Are you ready for retirement?

Retirement. It happens to everyone, but not everyone is prepared. We agree with Jonathan Clements, when he said,

“Retirement is like a long vacation in Las Vegas. The goal is to enjoy it the fullest, but not so fully that you run out of money.”

He hit the nail right on the head; retirement can be a great experience, but only if it’s arranged far ahead of time, especially in terms of fiscal planning.

Here is a list of 10 frequently asked questions, and the answers we found may surprise you.

• Where is the best place to retire?
1. According to US News, Flagstaff, Arizona falls under the top 10 most desirable locations to retire due to its consistently pleasant climate all year round, and frequent sunshine. Included into the batch are Boone, N.C, (for its mountainous landscape) and Walnut Creek in California (for its greenery – you may want to consider that retirees contribute to more than 25% of the population). Check also here.
• How much of my income goes into the system?
1. Based on the bloggers (and readers) from Get Rich Slowly, 10% of your paycheck is sufficient, if coupled with wise investments and early saving commitment. They call 10% a “convenient financial rule of thumb,” but we’d like to think of it as financial etiquette.
• Should I work after I’m retired?
1.  This question, drawn from TIME Magazine’s Five Big Questions About Retirement, is a major concern for those retirees who feel they’ll be bored to death (knock on wood) and would like to be active – even if that means they’ll still be working.
2. Our input? If you honestly cannot sit still and you’re in a financially sound place, then working would be a viable option. Not only will you be active (in both a mental and physical state), but you’ll also be supplementing your retirement savings with disposable income.

   But if you haven’t saved enough money, then we strongly advise you work. As Urban Institute says, “Staying on the job five years longer enables the average retiree to increase annual spending 56%.” In this case, this money will be your way out from constant worry once you’ve retired (though it won’t feel like it).
   

• What is a target-date fund, and should I get one?
1. According to ING Direct, a target-date fund, also known as a lifecycle fund, provides a simple pathway to retirement investing. You choose the fund in the year that is nearest to your expected retirement date. “The closer you get to your retirement date, the more conservative the fund’s investments will be.”

Now what to do with all those retirement records...

• Where should I keep all of my retirement documents? There are three approaches (we urge you to do all three) to storing your retirement documents, as well as the rest of your sensitive documents.

1. Storing online: like many in this digital age, moving toward online storage via cloud services is practical, is becoming increasingly safer, and makes data organization, well, easier. So once those retirement documents pile up — or get jumbled in your current stack of important paperwork — retrieving your information will be quick and painless (unfortunately, this excludes body aches). We know first-hand the advantage of online storage, as our customers benefit most from easy accessibility to their online data from their phone or computer, regardless of time and place.
2. Retaining hard copies: though your physical copies of your retirement documents are vulnerable to fire, flood, and the rest of Nature’s fury, you can share your retirement documents with your family or businessmen without the wary eyes of hackers surfing the web.
3. Placing on a personal hard drive: Another route you can take is backing up scanned copies of your data on an external hard drive. So if, for some strange reason, you’ve lost your online and original documents, you’ll be saved from the anxiety of having to restore your data. If you can’t decide whether to keep your files at home, with a lawyer, or with a probate court, lend your ears to NetPlaces.

So whether you’re preparing for the days winding down to your retirement, or you’re a retiree looking for ways to improve your life at this point onward, these tips will do the job for when you no longer have one.

We’re ecstatic to announce the winner of our Holiday Sweepstakes winner!

Drum roll, please…

Congratulations, Carina Hunt!

She’sjust as thrilled as us about this awesome trip! An opportunity to fly anywhere in the world? Who wouldn’t be!

Carina has agreed to an interview, which will be featured in our 2012 Newsletter, so check our blog, Facebook, and Twitter for when that’ll be published.

Find out why she entered, what she plans to do, and some other pretty exciting stuff… (And yes, she has Vegas somewhere in her sights!)

From,

The LifeCellar Team

Traveling is exciting. Why not enhance the experience by throwing equally exciting, yet unique travel accessories into the mix?

Here’s a quick review of travel items – some in vogue, some unheard of – that are sure to add thrill to your trips, while proving useful for your every activity.

Travel comfortably!

• The Travel Comfort Kit. Consists of a new pillow, eye mask, four compressed towels and ear plugs. Sounds like an absolutely comfortable plane trip!

Get a grip... of your luggage.

• The Luggage Grip. Ever find yourself standing at the luggage claim, fretting over which luggage is yours? Then stumbling to maneuver the bag for easy grabbing? Thankfully, this neat, two-in-one luggage grip and identifier has been masterfully created.

A new twist to traveling in style.

• Refillable Bottle Travel Set. Do you travel not only in style, but in scent? Then replenish your stock of body lotion, hand lotion, shampoo, and conditioner with these extraordinarily small bottles.

Networking and purifying at the same time? I'd call that a good deal.

• Credit Card Antibacterial Spray. Don’t let the unusual title dissuade you. Just imagine this: your cards and hand sanitizer, all in one! So after you shake hands with a fellow business acquaintance and offer your card — or perhaps after you make a purchase — you can immediately purge yourself from the amassed dirt on your hands.

Avoid attachment -- lint, hair, and all else!

• Travel Lint Sheets. Your lint-removal prayers have been answered! Travel with back up lint sheets to remove any lint or hair that adheres to your body throughout the course of the day. And yes, this means you can play endlessly with Spot, your cousin’s adorable puppy, while visiting.

Anything inflatable is something to be psyched about.

• Inflatable Ergonomic Travel Pillow. Ergo-what? Ergo, you must buy this pillow because of its soft-touch micro fleece material. Did we mention it comes with a carry pouch? How awesome.

Ladies, drop the heels & roll out these bad boys.

• Rollable Shoes. Sometimes, it’s just not feasible (or normal) to lug an extra pair of slippers or comfy shoes with you wherever your travel. These rollable shoes now make it possible! All you have to do is roll them up and throw them in your backpack or purse, then unroll them when you need them.

Never heard of the luggage strap? That's okay -- you can start the trend!

• The Luggage Strap. Quickly identify your luggage from a mile away with the fashionable luggage strap, available in seven stylish and discernible colors. You can’t go wrong with these heavy duty, wrap-around straps, which also have a place to put your information incase your luggage is lost.

All of these travel accessories can be found on ePromos, so not only are they fully functionally, but they also are available at unbelievable prices. Buy one, three, or all of these items now, and commence your amazing travel voyages!

It's time to get rid of those heaps of receipts!

Now that you’ve be swayed by the numerous benefits listed in yesterday’s post, you’re wondering how to take that first step into organizing all of your paper receipts so that they’re all in place and in order. The more organized your receipts are, the quicker you can find purchases and monitor your spending habits.

Step 1:

Perhaps use a clip to keep them together.

Step 2:

Ever get a completely illegible receipt?

Step 3:

Fold receipts so that they are quick to read.

Step 4:

Avoid the pile up. No matter what you do, make it your sole duty to put a firm stop to receipt clutter. Add onto your routine from Step 1; have a blocked time once every week to allocated to consolidating receipts from the days prior, then storing them into whatever filing system you have.

Store your receipts in a small, yet handy receipt filer.

So there you have it — four simple steps to reducing receipt clutter that bring you closer to financial management heaven. Embrace them. Stick to them. Then reap the benefits.

Is this how your receipts currently look?

You’re probably wondering, “Why should I save my receipts?” 

They’re cumbersome in large numbers. They seemingly multiply in wallets, pockets, purses, car compartments — you name it. And not to mention they’re not visually appealing (the mundane black/white color scheme can get a bit stale), especially those ridiculously long receipts you get after visits to the grocery.

Well, we’re hear to convince you to give receipts another chance.

Here are the six top compelling reasons that we found, and that we’d like you to consider:

1. They prove you made a purchase.
2. They permit you to make exchanges or returns.
3. They allow you to claim reimbursements.
4. They are the framework behind making tax deductions.
5. They can be used for budgeting means.
6. They enable you to track your transactions and help you avoid being overcharged.

Still not convinced? Still put off by the tediousness of managing and organizing receipts?

You can now scan your receipts.

We’ve got three innovative, new ways to help you handle your receipts as shoppers join the paperless age (or so New York Times calls it):

1. NeatReciepts: Mobile scanner for receipts, business cards, and more. A bit pricey, but it gets the job done. Plus, it looks really cool.
2. Billeo: Saves the confirmation pages, which are the modern day receipts, of online purchases. Every minute detail is saved, from confirmation numbers to the billing address.
3. alletronic: Links to your credit card or phone number so you can receive receipts, returns, and redeem coupons online once you’ve swiped your card.

Turn paper into digital receipts.

If you’re thinking, “I’m sold!” (no pun intended), then great!

Now… what should you do?

Check out tomorrow’s post on four effortless ways to get rid of the paper receipt clutter you currently have, then visit the above links as you transition into paperless management.

How can you battle car theft? With vigilance.

One must be vigilant in securing their car, in protecting themselves, and in shielding their critical life information. Though the number of car thefts has declined, according to the Natianal Insurance Crime Bureau, you shouldn’t entice burglars into your car with that expensive Gucci purse you left in plain sight, or with your iPod you left on the dashboard.

Here are practical tips to reduce your chances of being a victim:

Always lock your car, else find your car missing the next morning.

What to do:

• Lock your car. This is absolutely vital to preventing car theft. Leaving your car unlocked is like saying, “Hey, wanna steal my vehicle?”
• Park your car in a safe place. This means:
1. in a well-lit and public location
2. in a garage or in a gated area, or
3. in your drive way if none of the above are applicable. Car thefts typically target cars that are not in busy places so they can spend less time worrying and more time breaking into your car. Make ‘em think twice before stealing from your car!

• Keep windows completely closed. Besides preventing rain for getting in, you’ll be warding off the perils of crafty hands and slender clothes hangers.

• Utilize an alerting device. Newer cars usually have this feature built-in and operating when the car is locked, but you can always dupe criminals by buying a device that simply blinks. If thieves are being artful, why not fight fire with fire?

• Buy smart keys, or an entirely new car that uses smart keys. Not only are older cars more desirable for car thieves (since the parts have increased value due to age), but they are also much easier to break into, due to weaker security. By buying smart keys, which are keys that start the car without you actually inside it, or by buying a new vehicle that has this attribute, you’re fortifying your protection efforts.
• Install a GPS or tracking device. This is more for a post-car theft incident. With these components, you’ll be able to locate your car and assist the police in finding it.
• Get car theft insurance. This is a precautionary measure. If you’re unable to locate the car, or your valuables have been stolen, the theft insurance couldn’t be more fitting. Check out Insurance.com for more info on how to apply for car insurance and which to get.
• Buy a steering wheel lock. If car thieves are greeted with a lock in your steering wheel, they’ll be utterly disenchanted and will be discouraged to perform anything “illegal” to your car. Grainger has a wide selection of locks, suitable for all drivers.

Never, ever leave valuable in plain sight. Keep it plain and clean like so.

What NOT to do:

• Leave your car unattended. Yet another invitation to car robbers. You’re simply asking them to take your car off your hands.
• Leave your engine running. We understand the ease (and temptation) of stepping out of your car for a quick minute to grab that item you happened to forget, but trust us — it is not worth leaving your car on. It then becomes a  “to-go” car for robbers.
• Leave valuables, expensive, or desirable items open to the public eye. This is perhaps the most common mistake people make. People either forget about these items, or they overlook the appeal such valuables have for robbers. Most have the mindset that, “It won’t happen to me.” If you want to keep your possessions, you should shift into the “better safe, then sorry” frame of mind.

Interested in the top three stolen vehicles in the nation? Click here.

the conversion of paper documents into image files that are stored in an electronic repository.

Learn to embrace the digital world.

• Accessibility. With the invention of the Internet, you now have an offline and online location where you can store your documents. This gives you ultimate accessibility, so you can either retrieve a copy from your desktop without the web at the comfort of your home, or you can extract a file from the Internet easily from your laptop or even mobile phone — any device that has web-access.
• Simplicity.Your documents are either saved in one location, such as a folder or a cloud service on the web, or in numerous locations (especially if you’re a master at filing and organizing things). No more mounds of paperwork — everything is made simple through digitization.

Your files are in one, easy to find location.

• Retrieveability. Since everything is loaded into a particular location within the digital realm, it’s become much easier to retrieve necessary documents. Instead of scouring through tons of papers in your ponderous filing system at home, all you have to do now is simply perform a “search” for your document, and voila! Instant gratification.

• Usability. Nearly anyone can use it, be it for personal or business use. Whether you’re an individual who needs a place to store and share written poetry, or a large company who needs to manage and distribute sensitive information about their business’ analytics.
• Security. If you save your files on a hard drive or online, your data is far more secure than paper, as paper can easily be lost in disorganization, or destroyed by a fire.
• Shareability.  No longer do you have to travel to your clients’ home just to share information. Just shoot them an e-mail!
• Eco-friendly. Going digital is the same as going green — you eliminate paper waste by maximizing on limitless virtual space.

Concerns

There are some withstanding concerns over virtual security.

• Vulnerability. Thought it’s a great way to organize data, it doesn’t suit the tastes of everyone. Some companies are afraid that their digital information may be vulnerable to those sneaky hackers, as well as vexing viruses. If the encryption and passwords are weak, it’s possible for someone to infiltrate the system (often achieved through straining and meticulous decoding).

Top fear for data storage? Hackers.

• Expenses. Though digital documents save time and money by reducing the need to travel, there are expenses in modifying how we manage data via computers or the web. This could entail purchasing a scanner, as well as a document management program to store information. Not to mention, you may want to buy software for security measures.

• Counter-productivity. What may often occur is an overload of information, due to poor data organization and storing data incorrectly. One thing leads to another — for some people, their computer becomes an incomprehensible fix.

Though the pros completely outweigh the cons, these points definitely give you some issues to mull over.

Want to read about a case of data security? Here’s an article from Internet News that targets the U.S. Senate for need for better data protection. Or maybe you want to make that transition to the digital world — if so, visit Digital Documents to get started.

Have you heard about this recent technological advancement? If not, here’s the scoop the story (thanks to BBC News) of a Canadian man and his plight at the airport…

On December 3, 2011, Martin Reisch, an unassuming traveler, realized that he forgot his passport before his flight to the US. However, due to wise planning on his part (and a tad of luck), he remembered that he had a scanned copy of his passport on his iPad.With quick thinking, he pulled out his iPad (they should coin the term “iPassport”!), and the agent readily allowed him into the terminal.

Picture of the passport on Reisch's iPad

Though there is some debate over whether Reisch was truly permitted into the premises without his original documents, this event wonderfully outlines the possibilities of digital documentation.

What’s your take on this matter? Do you think digital copies of passports and other travel documents should be sanctioned? How do you feel about digital documentation in general?

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on the major benefits to managing documents in the virtual world, as well as a few of the common drawbacks.

Hello everyone!

Just a heads up for everyone who entered our holiday sweepstakes:

With all the craziness accompanied by life, it is inevitable that the volume of incoming data in your daily activities will increase. And with each piece of information that gets thrown your way, you’ve realized the importance of organizing data to keep your life manageable.

So what exactly is data management?

Data management is the process of organizing, storing, retrieving, and maintaining the data you collect. This term applies to any and all forms of activity, be it researching for a paper or doing lab work. In either case, monitoring data becomes equally significant as being able to consolidate and manage data.

There are various tools for data management, but we’d like to stick to the basics.

Tools of the Trade

The classic, Excel

 The oldie, but goodie: Excel.

Use

• Excel is a great formatting tool.
• Excellent for manipulating data.
• Great for simple to complex data management – essentially used for keeping track of data via spreadsheets.

Likes:

• Very versatile program.
• Easy to plot, retrieve, and share data, thus increasing ability to interpret the content
• All the data is represented visually, allowing for a smoother analytic approach
• Charts and data can be quickly converted into a web page
• Simple and practical way to compare data through use of pie charts or bar graphs

The signature look: cell spreadsheet

Dislikes:

• The vast lines betwixt the rows and columns of cells can get quite dull and uninspiring for some
• Not everyone has experience with Excel, especially regarding advanced calculative features
• Likewise, the many features of Excel, such as the function formula, can pose as intimidating and daunting to learn or master

Here’s a link to “Excel Basics for Beginners.”

The data-storing alternative: Access.

The alternative: Access

Use

• Access works like any other database by storing and condensing related information.
• Essentially, you’re creating connections (commonly called relationships) between different things.
• You keep track of data via tables.

Likes:

• The product: the crème de la crème of spreadsheets (that is, if you put in quality time and effort into making the tables)
• The global editing through queries enable countless editing capabilities.
• Puts the user in the mindset of the “relational” perspective, creating powerful reports and records for an array of information

A look at a relational design in Access

Dislikes:

• Steep learning curve (especially compared to Excel)
•  The process of inputting data can be strenuous and requires meticulousness
•  The mathematical calculations via queries and report designs are cumbersome methods, and editing is equally difficult

Here’s a link on the how-to’s of Access.

So…what do you use to track your data?