SAN RAMON, CA--(Marketwire -08/08/12)- Reply!, the leading provider of locally-targeted consumer traffic, today announced the expansion of its Marketplace to include two major online categories -- education and insurance. The company's advertisers can now purchase education and insurance prospects on a cost-per-Enhanced Click or cost-per-lead basis. The company's Marketplace, which already serves many of the world's largest companies and brands in the automotive, real estate and home improvement verticals, offers unparalleled targeting and pricing controls.

The company also announced today that it has hired two industry veterans to lead teams focusing on education and insurance. Rod Pasion, who has joined Reply! as the Director and GM of Education, most recently led the National Accounts Team at ClassesUSA. Hunter Ingram, who has joined Reply! as the Director and GM of Insurance, was previously CEO of HometownQuotes, a pioneer in the insurance vertical.

"We are excited to have Rod and Hunter on the team and leading our efforts for the education and insurance verticals. In the short time they have been with us, we have made great progress developing these categories within the Marketplace," said Sean Fox, COO of Reply!, Inc. "Through this expansion, we've applied our patented technology platform to many diverse verticals and will continue to do so until all major local categories are available on the Marketplace."

About Reply!, Inc.Reply!, Inc. operates the leading marketplace for the acquisition of locally-targeted online consumer traffic. Reply!'s platform provides advertisers of all sizes with a simple and scalable solution for locally-targeted marketing. Reply! owns and operates many destination sites including iMotors.com, Contractors.com and MerchantCircle.com, which is the largest online network of local business owners in the nation with over 1.3 million member merchants and 15 million monthly local consumer visits. To learn more about Reply!, please visit http://www.reply.com.

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Reply.com Expands Marketplace to Include Education and Insurance Categories

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) parent company of online learning provider American Public University System (APUS), which operates through American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU) announced financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2012.

Recent Highlights:

Financial and Other Results:

Total revenues for the second quarter of 2012 increased 23% to $74.6 million, compared to total revenues of $60.8 million in the second quarter of 2011. Income from operations before interest income and income taxes in the second quarter of 2012 increased to $15.0 million, compared to $14.9 million in the same period of 2011. Stock-based compensation expense reduced operating income by $917,000 in the second quarter of 2012 and $746,000 in the second quarter of 2011.

Net income for the second quarter of 2012 increased to $9.2 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, which includes $0.03 per diluted share in stock-based compensation expense, net of tax. This compares to net income of $9.0 million, or $0.49 per diluted share for the second quarter of 2011, including $0.02 per diluted share in stock-based compensation expense, net of tax. The weighted average diluted shares outstanding for the second quarter of 2012 and 2011 were approximately 18.2 million and 18.3 million, respectively.

For the six months ended June 30, 2012, total revenues were $150.4 million, an increase of 26% compared to total revenues of $119.5 million in the same period of 2011. Income from operations before interest income and income tax for the six months ended June 30, 2012 increased to $29.9 million, compared to $28.0 million in the same period of 2011. Stock-based compensation expense reduced each period's operating income by $1.9 million and $1.6 million, respectively.

Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2012 to $18.3 million, or $1.01 per diluted share, which includes $0.07 per diluted share in stock-based compensation expense, net of tax. This compares to net income of $16.8 million, or $0.92 per diluted share, in the same period of 2011, including $0.05 per diluted share in stock-based compensation expense, net of tax. The weighted average diluted shares outstanding for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 were approximately 18.2 million and 18.4 million, respectively.

Total cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2012 were approximately $116.7 million with no long-term debt. Cash from operations for the six months ended June 30, 2012 was approximately $22.7 million, compared to $25.7 million in the same period of 2011. Capital expenditures were approximately $18.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012, compared to $6.8 million in the prior year period. Depreciation and amortization was $5.4 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and $4.3 million for the same period of 2011.

Net Course Registrations:

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American Public Education Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --macProVideo.com today announces the purchase of online software training website, AskVideo.com. The deal includes AskVideo.com's full catalogue, brand, and other operational assets.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120808/SF53952LOGO)

macProVideo.com was founded in February of 2005 to produce and distribute online training for Apple software applications like Logic, Final Cut Pro, iMovie, and GarageBand. The company's library quickly expanded to include training for over 40 different software applications, including Photoshop and the Adobe CS Suite, Microsoft Office, and all major audio applications from Ableton Live to Propellerhead Reason. Their training catalogue currently boasts over 1200 hours of online software courses and more than 22,000 tutorial-videos.

According to macProVideo.com's Founder and CEO, Martin Sitter, "Until now, macProVideo.com has been the place 'Where Mac Users Learn.' With the acquisition of AskVideo.com, we have purchased a great brand with over 8 years of experience in online training. AskVideo will become our primary portal for bringing our trademarked NonLinear Educating System to the larger world of Windows PC users."

The NonLinear Educating System features HD tutorial-videos that play in web browsers, on desktops, and through iOS devices. There are also advanced search features that make it easy to find topics of interest, as well as tools for bookmarking videos, taking notes, and progress tracking that displays the viewer's progress through each online course.

Users can watch free courses by creating an AskVideo.com account, or gain access to the entire AskVideo Library by purchasing a Library Pass. Educational and corporate site licenses are available for universities and companies that need to train students/staff on the use of creative software applications for audio engineering, video editing, web design, and the graphic arts.

"We are particularly excited about the potential AskVideo has for the wider corporate and educational markets," continues Martin, "our full-featured site licensing system is not only cost-effective, but also provides teachers and administrators with full analytics so they can see what their students and staff are watching, and when they watched it. With our excellent support for iOS, students and staff can watch titles on their iPad or iPhone while commuting, at lunch, or any other time that's convenient. This is true NonLinear Educating."

For more information visit http://www.AskVideo.com. Martin Sitter is available for comments and interviews.

Press Contact: Kim Bowie Kim@macprovideo.com +1 604.563.5007

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macProVideo.com Acquires AskVideo.com - Two Pioneers Of Online Education Unite

Hot yoga studios have been popping up all over the place, a testament to the practice's growing popularity.

But, what makes hot yoga different than a regular yoga class? The temperature and humidity of the room are key; hot yoga classes are held in studios heated to 40.5 C with 50-per-cent humidity. The increased heat warms the muscles to achieve a deeper yoga practice and cleanses the body by causing it to sweat away toxins.

The situation presents a unique fashion challenge: how do you find something that (a) is stylish, (b) keeps you cool, and (c) keeps you relatively covered at the same time?

Here are some dos and don'ts for getting geared up for hot yoga:

Don't pull out an old cotton T-shirt. Cotton is notoriously bad for sucking in moisture and will be drenched with sweat and become cumbersome within minutes.

Do opt for dri-fit or performance fabrics. They will not only help wick away sweat and keep you cool, but the nanotechnology behind them also kills bacteria and prevents odours that can develop over time.

Don't wear just any old gym shorts; they aren't designed to move with you through all the various yoga poses and bends. Given the tight quarters in most yoga studios, you don't want to give the person behind you more of a show than they bargained for.

Do find a length of bottom that works for you. Not everyone can pull off tiny spandex shorts, even if they might keep you cooler. Just make sure that whatever bottom you choose has some stretch.

Don't opt for white or other light colours; they show sweat and can become transparent when wet. Instead opt for dark colours; they hide sweat marks and make you look slimmer.

Do go for fitted garments. They will move with you as you flow through the various poses and won't drag you down when they become wet. Yoga teachers also like their students to wear fitted garments, as it helps them analyze body position during class.

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Tips for staying stylish and cool for hot yoga

Perhaps youve had a mammogram recently, or taken a child for an immunization or consulted with a specialist about a weight problem. Since late 2010, those visits to health care providers have carried an additional benefit: Theyre free. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law 28 months ago and upheld in June by the Supreme Court, its illegal for insurers to charge consumers a co-payment for a long list of health care services designed to prevent disease.

In fact, while they have been largely overshadowed by the furor over the requirement that everyone carry health insurance, there are many provisions in the law designed to encourage wellness, fitness and prevention. Its an effort to improve health and reduce the ever-escalating cost of health care.

Some measures have been in effect for nearly two years and escaped cancellation when the Supreme Court preserved the law. Others are on the way. Just last week, the controversial regulations on free contraceptives and other preventive care for women took effect.

A large portion of health-care costs are attributable to preventable disease. Federal statistics show, for example, that more than one-third of American adults are obese a condition that carries all manner of health risks, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. The health-care law tilts heavily toward preventive services and developing new prevention policies.

When you remove cost barriers, people are much more likely to use services and thats been demonstrated for many, many years, said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation who specializes in health-care reform and private insurance.

The benefits kick in when your health insurance plan changes or is updated. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 54 million people have received free services under the law that previously would have cost them at least a co-payment.

Workplace benefits

Most people will receive the greatest tangible impact of the new law where they work. That only makes sense. Its where most of us get our health insurance, and employers increasingly have been turning to wellness programs to cut costs anyway.

A 2010 study by Harvard University researchers, published in the journal Health Affairs, concluded that medical costs fall by about $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs and that absenteeism costs fall by about $2.73 for every dollar spent. It remains difficult, however, to pinpoint which wellness programs produce the greatest bang for employers buck.

Beginning in 2014, the health-care law will allow employers to increase incentives for participation in programs that require an employee to achieve an agreed-upon wellness goal, such as giving up tobacco or losing a certain amount of weight. The incentive can be as much as 30 percent of an employees insurance costs, and in some cases as much as 50 percent. That is up from 20 percent allowed by law now.

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Obama’s health-care law: The fitness and wellness provisions you may have missed

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FRwwlyPCDg

07-08-2012 05:32 Retirement Worries Good News for Advisors, Says Accenture

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Retirement Worries Good News for Advisors, Says Accenture - Video

NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Prudential Retirement, a business unit of Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU), today announced it will serve as recordkeeper for Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts Internationals 401(k) plan.

Prudential Retirement is pleased MGM Resorts selected us to recordkeep its 401(k) savings plan and we look forward to serving MGM Resorts plan participants, said George Castineiras, senior vice president, Total Retirement Solutions, Prudential Retirement. Through our open architecture platform which provides a broad range of fund choices and educational materials, we look forward to helping plan participants achieve superior retirement outcomes.

The plan has roughly 24,500 participants and approximately $858 million in assets, which were transferred to Prudential in the second quarter of 2012.

We selected Prudential Retirement as our plans recordkeeper because of Prudentials demonstrated results that drive successful participant outcomes, its low expenses, strong performance and excellent communications program, said MGM Resorts Executive Director of Benefits, Cindy Moehring.

Prudential Retirement delivers retirement plan solutions for public, private, and non-profit organizations. Services include state-of-the-art record keeping, administrative services, investment management, comprehensive employee investment education and communications, and trustee services. With over 85 years of retirement experience, Prudential Retirement helps meet the needs of over 3.6 million participants and annuitants. Prudential Retirement has $244.8 billion in retirement account values as of June 30, 2012. Retirement products and services are provided by Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (PRIAC), Hartford, CT, or its affiliates.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudentials diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudentials iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit http://www.news.prudential.com/

0228675-00001-00

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Prudential Retirement selected as recordkeeper for MGM Resorts 401(k) plan

I'm 24, make $65,000 a year and between contributions to my Roth IRA, 401(k) and the company match to my 401(k) I save 21% of my income. Am I saving too much for retirement? Do you think I should save less and spend more while I'm young? -- Matt, Hoboken, N.J.

There's no question that when it comes to saving for retirement, you, my friend, rank near the very top. Most people with 401(k)s contribute about 7% or so to their retirement accounts and the national savings rate isn't even close to double digits.

But just because you save way more than most of your compatriots doesn't necessarily mean you're saving too much.

When I plugged your numbers into one of my favorite retirement calculators, it estimated that you would have a greater than 90% chance of being able to retire at 65 on 75% of your projected pre-retirement salary. Most people would die to have those odds.

But as attractive as your retirement prospects may appear now, you need to step back and take a reality check. We're talking about forecasting 40 years into the future. So even though you manage to save more than 20% of your income now, is it realistic to assume that you'll be able to keep up that pace over the next four decades?

Maybe, but it would be tough. You're only 24, a point in your life where you probably have relatively few financial obligations. As you get older, you may want to start a family, buy a house, perhaps go back to school for an advanced degree. All of those things will place more demands on your income, possibly crimping your ability to continue salting away money at your current rate.

Related: 25 and 'scared stiff' of making an investing mistake

There are also plenty of things beyond your control: a layoff or health problems could derail your savings regimen, market setbacks might seriously impede the growth of your savings, possible changes in the Social Security system could make your benefit less generous than is currently projected.

All of which is to say that, from a purely financial point of view, I think it makes sense to stick to your ambitious savings rate while you can.

Think of it as an insurance policy of sorts, providing a bit of cushion should you find yourself unable to save as much as you'd like down the road or if poor investment performance prevents your nest egg from growing as expected.

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Retirement savings: How much is too much?

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcVK6EVFfOA

07-08-2012 13:42 South African gold medalist Cameron van der Burgh admitted to taking extra underwater kicks during his world-recording setting performance in the 100-meter breaststroke at the Olympics, an illegal move that would have earned him a disqualification if judges had caught him. Swimmers are allowed one underwater dolphin kick during their underwater breaststroke pullouts. Replays show Van der Burgh took three on the start. He told the Sydney Morning Herald that he took extra kicks, but defends himself by insisting he's not the only one. ''If you're not doing it, you're falling behind," he said. "It's not obviously - shall we say - the moral thing to do, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my personal performance and four years of hard work for someone that is willing to do it and get away with it." Allowing dolphin kicks during breaststroke is relatively new. The rules were changed, in part, because of four-time gold medalist Kosuke Kitajima, a Japanese breaststroke star who routinely added rogue kicks underwater. When swimmers push off a wall and tighten into a streamline, their legs can arch slightly and resemble a kick. Kitajima and others tried to make this natural movement into an advantage by adding some force behind it. It was illegal and the move angered rivals, like American, Brendan Hansen. But the kick was tough to enforce, so FINA changed the rule to allow it.

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Cameron Van Der Burgh Gold Medal Swimmer Admits to Cheating in 100m Breaststroke - Video

Olympian Julie Culley rocked today, setting another personal best in the first trial of the 5000m and qualifying for the finals at Olympic Stadium Friday at 8 p.m.

Culley, 30, of Annandale set personal bests to qualify at the U.S. Trials in June and again in the 3000m in Monaco last month. Today she ran a 15.05.38. Teammate Molly Huddle qualified for the final in the second heat.

One of Culley's friends since childhood, Eric Eisenhart, is now a certified personal trainer and performance enhancement specialist at Pro-Activity. Culley and fellow competitive track club members trained there and Eisenhart accompanied family and other friends to London as part of "Team Culley."

Eisenhart Tweeted today's event. "Headed to #london2012 Olympic stadium to cheer 4 our girl @julieculley in my shirt designed specially just for today."

The red shirts had 2012 London on the front, along with the American flag, but the dominant graphic is a white race "bib" with CULLEY in big letters.

"We have some incredible seats . . . we'll be screaming our heads off!" he posted.

The warm-up commentary was on another race: "Just watched a guy get dq'ed in high hurdles and another bite it running through one in same heat #ouch."

Among the crew cheering on Culley were her parents Paul and Maggie Culley of Clinton Township, brother Dave, sister Carolyn, boyfriend Chris Farley and another friend since childhood, Kristen Haughey-Prendergast.

Eisenhart put his Twitter audience there with them: "She's warming up! Let's go Julie!"

Can you hear them screaming: "This is insane! 2.5 to go, looks good . . "

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Olympics 2012: Julie Culley qualifies for finals in 5000m, sets another personal best