25 Mar 2015

Iowa's February Workforce Index Nation's Fourteenth Best: General Business Jobs Big Gainer

By Rick Martin

February Summary

  • Iowa's workforce index (WFI) ranked 14th best in the nation, an improvement from January's 15th best.
  • Iowa's job market, based on online openings, remains healthy.
  • In absolute numbers, the greatest numbers of online job openings were in management followed by sales, and next customer services positions.
  • As a percent of employment, the largest numbers of online openings were in engineering, finance, and then automobile sales and services positions.

Iowa WFI. AIM's February WFI climbed to a healthy 65.3 from 63.4 in January. The WFI is a statistically based measurement tool produced by AIM, a not-for-profit organization in Des Moines, Iowa. The Index is a ratio of unique online job postings and the number of unemployed in Iowa (not seasonally adjusted). The Index ranges between 0 and 100. A WFI below 50.0 indicates short-term job contraction while an Index above 50.0 indicates job expansion. At 65.3, Iowa's WFI indicates a very healthy level of on-line job openings.

Fading and improving areas. The occupations showing the greatest improvements from January were:  general business positions, nursing occupations, and customer services positions.  The occupations recording the largest declines from January were:  clerical occupations, finance jobs, and maintenance jobs.

Online Openings. In February, the largest number of open online positions in absolute numbers were in 1) management, followed by 2) sales, and then 3) customer services positions.  As a share of employment, the largest numbers of job openings in descending order were: 1) engineering openings, 2) finance positions, and 3) automobile sales and services positions.

State Rankings. In terms of WFIs Indices among the states, Nebraska ranked number one with the highest WFI. Nebraska was followed by Kansas at number two, Delaware at three, Minnesota at four, and North Dakota at five.  The state with the lowest index was Maine, followed by Mississippi at 49, and California at 48.  Rounding out the bottom five states were Rhode Island at 47 and Alaska at 46.   Iowa ranked as the 14th best in the nation, a decline from the state's 15th best in the nation for January 2015.

23 Mar 2015

Event Announcements - MRA Iowa/Illinois.

By Kathy Riley

Event Announcement:   

Event:           Project Management: The Human and Technical View  

Date:           Thursday, April 2, 2015 and Friday, April 3, 2015  

Time:            8:00 AM - 4:00 PM  

Where:         MRA - The Management Association  

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100  

Moline, IL  61265  

Cost:             MRA Members: $460; Nonmembers: $645   

This two day program, gain the know-how to lead projects to successful outcomes.  Participants will learn to implement a process for planning and completing any project, using a practical, hands-on approach.  Discuss the roles and responsibilities of a project manager, including managing the human dynamics of the team and stakeholders.  A communication-style assessment guides project managers to an understanding of the power of an adaptable style. Participants will be able to explain how to affect change and influence others as projects evolve.

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org.  

   

Event Announcement:   

Event:           Affirmative Action Plan Workshop  

Date:           Thursday, April 9, 2015 and Friday, April 10, 2015  

Time:            8:00 AM - 3:30 PM  

Where:         MRA - The Management Association  

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100  

Moline, IL  61265  

Cost:            MRA Members: $460; Nonmembers: $665  

 

During this two day workshop, you will receive the tools you need to write a federally-sound affirmative action plan from start to finish, including the preparation of all critical statistical analyses.  In addition to writing the plan, we discuss important affirmative action concepts and implementation requirements.  Our approach is unique.  First, the seminar is conducted by MRA's AA/EEO managers.  Second, this is one of the most "hands-on" and "interactive" seminars you will ever attend.  You actually prepare many elements of your plan during the seminar.

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org.

 

 

Event Announcement: 

Event:           Advanced Communication Series - The Art and Science of Excellence

 

Date:           Effective Communication - Beyond the Basics - Friday, April 10, 2015

Communication From The Inside Out - Friday, April 24, 2015

Right Brain/Left Brain Thinking -  Friday, May 15, 2015

 

Time:            8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

 

Where:         MRA - The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:             MRA Members: $885; Nonmembers: $1170 

 

During this three day series, you will push your communication skills to higher levels. In this series, participants will learn how humans take in and process language and information and the ways language and information drive our thinking and behavior.  This series will explore current science of the mind and its impact on language, behavior, understanding, and actions.  This highly interactive series seeks to move information to knowledge and then to action.

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org.

 

 

Event Announcement: 

Event:           Human Resource Professional Certificate Series

 

Date:           Session 1: HR Professional As Business Partner - Friday, April 17, 2015 (8:00 AM - 3:30 PM)

Session 2: HR Metrics: ROI For HR Initiative - Friday, April 24, 2015 (8:00 AM - 11:30 AM)

Session 3: Internal Investigations: A How-To-Guide - Friday, April 24, 2015 (12:30 PM - 4:00 PM)

Session 4: Fundamentals of Compensation - Friday, May 1, 2015 (8:00 AM - 3:00 PM)

Session 5: Finance Essentials For The HR Professional - Friday, May 8, 2015 (8:00 AM - 3:30 PM)

 

Where:         MRA - The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:             MRA Members: $1100; Nonmembers: $1490

 

This certificate series is designed specifically for those with at least 3 years of professional level HR experience and for experienced HR Professionals looking to improve their overall technical and management knowledge.  Prior completion of the Essentials of HR Certificate Series is strongly recommended.

During this five session certificate series, you will be building upon the technical skills gained in the Essentials of HR Certificate Series, this certificate series continues to grow your technical HR expertise, while focusing on key HR competencies of business acumen, collaboration, influencing, and work relationships.

HRCI Credit: 16.25 Business (Strategic)

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org

 

 

Event Announcement: 

Event:           Frontline Leadership Certificate Series

Date:           1. Motivation and Trust Building - Tuesday, April 21, 2015

2. Communication Skills - Tuesday, April 28, 2015

3. Effective Training Techniques - Tuesday, May 5, 2015

4. Resolving Conflict And Handling Difficult People Problems - Tuesday, May 12, 2015

5. Achieving High Impact Results - Tuesday, May 19, 2015

 

Time:            8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Where:         MRA - The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:             MRA Members: $1250; Nonmembers: $1700 

 

This five-day series is for those individuals who provide leadership or formal guidance to a work group without the power to hire, to fire, or conduct performance reviews. (They may be called group leaders, team leaders, coordinators, leaders of work groups, "go to" people, etc.) These employees often do the work while providing leadership to their work group. 

This series introduces the important principles of motivation, interpersonal communication, employee training, influencing others to achieve results, meeting organizational objectives, and resolving conflict. Using a combination of discussion, case study, and skill practice, participants are prepared to be more productive within their organization by developing their leadership skills. This series is also effective for individuals that are being groomed for a leadership-type role. 

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org

 

 

About MRA-The Management Association
Founded in 1901, MRA-The Management is a not-for-profit employer association that serves more than 4,000 employers throughout the Midwest, covering 800,000+ employees. As one of the largest employer associations in the nation, MRA helps its member organizations thrive by creating powerful teams and safe, successful workplaces. MRA conducts more than 2,000 learning events each year. Members of MRA also receive access to expert guidance, best practices, professionally facilitated roundtables, essential tools, and dozens of business services in the areas of human resources and training. MRA is headquartered in Waukesha, Wis., and has regional offices in Palatine, Ill.; Moline, Ill.; and Plymouth, Minn. To learn more and to become a member of MRA, visit www.mranet.org.

23 Mar 2015

Working Out A Safe-Money Strategy

By Ginny Grimsley

Financial Consultants Say Retirees Can Take Steps To Protect Savings From Vagaries Of The Market

As people creep into the retirement "red zone" - those years just before or right after they retire - it becomes more important than ever that they find ways to keep their savings safe.

Because at that point, their retirement picture will change significantly only if they lose a lot of money, says Chris Bennett, co-founding partner of The Abbott Bennett Group, (www.theabbottbennettgroup.com).

"They are not going to change who they are," Bennett says. "But if they lose a bucket of money, they are not going to go out to eat, they won't travel, they won't be able to leave money to their children and grandchildren. They will end up having to make sacrifices."

In other words, they won't be living the retirement they envisioned all those years they were saving a nest egg.

Having a "safe money" strategy is key to a secure retirement, say Bennett and Michael Abbott, CFO of the firm. It's important to be able to create an income stream that the retiree won't outlive.

There are several areas you and your financial professional can focus on as part of an overall "safe money" strategy, Abbott and Bennett say. Here are two examples:

• Rate of return vs. sequence of return. The average rate of return on an investment can be misleading, they say. That's because in reality how well you hang onto your money depends more on "sequence of return." That is, exactly when do those profits and losses come about?

To see how that might work, imagine a 50 percent loss followed by a 50 percent gain. That would appear to average out to a zero rate of return. But that's not how it would look in your portfolio, Bennett says. If you have $100,000, a 50 percent loss drops it to $50,000. The market rebounds with a 50 percent gain. But a 50 percent gain on $50,000 just increases that investment to $75,000, so you've still taken a loss.

Now consider that kind of activity over the course of your retirement as you are also withdrawing money from your savings to live on. Depending on when market fluctuations happened, you could take major hits. That's especially true if the dips come early in retirement when your savings are at their peak, and the rallies arrive late when there is less left in the account.

"One big downturn and that money could run dry," Bennett says.

Abbott and Bennett say there are tools that a good financial professional uses that can help people reduce the risk created by sequence of return.

• Maneuvering toward tax-free income. "Whatever the tax rates may be in the future, taxes can be a drag on your savings and may adversely impact your retirement security," Abbott says. So it's important to consider the tax implications of how you hold your assets.

Even those Social Security benefits that retirees draw can be taxed, but they don't necessarily have to be, Bennett says. Once again, a financial professional can review strategies that could help reduce or even eliminate the tax on that monthly Social Security benefit.

"It's possible to have tax-free income in retirement," Bennett says. "Talk about being in control. Then you can just enjoy your retirement with your children and your grandchildren."

About Michael Abbott and Christopher Bennett

Michael Abbott has two decades of experience assisting retirees with their 401(k)s and pension plans. He is co-founder of The Abbott Bennett Group, LLC, an independent financial services firm, where he serves as CFO. He is a lifetime member of MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table), an association composed of the world's best financial services professionals, and a member of NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors). He holds a Master of Estate Preservation designation.

Christopher Bennett is a 16-year financial professional who has served as CEO of The Abbott Bennett Group, LLC, since 2003. He holds a Certified in Long-Term Care designation, a Master of Estate Preservation certification, and is a lifetime member of Million Dollar Round Table). Chris is also a member of multiple chambers of commerce, and participates in the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. He has hosted and conducted hundreds of seminars and workshops.

23 Mar 2015

Avoiding A Government Head Fake On Retirement Savings

By Ginny Grimsley

Retirees Should Reconsider Strategies on IRA, 401K Withdrawals, Financial Advisor Says

A government rule on retirement savings may be tricking retirees into looking at their financial situations all wrong, says a financial advisor who specializes in retirement planning.

The rule says retirees can't leave money in their IRA or 401k accounts forever. At age 70½ they must begin making minimum withdrawals, even if they prefer to leave the accounts untouched.

"You are forced to take money out whether you want to or not," says Dave Lopez, a mathematics and computer science major who applies his analytical mind to solving retirement challenges.

And in reality, Lopez says, you should want to take out as much as possible. That's why he likens the rule to a head fake because it causes retirees to look at the situation from the wrong perspective.

"They get fixated on that minimum amount they must withdraw, so that's how much they end up withdrawing, leaving the bulk of their savings right there in the 401k or IRA," he says.

That's a mistake, he says, especially for people who hope to leave a healthy inheritance to heirs.

"If you keep taking out the minimum amount each year, it will just about guarantee you have a large amount in there at your death," Lopez says. "Under the current tax law, if you die and your IRA or 401k is left to your heirs, they are taxed on it at a high rate. With state taxes added in, it could be 40 to 45 percent."

The percentage could end up being even more, depending when you retire and whether tax laws change, he says.

If Congress and the president raise taxes, the government's share of your retirement savings would go up and the amount left to heirs would go down.

That's where it would be good for the middle class to take a lesson from wealthy retirees, who are less likely to fall for that head fake, Lopez says. They understand that they need to withdraw greater chunks from their IRA and 401k accounts, placing the money in tax-friendlier accounts.

"While people in the middle class take out the minimum-required amount, the rich do the exact opposite," he says.

Lopez says a few strategies exist that retirees can take advantage of to make sure taxes don't deplete their legacy to their children. "You have to put these strategies into place early, though," Lopez says. "The later you wait, the less effective they are and the less your savings will be."

• Explore tax-free options. Move the money into a tax-free vehicle, such as a Roth IRA or a specially designed life insurance plan that would allow the dollars to flow tax free to heirs. Lopez says one additional advantage with the life insurance option is that, historically, when laws are changed related to life insurance the old policies are grandfathered in and not affected. "It's a top estate planning trick for the rich," he says. "The challenge is the middle class doesn't know it exists."

• Stretch out inherited IRA withdrawals. Under tax law, when your heirs inherit an IRA they don't have to take money as a lump sum. They can have it paid out over their lifetime, which could keep them in a lower tax bracket, Lopez says. They pay taxes only on what they take out, he says. "There is gamble involved with this plan," Lopez says. "You are gambling that the law that allows heirs to do this will still be in effect when you die. Many people think this law is one of the easiest ones to change because the government could just claim this is a tax loophole and they are closing the loophole."

Ultimately, he says, it will pay off to sit down ahead of time to review options with a financial advisor who understands the intricacies of retirement planning.

"You don't want to be taken in by that head fake," Lopez says. "You want to make sure you and your family get as much benefit as possible from all those years you were saving your hard-earned money."

About Dave Lopez

Dave Lopez is the founder of ILG Financial, LLC (www.ILGFinancial.com) and has been working with individuals and businesses in the Northern Virginia area since 1986. He specializes in strategies that enable his clients to potentially build a retirement nest egg that they can rely on and can never outlive. Lopez has his Bachelors of Science degree from James Madison University with a major in mathematics and computer science. He is an investment advisor representative of AlphaStar Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor.

23 Mar 2015

MRA Upcoming Programs

By Kathy Riley

MRA-The Management Association is a not-for-profit employer association that serves more than 4,000 employers throughout the Midwest, covering 800,000+ employees. As one of the largest employer associations in the nation, MRA helps its member organizations thrive by creating powerful teams and safe, successful workplaces. MRA conducts more than 2,000 learning events each year. Members of MRA also receive access to expert guidance, best practices, professionally facilitated roundtables, essential tools, and dozens of business services in the areas of human resources and training. The Iowa/Western Illinois MRA office is located at 3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100 in Moline, Illinois.  

To learn more on how to become a member of MRA or for more information regarding other program schedules, go to www.mratraining.com or contact Heather Roberts, Executive Director at 309-277-4183 or heather.roberts@mranet.org.  

Some upcoming courses in APRIL include :  

Project Management: The Human and Technical View  

Don't let your projects get the best of you!  In this program, gain the know-how to lead projects to successful outcomes.  Participants will learn to implement a process for planning and completing any project, using a practical, hands-on approach.  Discuss the roles and responsibilities of a project manager, including managing the human dynamics of the team and stakeholders.  A communication-style assessment guides project managers to an understanding of the power of an adaptable style. Participants will be able to explain how to affect change and influence others as projects evolve.

On day two, participants will take part in a video case study and complete an analysis of another project manager's work.

This course provides time for the participant to work on a project using templates.  Bring your project idea(s) to class.  MRA also provides the templates in MS Word as a download.  

For more information, go to www.mratraining.com/CourseDetail.asp?id=2967  

 

Affirmative Action Plan Workshop

During this workshop, you will receive the tools you need to write a federally-sound affirmative action plan from start to finish, including the preparation of all critical statistical analyses.  In addition to writing the plan, we discuss important affirmative action concepts and implementation requirements.  Our approach is unique.  First, the seminar is conducted by MRA's AA/EEO managers.  Second, this is one of the most "hands-on" and "interactive" seminars you will ever attend.  You actually prepare many elements of your plan during the seminar.

For more information, go to www.mratraining.com/CourseDetail.asp?id=2922

 

Advanced Communication Series

Push your communication skills to higher levels. In this series, participants will learn how humans take in and process language and information and the ways language and information drive our thinking and behavior.  This series will explore current science of the mind and its impact on language, behavior, understanding, and actions.  This highly interactive series seeks to move information to knowledge and then to action.

For more information, go to www.mratraining.com/SeriesDetail.asp?id=620

 

Human Resource Professional Series

Building upon the technical skills gained in the Essentials of HR Certificate Series, this certificate series continues to grow your technical HR expertise, while focusing on key HR competencies of business acumen, collaboration, influencing, and work relationships. (HRCI Credit: 16.25 Business (Strategic))

 

For more information go to www.mratraining.com/SeriesDetail.asp?id=647

 

 

Frontline Leadership Series

This series is for those individuals who provide leadership or formal guidance to a work group without the power to hire, to fire, or conduct performance reviews. (They may be called group leaders, team leaders, coordinators, leaders of work groups, "go to" people, etc.) These employees often do the work while providing leadership to their work group. 

This series introduces the important principles of motivation, interpersonal communication, employee training, influencing others to achieve results, meeting organizational objectives, and resolving conflict. Using a combination of discussion, case study, and skill practice, participants are prepared to be more productive within their organization by developing their leadership skills. This series is also effective for individuals that are being groomed for a leadership-type role. 

For new supervisors and managers who have the responsibility to hire, fire, promote, and evaluate performance, the Principles of Leadership Excellence Series is strongly recommended.

For more information go to www.mratraining.com/SeriesDetail.asp?id=631

23 Mar 2015

Military Cost Cutters Press Release

By EINNOC10@aol.com

Military Cost Cutters recently was afforded the opportunity to attend and participate in the Cedar Valley Pitch & Grow event in Cedar Falls, IA. At this event, participating businesses get the ability to pitch their business to a supportive group of peer CEOs, CIOs, business development experts, and investors.  Military Cost Cutters CEO and Founder, Aaron Serrano was able to come away the winner against 16 other participating businesses. "It is a great feeling knowing industry professionals with premium knowledge see your business as very valuable and sustainable in your market. I appreciate the opportunity and was able to meet great people who provided wonderful feedback. I would encourage any entrepreneur to look into participating in this event", states Mr. Serrano.

About Military Cost Cutters

Veteran-founded and led, Military Cost Cutters is patent pending Loyalty Rewards Program connecting military friendly businesses with veterans and military members. Through use of their free mobile app, veterans and military members are able to sign up and browse participating businesses who offer a discount. Participating businesses are able to get online and offline marketing while also being able to view customer analytics to provide promotional offers. For more information, visit www.militarycostcutters.com
23 Mar 2015

PR Network Marketer of the Year Award Nominations

By Amy Tiffany

PR Network of the Quad Cities will recognize a member with the inaugural Marketer of the Year award at Half Day Workshop April 21.

Rock Island, Ill. (March 17, 2015) - For the first time, PR Network of the Quad Cities will honor a member with a Marketer of the Year award. The award was created this year to highlight the accomplishments of marketing and PR professionals in the Quad Cities.

Award Description

Based on a nomination process, the Marketer of the Year award is the most prestigious honor awarded to a member of the association and honors outstanding accomplishments in the field of marketing and public relations in the Quad Cities.

Nominees are solicited from PR Network members, but you do not need to be a PR Network member (or a marketing professional) to nominate someone. After all nominations are collected, a committee will select the winner.

Eligibility

Individuals must be a PR Network member and be on the membership list as of April 1, 2015, have at least three years of experience in the field and have clear leadership and ownership of the work they are submitting; those holding marketing or PR positions or leading creative projects are preferred. 

"When the board sat down last fall for a brainstorming session on how to improve our organization, we discussed the importance of recognizing the hard work marketing and PR professionals put into our community," said Monica Wolfe, PR Network President. "We're asking for nominations for this award, hoping to bring attention to the brain power, time and passion marketing and PR professionals dedicate to their jobs and the Quad Cities."

The award will be presented during PR Network's annual Half Day Workshop, which takes place this year on April 21 at the iWireless Center.

Nominations for the Marketer of the Year award are due on April 1, and can be submitted to nominations@prnetworkqc.org or PO Box 3043, Rock Island, IL 61201. For additional information, a full list of criteria and to nominate a marketing professional, visit www.prnetworkqc.com. 

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About PR Network of the Quad Cities

PR Network of the Quad Cities, Inc. provides professional development, networking and educational opportunities to individuals interested in the marketing/public relations/communications field.

20 Mar 2015

Is Your Teen Ready for a Summer Job?

By Steve Burke

By Jason Alderman

For many teens, there's nothing more exciting than receiving the first paycheck from a summer job - a sure-fire ticket to fun and freedom. It's also a great opportunity for parents to encourage proper money management.

Parents or guardians need to do some necessary paperwork first. Working teens will need his or her own Social Security Number (SSN) to legally apply for a job. They will also need a SSN to open a bank account to deposit their paychecks. Depending on state law, children under 18 may have to open bank accounts in their custodial name with their parents or guardians. It is also important for parents to check in with qualified tax or financial advisors about their teen's earned income, particularly if it may affect any investments under the child's name.

After that, it's about encouraging teens to get a jump on their job search. The recent job market for American teens has been tough and investigating particular kinds of openings should start months in advance of summer hire. Networking is also important - teens can reach out to friends, neighbors and other trusted adults about potential jobs in the community. Also, it is never too early for teens to learn resume writing and job interviewing skills. The Practical Money Skills website's Landing a Job (http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/personalfinance/lifeevents/work/landingjob.php) page offers useful background to help teens get started.

Parents can also assist by monitoring job categories their kids are interested in, encouraging them to meet application deadlines and being aware of federal, state and local child labor laws (http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/know-the-limits/index.htm) to steer them from unscrupulous employers.

Technology changes quickly, so tech-savvy teens may be ahead of the game when it comes to searching for work online. Leading job search engines are a destination for seasonal job openings, and many allow users to customize searches for specific positions and employers. However, teens may need to be reminded about their social media activity before they begin any job search - anything a teen posts publicly on the Internet may be seen by a potential employer.

Banking is another major step in the life of the working teen, though they don't need to wait for that first job to get started.

Many parents open bank accounts for their children as early as their first allowance - after all, digital banking makes it easier to monitor and transfer money without a trip to the branch or ATM. Paychecks - on paper or via digital deposit - make familiarity with the banking system an even greater necessity. Check with their bank to see what types of accounts are offered for children and teens - some banks offer a wide variety of custodial accounts where parents can track and assist their child's spending and saving activity.

A teen's first job is a great opportunity to introduce budgeting, saving and long-term investment skills. Your child may be working over the summer to save for a particular desired item - a cellphone or a trip - or more extensive goals like future college expenses. The Practical Money Skills site offers a budgeting tutorial (http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/personalfinance/savingspending/budgeting/) and budgeting calculators (http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/calculators/budgetGoals.php?calcCategory=budget) for a range of purposes.

When the job offer comes, there's one more thing parents can do. Getting hired means a flurry of paperwork that can be confusing; parents can help their children review those documents before signature. Most will apply to tax withholding, but such documents might also include special workplace agreements that might not always be clear to young workers. When that first paycheck arrives, consider sitting down to inspect a teen's first paper or electronic pay stub. Many people don't understand their withholding even as adults, so children can benefit greatly from this lesson at the start of their working lives.

Bottom line: A teen's first summer job is a great way for parents and children to collaborate on job-hunting and money management skills that will produce benefits for a lifetime.

20 Mar 2015

AFSCME IOWA COUNCIL 61 STATEMENT ON ARBITRATOR'S DECISION ON STATE MASTER CONTRACT AND JUDICIAL BRANCH CONTRACT

By Rick Martin

Award is fair for state employees and all Iowans

DES MOINES - AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan issued the following statement regarding Arbitrator Curtiss Behrens' arbitration award that was opened today:

"Arbitrator Behrens' award found that AFSCME Iowa Council 61's final offer on health insurance to be the most reasonable. As a result of this arbitration award, all employees covered by the State Master Contract and Judicial Branch Contract will pay a minimum $20 per month for an employee health insurance premium, which was the Union's final offer to the State.

"We are pleased that the arbitrator found in our favor on health insurance. We believe the process worked in such a way as to appropriately balance the interests of state employees and state government.

"Today's arbitration award shows that Iowa's current collective bargaining process works.

"On the issue of wages, the arbitrator found in favor of the State. While we had hoped the arbitrator would find in our favor on wages, we respect the arbitrator's decision.  

  

"With this fair decision, AFSCME members are pleased that we will be able to look forward and focus on providing public services to Iowans.

"Again the system worked by splitting the decision between the union and state positions. Iowa law worked well and provided a fair decision as it always does."

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17 Mar 2015

Make a Difference With Your Money

By Ginny Grimsley

Help Your Family Or Community By Helping Yourself First

At some point during their lifetime, most people wonder whether they've done enough - if they've made a positive impact, says Jeff Bucher, a financial advisor who helps working-class Americans plan their golden years.

"For most people, I think that concern increases as they get closer to retirement - they wonder what their earning years have bought for themselves and the people they care about, which may extend to their greater community," says Bucher, who, through his firm, Citizen Advisory Group, (www.citizenadvisory.com), has contributed to the local Boys & Girls Club, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and to development of an Olympic training center for wrestling at Ohio State University, his alma mater, where he earned a wrestling scholarship.

"You don't have to be super-wealthy to make a significant contribution to others. The smarter you are with the wealth you do have, however, the more of an impact you'll be able to have."

If you want to make a difference with your money, you're better off having your financial affairs in order. Bucher offers a few suggestions.

• Now is the time to design a lifetime income plan. Simply attaining a minimum figure in savings probably won't work; such figures do not account for family emergencies, inflation, etc. Social Security does not cover what it used to, and its future is uncertain at best. You need to establish a laddered, inflation-adjusted income using safe and dependable accounts that will provide a check every month. This should be informed by a plan that maps out your lifetime income needs to ensure that you do not outlive your money. For example, if you need $3,000 a month now, at a 4 percent inflation rate you will need $3,649.96 in five years. In 10 years you will need almost $4,500 per month.

• Consider holding off on retirement. Many people are understandably eager to retire as early as possible; others fear Social Security benefits will vanish, so they want to get what they can as quickly as possible - at age 62. But if you're counting on those benefits as part of your income, you should wait until you're eligible for the full amount. That's age 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954, and age 67 if you were born in 1960 and later. If you're in the older group, retiring at 62 cuts your benefits by a quarter; for the younger group it's nearly a third. "Chances are, you'll be better off mentally and physically if you wait anyway," Bucher says. "Many studies show that people live longer and are more vital the longer they remain employed."

• Know when to transfer investments out of tax-deferred plans. If you're working for a company that provides a match for 401k contributions, by all means, contribute up to the maximum match. "That's free money - you'd be crazy not to take advantage," Bucher says. But anything beyond that should be invested in something that's more tax efficient: Roth IRA, municipal bonds, life insurance or real estate. No one expects taxes will go down - they'll be going up. Uncle Sam already has a lien on your IRA or 401(k); don't let his lien, the taxes you'll owe, continue to grow. Go ahead and pay now. Your future retired self will be glad you did.

About Jeff Bucher

Jeff Bucher is president of Citizen Advisory Group (www.citizenadvisory.com), and is an Investment Advisor Representative of AlphaStar Capital Management, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. He has a life and health insurance license with the state of Ohio. His membership affiliations include the exclusive Ed Slott's Master Elite IRA Advisor Group™, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the National Association of Fixed Annuities (NAFA) and the Forum 400. He has earned Top of the Table honors through the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). Bucher is a former standout wrestler at The Ohio State University, where he earned an athletic scholarship and honed his leadership skills en route to earning four varsity letters.

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