During the first few years of service, retirement income may not be high on everybody's list of concerns. Nonetheless as their career in the army advances, figuring out retirement income with an army retirement calculator can help someone plan for the future. Retirement income for retired army is similar to civilian calculations, and they should include the same variables.
When you?re having a look at your pension plan, begin with your age, and the age at which you plan to retire. In the military, you can consider the quantity of years of service and know what % of your pay you'll receive upon retirement after an established period of years. Using these numbers in a military retirement calculator you can figure if you are going to have to find another job, or can stay home and unwind. Most calculators do not include the final year you?re employed when computing income. For example, if you intend to retire at age 65, the last year of earnings you must consider is for year 64.
When you consider income, don't forget to take into consideration your spouse?s revenue in the household totals and any amounts your married spouse has in their own retirement savings account. Individual retirement accounts should also be included in the military retirement calculator when working out the present pension savings amount.
Future Earnings Estimates Are Questionable
The earnings you realize from your current investments are questionable, at best and depending on where your savings are being held will play a significant role in its growth. A military retirement calculator can work with known numbers, but the variables in interest rates and potential for losses in market investments can make your savings plan unstable. While high-interest accounts are typically safe and consistent, their returns are also a lot lower that investments. Securities dealing however, can be rewarding, financially, they can also take a big slice of your original investment in a down market.
For post-retirement expenses, it is often worked out that 90 percent of your last year?s income will be what you may spend on living costs. When using your military retirement calculator by understanding what your total savings should be upon retirement, and working out how many years you can live on the balance, should help you determine how much more you need to save in order to survive. Knowing the amount of money you need to save can help you calculate the amount each month you've got to put away, figuring in your expected rate of growth.
This work is thanks to advisor hub. Before taking any early pension lump sum or considering a pension release, it could be prudent to order a meeting with a professional consultant as this will impact on your allowance in retirement.
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 27th, 2012 at 2:32 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
Lined up inside a dark-black painted building in Ciudad?Ju?rez, Mexico, worshippers of La Santa Muerte wait their turn to place their rolled-up paper prayers at the feet of a 5-foot tall statue of an idolized female skeletal figure. She is draped in a white, laced cloak and holds a small globe in one hand, and a tall wooden scythe in the other.
Many of the Santa Muerte statues started popping up in this city around 2009, when drug-related violence began to ravage this border town. More than 10,000 people have been killed in Ciudad?Ju?rez?alone since 2007, when Mexico?s outgoing President Felipe Calder?n?first declared war on the country?s drug cartels. The murder rate earned Ciudad?Ju?rez?the title of murder capital of the world for a while.
Santa Muerte statue looks over prayer room during vigil. (Photo by Alex Pe?a)
Followers recognize La Santa Muerte as an iconic figure of prayer for those looking for protection. The Catholic Church in Mexico denounces the worship as a cult.
The origins of Santa Muerte worship is debated, but many believe it came from the ancient Aztecs and their worship of death. The modern image of Santa Muerte is believed to have surfaced in the mid-20th?century in poor areas of Central Mexico. Now, Santa Muerte can be found throughout all of Mexico, the border, and even some parts of the United States.
Yolanda Salazar inside her prayer room. (Photo Alex Pe?a)
?You can ask the Santa Muerte for many things,? said Yolanda Salazar, self-proclaimed priestess of the Santa Muerte cult in Ciudad Juarez.
?Here in?Ju?rez, people pray for protection, but also health, and for love. What?s important is it comes from the heart. If your intentions are true, it will help you,? she said.
Salazar lives in and runs this particular sanctuary, which is located in the heart of the city, just a drive of a few minutes from the border with the United States. It?s believed there are many makeshift sanctuaries and Santa Muerte altars in?Ju?rez, but Salazar?s is public, and the most popular.
She said she had just a handful of followers in 2010, when she first opened her Santa Muerte sanctuary, which consists of perhaps 100 or more small and large statues of Santa Muerte. This year, her weekly prayer vigils to the Santa Muerte draw in a crowd similar to the size of a Catholic Mass.
Sign telling Santa Muerte believers where to place their money for good luck economically. (Photo by Alex Pe?a)
On this particular night, her vigil resembled more of a Mexican fiesta than an underground worship of death. Mariachi music flooded out into the street, and the 25 or more worshipers ate and danced while the others went inside to make their offerings.
?This has always existed here, but people were timid about professing their belief. They were afraid to be judged by society,? Salazar said. ?But now, a lot of us don?t really care what society thinks.?
According to Salazar, the violence in the city has drawn many followers to her sanctuary, searching for protection that neither the church nor their government can give them.
?Now that it?s come to light, I would say that 40 percent of the people in Juarez believe in Santa Muerte,? she said. ?Still, not all are professing it.?
In Mexico, a traditionally Catholic society, the worship of a deity that isn?t recognized by the Catholic Church usually?means?an association to criminal organizations. Members of drug cartels, commonly referred to as narcos, have long been followers of the Santa Muerte.
Little girl looks into glass window lined with life size statues of La Santa Muerte. (Photo by Alex Pe?a)
Narcos make offerings to the icon in return for protection in their illicit activities. In some rare and very brutal cases, the offerings have consisted of human body parts.
Eight people were arrested in northern Sonora state in March of this year after they were accused of killing two ten-year-old boys and a woman in ritual Santa Muerte sacrifices.
Salazar said that this type of worship is not the ?true cult? of La Santa Muerte.
?This is not exclusively for the narcos,? she said. ?Even police go to her for protection. Even they realize how powerful she is.?
The Catholic Church in Mexico has consistently denounced the worship of such a deity, but it cannot deny the rise in adoration for such figures in Mexico?s violent border towns.
Rev. Felipe de Jes?s Ju?rez,?head priest at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in CD.?Ju?rez, says the belief of Santa Muerte arrived in Ciudad?Ju?rez?around 2009 and 2010, at the height of the violence. Though the murder rate has dropped dramatically, the culture of death has not.
Mix of flowers, ginger, and other ingredients being offered as a sacrifice to La Santa Muerte inside of Sanctuary. (Photo by Alex Pe?a)
?We are all exposed to this new cultural situation. Here in the border we see a lot of different types of beliefs,??Ju?rez?said. ?This started with people who don?t have a good moral base. They are grabbing death, putting a cloak on it, and making it a saint. But it?s not a saint; it?s death.?
In the case of Santa Muerte, once followers pray to her, they believe she will grant them favors, but they must repay her.
?If they don?t, they believe they will be punished,??Ju?rez?said. ?So many live in fear.?
He said he opposes such a practice because he believes the grace of God is free.
Nonetheless,?Ju?rez?recognizes the power of Yolanda Salazar and her followers of this growing cult in his city.
?This woman, a self-proclaimed high priest who started out of her house, now has a full building with a sanctuary,? he said. ??The devotion in Mexico is very strong.?
Candles lit for prayer vigil inside Santa Muerte Sanctuary. (Photo by Alex Pe?a)
And nowhere is the diversity of Santa Muerte worship more prevalent than inside the gates of a Salazar prayer vigil. Little boys and girls hold flowers and candles as offerings; their parents write the prayers on small sheets of paper.
All while a group of teenagers stand and chat near the door, waiting their turn to enter and place their own prayers.
?I feel a lot of security,? said Alexia Varaza, 20, a follower of Santa Muerte. ?I?ve had a lot of luck with La Santa Muerte. She gives me strength.?
Varaza?s mother and father are believers in the cult, but the rest of her family is skeptical.
?That stuff?s for sicarios ? for killers!? said Varaza,?explaining what her family thinks of the cult vigils she attends every weekend.
?That?s not what it is for me. I just tell them I?m a student, and I need the good luck!?
Whether for sicarios or students, Salazar?s doors are open 24/7 to people searching for protection in a city saturated with violence.
?The real cult, our cult, is to go out and profess the goodness of La Santa Muerte,? Salazar said. ?That?s why I opened the sanctuary.?
Salazar has plans to open another Santa Muerte sanctuary next year, with the expectation that her following will continue to grow as massively as during the past year. ?She certainly will be praying to her beloved Santa Muerte for that to happen.
Alex Pe?a is a freelance foreign correspondent currently covering Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Previously, Pena was based in Nairobi, Kenya covering East Africa for Voice of America TV, and has also filed stories from the Middle East, including the border of Jordan and Syria. He graduated from the journalism program at Florida Gulf Coast University in December 2011.
Birmingham?? A spokesman says former President George H.W. Bush's condition continues to improve and that he was moved Saturday out of intensive care and into a regular hospital room.?Family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement Saturday that the Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes.?Bush was...
An article review of Yunfei? Chong ,2011.? ? The Research on how Chinese vocational education break through the current bottleneck of its development , Concurrent discussion on how to establish the mechanism of school enterprise cooperation in Chinese vocational education?. ????Zhengzhou Railway Vocational and Technical College
This article focuses on ?how to develop Chinese Vocational Education by establish the mechanism of school-enterprise cooperation . The authors have stressed the cooperation between schools and enterprises that appear to have a problem in creating a program of bilateral cooperation which respectively provide help to achieve a common goal or a win-win due to? the failure of the government to encourage partnerships between schools and enterprises.; government-lead ?. The author aims to highlight the collaboration between industry and academia like ?Dual System?? vocational education models in Germany that provide job internship ,one of the reason for difficulty of school-enterprises cooperation; administrative subordination;. Yunfei mentions that perhaps almost vocational colleges perfom actively, but it not accompany with enterprise or industry that did not contact the colleges forwardly.
This article is significant given that the difficulties of school-enterprise cooperation is lack of talent training as well as evaluated by educational expert. ?However as a result of somewhat abstract implications, the article would perhaps only be of interest on ?co-sponsorship mechanism and policy guarantee especially on government-lead.? The authors have used ?vocational education models to describe the government- lead in developing countries like ;Amerika, England, Germany and Japan; and to compare the efficient model of personnel training.Although showing differences in ??implementation but strives to achieve the common goal of providing provisions to ensure the training is going well.The author mention it provides good reference to strengthen the government ?lead, strengthen the legislation of vocational education, strengthen the overall plan and supervise, and establish the cooperation mechanism.
The author has started writing specifying keywords should be known and so began a discussion on the topic. The author have a very good in processing due to problems in school-enterprise Cooperation is more specific that can identify the cause of how the occurrence constraints to progress chinese vocational education. The topic has an objective to be achive.The author has made a claims that government-lead is the only way to break through the current bottleneck of vocational education development but ?an evidence was provided is not reliable. The conclusion also are drawn just a simple word and not complement. The principal of the text can be better organized
As a conclusion it can be said that the author has managed to transfer information on how to solve the bottleneck problem as experienced by chinese vocational education which should strengthen the school-enterprise cooperation.? To the success of this cooperation must be the government in terms of provision of assistance and reform The author seems to only look to the government-lead, although the schools are supposed to provide entrepreneurship education as recommended by Robert Kowasaki in her book, rich dad, poor dad where he suggested that education for entrepreneurship have since translated children from school. Similarly, vocational education should start at school with teachers who are trained as discussed by Qiu Feiyue and Lifang Le (2010). Quality education will produce a quality student . I am? agree with Malaysia system vocational school that was up grade to be a college and develop the teachers skill.
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Synchronoss Technologies (NASDAQ:SNCR) purchases NewBay, a wholly owned subsidiary of Research in Motion Limited (NASDAQ:RIMM), for $55.5 million in cash with no assumption of cash or debt.?The transaction closed at the end of the fourth quarter. The buyer is a?mobile innovation firm which supplies activation and mobile content management solutions for connected devices.?NewBay is a leader in cloud services, permitting mobile operators and service providers to deliver content experiences across connected devices like smartphones, tablets, PCs and TVs.
On Friday, Tower International (NYSE:TOWR) said that it divested its?wholly-owned Korean subsidiary to the?privately-owned auto parts supplier?SECO. Included with the subsidiary were?5 manufacturing plants, a tooling plant, and a headquarters/tech center. Tower is a?leading integrated worldwide manufacturer of engineered structural metal components and assemblies and the move was?in order to strengthen its overall business and realize shareholder value.
Are these stocks a buy or sell? Let us help you decide. Check out our Stock Picker Newsletter now.
The Allied Pilots Association membership of American Airlines?says that their carrier?s planned merger with US Airways Group (NYSE:LCC) might not come about during the bankruptcy of the former unless pilot groups of the carriers can agree on interim contract terms. President Keith Wilson of the union said that if an agreement is not made in the very near future, in all likelihood, there will be no merger before American Airlines exits restructuring.
News Corporation (NASDAQ:NWSA) has acquired SportsTime Ohio, a regional sports network based in Cleveland that broadcasts Cleveland Indians baseball games. Although financials were not reported, an inside source estimated that the transaction was worth around $230 million, a figure that Reuters first reported on December 3rd.
Don?t Miss: The Dogs of the Dow Fall Behind.
To contact the reporter on this story: staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com To contact the editor responsible for this story: editors@wallstcheatsheet.com
Louisville's Gorgui Dieng, right, dunks over Kentucky's Alex Poythrees, left, and Kyle Wiltjer during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Louisville's Gorgui Dieng, right, dunks over Kentucky's Alex Poythrees, left, and Kyle Wiltjer during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Kentucky's Nerlins Noel, right, blocks the shot of Louisville's Wayne Blackshear during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Kentucky's Nerlins Noel, right, gets a shot off over the defense of Louisville's Gorgui Dieng during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Louisville's Peyton Siva, right, goes over the top of Kentucky's Nerlins Noel for a layup during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, in Louisville, Ky. Louisville defeated Kentucky 80-77. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) ? Russ Smith ranked Louisville's 80-77 victory over Kentucky on Saturday as one of the five favorites of his career.
Makes sense, considering he played a key role in ending the No. 4 Cardinals' four-game losing streak against the rival Wildcats.
Smith scored 21 points, including five of Louisville's final 13, along with seven rebounds to help the Cardinals hold off Kentucky in an up-and-down game.
The effort comes nearly a year after he came off the bench to score 30 in the Cardinals' 69-62 loss to the Wildcats in Lexington, one of two defeats last season to their in-state rivals that included last season's national semifinal. Kentucky went on to win its eighth national championship.
"This one probably ranks as one of the top five biggest wins of my life," said the junior guard, whose list includes last season's NCAA regional final, the round of 16 and Louisville's two wins that clinched the Big East Conference championship last March.
"We know where we messed up and we know the mistakes we made, but at the end of the day it's a win. It's not a conference win but it's a great non-conference win. It's a great win for the city. We're actually more happy for our fans than for ourselves. ... I guess revenge is the word, but it feels good beating the team that knocked you out of the Final Four."
Especially since that team, Kentucky, resides about 80 miles east and had recently owned the Battle of the Bluegrass. Louisville now has bragging rights, and Smith had help in getting them for the Cardinals.
Sophomore forward Chane Behanan had 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals, including a steal of Archie Goodwin's pass that led to his dunk with 18 seconds remaining that sealed the victory for Louisville (12-1) before a KFC Yum! Center crowd of 22,810.
"I feel like I could have done better," said Behanan, who had been banned from talking to the media this fall by coach Rick Pitino. "I took a lot of plays off throughout the game. I feel as though I could have gotten a lot more rebounds than I did. In a game like that you just give it your all to win it.
"It was my third time playing them. It just feels good to win, not for me but the city too."
Before fouling out Peyton Siva added 19 points for the Cardinals, who had to withstand several charges from Kentucky.
The Wildcats trailed 51-34 but outscored the Cardinals 28-14 to get within 65-62 before Smith's two baskets keyed an 8-5 run that gave Louisville some breathing room.
The Cardinals won despite four fouls by Smith and center Gorgui Dieng, who returned from a seven-game absence with a broken left wrist. The junior had six points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
"A great win for us because we had to battle a lot of bad foul trouble," Pitino said. "We survived with good plays from Chane and Russ. The offense and defense in the first half was spectacular then we lost our defensive presence in the second half because we were worried about foul trouble."
Goodwin scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half for Kentucky (8-4) and Ryan Harrow added 17 points.
Poor foul shooting hurt the Wildcats' comeback. They shot just 11 of 23 (48 percent) from the line, matching their percentage from the field.
Kentucky trailed 77-74 following a rare four-point play as Goodwin was fouled by Siva as he made a 3-pointer.
Kentucky coach John Calipari didn't call timeout after that, and Goodwin's turnover followed.
"Believe me, I was standing there thinking timeout and didn't call it," Calipari said. "That was the end of the game. I told them this one was on me and hopefully I'll do a better job.
"Stuff like that happens and I take responsibility. They (Louisville) deserved to win. But I didn't give our guys the chance they deserved with the way they played down the stretch."
Louisville also shot 48 percent from the field, but made 17 of 25 from the free throw line to win its seventh straight.
As might be expected from bitter in-state rivals, the early minutes were physical and intense with six ties and five lead changes. There were lineup changes for both teams.
Kentucky started 7-foot freshman Willie Cauley-Stein alongside 6-10 Nerlens Noel for the first time in an effort to establish a post presence against the Cardinals.
The Wildcats' move might have been a pre-emptive one with Louisville expected to start the 6-11 Dieng.
The Cardinals instead started 6-10 Zach Price but Dieng entered the game just 1:43 in and quickly made his presence felt with three rebounds, a block and a dunk that helped give Louisville a 12-10 lead.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the junior soon picked up his second foul and was replaced by Montrezl Harrell, who had seven points and four rebounds.
Louisville started 6 of 16 from the field and trailed 18-12, but went on a 13-2 run led by Behanan, who scored six points. He scored 11 points to help give the Cardinals a 36-28 lead at the half.
Kentucky came back behind three 3-pointers each by Kyle Wiltjer (14 points) and Goodwin, who finished 8 of 15 from the field. But Louisville survived because of a defense that forced 15 turnovers leading to 19 points and the end of a frustrating losing streak for the Cardinals and their fans.
"It finally gets the monkey off your back," Siva said. "You can stop thinking about it now and go out and play you don't have to get heckled by fans everywhere you go. For our fans this is like a national championship game. This feels good for them."
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Many people get depressed or even commit suicide over financial problems. Don?t let money problems take control of your life. No matter what financial woes you are facing, there is always hope. There are many actions that can be taken to save more money and effectively manage your finances. Read the following tips to find out how to gain control of your finances.
Cooking meals in your home, instead of eating out, is a great way to save some serious cash if you want to improve your personal financial situation. You can cook a healthy, substantial meal for a family of four for around $30. Calling the pizza delivery guy and adding on your favorite soda will typically take more out of your wallet than this.
If you are shopping for a mortgage, make sure your credit score is in the range of at least 740. With a high credit score you get better interest rates too. If necessary, do what you can to elevate your credit score. Unless it is an absolute necessity, avoid mortgage applications while your credit rating is still down.
Keep a small envelope in your wallet or purse. This envelope can be used to keep track of receipts and small documents. This way you can ensure you have all the documents you need for your records. It may be helpful to use them when going over your credit card statement every month, especially if you are charged for something twice.
Garage Sale
Having a garage sale is a great way to make some spending money and also rid the house of clutter. Your neighbors may even let you sell items for them. You can get as creative as you would like with a garage sale.
Utility bills are an expense that you must stay on top of to improve your credit rating. When you pay them late, you damage your credit. You may also be charged a late fee, that will cost more money. Avoid the troubles that are associated with paying bills late by always paying your bills in a timely manner.
Pay off all of your debt! It?s easy to do, even though we have become trained to think it is impossible. It is important to not take on any extra debt while paying off your debt. You will be debt-free and gain more financial flexibility by making consistent payments.
Savings Account
Every person should have cash in a savings account that they can have easy access to in case of an emergency. It should also be a savings account that is high-yielding. They are found online, and are FDIC insured.
One smart way to stretch your monthly household budget a little further is to see if some policy adjustments can reduce the cost of your insurance. Often, you can ?bundle? your insurance policies to get a better rate or drop unnecessary extras. These savings could really add up over time.
You should get comfortable with the fact that major improvements to your personal finances can be made a little bit at a time. Do not stop for coffee, take it with you. That?s $25 per week in your pocket. Instead of driving your own car to work, take the bus. That?s up to $200 or so every single month. This money accumulates and it can go towards retirement or any investment that you may be interested in. You will benefit much more from this than from a cup of coffee!
Set up monthly bill payments via your bank to make sure your pay your credit cards on time. Not being able to pay your credit card bill in full each month is not as important if you are at least paying the minimum on time to establish a good payment history. Having an automatic debit assures you won?t have late payments, and when you have extra money you can supplement the payment.
Checking Account
Get a better checking account. Several people keep a checking account despite increased fees. Find out what fees you are being charged at your current bank and make an effort to find a checking account that charges you less, so that you can keep more of your own money.
With all of the knowledge you?ve gained from this article, you should be on the right track to financial stability. You likely have some good ideas about the steps that need to be taken to improve your financial situation. Now that you have found some help from this article, pass it on to others who might need it.
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Ryan Vlastelica, Edward Krudy and Doris Frankel, Reuters
Investors fearing a stock market plunge if the U.S. tumbles off the "fiscal cliff" next week may want to relax.
But they should be scared if a few weeks later Washington fails to reach a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling as that threatens a default, another credit downgrade and a financial markets panic.
Market strategists say that falling off the cliff for any lengthy period -- which would lead to automatic tax hikes and stiff cuts in government spending?--?would badly dent both consumer and business confidence, but?it would take some time for the U.S. economy to slide into recession. In the meantime, there would be plenty of chances for lawmakers to make amends by reversing some of the effects.
That has been reflected in a U.S. stock market that has still not shown signs of melting down. Instead, it has drifted lower and gotten more volatile.
In some ways, that has let Washington off the hook. In the past, a plunge in stock prices forced the hand of Congress, such as in the middle of the financial crisis in 2008.
"If this thing continues for a bit longer and the result is you get a U.S. debt downgrade ... the risk is not that you lose two and half percent, the risk is that you lose ten and a half," said Jonathan Golub, chief U.S. equity strategist at UBS Equity Research in New York.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said earlier?this??week that the United States will technically reach its debt limit at the end of the year.
'Tremendous fight' The White House has said it will not negotiate the debt ceiling as in 2011, when the fight over what was once a procedural matter preceded the first-ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, but it may be forced into such a battle again. A repeat of that war is most worrisome for markets.
Markets posted several days of sharp losses in the period surrounding the debt ceiling fight in 2011. Even after a bill to increase the ceiling passed, stocks plunged in what was seen as a vote of no confidence in Washington's ability to function, given how close lawmakers came to a default.
Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's lowered the U.S. sovereign rating to double-A-plus, citing Washington's legislative problems as one reason for the downgrade. The benchmark S&P 500 dropped 16 percent in a four-week period ending Aug. 21, 2011.
"I think there will be a tremendous fight between Democrats and Republicans about the debt ceiling," said Jon Najarian, a co-founder of online brokerage TradeMonster.com in Chicago.
"I think that is the biggest risk to the downside in January for the market and the U.S. economy."
There are some signs in the options market that investors are starting to eye the January period with more wariness. The CBOE Volatility Index, or the VIX, the market's favored anxiety indicator, has remained at relatively low levels throughout this process, though on Thursday it edged above 20 for the first time since July.
More notable is the action in VIX futures markets, which shows a sharper increase in expected volatility in January than in later-dated contracts. January VIX futures are up nearly 23 percent in the last seven trading days, compared with a 13 percent increase in March futures and an 8 percent increase in May futures. That's a sign of increasing near-term worry among market participants.
Consumers don't appear at all traumatized by the fiscal cliff talks, as yet. Helping to bolster consumer confidence has been a continued recovery in the housing market and growth in the labor market, albeit slow.
The latest employment take will be out Friday, and the Labor Department is expected to show jobs growth of 145,000 for December, in line with recent growth.
Consumers will see their paychecks affected if lawmakers cannot broker a deal and tax rates rise, but the effect on spending is likely to be gradual.
Negotiations ongoing President Barack Obama met with?congressional leaders from both parties Friday?for discussions about the fiscal cliff, and the House of Representatives is set to convene Sunday and continue working through the New Year. Obama has proposed maintaining current tax rates for all but the highest earners.
Options strategists have noted an increase in positions to guard against weakness in defense stocks such as General Dynamics, as those stocks would be affected by spending cuts set for that sector. Notably, though, the PHLX Defense Index is less than 1 percent away from an all-time high reached Dec. 20.
This underscores the view taken by most investors and strategists: One way or another, Washington will come to an agreement to offset some effects of the cliff. The result will not be entirely satisfying, but it will be enough to satisfy investors.
"Expectations are pretty low at this point and yet the equity market hasn't reacted," said Carmine Grigoli, chief U.S. investment strategist at Mizuho Securities USA. "You're not going to see the markets react to anything with more than a 5 to 7 percent correction."
Markets, for the most part, have not shown the same kind of volatility as in 2008 or 2011.
A gradual decline remains possible, Golub said, if business and consumer confidence continues to take a hit on the back of fiscal cliff worries. The Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence fell sharply in December, a drop blamed in part on the fiscal issues.
"If Congress came out and said that everything is off the table, yeah, that would be a short-term shock to the market, but that's not likely," said Richard Weiss, a Mountain View, Calif.-based senior money manager at American Century Investments.
"Things will be resolved, just maybe not on a good time table. All else being equal, we see any further decline as a buying opportunity."?
Every week, the editors and writers at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include several iPhone and iPad games, a social app that helps you find interesting people to follow, and an app (for non US folk) that gives away free content and apps.
Discovr People is a great concept with a beautiful app behind it. If you ever have issues finding quality users to follow on Twitter, Discovr People is a great way to get there. Once launching the app you can type in any username you'd like to see their network and recent interactions. If you know people that engage with people that share the same interests with you, those are the usernames I would search for.
I used Discovr People recently to search for the followers on Twitter that I interact with the most. From there I looked at the people they'd have the most recent interactions with. I actually ended up finding quite a few interesting people that won't clutter up my timeline with pointless retweets and memes. You can view their profiles right within Discovr People as well as follow them and add them to lists. For free, what more could you ask for?
This week, being Christmas week, I have chosen Apple?s annual free app ?Twelve Days of Christmas? that gives away free content for twelve days after Christmas.
The app gives away apps, books and music content every day starting from December 26th and it is well worth grabbing. You will receive a push notification each day of the promotion to remind you to get your free content.
So far Apple has given away a music EP, a football game and a TV episode from the really popular series ?Sherlock?. The downside is that the app is available in loads of places with the exception of the US App Store. If you haven?t got it already, make sure you do as there are still 9 more days to go!
If you're a fan of A Song of Ice and Fire series of books, or their adaptation, the Game of Thrones television series on HBO, you know that the world created by George R.R. Martin is very dense. The Game of Thrones Companion is your go-to reference guide for that world. The Companion contains the full details of characters, houses, cities, and more. Also included are several maps of all of the major locations in the series. But one of the best features of this app are the spoiler settings, which allow you to set which book you have read, up through the latest one. This way, you don't accidentally spoil yourself before you?ve had a chance to read the later books, and after you?ve finished each successive volume, you can update your spoiler settings accordingly. The Game of Thrones Companion is available for $2.99. If you?re a Game of Thrones fan, you should definitely give it a look.
Clay Jam is an imaginative free-to-play game that has players amassing clay by rolling a ball over various colorful and wacky monsters. Players have to dig a trench for a ball to roll through by tracing a path ahead of it, and as it rolls over monsters, the ball gets bigger, enabling it to pick up bigger ones. In that way, it's a lot like Katamari Damacy, but be careful to avoid things that are too big, or else you'll just bump right off them and lose some clay. There are optional missions for each stage that reward extra clay, which can be used to unlock new levels and monsters. Clay Jam is a ton of fun, and though it's very kid-friendly, even us grown-ups will enjoy playing a few rounds. You'll be surprised by how good an app made of clay looks.
Hill Climb Racing isn't so much my pick, as it is my husband's pick for the week -- which is precisely why I'm choosing it. You see, my husband is what one would call a "gamer", but on the PC, on the iPhone or iPad, yet he is totally addicted to Hill Climb Racing right now. It's a physics based driving game where the goal is to drive as far as possible; it can be classified is a "runner" (only you're driving, not running). You must use the gas and break to control the speed of your car to prevent from flipping your car and breaking the driver's neck. Hill Climb Racing is both challenging and addicting.
I'm fully capable of not liking things that are brilliant. There are plenty of great movies, filled with incredible vision and talent, that just aren't to my tastes. By the same token, I adore quite a few things that, empirically, aren't very good, including terrible martial arts movies, and bad comic book adaptions. It's into that last category that Avengers: The Initiative falls. As a game unto itself, it's a poor -- really poor -- clone of Infinity Blade with nowhere near the tightness of control, and even more repetitiveness.
But right out the gate, you could play as the Hulk.
Read that again. Infinity Blade, but you could play as the %$#@ Hulk. Yeah. Smash.
And now a bad thing has gotten even better. Avengers: The Initiative has been updated to better support the iPad mini, as well as the Phone 5 and iPod touch 5's 16:9 widescreen. They've also added the Hulk's Mr. Fixit look from the classic Peter David era (though in green, not gray, sigh), added a new location, the Hydracarrier (think Hellicarrier but more neo-Nazi), and new enemies like the Task Master.
And they've added a new playable character, Captain America.
That's right. %$#@ Captain America.
Would that the their game-crafted skill matched their feature intentions!
But just like I enjoy the hell out of really cheesy movies and TV shows, I'm enjoying the hell out of Avengers: The Initiative.
Normally $6.99, but right now it's on sale for the cheap, cheap price of FREE.
Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below!
CODE RED ? Issued at 5:00pm Saturday, December 29, 2012
Good afternoon.? This is Mayor Carolyn Kirk with an important message from the City of Gloucester?s code red emergency messaging system.?
Effective at 8pm this evening, Saturday, December 29, the city has declared a snow emergency and parking ban on all city streets due to the arriving snow storm.?
From 8pm tonight until 5pm tomorrow, all vehicles are banned from parking on city streets.? Violators of this emergency declaration are subject to ticketing and towing at the owners expense.? Residents may park in municipal and school parking lots.?
All residents are reminded that they are responsible for clearing snow from sidewalks adjacent to their property.? Your cooperation during this parking ban is necessary for efficient and safe snow removal efforts.?
To repeat, the city of Gloucester has issued a parking ban on all city streets as of 8 pm Saturday, December 29.? The ban shall be in effect until 5pm tomorrow.?
Thank you for listening, and this concludes this message.??
About Joey C
The creator of goodmorninggloucester.org Lover of all things Gloucester and Cape Ann. GMG where we bring you the very best our town has to offer because we love to share all the great news and believe that by promoting others in our community everyone wins. This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Code Red, Gloucester Ma. Bookmark the permalink.
Ryan Vlastelica, Edward Krudy and Doris Frankel, Reuters
Investors fearing a stock market plunge if the U.S. tumbles off the "fiscal cliff" next week may want to relax.
But they should be scared if a few weeks later Washington fails to reach a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling as that threatens a default, another credit downgrade and a financial markets panic.
Market strategists say that falling off the cliff for any lengthy period -- which would lead to automatic tax hikes and stiff cuts in government spending?--?would badly dent both consumer and business confidence, but?it would take some time for the U.S. economy to slide into recession. In the meantime, there would be plenty of chances for lawmakers to make amends by reversing some of the effects.
That has been reflected in a U.S. stock market that has still not shown signs of melting down. Instead, it has drifted lower and gotten more volatile.
In some ways, that has let Washington off the hook. In the past, a plunge in stock prices forced the hand of Congress, such as in the middle of the financial crisis in 2008.
"If this thing continues for a bit longer and the result is you get a U.S. debt downgrade ... the risk is not that you lose two and half percent, the risk is that you lose ten and a half," said Jonathan Golub, chief U.S. equity strategist at UBS Equity Research in New York.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said earlier?this??week that the United States will technically reach its debt limit at the end of the year.
'Tremendous fight' The White House has said it will not negotiate the debt ceiling as in 2011, when the fight over what was once a procedural matter preceded the first-ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, but it may be forced into such a battle again. A repeat of that war is most worrisome for markets.
Markets posted several days of sharp losses in the period surrounding the debt ceiling fight in 2011. Even after a bill to increase the ceiling passed, stocks plunged in what was seen as a vote of no confidence in Washington's ability to function, given how close lawmakers came to a default.
Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's lowered the U.S. sovereign rating to double-A-plus, citing Washington's legislative problems as one reason for the downgrade. The benchmark S&P 500 dropped 16 percent in a four-week period ending Aug. 21, 2011.
"I think there will be a tremendous fight between Democrats and Republicans about the debt ceiling," said Jon Najarian, a co-founder of online brokerage TradeMonster.com in Chicago.
"I think that is the biggest risk to the downside in January for the market and the U.S. economy."
There are some signs in the options market that investors are starting to eye the January period with more wariness. The CBOE Volatility Index, or the VIX, the market's favored anxiety indicator, has remained at relatively low levels throughout this process, though on Thursday it edged above 20 for the first time since July.
More notable is the action in VIX futures markets, which shows a sharper increase in expected volatility in January than in later-dated contracts. January VIX futures are up nearly 23 percent in the last seven trading days, compared with a 13 percent increase in March futures and an 8 percent increase in May futures. That's a sign of increasing near-term worry among market participants.
Consumers don't appear at all traumatized by the fiscal cliff talks, as yet. Helping to bolster consumer confidence has been a continued recovery in the housing market and growth in the labor market, albeit slow.
The latest employment take will be out Friday, and the Labor Department is expected to show jobs growth of 145,000 for December, in line with recent growth.
Consumers will see their paychecks affected if lawmakers cannot broker a deal and tax rates rise, but the effect on spending is likely to be gradual.
Negotiations ongoing President Barack Obama met with?congressional leaders from both parties Friday?for discussions about the fiscal cliff, and the House of Representatives is set to convene Sunday and continue working through the New Year. Obama has proposed maintaining current tax rates for all but the highest earners.
Options strategists have noted an increase in positions to guard against weakness in defense stocks such as General Dynamics, as those stocks would be affected by spending cuts set for that sector. Notably, though, the PHLX Defense Index is less than 1 percent away from an all-time high reached Dec. 20.
This underscores the view taken by most investors and strategists: One way or another, Washington will come to an agreement to offset some effects of the cliff. The result will not be entirely satisfying, but it will be enough to satisfy investors.
"Expectations are pretty low at this point and yet the equity market hasn't reacted," said Carmine Grigoli, chief U.S. investment strategist at Mizuho Securities USA. "You're not going to see the markets react to anything with more than a 5 to 7 percent correction."
Markets, for the most part, have not shown the same kind of volatility as in 2008 or 2011.
A gradual decline remains possible, Golub said, if business and consumer confidence continues to take a hit on the back of fiscal cliff worries. The Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence fell sharply in December, a drop blamed in part on the fiscal issues.
"If Congress came out and said that everything is off the table, yeah, that would be a short-term shock to the market, but that's not likely," said Richard Weiss, a Mountain View, Calif.-based senior money manager at American Century Investments.
"Things will be resolved, just maybe not on a good time table. All else being equal, we see any further decline as a buying opportunity."?
Posted by Abigail Aaronson on 12/26/12 ? Categorized as Health and Fitness
When you have a hearing test, you may learn that there is the potential for you to lose some or all of your ability to hear. You may be worried about what this will mean for you. There is no doubt that workplace noise levels are often one of the key problems affecting those who have hearing issues. Yet, there is something you can do about it. You can take steps to prevent the problem from getting worse. To do so, you simply need to realize what is causing the problem. Then, you must minimize the risk. Most employers are happy to work with you, because your suggestion may improve everyone?s working conditions.
Protecting Your Ears
One of the most important things you can do, even before you have a hearing test, is protect your ears from harsh noises. Noise is any sound that is above the healthy sound levels. The loudest healthy sounds are about as loud as a washing machine. Sounds louder than that can begin to cause damage to the inner ear, especially if they are heard for long periods of time. Additionally, very loud sounds, like the sound of a hand drill or the sound of a gunshot can cause damage must faster or with just one exposure.
To protect against this type of sound, wear earplugs when you are at work. These will block out some of the sounds you hear. Most of the loud sounds will be more acceptable when you have these devices in place. Your employer may even have to provide these to you, according to OSHA standards. If not, ask about them.
Minimize Exposure
Another step you can take to prevent further damage to your inner ear is to minimize your exposure to loud noises. If your hearing test revealed even minimal loss, doing this now can help to prevent the situation from getting worse. Minimize the length of time you are exposed to any noise. You may want to take a long break from duties that require you to be in loud situations. You should also avoid exposure to loud sounds for good.
By doing these things, you can prevent losing your hearing to any further extent. For many people, a hearing test can be an awakening. It can show them exactly what is happening. If your workplace is the problem for you, talk to your doctor about it. Find out what steps you can take to improve your situation.
Have a Sacramento, CA hearing testwhen you are concerned with how noise exposure is affecting you. For more information about preventative measures for hearing loss, please read the following: http://www.miracle-ear-sacramento.com.
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