Monday, November 12, 2012

Reader Question: I'm Maxing Out My IRA, Now What?

Non Deductible IRAThank you everyone for continuing to send me great questions to answer each week! ?This question comes from Suzanne, who is in an awesome financial situation! ?I hope to be in her shoes very soon, and it?s something that I think everyone should aspire to be in!

?

The Question

Robert, I was hoping that you could help me figure out what to do next. ?I?ve been taking full advantage of my employer 401k at work, and I?ve also maxed out my Roth IRA this year. ?I?m expecting to get a bonus next month in December, and want to continue to invest it, but I?m not quite sure where the best place to put my money is now? ?What should I do with my investments now?

?

The Answer

First off, awesome job Suzanne on maxing out your IRA while still taking advantage of your 401k at work. ?That is a great achievement. ?When it comes to what to do next, you have three basic options, which you can do individually or combine as well.

?

Option 1 ? Max Your 401k Past the Match

The first option that you may want to consider is putting more into your 401k, regardless of whether your employer matches your contribution. ?In your email, you weren?t clear if you were just contributing to get the employer match, or if you were contributing and were going to hit the current year limit of $17,000.

If you?re just contributing to get the max, AND you are happy with the investment choices that your company offers and fees they charge, consider contributing more to your 401k to get closer to the max. ?A 401k is a great way to save, even if you don?t get a match, because your contributions are tax deferred and your account will grow tax deferred until your withdraw the funds in retirement.

?

Option 2 ? Open a Non-Deductible IRA

The next option is to open a Non-Deductible Individual Retirement Account (IRA). ?The non-deductible IRA, just like a Roth IRA, allows you to contribute up to $5,000 per year. ?The account is similar to a Traditional IRA in that your growth and gains aren?t taxed until retirement. ?The difference between a Non-Deductible IRA and Traditional IRA is the tax deduction you take on your taxes ? you just can?t do it with a non-deductible IRA.

The benefit of using a non-deductible IRA is that you still get the tax benefits of your investments growing a tax-deferred vehicle. ?Depending on the investments you select, this could be very helpful.

?

Option 3 ? Open a Standard Brokerage Account

Finally, you have the option of investing in a standard brokerage or investment account. ?These accounts are fully taxable, and there is no limit to the amount you can invest, or the types of investments you can hold in these accounts. ? The biggest concern is that you will pay taxes on all gains and income derived from these investments each year. ?This means it is very important that you select tax-efficient?investments for standard brokerage accounts.

?

Which option do you think Suzanne should take?

Source: http://thecollegeinvestor.com/4897/reader-question-maxing-ira/

Al Smith Dinner Herman Melville Books American Horror Story Kyna Treacy x factor x factor megan fox

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Diabetes study: 'Mindful eating' equals traditional education in lowering weight and blood sugar

ScienceDaily (Nov. 8, 2012) ? Eating mindfully, or consuming food in response to physical cues of hunger and fullness, is just as effective as adhering to nutrition-based guidelines in reducing weight and blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

In a comparison study of the effectiveness of the two types of behavioral interventions, participants lost about the same amount of weight -- an average of between 3 1/2 and 6 pounds -- and lowered their long-term blood sugar levels significantly after three months.

One treatment group followed an established diabetes self-management education program, with a strong emphasis on nutrition information. The other group was trained in mindful meditation and a mindful approach to food selection and eating. Both interventions, involving weekly group meetings, also recommended physical activity.

"The more traditional education program includes general information about diabetes, but with more emphasis on nutrition and food choice: What are different types of carbohydrates and fats and how many am I supposed to have? What should I look for when I read a food label? What are healthy options when dining out? That was the traditional diabetes education program," said Carla Miller, associate professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University and lead author of the study.

"We compared it to an intervention where mindful meditation was applied specifically to eating and food choices. This intervention group did not receive specific nutrition goals. We said we want you to really tune into your body before you eat. Take a few minutes to assess how hungry you are and make conscious choices about how much you're eating. Stop eating when you're full.

"We studied two very different approaches, and we found they both worked. This means people with diabetes have choices when it comes to eating a healthy diet," Miller said.

The research is published in the November issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Participants were adults between age 35 and 65 years and had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes for at least one year. To be eligible, they had to have a body mass index, a measure of weight relative to height, of 27 or more, indicating they were overweight, and a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reading of at least 7 percent. HbA1c measures blood glucose levels in the previous two to three months; normal HbA1c is 5.6 percent or lower.

Study participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group. Twenty-seven completed the mindful eating program, and 25 completed the traditional diabetes self-management program called "Smart Choices." Each intervention involved eight weekly and two biweekly 2 ?-hour sessions with trained facilitators.

Trainers of the mindfulness program encouraged participants to cultivate "inner wisdom," or mindful awareness related to eating, and "outer wisdom," which referred to personal knowledge of optimal nutrition choices for people with diabetes. Each session included guided meditation oriented toward participants' experiences and emotions associated with food. Participants received CDs for help with home meditation practice.

"We have so many environmental cues to eat in America that we've tuned out our normal physiological signals to eat. Being mindful means stopping long enough to become aware of these physiological cues," Miller said. "We also tried to generate awareness, staying in the moment, and living and eating in response to hunger instead of habits and unconscious eating."

The mindful intervention also included basic information about what is known as medical nutrition therapy: the relationships among calories consumed, carbohydrate and fat intake, weight regulation and high blood sugar.

In contrast, the Smart Choices program focused specifically on the condition of diabetes itself, including factors that can lead to the diagnosis, common complications (which include heart disease, kidney and nerve damage, eye problems and stroke), the importance of blood sugar control, and appropriate food choices when blood sugar levels spike. Every session included a medical nutrition therapy discussion such as calorie-intake goals, percentages of carbohydrates and fats in an ideal diet, and portion control. Many sessions included a 15- to 20-minute walk to further emphasize the recommendation for regular physical activity. Problem-solving regarding choosing healthy foods in high-risk situations, such as the holidays, were a focus of the program.

The interventions took place over three months. Researchers assessed participants' health measures and dietary habits immediately after the programs concluded and then again three months later at the study's end.

Weight loss and improvements in HbA1c levels were similar for both groups at the six-month follow-up point. Smart Choice participants as a group lost more weight, an average of 6 pounds, than did the mindful eating group, which lost an average of 3.5 pounds -- but the difference was not significant when analyzed statistically, Miller said.

HbA1c levels dropped in both groups as well, by between about 0.7 and 0.8 percent. "That was a clinically meaningful reduction in Hba1c, equivalent to what you would get on some diabetes medications," Miller said. "If the reduction were sustained over time, it would mean a dramatic reduction in complications associated with diabetes."

Both groups also similarly reduced calorie intake and lowered their consumption of foods with a high glycemic index, which are digested quickly and can drive up blood sugar.

Miller said that because nutrition education is particularly important to people with a new diabetes diagnosis, she sees the mindful meditation and eating option as a potential supplement to basic diabetes education that patients need.

She also said that participants adapted well to the concept of mindfulness even though it is generally considered an alternative health practice.

"One of the things we were evaluating was how well this was accepted by people who had no experience with it. It was very well accepted by participants in that group," she said. "And this tells us that people with diabetes have choices.

"The fact that both interventions were equally effective suggests that we should let people choose. If mindful meditation is appealing and people think that approach is effective, then it very well could be the best choice for them."

This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Co-authors include Jean Kristeller of Indiana State University; and Amy Headings of the Department of Human Nutrition, Haikady Nagaraja of the Division of Biostatistics and Fred Miser of the Department of Family Medicine, all at Ohio State.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ohio State University. The original article was written by Emily Caldwell.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Carla K. Miller, Jean L. Kristeller, Amy Headings, Haikady Nagaraja, W. Fred Miser. Comparative Effectiveness of a Mindful Eating Intervention to a Diabetes Self-Management Intervention among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Pilot Study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2012; 112 (11): 1835 DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.07.036

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/6iXdC19IUXg/121108181136.htm

fergie one republic michael dyer suspended new years ball drop new years rockin eve new york times square jaws

The right pace of neural development protects against autism and intellectual disability

The right pace of neural development protects against autism and intellectual disability

Friday, November 9, 2012

Neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders are marked by mutations that impair signaling between neurons. These mutations cause key brain circuits involved in learning and memory to develop too quickly, leading to long-lasting behavioral and cognitive deficits, according to a study published by Cell Press in the November 9th issue of the journal Cell. The findings could pave the way to new treatment strategies for severe forms of neurodevelopmental disorders.

"We have provided perhaps the first evidence that acceleration of certain neural milestones is just as disruptive as delay in the same milestones," says senior study author Gavin Rumbaugh of Scripps Florida. "These studies have far-reaching implications for how we will treat these severe forms of neurodevelopmental disorders."

Autism spectrum disorders are often accompanied by intellectual disability, and these disorders are linked to harmful mutations that affect proteins responsible for regulating the communication between neurons. A deficiency in one of these proteins, known as SynGAP, can lead to severe forms of these disorders, but it has not been clear how mutations affecting this protein alter the development of brain circuits and behavior.

To answer this question, Rumbaugh and his team inactivated one copy of the SYNGAP1 gene in mice to cause a deficiency in the protein. By two weeks of age, these mice showed a dramatic and premature increase in the communication between neurons in the hippocampus?a critical brain region for learning and memory. As a result, the mice were hyperactive, showed learning deficits, and were prone to seizures, similar to human patients.

These behavioral and cognitive abnormalities persisted even after the researchers restored normal levels of SynGAP in adult mice, suggesting that this protein exerts its effects on cognitive maturation only during a narrow developmental window. Thus, mutations that affect SYNGAP1 can cause neural networks to become miswired early in development and to resist repair during adulthood.

"Our results imply that very early intervention is essential in certain neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly for cognitive symptoms," Rumbaugh says. "We believe that certain pharmacological or genetic treatments initiated in this sensitive developmental window will greatly benefit our model mice, and hence could be translated into patients."

###

Cell Press: http://www.cellpress.com

Thanks to Cell Press for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 19 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125179/The_right_pace_of_neural_development_protects_against_autism_and_intellectual_disability

stock market world war z brooke burke jennifer lawrence the voice Barbara Palvin ariel winter

Friday, November 9, 2012

Internet Marketing Tips For A Successful Online Presence | Free ...

Internet marketing is essential for any business owner in this day and age. There are so many ways to market your business and so many ways to reach new customers. Often, these methods are both cheap and effective. You can use the advice outlined in this article to get started with Internet marketing and grow your business.

Receiving and sustaining your customer?s trust is imperative. When designing your marketing communications and promotions, include only the information which can be supported by facts. Client testimonials, user reviews, and expert endorsements must be documented to remain effective.

Avoid believing that Internet marketing is going to replace your day job right from the get go. If you are skilled with Internet marketing, you can consider turning it into a career.

More subscribers means higher profits. You can use a split test to find out what works best. A split test offers one version of a web page to a group, and a different version to a second group. You?ll discover which methods are working best when you look at the subscription numbers for each site version.

Make sure you have a way to figure out your detailed statistics. This information should encompass traffic, conversions, sales, refunds and anything else that is measurable. Keep detailed records and statistics to guide your choices when choosing ways to launch Internet marketing campaigns.

Include content that is rich and original on your site. You will attract search engines better by packing your site with loads of rich content. You not only have better results with the search sites, but your audience will be more satisfied with what they find when they visit your site.

Look into testing the emails that you send out to see what your customers think and how they respond. One way to do this is with split testing, also called bucket testing or A/B testing. Make an email campaign, and change one singular thing in it to make a variant. For instance, you may draft two separate subject lines, calls to action, or intro paragraphs. Send out each version to an equally-sized random subset of your customers, and measure the success. If one version has a clear advantage over the other, use that one going forward.

Feature comments from your customers about your products on your site. Many people enjoy reading what others have to say about a product. It also makes them trust your company a bit more.

Make sure you follow up with your customers. Have them leave a review or answer a survey a few days after purchasing.

Press releases are a good strategy to get the word out on the product you offer. If you can write clear, crisp and informative press releases, there are many sources available online that will publish you and release your material to certain niche markets. You can boost your presence in this way.

Create a video in which you demonstrate the item that you are selling. By doing this, customers can watch you literally trying the product out. You can show your audience the benefits of using the product, and highlight features that are difficult or impossible to describe in text. After you make the video, post it to several sites including Youtube, blogs, and Facebook.

No longer is Internet marketing a luxury; it?s now become a necessity. Those with an online business have to use it if they want to make money. By including these tips in business plan, you will maintain high visibility on the Internet and increase the profitability of your business.

Productive Network Marketing Success is surely a requirement to be successful in your web and real world business. Acquire fantastic networking recommendations on this site ? Ugettingbetter.com

Source: http://www.businesslistingnow.com/blog/internet-marketing-tips-for-a-successful-online-presence/

meet the press steelers vs broncos chris herren jay z patsy cline pierre thomas beyonce gives birth

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Five Year Review: Lending Club Notes Outpace Stocks and Bonds ...

For most of us, five years may not feel like a whole lot of time. But for many investors, the past half-decade probably felt interminable. Let?s recap a little of what investors have experienced over the last five years:

  • After hitting a high in 2007, the stock market dropped by more than 50% until it bottomed out in 2009.[i]
  • The S&P 500 also saw a doubling in its volatility, as measured by standard deviations, at the bottom of the bear market in 2007-2009.[ii]
  • Large-scale bankruptcies like those of Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual launched a meltdown of the financial industry that?s still being felt today.
  • Greece, Italy, and Portugal currently teeter on the brink of extreme financial distress.

Not the sunniest picture, is it?

How The Past Five Years Have Impacted Investors

I?m no macroeconomics expert, but from where I sit, it sure looks like there is more uncertainty ahead. After five years, what does the average long-term, buy-and-hold investor have to show for his experience (beyond some massive financial bruising and a growing distrust of the stock market)?

Well, for starters, markets haven?t really gone anywhere. I think it?s fair to describe the after-effects of the past five years as:

  • feelings of loss of control (NYT)[iii]
  • expectations of further chaos (BMO)[iv]
  • more young investors planning to pull money out of the stock market (NYT)[v]
  • trust in the financial profession at a historical low (EdelmanTrustBarometer)[vi]

Does that sound a bit like you, your friends, your family??

It?s been a long slog in the markets, and as a result, many investors are now searching for a better way to invest.

Lending Club: A Novel Idea That?s Generated Five Years of Consistent Returns

Contrast the experience of stock market investors with the experience of investors in Lending Club Notes over the past five years. Lending Club has produced positive quarterly returns since inception?for 21 straight quarters.[vii]

It was five years ago that our company first began offering borrowers a better alternative to high APR loans from faceless credit card companies. When Lending Club opened its doors for business, it did away with many of the inefficiencies of the credit business by making lending more transparent and convenient.

It was a novel idea that consumers would be able to borrow money to consolidate their debt, do home improvements, pay for life events?anything, really?and that investors should be able to invest in their credit. More novel still was that in the process of doing so, borrowers could now access personalized credit at rates that were frequently materially lower than those being offered by credit card companies.

On the other side of the coin, after five years in business, Lending Club has also turned many of us into lenders. Individuals now have the opportunity to invest in [viii] notes that are tied to numerous personal loans, supporting an innovative lending platform and earning market-beating returns in the process. Heck, if you are looking for an investment for your retirement planning, you can even invest? in Lending Club Notes by opening an IRA now. [ix]

Lending Club Investors? Performance Over the Past Five Years

In contrast to the roller coaster ride experienced by stock market investors over the past five years, Lending Club investors should be quite satisfied with performance they?ve seen.

Below, we?ve compared the five-year performance of a composite of all Lending Club Notes with the performance of an S&P 500 ETF ($IVV)[x] and a High Yield Corporate Bond ETF ($HYG)[xi]:
Total Return chart

1. Source: www.ishares.com. The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the S&P 500. Presumes dividends from dividend paying equities in the index were reinvested. Results are net of fees and expenses of the ETF.

2. Source: www.ishares.com. The iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the iBoxx Liquidity High Yield Index, a corporate bond index compiled by Market Indices Limited. Presumes interest payments and principal were reinvested. Results are net of fees and expenses.

3. Presumes selection of a portfolio matching overall performance of the portfolio of the Lending Club platform as a whole, taking account of defaulting Member Dependent Notes and servicing fees and presuming reinvestment of all principal and interest payments into additional Member Dependent Notes with matching performance. Actual performance of any portfolio of Member Dependent Notes by an investor may vary. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Average Annual Return chart

1. See disclosures in table above for information regarding the descriptions and general methodologies of the iShares IVV and HYG ETFs. Source: www.ishares.com.

2. For 2007, results are annualized based on total returns from July 2007 through December 2007. For 2012, results are annualized based on total returns from January 2012 through September 2012. All results are net of fees and expenses.

Range of Total Returns chart

1. See disclosures in table above for information regarding the descriptions and general methodologies of the iShares IVV and HYG ETFs. Source: www.ishares.com.

2. For 2007, results are annualized based on total returns from July 2007 through December 2007. For 2012, results are annualized based on total returns from January 2012 through September 2012. All results are net of fees and expenses.

What you can see from the data is that Lending Club Notes have had higher total returns, higher average returns, and higher minimum returns than the S&P 500 and a representative index of high-yield corporate bonds.

True, there weren?t any massive one-year returns with Lending Club Notes, but neither were there any one-year slumps. Instead, over the past five years, Lending Club Notes have provided consistent returns for investors from 8.5% to 10.1% annually.[xii]

In fact, 93% of Lending Club investors with 800+ Notes earn net annual returns between 6% and 18%, and 100% of investors with 800+ Notes have experienced positive returns. (800 Notes can be purchased with a minimum investment of $20,000).[xiii]

We?d say those are some pretty impressive numbers.

There Is a Better Way: Solid Returns with Lower Volatility

In addition, Lending Club investors haven?t seen a great deal of volatility in their returns over the past five years. Returns were stable and consistent, with 21 consecutive months of positive returns.[xiv]

As Lending Club celebrates our five-year anniversary, we look back and congratulate our investors who have been able to perform so well with us. We also look forward to the future and hope that investors who have struggled in the stock market will stop by and give our platform a try.

We are standing by...

What has your experience been with Lending Club notes? We?d love to hear from you in the comments!

?


[vii] Based on platform performance as of October 16, 2012.

[xii] Based on platform performance as of October 16, 2012.

[xiii] Return calculations based on accounts that have invested in 800 or more unique borrowers. 800 Notes can be purchased with $20,000. All data as of October 16, 2012. The availability of Notes/unique borrowers is dependent on your investment criteria. There is no guarantee that you will be able to invest in 800 or more Notes/unique borrowers promptly, if at all. The foregoing is not directed to the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or investment needs of any particular person and should not be considered investment advice. You should consider reviewing the prospectus with a financial advisor prior to investing. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

[xiv] Based on platform performance as of October 16, 2012.

Print This Post?Print This Post

Source: http://blog.lendingclub.com/2012/11/07/five-year-review-lending-club-notes-outpace-stocks-and-bonds/

oklahoma state santonio holmes raheem morris winter classic mt rainier caucus stanford vs oklahoma state