The crash could start as early as the New Year - all because of a short-sighted law passed 38 years ago called ERISA.

And the scary part is, it doesn't matter if Congress compromises now or not. It's likely too late to stop it.

Here's what you need to know...

ERISA is a bill passed in 1974 that brought us IRAs and 401(k)s. And since then millions of workers have been stuffing money into these retirement accounts.

That's nearly 40 years of savings and wealth inside IRAs and 401(k)s. And almost half (48%) of that wealth is invested in the stock market.

Here's where it gets dangerous...

ERISA threatens retirees with losing 50% of their retirement account if they don't exit the stock market by age 70.

Once a retiree turns 70 and 1/2 years-old, starting the next April 1st they must start withdrawing at least the required minimum each year... or else pay a large penalty.

So what happens if a large demographic starts turning 70 all at the same time... like the baby boomers will in 2016?

They will leave and the stock market will tank. The sudden drop will cause more investors to leave the stock market, and the full-blown crash will be upon us.

Many baby-boomers, having passed age 65, are already retiring and taking their money out of stocks.

That's why many of the Ultra-Rich avoid the stock market altogether.

This free presentation reveals how they're investing instead. Including the one investment the top 1% are betting on right now.

In fact, just recently Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, referred to the stock market as a "platform for hackers" and a "recipe for disaster." That's another member of the Ultra-Rich jaded by the stock market.

To discover how the Ultra-Rich are choosing to invest instead - including strategies many in the middle class have never heard of - you need to watch this free presentation now.

Click Here to Watch Revealing Video

P.S. The MAJORITY of stock market trades are now made automatically by computers. The decisions are triggered by algorithms designed by companies like Goldman Sachs and "hackers" like Mark Cuban described.

That makes trading stocks like entering a lion's cage. Make sure to watch this free presentation to see what the Ultra-Rich are doing instead.

P.P.S. Did you know you don't have to invest your IRA and 401(k) in the stock market? There are ways to free the money inside and invest in safer investments like gold, income-producing real estate and more.

Light Menorah, Celebrate Holiday with Jewish Community Leaders  

CHICAGO - December 10, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn and Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today were joined by state legislators, Rabbi Avroham Kagan and Rabbi Daniel Moscowitz of Chabad Illinois and other leaders of the Jewish community for the state of Illinois' annual Hanukkah celebration. The governor and lt. governor led the group in lighting the menorah to commemorate the third night of this special holiday.

"Hanukkah is a joyous holiday that brings friends and family together in celebration," Governor Quinn said. "I wish those celebrating in Illinois a happy Hanukkah, and hope everyone in our state has a safe holiday season."

"This is the time of year when we all gather with our loved ones to celebrate our blessings. I would like to wish a happy Hanukkah to those who will light the menorah tonight, and a happy and healthy holidays to all," Lt. Governor Simon said.

Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, as well as the triumph of light and purity. When the Jews tried to purify the Temple upon reclaiming it, there was only enough oil to light the menorah for one day instead of the necessary eight. Miraculously, this small amount of oil lasted all eight days, which is why this holiday is also known as the Festival of Lights.

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today issued the following statement upon learning the bodies of Evansdale cousins Lyric Cook-Morrissey, 11, and Elizabeth Collins, 9, were positively identified today. The girls disappeared July 13 while on a bike ride.

"It was with great sadness that I learned of the deaths of Lyric and Elizabeth. I want to commend the thousands of family members, friends and volunteers who never lost hope that they might be found alive. With this closure now comes great grief. The thoughts and prayers of my administration go out to those affected by this terrible tragedy. I want to assure everyone that our Department of Public Safety will continue working with local law enforcement officers. We want justice served for the taking of these young lives."

Local communities report homelessness declined in Iowa

WASHINGTON - On a single night last January, 633,782 people were homeless in the United States, largely unchanged from the year before.  In releasing HUD's latest national estimate of homelessness, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan noted that even during a historic housing and economic downturn, local communities are reporting significant declines in the number of homeless veterans and those experiencing long-term chronic homelessness.

Meanwhile, local homeless housing and service providers in Iowa reported that the number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people decreased by 6.6 percent between 2011 and 2012.  Five states accounted for nearly half of the nation's homeless population in 2012: California (20.7 percent), New York 11.0 percent), Florida (8.7 percent), Texas (5.4 percent), and Georgia (3.2 percent).

HUD's annual 'point-in-time' estimate seeks to measure the scope of homelessness over the course of one night every January.  Based on data reported by more than 3,000 cities and counties, last January's estimate reveals a marginal decline in overall homelessness (-0.4%) along with a seven percent drop in homelessness among veterans and those experiencing long-term or chronic homelessness.

Donovan said, "We continue to see a stable level of homelessness across our country at a time of great stress for those at risk of losing their housing.  We must redouble our efforts to target our resources more effectively to help those at greatest risk.  As our nation's economic recovery takes hold, we will make certain that our homeless veterans and those living on our streets find stable housing so they can get on their path to recovery."

Theresa Porter, Deputy Regional Administrator for HUD's Region VII, added, "Behind every number is a family or an individual living in our shelter system or even on our streets.  While HUD and our local partners are working to reduce and eliminate homelessness, there are too many people struggling to find an affordable home to call their own."

During one night in late January of 2012, local planners or "Continuums of Care" across the nation conducted a one-night count of their sheltered and unsheltered homeless populations.  These one-night 'snapshot' counts are then reported to HUD as part of state and local grant applications.  While the data reported to HUD does not directly determine the level of a community's grant funding, these estimates, as well as full-year counts, are crucial in understanding the scope of homelessness and measuring progress in reducing it.

The Obama Administration's strategic plan to end homelessness is called Opening Doors - a roadmap by 19 federal member agencies of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness along with local and state partners in the public and private sectors. The plan puts the country on a path to end veterans and chronic homelessness by 2015; and to ending homelessness among children, family, and youth by 2020. The Plan presents strategies building upon the lesson that mainstream housing, health, education, and human service programs must be fully engaged and coordinated to prevent and end homelessness.

The decline in veteran homelessness in particular is attributed to the close collaboration between HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on a joint program called HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH).   To date, this targeted rental assistance program provided more than 42,000 homeless veterans permanent supportive housing through rental vouchers provided by HUD along with supportive services and case management by VA. The national estimate announced today reveal a particularly large decrease in the number of homeless veterans - more than 7 percent.

The reductions reported today are attributed in part to the impact of HUD's $1.5 billion Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP), a program designed to assist individuals and families confronted by a sudden economic crisis.  Funded through the Recovery Act, HPRP spared more 1.3 million persons from homelessness by offering them short-term rent assistance, security and utility deposits, and moving expenses.

Read HUD's 2012 Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness, including community-level data.

http://www.hudhre.info/index.cfm?do=viewResource&ResourceID=4726

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and  transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and  http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.