We Need to Inform and Prepare Ourselves for the Baby Boomer Retirement Era and for a Better Tomorrow! (Reprint from 2012)

The Baby Boomers are aging and it is critically important that we understand the approaching New Era. The Baby Boomer generation was born between 1946 and 1964. With an average of 4 Million born per year, the total is about 78 million Americans. They grew up with Elvis, the Beatles and Disco. They experienced Vietnam, Civil Rights, Equal Rights and Freedom. Now, they are approaching retirement. The first wave turned 65 in 2011. They all will turn 65 between 2011 and 2029.

With life expectancy in America being 75 for men and 80 for women, the majority of baby boomers will die between 2026 and 2044. As our Boomer generation is entering into this stage, it is also important to understand other statistics.

Five Statistics about American Baby Boomers that will Shock You: 1. 40% of Americans do not contribute to a voluntary Retirement Savings Plan nor do they have a Traditional Pension Plan(Employer Funded). This is primarily due to the fact that since the Reagan years, the majority of Businesses no longer provide the Traditional Pension Plan. Instead they offer voluntary retirement savings plans. Additionally, 50% of those with voluntary Retirement Savings Plan access (borrow/withdraw) and often deplete these funds prior to retirement.
2. 40 - 50% of people currently on Social Security rely ENTIRELY on their social security payments as their SOLE income.
3. 70 - 75% of Americans today start claiming social security at 62, the earliest moment they are eligible, many because they do not have any other income.
4. 25 - 40% of Boomers SAY they are postponing their retirement and plan on continuing to work "until they drop" because they do not want to rely on social security as their sole means of income.
5. Studies indicate that after age 65, those that retire at 55 have a 40% higher risk of death than their counterparts that retire at 65.

Illness After Retirement and Healthcare: Let's think about these numbers. When you retire, most people only have about 10 - 15 years left to live. When you stop working, you are more likely to become ill and require healthcare. The top 5 causes of death of the elderly in America are:
1.Heart Disease 2.Cancer 3.Lower Respiratory Disease 4.Diabetes 5.Alzheimers
Hospitalizations of the elderly for these illnesses are extensive and costly.

Look at the chart. From 2020 - 2040, we will have massive numbers of retired Baby Boomers who will rely entirely upon Social Security as their primary source of income. Many/most of these retirees will experience chronic illnesses, particularly the Top 5 illnesses listed. Who will care for these impoverished, ill, elderly Americans? Many will not be able to take care of themselves. We only have about 10 years to think about this before we suffer the severe impact of this crisis.

In 2012, we are at a Crossroads. The Republicans have already announced their plan. However, there is another choice: 1. The Republican Choice - Hysteria: We can Cut, Cut, Cut. We can CUT Social Security and we can CUT Medicare as the Republicans are advocating. We can let the Baby Boomer retirees fend for themselves and ship them off to ill-equipped "old folks homes" as we did before and during the Big Depression, prior to Social Security and Medicare.

- or -

2. The Better Choice - A Plan for a Better Tomorrow: Let's HONOR our Seniors!
We cannot allow the Republican scare tactics to drive us into a deeper hole in the future. What we can do is think about the needs of our elderly. Within the next few years, we are going to face severe Labor shortages. We need to refocus on Education in our Country and provide incentives for those that major in the needed jobs of tomorrow. Additionally, instead of allowing restrictionists to DRIVE OFF FUTURE IMMIGRANTS, we need to figure out how to increase the number of new immigrants we are going to need to staff the jobs of tomorrow.

AMERICAN JOBS NEEDED from 2020 - 2050:
. Healthcare: Hospital workers, Doctors, Nurses, Home Care, Hospice; Hospital Equipment; Administration; Food Service
. Pharmaceuticals: Pharmacists, Product & Development, Production
. Insurance: Administration, Sales, Service
. Investment, Retirement Wealth Management: Administration, Sales, Service
. Housing: Retirement Homes; Apartments for the elderly
. Energy: since more people will be living (illness)/working from home
. Innovation: Product Development for items critical to the elderly
. Call Center Workers for each of these industries
. Small Businesses specializing in care for the elderly (There will be incredible opportunities for entrepreneurs)
These jobs cannot be outsourced. These jobs will remain in the U.S. because the elderly live here. We also must remember: these on-shore American jobs will all pay Income Taxes and Social Security taxes. They will replenish the funds where they are needed most. These jobs will create more jobs. There will be plenty of room for Innovation, Product Development, Customer Service and Manufacturing too. There will be plenty of sources for new income. The Boomer Retirement Era will move us out of our current economic crisis and into a new stage of prosperity for America. That is, if we understand what our future holds in store for us and plan for the needs of our Seniors. We cannot cut them off from their Social Security and Medicare. Instead, we should plan for a better future for all of us as we head into a brighter tomorrow.
President Obama, I ask you to deliver this message to the American Public. Help us all understand what the future holds in store for us and help us understand that TOGETHER we will all prepare ourselves for a better tomorrow!
(Reprint from January, 15, 2012)

Help Baby Boomers! Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform Now!

America, we need to pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform Now! We need workers and taxpayers to help us as our Baby Boomers enter their Senior Years. Look at the chart. Even now, Seniors (60+) outnumber every other age group except for school age children. By 2028, Aging Seniors will be over double the size of most other age groups.
The U.S. will be facing massive Labor Shortages starting in the next Five Years, particularly in the Medical and Healthcare fields. These jobs cannot be outsourced overseas. These jobs must be done here, in America.
There will be a massive need for Elder Care homes and facilities. Many small business will grow and thrive in these fields as long as we have workers who are trained and will do the jobs.
However, there are two obstacles our country needs to overcome in order to fill the demand:
1. People in America to do the jobs: We need young, hard working people.
2. Education and Training: We need to start them on their Training and Career paths now.

We must start our efforts now. We should encourage our children to enter into the Medical Field. Additionally, Comprehensive Immigration Reform and the Dream Act will allow us to increase our number of U.S. Workers. The Dream Act will allow us to encourage young people to enter into the Medical Field.

The Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) addresses Educational and Training needs for ALL Americans, including New Americans brought in through CIR.
If we work together to find solutions, we can meet our future needs. This includes encouraging our children/young people to become trained and educated in these careers, not only for their sake but for all of our sakes, especially for WE BOOMERS.

The President's policies have saved us from the DEEP CHASM created by Republican policies. CIR, the Dream Act, ACA and other Presidential Policies will help guide us to resolving our job shortages in the future.

Dear Rand Paul & Ted Cruz, WE THE PEOPLE will NEVER allow you to Privatize Social Security!

Dear Rand Paul & Ted Cruz,
WE THE PEOPLE will NEVER allow you to Privatize Social Security!
Even though economists tell us Social Security will be solvent until 2033, Republicans are INSISTENT that Social Security be replaced by a privatized program within the next 10 years. While this would provide a WINDFALL of PROFITS for their Rich, “One Percent” Owners of Private Investment Companies, anyone who has studied Social Security, Retirement Programs and the Baby Boomer demographics knows their privatization recommendation is both ridiculous and heartless.

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reports that for nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of elderly beneficiaries, Social Security provides the majority of their cash income. For more than one-third (36 percent), it provides more than 90 percent of their income. For one-quarter (24 percent) of elderly beneficiaries, Social Security is the sole source of retirement income.

Back in 1980s, four out of five private-sector workers were covered by traditional pensions that paid retirees a fixed monthly benefit based on their salary and length of service once they retired. The majority of employers STOPPED providing pensions in the 1990s. Now, less than one in five workers has a pension, leaving 401(k)s and similar privatized employee funded retirement savings accounts as the primary vehicles for retirees to supplement their Social Security benefits..

These statistics tell us that if the Republican’s recommendation to privatize social security passes and Seniors are left without Social Security or an Employer sponsored Pension Plan, over 65 percent of our Seniors will NOT have enough income to SURVIVE!

There are two major problems with a Privatized replacement to Social Security. They are:

1. Today, the average monthly social security payments are between $1500 - $1800 a month. This means that a retiree would have to save $250,000 - $300,000 in their Privatized replacement to Social Security retirement savings account. Today, fewer than 10% of retirees have saved enough in their PRIVATE 401(k) plans to replace their current projected Social Security payment.

WHY?

2. Because American workers HAVE ACCESS to their PRIVATE Retirement Savings Accounts and are DEPLETING them. More than one in four American workers with a 401(k) and/or other retirement savings accounts are accessing them to pay current expenses. Additionally, this percentage is growing every year. Those in their 40s have been the most likely culprits — one-third are turning to such accounts for relief. This tells us that if Americans have access to their retirement funds, which they will with Private Retirement plans, 25% - 50% will deplete their funds prior to Retirement and over 90% will NOT have sufficient savings to replace the Social Security payments Seniors are receiving today.

I tremble to think what will happen IF the Republicans are successful in ENDING Social Security as we know it and PRIVATIZE and DEMOLISH such a successful SAFETY NET for our Seniors.
WE ALL HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO OUR SENIORS. IT IS PART OF OUR SOCIAL COMPACT. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THE GREEDY ONE PERCENT AND THEIR REPUBLICAN GO-FERS TO PRIVATIZE SOCIAL SECURITY. For all of you who love your parents and your Grandparents and yourselves as you grow older – PLEASE don’t allow them to do this!

Why We Must NEVER Follow the Republican Plan to Privatize Social Security

Even though economists tell us Social Security will be solvent until 2033, Republicans are INSISTENT that Social Security be replaced by a privatized program within the next 10 years. While this would provide a WINDFALL of PROFITS for their Rich, “One Percent” Owners of Private Investment Companies, anyone who has studied Social Security, Retirement Programs and the Baby Boomer demographics knows their privatization recommendation is both ridiculous and heartless.

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reports that for nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of elderly beneficiaries, Social Security provides the majority of their cash income. For more than one-third (36 percent), it provides more than 90 percent of their income. For one-quarter (24 percent) of elderly beneficiaries, Social Security is the sole source of retirement income.

Back in 1980s, four out of five private-sector workers were covered by traditional pensions that paid retirees a fixed monthly benefit based on their salary and length of service once they retired. The majority of employers STOPPED providing pensions in the 1990s. Now, less than one in five workers has a pension, leaving 401(k)s and similar privatized employee funded retirement savings accounts as the primary vehicles for retirees to supplement their Social Security benefits..

These statistics tell us that if the Republican’s recommendation to privatize social security passes and Seniors are left without Social Security or an Employer sponsored Pension Plan, over 65 percent of our Seniors will NOT have enough income to SURVIVE!

There are two major problems with a Privatized replacement to Social Security. They are:

1. Today, the average monthly social security payments are between $1500 - $1800 a month. This means that a retiree would have to save $250,000 - $300,000 in their Privatized replacement to Social Security retirement savings account. Today, fewer than 10% of retirees have saved enough in their PRIVATE 401(k) plans to replace their current projected Social Security payment.

WHY?

2. Because American workers HAVE ACCESS to their PRIVATE Retirement Savings Accounts and are DEPLETING them. More than one in four American workers with a 401(k) and/or other retirement savings accounts are accessing them to pay current expenses. Additionally, this percentage is growing every year. Those in their 40s have been the most likely culprits — one-third are turning to such accounts for relief. This tells us that if Americans have access to their retirement funds, which they will with Private Retirement plans, 25% - 50% will deplete their funds prior to Retirement and over 90% will NOT have sufficient savings to replace the Social Security payments Seniors are receiving today.

I tremble to think what will happen IF the Republicans are successful in ENDING Social Security as we know it and PRIVATIZE and DEMOLISH such a successful SAFETY NET for our Seniors.
WE ALL HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO OUR SENIORS. IT IS PART OF OUR SOCIAL COMPACT. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THE GREEDY ONE PERCENT AND THEIR REPUBLICAN GO-FERS TO PRIVATIZE SOCIAL SECURITY. For all of you who love your parents and your Grandparents and yourselves as you grow older – PLEASE don’t allow them to do this!

The U.S. will be facing massive Labor Shortages starting in the next Five Years in the Medical and Health fields

The U.S. will be facing massive Labor Shortages starting in the next Five Years in the Medical and Healthcare fields. This is primarily due to the aging Baby Boomer Population. The vast majority of these jobs CANNOT be Outsourced. They require hands-on support. These jobs are in the Medical and Healthcare fields. There will also be a massive need for Elder Care homes and facilities. Many small business will grow and thrive in these fields.
However, there are two obstacles our country needs to overcome in order to fill the demand:
1. Education and Training
2. People trained to do the jobs

The Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) addresses the Educational and Training needs.
WE THE PEOPLE will fulfill the Trained People need, if we work together to find solutions. This includes encouraging our children/young people to become trained and educated in these careers, not only for their sake but for all of our sakes, especially for WE BOOMERS. WE SHOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE THE DREAMERS TO STUDY AND WORK IN THE MEDICAL FIELD.

The President's policies have saved us from the DEEP CHASM created by Republican policies. The ACA and other Presidential Policies will help guide us to resolving our job shortages in the future.

 

DECISION 2012: We Need to Inform and Prepare Ourselves for the Baby Boomer Retirement Era and for a Better Tomorrow!

The Baby Boomers are aging and it is critically important that we understand the approaching New Era. The Baby Boomer generation was born between 1946 and 1964. With an average of 4 Million born per year, the total is about 78 million Americans. They grew up with Elvis, the Beatles and Disco. They experienced Vietnam, Civil Rights, Equal Rights and Freedom. Now, they are approaching retirement. The first wave turned 65 in 2011. They all will turn 65 between 2011 and 2029.

With life expectancy in America being 75 for men and 80 for women, the majority of baby boomers will die between 2026 and 2044. As our Boomer generation is entering into this stage, it is also important to understand other statistics.

Five Statistics about American Baby Boomers that will Shock You:
1. 40% of Americans do not contribute to a voluntary Retirement Savings Plan nor do they have a Traditional Pension Plan(Employer Funded). This is primarily due to the fact that since the Reagan years, the majority of Businesses no longer provide the Traditional Pension Plan. Instead they offer voluntary retirement savings plans. Additionally, 50% of those with voluntary Retirement Savings Plan access (borrow/withdraw) and often deplete these funds prior to retirement.
2. 40 - 50% of people currently on Social Security rely ENTIRELY on their social security payments as their SOLE income.
3. 70 - 75% of Americans today start claiming social security at 62, the earliest moment they are eligible, many because they do not have any other income.
4. 25 - 40% of Boomers SAY they are postponing their retirement and plan on continuing to work "until they drop" because they do not want to rely on social security as their sole means of income.
5. Studies indicate that after age 65, those that retire at 55 have a 40% higher risk of death than their counterparts that retire at 65.

Illness After Retirement and Healthcare:
Let's think about these numbers. When you retire, most people only have about 10 - 15 years left to live. When you stop working, you are more likely to become ill and require healthcare. The top 5 causes of death of the elderly in America are:
1.Heart Disease 2.Cancer 3.Lower Respiratory Disease 4.Diabetes 5.Alzheimers
Hospitalizations of the elderly for these illnesses are extensive and costly.

Look at the chart. From 2020 - 2040, we will have massive numbers of retired Baby Boomers who will rely entirely upon Social Security as their primary source of income. Many/most of these retirees will experience chronic illnesses, particularly the Top 5 illnesses listed. Who will care for these impoverished, ill, elderly Americans? Many will not be able to take care of themselves. We only have about 10 years to think about this before we suffer the severe impact of this crisis.

In 2012, we are at a Crossroads. The Republicans have already announced their plan. However, there is another choice:
1. The Republican Choice - Hysteria: We can Cut, Cut, Cut. We can CUT Social Security and we can CUT Medicare as the Republicans are advocating. We can let the Baby Boomer retirees fend for themselves and ship them off to ill-equipped "old folks homes" as we did before and during the Big Depression, prior to Social Security and Medicare.

- or -

2. The Better Choice - A Plan for a Better Tomorrow: Let's HONOR our Seniors!
We cannot allow the Republican scare tactics to drive us into a deeper hole in the future. What we can do is think about the needs of our elderly. Within the next few years, we are going to face severe Labor shortages. We need to refocus on Education in our Country and provide incentives for those that major in the needed jobs of tomorrow. Additionally, instead of allowing restrictionists to DRIVE OFF FUTURE IMMIGRANTS, we need to figure out how to increase the number of new immigrants we are going to need to staff the jobs of tomorrow.

AMERICAN JOBS NEEDED from 2020 - 2050:
. Healthcare: Hospital workers, Doctors, Nurses, Home Care, Hospice; Hospital Equipment; Administration; Food Service
. Pharmaceuticals: Pharmacists, Product & Development, Production
. Insurance: Administration, Sales, Service
. Investment, Retirement Wealth Management: Administration, Sales, Service
. Housing: Retirement Homes; Apartments for the elderly
. Energy: since more people will be living (illness)/working from home
. Innovation: Product Development for items critical to the elderly
. Call Center Workers for each of these industries
. Small Businesses specializing in care for the elderly
(There will be incredible opportunities for entrepreneurs)

These jobs cannot be outsourced. These jobs will remain in the U.S. because the elderly live here. We also must remember: these on-shore American jobs will all pay Income Taxes and Social Security taxes. They will replenish the funds where they are needed most. These jobs will create more jobs. There will be plenty of room for Innovation, Product Development, Customer Service and Manufacturing too. There will be plenty of sources for new income. The Boomer Retirement Era will move us out of our current economic crisis and into a new stage of prosperity for America. That is, if we understand what our future holds in store for us and plan for the needs of our Seniors. We cannot cut them off from their Social Security and Medicare. Instead, we should plan for a better future for all of us as we head into a brighter tomorrow.
President Obama, I ask you to deliver this message to the American Public. Help us all understand what the future holds in store for us and help us understand that TOGETHER we will all prepare ourselves for a better tomorrow!