a bit more thoughtful and flexible about this. AARP suggests that the amount retirees ultimately withdraw should be based on realized returns, not rules of thumb.