How to Properly do an IRA Rollover

Retiring or leaving the company--How to Properly do an IRA Rollover 

Whether you are retiring or changing jobs, you need to know what to do with your employer sponsored retirement plan before your leave. Once you leave a job for whatever reason, you can choose to: 

•Rollover the money into an IRA (ira rollover)

•Take the lump sum and pay the income tax and potential penalties

•Leave the money at the company if the company offers that as an option

•Rollover the money into your new employer's plan, if that plan accepts rollovers

Realize that the above are options offered by IRS. However, your employer's rules may be more restrictive and if so, there's nothing you can do. For example, if you have a pension plan that offers payout options over your lifetime or jointly over the lifetime's of you and your spouse, but there is no option to rollover a lump sum to an IRA (ira rollover), than the rollover option isn't available to you. In other words, the "summary plan document" rules. You may want to get a copy of that now and have your financial advisor review it so that you know what options you have.

So the starting point is to get the information from your employer plan as to the options available to you.

What is an IRA Rollover?

IRA rollover means to move money from a retirement plan such as a 401(k), 403b (tax sheltered annuity) or 457 (municipal deferred compensation) into an IRA or other plan. If you receive a payout from your employer-sponsored retirement plan, a rollover IRA could be to your advantage. You will continue to receive the tax-deferred status of your retirement savings and will avoid penalties and taxes. 

There are two reasons that rollovers are favored over other options:

•You have virtually unlimited investment selections. Unlike your employer's plan which may have six investment options or even 50 investment options, in a self-directed IRA, you can choose any stock, any mutual fund and a host of other options listed later.

•Company plans often can restrict choices for non-spouse beneficiaries. Specifically, they may not be able to stretch IRA distributions over their lifetime. The benefit of this "stretch" is it defers taxes and allows the funds to potentially grow longer and larger in a tax-deferred environment.

The reason to leave your retirement plan with your company (if they permit this) is because your company plan is covered by ERISA and is protected from creditors. However, under the new Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, the creditor protection will follow the money if it is rolled into an IRA and not commingled with other IRA money (from annual contributions).

Combining with Other Retirement Accounts

The rollover IRA is usually funded by the eligible distributions from a company sponsored retirement plan. These distributions can be combined with your existing IRA(s) or placed into a separate IRA, but see the new creditor protection rule mentioned above. In fact, the IRS permits these funds to be combined with other types of retirement accounts. For example, say you have been self- employed and you have a one-person profit sharing plan (often referred to as Keogh plans), you could rollover the employer-plan assets into your profit sharing plan. Or, if you have a second job and that employer has a 403(b) plan and also accepts IRA rollover contributions, you could rollover your 401(k) balance into that 403(b) plan.

Completing your IRA Rollover

When it's time to retire, you have a few options on moving the money from your employer's plan. 

Direct IRA Rollover:Your employer can directly rollover your retirement plan payout into a Rollover IRA and you will avoid the 20% IRS withholding tax. This is exactly what you should do by providing your employer the name, address and account number for your new Rollover IRA custodian. For example, you give your employer instructions to send your retirement account to ABC securities, account #8889999. Funds are sent directly to the IRA account and you never touch them. This is the preferred method of moving retirement funds.

Payout by Check: If your employer hands you a check for your retirement funds, the employer must withhold 20% for potential taxes. You can avoid the 20% IRS withholding tax on a payout by check from your employer if you deposit the check plus 20% into a rollover IRA within 60 days. In order to complete the tax free rollover, you now have 80% of your IRA rollover in your hand and you must take the other 20% out of your pocket so that you have a completely tax free rollover (you will get the 20% income tax withheld as a refund after you file your tax return). Don't allow your employer to give you a check, as this requires you to take money out of your pocket to complete your rollover.

Taking a lump sum distribution: This is typically not a wise option because you will pay income tax on the distribution and a 10% penalty if under age 59 ½. However, there may be reasons to take a taxable distribution. If you are set on buying a $300,000 boat and spending the rest of your life floating about the globe, then you may need to take your retirement funds now and pay tax. However, if you can avoid using these funds currently, you'll hopefully have a nest egg when you're old.

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Mind Power and Self Motivation

There’s a important intent behind that. What if every time we made a phone call or personal request or met with a potential new customer, you expected you would be successful? Do you think your behavior would be different? 

If we truly expected success we would make more phone calls, make more requests and schedule more appointments. And that would result in more business, more income, more ease in our workday, and more overall success. 

When we call people or meet with them, we have to hold the attitude that we are offering them an opportunity—an important opportunity, and maybe even the perfect opportunity for them. If they do not go for it, that’s fine. Our responsibility to ourselves is to make the offer. It doesn’t matter what the thoughts and actions of the other person are; it doesn’t matter whether they agree to what you are offering or not. What matters is that you go for what you want all the time, every time, and are as proactive and confident as you would be if you knew you could not miss.

As you well know success is not a destination we arrive at; it is an attitude we hold along the way. All the joy of our professional lives is not in the outcome, but in the process. Do not rob yourself of the satisfaction that lies on the path along the way—enjoy every call you place, every order you take, every presentation you make. Revel in the process of being a success—today. 

To expect more success, more of the time, follow these steps:

- Acknowledge all the small successes in the process. Count your “wins" daily. Wins are all those things that go your way in a given day—the letter you wrote, the VIP you finally got hold of, the parking ticket you eluded, the compliment you received.

- Smile. Both psychologically and physiologically, this simple, easy action improves our well-being, which improves our outlook, which prepares us for all the great things we are expecting to happen to us. To become fit and healthy from a success standpoint, give your smile muscles a workout just like the rest of your body.

- Hold your success attitude in your body. Stand up straight, raise your chin up, keep your shoulders back and feet firmly planted. Feel the power of personal success in every cell in your body.

- Create a compelling success image in your mind. Once you expect your success, see it. Imagine it vividly and in color—what are you doing, where are you, what are you wearing, how does it feel like in your body? Make your success as real as possible in your mind, so your expectancy is even stronger and, as a result, your actions even bigger.

- Use an affirmation or set an intentions. State to yourself over and over what you intend to create today. State your intentions verbally, out loud to yourself; state them silently, in your mind; and record them on a cassette tape so that you can listen to yourself stating what you expect to create in your life. 

- Beyond Affirming, Feel It. Do not stop at the mental part of expecting success. Also feel it in your body. You have felt the good feeling of connecting, achieving, realizing what you want. 

- Be bold. Do all those things today that you know you will do when you are more successful. That is how you will create the success you strive for in your business and life. 

You will never be more successful than you expect you can be. Greet every day with the belief that good things are going to happen to you. Expect to be successful with your calls, appointments and projects. Your work life will be enriched; you will take more risks, make more requests, and seize more opportunities. That will result in a better life, and that is what success is all about. I say that people who expect success not only think they are more successful, they actually are more successful. I urge you to vigorously and fully prove this theory in your own life.

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The Magic of Inspiration

Most of us grew up hearing the fairy-tale story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and how Jack traded the family cow for some magic beans.  Initially, it appeared that a con artist duped Jack, but the wealth he and his family obtained from this wild happenstance proved to be just what they needed.  The spirit of wanting something better and the yearning to take care of loved ones drove Jack to put aside fear and doubt in order to make his desire a reality.

Imagine the intense anxiety that Jack must have felt while climbing that huge beanstalk.  He had no idea where the climb would lead him or what he would discover once he arrived at his destination, but his determination was not swayed by apprehension.  He continued moving.  Even when he came face to face with the giant, he did not allow that humongous obstacle to stop him.  He had a purpose.  

Jack's motivation stemmed from basic survival needs - an attempt to purchase food and supplies and take care of his mother.  But once he began the long trek to the top of the beanstalk, his sense of adventure took over.  And, his aspirations became more than just basic needs. 

Whether our motivation comes from family, occurrences, or hopes and dreams, it's important to seek it out and maintain it.  We should fill our physical space and mind with objects, words, people, or experiences that help us to keep moving.  And once we hit our stride, keeping the momentum will become much easier. 

From time to time, we can all use a little magic to get us started on the climb upward to our destiny or to pick us up and set us back on track.  But, fortunately for us, we don't have to put ourselves in harms way to fulfill our goal.  We can simply click on our computers.

Our magic beans await us at the end of our mouse.  We only need to download free inspirational wallpapers to our personal computers.  There's no need to climb large vegetation or escape the hunt of a giant ogre.  A plethora of free wallpapers with inspirational quotes are available for our use. 

And once we've downloaded these magical wallpapers, a world of wisdom, emotions, guidance, riches, understanding, and soul-wrenching inspiration is bestowed on us.  Free inspirational wallpapers help us to find those golden eggs.  They sing beautiful chords of encouragement and enlightenment to our hearts.  Even if we run into giant problems, these inspirational thoughts will aid us in keeping on our path.

Having an inspirational thought of the day right in front of you can make the difference between climbing that beanstalk or not - taking a new path or remaining on the same one, giving up or moving on.  Inspiration is a powerful tool.  It can lead one to places that they never imagined.  A new realm of prosperity, ideas, venture, and success can be had.  AndFind Article, it's all within our control to wield this type of motivation to suit our professional and personal needs.

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Self Motivation Secrets

We all have a lack of self motivation at times. We can learn a hundred ways to improve our lives, but then hesitate to act. Something less important catches our attention, or we just don't feel like doing what we need to do. Even a person who is normally highly motivated can sometimes have a hard time getting started on an important task.

Is there a solution? There are probably dozens of them. Below are six of the best self motivation techniques that consistently work when used. Try them all, but if you find even one or two here that work for you, you'll be on your way.

Self Motivation Techniques That Work

1. Talk to get motivated. One of my favorite ways to create energy and motivation is to talk. Once I tell my wife about the article I'm going to write, I'm out of my slump and back at the keyboard. For less inspiring tasks, talk about the larger goals it will help you achieve.

2. Stimulate your desire. Seeing their potential future motivates many to sign up for get-rich-quick plans. The really good salesmen can put you in your imagined dream home in minutes, and make you feel motivated to do anything to make it real. Learn to be your own salesman.

3. Stimulate your pain. One Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique is to mentally link pain with not acting. It is like when finally stop hitting that snooze button on the alarm, and get up because you think you might lose your job. Just imagine any bad consequences that may occur if you don't do what you need to do.

4. Find a true interest. If you have no interest in what you are doing, it might mean you need to do something else. If it's just a task you dislike, but it needs to be done, relate it clearly in your mind to the greater goal. I don't like to drive, but I don't have a motivation problem when I'm driving to the mountains for a vacation.

5. Boost your energy. You need energy for self motivation. Coffee may help for a while, if caffeine doesn't create other problems for you. Exercising and sleeping well help too. Yo should also watch out for sugary foods. The "sugar blues"kill motivation. Once you find energy boosters that work for you, make a list and keep it handy for future use.

6. Take any small step. I've found if I commit to raking up one bag of leaves, I soon want to finish all the yard work. Taking any small step towards your goals is a great self motivation technique. To make this even easier, break larger goals down into small steps.

Motivation techniques really do work, but don't ask me how to get motivated to use them. In any case, you were motivated enough to read this far, so you'll be fine. OhFind Article, and humor is number seven. A good laugh can overcome that feeling of being overwhelmed that sucks away self motivation.

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Advice for Self Confidence

• Overview

  According to Webster's Dictionary, self-confidence is "confidence in oneself and in one's powers and abilities." There is a balance to achieving self-confidence, because if you have too much, it becomes arrogance. If you are under-confident, it usually turns into insecurity. A healthy balance of self-confidence is a vital part of mental stability for all humans.

• Exercise

  Even though self-confidence is primarily a mental-health issue, physical health is linked to it. If you feel under-confident, exercising an hour each day will dramatically alter your mood. When you feel better on the outside, you feel better on the inside, too. Try to exercise at least three times a week. Don't make it a temporary routine, dedicate yourself to working out for the rest of your life.

• Eat Well

  A healthy diet is vital to maintaining a balanced level of self-confidence. Eating poorly reveals a lack of self-control and indicates a low level of self-respect for your own body. Making a conscious choice to avoid junk food and soda means that you want to feel better about yourself and that will help you mentally. But as you continue to eat healthy foods, your physical appearance will become more attractive. When you find yourself attractive, you will become more confident in general.

• Socialize

  There are many ways to socialize that don't put you in danger of embarrassing yourself. Healthy social groups are found in churches, whether small groups or Sunday services, as well as community clubs. Check your local library for book clubs or other free groups open to anyone. The more time you spend with others, the less self-conscious you will become. Paired with exercise and a healthy diet, you will eventually become so self-confident that you never knew you had a problem before.

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Control diabetes - start avoiding white flour, white Salt, tea and coffee

White Flour

Wheat is the most common cereal used throughout the world for making bread. It is a good source of energy. With its essential coating of bran, vitamins and minerals, it is an excellent health-building food.

Wheat is usually ground into flour for use as food. However refined wheat flour constitutes a serious health hazard of the various processed foods being used today for their delicious taste, white flour (maida) is especially harmful. The colossal loss of vitamins and mineral in refined wheat flour has led to widespread prevalence of constipation and other related disgestine disturbance and nutritional disorders, particularly diabetes. The consumption of white flour is thus an important contributory cause of diabetes, and its aggravation, if the disease has already developed.

White Salt

Common salt or sodium chloride is a major factor in maintaining the acid base equilibrium of the body. It is also essential for the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Thus, while a certain amount of salt essential for the body system, it is required in very small quantities, ranging from 10 to 15 g per day.

Excessive use of salt puts extra burden on the kidneys, may cause high blood pressure, which is closely linked with diabetes. Excessive intake of salt promotes water retention in the body, which in due course may lead to obesity, which is a potent cause of diabetes. Too much salt is thus harmful and may promote or hasten the onset of diabetes.

Salt (sodium chloride) and sodium preservatives are added to most processed foods. A sodium-controlled diet must avoid or limit salted snacks; pickles and many others processed convenience foods.

Tea and Coffee

Drinking tea and coffee is a serious health hazard for the diabetic. The most alkaloid principle in both tea and coffee is caffeine. Caffeine is an addictive drug similar to cocaine in as much as it stimulates the central nervous system. While these effects are short-lived, it has been observed that they lead to withdrawal symptoms of irritability, lethargy, headaches and anxiety. The daily intake of tea and coffee causes indigestion and gas formation, diarrhea, and constipation. They also increase the blood sugar level, which may lead to diabetes or aggravate its symptoms where the disease is already present.

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5 Tips to Getting Yourself Moving Again!

Even the word sounds like a disease. No, it isn't literally a disease but it is one figuratively. Simply defined inertia is: resistance or disinclination to motion, action, or change. For those of us who are stuck in a job we hate, inertia can sap our energy, drain our lives of joy, and make us miserable to be around. The following 5 tips will help you make the changes necessary to bury your inertia.

1. Update your resume. Yes, you read it right. More than likely one of the accuses you have is that your resume is woefully outdated. Pull it out, look it over, and make the changes. Most importantly ask yourself, "Am I proud of my most recent accomplishments?" Probably not!

2. Start dreaming. You probably already have imagined yourself working outside of your current place of employment. Now is the time to visualize what you want to do. Is it a career change? Do you want to go work for the competition? Do you want to start your own business? Write down your dreams and aspirations and start investigating your options.

3. Widen your circle of friends and associates. Chances are the people you associate with are "enabling" you to stay in your miserable job. Should that be the case, expand your network of peers and start spending time with new people who have fresh ideas who will not hold you back. A positive attitude will vault you forward while negativity is a certain hindrance.

4. Set concrete goals. Telling yourself, "I want to have a new job next year," is not a concrete goal. Plan out your "exit strategy" from your current job and your "entrance strategy" into your new job. Incorporate all the steps you will need to take to get that new job which can include: a refreshed resume, a wardrobe overhaul, weight loss/management, career coaching, and more.

5. Get fired. Well, not really. However, if in the meantime you do lose your job, look at it as a blessing in disguise. Sometimes we need a push in our lives to make the tough decisions we dread, or fear. You can always "fire yourself" by setting a deadline as to when you will leave your current job. Tell yourself now, "this job has ended," and be prepared to get moving.

You have full control over your inertia and only you can decide what to do about it. It is time to move on. You know it, you really do.

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Why Elliptical Trainers are Growing in Popularity!

If you work out at a health club you probably noticed that in the last few years there are fewer treadmills, because they are being replaced by elliptical trainers. And although treadmills still outsell ellipticals in total numbers, elliptical sales are growing at a faster rate. 

What is driving the popularity of elliptical trainers? There are two factors that make elliptical trainers so appealing: 

Low Impact Workout

Upper and Lower Body Workout

Benefits of a Low Impact Workout

Most types of exercise require some type of impact and/or reverse action. For example, when you walk each step is impacting force on your ankles, knees and lower back. That impact is minor in comparison to running, which can be as much as 2.5x your body weight. Over the years that constant pounding can result in long-term injuries and strains.

Elliptical trainers reduce the hazards of impact through an elliptical motion.It feels like you are naturally walking or running without any real impact or reverse action, and yet it is a weight bearing exercise that contributes to building muscle and bone density. 

If you look at the side of an elliptical trainer you'll notice the shape of the motion is like a flat circular pattern. Budget ellipticals tend to be more circular and bouncy, while quality machines have a flatter circular motion and more of an even stride. Regardless, the elliptical motion significantly reduces the impact to your joints, and that is why elliptical trainers are appealing to older individuals and people with injuries. It is becoming the exercise machine of choice for the "baby boomers." 

Benefits of an Upper and Lower Body Workout

The concept of exercising the upper and lower body simultaneously is revolutionary. An elliptical workout utilizes the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, chest, back, triceps and biceps. There is no other machine that offers this benefit. You are not only exercising more muscle group, you are also optimizing your energy expenditure. That means it is taking less time to achieve more results, like burning calories and increasing your cardio capacity. A number of elliptical trainers allow you to reverse the motion, thereby emphasizing resistance to even more parts of your muscles. 

By exercising more of your muscle mass you improve fat mobilization, which results in burning more calories and building muscle endurance more efficiently. Certain experts have suggested that this dual action process reduces the perceived rate of exertion. In other words, you are exercising harder without a noticeable difference from a less strenuous workout.

The benefit of an upper and lower body workout, combined with low impact exercising, are the reasons why elliptical trainers are so popular. And there is one other feature that should be noted. In comparison to treadmills, elliptical trainers require considerably less maintenance. That is due to the fact there are fewer moving parts, and less wear from impact. 

If you haven't tried an elliptical trainer, get to your local health club or a fitness equipment store and take one for an elliptical spin. Avoid the budget models and test the machines that are at least $1,000+. They have a more natural elliptical motion and are more stable and durable. 

You'll find that an elliptical trainer can have a major impact on your health and fitness. 

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How Do You Define Success?

"Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire."

~Arnold H. Glasow

This really is a great quote. Not only is it interesting but also inspiring.

One of the truths that I find most frustrating as a teacher and a coach is that many people believe that success, in whatever field of endeavor they are currently striving, is rather like winning the lottery. In fact, it certainly seems from the evidence that they in fact believe that success is even more random because they aren't even buying a ticket. They are simply passively waiting.

If you listen to people talk you won't hear many people voicing this opinion of success but look around you and watch what people are actually doing--or rather not doing--and you will quickly see what I mean.

Many people want things--they want to be rich, they want to be at the top of their profession, they want a successful marriage, they want to raise great kids, they want to be respected in their community, and so on. But what do they do to achieve this success? Are they working both hard and smart toward their financial goals and living frugally while they do so? Are they constantly learning and striving at their job? Are they showing their spouse love, consideration, understanding, and generosity? Are they spending time with their children both modeling how to be a good person and being generous with their love and understanding? Are they regularly proving themselves an asset within their community by being a good neighbor in every sense of the word 

We all know that we must accomplish these tasks as I set them out to achieve success in these areas. Probably I missed something as well. I am hardly a model of success in every area. I would in fact describe myself as fair to middling. {g} I am certainly not rich but the bills get paid and our basics and then some are covered without too much stress. My boss, peers, and subordinates think I am doing a pretty good job as well as those that I serve professionally. While my marriage is in fairly good shape I know I could certainly put more into it. I think I have a great kid but know well my failings as a mother. I contribute to my community but no where near the level that I could or should.

How do you define success?

Is it money, career, love, marriage, family, friendship, respect, community?

For me, success is primarily about love. How many lives do I touch with mine? How many hearts? Who has been changed by my existence in a postive way? I hope that people judge me as a good person and that if I died tomorrow that there would be great mourning.

If we really want this success then we will set ourselves on fire. We won't wait for spontaneous combustion.

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When mothers choose ... (afterthought)

My son,

When the mother may choose whether slim or big mother because you are pregnant, mother will choose pregnant of you. Because when pregnant of you, Mom feel the wonder and greatness of God.
Nine-month son. you live in the mother's abdomen. You go wherever the mother goes, you have come to feel when your heart beats for happiness, you kicked my mother's womb, when you feel uncomfortable, because she was disappointed and in tears.
My son,

When the mother may choose whether Mother had a Caesarean section, or the mother had to fight had you, then you choose the fight had you. Because waiting from hour to hour, minute to minute of your birth is like waiting in line to enter the gates of heaven.

Because awesomeness your struggle to find a way out into the world so my mother felt. And that's when the greatness of God enveloped us both. The angel smiled between sweat and groans of pain that she could never tell anyone. And when you are present, crying broke the world. At that moment, the happiest. All the pain and suffering you see a red vanished. MAGIC God created you.

My son,

When the mother may choose whether chested beautiful mother, or have to get up at night to menyusuimu, the mother chose menyusuimu. Because the mother has menyusuimu equip your life with droplets - droplets and gulp gulp very precious. Lips and feel the warmth of your body in a chest in sleepiness Mother Mother, is an incredible feeling that other people can not feel.

My son,

When the mother may choose to sit linger - the old meeting room or sit on the floor with you put a puzzle to you, then you choose to play puzzle with you. But my son, life is a choice, if the choice of Mother, you feel lonely and miserable, so forgive son .. sorry .. sorry Mom ... Mom ...

Trust me kid, my mother was perfecting the puzzle of our lives, so as not to

there is one puzzle kepingpun part of our lives is missing. Believe

nak.sepi and feel your loss is the most grief Mother.

Believe me .. you son's life has always been a part of Mother ... ... ..

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