Our pets are living longer these days due to improvements in veterinary care.  The question is, are you prepared to cope with an elderly pet? My eldest Springer recently turned thirteen years old so I have some experience with this issue.  She's been a spectacular jumper her entire life.  This is where the breed derives it's name.  But, as she aged, she could no longer jump up and into the bed.  It seemed that her hips and knees ached.  If you don't allow your dogs into your bed, then this is not a concern, but for some people it is.  There are two solutions to this problem.  The first is to purchase a little set of dog stairs at the pet store and teach your senior pet how to use them to get into the bed.  This will require patience and many tasty treats.  Another, perhaps slightly radical solution is to toss out your box springs and lay the matress on the floor and use it as a bed.  This is strange looking and an adjustment for the human owner, but I think that many people might be surprised at the number of dog lovers that have taken this route. Elderly dogs can be easily stressed out, so if you must travel, a pet sitter is the better route to go.  Please see prior posts for finding the best, most responsible, and trustworthy pet sitter you can find for your dog. I've yet to find a veterinarian that will come to your home to treat your dog, however, there are a number of mobile groomers who will come to your home and groom your dog for a reasonable price.  They are easily found in the phone book. The important thing to remember is that you want to find a competant, loving groomer for your dog, then you want to get your dog on a regular schedule with him or her.  This is especially important with mobile groomers.  If you like the mobile groomer you've found, then as soon as you complete one grooming, go ahead and book your next appointment.  Good hygiene will extend your dog's life by preventing infections. One problem I've encountered with grooming my elderly dog, especially in the winter, is that they are suddenly far more subject to the cold.  My older Springer would shake and shiver and look miserable.  I tried wrapping her in blankets and placing her next to a space heater but those solutions didn't work because she likes to follow me around my home as I work all day.  Finally, on a trip to the pet store, I stumbled upon a wonderful solution-doggie sweaters!  Since it was the end of the winter season, I was able to find several very low cost, warm, cute doggie sweaters and that did the trick.  After putting it on her, she seemed so warm and cozy that she spent most of the day sleeping again! Finally, there's the issue of incontenance.  Another neat product that is out there for dogs is the indoor doggie potty.  It usually consists of a tray and some artificial turf.  The idea is that your dog will go potty there because you've sprayed it with the accompanying "encouragement" spray.  This is another issue that may require a little patience.  In my home, I've created a doggie restroom.  First, I noticed where my older girl liked to relieve herself when she wasn't feeling up to going outside.  After having the carpet cleaner cleanse those spots, I covered the area with six to eight puppy training pads which I taped to the carpet.  On top of that layer of puppy training pads, I placed an official doggie potty purchased at the pet store and I sprayed it with the special spray which is supposed to attract the correct behavior.  If your dog doesn't like any particular place in your home to go potty, then you'll have to use baby gates or doggie gates to block off some area of your home and make that the official doggie potty area.  Then, line it with puppy training pads, put the doggie potty down on top of the puppy training pads and make your elderly dog spend a little time in that area between naps. ...read more

Have you upgraded? No?  Well, you probably should.  I'll start with reasons NOT to upgrade. 1 - If you have XP then the drive will have to be formatted and reloaded from scratch.  If you don't have any additional software (such as Office or Quicken or other such paid software) or if you have the license and disks to reload the programs then this a good idea anyway.  Fresh start for the PC or laptop.2 - If you have programs that must run on XP then obviously you will not be able to change.  At Friendly Computers we have one customer in that position.  Seldom happens.3 - Can't really think of a third reason not to upgrade.There are lots of reasons TO upgrade.  Win7 is just a really good operating system.  In most cases your PC will run faster than it runs on XP.  It has a many useful features and many fun features.  Here are a couple of links that explain in more detail:http://www.entrepreneur.com/technology/shinyobjects/article203890.htmland of course Microsoft's reasons:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/top-ten-reasons.aspxWe can upgrade you from Vista Home to Windows 7 Home for $225 (includes the software).We can upgrade you from XP Home to Windows 7 Home for $275 (includes backing up your data, email, pictures, etc and the software).Give us a call (            512-931-0303      ).Keep it safe out there. ...read more

Ad Design Marketing has a new Combo Business Package designed to save you money, increase sales, create a larger customer base and optimize your business on the internet.  Our package includes a custom designed TV Commercial, SMS Service with your own custom KEYWORD and a dynamic Web Site. Our staff will manage all optimization for your business by search engine registration, blogging, social media networks, etc. With over 25 years of business experience, Our dedicated staff will guarantee your satisfaction.  Our customers' success IS our business.  512-540-1797 WWW.ADDESIGNMARKETING.COM      ...read more

If your dog is older, shy, and/or just sensitive, he may be happier boarded at home while you are away.  A good way to determine if your dog is better off at home is to leave your dog at doggie daycare for a day and see how he reacts.  When you go to pick your baby up, ask the manager or kennel tech how your dog did.  If he spent the day visibly unhappy and shaking, he'd probably be better off boarded at home with a pet sitter.  At Happy Trails, we offer coupons for free daycare so that you can make this determination on your own for free. Even if the doggie daycare stresses your dog out a bit, most puppies, especially large breed puppies, are better off boarded at a kennel where they can romp and play.  Puppies love to chew and a large breed puppy boarded at your home with a pet sitter could really destroy your home in just a few hours while the pet sitter is away.  Even if your puppy doesn't chew your furniture apart, it's possible he could destroy your flooring because he's not quite fully potty trained. If you've decided that your dog is better off boarded at home with a pet sitter, first you've got to find a good pet sitter.  A referral from a veterinarian is almost always a good idea, but some vets are reluctant to do so.  You might wind up with three names and have to choose from among the three.  The pet sitter will have access to your home while you are gone and will be caring for your dog, so it absolutely essential that you thoroughly check her references.  This can be a time consuming chore, but it must be done.  Ask your potential pet sitter for references and call them.  When you reach them on the telephone, ask the reference how many times the pet sitter has cared for his dog.  Ask the reference, in particular, was there anything that made them uncomfortable about the way that they found their dog or home when they returned from traveling.  For example, were there urine stains on the carpet?  If so, the pet sitter may not have made all of the visits she agreed to.  Did it appear that the dog was fed according to the instructions the pet parent left?  Did the dog seem happy when the owner returned or was he sick or stressed out?  There is no easy way around due dilligence.  Call, call, call until you find a fabulous, wonderful, responsible pet sitter to care for your beloved pet! ...read more

I currently own two female English Springer Spaniels and that's been the case since around 1999.  Today, I have an alpha female and a beta female.  Most people regard "alpha" and "beta" as general terms to describe a dog's personality,"alpha" being more aggressive and domineering while "beta" being more laid back and easy going.  Around 2000, when my younger alpha female reached maturity, she and my other alpha female began to fight.  Today, people who know me well ask me how I could have made such a goof as to purchase two alpha females and try to keep them peacefully in the same home.  My excuse is that it was a goof.  I was a businesswoman seeking higher education in business and law and I didn't know that I had set myself up for dog fights. My vet was sympathetic.  He outlined a plan for me that basically began and ended with getting my dogs spade in hopes of reducing their aggression so I dutifully did as he suggested and got first one, then the other spade.  This helped a little bit.  Eventually, I came to understand that dog fights can and must be prevented. They are extremely upsetting and dangerous for all concerned.  My dogs would begin a fight by growling at one another in a very subtle manner, almost under their breath.  One would growl at the other, the other would respond back with a growl, and then the fight would begin.  So, I learned to intervene early.  For many years, until I no longer had two alpha females in my house, I would observe them very closely.  When one would growl at the other I would stop what I was doing immediately and gently lead that dog to her kennel where she would remain until the situation cooled down.  I also got into the habit of always kenneling at least one of my alpha females before I left them in the house alone to go run errands.  That way they couldn't fight while I was gone.  It worked!  No more fights. Today, I have an alpha female Springer and a beta Springer female.  The alpha will still growl at the beta for no reason.  Just to illustrate the difference, the beta generally cowers when her sister growls at her.  Then my alpha gets a little "time out" in her kennel for bad behavior. ...read more

Here are some upcoming events for this year.  Hope to see you there! Upcoming Events! Hypnosis for Sports Improvement Seminar, Friday, April 29, 2011, 8am-4pm The cost for the seminar is $25 and anyone interested in attending shouldcontact me.  We will email you the registration form and flier.  It will be held at Healthy Visions Wellness Center in Clinto, TN.  Anyone interested in improving their sports performance (regardless of the sport) should attend this seminar!   Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Conference, June 20-23, 2011, Gatlinburg, TN The 6th Annual CAM Conference will be held June 20-23, 2011 at the Glenstone Lodge in Gatlinburg.  For information seehere.  CEU's are available for this conference.     What's New at Knoxville Center for Clinical Hypnosis? 865-851-8687   "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing – that's why we recommend it daily." —Zig Ziglar   February is Stress Buster Month Stress is a major contributor to many of thepsychological and physiological problemsin our society.  Stress contributes to anxiety and depression, heart disease, hypertension, weight gain, cancer, slower rates of healing, increased susceptibility to illness and disease, and a myriad of other problems and the consequences associated with those problems.  One often asks how hypnosis can be so effective in helping with a large variety of problems and the answer usually relates back to STRESS.  By helping to reduce stress, hypnosis works wonders in many other ares of our lives.  If you have a problem and are looking for a solution, call for a free consultation.  Let us tell you how hypnosis may be beneficial for you!   ...read more

When you board your dog at a kennel because you are taking a business trip or family vacation you should be prepared to spend fifteen to twenty minutes answering some important questions about how you want your dog to be cared for in your absence.  In general, your boarding kennel will want to know how you want your dog fed, how you want your dog medicated, and what you want the boarding kennel to do in case of emergency.  It's important to be patient and answer all of your kennel's questions because things change over time and the answers may not be the same ones you gave three or six months ago. At most kennels, you have a choice of feeding your dog the kennel's food or bringing your dog's own food.  Usually, it is a much better choice to bring your dog's own food, even if it requires refrigeration, because the change of diet from the food fed at home to the food fed at the kennel is enough to cause stomach upset.  Most kennels are equipped with modern kitchens and can refrigerate any food you bring.  The kennel will also need to know how frequently to feed your dog.  If your dog is fed twice a day at home, he or she should be fed twice a day at the kennel to avoid stomach upset. Some dogs will need medication while boarded.  Dosages for medication should be clearly written down by the manager checking your dog into the kennel.  These dosages should then be posted on or near your dog's kennel for the kennel tech to follow the medicating instructions.  To ensure that your dog actually gets his or her medications, there is a popular product known as "Pill Pockets" which serve to hide the pill in a doggie treat and those can be purchased for use at many kennels, including Happy Trails. Kennels should require that you prove that your dog is current on all vaccinations.  This requirement is for the health and safety of everyone at the kennel, as well as the other dogs.  Sometimes, last minute vaccination updates can be given at a nearby vet if a dog owner is rushing to catch a plane for business or pleasure.  Most kennels require bordatella vaccination at least once a year. Most importantly, the kennel needs to know what to do in the event of an emergency.  Whoever checks your dog into the kennel will need to know who your veterinarian is and whether the kennel should call your veterinarian if your dog becomes ill.  Sometimes a pet parent wants the kennel to call him or her first if the dog becomes ill, but some pet parents authorize the kennel to take the dog directly to the veterinarian in the event of illness or directly to an emergency animal clinic in the event of a serious, sudden emergency.  These are the things that no one wants to contemplate, but they must be thought out in advance for the happiness and safety of your dog.  If, for example, you and your family are planning to take a cruise, it's possible that you could be completely incommunicado part of the time you are away, so a kennel needs to know what to do if your dog becomes ill. At Happy Trails, we have a comprehensive check in form that covers all of the above issues.  Some of our customers are so proactive, however, that they will bring their dog in along with a long list of written instructions before we ever begin asking them these questions and that is very helpful and appreciated! ...read more

Stress is a major contributor to many of the psychological and physiological problems in our society.  Stress contributes to anxiety and depression, heart disease, hypertension, weight gain, cancer, slower rates of healing, increased susceptibility to illness and disease, and a myriad of other problems and the consequences associated with those problems. One often asks how hypnosis can be so effective in helping with a large variety of problems and the answer usually relates back to STRESS. By helping to reduce stress, hypnosis works wonders in many other areas of our lives.  Anxiety and depression are emotions.  Emotions are caused by our thinking.  By helping individuals change their thinking (often by thinking about something else), hypnosis can help with these issues.  Remember that hypnosis is a focused state of concentration, so if one is in a state of hypnosis then they are not focused on anything other than that experience. Hypertension is pretty much just what the term states: hyper - very, or excessively; tension - tense.  If hypnosis does nothing else, it helps us to relax, easing the tension in our muscles, even the deep tension that is way down in our musculature.  By increasing relaxation, hypnosis helps alleviate hypertension and promote relaxation.When one is relaxed, it is easier to sleep and the myriad benefits of restful sleep are added to the list of what hypnosis can help us accomplish in our lives.  When we are relaxed and rested then our bodies do not produce an excessive amount of the stress hormone cortisol.  Increased cortisol production causes us to gain weight, so by reducing excessive cortisol production we reduce our body's tendency to gain and retain weight.  Perhaps one of the seemingly wildest claims I've made is that hypnosis can help with beautification.  It's really not that wild, however, if you examine the effects of hypnosis, above.  If I am less anxious and stressed, if I am more relaxed and calm, if I sleep well for an appropriate amount of time then I will be rested and the worry lines I have will disappear, my body will be refreshed and its internal processes will regulate themselves.  I will not gain weight due to excessive cortisol production and may actually begin to shed unwanted pounds.  As I experience these changes, I am even more motivated to exercise and continue doing what I am doing that is causing me to not only feel better about myself but also look better.  So, hypnosis is the basis for creating a beautiful self!Call about our stress buster hypnosis and experience the deep relaxation that is the beginning of a new and beautiful you!Ron  ...read more

Putting Your Business In Front Of Locals Brings Recognition To Your Business. Dynamic High Quality Puts Your Business Ads In Front Of Your Competition. Social Media Marketing Plays An Important Role In Reaching New Customers. Promoting Your Services&Products; Through SMS Messaging Is GREEN Advertising! Saving Our Resources While Saving Money Is Essential. Reach Your Market By Offering Coupons, Discounts, FREE Services. Smart Phones Are Used More For Searching "Specials"  Than Paper Advertising. Digital Signage Is Becoming Viral With Companies That Want To Stand Out When Potential Customers Are Shopping. Giving A Direct Visual AD While They Shop Or Dine.  Bringing Your Products&Services Directly Into Contact With A Shopper Allows That Business To Engage The Sale, Ultimately Closing It. With A Complete Hosting Program, The Business Can Place Their Ads On The TV And Watch The Sales Close With Effective Programing. Programing That Can Be Changed, Updated Effortlessly.  By Combining Text Messaging With Your TV Commercials, Your Customers Will Interact With Eagerness By Opting In To Receive Your Coupons, Discounts, Event Notifications Using Their Cell Phones.  An Effective Method of Broadening Your Customer Base, Your Text Messages Can Be Forwarded To Their Friends&Family Instantly!  Again Proving How Viral This Type Of Advertising Is Becoming In Today's World.  Advertising GREEN Needs More Consideration From All Businesses.  Our Environment Depends On Spreading The Word To Save Our Planet For Future Generations.  One Person, One Step At A Time Will Make An Impact.  ...read more

  If you're purchasing a new home or refinancing your existing one, you've got some mortgage-related decisions to consider. And since your mortgage may well be the biggest financial transaction you ever make — and one that can affect your long-term financial goals, such as retirement — you'll want to weigh your options carefully.What types of choices might you face? Here are some of the most important ones:Fixed or adjustable?With a fixed-rate mortgage, your payment will remain the same throughout the life of your loan. However, if interest rates drop significantly below your mortgage rate, you may then be paying too much for your loan and will have to go through the time, effort and expense of refinancing. With an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), your initial rate is likely quite low, so you can afford a bigger mortgage. This could be an advantage if you know your income will be rising or you are confident you'll sell your house within the next five years. However, your ARM payment and interest rate can rise substantially, even with caps in place, and these adjustments can affect your cash flow. So, before taking out an ARM, make sure you understand the terms involved and how they will affect you down the road. 15-year or 30-year?These aren't the only mortgage lengths available, but they are among the most common. The advantage of a 15-year mortgage is that you'll pay it off quicker and, in the process, potentially save thousands of dollars in interest. The disadvantage, of course, is that you'll likely need to come up with much bigger monthly payments than if you took out a 30-year mortgage. And since your mortgage payments will be lower with a 30-year loan, you'll have more money available each month to invest for the future.Over time, these extra investments can really add up. Suppose, for example, that you invested $100 a month to a tax-deferred vehicle, such as a traditional IRA, that earned a hypothetical 7% average annual return. After 30 years, you'd end up with a little more than $117,000,  before you started paying taxes on withdrawals. But if your 30-year mortgage freed up enough cash for you to contribute $300 a month to that same IRA, earning that same 7% average annual return, you'd accumulate more than $350,000 after 30 years, before taxes . That's a big difference — and the extra money could perk up your retirement lifestyle considerably. Keep in mind, of course, that these examples don't reflect the performance of any available investments. Also, you will have to pay taxes when you start taking withdrawals from a traditional IRA, and any withdrawals you make before you turn age 59½ might be subject to a 10% penalty.Larger or smaller down payment?The bigger your down payment, the smaller your monthly payments, and the more you may have available to invest each month. But if you go with a smaller down payment, you most likely will initially have more money available for other purposes, such as paying down debt or purchasing investments. You'll have to compare the alternatives carefully.In fact, you'll have to compare the options for each question we've looked at because mortgage issues have an emotional component as well as a financial one, and only you can make the decisions that fit your situation. So think about your choices today, as they can have a big impact on your life tomorrow. ...read more

  As an investor, you want your money to grow so that you can achieve your important goals, such as a comfortable retirement or college for your children.  But you may also invest to increase your cash flow. In fact, without a strong cash flow, you may be forced to dip into your growth-oriented investments to pay for short-term needs — and if you do this repeatedly, you could damage your prospects for attaining your long-term goals. That's why you'll want to look at different ways of boosting your cash flow — one of which may be premium bonds. To understand the nature of premium bonds, you'll first want to be familiar with the relationship between a bond's price and its interest rate. When a bond is issued, it sells for face ("par") value, which is the amount returned to the bondholder when the bond matures. This bond also comes with a "coupon" rate — the interest rate that the bond will pay throughout its lifetime. So, for example, if you paid $10,000 for a 10-year bond with a coupon rate of five percent, you would earn $500 per year, every year. If you held the bond until it matured, you'd also get your $10,000 back, provided the issuer doesn't default. But if market interest rates move up to six percent, and you wanted to sell your five-percent bond before it matures, you'd have to offer it at a discount from the $10,000face value. Conversely, if market rates were to fall to four percent, you may be able to sell your $10,000 bond for more than its face value, because investors will be willing to pay a premium to earn the higher interest rate. Now, let's flip the equation, so that instead of being a bond seller, you're a buyer. If you want to increase your investment income, you might be interested in a premium bond. You pay a premium for the bond in return for higher interest payments for the life of the bond, and, if you hold it until maturity, you'll still get the face value back (again barring a default). Furthermore, because premium bonds pay higher interest, they also pay a greater proportion of their cash flow before they mature, in comparison to discounted or "par" bonds. This helps provide for greater price stability, so if interest rates rise or fall, premium bond prices typically will not decrease or increase as much as those of discount or par bonds.Keep in mind that while premium bonds are attractive to you because of their higher interest rate, they are unattractive to bond issuers for the same reason. In fact, when market interest rates fall, some issuers may try to redeem ("call") these bonds so that they can issue new ones at the lower rates. Obviously, if your premium bond were to be called, your cash flow might take a hit. That's why, when investing in premium bonds, you might want to look for those that have at least limited call protection — in other words, they can't be redeemed for a certain number of years.Your portfolio should comprise a number of different investments designed to work together to meet your long-term financial goals.  So give premium bonds some consideration as part of a well-diversified portfolio. Before investing in bonds you should understand the risks involved, including interest rate risk,credit risk and market risk. ...read more

  Your 401(k) offers tax-deductible contributions, tax-deferred growth of earnings potential and a variety of investment options — so it's a great tool for building retirement savings. Yet like all tools, your 401(k) must be used properly to get the best results. That's why you should review your 401(k) at least annually and make whatever adjustments are needed.Depending on where you work, you may get some 401(k) review help from your plan provider. But if that assistance isn't available, you might want to consult with a financial professional to make sure you're getting the maximum benefit from your plan.As you begin to review your 401(k), your first question should probably be this:"How much should I contribute?" At the very least, try to put in enough to receive your employer's matching contribution, if one is offered. If you don't earn this match, you are essentially walking away from "free money." Beyond this, though, the amount you put into your 401(k) might depend on what other retirement savings vehicles you have available. For instance, if you're eligible, you may also want to contribute to a Roth IRA, which offers tax-free growth potential, provided you've had your account for five years and don't start taking withdrawals until you're 59½.Of course, it's not only how much you put into your 401(k) that determines its success — it's also how you choose to allocate your investment dollars. (Keep in mind that asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss.) Your 401(k) may have a dozen or more investment choices, such as stock funds, bond funds and money market funds. To choose the right investment mix, you'll need to consider a variety of factors, including these: Your age— Generally speaking, the younger you are, the more aggressive you can afford to be with your 401(k) investments, because you'll have decades in which to potentially overcome the inevitable down periods of the market. As you get older, you may wish to invest somewhat more conservatively, but you'll still need some growth potential in your 401(k) portfolio. Your goals— Everyone has different goals for retirement. You might want to retire early and travel the world, while your co-worker desires to work as long as possible and then, upon retirement, stay close to home and pursue hobbies. Because you each have different goals, with different income needs, you also may need to follow different investment strategies within your 401(k). Your other retirement income sources— If you have a variety of retirement income sources — a pension from another job, an IRA, a spouse with generous retirement benefits — you may need to invest differently, perhaps less aggressively, than if you had fewer options for retirement income.Apart from putting away as much as you can into your 401(k) and choosing the right investment mix, what else can you do to get the most out of your plan? Here's a suggestion: If you have worked at various jobs and acquired multiple 401(k)s, consider rolling them over into one account. You might save money on fees and reduce paperwork, but more importantly, you'll be able to concentrate your resources and pursue a unified investment approach, with your investment dollars working together toward your ultimate retirement goals.  As you can see, a 401(k) review and rollover can reward you in many ways — so do whatever it takes to maximize your 401(k)'s performance. ...read more

  Here's a sobering statistic:  46% of workers surveyed had little or no confidence that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years, according to the 2010 Retirement Confidence Survey, issued by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. So you may want to explore all possible retirement savings vehicles — including a variable annuity.Generally speaking, when saving for retirement, it's a good idea to contribute as much as possible to your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. But if you've fully funded those plans for the year, and you still have some money left to invest, you may want to consider a variable annuity, which offers these benefits:Tax deferred earnings— Your variable annuity's earnings have the opportunity to grow tax deferred, which means your investment dollars can accumulate faster than if they were placed in an investment on which you paid taxes every year. When you eventually make withdrawals, your earnings will be taxed at your ordinary income tax rate. (For nonqualified annuities, you won't have to pay additional taxes on the amount you contributed.) There are no tax advantages to investing in a variable annuity with qualified money. A variety of investment options— Variable annuities allow individuals to invest in several different professionally managed investments, known as "subaccounts." You can choose the subaccounts that best fit your risk tolerance, time horizon and long-term objectives. Keep in mind, though, that diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss. No contribution limits— Each year, you can contribute far more to a variable annuity than you can to your 401(k) and your IRA. In fact, you can contribute virtually unlimited amounts to your annuity.  Payout flexibility— A variable annuity provides you with flexibility in gaining access to your money. You could, for instance, collect a lump sum. But you might find it more advantageous to take your payments over a specified number of years. You could even choose to receive a lifetime income stream. Guaranteed death benefit— When you die, your beneficiary is usually guaranteed the amount originally invested, minus previous withdrawals. Some variable annuities offer death benefit options, which may increase the death benefit over time. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. While variable annuities do offer some key advantages, there are also some considerations to discuss with your financial advisor before investing. For one thing, variable annuities are not suitable for everyone. A variable annuity is unquestionably a long-term investment. In fact, you may be assessed a surrender charge if you pull money out of the contract within the first several years after you purchase it. However, some variable annuities allow you to withdraw a portion of your investment, such as 10% of your purchase payments, without incurring a surrender charge, while others allow full withdrawals. Another point to keep in mind is that if you tap into your annuity before you reach age 59½, you may be hit with a 10% early withdrawal penalty.One final note: A variable annuity is just that — variable. The value of your annuity will go up and down, based on what's happening in the financial markets, and there's no guarantee that your annuity won't lose principal. Also, variable annuities vary greatly in their terms, features and fees, so before investing, consider shopping around. Consult with your financial advisor to determine which variable annuity may be appropriate for your needs. Ultimately, though, you may well find that a variable annuity may be the final piece to your retirement income puzzle. ...read more

  During your lifetime, you make a lot of moves to provide financial security to your loved ones. You put away money for college for your children. You save and invest for your own retirement so that you won't burden your grown children with significant expenses. And you purchase adequate life insurance to enable your family to maintain its lifestyle should anything happen to you. Yet, if you're going to help preserve your family's financial well-being after you're gone, you also need to take one additional step: Create an estate plan.Toward that end, you'll want to start by learning a few of the estate plan basics, such as these commonly used tools:Will— For most people, a will is probably the most essential estate-planning document. Regardless of the size of your estate, you need a will to ensure that your assets and personal belongings will be distributed according to your wishes. If you die intestate (without a will), your belongings will be distributed to your "heirs" as defined by state laws — and these distributions may not be at all what you had in mind. Living trust— A simple will may not be sufficient for your needs. Consequently, you may want to design a living trust, which provides you with more flexibility in distributing assets. For example, you could direct your living trust to disperse assets to your children or grandchildren at specific ages. Also, a living trust makes it possible for your assets to be distributed without going through the often time-consuming, and public, probate process. Beneficiary designations— Over time, your life may change in many ways, through marriage, remarriage, children, stepchildren and so on. That's why it's important to periodically update your beneficiary designations on your insurance policies and retirement accounts, such as your IRA and 401(k). These designations are powerful and can even supersede the instructions left in your will or living trust, so it's essential that you've got the right people listed as your beneficiaries.  Irrevocable life insurance trust— Depending on the size of your estate, your heirs may ultimately have to pay estate taxes, though the estate tax laws have been in flux in recent years and may continue to evolve. If estate taxes are a concern, you may want to take steps to alleviate them, such as establishing an irrevocable life insurance trust, under which you'd transfer a life insurance policy out of your estate and have the trust distribute the proceeds to the beneficiaries you've chosen. Power of attorney— A power of attorney allows you to appoint a person (an "Attorney-in-Fact" or "Agent") to handle your affairs if you can't do so yourself. Health care directive— A health care directive allows you to name someone to make health care decisions on your behalf, should you become physically or mentally incapacitated.Estate planning can be complex, so you'll need to work with your tax, legal and financial advisors to make the arrangements that are appropriate for your needs. It may take some time to develop your estate plan, but it's well worth the effort. ...read more

  We all want to enjoy a comfortable retirement. But to do so, we need to make different moves, and consider different issues, at different times of our lives.  To help illustrate this point, let's look at three individuals: Alice, who is just starting her career; Bob, who is nearing retirement; and Charlie, who has recently retired.Let's start with Alice. As a young worker, Alice most likely has four decades ahead of her until she retires. Yet she realizes that it's never too soon to start saving for retirement, so she has already begun contributing to her 401(k) and to an IRA. And since she has so much time ahead of her, she has decided to invest aggressively, putting much of her contributions in growth-oriented vehicles. The market will certainly have its "dips" in the future, and Alice's account values could rise and fall from year to year, but the longer she holds her investments, the less of an impact that market extremes should have on her 401(k), IRA and other accounts. Now let's turn our attention to Bob. Since he is within a few years of retirement, he has some key decisions to make. For one thing, he must decide if it's time to change the investment mix in his IRA, 401(k) and other accounts. Because Bob doesn't have much time to overcome market volatility, and since he'd like to maintain the gains he has already achieved, he may decide to become more conservative with his investments. Consequently, he may choose to move some of his investment dollars from stocks to bonds and other fixed-income securities. Realizing, however, that he may spend two or three decades in retirement, and knowing that he will need to stay ahead of inflation, he doesn't abandon all his growth-oriented investments. Furthermore, Bob decides that he may need to bolster his retirement income, so he considers whether an annuity, which is designed to provide him with an income stream he can't outlive, is appropriate for his situation.Our final "life stages" investor is Charlie. He has recently retired, so his biggest concern is making sure he doesn't outlive his financial resources. Therefore, he may need to consider a variety of moves. For starters, he should determine when to start taking Social Security and when to begin taking withdrawals from his IRA and 401(k) plans. [For a traditional IRA and a 401(k) or other employer-sponsored plan, Charlie, like all investors, must start taking withdrawals no later than age 70½.] After deciding when to start taking withdrawals from his retirement plans, he'll also need to calculate how much he can afford to take each year without emptying the accounts. Finally, he might need to rebalance his overall investment portfolio to provide himself with more income.For help in making the types of choices described above, you may want to work with a financial professional, but in any case, you need to be prepared to take the right steps, at the right times, to enjoy the retirement lifestyle you've envisioned. ...read more