Downsizing can make paying bills less painful and simplify your life, say experts

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Maureen Jenkins is a freelance travel, food and lifestyle writer. A Chicago native, she now lives outside Paris and blogs about her expatriate life at UrbanTravelGirl.com.

(CNN) -- Chicago life and business coach Nicole A. Dunbar has learned to live with less, and love it.

Before launching her own coaching and motivational speaking business last year, Dunbar had a "day job" in academic fundraising and lived in affluent Hyde Park, a neighborhood adjacent to President Barack Obama's Chicago home. Pricey dinners out with friends didn't give her much pause. But those days are over.

She first downsized her apartment, moving to a smaller place in a less expensive and less trendy 'hood, saving $300. Even though she's now back in Hyde Park, she's got a six-month sublet arrangement that keeps her rent low and keeps her mobile. She subscribes to utility companies' budget plans so she's no longer surprised by fluctuating bills. She totes sales flyers when shopping the supermarket, eats more seasonally and cooks at home more.

Her athletic club membership? It's history. Said Dunbar: "I went out to the (nearby Chicago) lakefront, and that was my gym." That $150-a-month cell phone bill? Gone. It may not be sexy, but a $55 prepaid phone has taken its place.

When first launching Congruency Inc., she "decided to take contract or part-time assignments that would allow me to build my business while generating another income to cover my living expenses. I could never have come to this place without living simply and not listening to the 'shoulds.' "

"People don't know what they actually need. A need is electricity; a want is cable."

Because she does most of her coaching work with entrepreneurs and professionals remotely with clients across the country, she's not tied to one physical location. Dunbar's real goal is to spend Chicago's colder months elsewhere -- with her mom in Atlanta, visiting a younger sibling in her native Jamaica -- and downsizing her expenses will give her the freedom to do it.

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Living happily with less

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire -08/29/12)- Burnham Benefits Insurance Services, one of the largest employee benefits brokerages in Southern California and one of the few to specialize solely in strategic employee benefits consulting and brokerage services, has been selected by PEAR Sports as their exclusive partner offering fitness-based employee wellness programs in California and across the United States using the patented PEAR Training Intelligence platforms. Through PEAR's Square One and Mobile products, employees experience an audio-based fitness coaching, training and results tracking system. PEAR provides hundreds of personalized and recommended training plans and workouts designed by a team of world-class coaches.

PEAR products include a wireless heart-rate sensor, foot pod and sport earphones that work together to deliver real-time audio coaching and on-demand audio stats based on how the body is responding to the workout. It also infuses users' favorite music seamlessly into the coaching cues. Users begin with an assessment workout prior to starting a specific plan. The assessment phase reads data on heart rate zones during a moderate 20-minute workout and then calibrates the system to choose appropriate workouts.

"The PEAR system is ideal for employee wellness programs because it's so simple to use and completely adaptable for employees at every fitness level," says Kristen Allison, President of Burnham Benefits, who incorporated the exciting technology into her company's own wellness program before rolling it out to clients . "The coaching and instant feedback are informative and motivating, and the device tracks and monitors performance and health data so users can see just how much they're progressing toward any health goal. It's ideal for motivating employees involved in any number of fitness and wellness programs. Employers know that effective wellness programs can make an enormous positive impact both in employees' lives as well on the bottom line by improving attendance, boosting productivity and reducing health insurance claims."

The PEAR Training Intelligence platform gives each program member access to expert coaching 24 hours a day. Employers committed to cutting-edge solutions can bundle online set-up, implementation and support, a basic reporting package and an initial overview from the Burnham Benefits and PEAR teams.

Gadgets have taken over day-to-day life, which makes PEAR a fitness solution that really drives engagement. It's an easy answer for the growing number of employers asking for solutions that increase participation and focus on physical activity. Because it's customized for the user's fitness level, employers can ensure that their wellness programs aren't pushing employees too hard, but rather encouraging increased and highly effective physical activity.

The new technology is especially well-suited to fitness challenges like Burnham Benefits/Burnham Gibson's PEAR Sport Fitness and Wellness Challenge. The 16-week program placed the two companies' wellness programs in competition with one another, with the winner being the employee who earned the most points based on frequency of workouts, diversity of workouts and workout intensity. The 20 employees who participated for the duration of the program lost a total of 197 pounds, burned 827,529 calories and decreased average BMI from 27.1 to 25.34. The winner received a five-night Maui vacation, including round-trip airfare and a catamaran cruise. The fitness challenge helped gather additional benchmarking data and served as a prototype for additional fitness challenges designed to support clients' wellness programs.

"If you have someone in your ear encouraging you and keeping you accountable, it keeps you motivated," says Catherine Seitz, a 43-year-old mother of four who lost 45 pounds during the Challenge. "With other programs, everyone tries to have a good start, but you tend to say you'll do it later and after a few weeks you start to procrastinate. PEAR is a constant reminder to stay engaged. When I don't have it, I miss it."

According to the 2011 Willis Health and Productivity Survey, an overwhelming number of employers cite improvement of employee participation and engagement as a top goal for their wellness programs. Only 17 percent say they offer comprehensive wellness programs -- a fact that's likely affected by budgets that are unable to accommodate anything more than very basic offerings. The PEAR wellness program is another example of the innovative ways that Burnham Benefits strives to provide employers with effective and affordable employee-benefit programs.

To learn more about the Burnham Benefits PEAR Wellness Plan for your business, call 949-833-2983 or visit http://www.burnhambenefits.com/benefits/pear-sports.html for more information.

PEAR SPORTS: Based in Solana Beach, Calif., Pear Sports is the developer of Training Intelligence, a patented technology that is delivered exclusively through Pear Square One and Pear Mobile products. Pear is a smart biofeedback training system that uses a wireless heart-rate monitor and foot pod to measure the body's response to a workout and delivers real-time coaching to keep users on track with fitness goals. Pear formulates individual training plans designed by a team of world-class coaches based on the user's age, gender, fitness level, aspirations and the latest training science. Interactive audio coaching focuses users on their goals and motivates them to stay on track. On-demand workout statistics include heart rate, pace, cadence, time, distance and calories burned. For more information about Pear Sports and the Pear Square One and Mobile products visit pearsports.com.

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Burnham Benefits Pioneers Employee-Wellness Program Using Cutting-Edge Audio-Based Fitness Coaching and Training Tool

City of RacineHealth Department

IMMUNIZATION CLINICS AND TB TESTS: The City of Racine offers walk-in immunization clinics in the City Hall Room 4, 730 Washington Ave., from 1:30-4 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

Medicaid/Forward Health cards are accepted only for those ages 18 and younger. Medicare cannot be accepted for any services. Cash, check and credit card (Visa and MasterCard) are accepted.

A $10 fee is requested for residents of the City of Racine, Elmwood Park and Wind Point for one vaccine plus $5 for each additional vaccine with a maximum of $20; and $15 for Racine County residents for one vaccine plus $5 for each additional vaccine with a maximum cost of $25.

People should bring their childs current immunization records.

TB skin tests are available for a $10 fee for residents and $15 for non-residents (results available the following Friday afternoon).

STD CLINIC: The City of Racine Health Department offers walk-in testing to check for sexually-transmitted diseases. The clinic is for Racine County residents and offers HIV testing (if desired) and will be held in the City Hall, lower level, Room 4.

Mondays 1-3:30 p.m.

Wednesdays 9-11:30 a.m.

The fee is $10 for City of Racine, Wind Point and Elmwood Park residents; the fee is $35 for all other Racine County residents. Fee will be waived for inability to pay only for city residents.

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Health and Fitness File, Aug. 29

FORT MYERS, FL -

Good news on the fitness front: more people are walking for their health. Experts see this as a real improvement, especially in the elderly who might find it difficult to exercise.

Mary Ann Smith is almost unstoppable when it comes to her daily walk.

"I try to walk every morning after breakfast. I go three times around our building, which, they say, is about a mile," says Smith.

She is hardly alone. More adults are taking steps to walk regularly.

In 2010, 65 percent of Americans say they walked for fitness at least once in the previous week. It adds up to a 145 million people, up from 15 million in 2005.

"It's definitely important to move and use those muscles because at any age you can have benefits from a little exercise," says Lee Memorial Health System certified fitness instructor Heather Parker.

Heather Parker is a fitness instructor at the Wellness Center of Cape Coral. Many of her clients are up in years, and use walking as a stepping-stone to fitness.

"We have people that come here in their 80s and they exercise for three hours a day," says Parker.

Walking may be a wonder drug. It's one of the simplest forms of exercise and the most beneficial. Experts believe it helps your heart, circulation, bone strength, coordination, even your brain.

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Health Matters: More people walking

CHANHASSEN, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Life Time The Healthy Way of Life Company(NYSE:LTM) has expanded its Life Time Academy programs to include personal training, group fitness, yoga and Pilates to prepare graduates for successful careers throughout the health and fitness industry. The professional certificate program has also launched a new website, http://www.ltacademy.net, where potential students can learn more about programs, curriculum, faculty and locations.

As part of the program expansion, Life Time Academy has partnered with industry leaders including National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), Yoga Alliance, American Council on Exercise (ACE), and Peak Pilates. Through these unique partnerships students that graduate from Life Time Academy earn their Certified Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Performance Enhancement Specialist, Peak Pilate System Level 1 certification, 5 Star Group Fitness Instructor certification and Yoga Teacher Training certifications.

The health and fitness industry is growing and were seeing more and more people looking into health and fitness careers, says Jeff Rosga, education director of Life Time Academy. Through our expanded programs and live training environments in our Life Time destinations across the country, we are not only providing graduates with better job opportunities but we are giving the necessary skills to be successful in the industry.

Students train at Life Times state of the art facilities in small classes and experience one-on-one interaction with Life Time Academy faculty and administration. As part of Life Time, one of the largest employers in the health and fitness industry, many students end up finding employment through the company.

Professional certification classes are forming now and Life Time Academy is accepting applications. To learn more about the programs or register, visit ltacademy.net.

About Life Time Fitness, Inc.

As The Healthy Way of Life Company, Life Time Fitness (LTM) helps organizations, communities and individuals achieve their total health objectives, athletic aspirations and fitness goals by engaging in their areas of interest or discovering new passions both inside and outside of Life Times distinctive and large sports, professional fitness, family recreation and spa destinations, most of which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Companys Healthy Way of Life approach enables customers to achieve this by providing the best programs, people and places of uncompromising quality and value. As of Aug. 29, 2012, the Company operated 105 centers under the LIFE TIME FITNESS and LIFE TIME ATHLETIC(SM) brands in the United States and Canada. Additional information about Life Time centers, programs and services is available at lifetimefitness.com.

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Life Time Academy Expands Program Offerings; Launches New Website

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire -08/29/12)- Health and fitness has become an integral part of today's culture with more and more people hunting for recommended personal trainer courses to whip them into shape, and to help others achieve their fitness potentials. With the increased interest in health and fitness come rumours surrounding exercise that many people swear by, but just how much truth is in them?

Here are three fitness myths you need to forget:

This is a common misunderstanding. Research has shown that exercise has no effect on your food needs, with the exception of endurance athletes who exercise for around two hours or more a day. To the contrary, studies have shown that exercise can suppress hunger both during and after a workout, so don't stuff your face as soon as you've done a workout - you're only undoing all your hard work.

Wrong! Different food types have different effects on your blood sugar. Refined carbohydrates (white bread, fruit drinks and biscuits) will raise your blood sugar levels incredibly, which can encourage fat storage and weight gain. Fibrous foods like apples and protein will raise blood sugar less. Foods that contain a lot of water, like vegetables and soup will fill you up on fewer calories.

If you diet and don't exercise, there is potential to lose calories in the short term, but experts say that it's exercise that will keep the pounds off for good. Exercise builds muscle, which takes up less space than fat. Muscle tissue requires more calories to sustain it than fat tissue, so effectively the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you'll burn at rest. So if you're thinking of really trying to get in shape for good, don't just diet, exercise too and check out personal trainer courses if you want to make the most out of your fitness.

Notes to Editors

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Three Common Fitness Myths Busted!

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Amanda Morrall discusses "no frills" retirement on Good Morning. - Video

BOSTON, Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --TRUSTIVO, the secure social retirement network transforms the way individuals and trusted advisors connect, engage and develop strategies for retirement. "The addition of ACA to our platform extends a unique and valuable service to our Retirement plan advisors, plan administrators, employers and plan participants," says Rad Pasovschi, Chairman of TRUSTIVO. "ACA's patented and automated loan processing solution is indeed unique in the market today," he says.

Access Control Advantage (ACA) provides an efficient loan solution for DC plan participants by lowering plan administration costs, eliminating loan repayment through payroll processing, reducing participant borrowing, enabling faster loan repayment, keeping more assets in the plans, and encouraging employee participation because of the knowledge that they can access their pension savings in an emergency. Because borrowing is more precise, employees only take out what they need when they need it, not a pre-determined lump sum. Also, if a loan is outstanding when an employee separates from their employer, ACA will continue to handle loan servicing on the same amortization schedule preventing the need to call for repayment of the loan during a difficult financial period for the employee.

"This is a win-win-win for recordkeepers, employers and employees because it reduces plan leakage and the cost of loan processing and at the same time, provides maximum payment flexibility and protection for the employee," says Bruce Bent II, President of ACA. ACA works with401k plans, 457 plans, and 403b plans.

TRUSTIVO's secure social retirement network transforms the way Boomers and trusted advisors connect, engage and develop strategies for retirement. Access Control Advantage (www.acaonline.com) is the pre-eminent industry source for loan administration for the financial services industry. Access Control Advantage, Inc. is an affiliate of Double Rock Corporation. Double Rock is a financial technologies company providing the industry's most innovative cash management and cash-related solutions to the broker-dealer, banking, qualified plan and retail direct markets.

CONTACT Beth ChapmanInk&AirPhone: (508) 479-1033 beth_chapman@inkair.com

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TRUSTIVO Adds Access Control Advantage (ACA) to its Secure Social Retirement Network.

JP

Brace yourself for political drama, because we are nearing the final stretch of the presidential election. As all elections go, promises will be made and broken, character attacks will consume every free minute of TV advertising, and each side will accuse each other of threatening the financial future of everyday Americans.

The problem is it may not matter which side is elected. Many of the major political policies being proposed by either party have severe consequences for future retirements. While there is no way to fully avoid potential losses to your retirement via changes in legislation, there are some actions you can take to mitigate risks.

Tax Increases

Over the last 25 years, taxes on the middle class have mostly fallen. Some would argue that we are overdue for higher income taxes.

The last thing any retiree wants to see is Uncle Sam take a bite out of his retirement thanks to tax increases. Luckily, a Roth IRA account is designed to shield you from future income tax increases. Contributions to Roth accounts are made after tax. When you withdraw your money in retirement the proceeds are tax-free. It ensures that the highest tax rate that youll pay is your rate at the time you make contributions.

Income Tax Decrease and Adoption of a National Sales Tax

I wish I could say open a Roth IRA and your retirement is safe from tax policy. Unfortunately, there is a particular scenario that could put Roth savers at a serious disadvantage. What if income taxes decrease and the nation adopts a new tax, like a VAT or sales tax, to replace lost revenue?

If taxes are to decrease in the future, then Roth savers made the wrong bet since theyd be saving when taxes are high and receiving a tax advantage when taxes are low. A new VAT or national sales tax would make the problem worse since Roth tax advantages are limited to income taxes. Roth savers would be paying more tax money to contribute funds and paying more tax money to withdraw funds. They lose at both ends of retirement saving.

This isnt a made-up scenario. In fact, politicians on both sides of the aisle have supported this exact policy. Former Republican frontrunner Herman Cain ran on a plan for a 10 percent income tax and 10 percent national sales tax. Romneys vice presidential pick, Paul Ryan, has also supported similar policies in the past. Obamas debt commission supported the same strategy.

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Political Risks to Your Retirement

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Financial Telesis, Inc. (FTI) announces ABD Retirement Services, a division of ABD Insurance & Financial Services, has joined the FTI team. The alliance marks an exciting step for Financial Telesis bringing ABD Retirement Services representatives on board is the latest in a growing number of retirement plan specialists that haven chosen FTI as their broker dealer/registered investment advisor.

"We are very pleased to have the team at ABD Retirement Services join forces with our Financial Telesis team," notes James Williams, President of FTI. "They are exactly the type of rep/advisor that we are seeking experienced, professional, and committed to providing plan sponsor clients with outstanding fiduciary level services. ABD Retirement Services had many broker dealer options, but elected to engage with Financial Telesis and affiliate with a BD/RIA that understands the retirement plan marketplace. We share their passion for providing fiduciary services to their plan clients."

Chris Call, President of ABD Retirement Services is also enthusiastic about joining the FTI team: "We chose Financial Telesis because we wanted to align ourselves with a top-notch retirement investment specialist, and they rank as one of the best." The veteran financial professionals at ABD Retirement Services are well established in Northern California. The group has worked together since 2005 and has built a reputation for innovation always looking for better ways to serve their clients. This responsiveness fits with FTI's tailored approach to meeting the needs of its representatives.

About Financial Telesis Inc. (FTI)

Financial Telesis, Inc. is a comprehensive financial services firm catering to registered representatives and investment advisors that work with retirement plans as well as retail customers. FTI has over 430 registered representatives and advisors, and over 200 offices across the U.S. FTIs home office is located in San Rafael, California. More information can be found on the FTI website at http://www.financialtelesisinc.com.

About ABD Insurance & Financial Services

ABD Insurance and Financial Services is a collective with more than 75 years of history in the insurance industry. ABD is headquartered in San Mateo, with additional offices in San Francisco, Redwood City and San Jose. ABD is an independently owned and operated insurance brokerage and has no affiliation with Wells Fargo Insurance Services or its predecessor firms. More information can be found on the ABD website at http://www.theABDteam.com.

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Financial Telesis, Inc. to Partner With ABD Retirement Services