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

Continued here:
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

5 tips for readjusting your financial game plan.

I heard from an old friend recently who had been financially responsible her whole life, but a layoff several years ago derailed her savings. Now shes nearing 60 and panicked about whether shell be able to retire when she had originally planned to if at all. Sound familiar? As the slowly recovering economy plods along, and many Americans confront shortfalls in retirement savings, these are common refrains from baby boomers and generation X.

It can be a shock to realize that your much-anticipated retirement may not happen on the day or month or year you initially envisioned it and in the style you dreamed about. But many Americans are continuing to work past the traditional retirement age of 65 or are re-entering the workforce after theyve retired. July data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 7 million Americans age 65 and older were still in the workforce, up 63% from a decade ago. Some may continue working by choice, but many are likely still working due to financial necessity.According to new survey findings from the Society of Actuaries, more than 4 in 10 pre-retirees who do not expect to retire say its because they cant afford to do so.

(MORE:Stay-at-Home Parents: Six Money Secrets for Families Shifting to One Income)

To add to the stress, the emotional adjustment can be an even bigger challenge if youre reconsidering your retirement date. So if youre looking at your financial statements with a gulp, what can you do?

1. Dont get hung up on age. You might think of 65 as being the year that you should retire. But consider when and how this traditional retirement date originated and whether it makes any sense today. In 1935 the Social Security Act set the minimum age for receiving full retirement benefits at 65. But men born in 1930 were only expected to live until age 58. Today the average life expectancy is 75 for men and 80 for women. So look on the bright side: you might need to work longer because youre probably going to live longer.

2. Understand your options now and later. When calculating your retirement date and income, its important to get your financial facts straight about future income sources. Make sure you fully understand your Social Security benefit and what types of accounts your savings are held in. Determine how much your savings may grow if you work for another six months, one year, five years, etc. You may be surprised by how much your nest egg could increase if you delay withdrawals from your tax-deferred employee sponsored plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), by staying in the workforce for just a bit longer.

(MORE:Kids and Money: Is It O.K. to Play Financial Favorites?)

3. Focus on your health. Many people want to keep working past traditional retirement age but have health problems that prevent them from doing so. If your plan is to stay employed, its critical to do everything you can to maintain your physical health so you may work as long as you desire. Ensuring that you get adequate exercise, sleep and nutrition can actually be very important financial considerations. Similarly, its critical to have adequate health care coverage in place. A recent survey of retirees from the Society of Actuaries indicated that 24 percent of those interviewed were working in retirement in order to maintain employee benefits like health insurance a valid financial reason to keep punching the clock. However, taking the time to understand the benefits of Medicare can be advantageous as you make employment choices.

4. Reconsider what kind of work you do. Retirees are going back to work for a variety of reasons. While the Society of Actuaries survey indicated that 51 percent of retirees who are working in retirement are in it for additional income, an even greater percentage (55 percent) say theyre still in the workforce because they want to stay active and engaged. If youre working for a living, it might be helpful to think about how work will help you create and maintain your social life, sense of belonging and productivity. If you dread Monday mornings, your decision to stay in a 9-to-5 job may make you feel caged. So liberate yourself by finding something you love to do that will still provide a paycheck. Its not too late to make a career change into a full-time or part-time job that will help you maintain meaning or challenge you.

See more here:
Postponing Retirement: Will You Have to Work Forever?

LONDON -- The last five years have been tough for those in retirement. Portfolio valuations have been hammered, and annuity rates have plunged. There's no sign things will improve anytime soon, either, as the eurozone and the U.K. economy look set to muddle through at best for some years to come.

A great way to protect yourself from the downturn, however, is to build your retirement fund with shares of large, well-run companies that should grow their earnings steadily over the coming decades. Over time, such investments ought to result in rising dividends and inflation-beating capital growth.

In this series, I'm tracking down the U.K. large caps that have the potential to beat the FTSE 100 over the long term and support a lower-risk, income-generating retirement fund (you can see all of the companies I've covered so far on this page).

In this article I'm going to introduce the five top-scoring shares so far and see how they compare. They are Unilever (NYSE: UL) , Tesco (LSE: TSCO.L) , Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-B) , SABMiller (LSE: SAB.L) , and British American Tobacco (NYSE: BTI) .

First, let's take a look at how each of them scored against my five key retirement share criteria:

Criterion

Unilever

Tesco

Royal Dutch Shell

SABMiller

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Are These the 5 Best Retirement Shares in the FTSE 100?

Sharp Corp. (6753.TO) on Tuesday said it will offer voluntary retirement to about 2,000 domestic workers in November as part of a previously announced labor reduction plan aimed at addressing the company's serious financial woes.

The hard-hit Japanese electronics maker, which racked up a record 376.08 billion yen group net loss in the fiscal year that ended in March and predicts a Y250 billion loss for the current fiscal year, has been pursuing a number of different avenues, including job cuts, to strengthen its financial standing.

Last week a person close to the matter said Sharp is mulling selling the TV factories--one in China and the other in Mexico--as part of talks with Taiwanese partner Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (2317.TW).

Earlier this month, Sharp unveiled a plan to cut 5,000 workers. The staff reduction, excluding the latest voluntary retirement plan, will take the form of natural attrition and other steps.

The Japanese company said Tuesday it will offer early retirement to workers at the parent company and its major domestic subsidiaries between Nov. 1 and Nov. 14.

The program will cost around Y27 billion, it said. The cost has already been factored into its earnings outlook for its business year ending March 2013, released earlier this month.

Separately Tuesday, NEC Corp. (6701.TO) said that a total of 2,393 workers groupwide have accepted the voluntary retirement offer it made in July.

The Japanese computer maker and provider of technology services will report extra expenses worth Y2.9 billion for the second quarter ending September, in addition to expenses it already booked in the previous fiscal year.

But its cost cutbacks will moderate the additional cost burden, so it kept unrevised its previous earnings outlook for the first half and full business year through March 2013.

Write to Hiroyuki Kachi at Hiroyuki.Kachi@dowjones.com

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Sharp to Offer Voluntary Retirement to 2,000 Japan Staff

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

When it comes to retirement planning, Generations X and Y have learned from the mistakes of their elders2, while the younger Generation Z shows some signs of nest egg naivety1, according to new survey findings released by TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation (AMTD).

Nearly 60 percent of Gen X (59%) and Gen Y (56%) make regular, automatic contributions toward their retirement savings2, compared to 46 percent of non-retired Baby Boomers2. And when it comes to getting a jump on their nest egg, younger generations are eager to get started both Gen X and Gen Y started saving for retirement, on average, in their mid- to late-twenties2. Thats nearly a decade earlier than Baby Boomers who, on average, stared saving at age 352.

For even the most sophisticated investor, retirement planning can be a tough concept to grasp, said Carrie Braxdale, managing director, investor services, TD Ameritrade, Inc., a broker dealer subsidiary of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation. Gen X and Y have accepted the reality of the past few years, and rather than being discouraged, they are using what they've witnessed to their advantage by saving earlier and regularly. The hope is that tomorrows investors, Gen Z, follow suit as they near retirement.

For the teens and young adults of Generation Z (ages 13-22) who have grown up in households that struggled through the recession, the question remains as to whether they have been tainted by the gloom and doom or driven to be better. According to the survey, Gen Z generally understands the importance of saving money over half (56%) said they have a savings account thanks to the influence of early conversations about money with their parents1. But, those conversations have largely been about saving in general (82%) or saving for college (67%), rather than preparing for retirement (38%)1. Just eight percent of Gen Z reported they are currently saving money for their golden years1.

In fact, many Gen Z savers have a very different outlook on retirement saving strategies and timing when compared to their parents:

The good news is that Gen Z is starting off with a good understanding of the importance of saving, said Braxdale. But that doesnt mean they should wait to become more educated on proper long-term savings habits. We encourage parents to talk to kids specifically about retirement savings to ensure they understand the importance of getting a head start and taking advantage of the power of compounding.

TDAmeritrade's website offers a number of free retirement planning resources that can help investors explore many of these questions and more including:

1. A "Cost of Waiting" Calculator that can help you understand why starting to save earlier is better in the long run

2. WealthRuler retirement calculator that can help you estimate your retirement readiness

Read more:
Young Americans Start Saving for Retirement 10 Years Earlier than Parents, Grandparents

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Double Shot Interview: Diana Crossan, Retirement Commissioner with Amanda Morrall - Video

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Transamerica Retirement Services announced today that it will host a webinar for third party administrators and financial advisors that covers the governments current legislative landscape on retirement plans, and how this affects financial professionals and retirement plan sponsors. The webinar will be hosted by Jeanne de Cervens, vice president and director of federal government affairs for Transamerica, on September 18 at noon Eastern Time.

Ms. de Cervens will provide insight on many topics surrounding retirement plans, including tax reform, Multiple Employer Plans, mandatory retirement plan coverage proposals, workplace initiatives, and what the insurance and retirement plan communities are doing to protect tax incentives.

Transamericas Speakers Bureau is a wonderful opportunity to hear from thought leaders in the retirement plan arena, said Stig Nybo, president of Transamerica Retirement Services. I anticipate this webinar will be popular with TPAs and financial advisors, as Jeanne is sure to provide engaging and insightful commentary on a wide range of issues facing policymakers in the months to come.

Jeanne de Cervens is an attorney based in Washington, D.C., and serves as the chief government liaison for Transamerica regarding federal tax, insurance and retirement security issues. She interacts with U.S. Congress Members and federal regulatory agencies, trade associations and financial services organizations. She has been involved in legislative, regulatory and employee benefits issues for more than 20 years, and serves on the Board of the Tax Coalition, a non-partisan organization promoting the exchange of ideas among professional women in federal tax policymaking.

Ms. de Cervens represents Transamerica in various coalitions and groups focused on developing broader policy initiatives impacting the retirement plan business, including the Conversation for Coverage and the Global Coalition on Aging.

Third party administrators and financial advisors can register for the webinar by calling Transamerica at (888) 401-5826 and selecting option one, Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

About Transamerica Retirement Services Corporation

Transamerica Retirement Services Corporation (Transamerica or Transamerica Retirement Services), which is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, designs customized retirement plan solutions to meet the unique needs of small- to mid-sized businesses. Transamerica and its affiliates have more than 17,0001 retirement plans totaling more than $20 billion1 in assets. For more information about Transamerica, please refer to http://www.TA-Retirement.com.

1As of December 31, 2011.

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Transamerica Retirement Services to Host “Legislative Landscape for 2012 and Beyond” Webinar on September 18

A single financial misstep right before retirement can mean the difference between peace of mind and constant money worries in later years.

Misinterpreting a spouse's retirement dreams, failing to plan for emergencies and spending too much are just a few of the mistakes folks approaching retirement may make.

Below, financial advisers weigh in on how to avoid these and other mistakes before you turn in your office I.D.

1. Failing to coordinate

Certified financial planner Christine Fahlund recalls one couple she worked with: The husband thought he had diligently prepared for retirement, including regularly crunching numbers on an online retirement-planning calculator. In his calculations, the husband assumed his wife would retire in six years while he would retire right away.

[More from WSJ.com: How to Avoid Medicare Land Mines]

But once he retired and reminded his wife of their "plan," she was livid. Turns out she had told him several years earlier that she "might" be willing to work six years longer, but had since decided she was no longer willing to do so. The husband ended up going back to work.

To avoid such confusion, as early as five years before retirement, couples should write down their plans and answer questions such as when they'd each like to retire, where each would like to live, what each wants to continue doing in retirement and what new activities each wishes to pursue.

They'll want to revisit these plans annuallyespecially during the six months prior to either spouse's retirement dateshe says.

2. Not expecting the unexpected

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Avoid These Common Pre-Retirement Blunders