Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9gLkafJ5ug

31-12-2011 08:54 What's up guys, this is a commentary over WWE 12 where I talk about what I've been doing all week and Randy Orton being injured. Who should take his spot in the Wade Barrett feud? http://www.formspring.me http://www.twitter.com http://www.facebook.com

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WWE 12 - Brock Lesnar's UFC Retirement

By Linda Stern

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After a lifetime of diligently saving, retirees are faced with a new question: How much can they take out during retirement?

Retirement -- or the "withdrawal phase of life" as actuaries and other numbers wonks refer to it -- can present a psychological challenge. It's often hard to spend money that took decades to save.

But it's also a mathematical challenge. Spend too much, and you can find yourself running out around the time you hit 75 or 80. Spend too little and you can live a retirement life of ascetic self-denial, only to enrich your kids when you die.

For many years, retirement experts have been telling retirees that 4 percent is a safe withdrawal rate. The theory, supported with lots of backtesting, holds that if you keep your portfolio diversified and start your retirement with a 4 percent withdrawal, you can increase your withdrawal by the inflation rate every year and be almost certain your money will last for 30 years. T. Rowe Price, for example, has suggested retirees can increase their withdrawals by 3 percent every year to cover inflation.

But events and developments of the last few years have cast some doubt on a 4 percent solution. In the first place, many people are retiring at 62 or under, and living into their 90s, so 30 years isn't always enough. Even more significantly, the market meltdown of 2008-2009 drove home the weakness of the 4 percent rule. When stocks and bonds deliver poor returns, even 4 percent isn't safe enough.

In fact, someone calculating their safe withdrawal rate in 2008 might only be able to take 1.5 percent of their money out, according to a paper from retirement expert Wade Pfau published in the Journal of Financial Planning. Pfau, an associate professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo, doesn't actually suggest that retirees restrict themselves to that degree. Rather he suggests that retirees amend their withdrawals by considering how their investments are doing and staying flexible.

"It would be a great pity if recent retirees scaled down their retirement expenditures and loved a more frugal lifestyle only to find at the end that a higher withdrawal rate could have been sustainable," he wrote.

Some financial firms have considered lowering their recommended withdrawal rate to 3 percent but have found it hard to gain traction. That's a safer rate, concedes T. Rowe Price spokeswoman Heather McDonold, but it may be "difficult and unrealistic for some folks."

For example, at the end of 2010, the average 401(k) balance held by a worker in his or her 60s, who had been on the job for between 20 and 30 years, was $159,654, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Note that figure is probably high, because it only focuses on people with a long history on the job. A retiree who started pulling 3 percent a year out of that would be able to withdraw only $400 a month, enough for groceries perhaps but not much else.

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How low must retirement withdrawals go?

Saving for retirement is a long journey with a destination that, at many times, feels far off. But once that last day of employment rears its mixed-emotions head, fantasies about pursuing sports, hobbies and travel are often displaced by anxiety about what lies ahead. How will you spend your time? Where will you live? And, perhaps most importantly, how will you pay for it all?

After so many years of marching to the beat of the save-for-retirement drum, it can be hard to imagine spending that money when the time comes. Indeed, drawing down your retirement savings is not a simple affair; taking too little can leave you with few options with respect to how to spend your senior years, while taking too much could leave you with years to live - and nothing to live on. Before you sit down with an advisor to discuss your options, here are some factors to consider. [More: Find out why you should contribute to your RRSP this year]

Start early Nearly every piece of retirement advice revolves around a simple edict you probably learned when you were young: always be prepared. The final stage of your working years is no different. According to personal finance expert and author, Gordon Pape, those who are approaching retirement need to start preparing their portfolios at least five years in advance. This involves winding down higher-risk investments in favour of low-risk dividend stocks, bonds and anything with a regular cash flow. Why? Because you don't want to be forced to switch your portfolio in a hurry - especially if market conditions are not in your favour.

"As you approach retirement, your focus shifts from growth to safety and income," Pape advises. "Make the transition gradually so that when the time comes to stop work, your portfolio is set up." [More: Retirement 101: Your guide to saving and planning for your retirement]

Demolish debt Nearly half of Canadians (47 percent) are concerned about the debt they'll be carrying into retirement, according to a poll released by Sun Life Financial in February. According to Pape, that's a huge mistake.

Think debt's no big deal? Not so fast. Current interest rates are at a historic low, which means that big, old debt is likely to cost you a whole lot more in the future up to 50 percent more, according to Pape's estimate. In other words, that mortgage or line of credit could be a financial disaster just waiting to happen, especially for someone on a fixed income.

The solution? Make sure your debt retires before you do, Pape says, even if it means keeping that 9-to-5 for a few more years than you'd planned. [More: Does it make sense to borrow for your RRSP? Here's what you need to consider...]

Slow and steady Many retirees have big plans for their post-work years. Unfortunately, the increasing health and longevity that many people now enjoy put them in a tough position. It's only natural to want to kick your retirement off by getting out and enjoying your free time. But if you take that round-the-world cruise early on, you might be left with very little to keep you afloat in your final years, pun intended. This doesn't mean you have to abandon all your grand plans; just be sure to consider the long-term picture before throwing down a lump sum for a luxury.

When to withdraw You can begin collecting Canada Pension at age 60 and you can convert your RRSP to a RRIF and begin receiving regular payments whenever you choose. Indeed, after all your hard work, you probably can't wait to get your hands on this money. Unfortunately, there's a cruel trick to spending retirement income the longer you put it off, the more you'll have to spend.

Sticking it out to age 70 before collecting CPP can mean a payment that's a full 42 percent higher than it would be if you started collecting your payments at age 60. As for your RRSPs, Pape recommends that you avoid converting them to RRIFs until absolutely necessary to avoid minimum withdrawal requirements until they become mandatory at age 71. Receiving a payout from an RRIF means pulling your nest egg out of its cozy tax-sheltered refuge, thus subjecting yourself to more tax and lower investment returns. Pape says it may be worth converting a small RRIF earlier to receive $2,000 per year and capitalize on the Pension Income Tax Credit. Overall though, it's best to tuck those RRSPs in for a few extra years. You'll thank yourself later. [More: Cracking the golden nest egg of retirement: Can you retire and still have debt?]

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Retirement savings to spending: How to handle the transition

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire -03/07/12)- The Retirement Income Industry Association (RIIA) announces the launch of the RIIA Market Insight (RMI) initiative, a research program that transcends traditional product and organizational silos by bringing together industry leaders, researchers and their collective data to create a 360-degree view of consumer households who buy and depend upon the industry's products and services. RIIA invites firms to join an advisory board to guide the RMI research and collaborate with board members and participating firms in the execution of the program.

Joining with RIIA as members of the RMI are the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Turner Consulting, LLC, Strategic Business Insights (SBI), Sagence Group, GDC Research, CANNEX, Ernst & Young and Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) with the goal of delivering a sophisticated, strategic use of analytics applied to rich, high quality market data which develop and expand insights that lead to accelerated business success.

The first member of the RMI Advisory Board is the National Association for Fixed Annuities (NAFA). NAFA is a national trade association exclusively dedicated to promoting the awareness and understanding of fixed annuities. "We are pleased to have NAFA as a founding Advisory Board member," says Francois Gadenne, Executive Director and Chair of RIIA. "We anticipate that NAFA will bring their depth of experience and focus on fixed annuities to our program and will help guide research related to this important product."

Eric Thomes, NAFA's Chair, agrees, "As a premier annuity-based association and chief advocate for fixed annuities, we need to understand the trends that affect our products and our members. Our seat on the Advisory Board will help us achieve this objective."

The RMI is seeking additional working group members and sponsors to help guide the development of the various databases, reports and services. "While we are starting with annuity database analytics, the RMI members and sponsors will expand that view across product, service and distribution silos," explains Elvin Turner, President of Turner Consulting, LLC, and RIIA's Director of Research.

To create a cross-silos retirement income research platform, RIIA is building a RMI Advisory Board that represents various views and expertise across the industry, with members from the annuity, mutual fund, investments, insurance, distribution, DC plans and other communities. Their common goal is to gain actionable information about market share, distribution channels, products, customer profiles and household spending, now and in the future, that will result in data-based decisions that improve business performance.

"The bottom line for us," concludes Kim O' Brien, NAFA's CEO, "is being able to view actual sales and sales potential of fixed annuities quickly after those sales occur and with a level of insight and understanding that was not possible before. That is the opportunity offered by this initiative."

To join the RMI or to request more information, please contact Francois Gadenne, Chairman and Executive Director, RIIA at (781) 738-0484 or Elvin Turner, Director of the Research Business Unit, RIIA at (860) 242-4878.

About the Retirement Income Industry Association (www.riia-usa.org)

Founded in 2006 by leading financial companies, advisors, associations and academics, the Retirement Income Industry Association (RIIA) provides a rigorous, research-driven, household-focused foundation for developing retirement solutions to serve retirees today and into the future. A non-profit organization, RIIA achieves its mission through a unique View Across the Silos allowing members to see change and disruption before others while achieving competitive advantage through diverse discussions, advanced education, market insight, research, comprehensive data, standards and thought leadership for successful retirement income management. RIIA members span the entire industry and include banks, insurers, mutual fund companies, brokerage houses, financial advisors and distributors, plan sponsors, researchers, technology companies, marketing firms, academics, and industry media.

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Retirement Income Industry Association Creates Retirement Market Insight Initiative to Bring Database Analytics and ...

Today, 7 March, Fujitsu will introduce its new flagship workstation CELSIUS R920. According to the company, this top-level workstation provides the performance, reliability, and scalability required for complex visualization and personal Supercomputing environments.

Fujitsu CELSIUS R920 is suitable for the most demanding computational and memory-intensive parallel applications in various fields, including engineering and electrical engineering, digital content creation, visualization, virtual reality, simulation and development of geological research. This workstation top-level expands the boundaries of personal computing by carefully developed sophisticated components, including high-performance multicore processors, graphics engine, a next-generation technology of quad-channel memory, and high-speed drives.

CELSIUS R920 meets the requirements of intensive computing environments leading spheres of business on criteria of safety, interoperability, efficiency and productivity of the user. It also lays the Foundation for future changes that will have to implement the business to meet their needs for computing power.

R920 CELSIUS workstation has been developed with a view to the most stringent safety standards. Its easy to install in a rack in a datacenter and provide secure access to computer Fujitsu over IP (PCoIP host card) through decision CELSIUS RemoteAccess. Dynamic USB Security provides secure authentication and authorization of all USB devices connected to the workstation via the built-in hardware protection USB ports. Built-in Intel vPro also provides security and management features that provide improved remote management system, as well as a fast data encryption and a simplified procedure for the remote update system.

To simplify integration into existing IT-infrastructure of Fujitsu Corporation undertook a full and detailed certification of equipment, together with independent software vendors to provide maximum stability, compatibility, and performance of the most well-known software applications in professional environments.

Energy efficiency of the new system reaches 90% R920 CELSIUS that reduces operating costs and faster return on investments. At the same time, done almost everything possible to reduce the noise radiation up to 21 decibel and thus ensure maximum efficiency for the users.

Thanks CELSIUS workstation extension R920, business users can invest in computing resources in stages and only needs to grow. To cold connect frontload provides flexibility and ease when installing hard drives, up to the total number of 8, increasing the total amount of memory up to 512 Gb. CELSIUS workstations are also equipped with professional graphics, which can also be upgraded with business needs, up to three models support high level graphics cards, including the Nvidia SLI and Maximus.

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Fujitsu will introduce a new flagship workstation

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/78aa9f/internal_combustio) has announced the addition of Woodhead Publishing Ltd's new book "Internal Combustion Engines: Improving Performance, Fuel Economy and Emissions" to their offering.

This book contains the papers of the "Internal Combustion Engines: Performance fuel economy and emissions conference," in the IMechE bi-annual series, held on the 29th and 30th November 2011. The internal combustion engine is produced in tens of millions per year for applications as the power unit of choice in transport and other sectors. It continues to meet both needs and challenges through improvements and innovations in technology and advances from the latest research.

These papers set out to meet the challenges of internal combustion engines, which are greater than ever. How can engineers reduce both CO2 emissions and the dependence on oil-derivate fossil fuels? How will they meet the future, more stringent constraints on gaseous and particulate material emissions as set by EU, North American and Japanese regulations? How will technology developments enhance performance and shape the next generation of designs? This conference looks closely at developments for personal transport applications, though many of the drivers of change apply to light and heavy duty, on and off highway, transport and other sectors.

Key features:

aimed at anyone with interests in the internal combustion engine and its challenges the papers will consider key questions relating to the internal combustion engine

Key Topics Covered:

SI ENGINES AND DOWNSIZING

GDI PARTICULATES AND OTHER EMISSIONS

DIESEL FUEL INJECTION

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Research and Markets: Internal Combustion Engines: Improving Performance, Fuel Economy and Emissions 2011 Report Out Now

Richard Harbus/Richard Harbus for News Manager Sarai Sanabria helps clients try on clothes at the brand new "Dress For Success" shop.

Unemployed women in the Bronx are being treated like A-listers at a designer fashion show by Dress for Success, which has an official grand opening Tuesday of its Bronx location.

Dress for Success is a non-profit organization helping women achieve economic independence by providing them with professional attire as well as the tools they need to excel in job interviews and the world of employment.

The Bronx shop, at 839 E. 149th St., offers donated suits and shoes to women by referral only. It was previously located at the Davidson Community Center in University Heights.

"By relocating to the new office, we can now serve more women because we have more space," said Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide. "The street location also gives us significantly more visibility in the community. And it's more accessible for more women in the Bronx, as well as volunteers and community members."

Ashley Ruemmelly, 27, currently on welfare, was there Monday. She is interested in finding work as a home health aide, and settled on an interview outfit of matching grey skirt and jacket over a red ruffled blouse, paired with bright red patent leather kitten heeled shoes.

Her personal shopper was Sarai Sanabria, the Bronx Program Coordinator, one of two paid staffers there; the rest are either volunteers or interns.

"I don't know how many outfits I tried on," says Ruemmelly, back in the jeans and t-shirt she wore into the shop. "One after the other after the other."

She and two other women were in the light and airy lobby with a receptionist desk and small waiting area. They held large brown shopping bags with their new outfits.

The women don't have potential employers lined up yet, but 44-year-old Karen Robinson said, as she waited to be assisted, that they are "trying to be prepared, so when (employers) do call, we're decent."

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Dress for Success’ new location in Mott Haven offers chic business attire, job interview help for women  

NEW YORK, March 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- iCrossing (http://news.icrossing.com), a global digital marketing agency, today announced the opening of its 10th annual Client Summit at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, March 7 9. The invitation-only event brings together CMOs and top executives from global brands to share insights on how data can enable connectedness or more personal relationships between brands and consumers.

The theme of iCrossing's 2012 Client Summit is "Connectedness gets personal." Participants will explore what it means to create "connected moments" and how audience data can be used to create more personal experiences.

The agenda features presentations by the CMOs of iCrossing clients, including The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the California State Auto Group, a major provider of AAA-branded insurance, and TXU Energy. In addition, Michael Greene of Forrester Research, Inc., will share how data management platforms (DMPs) are influencing the shift from channel-centric to customer-centric marketing strategies and Cecelia Wogan-Silva of Google, Inc., will discuss how agile risk takers can drive the future of creativity.

Summit attendees include approximately 50 senior marketers from brands such as The Coca-Cola Company and LG Electronics USA. Roundtable discussions will be hosted by iCrossing media partners, including Facebook and Google.

This topic of data-driven marketing is particularly relevant for iCrossing, as it recently announced the acquisition of Red Aril, a leading data management and audience optimization platform (DMP) company. The acquisition enables iCrossing to build connected brands at a more personal level with clients' most valuable audiences in real time.

"CMOs need data-driven strategies to build connected brands," said Don Scales, president and CEO, iCrossing. "At this year's Client Summit, top marketing minds will discuss how to use data to get closer to their audiences."

About iCrossing

iCrossing is a global digital marketing agency that combines talent and technology to help world-class brands find and connect with their customers. The company blends best-in-class digital marketing services - including paid search, search engine optimization, Web development, social media, mobile, research and analytics - to create integrated digital marketing programs that engage consumers and drive ROI. iCrossing's client base includes such recognized brands as The LEGO Group, Epson America and Toyota, and 40 Fortune 500 companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, MasterCard and FedEx. Headquartered in New York, the company has 750 employees in 18 offices globally. iCrossing is a unit of Hearst Corporation, one of the nation's largest diversified media companies. For more information, please visit http://www.icrossing.com.

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Connectedness Gets Personal at the 10th Annual iCrossing Client Summit

Some consumers are shying away from plastic and instead turning to personal loans and lines of credit to gain more control over their financial life -- perhaps using them to pay down credit card debt, pay their tax bills or finance a trip down the aisle.

At the beginning of each year, "we see demand increase" for the products, says Todd Denbo, a Wells Fargo senior vice president within the personal credit management group. "Consumers start the year fresh with their personal finances in mind."

Wells Fargo's Debt Pay Down Solution is particularly popular among consumers who want to consolidate their credit card debt into a fixed loan, which runs for a fixed amount of time at a fixed interest rate, Denbo says.

Demand for personal loans at Wells Fargo "has been on an upward slope since the recession really started," he says.

How personal loans work Personal loans and lines of credit are unsecured, so there's no collateral such as a house or car required for approval, and in most cases they can be used for any purpose the borrower desires.

With a personal loan, a consumer borrows a set amount of money for a certain amount of time at a set interest rate and pays a fixed monthly payment.

A personal line of credit is similar to a home equity line of credit, and borrowers can tap into it as needed. The payment will vary based on the amount owed; the annual percentage rate may also vary with the borrower's credit rating.

The rate a consumer pays varies based on credit history and credit score, and may also be influenced by the borrower's relationship with a particular financial institution or purpose for using the money. Your income and assets may also be looked at.

Total value of market unknown The total value of personal loans and lines of credit is hard to come by. Personal loans are made by a host of institutions, large and small, and the Federal Reserve's statistics lump them in with other types of lending, making it tough to measure separately.Along with banks and credit unions, social lending is gaining ground. With social or peer-to-peer lending, there's no traditional financial institution involved. Instead, individual borrowers are connected to individual investors through sites such as Lending Club and Prosper.com .

At credit unions, unsecured loans are broken down between credit cards and "all other unsecured loans," with personal loans accounting for the vast majority of those. In National Credit Union Association data, the total value of "all other unsecured loans" was $25.58 billion in December 2011. That's a slight uptick from $25.47 billion in December 2010.

Originally posted here:
Personal loans on the rise, but are they right for you?

STUART, FL--(Marketwire -03/07/12)- Connectyx Technologies Holdings Group, Inc. (Pinksheets: CTYX.PK - News) ("Connectyx") http://www.connectyx.com, the manufacturer and distributor of the MedFlash, an innovative Personal Health and Wellness Management System (ePHM) designed for maintaining personal health records (PHR), announced today that Connectyx Technologies has initiated development of its PHR for pets, MyPetsPHR, using the Internet Web domain http://www.mypetsphr.com. Similar to MedFlash, the MyPetsPHR will offer a secure web portal suite for a pet's medical information (shots, vaccines) in addition to a USB flash drive and smartphone applications with Scan code capability. The MyPetsPHR will include the pet owner's contact information to expedite a pet's recovery when lost. MyPetsPHR will also include Pet Benefits, Pet Insurance, Access to Pet-Friendly Hotels, Dog Parks and more.

It is an inescapable observation by both pet owners and non pet owners that many pet lovers care about their pet and treat them just as a child or partner. With this in mind, a product like MyPets PHR that offers convenience and added benefits for the pet owner along with safety for their pet is a compelling addition to the pet care marketplace.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spend more than $60 billion on their pets annually. The average annual cost per pet is from $355 for a small dog to $650 for a large dog. Cat owners spend about $495 annually.

Ronn Schuman, CEO of Connectyx Technologies, said, "The applicability of product similar to MedFlash with pets is obvious. Anyone who has taken their pet to be groomed at a PetSmart or PetWorld has had the experience of being asked for all immunization records that are necessary for review for the protection of the groomer. With MyPetsPHR, this requirement is easily fulfilled without having to remember to take paper files on your pet's medical history down to the store."

Schuman continued, "The obvious benefit of having a convenient pet owner contact is a clear plus too. All contact information can be included, not just what can fit on a small dog or cat identification tag. Whether it is both owners' cell phones and business phones, any and all helpful information can be accessed to contact the worried pet owner as soon as possible."

In addition to the initiation of development for http://www.mypetsphr.com, Connectyx has contracted with a web development group, Winduppixel.com in Chicago, IL, to update and modernize the MedFlash consumer website, http://www.medflash.com. Ronn Schuman, CEO of Connectyx Technologies, said, "We expect to unveil the new MedFlash website over the next 60 days as we collaborate with Winduppixel's web developers to add a fresh updated look designed for easier navigation for our consumer portal."

Interested investors and shareholders are invited to be added to the corporate e-mail database for corporate press releases and industry updates by sending an e-mail to investorrelations@connectyx.com

About Connectyx Technologies

Connectyx Technologies provides unique products for the healthcare market including MedFlash, the electronic Personal Health Manager (ePHM). The MedFlash PHM is an easy to use Personal Health and Lifestyle Manager that is accessible using a powerful web portal suite. The MedFlash PHM also features a 24/7/365 call center, a USB flash drive and our smartphone applications with Scan code capability. The MedFlash PHM provides member benefits including instant access to your Emergency Medical Profile and Personal Health Record in the event of an accident or a medical emergency. Whether traveling, at work, or at home, First Responders have an invaluable advantage when they have access to this time critical information. Far more than just an emergency flash drive, the MedFlash PHM can be accessed on any computer, securely and with complete privacy. There are also lifestyle and wellness features that provide significant health benefits to members and risk mitigation for employers and insurers alike. Connectyx products are developed with the needs of patients, families, doctors and First Responders in mind. For more information, please visit our websites at: http://www.connectyx.com, http://www.phrtoday.com and http://www.medflash.com

About Winduppixel.com

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Connectyx Technologies Announces Introduction of MyPetsPHR for Veterinary Records