The Drawbacks of Lifestyle Funds or ETFS

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Lifestyle funds or ETFs offer advantages for many people, but they also can have unwanted repercussions or even leave you short of money in your retirement.

The concept of letting a manger handle your retirement account and allocate your investments based on your age sounds like a terrific idea… kind of like a one-stop, one-item market that fits all your needs. But does it?

The concept behind Lifestyle funds is simple: diversify your money into different stocks so your risk is spread out and then allocate it further based upon growth, stability and income producing stocks or bonds.

In this manner a young person would see his money going primarily into stocks or ETFs with substantial growth potential and a minor amount into income producing bonds.

A middle age investor investing in a Lifestyle fund would have his money spread out between growth, dividend producing stocks and bonds on an almost equal level.

A retiree would have her money primarily in bonds or other very secure stocks with high dividends levels so her balance remains stable while producing some, not a lot, but some income that at least comes close to or matches inflation. Of course, the actual balance of this account will now diminish as money is withdrawn to fund his or her life.

The danger with a lifestyle fund, in my opinion, is that you can actually end up short of money in retirement. Perhaps not at first, but as time goes by the Lifestyle ETF or fund is not growing, it is diminishing as you withdraw money while earning, hopefully an amount equal to inflation. But as we tend to live longer and longer, into our 80′s and 90′s, perhaps over a 100, a Lifestyle account that stopped growing, stopped holding growth stocks or ETFs when you first hit retirement age may run out of cash before we die.

Years ago, life expectancy after retirement was only 10 maybe 15 years, now we are seeing a retirement life that is approaching almost as many years as our “working life” span.

In order to be sure you have enough funds to support you in retirement an investment strategy needs to remain fairly aggressive for many, many years after you retire.

Obviously there are a number of ways to grow your retirement account and to keep it growing and viable throughout your life:

  • Use investment software to manage your account, even Lifestyle funds
  • Use Lifestyle Funds or ETFs
  • Retain an Investment Advisor

Using Investment software and self-directing your retirement account for safe profitable investing is something everyone is capable of doing as long as you have the desire.

Using Lifestyle Funds or ETFs can be the answer as long as you realize that you may have to pick funds that expire further out in years than when you plan to retire so your money continues to grow during your retirement years.

The other pitfall of locking into a Lifestyle Fund is that when the market declines the allocation and diversification may not protect you from major losses as the fund is ‘locked into its allocation’. In other words these funds rarely incorporate a Market Exit signal for when the market dives. This type of feature is something a good investment software program offers.

The choice of using Lifestyle Funds or ETFs is tempting as long as you understand the drawbacks. Monitoring them with an investment software program or a brokers evaluation system to compare one against another and against the market trends can help make these a viable choice for those with limited time to manage their future.

Furniture for Sale Is Music to the Ears If You Are Looking for Home Furniture

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Our homes and the things we have in them are an extension of our personalities. Therefore, any furniture we select for our homes, is by default an indicator of our personalities and individuality. Furniture for sale, whether for the dining room, living areas or bedrooms can be the perfect phrase to hear when we are about to select some new furniture. Our homes keep us safe, protect us from the elements and give us a feeling of being settled. We raise our families there, invite our friends to spend time with us, besides giving us the security we often crave.

A house is a series of rooms made up generally four walls, floors and ceilings. Describing a house like that makes it seem cold and uninviting. Of course, we decorate and furnish our homes to make them less cave like and more warm, welcoming and comfortable. Furniture for sale in any town, advert or online is an invite to browse, spend time over and ultimately select the best, most perfect pieces for our individual homes. Finding the right furniture can feel like a triumph. Just knowing we have the perfect piece for a particular area of our home is priceless.

Where do you start looking for furniture? My personal choice is online. I love browsing different websites and seeing what furniture for sale is out there. When looking at any furniture for whatever room, there is always something that catches your eye and sometimes even makes you catch your breath. Furniture enhances our home and it is therefore very important to us. We want our homes to be welcoming to others as well as comfortable and cozy for ourselves.

Many of us have budgets in mind when selecting new furniture for our homes. We plan, search and ultimately buy furniture we like and can live with. We cannot do without furniture for our homes, so it is important to select the right furniture for the right spot. From a simple coffee table to more bulky items like wardrobes and armoires, the best we can afford with furniture for sale is better. Some furniture may look very cheap, but it’s safe to say that often you get what you pay for.

Good well-built pieces of furniture can be costly, but that cost can often be justified with quality. An item of furniture that has cost a fraction of the cost of more pricey items is likely to have a much shorter lifespan. With furniture, you really do need to opt for reputable, companies. There is no substitute for quality when you are buying something you need to have in your home for a long time. Therefore, if furniture for sale is what you are in the market for; go and search and find the perfect things for your home.

Travel Planning & Immunization

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For some countries no immunizations are necessary, but the further off the beaten track you go the more necessary it is to take precautions. Be aware that there is often a greater risk of disease with children and in pregnancy.

Leave plenty of time to get your vaccinations before you set off: some of them require an initial shot followed by a booster, and some vaccinations should not be given together. It is recommended you seek medical advice at least six weeks prior to travel.

Record all vaccinations on a International Health Certificate, which is available from your physician or government health department.

Discuss your requirements with your doctor, vaccinations which may be required include:

Cholera:

Despite its poor protection, in some situations it may be wise to have the cholera vaccine eg for the trans-Africa traveler. Very occasionally travelers are asked by immigration officials to present a certificate, even though all countries and the WHO have dropped a cholera immunisation as a health requirement. You might be able to get a certificate without having the injection from a doctor or health centre sympathetic to the vagaries of travel in Africa.

Hepatitis A:

The most common travel-acquired illness after diarrhea which can put you out of action for weeks. Havrix is a vaccination which provides long term immunity (possibly more than 10 years) after an initial injection and a booster at six to 12 months. Gamma globulin is not a vaccination but is ready-made antibody collected from blood donations. It should be given close to departure because, depending on the dose, it only protects for two to six months.

Hepatitis B:

This disease is spread by blood or by sexual activity. Travelers who should consider a hepatitis B vaccination include those visiting countries where there are known to be many carriers, where blood transfusions may not be adequately screened or where sexual contact is a possibility. It involves three injections, the quickest course being over three weeks with a booster at 12 months.

Japanese B Encephalitis:

This mosquito-borne disease is not of great risk to travelers. It occurs in Asia. Consider the vaccination if spending a month or longer in a high risk area, making repeated trips to a risk area or visiting during an epidemic. It involves three injections over 30 days. The vaccine is expensive and has been associated with serious allergic reactions so the decision to have it should be balanced against the risk of contracting the illness.

Meningococcal Meningitis – Healthy people carry this disease; it is transmitted like a cold and you can die from it within a few hours. There are many carriers and vaccination is recommended for travelers to certain parts of Asia, India, Africa and South America. It is also required of all Haj pilgrims entering Saudi Arabia. A single injection will give good protection for three years. The vaccine is not recommended for children under two years because they do not develop satisfactory immunity from it.

Polio:

Polio is a serious, easily transmitted disease, still prevalent in many developing countries. Everyone should keep up to date with this vaccination. A booster every 10 years maintains immunity.

Rabies:

Vaccination should be considered by those who will spend a month or longer in a country where rabies is common, especially if they are cycling, handling animals, caving, traveling to remote areas, or for children (who may not report a bite). Pre-travel rabies vaccination involves having three injections over 21 to 28 days. If someone who has been vaccinated is bitten or scratched by an animal they will require two booster injections of vaccine, those not vaccinated require more.

Tetanus & Diphtheria:

Tetanus can be a fatal wound infection and diphtheria can be a fatal throat infection Everyone should have these vaccinations. After an initial course of three injections, boosters are necessary every 10 years.

Tuberculosis:

TB risk to travelers is usually very low. For those who will be living with or closely associated with local people in high risk areas such as Asia, Africa and some parts of the Americas and Pacific, there may be some risk. As most healthy adults do not develop symptoms, a skin test before and after travel to determine whether exposure has occurred may be considered. A vaccination is recommended for children living in these areas for three months or more.

Typhoid:

This is an important vaccination to have where hygiene is a problem. Available either as an injection or oral capsules.

Yellow Fever:

Yellow fever is now the only vaccine which is a legal requirement for entry into many countries, usually only enforced when coming from an infected area. Protection lasts 10 years and is recommended where the disease is endemic, eg Africa and South America. You usually have to go to a special yellow fever vaccination centre. Vaccination poses some risk during pregnancy but if you must travel to a high-risk area it is advisable; note that people allergic to eggs may not be able to have this vaccine.

Before you travel discuss immunizatio with your doctor.

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Online Education Schools – Getting Your Teaching Degree Online

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If you are an educator or plan to make your career as one, but you are unable to attend university full time, then you may want to consider getting your teaching degree online. There are many online education schools which offer you several online teaching degrees which can enable you to become an educator or a teacher and pursue your calling.

As an educator, you can find employment opportunities in several functions like an Elementary School teacher, a Middle School teacher, High School teacher, as a School Principal, as a Reading Specialist, a Private Tutor, and even as an Music Education Specialist. You can even work as a Kindergarten Teacher, a Teacher’s Aide, a Superintendent, an ESL (English as a Second Language) Teacher, and even a Special Education teacher.

For working in any of these positions, you will have to have a Degree in Education. There are several Bachelors Degrees in Education where you can specialize in either of these subjects.

If you are already working in any other job, or have family issues due to which you cannot attend classes full time at the university, then you may consider getting your Degree online. There are many colleges and universities which offer online degree courses. If you are already an educator and want to get your degree so that you can be certified to teach in your subject area, then too, getting a degree online will come in handy for you.

You can start off by getting a Bachelors Degree in Education and continue with a Masters and even a Doctoral Degree with an Education major. When you study for these degrees online, you can work while you are studying. The schedules can be quite flexible and you can pace yourself while you study. You can work through the course at a slower pace as well, if that makes balancing your life easier.

Nowadays almost all of the top universities offer courses online. You will be offered courses in the form of online classes and presentations which you can access online. You will also have to refer to several standard textbooks and reference books. You will typically be provided with the list of the books required for your study at the beginning of the course.