The 36-year old Hayden swam the 4th-fastest time of his career on Saturday in his 3rd meet back from a nearly 8-year hiatus from the sport. Archive photo via Tim Binning/TheSwimPictures.com

36-year old Canadian swimmerBrent Hayden hit his Olympic A time on Saturday in the 50 free, swimming a 21.97 to finish 3rd on Saturday at the Pro Swim Series meet in Des Moines.

Hayden, the Canadian Record holder in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyles, swam his first race since returning to training in January, where he swam 22.34 in the 50 free. Then in February, in Vancouver, he swam a 22.31.

On Saturday, Hayden blew the doors open and slid under the Olympic A time of 22.01.

The time does not officially select Hayden for the Olympic Team. Unlike some countries, Canadian swimmers must hit the Olympic Qualifying Time and finish in the top 2 at the Canadian Olympic Trials to guarantee a spot on the Olympic Team. If nobody hits the A standard at the Canadian Swimming Trials in April, the top ranked swimmer who hits the Swimming Canada Olympic Nomination Time of 22.12 will earn an invite. Beyond that, the Swimming Canada High Performance Director has sole discretion to add swimmers who have FINA A times where places are still available.

Haydens time is the best by a Canadian this year or last, ahead of Yuri Kisils 22.23 from the 2019 Canadian Olympic Trials.William Pisani was 22.30 at that meet, and both swimmers are over a decade younger than Hayden.

This 22.97 is the 4th-best time of Haydens career. In 2009, he swam 21.73 and 21.94, and in 2010 he swam 21.89.

Hayden also swam a 49.46 in a 100 free time trial on Friday.

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet,

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After Almost 8 Years of Retirement, Brent Hayden Hits Olympic "A" time - SwimSwam

Editor's note: This article is part of our Women and Investing special report.

Among researchers, theres an active debate about whether theres a retirement crisis in the United States. Despite sobering statistics about average 401(k) plan balances, researchers point to Social Securitys high level of income replacement for lower-income workers as evidence that undersaved workers wont run out of money during retirement.

Yet one aspect of retirement preparedeness is a settled matter: Women are in worse shape than men on nearly every important metric.

The reasons are manifold, but a few factors loom large. Women have lower lifetime earnings than their male counterparts, due to both wage inequality and the fact that women are more likely to stop working or maintain a reduced schedule to devote time to caregiving for children, elderly parents, or both. Lower lifetime earnings translate into fewer opportunities to fund retirement accounts.

In addition, women must stretch those smaller average balances over a longer time frame in retirement, as 65-year-old women outlive their male counterparts by two years, on average. That convergence of lower retirement balances and a longer retirement period helps explain why women are much more likely than men to be poor in retirement and to rely exclusively on Social Security for their living expenses. And thanks to those lower lifetime earnings, womens Social Security checks are also smaller than their male counterparts'.

Theres no easy fix for the problem, but women should consider the following steps to help stave off a shortfall.

Maximize Contributions Before, During, and After Work Disruptions Much of the gender gap in lifetime earnings, and in turn retirement savings, owes to women reducing their paid work schedules or quitting work altogether to devote time to unpaid caregiving for children or elderly parents. Women are much more likely than men to cut back on paid work or quit altogether to shoulder caregiving responsibilities for children or other family members.

Those life decisions are about more than money, and women dont always have complete control over their employers or when their caregiving responsibilities will begin or end. But to the extent that it is possible, women who anticipate that their work trajectories could be affected by caregiving should prioritize employers with family-friendly policies such as paid parental leave and flexible work hours. As roughly 60% of family caregivers are employed, companies are recognizing the importance of policies that support them. The number of companies offering paid family leave has increased substantially in recent years.

The data also show that womens earnings tend to peak earlier than mens, no doubt in part because of caregiving responsibilities for many. That accentuates the merits for women of maximizing contributions in the early years of employment, when they can best benefit from compounding, and taking maximum advantage of retirement savings opportunities in those early-to-peak earnings years.

Married women who arent earning a salary can contribute to an IRA provided their spouse has enough earned income to cover the contribution. Doing so can help minimize the retirement-savings shortfall that can accompany work interruptions/reductions.

In addition, women who have reduced or stopped working to care for children, elderly parents, or both have the option to play catch-up, provided their caregiving obligations eventually cease and they have the extra income to contribute at a high rate. If they re-enter the workforce later in life, they may have the opportunity to contribute more to their retirement accounts during the empty nest years; additional catch-up contributions to IRAs and company retirement plans such as IRAs are available to people over age 50, and health savings account catch-up contributions are available after age 55.

Get Off the Sidelines Research on womens investing behaviors is all over the map: Studies have pointed to women investing more conservatively than men, trading less, being more patient, or being more goals-oriented. Other research indicates that once you control for income, womens investing behaviors are very similar to mens.

A few findings are consistent, though. One is that women tend to be more reticent than men to get their money invested. As Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and co-founder of the Ellevest investing service for women, put it, Our rival is really cash. You know, that's our biggest competition. It's cash and inertia. That tendency, combined with the fact that women live longer than men, on average, contributes to the likelihood that women will have a shortfall in retirement.

Additionally, women in 401(k) plans appear more likely to seek out help in the form of professional management; they use target-date funds and managed-account solutions more than their male counterparts, for example.

Automating investments into an age- and situation-appropriate investment mix such as a target-date fund helps address both tendencies. While many investors take advantage of automatic investments through their company retirement plans, investments into IRAs and taxable accounts can be readily automated, too. Using a multi-asset product like a target-date fund takes the guesswork out of how to invest the funds.

Work Longer Many factors affect how long well work--lifestyle and health considerations, as well as being able to stay employed and caregiving obligations. The fact that our retirement dates may be out of our control is why Morningstar contributor Mark Miller has referred to working longer as a worthy aspiration, not a retirement plan. And research from Morningstar Investment Management head of retirement research David Blanchett indicates that retirees who expect to work longer--past the traditional retirement age of 65, for example--are often unable to do so. Our retirement dates are less in our control than we might like to believe.

That said, the financial (and possibly other) benefits of working longer are undeniable: Additional retirement-plan contributions, delayed portfolio withdrawals, a shorter drawdown period, and delayed Social Security can all help bolster the viability of a retirement plan. The benefits of delaying retirement are especially great for women, in that interrupted work trajectories (for caregiving, see above) and longer life expectancies compound the stresses placed on retirement assets. For women hurtling toward retirement shortfalls, delaying retirement will be the single-most financially impactful decision they can make. That argues for maintaining work skills through investments in continuing education, being mindful of the incidence of ageism and staying alert to combat it, and making investments in physical health.

Its also worth noting that working longer doesnt necessarily mean sticking it out in a job that makes you miserable. If you can tick a couple of the working longer benefits outlined above--for example, delaying Social Security and portfolio withdrawals even if you arent earning enough to make additional retirement plan contributions--that can still be incredibly impactful for your plan.

Make Smart Social Security Claiming Decisions Social Security plays an outsize role in womens retirement plans: It composes 47% of income for women age 65 and older, whereas it is 32% of income for males who are 65 and above. Womens heavier reliance on Social Security, combined with the fact that women live longer than men, on average, accentuates the value of maximizing the lifetime value of Social Security for women. Women who expect to have longevity on their side have every reason to delay Social Security claiming to enlarge their eventual benefit. And married couples should focus their decisions on maximizing lifetime income over both partners lives. For women who will claim a spousal benefit (because half of their partners benefits will be higher than their own benefit), that argues for the higher-earning spouse delaying Social Security, if possible, to maximize the eventual benefit for the surviving spouse.

Lay a Plan for Healthcare Costs Because of their longer life expectancies, women have higher lifetime healthcare outlays than men and a greater need for paid long-term care. Women are often the caregivers for their spouses; when their spouses predecease them, they require paid long-term care at a greater rate.

That accentuates the virtue of maximizing retirement savings, of course, but women can take additional steps to ensure that high healthcare and long-term-care costs dont imperil the sustainability of their retirement plans.

Health savings accounts can be valuable as a long-term investment vehicle for women who would like to raise assets for their inevitable healthcare outlays. In contrast with retirement savings vehicles like IRAs and 401(k)s, HSAs enjoy tax breaks every step of the way: Pretax dollars go in, money compounds on a tax-free basis, and qualified withdrawals for healthcare expenses are tax-free, too. In contrast with assets in a flexible spending account, HSA assets can be invested in long-term assets like mutual funds and exchange-traded funds and roll over from year to year. Worst-case scenario and someone oversaves in an HSA--the withdrawals for non-health-care expenses after age 65 are treated like traditional IRA withdrawals, taxed at the investors ordinary income tax rate.

In addition, greater long-term-care usage suggests that women should be especially thoughtful about developing a long-term-care plan. Assets in health savings account can also be used to pay long-term-care insurance premiums or out-of-pocket long-term-care expenses.

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5 Steps Women Can Take to Improve Their Retirement Readiness - Morningstar.com

The most important step in retirement planning is simply getting started, one financial expert shared in a conversation with Yahoo Finance.

The key to long-term retirement savings is just starting with any amount and signing up for your employers program, said Harry Dalessio, head of institutional retirement plan services at Prudential Financial. So you potentially have the opportunity to get a match.

Dalessios comments come when nearly a quarter of Americans dont have any retirement savings, according to the Federal Reserve. But even among those who do, 3 in 5 have little or no comfort managing their investments.

Confusion over the differences among retirement accounts is also relatively common, Dalessio said. But an adviser or financial firm should have educational materials to help guide you, he said.

Read more: 401k plan and how it works: The full breakdown

That means new retirement savers shouldnt get hung up on the differences between traditional 401(k)s that require pre-tax contributions and Roth 401(k)s that are funded by post-tax dollars.

The first step to retirement saving is to just start, according to one financial expert. (Photo: Getty Creative)

The first part is just to save, Dalessio said, pre or post tax.

One of the two most common questions, according to Dalessio, is just how do I get started?

So, life gets in the way of savings, said Dalessio who noted that Americans are juggling not just saving for retirement but other financial goals and challenges as well, such as coming up with a budget, paying down student debt, and creating an emergency fund.

Read more: Retirement planning: Everything you need to know

Thats why many employers are turning to financial wellness programs to help Americans get a handle on all their money concerns and not just saving for retirement.

Start with a bigger financial picture rather than taking a more siloed approach, Dalessio said.

The other popular question is: What do I do?

A financial advisor or firm can help you figure out how much to save for retirement and how to invest, one expert said. (Photo: Getty Creative)

Dalessio said people want to know where they should put their money and how much do they need to save for an adequate retirement. Fortunately, there are many more resources and tools available to guide people along the way.

Because most people are savers, not investors, he said.

Dhara is a writer for Yahoo Money and Cashay, a new personal finance website. She can be reached at dhara.singh@yahoofinance.com. Follow her on Twitter @dsinghx.

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Expert details the 'key to long-term retirement savings' - Yahoo Money

WESTON, W.Va. Long-time Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital employee Robert Thomas was honored with a retirement reception on Thursday, February 27. Thomas began his tenure at Stonewall Jackson Memorial in July 1959.

Thomas was surprised by several announcements made at the celebration. SJMH CEO, Avah Stalnaker, declared the hospital Laboratory would be renamed the Robert R. Thomas Laboratory. Stalnaker also announced that Mon Health President and CEO, David Goldberg, and his wife donated a scholarship in Thomas name for SJMH Laboratory employees.

Stalnaker noted, Any retirement is special, but a retirement from the same organization for 60 years of service is extraordinary. I dont think this milestone will be reached by any other employee.

Thomas five children and families surprised Bob and wife Jackie with their attendance. Other former and current SJMH employees were also present to honor Thomas, who was the first employee and department head of the SJMH Laboratory.

During the reception SJMH Laboratory Director, Angela Cedeno, provided a decade-by-decade timeline of the changes in the Laboratory during Thomas tenure.

In her final tribute Cedeno explained, Most important Bob was always there for all of us. He was a confidant, leader, stern dad or just someone to joke with. He means more than he will ever know, and he is loved.

Former SJMH Administrator, David Shaffer, shared stories and former SJMH Pharmacist, Gerald Wood, spoke of working with Bob at the original City Hospital in Weston before SJMH was built in 1972.

Bob explained at the old Hospital he even filled in as a radiology technician when necessary. Unfortunately, not always with expertise.

A dentist brought in X-rays for me to develop and there were three bottles for me to use a developer, a fixer, and a wash, I think. I didnt know which was which, so I thought I developed the film and they came out completely gone, Thomas laughed.

In addition to renaming the SJMH Laboratory in honor of Thomas, Stonewall Jackson Memorial will also have a wall display with Bobs contributions to the hospital in the Laboratory waiting area.

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SJMH employee Bob Thomas honored for 60 years of service at retirement reception - My Buckhannon

Mark Christman resented being thought of as a wimp.

As a kid growing up in Indiana Township, hed always felt more like a tough guy, with the inner tenacity, drive and work ethic of a competitive athlete. Christman loved playing sports, but getting picked last on nearly every team was frustrating.

Around age 14, tasks like running laps and picking up a shovel to clean up after the family horse became unnervingly difficult. Hed lift weights for months and gain little to no muscle. And despite being relatively skinny, he had a small pot belly protruding from one side of his stomach.

In 10th grade, Christman joined the wrestling team at Fox Chapel Area High School. He got bigger but not stronger. He couldnt keep up.

He wondered what could be wrong with him.

Several months later, Christman rode the family horse without a saddle. The horse darted off at full speed, knocking him off while tangling his arm in the reins. He told his doctor about other issues the worsening weakness in his arms and legs, his lopsided belly and winged shoulder blade. The doctor sent him to a neurologist.

At age 16, Christman got a diagnosis he didnt know hed been waiting for.

Christman had been born with facioscapulohumeral disease, or FSHD, a rare form of muscular dystrophy that affects about 1 in 8,000 people. A genetic defect causes the overproduction of a protein that kills muscle cells.

The diseases severity can vary widely, from causing total blindness, hearing loss and leg and arm immobility, to people who show few to no symptoms. It has no known cure.

My parents had a really tough time with it, recalled Christman, now a 59-year-old retired business attorney, Whitehall zoning board member and board member of Trib Total Media. For me, I was almost relieved to know: OK, now I know what this is.

I grew up thinking I was a wimp, and I know Im not.

A disease with no cure yet

Christman didnt let the progressive disease get in the way of cultivating a successful professional and personal life.

After marrying his college sweetheart and passing the bar exam, he embarked on a decades-long career in business law while adapting to overcome challenges along the way, from getting around the office and climbing stairs to opening drawers and filing paperwork.

He appreciated the support of his wife, Renee, an elementary school ESL teacher, along with colleagues and strangers who stopped to help him get on the elevator, reach an item on a shelf or get up from a fall. After he opted for a wheelchair, his father drove him from the South Hills to his law firms office every day from 2002 until his retirement in 2015.

But Christman couldnt help feeling misunderstood.

Hed smile politely but felt irked when even close friends asked him, Hows your MS? in reference to an entirely different, nerve-related disease, multiple sclerosis.

A room full of strangers, a room full of friends

For 41 years, Christman never met anyone else who had the same disease as he did. A 2014 event in Boston changed that. At the FSHD Societys Connect Conference, he recalled feeling overcome with emotions when he encountered hundreds of people with varying levels of the FSHD.

The FSHD Society is a nonprofit advocacy and research grant-making group based in Lexington, Mass.

Christman, whos typically an introvert at large gatherings, still gets teary-eyed remembering it.

It was a room full of strangers, and I felt like they were my friends, he said.

Until that cathartic moment, Christman said hes not sure even he realized how isolated hed felt.

My wife is just the best thing that ever happened to me in my life, and I love her dearly but I still felt alone, he said. Everyones experience of the disease is different. But having someone whos shared some of your experiences is a really special thing.

Christman is on a mission to share that gift of connection and empowerment to others across Western Pennsylvania and neighboring states. Last year, he formed Western Pennsylvanias first chapter of the rapidly burgeoning FSHD Society. The organization hopes to accelerate getting promising treatments that could halt the diseases progression to market in as soon as five years.

Christman is searching for more participants and their loved ones to join the group, with at least four dozen believed to be living in the Pittsburgh area.

I want to maybe help other people have that same experience that I had meeting people, said Christman, but also do something to raise money and push this along to find a treatment and a cure.

Christman held the chapters first meeting in June at the National Aviary in Pittsburghs North Side. Seven people attended, including two people with FSHD and their spouses. He expected everyone to want to know the latest research and tips for practical things to make life easier, like how to get an insurance company to approve a more sophisticated, joystick-controlled scooter like his.

Instead, a former coal miner told the group how hard it was for him when he was diagnosed, and a former Aviary employee lamented that her condition forced her to stop working.

All anyone wanted was to talk, Christman said. It was all about sharing.

If you really loved her, you wouldnt marry her

Christman sees the group as a chance for people to discuss things that those who dont know of the disease cant relate to, including its emotional and psychological toll.

Like how his wifes parents reacted when he proposed.

They went on a campaign to stop her, Christman said. They were worried that I wasnt going to be able to support her, and that she was going to have a terrible life. They got me aside and said if I really loved her, I wouldnt marry her.

The week of the wedding, Renees parents called and asked to attend, and did.

They never said anything again, and theyve since apologized, said Christman, adding hes gotten along well with his in-laws ever since. They know they were wrong.

At a recent FSHD event, Christman met a man who feared his children would think less of him for having the disease. Christmans now-adult son reassured the man that wouldnt be the case, that to his kids hed just be dad.

Christman said he may not have been able to play catch, but he made plenty of time to be actively involved in the lives of his three children and never felt like he let them down because of his condition. One of his daughters is a registered nurse, the second is a Hasbro engineer. His son is a teacher.

Theres a 50/50 chance of passing on the gene to a child. But some people have the disease and show few or no symptoms. Christman hasnt identified anyone in his family known to have it.

As a lawyer, Christman sometimes wondered whether his visible physical handicap impacted his clients perception of his mental capabilities.

He wasnt sure whether colleagues thought of him as overly grumpy because of partial facial muscle loss that gives him a half-frown resting face and slightly crooked smile. Hes grateful he hasnt lost his ability to smile, like many people with FSHD do.

Finding patients, expediting treatments

Once the disease gets too far along, the muscles disappear, and theyre replaced by, essentially, scar tissue, said Dr. Paula Clemens, Christmans UPMC neurologist. Once that happens, theres not really a lot of hope in treatments, unless you were to come up with a treatment that would make new muscle, such as by using stem cells an idea thats still a long way from materializing.

The FSHD Society is hoping to expedite the approval of a pill that could stop the disease from getting worse. Formed in 1991 by two patients who have FSH muscular dystrophy, the FSHD Society has focused primarily on raising money for research.

In 2014, newly hired CEO Mark Stone decided that to help expedite the development and approval of newly emerging treatment options, they needed to form local chapters in as many places as possible and get more patients involved and aware of clinical trials.

An estimated 40,000 Americans live with FSHD. But the society is only aware of about 3,500 of them. People may be living with it and not have a formal diagnosis, either because they havent sought one or their doctors havent recognized it.

This is a disease where youve got to also have a very active community, branch coordinator Beth Johnston said, so that if treatments do come to light, they do get to people and you have a disease community who can support it.

The society now has 48 local chapters in 24 states. Its goal is to raise $5 million toward treatment efforts this year.

In addition to providing education and support groups, the society is working directly with medical researchers and officials at the Food and Drug Administration to lobby for expediting clinical trials that appear promising.

Theyre helping us to understand how to accelerate the process that they have in order to get the drugs on the market, Johnston said. Weve got to activate our community. This is such a critical time in therapy development, its super important.

You just adapt

Christman continues to struggle with some tasks on a daily basis, but he has managed to work around his limitations.

You just adapt, he said.

These days, his wife helps him shower and get dressed.

His dad, 85, still drives him to Giant Eagle.

He loves using his iPad and other devices that are operated via voice control, since he has trouble punching keyboards or touch screens with more than one finger. He has a hard time lifting his hands, so hell lean in to do so instead. He can move his right leg to the side, but cant extend it forward.

Alexa, tell Delta to pour one cup water, hell say to the Amazon device beside the kitchen sink that controls the hard-to-reach faucet.

Hes thankful for the work of Carnegie Mellon University students who helped to build him a special tool to use the oven.

A few months ago, Christman and his wife completed a full kitchen renovation that includes an oven with a door that opens sideways as opposed to outward, plenty of reachable cupboard space and a special pull-out feature for him to use his Kitchen Aid mixer.

He has a passion for cooking, especially baking bread. His Whitehall homes bookshelves are stocked with titles like The Bread Bakers Guide, Baking with Julia, Bernard Claytons New Complete Book of Breads and, for meals with an extra kick, The Sriracha Cookbook.

I love it when he cooks dinner with me, said Renee Christman, recalling a recent meal featuring her husbands homemade pizza crust.

In addition to his municipal and board roles, Christman enjoys taking courses through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CMU. Some of his favorites so far include the masters of architecture, the role of food in history, psychology of decision-making and a course on cybercurrency. Hes participating in a CMU pilot project to build more accessible video games.

Even though its getting tougher, hes determined to do tasks like putting on his own coat for as long as he can.

My theory is, if I just let someone else do it all the time, Im not going to be able to do it anymore, Christman said.

But Christman said hes also getting better at accepting help when he needs it. He regrets delaying getting a wheelchair for years, only to realize how much more freedom it gave him.

I want to empower patients, because a lot of people dont know a lot about their disease and whats happening to them, he said. They want to learn and be with people who have gone through similar things. They want to tell their story.

The next meeting of the FSHD Societys Western Pennsylvania chapter is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. April 5 at the Carnegie Library branch in Pittsburghs Squirrel Hill neighborhood. For more information, go to FSHDSociety.org, email WesternPAChapter@fshdsociety.org or visit the group on Facebook.

Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@tribweb.com or via Twitter .

TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

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Retired attorney with rare muscular disease FHSD connects with others and accelerates search for cure - TribLIVE

1

Will these mutual funds help me to build a retirement corpus?

Will these mutual funds help me to build a retirement corpus?

RBI is likely to deliver 25 bps rate cut on or before next policy: Dhawal Dalal

Should you say goodbye ELSS mutual funds, welcome new income tax slabs?

Have I chosen the right mutual funds?

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Will these mutual funds help me to build a retirement corpus? - Economic Times

After eight years at Janus Developmental Services and a career in the nonprofit field, Noblesville resident Debbie Laird will retire May 22 from her position of senior vice president of development.

Janus, 1555 Westfield Rd., Noblesville, provides individuals with disabilities opportunities to participate and contribute within the community through day services and programs. The organization serves clients throughout Hamilton County.

Lairds proudest moments include bringing awareness to individuals with disabilities making a positive impact.

Every person has different abilities, and I think part of the thing Im most proud of is our community realizing that people who have diagnosed disabilities can also do many positive things, Laird said. Through the community lunches once a month where people come to Janus to tour the facility, receive an overview of all our programs and services and enjoy a lunch prepared by clients and served by clients these are clients interested in a catering position or working in a restaurant and thats just a firsthand view of somebody with a disability who excels.

Laird also is pleased that Janus has a higher profile in the community.

One other thing Im really proud of, too, is just the fact that when I say I work at Janus, people understand what Janus is, Laird said. When I first started here, the first question Id have was, Janus? What does Janus do? We have worked very hard to increase name awareness of what Janus is and what we are able to do.

Now, I dont get that question anymore.

In retirement, Laird plans to travel more with her husband, Mike, who is already retired. She also plans to increase her volunteer work with the Westfield Youth Assistance Program. Im a mentor for them and I want to have an increased number of hours there, she said. I also want to do more in my church, Northview.

Laird plans to participate more in the foundation she and Mike manage the Jake Laird Memorial Fund. It was created in 2004 in memory of their son, Jake Laird, who was an Indianapolis Police Dept. officer killed in the line of duty. The foundation provides funds to police and fire departments for new equipment, new instructional programs or financial assistance to those injured in the line of duty.

Laird also will continue her hobbies of bicycling, gardening and walking trails.

I think the best part of retirement, or what I can imagine of retirement, is the freedom to just go do whatever when I want to, she said.

Originally posted here:
Laird to retire from Janus - Current in Carmel

wbur Anita Walker, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, talks at the Councils official announcement that Lenox has been designed as the states 48th Cultural District on September 9, 2019. Walker announced she will be retiring from the Council in June. (Courtesy Ben Garver/The Berkshire Eagle)

As executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), Anita Walker has been running on what sometimes appears to be a boundless reserve of energy. For more than a decade, shes worked to nurture hundreds of organizations, historic sites and artists from all genres throughout the state always with a big smile on her face. An ardent arts cheerleader, Walker has been seen bouncing between the corridors of the State House to Cape Cod then off to Springfield and the Berkshires. Now, after 13 years on the job, shes retiring.

During her tenure, the independent state arts agency has distributed millions in grant funding from the state and the National Endowment of the Arts. The money goes to large institutions like the Museum of Fine Arts and Boston Symphony Orchestra, but also smaller organizations including the Aquinnah Cultural Center on Marthas Vineyard.

Walker and her team have also supported artists through fellowships, apprenticeships and youth programs, along with launching innovative initiatives to make art more available and affordable to the public, especially in underserved communities.

Walker listed a few examples. Our Up program, which is really focused on accessibility for people who have difficulty navigating the world; our Creative Youth Development Program, which really unleashes the agency of vulnerable teenagers; and our newest initiative, CultureX, which is really at the intersection of the health and well-being of the people of Massachusetts and the power of arts and culture to improve that.

When asked why shes ready to hang up her hat after enthusiastically greasing the wheels that keep the states creative economy humming, Walker said it feels right because the MCC is in great shape. If Im going to move on, this is the time to do it, she added, the work its doing is at the top of its game.

Walker is clearly proud of her many accomplishments with the MCC, but speaks about them in we terms not me terms.

I think we've built an environment of trust between our state agency and the constituents that we serve, she said. We've built strong relationships in communities whether it's in the offices of the mayor, or elected officials, or the working artists, or the chambers of commerce, or the people that are running cultural organizations and nonprofits.

Walker has worked closely with state legislators and fought for budget increases every year. Shes had an impact on buildings and grounds around the state, too, via the Cultural Facilities Fund.

This is the only state in the nation that has consistently addressed cultural infrastructure, Walker said. You know, we're the caretakers not just of treasures here in Massachusetts but we're responsible for the nation's historic sites. I mean, we're the birthplace of democracy. Im so proud of Massachusetts for rising to the challenge and being good stewards.

Walker is gratified by the January release of research from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies that found the MCC grants more money to more recipients and communities than in any other state in the U.S.

We support 400 cultural nonprofits in the arts, humanities and interpretive science, Walker said. This is brand new research from our national association. So we do more grantmaking than Massachusetts, than New York and California and Texas and much larger states. Talk about punching above your weight.

The MCC also supports 329 local cultural councils and about 50 cultural districts.

There's really no part of life in Massachusetts that doesn't in some way benefit from the intersection with the arts and culture, Walker said.

Walker will be missed, according to Nina Fialkow, chair of the MCC. The Council has deep gratitude and appreciation for Anitas vision, passion and leadership in the nonprofit cultural sector, she said in the councils retirement announcement. We are thankful for her 13 years of service and grateful that she will be with us four more months to ensure the important work of the council continues.

The MCCs governing council is working with a search firm to find the MCCs next executive director.

Walker grew up in California and said shell be heading west after retiring in June to spend more time with her sons.

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Anita Walker, Head Of The Mass. Cultural Council, Is Retiring - WBUR

Fear is infecting the stock market on concerns that the spread of the coronavirus will interfere with global trade. In the past few days, U.S. stocks have slid into a correction, defined as a 10% drop from the market top.

Its safe to say that only day traders like thinking about stock market corrections. But for the rest of us, trying to ignore market free falls is not a bad strategy, especially when it comes to a long-term goal like retirement.

Thats because one of the best ways to make sure your retirement accounts survive economic turbulence is to fortify those accounts as well as you can and then go do something else, come what may.

See: Heres how the 30 Dow industrials companies are prepping for the impact of the coronavirus

Dont get caught up in the motion of the market when investing for a long-term goal, says Chris Remedios, a certified financial planner with Remedios Financial Planning in San Francisco. If it makes you uncomfortable when things go down, dont look.

Taking the steps below will help protect yourIRA, 401(k) and other retirement accounts from events beyond your control.

During big market SPX, -3.34% swings, your investment portfolio could well lose money. This is where ignoring the market becomes important if youre investing for retirement.

You have a long-term goal try to focus on that long-term goal and not the short-term volatility of the markets, says Rob Williams, vice president of financial planning at the Schwab Center for Financial Research.

If the turbulence has you worried, dont forget that though the market is falling, its falling from record highs. Investing in the stock market remains the best way to achieve long-term growth.

Even a diversified portfolio can lose money, but diversification helps stem your losses by reducing investment risk. You want to be sure youve spread your money around so if any stock market sector crashes particularly hard, youve got investments in other sectors providing stability.

Dont be too exposed to one or two stocks. We see a lot of individuals who are invested all in one company, Williams says.

While investing in single stocks can be risky, a single mutual fund can be completely diversified. Target-date mutual funds offer one-stop-shopping convenience, because they invest in a broad swath of stocks and bonds. Alternatively, you can build your ownsimple retirement portfolioto get you to your goals. Heres more onhow to invest your IRA.

Asset allocation means figuring out what percentage of your money goes to which investment. At the highest level, that means how much money you have in stocks versus bonds.

Also see: Coronavirus fears are clobbering the stock market is it doing the same to your retirement?

Your time frame is important here. If youre decades away from retirement, a hefty allocation to stocks makes sense, even when the stock market is tanking because you have time to let your money ride that out. Just how hefty your allocation is will depend on yourrisk tolerance.

But if youre closer to retirement, make sure any money youll need for living expenses in the next five years or so is in cash or a cash-like investment such as short-term bonds.

A rule of thumb is to have about 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds or cash at the retirement date. Moving toward that is a good way to be prepared for a down market, Williams says.

If youre in your 20s, 30s or 40s and dont have plans to retire until youre in your 60s, time is on your side. Dont sell out of the stock market when it starts dropping.

In fact, a better strategy might be to buy more shares. A down market just means youre buying stocks on sale, Williams says.

Related: Retiree warning: History suggests were overdue for a bear market

Even in your 50s or older, buying might be a strategy for you too, given that retirement may last as long as two or even three decades.

While youre aligning your investment strategy with your long-term goals, assess your overall personal finances, too.

A stock market correction can be the push you need to clean up your finances. Smart steps to put on your to-do list include paying down debt and building an emergency fund. Moving forward on those goals sets you up to better weather any economic headwinds ahead.

And dont think you have to get to perfect in 60 seconds or less. Its OK to take small steps toward each goal. For example, just $500 to $1,000 in a savings account can help provide a safe harbor from rough economic waters.

Excerpt from:
As markets drop, think long-term with your retirement savings - MarketWatch

What should you do if you planned to work but it turns out you can't?

If you planned to work in retirement but you discover there are no jobs you can do, you need to make some swift changes to your lifestyle.

Start by assessing the amount of income actually available to you from Social Security, retirement savings, and any pension money you have. Make sure you're calculating income from savings based on a safe withdrawal rate. This should be no more than 4% of your account balance, while some experts suggest it should be even less.

Compare the income available to you with your budget to see if there's a shortfall. If it turns out you'll have too little income without a paycheck and you can't find work, you need to make some budget cuts quickly. This could mean downsizing to a smaller home, which could help you to boost your savings account balance if you cash out home equity. You might also need to give up a car or move to an area that has a lower cost of living.

The key is to make sure you don't draw down your retirement account balance in an effort to maintain a lifestyle you really can't afford without the paycheck you planned on having.

While you may want to work as a senior, chances are very good you won't be able to. To make sure you aren't left with too little money when it turns out holding a job isn't possible, always set your retirement planning goals without the expectation of a paycheck. If it turns out working is doable, you can use the extra income to enjoy your life a little bit more.

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