It Takes Time By Nan S. Russell NABBW’s Winning At Work Expert The story goes that after one of Ludwig van Beethoven\’s performances, several people were offering him their congratulations, when one woman commented, “I wish God had bestowed me with such genius.” “It isn\’t genius, madam, nor is it magic.” Beethoven replied. “All you have to do is practice on your piano eight hours a day for 40 years.” That\’s not the message most people want to hear. Most prefer buying the magazine which headlines, “Miracle Weight Loss Discovery,”... Read More

Retirement Rules of Thumb By Pamela J. Sams, CRPC NABBW’s Retirement Planning for Women Expert Because retirement rules of thumb are guidelines designed for the average situation, they\’ll tend to be “wrong” for a particular retiree as often as they\’re “right.” However, rules of thumb are usually based on a sound financial principle, and can provide a good starting point for assessing your retirement needs. Here are four common retirement rules of thumb. The percentage of stock in a portfolio should equal 100 minus your age Financial professionals often... Read More

Why Women Need Social Security By Pamela J. Sams, CRPC NABBW’s Retirement Planning for Women Expert Did you know that the first person ever to receive ongoing Social Security benefits was a woman? Ever since Ida May Fuller received the first retirement benefit check in 1940, women have been counting on Social Security to provide much-needed retirement income. Social Security provides other important benefits too, including disability and survivor\’s benefits, that can help women of all ages and their family members. Retirement benefits: a steady stream of lifetime income While... Read More

For Better, For Worse: Communicating About Retirement By Pamela J. Sams, CRPC NABBW’s Retirement Planning for Women Expert A recent survey suggests that many couples are not communicating clearly about retirement goals and strategies, even as they approach retirement age. The couples surveyed were at least 46 years old with a minimum annual household income of $75,000 or at least $100,000 in investable assets.1 Only 41% said they handle decisions on retirement savings and investments together, and 73% disagreed on whether they had a detailed strategy for retirement income. Many couples... Read More

Not Your Grandmother\’s Retirement – a Look at Retirement in the Modern World By Pamela J. Sams, CRPC NABBW’s Retirement Planning for Women Expert According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy in the United States was 77.9 years as of 2007. That longer life expectancy has an impact on all aspects of society, from health care expenses and employment law to retirement planning and finances. A higher life expectancy can have its greatest impact on retirement planning, since it requires that your nest egg support you for decades after you... Read More

What Women Need To Know About Preparing for Retirement By Pamela J. Sams, CRPC NABBW’s Retirement Planning for Women Expert As women, we have many different roles that we take on throughout our lives. We are daughters, wives, mothers, employees, housekeepers, volunteers and much more. With all of this activity, hustle and bustle, thinking about the day when we will retire always seems like it is a long way off. It can be difficult to put effort into saving for something that seems such a distant idea. However, planning and preparing for retirement is one of the most important things that... Read More

Writing Out Your Retirement Goals Before you begin looking for a financial advisor to advise you on retirement investments, it helps to write out a list of retirement goals. The writing exercise forces you to think both concretely and abstractly about what kind of budget you will live on during your retirement. As an example of how this exercise can help you, this article provides a discussion of 3 thought-provoking questions for future retirees. 1. How much monthly income do you need to live on during retirement? This is a big question. You can start by thinking about the age you want to retire... Read More

Powerful Tools to Reach Your Career Goals! By Dumont Gerken Owen, Ph.D. NABBW’s Women & Work Expert Many of you are working extremely hard to reach your career goals with little success. Maybe this is the time to try another approach. Try some of these powerful ways to manifest success in your career goals. 1. Define your ideal career. Visualize each detail: What are you doing? In what setting? Who would you work with? Is it consistent with your passions? Often professionals such as athletes improve their performance by the use of visualization. 2. Attract the results you most desire.... Read More

Women Boomers: Promote Your Unique Soft Skills & Ace the Interview – Part 1 By Dumont Gerken Owen, Ph.D. NABBW’s Women & Work Expert What are Soft Skills? They are the nontechnical skills that consistently rate high with employers…and Guess What? They\’re the skills in which Boomers excel! Sometimes, however, you have to make those skills clear to the interviewer by knowing how to promote the knowledge and wisdom you\’ve gained from your experience. I recently read an article by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., Creative Director and Associate Publisher of Quintessential... Read More

Even in the Worst of Times, Best Prepared Candidates Still Get Jobs By Dumont Gerkin Owen Ph.D. NABBW’s Women & Work Expert How is it that even when the times get really tough in the job market, there are always individuals who find jobs.  Are they smarter than you?  Too young, too old? Better qualified, cheaper or are they the best-prepared candidate out of the applicant pool? So how do you, as an applicant, become the employer’s best of the best? Work harder and smarter than your competitors The average advice is to spend twenty hours per week for a part-time job and... Read More