Internet Marketing and Your Old Age

Everybody wants to learn how to make money on the Internet. What about saving money for retirement and your future? If you don't do it, who will? Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank, recently confronted the U.S. Congress about the cost of future retirement benefits.

You may recall the 1999 Tom Hanks film, "The Green Mile". This film adaptation of Stephen King's novel provides just a couple of comparisons to current economics and Alan Greenspan. Greenspan's comments before Congress sometimes equal the length of "The Green Mile" (3 hours), but his testimony won't evoke tears unless you're a baby boomer, soon to be a Social Security beneficiary.

In "The Green Mile", Hanks plays a prison guard charged with the care of death row inmates. He treats each "death row" convict with care and Southern civility. In order to avoid stretching parallels to the movie, I will observe only that Mr. Greenspan, born in New York City (March 6, 1926; send him a card) is civil when Congressional Committees question his opinions.

"The Green Mile" ends at the hot seat for convicts. Alan Greenspan's February 25, 2004 testimony leads to an economic, political, and social hot seat: Social Security benefits. I suggest you read the full text of his testimony found at: http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs estimony/2004/20040225/

Now to "The Green Span" hot seat comments about Social Security:

**We sing Happy 62nd Birthday to the first baby boomers in 2008
**50% of them may retire at age 62
**Everyone's gong to live longer
**Social Security costs will escalate
**Funds to pay may not meet the demand

What does this mean to you? Well, it's motivation to make that site sell while saving toward retirement. Further, every site generating cash flow, may do so for years and years, if managed wisely. This means qualifying for retirement does not force you to retire. Cash flows can continue for your life time.

However, saving for retirement still makes sense. It saves you taxes now and later. Furthermore, an aging population living longer means Social Security benefits may be reduced when you become eligible. So, start saving now by starting any one of the following methods.

**Individual Retirement Account: You may contribute up to $3,000 in 2004, $4,000 in 2005-2007, and $5,000 in 2008 and beyond. When you reach age 50, "catch-up" provisions allow you to contribute an additional $500 in 2004-2005 and $1000 in 2006 and beyond. This means your IRA contribution in 2006 may be up to $6,000.
**If your Internet web site incorporated, you may have an employer sponsored plan. The Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE plan) "SIMPLE plan contribution for 2004 amounts to $9,000. This increases incrementally to an "adjusted" $10,000 in 2006.
**A SAR/SEP and 401(k) let you contribute up to $13,000 for 2004 (the maximum in 2006 is up to $15,000) Employer sponsored plans also allow "catch up" provisions for workers over age 50. For example, an employee over age 50 may contribute a "catch up" contribution of $3,000 for 2004 (the maximum "catch up" contribution is $5,000 in 2006).

IRA accounts and employer accounts may be opened at banks and brokerage firms. Check with your tax adviser and financial consultant first.

Social Security provides for basic needs during retirement. Make sure your resources permit the lifestyle you want by saving for your retirement now.

Ray Randall is a registered investment advisor with Ethos Advisory Services, Essex, Massachusetts http://www.ethosadvisory.com. He writes a weekly newsletter for Ethos Advisory Services, and is the webmaster for Echievements . You may write to him or call (877-895-3756).

You have permission to this article either electronically or in print as long as the author bylines are included, with a live link and the article is not changed in any way. Please provide a courtesy e-mail to charles@thestockopolyplan.com telling where the article was published. (Word Count 501)



For a successful retirement investment plan to work in the stock market, some ‘reasonably sure’ assumptions would have to be made:

The retirement investment plan must take into consideration the one prevailing constant in any stock market security – risk and uncertainty. Understanding that risk and uncertainty
are the key factors that propels the return on investment in the stock market far beyond the returns of Passbook Savings Accounts, CD’s or Bonds are a start. The plan’s key factor would be to use the risk and uncertainty of a stock market security to its advantage.

The retirement investment plan should be founded on the belief that no one can successfully retire without financial freedom. Therefore, the retirement investment plan’s main role would be to supply you with income during your retirement years, while
also taking into consideration the risk of inflation. This should be accomplished without having to touch the principle.


The retirement investment plan would require discipline to accomplish its goal. The goal should be clear and specific, and the discipline necessary to accomplish the goal, just as clear and specific. Also, the retirement plan should not be financially out-of-reach, allowing as little as 100 dollars to
begin, with as little as 10 dollars a quarter to continue.

The retirement investment plan’s return on investment should be aimed toward providing income, and the income from the holdings in the plan should accelerate every week of the year,
until retirement. This should be the case, no matter what the price of the security at any given time in the market place.


The retirement investment plan should be proven to you. Once proven, you must have the confidence in yourself to carry the plan forward. This do-it-yourself confidence means that the
retirement plan’s ROI benefits only you and your family and no one else. A no-fee plan enhances the return on investment, allowing every cent put into the plan to work for you.

Companies owned in the retirement investment plan should have a historical record of raising their dividend every year. Therefore, a future dividend increase for the 10th or the 35th consecutive year in a row can be ‘reasonably sure.’ The guide
for the selection of each security is its historical performance of rising dividends every year.

To receive the best return in the retirement investment plan, all companies in the plan would be purchased commission-free. All dividends from the companies would purchase more shares of each company commission-free. Therefore, every cent earned in ever-increasing cash dividends every quarter and any extra
cash put into the retirement plan would work toward increasing the cash dividend.

Why bother beginning a retirement plan is best expressed, in my opinion, by a quote by Charles Kettering:

“I expect to spend the rest of my life in the future, so I want to be reasonably sure of what kind of future it’s going to be. That is my reason for planning.”

To read the PREFACE from the book ‘The Stockopoly Plan – Investing for Retirement’ visit http://www.thestockopolyplan.com