Agee, Jon.  The retired kid.  New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2008.

Brian decides to retire because being a kid is hard work.  However, after a short time at the retirement center in Florida he decides that all the hard work was worth it because he misses his life.

A walk along the beach is not only refreshing from the inner city heat, it’s serene, romantic, engaging, and entices you to participate. With artist and entertainers, sandy beaches, moderate waves to boogie board or wait for the calm to swim and play. There are many colourful shops to buy your gifts and memorabilia, or have a bite from one of the venders’ stands, with their delicious treats and snacks. If a meal is what you want, there are restaurants both on and off the beach to partake in great Mexican food and music, I guess that depends on if you like the feel of sand between your toes while you eat, as well as nightclubs and bars to kick up your feet and raise your glasses in celebration. You can do and buy just about anything that is available in PV on the beach, and if you are interested in leaving the beach and going on an excursion you can buy your tickets for them there too. It is also a sculptural experience you won’t forget; with sculptures ranging from reality to fantasy to the absurd.

Sometimes movies — even classics — end up being less remembered than the music contained within. A good example is the 1944 film, Laura, which is considered one of the best cinematic mysteries ever made and still has many fans, but probably isn’t remembered as much as its timeless theme song.

When producer/director Otto Preminger began putting the pieces together for his film production of Vera Caspary’s novelized play, he had some pretty firm ideas for how he wanted to do it. One of those concerned the theme song, which would be played whenever the portrait of the mysterious Laura was shown. Preminger thought that Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady” would fit the bill, but that didn’t work out, so he hired songwriter David Raksin to produce a new song. It caught Raksin at a key moment in his life. His wife had just left him, and his melancholy mood certainly helped him compose a haunting melody that fit perfectly into the movie.

The film, which starred Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, and Clifton Webb, did well, but the song did better — or at least had more staying power in later years. It would eventually have lyrics added by the talented Johnny Mercer, and would become a jazz and pop standard, one that — according to ALLMUSIC — has been recorded almost 2000 times.

Although I’m sure some of the cutting-edge crowd dismissed the song, the instrumental version became an obligatory part of every jazz performer’s songbook. One of my favorites is by Coleman Hawkins, but everybody from Charlie Parker (with strings!) to Dave Brubeck has tackled the song.

The version with lyrics has probably generated even more recordings. Bandleader Woody Herman — who was a passable singer — had a popular record of the song, as did almost every vocalist around. That includes female singers like Rosemary Clooney and Ella Fitzgerald, but it always seemed to me that the song made more sense when performed by a guy. One of the best was the smooth and mellow Dick Haymes, but most music fans gave the nod to Frank Sinatra (clip).

One thing is sure. Although you seldom see much about the movie any more, the song continues to live on.

Welcome to our new blog!  2010 is just around the corner and we want to start the year off right.  How to sell $1,000,000 of Long Term Care Insurance premium is exactly what this blog is about.  We have a different approach…an effective approach… a proven approach.  What sets us apart?  Others help you after the sale, we help you MAKE the sale.

How?  By providing you with the WealthSecure Financial Sales System, a unique sales platform that encompasses new financial strategies, unique tools and techniques, and includes proprietary LTCI illustration software to help you make LTCI sales.  AND THERE’S MORE…we are pleased to announce the  launch of WealthSecure Mobile, a free Dell laptop that is configured with our software and has hundreds of resources at your fingertips!

Follow our daily postings to learn how you can sell a million in LTCI while providing your clients with the most powerful retirement security programs.  Attention elite brokers, certified public accountants, financial advisers and consultants, investment firms, and sales organizations…do you have what it takes to sell a million?  Follow our blog and join the WealthSecure team today.

A pledge to making 2010 the best year ever!

- Philip Davis, President of Corporate Compensation Plans

www.corpcompinc.com

www.wealthsecure.com

As people age you often hear them say that they would love to stay in their home as long as possible.   But many homes are inaccessible or unsuitable for ‘ageing in place’.

In the UK,  the government-sponsored HAPPI [Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation] report was recently released making a number of recommendations for positive action in housing for the elderly, including:

• The building of new homes for the ageing to become a priority for central government
• Local Authorities to coordinate new efforts by housing providers and social and voluntary services to provide solutions to the problem
• Incentives for house builders to develop new types of housing
• Housing Associations to maximize the potential of design and innovation

HAPPI also encourages innovative new ideas in age-friendly design.   This is also the goal of IAHSA’s International Design for Ageing program – stay tuned for updates on our 2010 design program.

Amelie Mauresmo announced last week that she’s calling it quits from the WTA Tour. What do you think of the announcement from the two-time slam winner?

(photo by flappingwings via flickr.)

Superintendent reaches out to retired administrator to boost struggling schools [Las Vegas (Nev.) Sun]

Lack of computer access hampers some students [The Washington Post]

Diploma rate up; dropout rate falls [The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune]

Budget cuts inspiring advocacy for schools [The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Ariz.]

Full report: Budget blame falls on Baldwin school board, state official says [Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register]

If senior housing facilities are a dreaded word for you, it’s time to change your outlook, thanks to Chateau Cupertino. At this upscale retirement housing, you will have plenty to keep yourself busy. Be it going on a shopping spree to the shopping centers located nearby, get a check up done by going for timely medical appointments, pray in peace at the churches, or make merry by indulging in some recreational pursuits, you will have all these and more at  this retirement housing in Bay Area. 

To know more about this retirement housing in Cupertino, ring (408) 446-4300. You may also visit www.chateau-cupertino.com/new-Index-contactus.htm to know more about this retirement housing destination.

Posted by Lee in HBF as he is a happy bachelor.

For the past 3 months I have been staying with relatives in Phoenix. They are retired, middle class, 64. She a lifelong homemaker, he a machinist. These people have welcomed me into their home and let me stay here as I prepare to leave the USA. Very cool relatives of mine, we have a good relationship and get along well.

The complex they live in is a standard 55+ place in PHX. Monday at noon, jam session. Tuesday and Thursdays Poker Nights, Wed Bridge, Friday Ice Cream Socials. Best case scenario for marrying a woman in the US. Had 2 kids, 3 grand kids, they live within 30 minute drive. Not divorced, together for 36 years.

Now for the downside:

This is the most dull and boring existence I could ever create, if that was my goal. They haven’t had sex in over a decade and she says “He WISHES he’s been getting it all these years!!!”. Food has replaced emotion, life, love, sex, excitement and adventure. Television rounds out the remainder of their spare time.

Routine:

Get up at 8am
Breakfast and coffee
He goes off to work.
She does chores to 11am.
Turns on TV watches it until 4pm
Prepares dinner
He gets home at 6pm
Dinner to 7:30
Watch TV to 10:30
He goes to bed first
She watches TV until he falls asleep
She goes to bed.

Repeat, forever.

Another thing:

Do not retire to a complex with other old people. The hormones and pheromones will have your body’s’ biology getting in synch with theirs, and you will begin to age also. Only spend time around young people if you want to stay young.

I find the excess of time to be maddening. I need something to do for a good 12 hours a day and watching television (and lately, being on the internet) simply isn’t good enough. Education, classes, work is needed.

I have realised that retirement as a Goal, those Golden Years when you don’t have to work, it’s not enjoyable. Not for me. Not fun, at all. Maybe if I had worked 30 years as a manual laborer and literally just wanted to sit down, relax and rest, then I would like it. But I haven’t, and I don’t.

On the other hand too much work isn’t great either.

I am looking to strike a balance, maybe 9 months work 3 months off per year. It has taken me 7 months to decompress from the job I left. 7 months for 42 months of work equals one month off for each 6 months of work. I will err on the side of relaxation. 9 on 3 off.

This week I am off to Mexico, getting a place of my own, going to live there for 4 months or more. Work there for ESL, then off to another place.

I am often surprised when negotiating an offer on someone’s behalf about how little he know about his total compensation. What about you? If you are like most people, you probably know your hourly rate or top-line income before taxes.  Some people can recite it to the penny.  But what about the other value hidden in your pay stub?  Things like health insurance costs, retirement contributions and how your paid time off works.

For working candidates, you must review your pay stub and understand your deductions so that you can negotiate an offer that will meet your needs.

How terrible would it be to make a job change thinking you had received an eight percent raise, only to find out on your first paycheck that the increased cost of health insurance wiped out your gain?

And, in some cases, the net result of a lateral to small increase in compensation can actually increase your pay if your out-of-pocket benefits costs decrease.

For these reasons, I encourage you to take a Compensation Inventory before negotiating a new offer. To help, I have put together a few questions to ask in the main benefits categories:

Health Insurance

Find out:  What is the cost of your current health insurance? What is your deductible, copay, prescription costs? Are certain treatments that are important to you covered or not covered? 

Health insurance coverage typically starts right away or the first of the month following hire. However, if there is a 90 day wait, you will have to make provisions for interim coverage. If you are currently working, perhaps you can negotiate a signing bonus to cover your COBRA payments.  Make sure when comparing costs that you are looking at pay frequency as well.  There is a difference in total cost for deductions from semi-monthly (24 pay periods/year) vs. biweekly (26 pay periods/year), for example.

Occasionally, I’ve had candidates inquire about coverage for specific treatments that are important to them. In these situations, the company HR person either provided me with the coverage detail or put the candidate in touch with their benefits administrator.  Sensitive questions of this nature should be asked only after an offer is made and before it is accepted.

Retirement Plan

Find out:  What is your current plan? Are your contributions matched? What is the vesting schedule?

You will want to find out eligibility requirements for your new retirement plan.  Sometimes you may have to wait up to 12 months to contribute to a new plan.  If this is the case, you may want to make arrangements to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA in the interim.  If you are fortunate to go to a company with an immediate vesting schedule on employer contributions, this is like an extra boost to income. A three percent profit sharing contribution on a $60,000 income is $1,800. This is a terrific benefit with real value, especially if it vests quickly. Keep in mind that employee retirement plans have to be fair to all; a company cannot change it just for one person.

Paid Time Off

Find out: How is your PTO allocated currently? How many holidays do you have? 

Some companies break PTO into specific categories of Vacation, Sick and Personal Leave.  Others combine it altogether into one category of Paid Time Off. Do some research to find out how much time you have off currently so that you can compare it to the new company.  A caveat:  some companies start all employees the same when it comes to PTO while there is room to negotiate with others. Some companies allow you to “buy” extra days of PTO.

Holidays typically aren’t negotiable as they are the same for all employees, but it is good to know which are observed. Most companies offer at least six standard holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. If you are fortunate, you may get the day after Thanksgiving; and if you are really, really fortunate: MLK Day and/or Good Friday. If Columbus Day or Veteran’s Day is a vacation day for you, then you either work for a bank or the state and it’s unlikely you’ll get them off in your new job… unless you go to work for another bank. Or another state.

Bonuses & Overtime

Find out:  Did you receive a bonus last year? How much?

Some candidates tell me that they were eligible for a 10 percent bonus the year before, but they didn’t receive it due to market conditions. This isn’t really a strong point of negotiation.  Employers are more likely to be interested in W-2 of actual income earned. Don’t be surprised if you are ever asked to verify your past income in the form of your W-2. For a new position, you’ll want to know if there an annual or quarterly bonus.  If so, what are the criteria?  Was it given last year?

Regarding overtime, most professional positions are salaried exempt from it.  However, some consulting companies pay straight time for hours worked in excess of 40 per week. If you are going to work for a company like this, consider the opportunity for overtime income an additional incentive.

Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and Short & Long-Term Disability

Find out: Do you have these benefits currently?  What is the coverage and what is your cost?

You always can purchase these benefits separately, but it may be more cost effective in an employer plan. It is good to know if they are available. 

Flexible Spending Account

The benefit of FSAs is that you can deduct medical, dental and vision related expenses pre-tax.   Without an FSA, there is no tax relief for these expenses.  In addition, you can save $1,500 in taxes for qualified childcare expenses if you are in a 30 percent tax bracket.  If you can use and manage your FSA, it’s more money in your pocket each month. 

IN CONCLUSION

Chances are, if you are changing jobs, the benefits won’t align perfectly from one company to the next. 

But not all career moves should be money motivated.  Smaller companies, for example, may not be able to offer the same level of benefits that more mature, established companies can offer. In these cases, the value in changing job comes from something other than what is found on a pay stub; perhaps it is the opportunity to build something new or to work in a more forward-thinking company culture.

No matter your reason, going through this exercise will prevent surprises and will give you the ability to negotiate on certain points that are important to you… monetarily or otherwise. 

So get out that calculator and start crunching. Happy negotiating!

The Cape Cod real estate market report keeps you informed about what is happening on Cape Cod as it is happening. No need to wait until the end of the month to get the statistics on the Cape Cod real estate market.

If you are buying or selling Cape Cod real estate it is important for you to know what how the market is doing. You will be in better position to negotiate if you know the details of the local market. Your Realtor should know the Cape Cod real estate market in general and be able to analyze the neighborhood in which you are buying or selling.

Brewster is the Spotlight Town of the week. Brewster offers a true Cape Cod experience and is highly valued for its bucolic look and feel.  Brewster ‘s beaches are on Cape Cod bay and there are many ponds to enjoy, as well. If you are bike enthusiast, the Cape Cod Rail Trail is accessible here.

The non-real estate tip of the week, will get you ready in the morning faster and for less money.  Fashion, frugality and efficiency are attainable in one easy to implement tip.

Cape Cod real estate continues to hold value more than many communities in Massachusetts and across the country. If you are interested in a lifestyle by the sea, that offers art, great restaurants, nature and much to do year round, Cape Cod could be for you.

   If you are known by the company that keeps you, I’ve just become a missing person. After more than three decades of dodging the bullets of merger mania, the Reduction In Force was strong with this one and my position has been eliminated. I’ve used up all my good karma and time has finally run out on the career for which I was educated, that allowed me to excel and that I enjoyed beyond belief. I’ve been reduced to excess baggage expelled from the corporate jet. (Naw! I don’t really feel like that; I just wanted to use that corny analogy!)

   I am a dying breed and a rare species all at once. It’s easy to be sad but hard to be bitter toward a company that has fed my family and my soul for so many years. How rare to know at age 12 what kind of “work” makes you happy and to then discover there was an employer who would pay me to do exactly that. How odd to be the anomaly who holds a degree and a long-term job that have been perfectly aligned. How archaic to have been happy all my life just doing the work that I do best.

   My employer has gone through nine iterations of its identity in the past 19 years and I’ve ridden out each gyration without ever moving my office. It’s easy to get lost inside a Fortune 500 company with an environment like that but the community anchors my career has provided have assured that I never lost myself. It would be impossible to tally the number of amazing opportunities I’ve been given, the relationships that ensued to enrich my life, or the experiences I will take with me into the great unknown of unemployment at age 55.

    I’ve collected my own set of stories across the miles and have put a freeze frame on individual moments that will always make me smile. In 1982, as a freshly minted newlywed, I was sent to interview a 100-year-old widow on her birthday. I casually asked if she had any advice for me as a young bride and her reaction resonates as loudly today as it did back then She never missed a beat but threw her bony little fist up into the air and shouted “Always keep the upper hand!”

   On another writing assignment, I developed the story of a company technician who was building an airplane in his garage. We later drove to the airport hangar to get some shots of his other vintage aircraft and he offered to take me up. I got some great aerial photos and a whole new aspect for the story on that little side trip but it never really occurred to me that some corporate attorney somewhere was having a silent heart attack while we were both exploring new horizons– in a non-commercial aircraft.

   My portfolio filled up quickly. I did a white-water rafting trip to cover the adventures of an employee who spent his weekends as a river guide. I caught a ride in a ultralight and glided between the clouds and treetops as research on another feature. I was given VIP access to the Gettysburg battlefield during the Civil War 125^th reenactment and I touched the Rushmore Flag. When I was sent to capture the stories of a town where a flash flood had crushed their homes and swept away three neighbors, I was humbled and made gratefuI .

    As the first woman manager in our department, I got a pretty good look at ole’ boy network at its best. At 25, I deflected a comment from my male boss to my two male counterparts as I left his office. “Gee, I wish I had a swing like that on my back porch,” I heard him say. I just turned and scowled because I knew that was a line he had heard somewhere and he had just been waiting for the chance to use it. That was just a hiccup from an important mentor in my life, a boss I admired and respected until the day he died.

    At age 30, I was sent to serve as our department’s representative on an inter-departmental committee that was directed by a newly ordained HR manager. At my first meeting, he announced that we would need a secretary and that would obviously be me. When I asked why, he never hesitated: “You are the only woman in the room.” I thought he was joking so I know I threw back something funny in response. It was clearly not so funny to him.

   His next explanation to me in front of the group was that the men in the group didn’t take shorthand. Neither did I. That fueled the fire for the third volley that resulted in “Well, most of these men don’t type.” For a minute I thought I was trapped in the Twilight Zone. I waited outside the meeting room to assure him I would be a team player in whatever was needed but he could not make assumptions – or assignments — about my skills based on my gender. He was furious and stormed off, straight to his boss, I’m sure, who was a smarter guy.. Within an hour, a memo went out to all committee members advising that the record-keeping duties would be rotated among us all each month. Wise choice.

    At 36, right after I moved from staff to my field position, a male employee came to my office at lunchtime and whipped open a Hustler magazine. The model shared the same name as mine and he said “the guys” were just wondering if that was me. I knew he had drawn the short straw to go check out the “new girl” in the office out front, so I zapped him with a sassy comeback that made his jaw drop. In all these instances and many more, a phone call to HR would have sent heads rolling but that wasn’t my response. I wanted authentic respect, the kind that can’t be legislated, and I chose to prove I could command it.  

    Over the years, I reported to a dozen male bosses and two strong, confident women. One woman inspired and empowered me (thank you, Sandra!) but I also learned a lot from her predecessor who served best as a bad example. I later survived prolonged exposure to a poisonous toad who had been posing as a human being; he was Totally Useless. I outlasted him, too, but not before he had paralyzed some other very good people.  

   Throughout it all, I’ve shared my life with a husband who always has my back and who is my biggest fan. I’ve been surrounded by a growing circle of friends and have raised two phenomenal kids who think that a strong work ethic and the obligation to give back to their communities is just the way things are done. And I have been happy. That’s not too shabby at the end of the day.

   So here I am: older, wiser and out of a job. It’s clear that the life I’ve known is now all behind me. But isn’t disembarking where the fun begins? When you step onto a jet for that dream vacation, you embark. But it isn’t until you reach your destination and make your exit onto new ground that your real adventure begins. Even if I have disembarked in a place that can’t exactly be described as terra firma, what lies ahead is there for me to invent so I’ve started making lists:

Seek financial guidance and alter expectations.  Check

Review spring course catalog to update skills. Check

Sharpen coupon clipper. Check

Schedule drum lessons. Check

Dye hair purple. Check

Take charge of personal destiny. Check

    In the days before my career assignments were filled with acronyms and corporate-speak, I used to think I wanted to write for Rolling Stone. “Research” in those days meant listening to buzzed-up lyrics and studying album covers for great brain fodder. One of my favorite discoveries from the way-back is this post script from The Moody Blues and it seems a perfect fit

“But this is no way to end a story, sleeve notes, so I guess I will go start another masterpiece. Or something. For there is no result in art – or life – only beginnings.  Which brings us to what better ending than… Once upon a time…

   To all those who have had a hand in shaping the life I’ve lived, thank you. For all those that are guiding me out onto the tarmac one more time, please keep reading my stories. My next life is gaining loft and it’s going to be an interesting flight.

RIF’d in peace – Mitchell Kyd

Copyright 2009. Mitchell Kyd. All rights reserved.

Retirement can be an interesting part of our working and living life. However, it can be stressful too – including to those who are near and dear to us.

Interesting because we can do many things that we have not done before. We can learn new skills, catch up with old nearly forgotten friends, do voluntary work, and travels.

Stressful because if we don’t do anything productive for ourselves and our family members, we will be a burden for them. I heard of retirees who just laze around the house doing nothing but watching TV, drinking beer and sleep. This is not what a retired life ought to be.

Like all things in life, it is our choice on how we live our lives…any phase of it. It is our choice that we live a life we want to live. If we think retirement is all about doing nothing and wasting our lives, you need to rethink what retirement is.