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September is Baby Boomer Relationship Month on midlifejourney.com

In this post we focus on Baby Boomers and Their Money!

This September we mark the one year anniversary of the big bust of Wall Street. Scandal after financial scandal have been revealed and the hoped for retirement accounts and income streams of the Baby Boomer Generation have been left in tatters. How much did you lose of your savings? Your pension? Your 401 (k)? Was it in stocks, real estate? Or were you one of the lucky ones who kept their cash under the bed? or in a good old money market account?

Most of the Baby Boomer Generation got slammed. Now it’s pickup time. What do you do next to protect and grow what you have left? Retirement is only a few years away. You’ve got to get serious about your money.

Guest Author, Wesley Watkis offers some advice.

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How to Recover Lost Retirement Funds

By Wesley Watkis

The question on many people’s minds these days is how to recover their lost retirement funds. It’s happened to all of us-we invested our hard earned money only to watch the financial system plummet and our investments wither away. Even the low risk accounts are dwindling, making it hard to believe that we will have enough to retire on, much less meet our other financial goals.

Fortunately, there are some smart tips, that can help you rebuild your accounts and get back onto firm financial footing.

- In order for your accounts to recover, you need to be adding money to them and not withdrawing it. This can be hard to do if you are pressed for funds. While the loss of money has already hit home, try living on the amount of retirement income you’ll have at current levels for a month or two. Can you do it? This reality check may help you find the strength to put more money in and not take any out. It’s true that the economy has hit record lows, but with some smart investing you can find ways to begin to rebuild your investments.

- Even though you aren’t taking your money out of your accounts to live on, you may need to alter your money in order to recover your lost retirement funds. While the stock market has declined, the bond market is still seeing returns. They won’t be as high as a well-managed stock portfolio was a few years ago, but it’s still a return on your money and a sound investment in a shaky financial environment. Also, with stocks at record lows, putting your new retirement contributions towards buying them can actually be a smart move. It seems counter-intuitive, but those stocks are likely to rise in the future, giving you a good return over time. Finding the proper equilibrium between risk levels with your money, however, is really the key to rebuilding your wealth.

- No matter what choices you make, seeing a qualified financial advisor should be one of them. No one knows the market better, and these professionals are your best choice to recover lost retirement funds. They know the ins and out of investing, risk factors, and market history, and they can work with you to meet your needs. Whether you need a plan to help you retire soon or want to find ways to plan for a retirement thirty years down the road, they are specialist in the field and can help find the best plan for the time and resources you have.

Recovering lost retirement funds isn’t easy, but it can be done. With some smart planning and the help of a financial advisor, you can begin to cultivate your accounts again even in a unstable market. Life has thrown your plans for a loop, but smart investing can help you retire securely in time.

Questions? Email me at wesley@thewandwgroup.com and visit our website at http://www.thewandwgroup.com. New Money Talk is a weekly article focusing on retirement, personal finance, and estate planning.

Comments and questions are welcome, but because of the volume of email, personal responses are not always possible.

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September is Baby Boomer Relationship Month on midlifejourney.com

Are you a Single Baby Boomer over 50, looking to get back into the dating scene? Looking for that road to romance? Have you tried the matchmaking scene? Don’t know where to begin? where to go?

Today the focus is on Dating After 50, our target is for the “mature” reader. Guest author, Randy Hough offers some great tips for the single Baby Boomer — things you should have in mind before you head out the door!

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Best Secrets For Dating After 50

Guest Author: Randy Hough

Have you ever seen women in their 50’s who discovered the love of their life and wondered how this was done? Here’s the little known, closely kept secret that could change your life. (It’s easier than you think when you know this secret).

You must have noticed that some women keep ending up with the wrong guy, and seem to keep repeating the same mistakes? One thing for sure, it does not have to stay this way. There are ways to get what you deserve and find genuine love and happiness.

It took a long time, but your kids are grown (more or less!), and you have some time for yourself, you can think about dating after 50. Or 40, or 45! Dating after 50 is much different and very often, far better than when you were young and naive.

Now that you have matured, so have your expectations and hopes. You realize that one person can never fulfill all your dreams and longings. Now you know that you are responsible for your own happiness and personal development. If dating after 50 is going to happen, you have to take some kind of action, even if it is in baby steps, you have to get moving. Nothing happens until something moves.

It is always fascinating to hear how people meet. Some people seem to have met by destiny, others met totally randomly. Then again, others were actively searching and still others were caught by surprise! C’est la vie! When you consider all the people in the world, you should be able to meet that special person who is your soul mate; and you can and will, if you truly believe you will.

Secrets for dating after 50

Secrets for meeting people for dating after 50

Using dating services?
Regardless of how unique you are, you can find a dating service that fits your needs perfectly. Some sites cater to Chinese speakers, Christians, sports enthusiasts, etc. For dating after 50 though, eHarmony is the best.

Why does eHarmony work so well? By the time you get to be 50, you probably know who you are and what you want. With the eHarmony method of creating your profile, your matches fit very well. This saves you countless hours of checking out photos and profiles and sending emails.

A very important benefit is that the matches are real. We have all probably heard stories of frustrated people who were shocked when they learned how different the reality was from the profile!

Your time is valuable, so is your heart. Going on date after date after date takes it’s toll on you. As you start using these tips, or secrets, you should be able to meet your soul mate and fall in love. Just make yourself ready and take action steps, even if they are small. Dating after 50 can be the best!

Randy Hough

This all started when a therapist asked Randy what his secret was. This led to a search for safe and natural remedies for the stresses of modern life. Our site, http://safemenopauserelief.com has well researched information on products and methods to help you. There really are many ways to get safe menopause relief. Learn more about dating after 50 and more.

“All they wanted was love and affection!” Line from a song by the Irish band, Clannad, about street kids.

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September is Boomer Relationship Month on midlifejourney.com

Are you a Baby Boomer in business for yourself? Are you part of a larger enterprise that serves the public? How do you build and keep great relationships with your clients and customers?

Today the focus is on Customer / Client Relationships and the Importance of Clear Communication. Guest author, Jeanne Yocum offers some great tips that you should have in mind before you create that next message!

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Care for Your Customers with Good Writing

Guest Author: Jeanne Yocum, Tuscarora Communications, Ltd.

As a consumer, how many times have you received written communication about a product or service that was confusing or even incomprehensible? A friend recently received a newly formatted utility bill with no accompanying explanation. She told me that the bill was so unlike the company’s previous communication that it took her a while even to realize what it was! In contrast, another company that was also updating its billing format sent an advance notice with a complete explanation of what to expect, including a sample bill.

Which company made a better impression? And which company probably received a flood of calls from confused customers who were unable to interpret their bills?

Clear written communication is a must for good customer service. Sending customers murky messages will lead to higher volumes of calls to your busy customer service staff. The final outcome: frustrated customers and overloaded front-line workers.

In today’s hectic world, customers are inundated with information. Wasting their time with confusing messages is not an option if you want to have a reputation for good customer service. Here are ways you can assure that your company puts its best foot forward in its written communication:

•  Become familiar with readability tests. The Flesch Readability Test, for example, involves counting syllables, words, and sentences in a paragraph and then putting the numbers into a formula to come up with a readability score. Years ago, when I worked for a large insurer, the state mandated that we apply the Flesch Test to our insurance policies. Yes, the test was tedious, but I quickly found that it was teaching me the fundamentals of readability—short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. Now, even years later, I regularly think back to the Flesch Test when I’m editing copy. It’s amazing how many unnecessary words can be cut out of nearly any first draft!

•  Consider a specialized writing course. Information Mapping, an international company based in Waltham, MA, helps professionals in all types of organizations master the skill of making complex information easy to understand. Several friends who have participated in this training program are among the clearest communicators on paper that I know. To learn more, visit www.infomap.com.

•  Understand that different mediums require different writing techniques. The Internet, for example, requires a whole new way of writing. Because people scan when reading on the Web, messages should be approximately half as long as they would be in a letter or brochure. Key words should be highlighted and bulleted lists used wherever possible. Sun Microsystems’s Web site contains an excellent tutorial on how to write effectively for your Internet audience; check it out at http://www.sun.com/980713/webwriting.

•  Test drive your customer service message. Something that may be crystal clear to you may make no sense at all to customers. This happens because it’s all too easy to forget that you are privy to important background information that your audience knows nothing about. Of course, it is critical to involve your front-line workers so they can provide guidance and prepare for any questions. In addition, it makes good sense to test your message on a few people outside of your organization. See what questions they have. These are the same questions that are going to come into your customer service lines!

You fight hard in the marketplace to get customers. Take extra care when communicating with them and you’ll be sure to keep them for a long time.

______________

Jeanne Yocum ‘s writing services include business proposals, book proposals, books, bylined articles, marketing materials and Web sites. Her Web site is http://www.yourghostwriter.com, and she may be reached at Jeanne@yourghostwriter.com.

September is Boomer Relationship Month on midlifejourney.com

Throughout the month of September we focusing on all kinds of relationships for Baby Boomers: Romance, dating, marriage, divorce, workplace craziness, communication skills (silent and otherwise), even relationships with your best pet. We welcome your ideas and comments, and if you wish, send us an article to add your perspective on this ever fascinating topic.

Today the focus is on Dating for Baby Boomers. Guest author, Jane Van Velsen offers some great tips that you should have in mind before you plunge in to the dating scene.

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Dating Tips For Baby Boomers

Guest Author: Jane Van Velsen

If you’re reading this you are probably in your late forties or fifties and considering a new partner. The reasons why are not important, what is important is how you approach dating again.

For many over forties re-entering the dating arena is scary. What we took as common place in our teens and twenties just doesn’t hold in today’s society and it’s wise to take precautions. Here are a few handy tips.

Tip One: Where to find the right match.

There are a myriad of dating sites but they come with their own problems. Not everyone online is honest about their intentions and, if you’re new to online dating you can easily fall prey to those who may not have your best interests at heart.

Look at your current social circle including family and ask yourself if they could introduce you to people – even just friends. Networking works and with today’s social media like twitter and blogs you could soon find yourself connecting with strong possibles.

Tip Two: Define what you want.

Do you really know what you’re looking for? Take time out and write down five of the characteristics you need most in your next partner like kindness, financially stable, mature. Each time you make a connection refer to your list and if the date doesn’t fit, move on.

Tip Three: Stop wasting time.

We’ve all read the book or seen the movie ‘He’s just not that into you.” Recognise the signs and move on. The longer you have ‘flotsam’ in your life, the more tied down you are and the harder it is to find the right partner.

You could trip over the perfect partner but not be in a position to get to know them if you’re still hanging on to the wrong one for fear of being alone or simply because the devil you know may be better than the one you don’t. Move on! Continue Reading »

September is Boomer Relationship Month on midlifejourney.com

Throughout the month of September we are going to focus on all kinds of relationships for Baby Boomers and the wild tangents that spring from that center of interest: Romance, dating, marriage, divorce, workplace craziness, communication skills (silent and otherwise), even relationships with your best pet. We welcome your ideas and comments, and if you wish, send us an article to add your perspective on this ever fascinating topic.

On this eighth day of September – Labor Day, the subject is workplace relationships. Guest author, Michael Roberts, Jr. has some wise words on how to make your workplace the best it can be.

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Communicating the Right Way at Your Workplace

Guest Author: Michael Roberts Jr

There are so many important things that you need to remember when you are communicating in the workplace! All leaders or people in a leadership position should have been given a communication manual when they first stepped into the workplace. But, since our business angels didn’t foresee this as a requirement we’ve had to learn how to handle certain things on our own. If you haven’t learned those things yet this article is great for you. Because, here we cover a few of the important things that you need to know while communicating in the workplace.

Having integrity is the first thing that needs to be covered in how to communicate well in the work place. In communicating you should remember to keep negative conversations and gossip out of your vocabulary. It is not the way to handle yourself in the workplace. There are appropriate ways to communicate grievances up the chain of command, but never bad mouth the company or your peers with coworkers. Many employers have been known to let employees go because they were the center of workplace gossip. You can have conversations and even friendships with your fellow employees but, do not participate in gossip! If someone is gossiping near you tell them that you don’t want to hear it or just walk away.

A lot of times in business we will find ourselves with a boss that is extremely difficult to deal with. Let’s talk about a few simple ways to deal with them. First of all, never get into a verbal argument with your employer. If you have already tried unsuccessfully to handle a disagreement with your boss feel free to go to your human resource department. Next, always be polite to your employer. Even if this person is a jerk every time he/she is in your presence keep your composure and be positive. This will take you a long ways in the company rather than being a smart mouth and eventually losing your job. In business you must always maintain a good working relationship with your coworkers.

Become indispensable!

Be so good at what you do that your employer doesn’t feel as if anyone else could do it better. If you are an administrative assistant– take it to the next level. Learn to speak another language. We all know that the market is changing and becoming more global every day. How much would your company need you if you were the only person in the entire company that could speak Chinese, Italian, or Spanish. By learning a new language you set yourself apart from everyone else.

This article was written by Michael Roberts Jr. the founder of Manage Up.net

His website is dedicated to developing better organizational leadership. The website has eBooks, articles, and online training for managers. Don’t miss the opportunity to sharpen your skills and take your career to new levels using insightful knowledge from an expert in management.

Visit http://www.manageup.net/ today and receive a FREE eBook to get you started.

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