by: Bill Bates
Enron and United Airlines and so many more are specific examples of the reasons your retirement is in jeopardy.
Lets throw in two more examples, Social Security and "Mother Nature".
An upcoming worry is General Motors. Once said to have been the world's third largest economy, now has rumors floating of bankruptcy.
How are individuals like you and I going to be able to retire? Where and who do we trust?
The "who" do you trust must be you! The "where", we will discuss that later.
Lets discuss the "who do you trust" question right now. I told you that the answer was "you"! You have within that round globe sitting on top of your shoulders, all the computing power you need. And, if you can add two and two together and get four, you computing power is much greater than any of the corporations mentioned above.
Think about that last statement for a bit. Reread the paragraph above again. Now take a brief break from reading. Grab yourself a drink, take a walk around the yard, or just listen to the radio and think back over the last fifteen years and how many time have you expressed the thought "those poor people" who have been involved in any of the opening examples.
Welcome back.
How is it that so many people have lost everything they worked so hard for over so many years?
Greed and a lack of faith are the reasons. Do you remember the many times quoted golden rule, "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you"?
No, do not change that to the more common altered version! That is a reflection of a total lack of faith and the ultimate version of greed. If we, as a human race, are to survive we must change the attitude of how we interact with other people.
We must also relearn the most very basics of mathematics. One plus one equals two. There are only twelve months in a year consisting of either 364 or 365 days, which are only 24 hours long.
Lets pretend for a moment ok. You live in a large city earning $6 per hour or less. It would be almost impossible to pay rent even on a one-bedroom efficiency apartment (if you could find one) and still eat.
Now add a family to that equation. Or say you live outside of the city and must commute to work. The month starts getting scary.
Oh no! The car quit on the way to work and your told you need an engine replacement. Labor cost are $65-$120 per hour and they tell you it will take about 18 hours to replace the engine. You will be without your car all week.
You do the math. Your income has not allowed you to build any savings. You most likely will need to visit a loan company for the money to have your car fixed and in doing so, you increase the demands on your very meager budget.
So you take an extra job to carry you through the rough time ahead.
How are you, in this situation, even consider retirement? It will never happen! If you cannot make it work now, Social Security will not work either. You must continue to work.
I mentioned greed above. The most current example of this is the report of medicine cost world wide compared to what we pay for the same product, same manufacture, here in the US. The major networks are reporting (June '05) we pay twice what others do and in some cases, much more. Why?
Is it that as a US Citizen, we have more disposable income?
What causes inflation? Greed or Unions or is it a combination of both? Why does it cost more today to make a car than it did just 15 years ago? What was it that happened in '71 to raise the cost of a car by almost 33%? Was it greed or the Unions?
Anyone remember the strike Kroger Grocery Stores underwent in 2004? If I had owned Kroger Grocery Stores, I would have shut them down, changed the name, and then reopened as a non-union business. If I own a business, why must I accept dictation as to how much I pay my employees? Is it not a free world?
In the past ten years, to many Unions have gone bust leaving hundred of thousands of people without retirement funds.
There is too much "do unto others BEFORE they do unto you" in the world today. If mankind cannot change this attitude, we are all doomed to a very difficult time!
Take another break from reading for a while. Think about all that has be presented so far. Think about how it has influenced your income and expenses. Just maybe you will see why I chose the topic title "Retirement In Jeopardy".
So far we have only discussed the human influenced factors as to why your retirement is in jeopardy. My firm belief is that there is a much larger threat to retirement income than any other. Can you guess what that might be?
I am going to guess, "no".
What could possibly remove your income overnight? Gone, non replaceable, and all the retirement funds earned and saved through the company plan, gone! There is no longer employment in your community and you do not have the funds to move to another community. It happens every year here in the US.
Every year, "Mother Nature" has fits of rage that take all the ability to earn an income from several thousands! Earth Quake, Tornado, Hurricane, Flood, are all the cause of businesses completely closing their doors for business. That is if they still have the doors to close.
You say, "It won't happen to me". What do you think the people above thought?
You think that the insurance will pay to rebuild. The employer did (?) have insurance, right?
Do you remember the show "Oil Storm" shown on cable TV in June '05? Do you honestly believe it will or cannot happen?
Those disaster shows on TV were not only meant for entertainment! Someone had something they wanted to say and the movies are the easiest way to get the word to the most people.
Unfortunately, most viewed the movies for the entertainment and not for the message being delivered. They never thought about the fact it could happen at any instant and what would they do if…
In a couple of those movies, they show the complete collapse of the insurance industry. Won't happen? How many tornados are there in the US yearly? How many hurricanes? How many earthquakes?
Remember the 10.2 earthquake and the resulting Tsunami at the end of '04? What happens when one hits San Francisco, New York, or Florida?
Do you really believe that the insurance companies could pay on the claims generated by the above situations?
How will the survivors of the initial event survive during the days, weeks, or months following such an event?
Located several hundred miles away from such an event, how will it impact your income? For how long would it impact your income?
You must take responsibility for your future. Dependence upon employment is a gamble. What are you doing to ensure you have funds for an emergency, funds for your retirement? Does your plan take into consideration how "Mother Nature" could affect those plans?
I said at the beginning to put your trust in YOU. You must have a direct influence on most everything that influences your income and retirement. Total dependence on an employer is unacceptable as shown by the examples given.
Reliance on an employer's retirement plan and Social Security will not guarantee you a retirement income!
"If it is to be, it is up to ME!"
Put faith in the computing power sitting on top of your shoulders. Do not let it be influenced by greed. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
I have not mentioned "where to put your trust". As you can tell, I have some strong beliefs and convictions. If you want to know the "where" get my "A Retirement Solution" by visiting my web site.
It is also provided free as a learning tool and information for securing a Retirement Income.