LAFAYETTE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sitzmann Lavis White, LLC (dba SLW Retirement Plan Advisors), a retirement plan advisory firm, is pleased to announce that John Negrete has joined as a Retirement Plan Advisor.

Mr. Negrete came to SLW from M Advisory Group (formerly Cal-Surance in Torrance, CA) where he served as a Retirement Plan Advisor for many of their qualified plan clients. John specializes in provider due diligence, fiduciary oversight and employee communications related to 401(k), 403(b), 457 and other qualified plan types.

We are thrilled to have John join the team, said Nathan White, Managing Principal of SLW. Johns strong communication skills and first rate experience with a well-respected firm in Southern California will be a tremendous value to our growing clientele. Also, John will bring an enhanced focus on marketing which will allow us to expand into multiple markets throughout the West Coast. We couldnt be happier that he has made the move.

Mr. Negrete graduated from the UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts. He maintains his FINRA 7, 66 and California Life Agent licenses and is also fluent in Spanish. John, his wife Kat, and son Johnny will be relocating to Northern California next month.

About SLW Retirement Plan Advisors

SLW Retirement Plan Advisors (SLW) is a retirement plan advisory firm based in Lafayette, CA. SLW is a Registered Investment Advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and focuses on Qualified and Non-Qualified plans in multiple plan markets. As a leader in fiduciary risk governance, investment due diligence and plan benchmarking, their technical proficiency are unmatched nationwide. For more information, please visitwww.slwadvisors.com.

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John Negrete Joins SLW Retirement Plan Advisors

If you remember the slogan, This is not your fathers Buick, read on.

As a baby boomer, the life you live in your later years is also not going to be your fathers retirement."

Baby boomers face a different reality and environment in which their parents retired, and it's going to be tougher for many boomers to enjoy a similar standard of living post work life.

The chart below comes courtesy of the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) at Boston College, and is based upon national data going back to 1983. Each line represents a different year and illustrates the amount of assets owned by various age groups compared to their income. As you might expect, at younger ages people have less accumulated wealth than their older counterparts. However, by age 60, the wealth-to-income ratio has increased to roughly four to one.

The chart emphasis that over the past 25 or so years, the pattern of wealth accumulation has been extremely stable- except in the most recent survey. As you can see by the dashed line, in 2010 wealth accumulation was lower across virtually all age groups, illustrating the impact of the severe recession. The steady high unemployment rates forced many people to draw down retirement savings and other accounts prematurely because they simply needed the money.

In addition, there was also a huge decline in the value of two significant assets classes: residential real estate and stocks. Compare how high the wealth-to-income ratio was in 2007, when both stocks and, to a larger degree, home prices were soaring. A year later, both markets went bust and so did the wealth people thought they had accumulated--as illustrated in the 2010 line.

The wealth-to-income ratio is a good predictor of how much income someone can replace once they retire. The fact that Americans at every stage of life are accumulating assets at a below-average rate is a trend CRR labels particularly alarming.

Here's the problem: Even if the wealth-to-income ratio at retirement age gets back to where its been historically--roughly four to one--the Center for Retirement Research warns that future retirees are still going to be in trouble. Changes in several factors have made financing todays retirement more expensive than in the past and as a consequence, the retirees of today and tomorrow really need to be entering this stage of their lives with significantly more wealth than previous generations, not less.

Senior CRR research economist Anthony Webb, says the danger is that pre-retirees today may figure, Ive accumulated about the same amount [of assets] as my parents and theyre OK, so Ill be OK.This is a false logic. Your parents may have been OK, but youre going to live longer, face lower interest rates and have higher health-care costs.

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Retirement Risks are Rising for Boomers.. and Beyond

(MoneyWatch) With average U.S. life expectancy still rising, if you look after your health it's quite possible you might live into your late '80s or beyond. As a result, people who retire in their 60s could be retired for at least two or three decades. That should be a good thing -- except if you run out of money in your 70s or 80s!

If you're like most baby boomers, you haven't put enough away in retirement savings to maintain your current lifestyle, so you'll need to squeeze as much income as possible from what you did sock away. And unless you'll be receiving significant benefits from a traditional pension plan, which provides a lifetime monthly income, you should be certain to manage your retirement savings so you don't outlive it.

Unfortunately, research suggests many people simply "wing it" when it comes to retirement planning and drawing down their savings. They simply withdraw what they need for living expenses and hope the money lasts.

Hope is never good strategy! If you spend your retirement savings without planning, there's a good chance you'll go broke in your retirement years.

Let me instead introduce you to a better strategy to draw down and invest any type of retirement savings you have, whether a straightforward savings account with no special tax features; a 401(k), 403(b), 457 or cash-balance plan; or a traditional or Roth IRA.

Don't spend savings

When it comes to living off your retirement savings, the most important strategy you can adopt is this: Don't spend your savings!

Can that be right? Absolutely. The concern is that after immediately after retiring, you'll have accumulated a tidy sum to spend during retirement. It'll look like a lot of money, and you may think you can easily afford to buy that boat or take that expensive cruise you've been dreaming about. You might start spending your retirement savings on the things you've been planning for and pull out whatever you think you need to cover daily living expenses.

If you're not careful, you'll exhaust the balance in your retirement accounts before too many years have gone by. You may have plenty of years to live, but you'll be broke and faced with some hard choices, such as returning to work, drastically scaling back your living expenses or moving in with your kids.

Instead of spending haphazardly, what you should do is consider your retirement savings as a monthly retirement income generator. Spend no more than the amount of your paychecks. Since most of us already live paycheck to paycheck during our working lives, adhering to this financial discipline when we retire shouldn't be too hard. If you plan your spending in retirement, there's a good chance you won't go broke.

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How to avoid going broke in retirement

How much should you save for retirement? The true answer is that no one knows. However, Barbara Friedberg is sure of one thing -- those who start their retirement planning and save early often will end up in much better shape than people who begin saving in their 40s or later. Retirement planning in your early years of life will save you from facing financial hardship during your retired years.

However, the lecturer at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University and editor in chief of BarbaraFriedbergPersonalFinance.com says do not worry if you are among the procrastinators -- all hope is not lost.

What is the correct amount of money that people should save for retirement on a percentage basis? Should it be 10 percent, 15 percent or 20 percent?

In general, it is best to save as much as possible and even more importantly to start as soon as you begin working. If a young adult starts her retirement planning in her 20s, she does not need to save as much as a person who starts saving in her 40s.

For example, Jill starts investing $300 per month in a diversified all-world stock index fund at age 25. She continues to invest the same amount per month until age 65. Over the 40 years, she invested a total of $144,000 and at age 65, she amassed $770,000. Assume an average rate of return of 6.9 percent over the 40 years.

If Jill earned $45,000 at age 25, then that $3,600 per year was only 8 percent of her salary. As her salary grew, the percent of her salary invested was even less than 8 percent.

Consider Jack, who didn't start investing until age 40. Assume Jack earned $60,000 per year and decided to save 15 percent of his salary, or $9,000 per year, for retirement. He invests in the same diversified all-world stock index fund as Jill. For simplicity's sake, assume he continues to save $9,000 ($750 per month) until age 65. The total amount Jack invests is $225,000. At age 65, Jack's retirement savings equal $598,025.

Jill invests less money, starts earlier than Jack and ends up with more wealth in retirement. The best retirement strategy is to start young. Start later, and you need to save a lot more than those who begin earlier.

Longevity risk -- the risk of outliving your money -- is a big issue for people about ready to retire. Companies now are offering their former employees a choice between a lump sum and a regular pension check. Companies hope the lump sum offer is accepted so they can offload the longevity risk. Who should bear this risk?

The companies who initially offered the pensions are under a social (and usually legal) contract to uphold their obligation.

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Early savings could pay off later in retirement

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Transamerica Retirement Services today released a new white paper titled, Creating an Education Policy Statement, that showcases the education policy statement as an important element of retirement plan fiduciary management. The Education Policy Statement is a natural extension of the Investment Policy Statement and, while not required by ERISA, is a key component of administering a plan and measuring ongoing performance. The Education Policy Statement provides structure for the plans employee education efforts, sets parameters and establishes measurement benchmarks to gauge progress and the success of education programs.

American workers are grappling with a high degree of uncertainty when it comes to planning for their retirement. This white paper outlines how plan sponsors and financial advisors can establish a plan to help educate employees to improve their retirement readiness, said Stig Nybo, president of pension sales and distribution for Transamerica Retirement Solutions. At Transamerica, we are committed to empowering plan participants to retire with confidence, and helping plan sponsors enhance their educational efforts is a step toward that goal.

Financial advisors who offer an Education Policy Statement to clients position themselves as credible resources to help plan sponsors and their participants better prepare for a comfortable retirement.

Tackling the retirement readiness challenge head-on, this white paper details the key ingredients of a well-crafted Education Policy Statement for retirement plans, boiling it down to five key elements: Clear plan purpose; plan objectives; education goals; measurements and benchmarking; and well-defined roles and responsibilities.

For more information about creating an Education Policy Statement, along with an annual employee education plan and a campaign calendar of events, call Transamerica Retirement Services at (888) 401-5826, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

About Transamerica Retirement Services

Transamerica Retirement Solutions Corporation (Transamerica or Transamerica Retirement Services), which is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, designs customized retirement plan solutions to meet the unique needs of small- to mid-sized businesses. Transamerica has more than 17,0001 retirement plans totaling more than $20 billion1 in assets. For more information about Transamerica, please refer to http://www.TA-Retirement.com.

1As of December 31, 2011.

TRSC 6362-1012

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Transamerica Retirement Services Promotes Importance of Education Policy Statements for Retirement Plans

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsvo0YUtRDA

13-10-2012 10:46 Brandi Hitt follows the famous shuttle as it reaches end of retirement tour.

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Space Shuttle Endeavor to Reach Final Resting Place; Retired Ship Makes Way Through Los Angeles - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQQvqVBrIKg

13-10-2012 17:12 Having escaped out of Earth's atmosphere two dozen times, the space shuttle Endeavour made a slow-speed trek through the streets of southern Los Angeles toward its retirement home at the California Science Center on Saturday. (Oct. 13)

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Raw: Shuttle Inches Toward Retirement Home in LA - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGOwGhKpMY8

14-10-2012 00:24 Former Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi has indicated that he could retire from sports administration. Kalmadi says he won't seek re-nomination in the IOA's upcoming elections on November 25th.The announcement comes in the middle of a raging controversy on Kalmadi's status following the CWG scandal. The International Olympic Committee has asked the IOA to suspend Kalmadi from the post pending disposal of the CWG scam. The IOA has so far refused to act against him. For more log on to

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Kalmadi not to contest IOA election, hints at retirement - NewsX - Video

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Elizabeth from NC, a new listener to "Jill on Money" kicked off the show with a multi-part question about her retirement accounts. We started with the best way to use her current plan and then moved onto old account consolidation and allocation.

Kevin from MI also had retirement account questions, because he is trying to juggle his 401K and his Roth contributions. (Check out Roth limits on the IRS web site.) Don't worry if you overfund your Roth, because the IRS allows you to remove the excess contribution by October 15 of the year following the year of contribution. If you do not remove the excess contribution (and the gains associated with it) by that date, you will be subject to a 6 percent excise tax on the excess contribution.

Paul from Buffalo was recently laid off and he wants to know whether at the ripe old age of 56, he has enough money to retire for good. I think he knew the answer to his question, but listen to the steps necessary to determine what he needs to do.

With four years to go before retirement, should Fay from KY pay down her mortgage? Here's your big hint: the only funds available are in retirement accounts!

Both Bill from AZ and Arthur from TX are in great shape for retirement. Bill has two old retirement plans that he wants to pass on to his kinds, while Arthur should have over $3 million in retirement assets when he retires in 5 years. Given his time horizon, it's a perfect time to meet with an advisor, preferably one who is a member of NAPFA.org. Finally, John from Seattle and his wife have $400 to put towards retirement and want to know where and how to invest it.

Here are web sites and resources mentioned in this week's show:

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Jill on Money: Retirement saving and investing

When most Americans hear the term retirement plan, they immediately think 401(k). However, what many people do not know is that there are other retirement plan options that cater to small businesses. Since about half of Americans are employed by small businesses, some of these options make a great deal of sense for the business owner who wants to help his employees prepare for retirement while avoiding the expense and complexity of the conventional 401(k) plan.

For once, something is SIMPLE: The SIMPLE IRA was designed with the small business in mind. In fact, it is reserved for companies with 100 or fewer employees who earn at least $5,000 annually. With the SIMPLE, employees are allowed to contribute up to $11,500 of their salary, and all contributions made to this account are tax-deductible. Individuals who are older than age 50 have the opportunity to defer an additional $2,500 per year for a total of $14,000. Also, businesses can make matching contributions on their employees behalf, which is tax deductible to the company.

Another attractive feature of this plan is the flexibility of investment options. Since this is an IRA, employees can invest their contributions into several options including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and exchange traded funds.

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SEP IRA: Even though the SIMPLE IRA provides an easy retirement plan option for many business owners, its contribution limits are not as generous as other plans. The SEP IRA is an alternative to the SIMPLE that allows business owners to contribute the lesser of $50,000 or 20 percent of their net income annually to the plan. While procrastination is not recommended, this plan offers companies the privilege of waiting until the tax filing deadline, plus extensions to make tax-deductible contributions to the plan.

Another point of interest is the suitability of this plan. The SEP IRA is a good option for family owned and operated companies, but it is not always the best option for all small businesses. While contributions are not required, 100 percent of the contributions are made by the employer. Therefore, this may not be the first choice option for business owners reluctant to make contributions to employees that extend beyond their immediate families.

Safe Harbor 401(k): Sometimes business owners want to contribute more than the SIMPLE IRA limits, but do not want to be obligated to make contributions on their employees behalf. In these situations, the Safe Harbor 401(k) often presents a viable option. This plan allows employees to defer up to $17,000 of their salary per year and a catch up contribution of an additional $5,500 for those over age 50. In this type of plan, companies have the option to make matching contributions or a required contribution even if the employee does not contribute. The employers choice will depend upon many variables primarily cost and employee satisfaction.

Today, more than ever, business owners have several options to help themselves and their employees prepare for retirement. By consulting with your accountant and financial advisor, you can determine which plan is appropriate for your needs and begin making contributions for one of the most anticipated milestones in your life. To find more information, visit http://www.retirementplans.irs.gov.

Life is a journey, plan for it.

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Retirement plans can come with several options