Saturday

Run for the Fund: Join 1,000 participants in sprinting, jogging or walking through SeaWorld, 10522 Sea World Drive. Proceeds are donated to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. 8 a.m. Oct. 6. http://www.seaworldparks.com/runforthefund. $45 through race day.

Action Kidney Day: Learn about kidney disease and how it affects the local community through free kidney health screenings, cooking demos, fitness, free food samples and the Kidney Action Day Walk. 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. http://www.kidneyfund.org. Free.

Jazzercise: Jazzercise Downtown is offering a free week and a three-month special through October. Lunchtime classes are held 12:15-1 p.m. Monday through Friday; 5:30-6:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Walk-ins welcome. 403 Ave. E (First Presbyterian Church. Call 210-265-7960 or jazzercisedowntown@gmail.com for details.

Upcoming

Reiki: Briana Brooks leads an open forum to help explore this holistic approach to health and fitness. Reiki treatments will be given free of charge. 7-8:30 p.m. Oct. 9. Brooks Community Classroom, 6323 Sovereign St., Suite 186. 210-365-1400.

Mental health: The St. George Episcopal Church Mental Health Family Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 10. The church is located at 6904 West Ave. Patients, family members, providers and friends are welcome. 210-342-4261.

Ongoing

Juicing support group: Adam McManus leads a weekly support group 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays at the Starbucks Legacy, 1723 N. Loop 1604 E, Suite 102. Contact McManus at talkradioadam@gmail.com or 210-373-7499. Free.

Food addicts: Are you having trouble controlling your eating? Regular meetings of Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous can be found at http://www.foodaddicts.org. 210-561-1809 or 210-310-4609.

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Health & Fitness: Oct. 1

Financial planning is full of rules of thumb. One of the most famous is the "Four Percent Rule," which simply says that in retirement you can safely take out no more than 4 percent of the combined value of all of your financial assets each year with an expectation that your money will last 30 years or more, which is longer than the average length of time Americans spend in retirement.

However, the Four Percent Rule may be much more valuable as a guide rather than a steadfast rule.

A bit of history: The rule was originated by my fellow NAPFA member and fee-only financial advisor Bill Bengen. His conclusions, published in the October 1994 issue of the Journal of Financial Planning, were based upon a number of simulations of historical market behavior.

The result was a commonly used formula for managing retirement expectations, based on a number of assumptions about retiree needs and market performance. For example, at age 65 if you have a retirement portfolio of $1 million, and don't want to run out of money until you're 95, you can safely withdraw up to $40,000 a year.

But what if real life strays from these underlying assumptions? For example:

--What if you need more than 4 percent annually?

--What do you do if you live to be 100 or 110?

--What if you get really spectacular returns in your first few years of retirement so that by the time you're 95, you find you have a much bigger surplus than you expected? You may realize that you could have afforded a more comfortable lifestyle during retirement.

--What if, in the first few years of your retirement, the stock market drops by 45 percent?

Questions like these very quickly show the real value of the rule: it's a good place to start.

Read more:
Using the 'Four Percent Rule' for Retirement Planning

The U.S. Treasury Department is examining individual retirement accounts as vehicles for potential tax avoidance, a top tax official said in a letter to Democratic lawmakers released on Wednesday.

Democratic lawmakers have raised questions about the individual retirement account, or IRA, of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and asked the agencies to look into potential tax skirting by IRA holders. Romney has disclosed that his IRA contained up to $101 million, despite annual limits of much smaller amounts.

Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service "have been aware of this risk for a number of years and have been taking actions to curb abuses," Mark Mazur, Treasury assistant secretary for tax policy, said in the Sept. 19 letter to three Democratic House of Representatives members.

The IRS organized a team last year to improve compliance and enforcement of retirement account tax issues, Mazur said.

The IRA and Treasury are trying to estimate the number of IRA audits that involve asset valuation issues and gauge the size of any tax compliance problems, Mazur said.

IRAs are subject to contribution limits, which prompted some speculation at the time about how Romney's got so large, as shown in financial disclosure forms the former Massachusetts governor filed with federal election officials in August 2011.

"Gov. Romney has been eligible to contribute to retirement plans since he entered the workforce in 1975," a Romney campaign spokeswoman said in a statement on Wednesday. "Likewise, the investments in the IRA have appreciated sharply."

Aaron Albright, a spokesman for Democratic Representative George Miller, who received the Mazur letter, said: "Governor Romney's financial disclosure forms raised significant issues on whether this presents a problem of how people possibly misevaluate their IRAs to evade taxes."

House Democrats have called on the tax-writing committees in Congress to address IRA tax avoidance concerns.

Continued here:
US Authorities Eye Retirement Accounts as Possible Tax Dodges

Radius Images / Getty Images file

As couples plan for retirement, there is a helpful checklist they ought to consult to make sure they have enough money to maintain their accustomed lifestyle after they quit working.

By Richard Satran, TODAY contributor

Its the impossible dream to many people: coming up with enough money to retire well. But Fidelity investments has come up with a new strategy to figure out if you are saving enough and not just making it a race to The Number.

The Number, of course, is the total you need to assure an adequate retirement. For some of us its like those medical charts telling you the optimal weight for your height. Great, but how do I get there?

For the savings-challenged, Fidelitys Number is still daunting: You will need to have saved eight times your final salary by age 67 if you want to maintain a lifestyle similar to the one you have had while working, the company's planners figure. But Fidelity says its easier to get to the peak if you think of it as a series of manageable milestones through life.

To reach the 8x altitude, Fidelity says, here are check-down markers for getting to the golden peak at the right time:

Seems easier than climbing to the 8x level all at once, right? Thats the idea. If you follow the rule of thumb, your savings along with Social Security will likely deliver 85 percent of your ending salary until you reach age 92.

These savings targets offer a rule of thumb to help employees get engaged in retirement planning by making it simpler and more achievable, said James M. MacDonald, president of workplace investing at Fidelity Investments.

Fidelity admits the rule of thumb might not work in all situations. But it offers a plan for millennials, gen-Xers and baby boomers increasingly skeptical that they will ever be able to retire.

Excerpt from:
Retirement made easy: Here's the magic number

Retirement is a big transition that you need to prepare for. Retiring before age 60 has even more challenges. While there are many financial obstacles for early retirees, personal challenges could be even more difficult. Here are some ways you can ease the transition into early retirement:

Finance. Early retirement can be financially challenging. Leaving your job will reduce your income significantly, and your retirement benefits may not kick in right away. The earliest age that Social Security benefits will be available is 62, and leaving the work force early could negatively impact the size of your Social Security checks. You also generally can't access your individual retirement accounts (IRA) until you are 59 1/2 without incurring a 10 percent penalty. You need to take these ages into consideration and plan accordingly.

If you are thinking about early retirement, you probably have other sources of income. These sources can be from your pension, spousal income, rentals, investments in taxable accounts, CDs, or peer to peer lending investments. You need to add all these up to come up with a monthly income figure.

Income calculation. For example, if you want to retire at age 55, then you need to estimate your retirement income at various ages. You may want to delay retirement account withdrawals to avoid the early withdrawal penalty or postpone signing up for Social Security in order to get bigger payments later on in retirement. Here's an example of retirement income streams you might begin to tap at various ages:

55-60: Income from a pension, spouse's job, rentals, savings, or investment accounts

60-67: Add income from IRA and Roth IRA withdrawals

67-70: Add income from Social Security

70+: Add income from required minimum distributions from retirement accounts if applicable

The biggest challenge is funding retirement from 55 to 60 because of the reduction in income. Once you get passed this stage, you will have your IRA and Social Security to draw upon.

Expense calculation. The other side of cash flow is your monthly expenses. Some of your expenses will go down when you retire, but some other costs will increase. Job related expenses will drop, and you can estimate some of these.

Original post:
Take an Early Retirement Test Drive

By DR. JESUS P. ESTANISLAO

MANILA, Philippines Resulting from the work we do, which we are duty-bound to do as well as we can, we gain access to economic and financial resources. We get rewarded for our work. From the fruits of our work, we acquire claims to material resources with which to sustain our life and move forward towards prosperity. Indeed, the economic and financial perspectives of our personal life are shaped mainly by the work we do.

The link between work and its economic and financial consequences underscores our duty to be productive. We do not go about our work irresponsibly. Rather, we work with productive results in view. We deliver results. We add value. Before we ever ask, what is in it for me, we should first ask, what contribution am I making? What positive difference am I bringing to the table through the work I do? Indeed, what is my added value?

The answer we give to the question about the value we add is critical for our personal self-worth as well as for the economic worth we are entitled to, arising from the work we do.

Our sense of self-worth comes, in part, from an appreciation of our productivity. At any time, our productivity is at a given level, taking into account a whole set of factors and circumstances that help define the results we actually deliver, e.g., our training and motivation, the tools and equipment we have at hand, and the organizational infrastructure that supports our work. It is also clear that as we strive to improve and perfect ourselves through our work, our productivity should continuously be rising. It should always be going higher; and over time, we progress towards much higher levels. Sometimes, our productivity takes a leap. It may on occasion jump, unrestrained by a few bounds.

Our level of productivity or the standard of efficiency and effectiveness we achieve at any given time helps determine our personal worth. It links with our economic and financial worth: Our pay is closely tied up with our level of performance at any given time. Over time, pay should move up progressively with performance. This is how, in broad terms, we should make progress in economic and financial terms.

It is for this reason that in our work we should always be open to training, new learning, a higher level of efficiency and effectiveness arising from innovation and the application of new knowledge and technology. Since we have to do our work well, we seek to do it with the use of science properly applied to our actual circumstances. Most of the technology we adopt we simply get from elsewhere, e.g., off the shelf. But at least a portion of the technology we use may have to be home-grown: We need to do a lot of creative, innovative work in tweaking readily available technology so it is duly fitted to the proper requirements and specific demands of the work we carry out.

We can innovate and adapt new technology to our own work circumstances, only if we make continuing investments; and investments are possible only if we observe the practice of setting aside some savings. We just do not spend everything we earn; our income should generally be higher than our expenses. It is imperative for us to save resources, i.e., both time and money, for training and re-tooling. We are duty-bound, therefore, to bring our operations to a productive and efficient level where we can set aside some savings for prudent and smart deployment in investments on improved processes and newer, significantly more efficient technology.

The old Pauline dictum still holds: we work, and so we eat. We should also work very well, so in addition to eating (and consuming), we can save as well, and thereby invest for sustaining growth and development.

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Personal, Economic, And Financial Concerns

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Small businesses are grappling with how to manage the dramatic growth of critical files, email and media. Meanwhile consumers are creating and purchasing vast amounts of digital content, including music, movies, photos, e-books and videos. To help them have greater control over of their data, Intel Corporation today announced its next-generation Intel Atom processor-based storage solution.

Recognizing the ongoing, real-time growth of storage demands, this solution, powered by the Intel Atom processor D2550 or the Intel Atom processor D2500, combines impressive multimedia capabilities, energy efficiency and excellent performance to deliver the personal cloud to businesses and consumers.

Intels next-generation Atom processor provides an ideal solution for powering intelligent storage system designs that will act as a personal cloud inside the office or home, and will deliver better ways to store and access data, said David Tuhy, general manager, Intel Storage Division. With a range of systems designers on board, the Intel Atom processor-based storage solution raises the bar in how data is stored, managed and shared.

Meeting the Business Challenge: A Personal Cloud

Businesses such as retailers, financial services firms, medical and legal offices require on-site solutions to store and access data locally, as well as the ability to access that data remotely. With this solution, businesses can provide their employees with a personal cloud storage experience so they can have fast, secure access to files from work, home or on the road from any connected device. This solution also supports multiple file transfer protocols so companies can share data and content regardless of the operating system.

Broad Security Capabilities

With security of paramount concern to businesses, this solution is supported by the McAfee AV SDK and VirusScan which will give small businesses a valuable tool for protection against data corruption and virus attacks. Centralized backup of all devices also assures businesses that their data is protected. Businesses with video surveillance systems can attach up to two monitors to a single platform-based storage device and view up to four camera feeds that feature HD-quality clarity.

Content Vault for Consumers

Devices featuring this storage solution also act as centralized media platforms for storing movies, music, video, games, photos and other content.

See more here:
Next-Generation Intel® Atom™ Processor-Based Storage Platform Powers Personal Cloud for Small Businesses and Consumers

Kotak MoneyWatch is a white labeled solution offered by Kotak Mahindra Bank to its customer for Personal Finance management. This Personal Finance tool is powered by Perfios Solution. A link of the Perfios Solutions website will be given on Kotak Mahindra Bank website. Customer will have to click on this link and register for usage of this tool. Currently only Platinum service is being offered and Kotak customers will be able to enjoy this Free of cost till March 2013. Post March 2013, the standard service will be made available and hence Kotak customers who have availed the Platinum services will be downgraded to Standard Perfios user, which can be upgraded by paying a discounted cost.

Benefits

Kotak MoneyWatch offers a 360 degree view of ones personal finance in an automated way. The tool also helps in tracking, monitoring and managing finance with very little manual intervention. EASY CONSOLIDATION The tools can add all the financial relationships such as bank accounts, fixed deposits, insurances, ULIPs, gold, mutual funds, PPF, credit cards, loans, equities etc. so as to give a complete picture of all finances at one glance. EASY INTELLIGENCE Simple upload of e-statements to the site, and MoneyWatch will automatically pull out all financial data, to update the records. EASY ANALYSIS Various transactions are auto-categorized so as to ascertain a variety of analysis on the spending patterns, Capital Gains, Profit and Loss reports, etc. EASY TAX The Income Tax Wizard helps in Income Tax computation and Tax Filing automatically from the stored data. It can generate various reports such as Balance Sheet, AIR, Cash Flow Statements and Capital Gain Reports. EASY BILLING Add various billers such as telephone, electricity, gas, internet, etc. MoneyWatch sends alerts so due date is not missed EASY STORAGE Important financial documents like PAN Card, Form 16, Tax Returns, etc. can be securely stored for easy retrieval and access from anywhere, anytime. EASY PLANNING Track the movement of various investments, so as to know their performance over various time periods. The patterns thus revealed will help to have a better control over personal finances of self as well as that of the entire family. EASY ACCESS You can access MoneyWatch from a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, no matter where you are.

Salient Features

1) Steps to Register:

Customer has to Signup for Kotak MoneyWatch using his/her email id. He/she can visit http://www.kotakmoneywatch.com to Sign-up for Kotak MoneyWatch. The registration for Kotak MoneyWatch is done for Platinum service offered by Perfios. Platinum service is free only upto March 2013. Post March 2013, the user will be converted to Standard Perfios user.

2) Benefits of Platinum Services are as follows: Unlimited number of accounts, auto updates, statement uploads and e-mail forwarding, number of accounts that can be shared to other Perfios users, SMS alerts and reminders, document storage. Automatic handling that includes Equity Bonus, Dividents, Split etc. Reports in different formats, Windows-only smart update tool, Perfios mobile, export data, Income Tax Wizard, No ads, Password back-up and reports among others.

3) Login to Kotak MoneyWatch:

Customer to login from http://www.kotakmoneywatch.com. Customers to login with their email id & password. In case the customer faces any issue, he can write down an email to kotak@perfios.com for all his queries.

4) Linking of accounts/uploading data:

The rest is here:
Kotak MoneyWatch (Your One Stop for Personal Finance Management)

Summary: Intel is diving into the personal cloud storage space with a new Atom-based platform targeted towards both consumers and small businesses.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Intel is getting into the personal cloud storage game with the introduction of its own Atom processor-based storage solutions aimed towards both consumers and small businesses.

Essentially, these are network-attached storage appliances powered by either the Intel Atom D2550 or D2500 processors for securing, backing up and sharing content through the cloud. The cloud technology comes in through an exposed HTML IP address (with a secure login), and the end user can access that IP address either through a regular desktop browser or it can look like a drive.

Intel said it has been focused on developing reference architectures to meet the costs and performance points they need on both personal and public clouds on systems running on Atom chips.

"Ballooning data is a fact of life," according to David Tuhy, general manager of Intel's Storage Group, while presenting the processor giant's new cloud storage platform during a media briefing on Thursday morning.

While this might seem like a bit of an understatement, managing data (whether it be personal data, big data, or any other kind), presents a both major opportunity and challenge for every arm of technology.

Citing recent research from the Aberdeen Group, Intel reports that SMB storage volumes are increasing by 30 percent annually, while consumer digital storage needs will grow from 329 exabytes to 4.1 zettabytes.

One of the things challenging for small businesses are growing requirements and policy driven on them by data retention. Tuhy cited HIPAA, in particular, which has rules that vary by state by state but does require healthcare organizations to retain up to five years worth of data to the life of the patient.

"Data loss is far too common," Tuhy asserted, citing more research from the University of North Carolina that 2,000 laptops are stolen or lost every day while 32 percent of data loss is caused by human error.

He argued that all of this speaks to fact that both consumers and businesses need a better way to maintain their data integrity.

See the article here:
Intel unveils personal cloud platform for SMBs, consumers

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Success comes in many forms, and true icons know it's rarely achieved without the help of others. The makers of Johnnie Walker announced today the launch of My Label is Black, a nationwide program designed to celebrate the Hispanic community and give back by supporting and mentoring men on the journey to achieve their true potential. Involving several key elements, the Johnnie Walker My Label is Black platform will include engagement with iconic celebrity influencers, a large-scale advertising campaign, partnerships with leading charitable organizations in New York, Miami and Los Angeles, and consumer events.

(Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121004/FL86027-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121004/FL86027-b )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121004/FL86027-c )

"We have a history of connecting with our Hispanic consumer, whose achievements in this country inspire us every day," said Yvonne Briese, Vice President of Whisky for Diageo. "We wanted to continue our longtime support with some very special programs that give life to Latino successes in a uniquely Johnnie Walker way, with equal parts sophistication and celebration."

Celebrating Success One of the most critical measures of success for any program is its ability to inspire others to join the cause. With that spirit in mind, the Johnnie Walker My Label is Black program has partnered with some of the most renowned Latino celebrities in the country to get the word out, host events in key Hispanic markets, star in impactful advertising, affect positive social giving and celebrate success. These include:

"I've been fortunate over my 14-year career to experience success and reach the top of the charts," said Don Omar. "But I have never lost sight of the support I received and what truly put me here: my fans and those who stayed by my side along the way. Through this partnership with Johnnie Walker, I'm doing my part to return the support I've been shown all these years, and inspire that in others. I'm proud to say My Label is Johnnie Walker Black."

Giving BackAs part of the campaign, Johnnie Walker has forged partnerships with organizations that are equally committed to this important message to make substantial donations, working with them through the implementation phase of the funds, leading dedicated workshops and personal life / job skills coaching for Latino men.

"Our organization prides itself on making a tangible difference in the lives of men who need it most, and we often do that by partnering with like-minded companies," said Gary Field, Executive Director for Career Gear. "Johnnie Walker is one such partner that has created a fantastic program, and I'm honored to say that My Label is Johnnie Walker Black."

Career Gear (www.careergear.org) is the program partner for New York. This group is dedicated to assisting men who seek to better themselves against great odds. Career Gear and Johnnie Walker My Label is Black will provide a lifeline of ongoing support, providing underserved men the mentoring to move from poverty to self-sufficiency.

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Johnnie Walker Launches My Label is Black, Celebrating Latino Success By Unleashing Potential Of Men Nationwide