As strapped as you might think you are, you must find a way to sock as much money away in your IRA or 401(k). Consider this:

Having to sell your home to pay for long term care in retirement. 65% of adults aged 50-70 are worried about this issue.

Not having enough money to carry you through the rest of your life. 1.2 million is the magic number according to a survey of adults aged 24 to 40.

Becoming a burden to other family members. (This would be my worst nightmare)

We must start taking control of our financial lives and accumulate wealth in tax enhanced plans in order to protect ourselves and our future. We take vitamins and medications to stay well, why would we not do the same for our financial health? To learn more about getting financially fit with investments you know and understand to secure your financial freedom, visit www.theentrustgroup.com.

If this sounds like you, here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. You can’t time the bottom. Realize the property you might buy today may continue to go down. Focus on finding the perfect investment and start with a bid of at least 10% below asking. Remember the price is the seller’s first offer.

2. Have your financing in place before you buy. Mortgage rates are low right now and are expected to go up, that is, if you can get a mortgage in this market. Look to private financing as a tool.

3. Buy in areas with good schools. When the market was hot, the areas with good school systems were selling at top dollar. Chances are when the market rebounds, those same areas will be the first to rise, so if you are in the market, focus on the best areas you can afford.

4. If you work with a Realtor, make sure they have your best interest at heart. Remember, in most cases, real estate agents are paid by the seller. You want to make sure the agent working with you takes care of you, too.

Happy Hunting!

For all the folks with cell phones. (This should be printed and kept in your car, purse, and wallet. Good information to have with you.) There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST: Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND: Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other ‘remote’ for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk). Editor’s Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!’

THIRD: Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.

FOURTH: How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone’s serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: *#06#. A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won’t get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can’t use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

And Finally….

FIFTH: Free Directory Service for Cells
Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don’t have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800)FREE411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now. This is the kind of information people don’t mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends.

Last week as I was flying across the country, I sat next to a man working on his computer. He was an older, dignified gentleman who walked on board with a cane and a computer.

As they were serving our drinks we got to talking. The man manages a sales force for a computer company. This was his first trip back….from retirement. He is 72 years old. Here is his story.

Michael retired two years ago as a CFO for another company. He played golf. He and his wife traveled the world until he broke his hip. It was while he was recovering from hip replacement surgery that his wife asked Michael, “When will you go back to work?”

He does not need the money. Michael started to think about what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. It was not golf, gardening or panning for gold. He said, “Look at Grandma Moses. She started painting at age 77 and continued until her death at the age of 101!”

Michael realized he missed the rush of doing the deal. He loves being out with people and having those “power” lunches. He realized that living a happy and fulfilled life is a goal. Retirement may be one way of doing that, but there are many others.

He called some of his connections from his past life and found this management position with the computer company.

“I feel like I have been reborn,” Michael said and it showed. It looked like he was truly enjoying himself.

Michael’s parting words were cute and relevant for those out there who want to work till the day they die. “People should not retire just because society tells them to. Sure, it is great for some, but I gotta a lot of love and livin to do.” And with that, he went back to work!

There is a message here for all of us. We should be in charge of our own destiny, our own financial, physical and emotional well being. It is up to you and me as individuals to achieve the dreams we set out for ourselves. No one else is responsible for our future but us. When we can determine our fate as to what we want to do with the rest of our lives, it makes the planning much easier and life more enjoyable!

As business owners, the example we set sends a clear message to our employees, contractors and business connections of our expectations. Here are 5 tips for ensuring you are communicating the message you desire and transforming your company.

1. Bring an “all things are possible” attitude to work. It will rub off.

2. Remember, management starts at the top. As a business owner, we get wrapped up in so many areas we forget to be accessible and manage those who manage others.

3. Set high standards. Make expectations clear and understandable. Mobilize your forces.

4. Give the staff and your organization time to do things right, encourage ongoing training and development.

5. Always do what you say you will. This is about performance, not intention.

Back to school is right around the corner. With the economy what it is, everyone is looking for a sale. However, be aware of those signs you see in the windows, “Buy one, get one free; lowest price ever; Sale; Limited time only” (you get the idea). They are not always what they appear to be. Retailers are struggling. They will use incentives to get us in the door. Watch out for advertising schemes that give you an emotional pull. Better yet, buy just what you need, not because it is on sale. If it is on sale, great, but by buying what you need, not what the retailer says you need, will save you money in the long run.

Women working full time receive 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity. Many feel that women are being discriminated against. Yes, there are instances where this is the case. However, career choices may be a bigger factor than equality. Librarians are better educated than electricians, but electricians make more money. That may not sound fair, but it’s the reality of the marketplace.

Even women in highly compensated professions such as law and financial services are more likely to choose pathways within those careers which allow them more family time. In fact, when the effect of marriage and raising children are eliminated, gender pay differences do, too according to a Congressional Office study.

How do we solve the pay inequity? It will solve itself. In just a few years, women will be earning 60% of all bachelor degrees making us increasingly competitive in the marketplace. Women are going into fields that are science and engineering related where there is not an issue of a pay differential. Guess the message here is: hang in there, it won’t be much longer!

As online opportunities grow and technology costs get cheaper, the successful female professional is learning that technology can go a long way to growing her business. Many of us still continue to be computer illiterate or uninformed. By taking a small risk and teaching yourself, you are helping your business expand and are marketing to audiences you may have never had the opportunity to develop.

Here are a few sites to help you along with your learning curve.

www.sba.gov
The Small Business Administration has a valuable web site full of internet and e-commerce tools to help you.

www.Work.com
This site provides an online guide on the internet and e-commerce basics. Can be especially valuable if you sell a product and want to use the web as a marketing vehicle.

www.Sbtechnologymagazine.org
Covers technology tips and trends for small businesses.

www.smallbusiness.yahoo.com
Yahoo’s Web hosting and e-commerce site.

www.smallbusiness.officelive.com
Microsoft’s online marketing and e-commerce tools.

Though a few of these sites are devoted to selling retail products, they have great information for marketing a product or services business.

With lower salaries and longer life expectancies coupled with an economic slowdown, saving for that rainy day has become more difficult for women than ever. Women are paid less than men for the same job done, life expectancies are longer, and our career time is shorter.

Women are great planners. We need to wake up to the fact that we must commit ourselves to a savings plan to avoid the “bag lady syndrome” in the future. The question is how?

Some of these suggestions maybe painful but we need to get moving now. A little sacrifice can go a long way. Here are three immediate ways to help you start saving today.

1. Buy only what you need, not what you want. Get out of debt and pay off those high interest rate credit cards as quickly as possible. Think, “Ddo I really need those extra pair of shoes?”

2. Establish a budget where you force yourself to save what you can. My daughter gave up smoking recently (I am very proud of her for doing this) and banks what she saves on not smoking a pack of cigarettes a day in her “piggy bank.” How about you? Most of us are strapped. By establishing a budget, you may find a few extra dollars here and there to put away for emergencies.

3. Start an emergency account. Research mutual fund companies for the lowest fees in the industry and establish a money market account. They pay a higher interest rate than the typical savings account or CD at the bank. This will help you to establish an emergency account where you can sock the extra money you budget for into an interest bearing account.

In a recent survey conducted by Employee Benefit Plans Research, 76% of workers age 55 and over have less than $250,000 in savings and investments which include their IRA. Less than 40% of U.S. households in 2006 even have an IRA, and less than 1 % know they can self-direct their IRA with investments that expand beyond the traditional stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Think gold, oil, gas and even “green investments”!

With longer life expectancies and rising health care costs, more than half of U.S. households will be financially unprepared for retirement. This is scary! Don’t let this be you! Open up your IRA plan today! www.theentrustgroup.com