Benefits from a Recession

What do you think of economists now that we are in a serious recession?

Apparently these alien jerks took the wrong turn on the road to nowhere and wound up on this planet by mistake. They were trying to model a phoney economy on Mother Earth that only works in some other universe or dimension.

But a recession is not all bad: There are certain benefits:

Here is what a Squidoo Lens Maker Says about the benefits of a recession:

• A recession forces change.
• A recession makes you wiser.
• A recession makes you think out of the box.
• A recession makes you appreciate what you have.
• A recession makes a decision maker out of you.

These come from the BENEFITS FROM A RECESSION Website by Ernie Zelinski who apparently is writing a book called 101 Reasons to Love a Recession.

• Be grateful for your position in life regardless of how much equity you lost. Putting things in the best possible way, the bum you see by the junkyard still has it tougher than you.
• Drivers in the US are on pace for fewest road deaths since Lyndon Johnson was in the White House. Due to the recession people are driving more slowly and less often resulting in fewer crashes according to academics.
• Many North Americans will finally lose a bit of weight because they will be forced to quit being so piggish with their food. It's about time, given how sadly obese America has become.
• At cocktail parties people used to brag about how much money they made. Now at some cocktail parties people brag about how much money they lost during the recession. Thus, you can be a big cheese if you squandered a big fortune in the stock market.
  
  Also Check Out Ernie Zelinski's: FUN AT WORK CAFE. This may also help you enjoy the recession

Retire Early - Get Real

According to a survey from McKinsey and Co. of 3,000 retirees and pre-retirees, more than half of recent retirees decided to retire early. Surprisingly, the majority did not do this out of choice. Most did so due to adverse circumstances, such as job loss, caring for an ailing spouse, or their own health problems.

On average, these people are retiring in their mid-50s. With life expectancy for a healthy 65-year-old in the U.S. around 85 for men and 88 for women, that means some will need to fund their living expenses for 30 years or more.

And, unlike the generations that came before them, far fewer baby boomers will have traditional defined benefit pensions to help them. What’s more, research from professor Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, shows that Social Security will replace less than 30 percent of pre-retirement income by 2030. It’s clear that volatile markets are not the baby boomers’ only major challenge.

Check out Ernie Zelinski's Money Saving Tips and Goodbye Letters for Work

Retirement News Doesn't Get Any Better

It looks like retirement news won't get better for some time. Here are some of the latest headelines:

1. Changing educators’ cost of living provision is a big step backward
Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA
By Greg Pilewicz Today, the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia will be considering a change to the cost of living provision of the teacher retirement ...

2. Boomers Delay Retirement, but They Won't Wait Forever
MarketWatch
But then the economy faltered, housing values plummeted, retirement portfolios shrank, and boomers who thought they had planned for financial security ...

3. You Don't Deserve Retirement
Motley Fool
By Robert Brokamp I have some news for you, folks: You are not entitled to a retirement. It's not in the Constitution. It's not in the Bill of Rights.

With all this bad news, this is evidence enought that you need a copy of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free.

Bad Retirement News for Today's Retirees

1. Bad economy has retirees rejoining the work force
KHOU - Houston,TX,USA

These days, for a lot of retirees, the two go hand in hand. “It’s really hard out here for a senior. When you’re retired, when you have everything all set ...

2. Working in Retirement: The New Reality
Metropolitan News-Enterprise - Los Angeles,CA,USA

The goal of the committee was the creation of a retirement planning process termed “planning for living the rest of your life.” This committee worked under ...

For a Happy Retirement, Be as Eccentric as You Can Be

According to Abraham Maslow, eccentrics have many of the same traits as self-actualized people. Their most important traits—high self-esteem, self-confidence, and a sense of freedom—help them achieve happiness and longevity.

To achieve immortality, you must leave a legacy. To leave a legacy, you have to make a difference in the lives of others. To make a difference in the lives of others, you must do something extraordinary. And to achieve the extraordinary, you must venture out of the ordinary. Get it? You can't be like everyone else.

Weeks and James studied over 900 eccentrics and found that the majority of these men and women live alone because others find them too peculiar to live with. Nonetheless, spending time alone is not a problem for true eccentrics; they thrive on it.

7 Money Myths by Joe Vitale

Where are you financially today?

We are hearing a lot about a recession and how many people are having money problems. The key is to see opportunity in financial adversity.

Here are 7 Money Myths as provided by Joe Vitale in one of his recent blog entry.

1. Saving is not as powerful in attracting money as giving. The more money you give, from a heart of love and to wherever you feel inspired, the more you will receive.
2. Stocks are not as secure as acting on ideas. Money making ideas are gifts from the Universe; act fast on them and you can prosper fast.
3. Planning for your retirement isn’t as powerful as living now with an awareness of your future. Putting off your enjoyment of life is pushing away your current prosperity.
4. Investing in real estate isn’t as rewarding as investing in yourself. The more you expand your awareness and education, the more you can see the opportunities to make more money.
5. Beliefs such as money is the root of all evil block prosperity. The lack of money is actually the root of all evil. Being detached but respectful toward money will help you attract it.
6. Scarcity is a function of the mind; so is abundance. Human creativity can solve any problem and find ways to profit along the way.
7. Practical spending isn’t as wise as enthusiastic spending. When you buy something that helps you feel good, you increase your energy vibration, feel better about yourself, and tend to do more things to make more money.

Available as a Free Download at The Retirement Quotes Café

Also Check out Best Jobs for Your Retirement Years

Retirement Relieves Job Stress

Interesting Retirement T-Shirt

I'm retired: Leave the relaxing to me.

Interesting Retirement Fact

Two-thirds of Canadians retire before the full Canada Pension Plan/Quebec Pension Plan benefit age of 65, often times involuntarily. What does this mean?

Another Interesting Retirement Fact

According to a Harris/Decima poll of 2,200 Canadian commissioned by Russell Investments Canada Ltd., currently retired people say they need only 60% of the income generated when they were working -- a stark contrast to a similar survey a year ago from Fidelity Investments Canada which found 80% or even higher "replacement ratios" might be necessary.

The Spoilers - Countries Against Early Retirement

• Britain plans to gradually raise its age of retirement at which full state pensions will kick in. By the year 2044, the U.K,'s retirement age will be 68.
• The U.S. and Germany also plan to raise their retirement age to 67.
• Italy and Belgium have already raised their age of retirement to 60

Book Review: How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free

This review of The World's Best Retirement Book comes from the The Canadian Dream:

As part of my vacation I'm getting caught up on some reading and I came across a great little book.

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free by Ernie J. Zelinski is a must read, but not for the usual reasons.

Typically I read books for investment advice, spending reductions and taxation. This one is different in the regards it focuses on that old question of "What are you going to do with all that time in retirement?" Ernie actually gives a great read on how to plan your leisure time to ensure you have a rewarding retirement.

It a pleasure to read a book that addresses the idea of how to have satisfying leisure time. I think most people spend far too much leisure time at passive activities such as watching TV. One example in the book is if you reduce your TV time by just one hour a day you will gain about 365 hours a year or about 20 extra days a year (based on a 18 hour day awake time) to do something more meaningful, such as reading or another hobby.

So next time you think you don't have time for anything. Try to just find one hour a day and see what happens. (Yes, I know that an hour can seem like an impossible goal some days, but try for just 15 minutes and you still gain an extra 5 days a year on something.)

Here is a little more about the book: With a focus on the non-financial aspects of retirement, How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free explores the myriad choices and decisions we are all confronted with in living out our retirement lives.

Easy to read and well laid out, the bestselling non-financial retirement book on Amazon.com emphasizes preparing for retirement long before you retire.

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free is a provocative, entertaining, down-to-earth, and tremendously inspiring book that will help you get more joy and satisfaction out of all your retirement activities.

Check out Creativity: What Is Your WOW Factor


Also Check Out These Retirement Resources:

Snappy Retirement Wishes

My Retirement Plan

Reasons to Retire

Retirement Calculators

Retirement Humor

Retirees Will Outlive Retirement Savings

Almost three out of five new middle-class retirees will outlive their financial assets if they attempt to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living, according to a new study conducted by Ernst & Young LLP on behalf of Americans for Secure Retirement.

The study also finds that middle-income Americans entering retirement now will have to reduce their standard of living by an average of 24 percent to minimize the likelihood of outliving their financial assets.

Those Americans seven years out from retirement are even less prepared and the study estimates that they will have to reduce their standard of living by even more, an average of 37 percent. These reductions will be necessary even when assuming that retirees can maintain the same standard of living with income equal to 59 to 71 percent of their pre-retirement wages.

"Many Americans envision a retirement where their lifestyle continues much as before," said Tom Neubig of Ernst & Young. "Our work shows that this is not a realistic expectation and that, with the current state of savings and potentially very long life expectancies, many retirees will have to cut back far more on expenditures than they had ever expected."

Nearly three out of five middle-class retirees will probably run out of money if they maintain their pre-retirement lifestyles, a new study from Ernst & Young has concluded.

The study found that Americans will have to drastically reduce their standard of living before retirement to live comfortably, or even avoid destitution, later in life.

Middle-income Americans entering retirement now will have to reduce their standard of living by an average of 24 percent to minimize their chances of outliving their financial assets, the study found. Workers seven years from retirement will have to cut their spending by even more -- 37 percent.

See My Retirement Plan on Squidoo

Also See The Singles Cafe for the Sensationally Single

Retirement Jobs Can Be Fun and Profitable

According to Retirement Statistics Canada, more than 300,000 Canadians 65 or older worked in 2001.

• 57% were 65-69


• 26% were 70-74


• 17% were 75 or older

If you are going to work in your retirement years, why not work at a fun retirement job?

Jobs during retirement can be fun and profitabled if you create an internet business.

Here’s a list of websites or blogs that are making lots of money. This list came from A Dawn Journal by Ahmed Dawn.

• Boing Boing Makes over $1 million a year.


• Mashable This technology blog makes roughly $165,000 a month.


• Darren Rowse Estimated earnings between $120,000 to $1,200,000. He pioneered moneymaking techniques in blogging.


• Steve Pavlina Personal Development Guru. He makes $480,000 annually from blogging activities.


• Plenty of Fish Markus Frind, a Canadian, makes $5 to $10 million a year from this free dating site.


• Ashley Qualls Seventeen year old high school dropout makes $75,000 a month from her website.

This list of people making loads and loads of money on the Internet can be expanded with you on it and you can do this in your retirement years.

Check the Top 10 Retirement Jobs on the Real Success Resource Center

And Retirement Jobs on Suidoo

Retirement Living - Achieving Financial Abundance

Based on income levels, most Canadians are maintaining their lifestyles during retirement years, according to figures released by Statistics Canada in early March 2008.

Statistics Canada found that on average, a Canadian at the age of 75 received 80 per cent of the income they were earning at the working age of 55.

The study also found that retire income varied based on level of income during the individual's working years.

The lowest income individuals maintained nearly 100 per cent of their disposable income in their retirement years, mostly because of income from government programs.

"Lower income workers (those in the bottom 20 per cent of the income distribution) experienced little change in income as they moved from the age of 55 through the retirement years. This was largely because of the income maintenance impact of the public pension system," said the study.

"Better-off workers in the top 20 per cent of the income distribution experienced substantial declines in income by time they were 75."

The figures showed that on average, the more disposable income a person had at 55, the lower the portion of income that was replaced in retirement. For those in the top 20 per cent of income distribution at 55, on average, 70 per cent of their income was replaced during their 70s.

Retirement Quotes and Retirement Sayings That Come from How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

My Retirement Plan Will Be Different Than the That of the Typical American

The leisure activities in my retirement plan will be different from that of the typical American's. According to a recent national survey of 800 American adults age 60 to 74 conducted for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, taking care of the yard and spending time with grandchildren
were statistically tied for top billing among married/partnered men while spending time with grandchildren was the clear favorite among married/partnered women.

Main Retirement Activities for American Male Retirees

• Taking care of things around the house and yard (28 percent)


• Spending time with grandchildren or other family members (26 percent)


• Enjoying things like playing golf, shopping, going out with friends (18 percent)


• Pursuing hobbies (12 percent)


• Volunteering in the community (seven percent)


• Watching where your money goes, clipping grocery coupons, etc. (six percent)

Main Retirement Activities for American Female Retirees

• Spending time with grandchildren or other family members (36 percent)


• Taking care of things around the house and yard (25 percent)


• Enjoying things like playing golf, shopping, going out with friends (16 percent)


• Pursuing hobbies (eight percent)


• Watching where your money goes, clipping grocery coupons, etc. (seven percent)


• Volunteering in the community (three percent)

See My Retirement Plan at Squidoo

Most People in India Don’t Do Any Retirement Planning

A MetLife India Insurance survey has pointed out that most of people in India do not plan for the life after retirement. Indeed, 80% of Indians don’t do any retirement planning independent of any mandatory government plans. Despite worry about comfortable life after retirement; they do a little to plan for life after retirement.

Many full time workers in developing and also in mature economies have taken a few steps to plan their life after retirement. MetLife’s Rajesh Relan has released these findings of the surveys.

According to traditions of Indian society, a family would take care of its older members. But with demographic mobility young people are relocating themselves to areas other than their home base. Thus this safety net in families is getting weak with time in developing economies. This socio problem will only be solved if people would plan their life after retirement.

Life expectancies around the globe continue to rise with increase of food and oil prices in international market. Pension reforms are putting more responsibility on employees to fund their own retirements.

Lack of independent retirement preparedness is especially worrisome in both developing and mature economies. The number of employees who plans for retirement is also low in developed countries like Australia (58%), the US (46%) and the UK (31%). the UK was "most financially fit" and ahead of the other countries where 71% people workforce have taken steps to manage their retirement life. 69% have just started to plan about needs after retirement. The aim of GFK survey is to highlight the financial needs, habits and perceptions of employees and employers in India, Mexico, Australia, the UK and the US.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

Retirement is a double-edged sword. You either make it work for you - or it will cut your happiness in half. The more you know about the secrets to a successful retirement, the happier you will be once you retire.

That's why you need The World's Best Retirement Book by Vipbooks Ernie Zelinski.



Over 110,000 Copies Sold
Published in 7 Foreign Languages

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor is a provocative, entertaining, down-to-earth, and tremendously inspiring book that will help you get more joy and satisfaction out of all your retirement activities.

Although turned down by over 35 publishers, How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free has already sold over 110,000 copies and has been published in 7 foreign languages since it was released.

What's more, go to www.Amazon.com and type "retirement" into the search feature. You will see that How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free appears in the number 1 position - out of over 175,000 listings for retirement books!


Check out these Retirement Planning Resources:

Funny Retirement Quotes

Retirement Wishes and Sentiments

Retirement Wishes and Retirement Toasts

Funny Retirement Poems

Retirement Cake Sayings and Pary Ideas

Ideas for Retirement Parties

Australian Retirees Having Money Problems

The Association of Independent Retirees says a poor financial year worldwide has put its members on the bread line.

Queensland president Helen Sava says over the last financial year retirees who have savings invested in stock have lost 50 per cent of their value while superannuants' investments have also declined. She says retirees are preparing for a mini-recession.

"They're taking the wise approach at the moment and not selling, they're holding on to them just waiting to see what sort of dividends they're going to get," she said.

"The superannuants, their funds are down between 15 and 30 per cent depending on which fund they're in and this is giving them a very lean living at the moment and it's forecast to last for at least another 12 months."


The money you enjoy spending frivolously to enhance your retirement is money well spent.
— from How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor by Ernie J. Zelinski




x

Two Reviews of My Favorite Retirement Book

Review of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

It's always nice to discover more reviews of my favorite retirement book.

This one comes from Retirement Rocket:

Two of the world's most famous philosophers, Socrates and Plato, advocated a life of total leisure. So does author Ernie Zelinski, and, although he’s not as famous (or as Greek), he gives some inspirational tips on how to pull off such a feat. His The Joy of Not Working created an international stir a decade ago, and now his How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free devotes his joie de vive philosophy solely to retirement.

Zelinski is a master at how-to lists. "Activities & Places to Make New Friends" and "How to Take a Journey Close to Home" are a couple of examples. The most extensive list is the "Get a Life Tree," which contains seven pages of suggested activities for an adventurous retirement. Not one of them involves a couch or TV.

At times his suggestions seem a little too "wild" and too "free." For instance, under Retirement Travel Tips and Quotes there are llama trekking in Peru and camping in Outer Mongolia. Can you imagine a glitzy travel poster for either of these as a vacation get-away?

In How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free you'll meet a number of interesting people like Ben from Toronto, a former entertainer, who traveled across America in a Greyhound recently (a dog of a trip!), and wrote a book on the benefits of cayenne pepper, which he says is better than Viagra. Then there’s Bill and Valerie, who live aboard a sailboat in Hawaii, and Tom, who, at 96, still walks four miles a day and chases women at night.

The book's section titles can be quite entertaining. "If You Don’t Take Care of your Body, Where Do You Intend to Live?" is one about daily health maintenance. An even better is one "Early to Bed and Early to Rise Make a Person Dull, Boring and Despised." The message here is to forget rigid schedules when you retire. Good point. Retirement Living is a time to loosen up, live it up and curl up with How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free.



One of the Many 5-Star Reviews of The World's Best Retirement Book on Amazon.com

* * * * *

I purchased and borrowed several retirement guides in the months just prior to retiring. As I read the other books, I kept returning to How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free for the author's good, down to earth suggestions.

Most of the other books focus on finances and second careers after retirement. While both of these subjects are important issues, they are not the only concerns you have as you prepare for that big step into the future. How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free covers it all.

Those worries you may have about what to do after retiring - this book has lots of great, affordable suggestions for you. Taking care of yourself, continued learning and travel are all addressed. You will not be a bored retiree. Also enjoyable are the readers' letters to the author that are interspersed throughout the book.

Ernie J. Zelinski's upbeat book [ How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free ] is highly recommended as you prepare for that next important chapter in your life. With this book in hand, you will be ready to enjoy your retirement years to their fullest!

- Review of The World's Best Retirement Book on Amazon.com

Over 100,000 Copies Sold
Published in 7 Foreign Languages

Purchase How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Amazon.com before you submit your retirement letter with this direct link:

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Amazon.com

Check out retirement quotations to help you retire to the wild and free life:

Growing Older Can Be One Big Joke If You Want It to Be

Thousands of members of The Red Hat Society live by the motto that growing older can be one big joke if you want it to be. The Red Hat Society is an international organization for women, aged 50 and over, who like to laugh at growing older. There are now roughly 2000 chapters of the society, first started in 1998, in 11 countries. All chapters have frivolous names, such as Whine and Roses. Best of all, there are no rules to follow.


Given that there are no rules, being male is probably not a problem either. Nonetheless, I think I will pass on this one. I never have looked good in pink, purple, or lavender.

Note: This article is adapted from the book 1001 Ways to Enjoy Your Retirement (Published in Spanish, Korean, and French but not in English).


NOTE: The above retirement quotes and retirement sayings are adapted from:

The 237 Best Things Ever Said about Retirement by Vipbooks Author Ernie Zelinski available at:

The Retirement Gifts Café

Advice on Whether to Take Early Retirement - Also Retirement Sayings and Quotes

According to a new retirement lifestyle survey, the ongoing volatility within financial markets has prompted a massive increased awareness toward retirement savings by Australian baby boomers.
More than three out of four Aussie baby boomers are beefing up their savings strategy as a result of the turmoil, according to a Commonwealth Bank survey.

The majority of changes included making bigger or additional contributions to their retirement savings plan, while about a third said they were investing more in other investments outside retirement plans such as shares or property.

Interestingly, the Retirement Lifestyle survey found almost 40 per cent of those surveyed considered retirement an opportunity to pursue a new career or learn new skills.

"This trend suggests that many people see retirement as a series of transitions where some form of work or community service can continue into the retirement years,'' Commonwealth Financial Planning general manager Tim Gunnin said.

According to TD Waterhouse's first Canadians and Retirement survey of already-retired Canadians, retirement is different from what many Canadians imagined it would be.

Twenty percent of women found retirement quite different from what they imagined, versus 15 percent of the men.

A quarter of Canadian retirees aged 55 to 70 found it hard to adjust to a life no longer defined by their work. Financial constraints meant they could not do all the things they used to do for 22 percent of those surveyed.

Retirement advice was offered by retirees to those contemplating retirement.

• Workers should develop a full life outside of work instead of waiting to do so at retirement
• Workers should take care of their physical and mental health
• Workers should save for retirement as early as possible.
• People should pay off all debt before retiring.
  Above all, individuals should take time to prepare for and understand what they want from retirement.

According to the TD Waterhouse only 15 percent of indiviudals are “completely living out their retirement dreams.” Lack of planning appears to be one reason for this.

Surprisingly, the best part of retirement is simple pleasures, say the retirees. Spending time with family and engaging in hobbies also are satisfying as is volunteering.



NOTE For retirement quotes see:

The 237 Best Things Ever Said about Retirement by Real Success Author Ernie Zelinski

and

Importance of Money in Retirement (Quotes and Sayings)

The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked by Ernie J. Zelinski

The Joy of Not Working is all about learning to live every part of your life - employment, unemployment, retirement, and leisure time alike - to the fullest. You too can join the thousands of converts and learn to thrive at both work and play. Illustrated by eye-opening exercises, thought-provoking diagrams, and lively cartoons and quotations, The Joy of Not Working will guide you to enjoy life like never before.

Top 10 Reasons to Buy The Joy of Not Working

1. You are more independent and more creative than most people.

2. You were born a lover of life and not a workaholic.

3. You don't want the cheese; you just want to get out of the trap.

4. You like books that are reader friendly with lots of cartoons, quotations, and exercises.

5. You like books that make you smile and challenge traditional ways of living and thinking.

6. You agree with the words of Bertrand Russell: "To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the best product of civilization."

7. You are receptive to the concept that we can achieve more if we relax, enjoy life more, forget about what the majority in society thinks is important, and focus on the things that really matter.

8. Your parents and co-workers will not approve of your adopting this book as your lifestyle Bible.

9. You know a good deal when you see one - if a book has been published in 17 languages in 20 different countries and has sold over 225,000 copies, it must have great value.

10. You know something important that the hard workers of this world don't know: the secret to a happy and fulfilling life is to work smart and not hard.

Purchase The Joy of Not Working on Amazon.com with this direct link:

The Joy of Not Working on Amazon.com

Purchase The Joy of Not Working on Amazon.com with this direct link:

The Joy of Not Working on Amazon.com Visit one of Ernie Zelinski's Blogs:

RETIREMENT JOBS - THE FUNKY CAREER CHANGE BOOK FOR PEOPLE TOO SMART TO WORK IN CORPORATIONS

For many baby boomers, a retirement job will be the perfect time to begin a second career.

Of course, some or all of the above retirement jobs may not appeal to many people given that there are more exotic retirement jobs to pursue. Based on my research on what the creative and bold retirees are doing, here are some of them.

This is a review of one of my favorite career change books that is also a great value to retirees who want to work in retirement and are interested in retirement jobs.

From a Review in Synchronicity Magazine

Real Success Without a Real Job by Ernie J. Zelinski reads like a conversation with an old friend. The author found success in an unconventional way after losing his job as an engineer and has come to understand that the true path of happiness, contentment, and satisfaction lies in the discovery of one's ture passion or calling.

While pointing out that it may not be for everyone, the author proceeds to tell us of exciting realities that await those who dare to dream of a life lived on their own terms. We, not some faceless corporation, decide on the hours, vacation time, with whom we want to work, and what we are going to do today. To be able to say, "I love what I do and I have my freedom," is priceless to those who are not the corporate type.

Zelinski reminds us that real success is not measured merely by the 'all might dollar' but more so, by having a few good friends and the time to spend with them. He wants us to seriously consider if what it is we 'do', is what makes us happy and if it isn't, why not consider 'doing' that which does make us happy.

The book is 'peppered' with quotes from people like Henry Ford, Jerry Garcia, Mother Teresa and Mad Magazine that give us an inspiring look into the mindsets of all these successful people and ideas. A quote by William James encompasses the central concept of the book, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that man can alter his life by altering his attitude."

One thing all these people seem to have in common is a committment to their vision. 'Work' isn't where they go each day. The task at hand becomes something to accomplish that will bring their dream closer to fruition. When you have an idea and exert the effort, success will follow.

Real Success Without a Real Job by Ernie Zelinski is a pleasure to read and its positive, up-beat message is full of hope and encouragement for those who are ready to become their own boss.

Purchase Real Success Without a Real Job: The Career Book for People Too Smart to Work in Corporations by Ernie Zelinski at:

Real Success Without a Real Job at Amazon.com

or

Real Success Without a Real Job at BarnesatNoble.com

Retirement Planning Basics

When happy and successful retirees are asked what advice they would offer to a person just entering retirement, most will respond with a variation of Spend as much — or considerably more — time thinking about how you will utilize your days and months as you do contemplating your finances. As one retiree told a newspaper reporter, "Retirement could well represent 25 percent or more of your whole life. Why leave it to chance?

Top Five Replies from Retirees to the Question: "What Would You Do If You Could Replan Retirement?"

• Save more or save less money - 39 percent
• Take better care of their health - 29 percent
• Live closer to their children - 24 percent
• Retire earlier - 23 percent
• Get involved in more hobbies - 21 percent
  

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free — The World's Best Retirement Gift

Over 90,000 Copies Sold

Published in 7 Foreign Languages

5 Reasons You Want to Receive How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free as One of Your Retirement Gifts

1. You want to have a good day - everyday - when you retire!

2. You "Absolutely, Positively" want to retire happy, wild, and free.

3. You want to inspire yourself with new accomplishments once you retire.

4. You want to gain the courage to take early retirement - in fact, the earlier, the better.

5. You have always wanted to fire your boss and take control of your destiny.

Purchase How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Amazon.com before you submit your retirement letter with this direct link:

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Amazon.com

The Joy of Not Working — The World's Second Ideal Retirement Gift

Over 225,000 Copies Sold
Published in 17 Languages


Like The Bible, The Joy of Not Working tells you everything you need to know to resolve your Life crisis, but doesn't exclude humor in its presentation. Check Chapter 7, "Lighting the Fire Rather than Being Warmed by It", pages 118-120, for a list of 200 activities for your consideration.

— Helga Roberts writing on AuthorsDen.com


Purchase The Joy of Not Working on Amazon.com with this direct link:

The Joy of Not Working on Amazon.com

Retirement Planning Articles

Retirees Urged to Watch Out for Detoothers

The UPDF 3rd Division commander, Brig. Patrick Kankiriho, has advised retiring soldiers to watch out for spouses who love lavish lifestyles.

"If your spouse is a spendthrift and is not willing to adjust, abandon her, as she is bound to lead you into misery."

He made the remarks on Friday during a function at Rubongi Barracks in Tororo district where 57 UPDF soldiers retired. He told the retirees that they had left the army with a modest financial package which they should invest wisely.

"Irresponsible spouses are planning how best they can get a fair share of the money you have worked for before eloping away with other men."

He added that such women prefer staying in the cities. "She will insist that you rent an apartment in town then she will lure you into spending money on luxuries till it is finished."

Kankiriho also cautioned the soldiers against over drinking. "If you do that, you will never regret why you retired from the force," he added.

This bit is a great Singles Advantage to add to the revised edition of The Joy of Not Being Married:





Over 90,000 Copies Sold
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Purchase How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Amazon.com before you submit your retirement letter with this direct link:

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Retirement Articles and Resources



1. Retirement Planning Tip - Retire to Where Retirement Living Is Best! - American Chronicle Retirement Articles by Ernie Zelinski - Soon retirement day will have come and gone. For your many years of service to the organization, you will have received congratulations from co-workers, a gold watch, and perhaps even a book on how to retire happily. If you are one of the fortunate ones, a generous company pension, government social security, and investments will give you the opportunity to pursue many interesting activities. According to financial experts, you will have it made. Indeed, you should live happily ever after. Not so fast!

2. Magical Retirement Planning - Make Retirement the Beginning of Life, Not the End! - American Chronicle Retirement Articles by Ernie Zelinski - PARADISE apparently isn't in the United States, at least for people planning to retire. In fact, almost 500,000 retired Americans live outside the United States, in places like Mexico, Thailand, Costa Rica, Panama, and Portugal.

3.Retire Happy Before You Expire! - Positive Retirement Quotes to Help You Do So - American Chronicle Retirement Articles by Ernie Zelinski - Retirement can be the best time of our lives. Unfortunately, the first part of many people's lives is wasted on boring work and the last part is wasted on a boring retirement. The good news, however, is that many more people enjoy retirement than those who don't.

4. Dynamic Retirement Living - Being Over the Hill Means Picking Up Speed! - Best Syndication Retirement Articles by Ernie Zelinski - Thinking young can help you to stay busily and happily involved in your so-called retirement years. Here are examples of several elderly people who kept active in their "retirement" years:

5. Your Magical Retirement Plan - Retire to Where Retirement Living Is Best! - Best Syndication Retirement Articles by Ernie Zelinski - Whether retirement is a distant dream, just around the corner, or if you are already retired, give some consideration in your retirement plan to living and traveling in a country other than where you are today.

6. Retirement Planning Tips on the Best Places to Retire - There are three other main motives why retirees may move to a new location. The first is to relocate to a beautiful location with a better climate and find refuge there. It can be a place formerly reserved for annual vacations somewhere close to the mountains, beside the ocean, or in a nice warm climate.

7. Top-Ten Inspirational Retirement Quotes to Help You Retire Happy, Wild, and Free - Amazines Retirement Articles by Ernie Zelinski - Unfortunately, retirement often gets a bad rap from many media people and other individuals who themselves have not been able to successfully cope with retirement. Fortunately, however, people who can't cope with retirement are in the minority. "Retirement works out quite well for people," states Joel Savishinsky, a professor at Ithaca College.

8. SelfGrowth.com - Retire Early So That You Can Retire Happy Before You Expire! - Positive Retirement Quotes to Help You Do So - Retirement can be the best time of our lives. Unfortunately, the first part of many people's lives is wasted on boring work and the last part is wasted on a boring retirement. The good news, however, is that many more people enjoy retirement than those who don't.

Clearly, retirement can be a challenging life transition, either financially or personally. Many people have lots of time on their hands, but way too little money. Others have lots of money, but don't know what to do with their time.

In this regard, Samuel Johnson declared, "Money and time are the heaviest burdens of life and the unhappiest of all mortals are those who have more of either than they know how to use."

9. SelfGrowth.com: How To Absolutely, Positively Make Retirement The Beginning Of Life - And Not The End! - In the course of a lifetime people pick up the knowledge and skills to build careers, raise their families, and accumulate material possessions. But not much of that prepares them for life in retirement. How do they handle leisure time? How do they keep their minds in tiptop shape? How do they adjust to a life without structure and purpose?

Fact is, retirement planning for the separation from work requires mental and spiritual planning more than most people realize. A long-term retirement plan to achieve your retirement goals is essential if you want a meaningful and productive retirement. The degree to which you plan beforehand how you are going to spend the bulk of your free time will determine how much fulfillment you experience in retirement.

So what's your retirement plan look like? If you are like most people contemplating retirement, you may have given some thought to the financial aspects of retirement planning but absolutely no consideration to the personal aspects.

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The Best Places to Retire in the World

Where to Retire? What Makes a Certain Place One of the Best Places to Retire?

If you are thinking of relocating to one of the best places to retire in the world, but don't know where, the question that arises is, "Where to Retire? What makes a good place to retire?" You must examine your priorities: What type of climate do you want to live in? What activities do you like, and are they available in your list of possible cities or countries to relocate to? Do you care more about a low cost of living or health care? What about safety?The following checklist may provide some help.

Top-17 Things to Look For and Enjoy in a New Retirement Location

1. The climate is exactly what you are looking for.
2. The people are friendly - warm smiles and hometown hospitality have never gone out of style.
3. Whether it's the hills, rocky outcrops, thick forests, breathtaking mountains, pristine lakes, or raging rivers, the beautiful scenery beckons you to reside there.

Note: For the last items on this list of The Top 22 Things to Look For and Enjoy in a New Retirement Location that will help you choose where to retire, see Chapter 8: Relocate to Where Retirement Living Is Best in the bestselling retirement book on Amazon.com called How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free.


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