Will Your Uncle Sam Be Dictating Your Retirement Funds?

by joeplemon on February 8, 2010

in Retirement

Senior Citizen Roast
Creative Commons License photo credit: batsignal

Have you been tracking the buzz that our government is considering the takeover of our retirement funds?

There has been talk since last fall,  but, according to Money Morning, this talk is leading to action.  In late January, both the U.S. Treasury Department and the Department of Labor announced plans to stage a public-comment period before implementing regulations that would require U.S. savers to invest portions of their 401(k) savings plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) into annuities or other “steady” payment streams backed by U.S. government bonds.
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Remembering Super Bowl XXXIV / Weekly Roundup

by joeplemon on February 6, 2010

in Weekly Roundup

Warner...my hero in Superbowl XXXIV

With Superbowl weekend upon us, I must confess that I am, at best, a fair weather football fan.

However, Superbowl XXXIV, a classic between the St Louis Rams and the Tennessee Titans is cemented in my memory.  On a whim, I decided to drive the 2 1/2 hours to my son Jeremy’s house in St Louis to watch the game on his big screen TV.  We were not disappointed as Kurt Warner capped off his MVP season with a 23-16 nail biting win.  The Titans drove to the St. Louis 10-yard line with six seconds remaining, but on the final play of the game, Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Tennessee wide receiver Kevin Dyson one-yard short of the goal line to prevent a potential game-tying touchdown. This went into NFL Lore as One Yard Short.

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The Money Quiz: Do You Serve God or Money?

February 5, 2010

photo credit: AJU_photography
Mat 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
We simply can’t have two masters. One will be saying, “Go there and do [...]

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Love and Money

February 3, 2010

photo credit: mateoutah
As I look back on my 39+ years of marriage, I can say that I look forward to another 39+ years of marriage.
I can also say that working together on our finances has been a huge factor for the success of our marriage. We certainly have made our share of mistakes, [...]

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Tax Refund? How You Should Use It and Why You Should Lose It

February 1, 2010

photo credit: djainslie
If you are like the majority of Americans, you are expecting to receive a tax refund when you file your 2009 taxes.   So what exactly is a tax refund?
It is NOT winning some sort of income tax lottery, nor is your Uncle Sam sending you some special “government money”.  It is simply [...]

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Weekly Roundup

January 30, 2010

Once again, great reading on the blogosphere this week.  Take time to read some or all of these posts.
Posts I have enjoyed this week:

Did you have trouble Understanding the Difference between Multi-Level Marketing Programs and Pyramid Schemes? Ryan from Obsessed Analytic does a great job of explaining that difference in a guest post for Christian [...]

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What if Christians Were in Charge of Welfare?

January 29, 2010

There is no question that Christians have a Biblical mandate to help the needy.
However, because our United States government has progressively increased welfare spending over the last 50 years [all “entitlements”, including pensions, health and welfare have risen from 28% of all federal spending ($28 billion) in 1962 to 56% ($2.02 trillion) for 2010], Christians [...]

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Budgeting Without Bean Counting…5 Great Tips

January 27, 2010

photo credit: F. Montino
As Janice and I have worked on our budget over the years, we have learned that the more we can automate it, the easier it becomes, the more we enjoy it and the greater our chances of sticking with it.
We want to feel like we are in control of our money, [...]

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Unemployed? Are You Rocking or Are You Rolling?

January 25, 2010

photo credit: jessica flavin
Losing your job is more than just losing a source of income.
It often brings on a loss of self esteem, especially with men, who too often equate work with identity.  Extended periods of unemployment can bring on shame, hopelessness and depression.

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Whirlwinds and Breezes/Weekly Roundup

January 23, 2010

photo credit: djfoobarmatt
A blog is a work in progress, and this one is no exception.
I started this blog a little over six months ago as a whirlwind, producing five and sometimes six new articles every week.  The problem with whirlwinds is, well, they are whirlwinds.  Lots of movement in all directions.  For now, I [...]

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Is Your Money an Idol? Think Twice Before Answering.

January 22, 2010

photo credit: Itinerant Tightwad
1Co 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
Surely Not Me
Paul was writing to a culture where people worshipped wood and stone statues. Of course the statues weren’t innately evil, but believing they had power to do only what God can do (good weather, good crops, give children, etc.) [...]

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Should You Hire a Real Estate Broker to Sell Your House?

January 20, 2010

photo credit: griffithchris
Before I go any further, I will state unequivocally,  “It depends.”
Not everyone needs to hire a broker. But what should you consider before making your decision? Just like buying anything else, you should balance the cost against the benefit to determine which way the scales tip. Hopefully, this article [...]

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