When my organization first introduced its Secure Choice Pension (SCP) proposal in September 2011, we did not see it as an effort to reduce public anger over generous government pensions as some opponents so boldly assert.

To the contrary, we see it as a viable mechanism for giving private-sector workers what they want and what Americas economy needs reliable, lifetime retirement income immune to sudden economic downturns and market fluctuations that will allow those no longer working to contribute to the economy and not become reliant on government programs and entitlements.

When the Great Recession hit four years ago, it quickly deflated the value of 401(k)-style retirement accounts. Since then, workers have, in overwhelming numbers, expressed a desire for a more secure option for their retirement savings.

Not so long ago, private-sector workers enjoyed all three legs of the traditional retirement stool a pension, Social Security and personal savings like 401(k)s. But most private-sector employers have abandoned pensions, Social Security does not provide enough to live on, and even those who have saved diligently for retirement through 401(k)s are exposed to market fluctuations which put substantial portions of their account balances at risk through no fault of their own.

Small-business owners around the nation, and particularly in California, say they feel an obligation to provide retirement benefits and that providing those benefits would help them recruit good employees and boost their bottom lines. But they complain that they cant afford the plans currently available.

Our SCP proposal on which Sens. De Leon and Steinberg modeled Senate Bill 1234 and its California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program proposes a public-private partnership to create an affordable, easily administered, professionally-managed retirement savings plan that private-sector employers could adopt for their employees.

A late-April survey of 505 California small-business owners with between two and 49 employees reveals widespread support (71 percent) for the De Leon-Steinberg proposal, with backing strong in every part of the state. That support crosses political lines as well with 78 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Republicans in favor.

Senate Bill 1234 proposes a modest plan to provide modest benefits through conservative investments, leveraging lower-cost professional investment outcomes through economies of scale.

It is intended to address Californias retirement security crisis by providing millions of workers who have no employer-sponsored retirement benefits with access to a plan that their employers can afford. And all of this at no cost to taxpayers.

California taxpayers will most certainly be on the hook if these millions of workers are forced to retire without sufficient assets. Rather than engaging in purchasing, saving and other activities that contribute to the economy and generate tax revenues, they will be relying on public programs and entitlements, depleting public coffers and compromising economic stability and growth.

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Pension bill provides needed retirement option

By Sarah Olesen, Australian National University and Peter Butterworth, Australian National University

Welcome to Shades of Grey, a series from The Conversation that examines the challenges posed by Australia's ageing workforce. Today, Australian National University's Sarah Olesen and Peter Butterworth look at the issue of mental health and well-being in retirement.

Community views on retirement are polarised. Some see it as an opportunity to escape work obligations and pursue their own passions. Others view the transition as a loss of status, social connectedness, and financial security.

We've studied this topic using large samples of Australians to explore how retirement is associated with mental health and well-being.

The view that retirement has a negative effect on mental health is consistent with decades of evidence about the impacts of job loss among young and middle-aged people. And the transition to retirement is certainly a major milestone and lifestyle change, given the central roles work and career play in most people's lives.

Studies comparing the mental health of retirees with that of working older adults has shown that retirees (particularly men) tend to have greater levels of depression and anxiety than their working peers.

But longitudinal studies that track the mental health of people moving from work to retirement offers little proof that this transition has a significant detrimental impact on the mental health of most people. Indeed, it seems more likely that the poor mental health observed among many retirees precedes and perhaps has driven their workforce exit.

The reasons for retirement, whether people left work gradually or continue to work in some capacity during retirement, and the age at which people leave work have all been shown to affect mental health among retirees.

Not surprisingly, involuntary or unexpected job loss in later life is the form of retirement that has been most consistently linked to increased depression. On the other hand, part or gradual retirement (rather than full departure from the workforce) may ease the stress associated with leaving the workforce.

We are all familiar with the popular image of early retirement being a luxury enjoyed by financially secure individuals who lead full and satisfied lives. However, contrary to this widely held idea research shows that early retirees tend to have much poorer mental health than their working peers and older retirees.

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Retirement: a trigger for distress or welcome relief from the rat race?

Today's conventional wisdom may say Americans are worried about retirement, but an increasingly sizable percentage of consumers may not be doing much about it.

According to the New Retirement Mindscape 2012 City Pulse index, a survey released last week by Ameriprise Financial, only 70 percent of U.S. consumers report preparing for retirement. That's the lowest level recorded by the index in the past three years.

However, there were some bright spots in the survey, which surveyed consumers between the ages of 45 and 70. Residents of some metro areas reported higher than average levels of retirement preparedness and confidence. Hartford-New Haven topped the ranking of 30 metro areas, while Washington D.C. fell to the bottom spot.

The index polled consumers from the 30 largest metro areas in the United States to determine which residents were most prepared and most confident in their ability to retire. These five metro areas formed the top of the 2012 rankings.

Hartford-New Haven jumped in ranking from number six in 2011. Three in four respondents in the area say they have set money aside for retirement, and more than half invest money in an employer-sponsored plan such as a 401(k). Seventy percent of the region's residents said they have positive feelings about retirement.

With the exception of Minneapolis-St. Paul, all the other metropolitan areas in the top five spots were in the top 10 from last year. The Minnesota metro area climbed 15 spots from number 18 in 2011. Meanwhile, the greater San Francisco area, which held the number one position last year, saw its ranking drop slightly to number four.

On the other end of the spectrum was Washington D.C. where only 12 percent of residents reported feeling very financially prepared for retirement.

In addition to retirement preparedness and confidence, the index surveyed consumers on issues surrounding the upcoming presidential election.

Consumers appear to be keyed into several issues that could impact their retirement readiness. According to the index survey, a significant percentage of respondents note that candidate positions on the following issues are likely to influence their vote.

Concerns regarding these issues likely parallel the uneasiness many consumers feel about their own ability to retire.

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Sweating retirement? Your peers may not be

Audi is presenting the new top model of its recently revised Q5 model series the Audi SQ5 TDI.

The powerful TDI, which displaces 2,967 cc, uses a twin-turbo design in which the two turbochargers are connected in series via a flap. Cylinder head cooling, the timing and lift of the intake cam shafts, the pistons, their oil-jet cooling and the piston pins have been specially designed for the high-performance concept. The common rail system develops as much as 2,000 bar of pressure and injects as many as eight shots of fuel into the cylinders per cycle. The 3.0 TDI biturbo has a great sound. This sound is further modulated by a sound actuator in the exhaust system a loudspeaker in short side channel.

The Audi SQ5 TDI sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.1 seconds; top speed is 250 km/h (155.34 mph). Fuel consumption is on average just 7.2 liters per 100 km (32.67 US mpg). Innovative thermal management, the start-stop system and the regulated oil pump all contribute to this top figure. A fast and smooth-shifting eight-speed tiptronic and quattro permanent all-wheel drive with torque vectoring transfer the power of the brawny V6 diesel to the road.

The electromechanical power steering in the Audi SQ5 TDI is sensitive and highly efficient. The sport suspension lowers the vehicle body by 30 millimeters (1.18 in). The standard 20-inch wheels feature a five parallel-spoke design and are fitted with 255/45 tires. Audi offers optional wheels measuring 21 inches in diameter. The black brake calipers on the front axle sport S badges. The optional Audi drive select system can be expanded upon request to include the dynamic steering system with its steplessly variable steering ratio.

The most eye-catching design cues are the platinum gray single-frame grille with its galvanized double bars in an aluminum-look finish, the roof spoiler and the modified bumpers. The high-gloss package and the aluminum-look exterior mirrors accentuate the area around the windows. Audi offers the new top model in the crystal effect paint finishes Estoril Blue or Panther Black. The body includes a high proportion of ultra-high-strength steels, making it very light, safe and rigid.

As is typical for an S model, the interior has black trim and exudes a sporty elegance. The headlining is optionally available in lunar silver. The power-adjustable sport seats come standard in Pearl Nappa leather/Alcantara. Leather upholstery in a choice of four colors is available as an option. Brushed aluminum inlays are standard. Options include Carbon Atlas, Piano finish and the new Aluminum/Beaufort wood black trim panels.

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PARIS MOTOR SHOW: Up Close And Personal With The Audi SQ5 Performance Diesel Crossover

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cameron Brock, leading personal injury attorney in Los Angeles, believes that after an accident, you deserve someone in your corner. He thinks you should pursue justice even if the defendant in your case says you share some of the fault, and the State of California agrees with him. As a Law Firm with a 97% success rate, and a no-win-no-pay plan for every case, calling The Law Offices of Burg & Brock when you may share some fault is the smartest thing you can do.

An interesting legal precedent was set in Maryland that caused personal injury law to be a little tougher on victims than it is here in California for over 150 years. The idea of "contributory negligence" was first applied to a Maryland case in 1847 when a plaintiff fell into an opening near the defendant's cellar window. The plaintiff's leg was broken in the fall, and a lawsuit ensued. However, the defendant successfully argued that the plaintiff could have used "reasonable care" to avoid the accident. Thus whatever construction or maintenance issue was primarily to blame, the plaintiff's own contribution of negligence made it impossible to win damages. Today, the position of the Maryland Supreme Court seems to be softening on this issue.

A leading personal injury lawyer Cameron Brock is aware that defendants will often claim that partial fault on the part of a plaintiff makes them somehow immune to paying a settlement. They may even suggest that the law is on their side, as though the Maryland law applies. Particularly large organizations might be eager to point out the ways in which your case is unwinnable because their huge team of lawyers will inevitably defeat your case on the grounds that some of the fault is yours, but when you have Cameron Brock the finest personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles you won't have to feel intimidated.

If this case sounds anything like yours, fear not. A different legal precedent ensures that you're much more protected in the Golden State. In a 1975 case called Li vs. Yellow Cab Co., a car accident for which defendant and plaintiff shared unequal portions of fault would have, according to 1975 law, prevented the plaintiff from receiving damages. Fortunately, the California Supreme Court ruled that the old law was out of touch, and that something called "comparative" negligence came into play. The plaintiff was, apparently, able to "recover," or get some form of payment.

For an official legal opinion, and to set your case in motion, go to http://www.legaldefenders.com or call 1 (888) 509-2998 to get you free consultation now.

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According to Law Offices of Burg & Brock, You Can Win Damages Even if the Accident Was Partly Your Fault

Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria believes that he has become the player he is today as a result of his coach Jose Mourinho.

The Argentina international was signed from Portuguese side Benfica in 2010 and has enjoyed two successful campaigns with the Spanish capital outfit, guiding them to Copa del Rey and La Liga triumphs. He has already assisted five goals this season, as he looks to build on last term's tally of 17.

"The day he told me to come, I was at the World Cup and I wasn't doing very well but he kept trying and I think that most of what I am doing today is thanks to him and I try to repay that with hard work every day," Di Maria told reporters.

Having tasted domestic glory, Di Maria admits the Champions League would be the ultimate reward but insists Los Blancos are determined to challenge on all fronts, with the Supercopa already in the bag.

"The first year with Mourinho, we won the Copa then La Liga a year later, and I wish this year that we are able to win not only the Champions League," he added. "We are going to fight for every title as we are Real Madrid and that is what we have to do. We will see what we end up with."

Real Madrid has experienced a slow start to the season, winning only two of its five opening league matches and allowing fierce rival Barcelona to open up an eight-point lead.

Nonetheless, Mourinho's side will be hoping to close that gap when it entertains Deportivo La Coruna at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

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Di Maria puts personal success down to Mourinho

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The American Cancer Society and The Personal Care Products Council Foundation announced today the honorees for the 28th annual DreamBall: Carol Hamilton president, LOral Luxe, and Michael Clinton, president, marketing & publishing director for Hearst Magazines, will be honored tonight at Cipriani, 42nd Street, in New York City. The DreamBall Gala benefits the Look Good Feel Better program, a collaboration of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation (PCPCF), the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the Professional Beauty Association (PBA). For more than 20 years, DreamBall has been the primary source of funding for Look Good Feel Better, the only free, nationwide program dedicated to boosting cancer patients self-esteem and confidence through lessons on coping with appearance-related side effects of the disease.

Award winning news anchor Sade Baderinwa of WABC-TV New York will host the event. The DreamBall honorees, Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Clinton, will be presented by Joanna Coles, the newly named editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, and actress/model Milla Jovovich with Dr. Peter Dottino of Mt. Sinai Hospital, respectively.

Carol Hamilton is one of the beauty industrys most respected executives. During her 28-year career with LOral USA, she has been integral to its growth in the United States and also is widely recognized for her contributions to its international development. Ms. Hamilton was chosen as a 2012 DreamBall honoree in recognition for her dedication to cancer research and outreach, particularly in the area of ovarian cancer. She is the recipient of the Oliver R. Grace Award for Distinguished Service in Advancing Cancer Research by the Cancer Research Institute and is a member of the Board of Governors for The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

For almost 30 years I have been dedicated to helping women look and feel their best, said Hamilton. I was humbled and inspired by the courage and sweetness of the women I met at my first Look Good Feel Better workshop. The simple pleasure of being normal for two hours, combined with the impact of being able to reverse the toll of cancer through beauty routines, is an honor everyone of us in the beauty industry should be a part of.

A long-term supporter of Look Good Feel Better and its mission, Michael Clinton oversees the publication of some of the worlds largest magazine brands, including Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire, Harpers BAZAAR, Marie Claire, O, The Oprah Magazine, Good Housekeeping and Food Network Magazine. In addition, he is the chairman of the MPA Association of Magazine Media. Under Clintons leadership, Hearst Magazines has helped raise awareness for Look Good Feel Better for nearly two decades. Mr. Clinton experienced first-hand the dramatic impact cancer has on a persons life when his executive assistant of 26 years was diagnosed with breast cancer and completed treatment.

"Cancer knows no bounds and certainly doesnt discriminate, said Clinton. Watching my friend and colleague journey through diagnosis, treatment and recovery brought this disease, and all its side effects, very close to home for me. The Look Good Feel Better program showed me the positive power of beauty for women undergoing treatment. Fran inspired me with her courage, her strength, and her sense of purpose. I am proud to share this honor with her and her family.

For the first time, the DreamBall will celebrate two cancer survivors with tributes to Tim Quinn, a testicular cancer survivor, celebrity makeup artist and National Creative Director for Giorgio Armani Beauty, and a longtime colleague of Ms. Hamilton; and breast cancer survivor Fran Crane, Mr. Clintons long-serving executive assistant. Both Mr. Quinn and Ms. Crane will share their stories at the DreamBall of overcoming cancer and its physical and emotional side-effects, as well as their perspective on how Look Good Feel Better helps people with cancer regain control, self-confidence and hope during treatment.

This years DreamBall to benefit the Look Good Feel Better program really is an industry family affair, said Pamela Baxter, DreamBall event chairman, president & CEO of LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics, North America, and president of Christian Dior, Inc. Tim and Fran are so close personally and professionally to Carol and Michael, and their stories echo many of the consistent themes of the Look Good Feel Better program -- from taking control, to the impact of treatment on relationships at both work and home. These close ties will make this years event especially meaningful, inspirational and universal. We all know someone who can benefit from Look Good Feel Better.

The DreamBall will be immediately followed by DreamBall After Dark, a special reception aimed at engaging the next generation of philanthropic leaders within and beyond the beauty industry to get them involved in the Look Good Feel Better program. Guests will enjoy cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction and music by international DJ Harley Viera Newtown. Tickets can be purchased at the door, or in advance at http://www.thedreamball.org,and all proceeds benefit the Look Good Feel Better Program and the American Cancer Society.

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Fashion and Beauty Industry Come Together to Honor L’Oreal USA’s Carol Hamilton and Hearst Magazines’ Michael Clinton ...

Google VP and Stanford professor Sebastian Thrun spoke to a packed CCIS lecture theatre last Friday about Udacity, his online education program that has enrolled hundreds of thousands of students around the world in free university-level courses.

On a mission to democratize education, Udacity has been wildly successful since its launch in January. More than 750,000 students have signed up for 14 courses that range from introductory computing science and statistics to advanced program design and artificial intelligence all of which are instructed by world-renowned experts and professionals.

Udacity is one of a growing number of organizations, including groups like Khan Academy and Coursera, working to transform education. Known as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), these classes are revolutionizing the current model of teaching and challenging the entire structure of higher education, which Thrun believes is inaccessible to too many people.

Education and higher education today is in a crisis. We all know this. We are not reaching the students that need our help, he said. Our cost per student every student is about a dollar. And now that classes run all the time, the cost has shrunk down to basically zero cents, which means we can make education our style of education a free good. We can make it a basic human right.

Since the only requirement for a Udacity course is an internet connection, students can easily sign up through udacity.com or through Facebook or Google accounts.

Thrun believes people involved in organizations like Udacity can open classrooms up to hundreds of thousands or even millions of people.

Thrun attributes much of Udacitys success to the particular style of teaching that the internet facilitates, which eliminates the traditional lecture model and instead emphasizes interactivity. In August, Udacity even began to offer open enrolment, allowing students to work at their own paces.

We didnt want to lecture. And the reason is, I just dont think lecturing is the right thing to do, Thrun stated. I want to move education (away) from what I consider ... a medieval discipline.

Udacity lessons typically consist of short videos which can be easily re-watched, and embedded quizzes and exercises which can be re-attempted at the students leisure.

The mantra of Udacity is to really strive for excellence, and really put student exercise front and centre, Thrun said.

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Udacity founder speaks on cost-free open education

SCRANTON, Pa., Sept. 27,2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Penn Foster, Inc., a global leader in online education with over 150,000 students, today announced the "Choose to be More" bike tour in which the school's president, Joe Gagnon, will embark on a 3-day, 6-city bike tour through local communities to bring awareness to education and meet with potential students considering online education.

"Americans need more options for education today and we're taking a non-traditional approach in letting them know that those options exist," said Joe Gagnon, president of Penn Foster. "As the U.S. skills gap continues to widen, we're going on this tour to prove that there are jobs to be had it's about giving people the qualifications necessary to get them."

TOUR DETAILS

The tour will commence on Thursday, October 4th at Penn Foster's headquarters located at: 925 Oak Street, Scranton, PA.

Stops throughout the tour include:

Town-hall style meetings with students will be followed by testimonials from as well as a question and answer round.

As student loan debt tops a staggering $1 trillion (more than car loans or credit card debt) and college tuition costs have risen over twice as fast than overall consumer prices, it's estimated that the average student graduating from a traditional college owes more than $27,000, up 54% from a decade ago. Penn Foster does not take government grants providing a better solution that leaves students debt free. For more information on the bike tour, visit: http://www.pennfoster.edu/choosetobemore/index.html.

About Penn Foster

Penn Foster is a global leader in online education, providing high school diplomas, career-focused degree and vocational programs in the fields of allied health, business, technology, education, and select trades. Penn Foster has a rich history in distance learning, tracing back to their roots as the International Correspondence School in 1890. The institution today, comprised of Penn Foster High School, the largest high school in the United States; Penn Foster College and Penn Foster Career School, graduates 25,000 annually, and has always been dedicated to educating and training America's working population.

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Penn Foster President Embarks On 3 Day Bike Tour To Bring Awareness To Online Education

A British priest has banned yoga from the parish hall because it is "a Hindu spiritual exercise" and therefore "not compatible" with Catholicism, according to news reports from the kingdom.

Cori Withell told The Mirror that with just 10 days remaining in the two-month instruction, St. Edmund's Church in Southampton canceled her yoga and Pilates classes. She said a parish secretary explained that the hall must be used only for Catholic activities.

The decision to ban yoga or other non-Catholic activities rests with individual priests and is not official Catholic Church policy, the diocese said.

St. Edmund's priest, Father John Chandler, and the diocese said Withell had misled them by booking the hall for Pilates and later advertising separate yoga classes. They apologized for the inconvenience.

"Yoga is a Hindu spiritual exercise. Being a Catholic church we have to promote the gospel and that's what we use our premises for," Chandler said. "We did say that yoga could not take place. It's the fact that it's a different religious practice going on in a Catholic church. ... It's not compatible. We are not saying that yoga is bad or wrong."

It's been a learning experience for Withell, whose classes were aimed at helping overweight Britons slim down.

"I had never heard about any religious issue with yoga before but I have looked into it since and found that some other religions feel that when people meditate it could let the devil inside them," Withell told the paper. "But there was never any meditation in my class -- it was just exercises."

She added, "I do not object to anyone having a religious viewpoint, but it seemed terribly petty to cancel the classes."

Ravindra Parmar, president of the Vedic Society Hindu Temple of Southampton, told the BBC that yoga was "a form of exercise" and "not a religious type of activity." He said he felt "a little let down" because of efforts by the local faith council to "get all the faiths talking to each other."

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British priest bans yoga at church