ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Retirement plan participants can now find a QR (quick response) code on their quarterly Securian account statements and envelopes that provides instant access to account information.

When scanned with a smartphone equipped with a camera and the reader application, the QR code directs participants to Securian Retirement's mobile site to obtain current account balances, contribution rates, and personal rates of return on their retirement accounts.

Participants want to see their information anytime, anywhere. The QR codes and mobile site give them access to their accounts whether theyre at the airport, the mall or sitting in front of the TV, said Rick Ayers, vice president, Retirement Plans.

Securian Retirements mobile site, designed and built in-house, does not attempt to replicate all the information on the full website. Rather, it provides the information people want frequently and quickly. The mobile site appears automatically when viewed from a smartphone and is designed for easy use.

We pushed the account contact links up to the top of the screen, kept the copy concise, included one-touch embedded links and made the navigation simple and intuitive, said Ayers.

Plan participants also can go to the full website to sign up for electronic statements rather than receive paper statements through the postal service.

Since 1880, Securian Financial Group and its affiliates have provided financial security for individuals and businesses in the form of insurance, investments and retirement plans. Now one of the nations largest financial services providers, it is the holding company parent of a group of companies that include Minnesota Life Insurance Company and Securian Life Insurance Company, a New York admitted insurer.

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QR Codes Provide Quick Securian Retirement Account Access for Employees

(Money magazine) -- I'm 46, self-employed and clueless about retirement. I can afford to put away $500 a month, but don't even know where to begin. I'd like to retire at 65, but wonder if that's even possible. Can you help? -- George, Alsip, Illinois

You're getting a late start here. Ideally, by the time you're in your mid-40s, you should already have savings equal to three to four times your annual income tucked away in retirement accounts, according to "Your Money Ratios" author Charles Farrell.

That figure assumes you'll want to retire at 65 on 70% to 80% of your pre-retirement income. It also assumes your savings will earn about four-and-a-half percentage points more than inflation each year, and that you'll continue to save 15% of income annually until age 65.

But let's just focus on what you need to do now. If you start saving now and stay diligent, you can improve your retirement prospects dramatically.

Many people in your position think picking the best investments is the key. Not so. Saving is much more crucial.

Get the ball rolling by putting that $500 a month you already know you can afford to save into an IRA account, which you can open at any mutual fund company or investment firm. Don't obsess about whether to go with a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. If you prefer getting a tax deduction now, go with a traditional. If you'd rather forego the deduction today for the prospect of tax-free withdrawals in retirement, do the Roth. If you're unsure, do the traditional, as you can always convert to a Roth later.

Chances are you're eligible to contribute up to the maximum of $5,000 this year ($6,000 for people 50 and older), but you can check by clicking here.

To keep things simple, I suggest you invest your IRA stash in a target-date retirement fund. You just choose a fund with a date that corresponds to when you'd like to retire (2030 or 2035 in your case) and you get a ready-made portfolio that's appropriate for you now and becomes more conservative as you near retirement.

We highlight the target funds of Vanguard and T. Rowe Price on our MONEY 70 list of recommended funds, but both companies require a minimum initial investment of $1,000. You could open an IRA and invest in a target fund with Charles Schwab for as little as $100.

Once you've set up your IRA account and have savings flowing into it, you should start thinking about how you might improve on your planning for next year and beyond.

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Late start retirement plan - 19 years to go

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Transamerica Retirement Services today announced that its plan participant and plan sponsor websites have both been recognized with an Excellent designation through DALBARs first quarter Defined Contribution WebMonitor program, outperforming more than 40 other retirement plan provider websites rated in the study.

Transamericas plan participant website earned a score of 93.35 out of a possible 100, an increase of 3.33 points since 4Q 2011, surpassing its own record WebMonitor score achieved by a plan participant website in the studys history. This is the second consecutive calendar quarter that Transamericas plan participant website has set a record score for the DALBAR report.

DALBARs reports are an important measure of how well we, and the industry, are serving plan participants and sponsors, said Stig Nybo, president of Transamerica Retirement Services. This honor is emblematic of Transamericas unwavering dedication to providing plan participants and sponsors with best-in-class online resources and guidance to help them reach specific retirement goals.

Furthermore, Transamericas plan sponsor website earned an Excellent designation the only site to do so among 42 peers and ranked in top position in DALBARs analysis of provider websites for retirement plan sponsors. Transamericas plan sponsor website has won this recognition for 10 consecutive calendar quarters.

Transamericas plan sponsor and plan participant websites have also been awarded DALBARs Seal of Excellence for eight consecutive years.

Each quarter, DALBAR identifies and recognizes industry-leading websites that attain a top-10 ranking. Rankings are determined by the overall score achieved against DALBARs criteria in five categories: functionality, usability, behavior centric attributes, content currency and consistency.

About DALBAR

DALBAR, Inc. is one of the financial communitys leading independent experts for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer performance, product quality and service. DALBAR has earned recognition for its consistent and unbiased evaluations of investment companies, registered investment advisers, insurance companies, broker/dealers, retirement plan providers and financial professionals. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of excellence in the financial community.

About Transamerica Retirement Services Corporation

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Transamerica Retirement Services Recognized by DALBAR as Top Provider Website for Retirement Plan Participants and ...

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POWERFUL: When installed in a compatible motherboard, Intels new Ivy Bridge processor makes the personal computer fly.

Intel's new range of Ivy Bridge central processing units is delivering unheard of speeds in personal computers.

When installed in the right kind of motherboard and using the latest solid state hard disk drives and memory it's not uncommon to see a 60 per cent increase in performance - the Windows personal computer operating system starts in just one second.

And it's all down to what Intel is calling "3-D transistors" at the heart of the CPU.

Graham Tucker, technical manager for Intel in Australia and New Zealand, said the new 22 nanometre transistors were smaller than the 2-D predecessors, which were like a piece of paper.

The innovation, Mr Tucker said, delivered more computational power while using less energy.

The new Ivy Bridge chips, Mr Tucker said, also removed the need for dedicated graphic processing units (GPUs) in the case of most personal computers.

"The need for having one is more nice now. You would need to have a good reason like if you were an architect doing 3-D modelling."

The new processors are not just limited to the traditionally more powerful desktop computers with their roomy towers but have also been engineered for more compact, in fact cramped, laptop computers.

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New processor gives computers speed boost

The 2008 Formula 1 world champion had a turbulent 2011 season, and although he won three grands prix, he also had a number of incidents and was outscored by his team-mate Jenson Button, who beat him by three positions in the points standings.

Hamilton said he had made conscious efforts to reduce the level of 'baggage' in his life and develop better communication with his engineers this year.

"Every year you finish the season and you try to analyse what you've been through and what you've done, and try to take away the positives from what you've done," he said. "Then you try to channel those and then improve on the things that you didn't do so well.

"I've always said it's a combination not just of things you do at the track, but it's your personal life out there, time at home, time with friends, those sort of things.

"I've strengthened bridges and relationships with people, not only in my personal life but also in my team. I've been working with the engineers better this year and all of that stuff has just helped.

"I don't have any particular problems going on in my life, or any baggage - and last year I had a big, big sack. Fortunately I've dumped that in the dumpster and it's all good now."

After winning the last grand prix in Hungary, Hamilton is now fourth in the championship, 47 points behind leader Fernando Alonso.

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Hamilton: Reducing 'baggage' key to success

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Herrick, Feinstein, LLP successfully represented Ultra Enterprises, Inc. in its federal trademark infringement and breach of contract trial against the worlds largest independent electronic dance music record label, ultimately obtaining a favorable settlement that protects its trademarks and expands its global music festival opportunities.

The action was taken to trial in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of Ultra Enterprises, which is the owner of the trademark for the Ultra Music Festival, the award-winning Miami electronic dance music festival; the UMF Ibiza music festival; the UMF Brazil music festival; and other UMF music events. The litigation team from Herrick tried the infringement case before an eight person jury for two weeks. Using the leverage of a likely verdict of trademark infringement against the other side, Herricks team negotiated a settlement that protects Ultra Enterprises trademarks globally and creates an opportunity for the parties involved in the case to move forward and work together on future business endeavors.

The Herrick team was led by Steven D. Feldman, a Partner in the firms Litigation Department with significant federal court trial experience, and Partner M. Darren Traub, an experienced litigator and trademark law practitioner. The team was joined by Associate Kimberly Linkletter and Paralegal Robin Richards.

Representing Ultra Enterprises at trial to protect its trademarks, and then using our success to settle this dispute will allow the company to grow its brands and pursue new avenues of expansion, said Mr. Feldman. Our ability to make a convincing argument to the jury gave us the leverage to obtain a negotiated business settlement that far exceeded our clients expectations.

Founded in 1928, Herrick, Feinstein LLP is a prominent 165-lawyer firm headquartered in New York City providing a full range of legal services, including art law, bankruptcy and business reorganization, commercial litigation, corporate law, employment law, government relations, insurance, intellectual property, real estate, sports law, and tax and personal planning.

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Herrick, Feinstein Achieves Success for Ultra Enterprises in Trademark Infringement and Breach of Contract Suit

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The world's first online tool to help individuals build a stand out brand and sell their most valuable assets launched this week in New York City. "The biggest problem facing every individual looking for a job today is choice--there are lots of good candidates, but most job seekers don't understand how to set themselves apart from the crowd and give their potential employer a reason to choose them first," says Steve Brazell, Competition Removal(TM) expert, and developer of the new branding engine. "Brand Op(TM) helps individuals better communicate who they are, why they're valuable, and why they deserve the job over their competition."

Years in development, the Brand Op website (www.MyBrandOp.com) incorporates the same proven strategies that Fortune 500s, celebrities, and other individuals use to build their leading brands. "We recognize that most individuals cannot afford to hire a top brand consultant. We've incorporated decades of expertise from the best branding minds into an easy-to-use very affordable tool. It's like hiring your own team of experts to walk you through your personal brand value creation process."

Individuals get unlimited access to Brand Op for $99. Additional memberships are available ranging from $299 (for businesses) to $2,995 (that include Skype consulting and even in-person strategy sessions). "Many universities, the military, and select charity organizations will receive special pricing or even donated memberships to help jump-start graduates, veterans, or those really struggling to get a job," says Brazell.

Although the process is simple, it does require a personal investment. After logging-in it may take several hours of thoughtful thinking to finish. Each section begins with a helpful video, and you can log-out or in anytime to make updates and changes. The process forces you to think differently about your personal brand.

Brand Op ultimately results in a one-page summary that clearly defines an individual's unique differences and skills, and includes personal brand pitches to help them better sell themselves. Brazell concluded, "In today's hyper-competitive job market, you must learn how to stand out and give your potential employer very clear reasons why they should hire you over your competition. Brand Op walks you through this process and will help give you the edge you need to win the job."

About Steve Brazell:

Steve Brazell is the architect of "Competition Removal"--the idea that it is easier for an individual or company to beat their competition through innovation and differentiation rather than competing head-to-head. Affectionately known as "The Hitman," he is an ideator--and works with some of the world's most successful brands (www.SteveBrazell.com). He is also the author of Clear! The simple guide to keeping your business alive and kicking, and speaks on branding, marketing and persuasive communication techniques to audiences' worldwide.

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World's First Online Personal Branding Engine(TM) Helps Individuals Learn How to Stand Out in Crowded Market to Win Jobs

Online registration is now open for the Kalispell Hunter Education Course. Beginning this year, everyone must register online, and students must pick up pre-course materials before the course begins.

Pre-course materials are available at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks office on 490 North Meridian Road in Kalispell.

Everyone born after Jan. 1, 1985, must complete a hunter education course before buying a hunting license in Montana. Only individuals 11 years of age or older at the day of sign-up may be certified upon successfully completing the course.

Classes will run 6-9 p.m., Sept. 17-20 at Flathead High Scholl in Kalispell. The field day is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Flathead Valley Trap Club north of Kalispell. Test night is Monday, Sept. 24, 6-8 p.m.

To register online go to the FWP website at http://fwp.mt.gov, follow the links through Education and Hunter Education to Sept. 17 and select a classroom at Flathead High School.

After registering, students must pick up a course manual and other materials which are available at the FWP office at 490 North Meridian Road in Kalispell. All students must read the manual and complete the exercises at the back of each chapter before class begins on Sept. 17.

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Online registration opens for the Kalispell hunter education course

DeVry offers Alberta students the flexibility to take diploma classes online or onsite

CALGARY, Aug. 15, 2012 /CNW/ - DeVry Institute of Technology is pleased to announce that it has been approved by Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education to expand its Diploma in Business Administration program into the online education realm. Beginning in September, students will be able to complete courses online, in the classroom or a combination of the two, as they work towards a diploma.

"The expansion of our Diploma in Business Administration program is part of DeVry's ongoing commitment to making post-secondary education more accessible to Albertans," said Ranil Herath, president of DeVry Institute of Technology. "Not every prospective student is able to spend their days in the classroom. By providing an online diploma option students, who in the past have not been served by the traditional education experience, will now be able to receive the training needed to enter their chosen career path."

DeVry's online offering of its Diploma in Business Administration program provides students the flexibility to earn a diploma in 10 months.

Students graduating with a DeVry Institute of Technology Diploma in Business Administration will be qualified for careers in Albertan industries, such as finance, hospitality, operations and service, among others. Courses are designed with employer needs in mind. Students in DeVry's diploma program take courses that provide them with fundamental skills needed for their chosen career path, including business management and computer applications for business and accounting.

"We are not just interested in getting students into the workforce, but also ensuring that they have open pathways to further post-secondary education," explains Ranil Herath, president of DeVry Institute of Technology. "Students have the ability to apply select credits from both online and classroom courses towards continued education in a bachelor's degree program at DeVry and at other Alberta institutions."

DeVry's Diploma in Business Administration program allows students the flexibility to continue onwards to a degree program after graduation. Qualifying credits from this program can be transferred to degree programs at DeVry Institute of Technology, the University of Calgary, the University of Lethbridge and Athabasca University. These credit transfers are part of the ACAT framework for post-secondary transfers (www.acat.gov.ab.ca).

For more information on DeVry Institute of Technology's new online Diploma in Business Administration program, please visit http://www.devry.ca/diploma-program/diploma-program.jsp.

About DeVry Institute of Technology DeVry Institute of Technology in Alberta is part of the DeVry University system, one of the largest degree-granting higher education systems in North America, with more than 90,000 students enrolled in the United States and Canada.At more than 90 locations, DeVry University delivers practitioner-oriented undergraduate and graduate degree programs, onsite and online, that meet the needs of a diverse and geographically dispersed student population. DeVry Institute of Technology offers degree programs in Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Electronics Engineering Technology and Network Communications Management. In Canada, the government of Alberta grants approval for baccalaureate degrees awarded by DeVry Institute of Technology. In the United States, DeVry University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, http://www.ncahlc.org. DeVry University, a part of DeVry Inc. (NYSE:DV - News), is based in Downers Grove, Ill. For more information about DeVry Institute of Technology, find us on Twitter @DeVryCalgary or visit http://www.devry.ca.

SOURCE: DeVry Calgary

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Alberta Education Approves Online Offering of DeVry's New Online Business Administration Diploma Program

Yohance Salimu, an All-City defensive lineman at Crenshaw High, had run out of options.

His family had lost its apartment and was living at a homeless shelter far from school. He was taking trains and buses and staying with friends. There was no place to put his clothes, so they were starting to smell.

Crenshaw football Coach Robert Garrett decided it was time to intervene. He offered Salimu six lockers at school.

The catch: Salimu had to memorize six locker combinations. "I'm really good with numbers," he said.

Salimu stored his dirty clothes in two of the lockers. Four others contained his clean clothes. And despite all his other duties involving coaching and teaching, Garrett would take home a bag full of Salimu's dirty clothes and do the player's laundry.

When graduation day came in June 2011, Salimu had a 3.8 grade-point average and was accepted to the Air Force Academy.

"I'm thankful for my teachers pushing me above and beyond, and one of them was Coach Garrett," he said.

At a time of budget cuts, furlough days, student defections to private schools and growing unease about what the future might bring, there are coaches in the sprawling Los Angeles Unified School District such as Garrett who refuse to be deterred.

"You never know who you're getting through to," said another of them, Dorsey football Coach Paul Knox. "You never know who you're going to touch."

Garrett, Knox and Mike Walsh of San Pedro have spent 22 years or longer teaching and coaching football at the same school, making them the longest-tenured football coaches in LAUSD.

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City Section football coaches are in this for life