COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

In response to the demand for state-of-the-art retirement communities designed for active lifestyle and healthcare needs of todays aging population, Nexus Companies redefines retirement living with Vivante On The Coast. Vivante, which encompasses nearly 200,000-square-feet of space on a seven-acre gated campus, is now under construction with completion Fall 2013. Its the first new retirement community built in the area in 15 years.

Vivante will provide an environment of unparalleled luxury and comfort, coupled with the highest level of personalized service for residents. Underscoring the demand, the team has pre-leased 55 suites to date of a total 185 planned.

Vivante will be a unique experience in luxury retirement living, incorporating new ideas in fitness, healthcare, technology, and lifestyle that appeal to the demands of an expanding aging population, said Curt Olson, CEO/Founder, Nexus Companies.

Setting Vivante apart is:

The community includes 31,000 square feet of indoor amenity space. Suites include full kitchens with luxury finishes such as CaesarStone countertops and stainless steel appliances. Wellness amenities include an indoor saltwater pool, fitness center, spa, daily group exercises, yoga deck, physical therapy, serenity garden, reflexology footpath, putting green and bocce ball court.

Vivante is dedicated to enhancing the lives of its residents. The communitys services include 24/7 concierge, personal care and assisted living services, chauffeur services, pet care, move-in services, housekeeping, personal shopping and laundry services. Vivante will provide each resident with an iPad including an application to allow communication among family and staff. Residents are able to view activities and menus, and request maintenance and repairs.

Another significant part of the community is The Shores at Vivante On The Coast, a secured memory care facility located within the property, featuring 40 residences. The Shores provides specialized care for residents with memory impairment diseases such as Alzheimers, Vascular Dementia and Parkinsons. The coastal-inspired community is designed as a secure and safe home-like environment with its own separate amenities.

Once completed, Integral Senior Living will manage the community. Vivante is at 1640 Monrovia Avenue in Costa Mesa, with our leasing office at 320 W. Coast Highway in Newport Beach. Call 949-629-2100.

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Vivante On The Coast™ Redefines Retirement Living

WINDSOR, Conn., July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --ING U.S., a leading financial services provider, announced today a new mobile game app designed to help build investment and retirement planning awareness for consumers of all ages. Available for free on the App Store(SM) for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, the app, called STRUCT, leverages the power of "gamification" integrating game elements such as points, levels and a leader board while it simultaneously exposes players to fundamental investing concepts and terms. To learn more, visit http://structgame.com.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please visit: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54454-ing-u-s-struct-mobile-game-app-investment-retirement-planning

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120724/MM43128 )

The premise of the game is for players to work with various building materials that symbolize different investment categories steel (cash), wood (bonds) and glass (stocks) as they build increasingly complex towers or "structs." Three main characters, called the build crew, correspond to a unique investor style: aggressive, moderate and conservative. A fourth crewmember is a wild card, representing both market opportunity and risk. Through crew selection and game objectives, metaphors about saving and investing are conveyed that parallel the concepts of risk, diversification, goals and achievement. Crew selection, a diversified strategy, and material handling are critical to a player's success.

"We know many individuals need to do more when it comes to preparing for their retirement. Gaining greater awareness about accepted investing and saving principles is a critical part of that process," said Rick Mason, president of Corporate Markets for ING U.S. Retirement. "ING U.S. is committed to developing effective ways that promote financial literacy and help consumers achieve positive retirement outcomes. By leveraging the popularity of mobile game apps, we believe STRUCT will entertain users while exposing them to important concepts."

Research shows that game apps are the most downloaded items by smartphone owners, and iPhone users are playing games an average of 14.7 hours a month.(1) Industry data also suggests that there are more people in the U.S. who meet the definition of active gamers than who save for retirement.(2)Feedback from ING U.S.'s own retirement plan customers further showed that a game app like STRUCT would be a fun and unique way to engage employees and heighten their awareness of saving and investing concepts.

"In the retirement market, innovation often occurs when providers and large corporate employers collaborate on ways to make saving easier for their employees. We saw this with the introduction of automated plan features and options, such as auto-enrollment, auto-escalation and target-date funds(3)," added Mason. "In developing STRUCT, we worked with several of our large plan customers on the concept of a mobile game. Their insights underscore how technology can be a critical tool to inform, engage and inspire positive savings action."

Players of STRUCT are introduced to each of the 12 game levels by an instruction guide who provides tips that challenge the player to work with different building material and crewmembers. Each level brings new complexity, and the right combination of crew, material placement and speed helps the player score points and unlock achievements. There are also surprise moves one can discover as they engage in play including breakage, bonus points and the ability to discard a crewmember's building material. The "Build School" brings the metaphors to life, demonstrating how investor style and asset classes can impact the outcome, while the game's glossary helps to build knowledge of key financial terms.

To learn more, visit http://structgame.com.

Press inquiries:Phil Margolis ING U.S. Office: (860) 580.2676 Cell: (860) 805.7642 Twitter: ING_US_PR Phil.Margolis@us.ing.com

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ING U.S. Introduces Game App that Teaches Investing and Retirement Saving Concepts

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fitch Ratings assigns an 'AAA' rating to the following State of Minnesota retirement system building revenue bonds:

--$20,660,000 series 2012 retirement system building revenue refunding bonds.

The bonds are scheduled to be sold through competitive bid on July 31, 2012.

In addition, Fitch affirms the 'AAA' rating on the $22.9 million outstanding building revenue bonds, series 2000 that will be fully refunded with this transaction.

The Rating Outlook is Stable.

SECURITY

The bonds are special obligations of Minnesota, issued by the state through the Commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), payable from separate semiannual payments made from each of the retirement systems under a joint agreement under which each system further grants the commissioner a security interest in its respective system's available assets in the event of non-payment.

KEY RATING DRIVERS

--OVERWHELMING COVERAGE OF DEBT SERVICE: The 'AAA' rating reflects the enormous coverage on the small amount of debt that is provided from pension contributions as well as the magnitude of the available system assets that could be tapped if needed.

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Fitch Rates $21MM Minnesota Retirement Sys Bldg Revs 'AAA'; Outlook Stable

There are various ways to plan and save for retirement, but for some, that advice is about 40 years too late. Even if you're starting late or have faced numerous setbacks, retirement is possible. Here are some tips from industry professionals on how to make your last-minute retirement dreams a reality.

The most important thing is taking the first step and sticking with it, according to Catherine Collinson, president of the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies in Los Angeles.

"Achieving a sense of retirement readiness is a lot of small steps that can lead to a quantum leap," she says.

The first step

To prepare for retirement, Collinson first suggests taking "a financial look in the mirror." Understand what your personal balance sheet is and calculate a savings goal. Collinson notes that this needs to be a real, calculated goal and not just a spitball estimate.

Wade Mayo, president and CEO of Life Insurance Company of the Southwest in Dallas, says that the amount of money a person needs to retire varies depending on the person, the type of lifestyle they want to live, medical expensesand their dependents.

"It is important to estimate Social Security benefits and other sources of income and what a person expects to spend annually in retirement," Mayo says.

Many experts say it takes about 70 to 85% of your pre-retirement income in order to maintain your lifestyle during retirement, according to Mayo.

People should also plan on having enough to live on for another 25 to 30 years when estimating what they'll need to retire, he adds.

Start saving

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It's Never too Late to Plan for Retirement

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Nationwide Retirement Solutions (NRS), Nationwide Financials public-sector retirement plan business, today announced that it will continue to serve the Cook County, Illinois, deferred compensation plan for another five years. Under the agreement, NRS will provide the recordkeeping, marketing and education for the plans nearly 18,000 participants.

Nationwide looks forward to continuing our successful partnership with Cook County, said Anne Arvia, president of retirement plans for Nationwide Financial. We place the highest priority on providing our plan partners with a comprehensive defined contribution plan that provides their participants with the service, support and resources they need to prepare for a financially secure retirement.

Since 1997, NRS has served as the exclusive administrator for Cook County and the new contract extends this partnership until 2017, with two one-year optional extensions. The Cook County plan has approximately $961 million in assets.

Nationwide offers robust education for participants in all stages of retirement planning, including personalized account information available through one-on-one conversations with licensed financial professionals.

Weve had a successful relationship with Nationwide for the past fifteen years, and we look forward to continuing to work side-by-side with them to ensure our participants have the resources they need to prepare for retirement, said Tariq Malhance, the Countys Chief Financial Officer.

About Nationwide

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poors. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and specialty health services. For more information, visit http://www.nationwide.com.

Nationwide, Nationwide Financial, the Nationwide framemark and On Your Side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

Information provided by licensed financial professionals is for educational purposes only and not intended as tax, legal, or investment advice. Retirement Specialists are registered representatives of Nationwide Investment Services Corporation, member FINRA.

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Nationwide Retirement Solutions Renews Contract with Cook County

Last weekend, my dad told my mom that their "retirement guy" had called and told them to transfer their assets from one mutual fund to another. Upon hearing this, I asked who "their guy" was and what the fees and performance were for these funds. They didn't know either.

According to Teresa Ghilarducci, a professor of economics and retirement specialist, this is fairly commonplace: "I repeatedly hear about the 'guy.' When I ask how much the 'guy' costs ... or if their investments do better than a standard low-fee benchmark, they inevitably don't know."

Though I actually think my parents will be just fine in retirement, this uninformed approach to retirement planning will be a major crisis in coming years. According to recent estimates, there are 58 million Americans between the ages of 50 and 64. The median retirement savings for this group is only $26,000 per person.

To give you an idea of how scant that $26,000 will be when combined with Social Security and spread out over the rest of one's life, consider this: Almost half of these middle-class workers will be living on a food budget of $5 per day.

According to Ghilarducci, a safe rule of thumb is that you must have 20 times your annual salary saved up by the time you retire. If you earn $75,000 per year, you need $1.5 million saved up to retire with a similar lifestyle.

Even those who are saving are getting screwed But even if you are doing a great job saving for retirement, there's an insidious, almost undetectable culprit eating away at your savings: mutual fund fees. Whether we are forced into certain plans by our employers or choose them based on our "guy's" suggestions, mutual funds are still a popular vehicle for retirement savings.

A casual glance at a mutual fund's expense ratio might show a seemingly low percentage that you're charged each year. My parents, for instance, had been locked into a mutual fund with an expense ratio of 1% for decades. It seems low, but those fees can really add up over time.

Let's take a relatively simple example and assume my parents' mutual fund earned 9.8% per year -- the S&P 500 average between 1970 and 2011 -- and that they've been putting away $5,000 per year for 40 years. At this point in time, their savings would total about $1.7 million.

Source: Author's calculations.

Of course, these kinds of returns aren't too bad. The problem is that a group of Wall Street "pros" have been getting rich off folks like my parents for years, and not enough people realize it. You see, the 1% charged every year is what the mutual fund's managers charge for their "expertise" in picking winning stocks and sectors.

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The Shocking Retirement Numbers That Will Blow You Away

(MoneyWatch) Although most people are willing and able to save more for retirement, they're often unsure just how to go about it, according to recent survey by State Street Global Advisors that highlights this so-called action gap.

A large majority of the respondents -- 83 percent -- said they could cut their household budget by at least five percent to increase their retirement savings, while 64 percent said they could cut back as much as 10 percent. Fifty-two percent of the surveyed employees said they'd even be willing to increase their 401(k) contributions to as much as 10 percent of their pay if their employer automatically increased their 401(k) savings rate by one percent each year.

So what's stopping people from saving more? Frankly, it's a head-scratcher. For example, although 78 percent of the respondents said they know it's important to determine how much they must save to ensure a secure retirement, only 33 percent claim to have the knowledge to calculate that amount.

The Retirement Savings Menu: a visual take on how much you should save How to pick a target date fund Top tips for using retirement calculators

I realize that it takes some time and effort to estimate how much you need to save for retirement, and I've written previously about how to figure that out. But let me give you some additional advice: If you have the room to reduce your household budget by five to 10 percent so you can save for retirement, go ahead and save more.

Unsure how of much you need to save to have a secure retirement? Don't use that as an excuse to put off saving more -- chances are high that you're not saving enough and that you're short by a large margin, so any additional savings is much better than doing nothing.

Today, go online to your 401(k) plan administrator or pick up the phone and increase your retirement contributions by five to 10 percent of your pay. Then take the time in the weeks and months ahead to calculate how much you should save for retirement and adjust your contributions accordingly.

Don't know how to invest? Don't let that hold you back. Pick the target date fund in your plan if one is available, or select a mutual fund that's balanced evenly between stocks and bonds. You can always take the time later to learn more about investing. Today, though, go ahead and save more.

If you don't have a 401(k) plan, explore purchasing an IRA, or simply open an investment account with an established mutual fund company. Vanguard, Fidelity, and T. Rowe Price are all good places to start for any type of retirement savings; they have low-cost mutual funds and non-commissioned telephone representatives who will guide you through the process. So go ahead and save more.

If you're like many people who are motivated by emotions rather than logic, check out my Retirement Savings Menu post. It motivates you to save more by showing you what your life could be like in retirement.

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How to beat the retirement savings "action gap"

BOSTON, July 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --John Hancock Funds has launched a new program designed to help retirement plan advisers demonstrate their value and build stronger client relationships. Available on the John Hancock Funds' adviser web site, http://www.jhfunds.com, the program, "Focus on Value: What Matters Most to Your Clients and How to Build on It," includes a Guidebook, Wholesaler PowerPoint, and Plan Sponsor Toolkit.

In addition, John Hancock participated as a co-sponsor for a survey and study of plan sponsors released in the spring and called: "Can a Professional Retirement Plan Adviser Really Make That Much of a Difference?" The survey findings provide first-person insight into ways that plan sponsors believe retirement plan advisers may bring the greatest value to their plans and participants.

"New Department of Labor regulations this year require retirement plan service providers to reveal investment expenses and fees to plan sponsors. The right adviser can help monitor and review fees to ensure compliance," noted Gene Huxhold, Senior Managing Director, Investment Only Retirement Plans. "Our materials illuminate insights and provide steps to boost the specific values that plan sponsors recognize and appreciate most about service the retirement plan advisers provide. John Hancock is committed to the Investment Only space and to helping retirement plan advisers express their value to plans and participants."

The new Guidebook from John Hancock Funds includes five key findings from the research study whereby plan sponsors offered observations about what retirement plan advisers bring to their plans:

The guidebook also offers corresponding practice management tips for advisers.

Also available are the Wholesaler PowerPoint, a client-facing presentation that mirrors the Guidebook and is formatted for iPad delivery, and the Plan Sponsor Toolkit, which offers a comprehensive approach to evaluating a new or existing financial adviser for a company's retirement plan.

About John Hancock Funds

The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds manages more than $74.5 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, college savings and retirement plans, and related party assets for individual and institutional investors as at March 31, 2012.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. In 2012, John Hancock celebrates 150 years of serving clients across the United States, while Manulife celebrates its 125th anniversary. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$512 billion (US$512 billion) as at March 31, 2012. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

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John Hancock Funds Launches Program To Help Retirement Plan Advisers Demonstrate Their Value

While the concept of retirement means you get to quit your job and do what you love all day, many retirees would love to earn a little income to ease their cash flow. One of the best ways to both feel retired and bring in some money is to find a way to generate cash from your hobbies. It may take a little extra effort to move something from a hobby to a small business, but with a measure of entrepreneurial spirit you can turn fun into profit. How much you can make depends a lot on the level of time you are willing to put into participating in your hobby and marketing your services or products. Here are some examples of potentially profitable hobbies.

SalesSelling Items on eBay If you have a vast collection of antique toys, record albums or clothing that you no longer want, you can sell them on eBay to the highest bidder to turn a profit. Some entrepreneurial types turn eBay skills into a business by buying low and selling high. If you have special expertise in a particular area or simply want to gamble a bit on something like sports tickets, you can spend hours making bids and then reselling items on other websites.

Selling Books and CDs on Amazon Another option for people with the storage space for books and CDs is to sell your own collection through Amazon.com. You can haunt flea markets and thrift stores for bargain priced books and CDs and then resell them, but you'll have to take into account shipping costs and the hassle factor of storing and sending the items.

Selling Handmade Items on Etsy If you love to quilt, sew or make jewelry, Etsy.com can be your marketplace. The website makes it simple to market your crafts. You can even sell vintage clothing. So, if you have a trunk full of clothes in the attic this could be a goldmine and help you clean out your closet.

Sell at Flea Markets and Yard Sales Plenty of people love to spend their time looking for treasures and unique items at flea markets and yard sales. If this is your hobby, you can turn it into a business by snapping up bargain items and reselling them. You can also sell your handmade items, including jewelry, quilts and clothes at flea markets.

SEE: Amazing Yard Sale Finds TeachTeach or Tutor One of the fastest ways to earn money on your own schedule is to become a tutor or a teacher. Whether you excel at math or English, you can offer tutoring services through your own website or with advertising at local schools. If you speak a foreign language or want to help others learn English, you can also earn money by tutoring. Other skills that can bring in plenty of students include teaching voice lessons, art or a musical instrument. Be sure to think about whether you want students to come to you or if you want to meet at a library or in their homes.

Try eduFire.com An unusual option for tutoring is eduFire.com, a website that puts students and tutors together for one-on-one sessions or group classes via computer. You'll need basic computer skills and some credentials for marketing yourself to teach any subject you want.

SEE: 6 Careers You Can Do From Home OthersWrite If you've always wanted to write, look into the possibility of freelance writing for your local newspaper or for websites that specialize in something that interests you. Fiction writing is less lucrative, but if you are prolific and dedicated to submitting your work, you can make a little money with your poetry and prose.

Party Planning If you are the one everyone turns to when they're looking for a suggestion for a party theme or an interesting way to entertain guests, set up a party planning website and start charging for your advice.

Organizing If you love to organize your home, you may want to offer your services to others. Just be sure you can physically handle hauling papers around or clearing out someone's closet. You can start your own business or offer to assist someone who already has a thriving business as an organizer.

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Retirement Hobbies That Make Money

You've spent your entire adult life working toward -- and saving for -- retirement, but it can be hard to accurately predict how much money your will need in your golden years.

If you're unsure about how much money you'll need in retirement, follow these pieces of advice from financial experts:

A Solid Goal: 80% to 90% of your pre-retirement monthly income

Retirees should expect to need about 80 to 90 of their pre-retirement income per month, according to ING retirement coach and planner Larry Rosenthal. That means, if your income is $40,000 per year, you'd want to have $32,000 on hand per year in retirement. "People will spend money on hobbies or some type of entertainment," Rosenthal says. "They'll also tend to spend more money on their grandchildren after they retire. And travel is expensive and becomes a big part of retirement spending." Experts says a good strategy is to withdraw about 3 or 4% of your retirement savings each year. "If you had about $1,000,000 in an interest account, you could live on the income of $40,000," according to Charlie Epstein, author of Paychecks for Life.

Know your expenses: Expected and unexpected

While some expenses can be predicted he expenses you anticipate, there will also likely be unexpected expenses. "The most significant and unexpected expense in retirement is due to out of pocket health- care expenses," says John Ulin, a certified financial planner in Boca Raton, Fla. More than 50% of people 65 or older will at some point in their life need either home health care or will enter a nursing home, he says. "This type of 'care' is not covered by Medicare or Medicaid and can financially devastate your nest egg," he says. "Home health care can cost upwards of $35,000 a year and a facility care can cost upwards of $60,000 a year. Plan accordingly."

Common Mistakes

Experts agree that the most common mistake people make is not having and following a financial plan. "How does someone know where they are and where they need to go if they don't have a financial plan in place that analyses retirement cash flow," says Barry Taylor, a financial adviser and money manager based in San Francisco.

In addition, many people planning on retiring don't begin saving early enough. "As a rule of thumb, you need to save 10% of your pay each year," says Epstein.

Another common -- and frequently devastating -- mistake is underestimating the cost of health care in retirement. "The latest projection on cost of health care is that on average, health expenses will equal or exceed $325,000 for a couple from age 65 until death," Taylor explains. "A great deal of this cost will be paid by Medicare and 'Gap' insurance policies that cover most of medical, hospitalization, and drugs. But many soon-to-be-retirees do not understand the conditions of the retirement health insurance they purchase at retirement and the size of the 'gaps' that may not be included."

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How Much Money Will I Need in Retirement?