Saving for retirement begins early, and often we can overlook important steps unknowingly. Here’s a quick guide for making sure you’re getting the most out of your retirement savings.

Analyze your needs sooner than later.

The step most people skip is figuring out just how much money they’ll need in retirement. Try to consider your lifestyle. What are you expecting your retirement to be like? International travel? A second home? These are all things to consider when building your savings. You should also keep in mind that, if present trends hold, you may need to pay for much of your own health care because many employers are cutting or reducing the amount of money they spend on retiree health coverage. As you analyze your needs, take into consideration any other resources you may have to tap, such as savings outside a 401(k) or real estate when you do retire.

Don’t neglect your 401(k).

The best place to start when it comes to putting money away for retirement is your 401(k). After all, your company’s 401(k) retirement plan offers you one thing you’ll get few other places: free money. For every dollar the average worker puts into their 401(k), their employer contributes 50 cents.

Many people don’t contribute, or don’t contribute as much as they could. Be sure to add to your 401(k) as often as possible. For those who do, consider boosting your contribution to the max. The maximum number you can add per year to your retirement savings increases at the rate of inflation. Check with your employee benefits office to make sure you’re getting the benefit of your entire match. Government rules try to make sure that retirement programs aren’t being run for the benefit of top execs.

Get the allocation right.

Whether you’re saving in a 401(k) for the first time, or reassessing your current savings, you’ll want to make sure the mix of investments you have is right for your age and the amount of risk you’re willing to take on.

Remember, simply being diversified enough has a bigger impact on your returns than which funds you choose. Take time to examine the list of funds offered in your companies plan and toss out the ones that don’t fit your asset allocation. Keep in mind that your investment options may be limited, depending on what your employer is offering. If you have a question, check with your Human Resources department. Keep in mind that stellar short-term performance alone isn’t a reason to buy.

Try keeping it simple with a six-part approach: One large-cap fund, one mid-cap, a small-cap, an international fund, a bond fund, and a money market fund. For the more advanced investor with multiple savings goals, a well-diversified portfolio typically consists of owning 15 to 20 funds.

Put your finances on automatic.

If your problem is that you find it difficult sticking to a savings plan, then your best bet is to go automatic. This way your employer will take the money out of your paycheck before you have a chance to spend it, and put it directly into your 401(k).

If you don’t have a savings plan at work, or you have the ability to save more money than your 401(k) allows, consider investing elsewhere. You can open up an account with a bank or brokerage and instruct them to automatically debit the funds from your bank account.

And if you feel comfortable with this, you may just feel comfortable automating other areas of your financial life such as credit card and utility payments. Log onto your bank’s Web site for details.

You may freely reprint this article provided the following author’s biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:

About The Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

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Choosing the proper sealer for the job at hand is essential. Choose the wrong one and your packaging operations will grind to a halt.

What you’re sealing and how many need to be done per day or per hour will be the determining factors in the sealer you eventually purchase.

The basic types of sealers are single impulse, double impulse and constant heat.

Single impulse units utilize a single piece of Ni-Chrome wire mounted either in the upper or lower jaw of the sealer to produce the desired seal. Single impulse units use either a round wire element or a flat wire element of various widths. Round wire elements are typically used for what is called cut and seal operations such as working with shrink film. Flat wire elements are available in widths from 1/8″ to 3/8″ with the 1/8″ width being the most popular by far.

Double impulse sealers just what they sound like. These units have an element in both the upper and lower jaws of the machine. Double impulse sealers are normally used in the sealing of thick materials, usually up to 20 mil as well as sealing foil bags.

Constant heat sealers, as oppossed to impulse sealers are always on and ready to go. The units use an electrical resistance heater mounted either in or on the sealing bars. The sealing surface of these bars is typically designed to yeild a cross-hatch pattern in the seal but is also available in a horizontal line pattern as well. Temperature on these units is controlled by a thermostat and a thermalcouple is attached to one of the bars to turn power on and off to the heaters as needed to maintain temperature.

Now that you know the types of sealers out there, we can discuss the different designs. These include hand operated, foot operated and automatic models.

Hand operated units sit on top of a table or bench and are operated by lowering a hinged arm down onto the material being sealed with one hand while holding the material with the other hand.

Foot operated impulse sealers work in the exact same way, but are instead freestanding units that are mounted on a pedestal base and vertical tube. These sealers are activated by depressing a foot pedal mounted on the front of the unit. Being foot operated, this leaves both hands free to move the product in and out of the machine to increase production.

Automatic impulse sealers, like the hand operated units, are set on top of a table or workbench, but these units once the timers are set properly will operate automatically without any input from the operator. The timers will control when the jaw closes, how long the element wire is energized and then the cooling or congealing time before the jaw opens back up. This makes for the most consistant seals as it eliminates operator error. Most sealers of this type also have a manual override switch to make the unit cycle between timer settings if needed.

Once you have decided on the style of unit you will need - hand, foot or automatic, and then the amount of sealing power you need - single/double impulse or constant heat, you still have a couple of more things to decide on.

Depending on the impulse sealer you’re considering and the material you’re packaging, you may need to decide on the seal width you need to make. Typical choices are a thin, round wire seal and then the flat wire seals that come in 2mm, 5mm, and 10mm.

Impulse sealers are built around the size of the element wire to be used. This means that the transformer mounted inside the unit is specifically designed to power a certain element wire. The only interchangability is with the round wire and 2mm flat element wires.

For example, put a 10mm element wire in a unit powered for with a transformer for a 2mm element and virtually nothing will happen. Conversely, put a round wire element in a unit designed for a 10mm element and see just how fast that wire melts away!

Match the seal width to the job at hand. Round wire elements are normally used in shrink wrapping work or where a thin, narrow seal will suffice. 2mm wide seals are considered standard and are used to creat seals on most packaging. A 5mm seal width is used where a stronger seal is required for either package strength or seal integrity such as food product packaging. The extra wide 10mm seal is most commonly used in medical and dental product packaging where seal integrity is of the utmost importance.

The remaining choice, if you’ve decided to go with a hand operated impulse sealer is whether or not to opt for the unit with the built-in trimmer which will cutt off excess material to within 1/4″ of the seal as it is being made. These sealers a sliding handle in the arm with a 2 sided blade attached to remove excess bag material. As the seal is being made, the operator slides the handle along its track and the cut is made.

Armed with this information you should now be able to make an informed decision and choose the correct machine for your application that will perform well and last a long time.

About The Author

Steve Madsen is the owner of Pac-n-Seal.com (www.pacnseal.com), a Suffolk, Virginia based packing and shipping supply company that ships throughout the US and Canada. He has written numerous articles to help business owners with their packaging operations and participates on several internet forums answering questions and offering advice.

info@pacnseal.com

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If you are looking to refinance your mortgage but believe you will be unable to because your credit may be challenged by late payments, bankruptcy, charge off’s, or unpaid medical bills to name a few, don’t worry, there is hope.

There are literally thousands of lenders across the United States that specialize in all different types of mortgage programs for people who have challenged credit.

They are not the typical banks you find down the street from your house that deal with perfect credit only. Nor are they hard money lenders that charge outrageous mortgage rates. They are known as wholesale lenders.

Wholesale lenders work closely with mortgage brokers. Mortgage brokers are the people who work with people looking for mortgages in the way of counseling, educating, and locating a loan for people who find themselves in a unique situation and have trouble finding a loan on their own because their needs may be special.

Keep in mind, wholesale lenders are out there by the thousands, and they are very competitive. So be sure to shop around. Just because you have bad credit, it does not mean that you should be at the mercy of mortgage companies. There are plenty of lenders out there who have programs to lend money to people with bad credit.

The best place to begin your search for a bad credit mortgage refinance would be the internet. Make an attempt to contact no more than four lenders, allow for them to assess your situation, than base your decision on the one that offers you the best deal that meets your needs and budget.

About The Author

Jennifer Hershey has more than twenty years of experience in the Mortgage Industry as a loan officer. She is the owner of http://www.explainingmortgages.com/, a mortgage resource site devoted to making mortgage terms and products easy to understand.

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Use these New Years Organizing tips whether you have a file ’system’ - or not!

If your business end-year falls in June, just use these same tips in July.

In January set up a Tax Box to hold all your 2005 tax documentation. Set up an archive box (for a lot) or a file tray (for a little) marked Taxes 2005. While sorting your mail put all W-2’s or 1099’s, and any tax-related material in it.

You can set up colored file pocket folders in your Tax Box for Forms, and Personal, Business/Employer, or Investment/Real Estate documentation. Many people create His, Hers, Ours, and Internal Revenue Service folders in addition to their financial files.

If you have a filing system, but, you’re bogged down in old records:

Pull last year’s financial files (e.g., bank statements) and business or employment expenses (e.g., receipts) and income (e.g., invoices) or any tax-related item. Sort prior years’ tax and legal or financial documents into boxes marked by year.

2006: EASIER ORGANIZING FOR YOUR NEW YEAR

Use these New Years Organizing tips whether you have a file ’system’ - or not!

If your business end-year falls in June, just use these same tips in July.

In January set up a Tax Box to hold all your 2005 tax documentation. Set up an archive box (for a lot) or a file tray (for a little) marked Taxes 2005. While sorting your mail put all W-2’s or 1099’s, and any tax-related material in it.

You can set up colored file pocket folders in your Tax Box for Forms, and Personal, Business/Employer, or Investment/Real Estate documentation. Many people create His, Hers, Ours, and Internal Revenue Service folders in addition to their financial files.

If you have a filing system, but, you’re bogged down in old records:

Pull last year’s financial files (e.g., bank statements) and business or employment expenses (e.g., receipts) and income (e.g., invoices) or any tax-related item. Sort prior years’ tax and legal or financial documents into boxes marked by year.

As you are taking 2005 files out of your office system, make the replacement 2006 file folders for all of your regular home and personal business or financial (e.g., credit cards) and legal (e.g., insurance) documents.

Now, you have separate files for current financial documents in the New Year and a working Tax Box for April 15th that will automatically become your Tax Archives.

If you do not have a working file system for your Home, Small Business, or Business with Employees, let me recommend the shortest distance between chaos and a fully indexed color-coded file system.

75 % of all home and small business filing systems is the same. That’s why I use the Home and Small Business file kits you’ll find at www.Organizer-Extraordinaire.com in my own personal productivity consulting practice. You’ll spend more money driving to the store and buying blank labels and supplies than it costs you if you use the file kit that matches your needs.

I like quickly setting up the standard 75 %, and then customizing the blank labels for new titles in my client’s file system. If you’ve had organizers before, you might be surprised that they didn’t use File Kits. Your office file system project will take three times as long without them. Using these kits with (or without) an organizer makes it easy to save your time and money.

I recommend you select and set up the file kits for 2006 that fit your needs. Then, follow the same tax and archiving tips above for the working file system - because now you have one. Just setting up the Tax Box will help you start the New Year out right, but it’s no substitute for an ongoing paper management system after April 15th.

Very best wishes on organizing the 2006 of your dreams!

If you like, sign up for more free time-saving tips at http://www.organizer-extraordinaire.com

As you are taking 2005 files out of your office system, make the replacement 2006 file folders for all of your regular home and personal business or financial (e.g., credit cards) and legal (e.g., insurance) documents.

Now, you have separate files for current financial documents in the New Year and a working Tax Box for April 15th that will automatically become your Tax Archives.

If you do not have a working file system for your Home, Small Business, or Business with Employees, let me recommend the shortest distance between chaos and a fully indexed color-coded file system.

75 % of all home and small business filing systems is the same. That’s why I use the Home and Small Business file kits you’ll find at www.Organizer-Extraordinaire.com in my own personal productivity consulting practice. You’ll spend more money driving to the store and buying blank labels and supplies than it costs you if you use the file kit that matches your needs.

I like quickly setting up the standard 75 %, and then customizing the blank labels for new titles in my client’s file system. If you’ve had organizers before, you might be surprised that they didn’t use File Kits. Your office file system project will take three times as long without them. Using these kits with (or without) an organizer makes it easy to save your time and money.

I recommend you select and set up the file kits for 2006 that fit your needs. Then, follow the same tax and archiving tips above for the working file system - because now you have one. Just setting up the Tax Box will help you start the New Year out right, but it’s no substitute for an ongoing paper management system after April 15th.

Very best wishes on organizing the 2006 of your dreams!

If you like, sign up for more free time-saving tips at www.organizer-extraordinaire.com

About The Author

Copyright 2006 Eve Abbott All Rights Reserved Excerpts from “How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain TM” by Eve Abbott the Organizer Extraordinaire For more productivity tips and resources see: www.Organizer-Extraordinaire.com or contact Eve@Organizer-Extraordinaire.com.

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Just because you are not a writer, it doesn’t mean that your business has to suffer. Instead of pulling out hairs over that business manual or press release you could outsource your project to a writing professional.

What is outsourcing?

Outsourcing or contracting is when you obtain a company or individual (outside of your organization) to complete a task or series of tasks.

Why should you outsource your writing projects?

1. You want great results - Writing great copy is a skill that everyone does not possess. Why give your business a mediocre image when you can have a high quality one? When you outsource your writing projects, you are handing your project to someone who is skilled.

2. You don’t have time to learn how to write great copy- You have to check your email, go to meetings, plan the budget, meet with clients, shop for supplies; do you really have time to write content? When you outsource your writing project, you simply make a phone call (or send an email) and you no longer have to worry about completing the task.

3. You don’t have the resources to hire an employee- Hiring employees can get expensive. Not only do you have to have office space, a computer, and other supplies; but you also have to pay for taxes, medical expenses, vacation time, workers comp and other operating costs. When you outsource you save money by eliminating the expenses that come with employees.

4. You don’t like to write- If you wanted to be a writer, you’d be in a different profession. Why suffer through writing documents when your time could be used tending to an aspect of business you enjoy. When you outsource you are enabling someone who loves writing to complete the task. And who would you rather trust? An employee who would rather be doing something else or a professional who loves what they are doing?

What kind of writing projects can be outsourced?

Just about any writing that you need done can be outsourced. This includes press releases, web copy, web content, brochures, manuals, presentations, handbooks, flyers, sales letters, ezines and more.

Suggestions for outsourcing:

A true professional will invest in their own website and domain name as opposed to using free hosting. This shows that they are dedicated to their craft and it’s not just a hobby.

A true professional has a portfolio (either online or off) and they will be more than willing to show you examples of their previous work.

A true professional will ask you questions. Frequently companies who are new to outsourcing don’t quite understand that they have to be somewhat involved in the process. Someone who delivers high quality work understands that they cannot guess what you want.

A true professional values their worth and can prove why they are worth the price. It will be quite easy for you to find a contractor who charges less than minimum wage. However, you must keep in mind that you get what you pay for. If you are expecting high quality work, you are going to have to pay for it.

About The Author

Run a more productive business by outsourcing your writing project. DJ Nelson is a Corporate Writer & Marketing Specialist. Visit http://www.Donyell.com for work samples and more information.

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©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.StructuredSettlementHelp.com/ and http://www.HomeEquityHelp.net/

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How does a small company or individual eBay seller who wants to get big one day do it? The answer is easy - they work hard to stand out from an already crowded field to have their product, service and name recognized before the others.

This can be acheived several ways:

First, is to simply have a better product than your competition does.

Next, is to do it better and faster than the other guy.

Yet another way to separate yourself from the crowd is to deliver your merchandise in a way that stands out and is remembered by the receiver.

An example of this might be who’s box of widgets is more likely to be remembered first at re-order time, the one that arrives in a plain brown box with clear tape or the one that arrives in a white box sealed with red, blue, green or yellow tape? Obviously the white box will be remembered because it is different from the rest and provided the net cost to the customer is relatively close, chances are the better remembered package and company will come to mind first therefore getting the next order.

When it comes to gaining repeat customers, it’s not always the best price that brings people back for more. You may charge a little more, but if your overall service is superior and you get name and/or product recognition, you will get quality customers coming back as oppossed to the ones only looking for the rock bottom price and who tend to complain the most as well.

If your selling over the web, the first “hands on” impression your customer gets is when the order is delivered. That’s where the the first impression truly takes place. If the package arrives looking right, it extends an aire of quality, professionalism and attention to detail that leaves an indelible mental impression on the customer regardless how ordinary the product might be.

Once you have the customers attention when the package arrives, they can’t help but open yours first to reveal its contents. The customer never expected such an eye catching package usually get fixated on it and just have to open it. In doing so not only is the packaging remembered, but so is your name. Chances are good that your name will come up in conversation as well and possibly generate more business.

Depending on your particular market, further lasting impressions can be made inside the package as well. Matching or contrasting color tissue paper can highlight the item as can packing peanuts. Instead of white, pink or green alone, you can mix pink and green together for a different look.

If your products are shipped in cardboard tubes such as posters, artwork, blueprints or fabric, a great impact can be made with colored tubes instead of plain kraft for little extra expense.

It goes without saying that no matter how colorful and impressive your packaging may be, it means nothing it is not packaged properly to arrive in one piece.

No matter who the carrier is, UPS, FexEx, USPS, etc., you can be sure that your packages will ride a myriad of conveyor belts, get tossed around some and will fall down at least one mail chute along the way. You can also rest assured that in all likelyhood, the “Handle With Care” label won’t make a bit of difference to a package sorter if it is even noticed at all.

With said, you need to pay attention to what is in the inside of the package as well as the outside. Be sure to package things with the above paragraph in mind. Bubble Wrap, loose fill peanuts, tissue paper, foam, and the other various types of inner protection that are available make it easy to do a good job and get the customers order delivered in one piece.

A stand out splash of color will get you and your product remembered and proper packaging will get it there safely so everyone is happy at the end of the day.

About The Author

Steve Madsen is the owner of Pac-n-Seal.com (www.pacnseal.com), a Suffolk, Virginia based packing and shipping supply company that ships throughout the US and Canada. He has written numerous articles to help business owners with their packaging operations and participates on several internet forums answering questions and offering advice.

info@pacnseal.com

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If you are considering starting your own credit repair business, or you already own your own credit repair business, you mat have played with the idea of purchasing credit repair leads.

Having your own credit repair business allows for you to obtain business for credit repair on many levels. However, with credit repair leads, the customer is basically looking for, and asking for your help.

With a credit repair lead, you will have a potential customer who is serious about having repair work done to their credit report. Otherwise, they never would have come as far as putting a phone number or e-mail out there for contact purposes.

These potential customers are not merely thinking about it, or just playing with the idea, they are truly serious and they are waiting on a phone call from your own credit repair business.

Of all the credit repair business opportunities available for your own credit repair business, purchasing credit repair leads is perhaps one of the best. Basically, the potential customer has come to you, and provided you with their information before you have even made contact.

Keep in mind, like all business opportunities, credit repair business opportunities for your own credit repair business need to be researched before any kind of commitment or investment is involved.

If you are considering purchasing credit repair leads for your own credit repair business, be sure to research the company you are purchasing them from.

Call and speak with one of their customer service rep’s and find out how they obtain their credit repair leads and what the process is for obtaining them in a timely fashion.

About The Author

Jay Conners is the owner of two mortgage related lead sites where he obtains leads from people looking for credit repair. Please visit his sites at http://www.callprospect.com/credit_repair_leads.html And http://www.callprospect.com.

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Since economists know all this I must ask if these formulas are so good at predicting the economy why aren’t all economists rich?

They aren’t. And I will give you some clues why.

The more complicated a formula the less likely it is to work. When the economy is not reacting the way an economist thinks it should based on his formula he will tell you that one part of his equation is not acting “normally”, whatever that is. Another thing you will find is there is no Holy Grail formula. Each one of these PhDs has tweaked the basic one and either added or subtracted parts or maybe changed the weighting of certain parts. If you ask 1,000 economists for an answer to what will happen and why you will receive 1,000 different reasons. That doesn’t mean they are all wrong. It does mean there is no one right way to arrive at a correct prediction. The law of averages will have many with a valid answer even if their reasoning is wrong. Sometimes pure luck is enough.

When I was a floor trader there were a thousand guys trading and each one had a different method to determine if the market was going up or down. One wanted to buy. Another thought the market was headed lower and wanted to sell. At that moment you realize that there is a 50/50 chance one of them is correct. Every time an economist makes a prediction you and I could be a winner or loser.

There are some very smart economists. Not too many. Once in a while one of the young ones come up with an idea that all the others eventually adopt such as the Laffer Curve which we will not explore here. Until an economist has gone through a major bull and bear market cycle you would not want to live or die with his predictions.

Al Thomas’ book, “If It Doesn’t Go Up, Don’t Buy It!” has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he’s the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005

al@mutualfundstrategy.com; 1-888-345-7870

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Sure you know what’s auction. But do you know by buying foreclosure in auction, you can actually earn up to 100,000USD; or save up to that amount if you are buying a foreclosure home for residential purpose? Of cause, those profits happen with the conditions you have the resources needed.

Buying great foreclosure bargains in auction at local country house isn’t that easy at all. It’s not about how much you afford to pay, it’s about how many info you have and how well you use the info. Thus, do research before stepping in the court house is very important. Find out the true value of a foreclosure home so that you know what your bidding limit is. For example, if the result of your research tells you that a foreclosure home’s market value is 200,000, after deducting the repair cost, let say 20,000, you will still be earning a great amount if you bid at 130,000 after the last and nearest bid of 100,000. Yes, it’s all about business in auction. You got the info, you got the money.

Thus, research the foreclosure home in details. Check the neighborhood of the foreclosure home. Is it near a field? How far is the foreclosure home from town? Is there any factory near by? How’s the piping system? What’re the market current needs? These are factors affecting the market value of a property. And those are why foreclosure listings are growing more important in this buying foreclosure business. Foreclosure listings gather all the necessary info of a foreclosure home. You can always start your foreclosure research from the listings.

To win in auction, you need skills and info. You need to first find out the market value as well as other details of the foreclosure home. Knowing those things help you in setting your bottom line, your bottom line of bidding price. Because to win in auction, it doesn’t mean how less money you spend to get the property, but how big is the difference between your bidding price and the market value of a foreclosure home. Set a bottom line for yourself based on your research. If the market value of the foreclosure home is 150,000, your bottom line would be around 130,000. (Lesser down your bottom line a bit from the market value in case of some calculation mistakes or changes of the market.) Stick to your bottom line in auction, because if you exceed your bottom line, you would have to bear unpredictable losses. There is no point to buy a financial burden instead of a bargain at first, isn’t there?

There is no short cut for winning in foreclosure home auction - http://www.buyingforeclosure.biz/foreclosureonauction.htm. You will need to research and research to gather info as much as possible. Yes, it’s not easy at all to win in foreclosure auction. However, the good news is, it’s not that hard too to win. As long as you have the persistence, you will win. Seeing the fruitful return in foreclosure auction, it’s worthwhile to put in efforts. To know more on foreclosure auction, I suggest you to get a foreclosure book - http://www.buyingforeclosure.biz/foreclosurebooks.htm as the book can show you more things which a piece of article can’t.

About The Author

For being involved in both home loan and real estate career offline, Shawn Daren is experienced to share his knowledges with us. His buying foreclosure website - http://www.buyingforeclosure.biz provides info on picking up great foreclosure bargains. Learn how to buy foreclosure and earn your real estate money. For more info on foreclsoure home, visit - http://www.buyingforeclosure.biz/foreclosurehome.htm.

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