• It requires “suspicion” after a screening.
• It is only for “new” welfare applicants.

Why should my taxes pay for anyone’s “Illegal” drugs?

Why shouldn’t the government be able to drug test before providing free money out of our taxes!  It is perfectly legal for employers to drug test before hiring.  The Government requires “civil service testing” as part of their “qualification process”.  Why shouldn’t drug testing be a part of the “qualifying process” for welfare and unemployment” as well?

In my opinion, anyone elected to a government office should be required to take a drug test.  If you get a gov’t paycheck, you ought to be drug-free to get it.   Unemployment is also a government check so, … drug test or don’t get it either!  So says Papa B.

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They can help you fine tune your logistics network to maximize effciencies, build customer satisfaction, and better utilize assets and capital.

The following is a guest post.

Saving money for the future is fundamentally important for everyone in the UK and the general rule is that it is never too early to start saving. Children can be taught about saving money from a young age by their parents. They will encourage them to put away a portion of their babysitting money or other money earned so that they learn the value of saving for the future.

Parents, grandparents, relatives and friends can also start children off on the right path to financial solvency by starting a saving account for those kids.

For parents who are interested in investing for their children’s future, a new option has recently become available. This option is a junior ISA. It provides some significant benefits in terms of maximizing money saved and interest earned and opening one can be a great choice for the kids.

What is an ISA?

Simply put, a junior ISA is an ISA account that is intended for minors. ISA accounts allow for people to place up to a set maximum amount of money in a special savings account each year, which grows tax-free. This means that when you are paid interest on the money in the account, you do not have to pay taxes on this interest, as you normally would for invested money or for gains and returns on investments.

Since you do not have to pay taxes on the interest earned in an ISA, you keep more of the money that your account earns for you. This helps the magic of compound interest to work, as the interest gets added to the principle and it in turn begins to earn interest.

How Do Junior ISAs Work?

A traditional ISA is opened for the adult who is contributing money, but junior ISAs work a little differently. They are opened by parents or relatives for the benefit of a child. Money can then be deposited into the account by those who want to give a gift to the child.

The maximum amount of money that can be deposited into this account for each child each year is £3,600 as of 2012, but this amount is subject to change and increases with annual cost of living adjustments determined by looking at the Consumer Prices Index.

When the money is deposited into the ISA, it can be invested in a cash account, or in a stocks and shares account that allows for investments to be made. Regardless of what particular type you choose, it will enjoy significant tax benefits, as the money earned from the growth of the account will not be subject to tax.

Control of a Junior ISA

Parents who open the account for their children will have control over the account. When a child turns 16 years of age, control of the account may be turned over to the child from the parents. However, in the vast majority of cases, kids probably won’t cash out or take control of their ISAs. Instead, the intent is for kids to convert the junior ISA into a traditional adult ISA upon their 18th birthday and then continue to contribute and save in the account. Of course, children can cash in the account when they turn 18 as well, but keeping the junior ISA and transferring it into an adult account where they continue to save is a better idea for their future.

This was sent to me and I just had to share it with fellow Boomers!!!

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

The woman apologized to him and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.” The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation didn’t care enough to save our environment.”

He was right — our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.   

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator or elevator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But he was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts of electricity — wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that young man is right; we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief — remember them?, not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
But he was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But he’s right; we didn’t have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain or the garden hose when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

Please share this with another selfish older person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smarta#? young person.

When you know you need a hip or knee replacement, it can be a very scary prospect. Whether you need a full replacement, or just a partial, surgery of this type can make someone worry when they don’t know much about it in the first place. But, both are quite common surgeries and a qualified surgeon will be able to help you without any problems.

The Difference Between Total Replacement and Partial Replacement

A total hip replacement or knee replacement as you might imagine replaces the arthritic hip joint or damaged knee joint with a synthetic replacement that is designed to give you as much mobility and stability as possible. These surgeries have a high success rate and have given many a good quality of life because of relief of pain in the joints and the increased mobility they now have. For knees, there are different total replacement options, depending on your individual situation, and there are even knee replacements for those of a smaller size than average or for those needing special variances.

There are also kinds designed to be used with or without cement. The cement- less knee replacements depend on bone growth, where new bone grows into the implant. To hold it in place in the meantime, screws are usually inserted into the implant. When needing a hip replacement, there are also options there as well, depending on your needs, and they also have the option of being attached by cement or by bone regrowth.

Partial resurfacing is available in both your knees and hips. In knees, this procedure is usually done in patients who only have osteoarthritis in one part of their knee. Designed to give you a quicker recovery, this surgery can be done without compromising the rest of the healthy bone and tissue that is left in the knee. For hips, partial resurfacing usually means the replacement of only the femoral head where the leg and hip join, so that the hip socket is left intact and you are left with as much of your own bone as possible, making it easier for future revisions if needed.

How Long do the Replacements Last?

Both replacements have been known to last up to 20 years, and in some patients it has been seen that their replacements have lasted them 30-40 years. Either surgery is usually not done on younger patients if avoidable because of the fact that a younger person who is more active will tend to wear out the replacement faster. The biggest problem with both is the loosening up of the replacement over time. Patients are encouraged to stay away from high impact activity such as running, and to try something low impact like swimming to stay active. Kneeling is also advised against with knee replacements. If you do however wind up needing a second replacement, your doctor can advise you in this and the surgery is not uncommon and is possible.

Knowing that hip and knee replacement surgeries are quite common and that you have a lot of different options depending on your situation should give you more peace of mind if you find yourself needing one of these replacements. They are common procedures that give many people a better quality of life after wards, and if you think you need one of these procedures you should talk with your doctor.

photo credit: timsamoff

Of course, just about anyone can get a credit card if they have a good credit rating and are not carrying too much overall debt. Even on a fixed income retirees can qualify for a credit card, but there are some considerations unique to retirees that may not apply to the younger set. People who are living on a fixed income have to carefully consider their options, because they don’t have the advantage of increasing their income by working more hours or applying for a better paying job.

Cards For Retirees

1. Choose a credit card which fits into your current lifestyle. It goes without saying you want the lowest interest rate you can find – but if you opt for any credit cards with rewards, determine your needs and choose appropriately. For instance, if one of your biggest expenses is groceries, choose a card that offers reward points or rebates on grocery purchases. Then, make sure you pay the balance off monthly so you don’t pay a high rate of interest on your purchases.
2. Be aware that the financial construction of the payment schedule, interest rates and other considerations will change, sometimes rapidly. If you are unable to keep up with the changes, you could end up being socked with a lot more expense for your credit cards than you expected. Review any changes carefully, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it to understand what’s going on.
3. Don’t apply for a large number of credit cards at one time. Every time you apply for credit cards it will count against your total credit rating and could negatively impact your score, making it more difficult to qualify for other loans or credit cards.
4. If you travel a lot, a travel reward card could be a great choice for you. However, keep in mind reward credit cards can carry a hefty interest rate and it can be difficult to redeem the benefits. It might be a better idea to stick with the cash rebate type of cards, because they seem to have an easier redeemable policy.

Good Credit Score the Key

Retirees with a good credit score are certainly able to get a credit card, but they will have a different set of challenges than other age groups. As long as you are aware of what is available and the concerns, a credit card can definitely be an asset to the retired lifestyle.

I am intentionally going to keep this article very short and very simple.

photo credit: USFWS/Southeast

Here we sit in the good Ole’ USA unable to to drill for oil in the Gulf or in remote Alaska as our gas prices climb towards 4 or 5 dollars per gallon.  The worst thinkable oil disaster in U.S. History actually happened just last year in the Gulf.  Today, tar balls on the beach in Destin Fl. seem pretty minor compared to nuclear reactor melt downs in Japan.  Any idiot that believes we can fuel the US economy with Wind power is nothing more than an uninformed “blow hard” themselves.  Think about it … Drill Baby Drill!!!  Papa B.

When you are in your 50s you will find yourself thinking more and more about your retirement. However, instead of thinking where you’ll travel to first in your caravan or which color the tiles in your remodeled bathroom should be, you’ll need to turn your mind back to financial matters for a little longer to make sure your travel and decorating budgets are up to scratch.

While you may have financial plans in place for your retirement, when you are in your 50s it is the time to review these plans and take another look at your expected expenses in your retirement. If you find that changes need to be made, you’ll have the time to successfully make them, and ensure that you will still be able to enjoy the retirement you’re dreaming of. Therefore, make sure your pre-retirement investment strategy includes these five steps.

1 – Know what you can contribute and withdraw from retirement funds

During your working life it is easy to absentmindedly make contributions to your retirement fund, hoping it will be enough. However, by the time you reach your 50s you need to start looking more closely at your contributions, to work out if you want or need to make extra contributions, or you are ready to start withdrawing from your retirement fund.

When you reach fifty-nine and a half, you can start making withdrawals from your 401K or IRA retirement funds, penalty free. However, from the time you are 50 you also have the opportunity to make catch up contributions which are more than the annual contribution limits. Since you are likely to be in your peak earning years later in life, with the highest salary of your life, this is the time to take advantage of your experience.

If you have found that you won’t have as much in your retirement fund as you would have hoped, you can contribute up to $22,000 to a 401K plan in 2011 and this includes a $5,500 catch up limit. In 2011 you can also contribute up to $6,000 to IRA accounts, including a catch up limit of $1,000. Contribution limits are adjusted each year and you will need to check with your financial advisor for 2012 limits.

It is also important you take the time to consolidate your retirement plans in your 50s because all of the smaller plans you have with each employer you’ve worked for throughout your life can be costing you money. With a consolidated retirement plan you have an overall view of your position heading into retirement and you can more easily manage your portfolio.

2 – Assess your assets

In your 50s you still have a number of years before you need to access your retirement funds, so you can continue to take advantage of assets such as stocks. Stocks are the only asset type which has consistently outpaced inflation so your retirement nest egg will not be eroded by the increasing cost of living. At the same time, consider reducing some of your stock allocation and replacing it with bonds which can generate an income into your retirement, and reduce the volatility of your portfolio.

When looking at your assets you will need to make sure you also have a sufficient allocation of cash because if you have to sell long term investments to free up cash for an unexpected expense, if you happen to be in a market downturn at the same time the longevity and success of your portfolio will suffer. While having ready cash available will lower your investment returns, your long term investments will be better placed to overcome market fluctuations.

Also look at how you are protecting your retirement assets and products such as long term care insurance which will ensure you won’t have to dip into your retirement assets if you need expensive medical assistance in the future. If you are planning to retire early, in your 50s, you may also want to purchase an annuity which will maintain an income stream for as long as the insurer is solvent. An annuity guarantees that you won’t outlive your retirement assets and can be helpful if you are not comfortable managing your own assets into your retirement.

3 – Minimize your investment risks

As you head into your 50s it is not the time to make high risk investments in the hopes of a high return, as the chances are often just as likely you’ll pay a high price. Therefore, minimize the risks to your retirement investments by ensure your portfolio is a mix of stocks, bonds and short term cash investments such as term deposits.

You will also need to make sure you have balanced the risks and rewards, as you don’t want to diminish your retirement returns either. You will also need to make sure you can access funds when you need them, to avoid having to sell stocks when you need cash, and risk selling at a low point.

4 – Reduce your debts

If you have been paying just the minimum on your mortgage in order to channel more funds towards investments, you could actually be better off clearing your home loan and being mortgage free. In the later years of a home loan term, very little of your repayment is going towards interest charges, and so only a small amount of your mortgage repayments are tax deductible. Therefore, you can get a better return on your money by reducing your interest expenses and paying off your home loan sooner, and there is no risk to the return of paying off your loan.

It is also important that you don’t have high interest debts such as credit cards as the interest you are earning on your investments won’t usually be higher than the rate of interest you are being charged on these debts. Plus, the compounding effects of credit card interest will quickly diminish the interest income from your retirement investments so focus on clearing these high interest debts to really let your retirement funds grow.

5 – Will you keep working?

As you approach retirement age, you may need to keep working to bring in an income, or you may want to keep working to stay active. No matter what your reasons, there are a number of ways you can earn an income in your retirement, and keep your retirement investments healthy. For example, you may be able to switch your current position to a part time position and continue your current role, or you may have a hobby or skill you can turn into your own business.

The social security rules have also been changed to make it more financially attractive for you to keep working. Where your benefits were reduced if you earned an income over a certain amount, you can work as much as you like in your retirement and still receive the full benefit.

Just keep in mind that earning an income after retirement is not always a viable contingency plan as you may see your skills and health diminish, or find it hard to secure work as an older employee. Instead, aim to secure your retirement investments with these steps, and work because you want to, not because you have to.

Alban is personal finance writer at Home Loan Finder, home loan comparison website.

It’s that time of the year to grab your honey and tell them how much you love them. Romantic dinners, red roses, and plenty of hugs and kisses should be in your forecast. Enjoy!

photo credit: SimplyShutterbug

Reads of The Week

• New 2011 Tax Rules for eBay Sellers: The 1099K
• Home Office Tax Deductions for 2011
• Examples Of Good Resumes That Get Jobs
• The War on Debt: The Battle Begins at Home
• Gold’s 2010 Performance
• 7 Simple Solutions to Increasing Your Child’s Attention Span
• New 2011 Tax Rules for eBay Sellers: The 1099K
• 7 Money Traps to Avoid
• Lifestyle Inflation – Where Financial Disaster Starts
• Importance of Financial Checkpoints
• How does getting Married Affect My Taxes?
• How Much Work Is Do-It-Yourself Investing?
• How I Make Money From Blogging: My Top Income Sources
• States Without State Income Taxes
• IRS E-File Refund Schedule
• You’re In College? Tips To Get A Financial Head Start
• Roth IRA Conversion Rules 2011
• Changes on the 1040 IRS Tax Form this Year…How Does It Affect You?
• Ontario Children’s Activity Tax Credit – New For 2010 Tax Year
• Bailing Out Family and In-Laws
• Buying a Vacation/Retirement Home (Part 1 of ?)
• Sticking to Your Goals When Life Gets Hectic
• What are Your Chances of Being Audited

Are you ready for some football? I know I am. Two great games are set for tomorrow and I’m sure who to root for. Aaron Rodgers has been a stud lately, and have a feeling that his studliness will continue. Sorry Bears Fans. Who you rooting for?

Links of The Week

• Should You Own An International Real Estate Fund?
• How Much Income Will You Need in Retirement?
• 5 Lessons Dave Ramsey Taught Me About Healthy Living
• Who Pays The Bill?
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Changes for 2011
• Minimum Income to File Taxes
• Creating a Financial Plan for Free
• 15 Ways to Make Money
• TurboTax Online Tax Software 2010 Review
• The Internship Experience– Reflections From a College Intern
• Should I Sell My House Now or Wait?”
• Mint.com Canadian Review
• Scottrade Review: $7 Trades and Local Offices
• Learning the Frugal Ropes from Mom
• 10 Easy Ways to Save Money
• Should You Pay Off Debt Or Save For Retirement?
• Will Your Tax Return Be Flagged for an Audit?
• 100 Words On: Why You’re Better Off Buying A Used Car
• The Best Personal Finance Books – According to 38 Personal Finance Bloggers
• Tax Time: The Difference Between Tax Deduction And Tax Credit
• Why you’re lazy and can’t break bad habits
• Book Review – 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think By Laura Vanderkam
• A Resolution Worth Keeping: Set Up An Investment Account With An Online Brokerage
• 2011 Federal Tax Rate Schedule