Annuity Investment Plan

Annuities are wildly popular. Are they a good investment?

According to an article (Parade), there is almost as much money invested in annuities to day as there is in 401(k) plans--a whopping $1.8 trillion. New annuity sales are a brisk $18 billion-plus a month, and they're expected to accelerate dramatically as the first baby boomers get ready to retire. But can this product work for you? Here's what you need to know:

What exactly is an annuity? It's an investment that's wrapped inside an insurance contract. You can buy one from a bank, a stockbroker, an insurance agent or a mutual-fund company. There's no tax on your earnings in the annuity until you withdraw them. "Deferred" annuities, which account for 98% of sales, are intended to accumulate money for at least a decade before you withdraw anything.

The pitch: You'll make a bundle thanks to all those years of untaxed growth--and even if you don't, many annuities guarantee that you'll at least get back what you put into them.

Know the details. Whether they work for a bank, a brokerage, a mutual-fund company or an insurer, annuity salesmen earn very high commissions--sometimes up to 12% of the money invested. Federal and state regulators say the sales pitch doesn't always disclose the size of the commission or the fact that annuities typically carry substantial annual charges and huge early-withdrawal penalties. If you want your money back within seven years (sometimes longer), you can forfeit 5% to 10% or more in surrender charges to the insurer. If you're under age 59-1/2, you also owe the government a 10% early-withdrawal penalty.

Regulators have found that annuities often are sold to inappropriate buyers: elderly people who may not outlive the surrender penalty, for example, or parents who intend to cash out before age 59-1/2 to pay for a child's college education.

When to consider an annuity. Consider an annuity only if you already contribute the maximum to a 401(k), an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and a Roth IRA; if you can afford to leave the annuity untouched for at least 15years; and if you won't need the money until you're more than 59-1/2.

Even then, annuities compare poorly with IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as 401(k)s. Those accounts give you a tax-deferral too, but at much lower cost than you'd pay in an annuity. As a result, you get to keep more of your earnings. Many retirement accounts also give you an extra tax break that you don't get with an annuity: Your contributions cut your current tax bill. In an employer-sponsored account, you also may get a matching contribution from your workplace.

Most annuities even compare poorly with taxable investments. True, your money in the annuity grows untaxed. But you may pay such high annual expenses, it can take 20 years before you earn more in the annuity than you would in an ordinary taxable investment with the same return!

So, what you can buy instead?
The following types of accounts all have lower fees than annuities, so you keep more of your earnings. Also:

A 401(k) or 403(b) plan offers more tax breaks than annuities--and often an employer's matching contributions too.

An IRA also can give you more tax breaks, plus a wider choice of investments.

A Roth IRA provides a better tax break than annuities and also gives you access to your money: You can withdraw Roth contributions anytime without tax or penalty.

Source: Parade
For more information on the three basic kinds of annuities and how they actually work, visit parade.com

Is This One of the Homebased Business Scams?

The following is an example of work from home scams that I received by email. You judge!

CASE 1

The other day I received an email offering a job. It seemed first a legitimate offer but I realized that I got another email the exact same letter from another person. I replied to first email asking about the company and requesting other information regarding their offer, but never got an answer back.

Now, the same person who sent me the first email job offer, sent me another email with different email address. The following is whole story.

Whole thing smells like fish. You judge!

This is the first email that I received:

ARTHALL ARTS & CRAFTS
CityPoint, Level 32
One Ropemaker Street
London EC2Y 9AW United Kingdom
Tel/Fax: +447031872288
HotLine:+447024082652
Email: larryjohnson02_arthalluk@hotmail.com

Hello,
How are you doing today? I hope all is well. Would you like to work online from home and get paid weekly ? ARTHALL ARTS & CRAFTS needs a book-keeper in the United States, so I want to know if you would like to work online from home and get paid weekly without leaving or affecting your present job? The company presently run an Arts Galleria in the UK and we need someone to work for the company as a representative/book keeper in the United States.

The company deals in the sales of Art and Craft works, sculptures and carvings, antique artifacts and produces various fabrics materials, batiks, assorted fabrics and various traditional costumes from all over the world and we have clients we supply weekly in the United States. Our clients make payments for our supplies every week in form of U.S. Money Order which are not readily cashable outside the United States, so we need someone in the United States to work as our representative and assist us in processing the payments from our clients and he/she would be paid a weekly salary.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS RECEIVE THIS PAYMENTS FROM OUR CLIENTS ON BEHALF OF OUR COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES, GET IT CASHED IMMIDIATLY WITHOUT DEPOSITION THEN DEDUCT YOUR WEEKLY PAY AND FOWARD THE BALANCE TO THE COMPANY DOWN HERE VIA WESTERN UNION/MONEY GRAM MONEY TRANSFER.

Our payments will be issued out in your name and you get them cashed in your bank deduct your weekly salary and foward the balance to the company via western union/money gram money transfer. Basically what the Company is searching for is a Representative/Book-keeper in the States who wou ld help to establish a medium of getting our funds from our customers there. If you are interested in working with us we would be very glad as inability to get our Payment in cash has posed a big problem and has affected account reconciliation and turn over grossly.

These are legitimate transactions between our customers and our company Representative and there is no legal risk as these are payments for goods already bought and delievered. We are offering 10% of whatever amount it is that you cash per week as salary and subject to your satisfaction you will be given the oppurtunity to negotiate the mode by which we will pay for your services as our official Representative/Book-keeper in the States. The mode we would prefer would be instant deduction of your salary from the Amount before going ahead to send whatever is left back via Western Union/MoneyGram Money Transfer.

We are aware that you would be charged to have the money sent, whatever that would amount to is to be deducted from the balance of the funds after you must have deducted your salary.

Please if you are interested forward the following info:

1.) Full Names
2.) Home/Cell Phone number
3.) Full Home Address, City, State and Zip Code.
4.) GENDER
5.) MARITAL STATUS
6.) AGE
7.) NATIONALITY
N.B. PLS FORWARD YOUR REPLY TO THIS EMAIL : larryjohnson02_arthalluk@hotmail.com Hoping to hear from you soon.


Regards,
Mr. Larry Johnson
ART HALL, UK

The following is another email I received from another person.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Would you like to work online from home and get paid weekly ?
S & A LIMITED needs a book-keeper in the state,so i want to know if you
will like to work online from home and get paid weekly without leaving or
affecting your present job?

THIS IS SAFE AND LEGAL.

It's just that i presently run a textile and fabrics firm i inherited from
my late Dad in the UK and we need someone to work for the company as a
representative/book keeper in the States.

My company produces various clothing materials, batiks, assorted fabrics
and traditional costume which we have clients we supply weekly in the
states.

My clients make payments for our supplies every week in form of Money
Orders,T.c's,cheques which are not readily cashable outside the United
States, So we need someone in the States to work as our representative and
assist us in processing the payments from our clients and i will pay
HIM/HER weekly salary.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS RECEIVE THIS PAYMENTS FROM OUR CLIENTS IN THE
STATES, GET IT CASHED IN YOUR BANK THEN DEDUCT YOUR WEEKLY PAY AND FOWARD THE BALANCE TO THE COMPANY DOWN HERE VIA INTERNATIONAL MONEY GRAM.

Our payments will be issued out in your name and you get them cashed in
your bank, deduct your weekly salary and foward the balance to the company
via INTERNATIONAL MONEY GRAM.

SO ALL I NEED IS TO FOWARD YOUR INFORMATIONS TO OUR CLIENTS AND THEY ISSUE PAYMENTS IN FORM OF MONEY ORDERS,T.C's,CHEQUES THEN SEND IT TO YOU VIA COURIER SERVICE.

I will need your Full name, Residential Address and Phone Number so we can
foward it to our clients and they will start making payments to you as the
company's representative in the states.

AS SOON AS WE CONFIRM ANY PAYMENT COMING TO YOU, I WILL GIVE YOU THE
INFORMATION TO SEND THE FUNDS TO THE COMPANY THIS WILL BE DONE BY THE HEAD OF ACCOUNT IN MY COMPANY.

I WILL EMAIL YOU A DETAILED INFORMATION OF THE REQUIREMENTS NEEDED FROM YOU TO MAKE YOU ELIGIBLE TO WORK FOR MY COMPANY,THIS WILL BE SENT TO YOU AS SOON AS YOU RESPOND TO THIS MAIL.

I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE.

Warmest Regards,
Tony Adams.
CEO S & A Fabrics & Textiles. ( UK, Cash and Distribution Office).


The following email from the first person who sent me the email with a job offer without answering my questions about the company and other information.

HELLO,

GOOD DAY, I GOT A CALL FROM A CLIENT THIS MORNING SAYING THAT THE PAYMENTS WOULD BE DELIVERED TO THE ADDRESS YOU GAVE US VIA DHL NEXT WEEK MONDAY OR TUESDAY (07/18/2006), PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE AROUND TO RECEIVE THESE PARCEL IN PERSON, SO THAT THE TRANSACTION WOULD GO ON AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

WE DISCOVERED THAT THIS CLIENT (MRS. JENNIFER HOOPES) HAS SENT YOU A U.S. CASHIER'S CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT OF $5,800 FROM SANTA CLARE, CA.

PLEASE AS SOON AS YOU RECIEVE IT KINDLY TAKE THEM TO YOUR BANK AND DEPOSIT/CASH THE CHECK AND HAVE THE BALANCE SENT IMMEDIATELY THE CHECK CLEARS YOUR BANK BECAUSE WE ARE CONSIDERING THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN US AND OUR SUPPLIERS. REMEMBER YOUR ARE TO DEDUCT (10% PLUS ANY OTHER CHARGES WHICH MAY INCLUDE TRANSFER FEE E.T.C) AND THE REST SHOULD BE WIRED DOWN TO OUR ACCOUNT DEPARTMENT HAS INSTRUCTED BELLOW. PLS HAVE THE MONEY SENT VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER.

WHEN YOU HAVE THE MONEY SENT I WOULD REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATIONS FROM YOU TO HELP PICK IT UP.

* THE MTCN #
* THE SENDERS FULL NAME AND ADDRESS
* THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU SENT
* THE TEST QUESTION AND ANSWER USED FOR THE TRANSACTION (IF APPLICABLE)
* ANY OTHER INFORMATION THAT COULD HELP ME WITH COLLECTION.

THE NAME AND ADDRESS YOU WOULD BE USING FOR THE TRANSFER WOULD BE AS FOLLOWS :

SEND THE MONEY TO THE INFORMATION OF OUR ACCOUNTANT BELOW, ONCE YOU GET THE MONEY SENT,GET BACK TO ME WITH THE INFORMATIONS REQUIRED TO PICK-UP THE MONEY, SO THAT I CAN FORWARD THE WIRING INFORMATION FOR THE PICK UP.

NAME: ADEOLA OLABODE
ADDRESS: RUE 210 SOLOMON WAY
STATE: COTONUE
ZIPCODE: 229
COUNTRY: REPUBLIC OF BENIN

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING AND GOD BLESS.

NB. I WOULD PREFARE YOU TO USE ( WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER ) CAUSE IT'S FAR MORE CHEAPER.
HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON

REGARDS
LARRY JOHNSON

Death of a Modern Corporate Impostor

Death of Kenneth Lay, Enron Executive
Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay, age of 64, who was convicted of accounting fraud, the most hated a modern executive by hard working people and many investors in U.S. history, died suddenly of a heart attack at his vacation home in Colorado.

When he was convicted, we all felt sense of victory that the big fish didn’t get away as believing that white collar crime often had gotten away from our judicial system. Since he has been waiting for his sentence, which scheduled in Oct. 23, could have put him in jail for the rest of his life. Apparently his existing heart problem and stress caused his death according to his family doctor.

Surrounding his sudden death, instead of respect and tribute to his life, it has raised many suspicions. Some people even suspected that his death was staged to avoid his jail time and losing his states and millions of dollars that he pocketed from his company.

I wonder how many people feel sorry for his death on this day. Does his death bring back his legacy as a different person rather than a convicted felon?

Lay had built Enron into a high profile, widely admired company, the seventh largest publicly traded in the country and once became a corporate wonder boy. Enron started to collapse when his company’s finances showed suspicious profit report, which were based on a web of fraudulent partnerships and schemes.

Like these executives in Tyco, Enron, WorldCom who were committed securities violations, were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but they were ambitious, striving people who once made the American dream such as Ken Lay. Before his greed demon turned him into a fraudulent felon, he was an ambitious young man. His career resume could have inspired many young people and could have been a symbol of success to many who are working hard to be on the corporate ladder.

According to associate press, he was born in Tyrone, Mo. and spent his childhood helping his family make ends meet. His father ran a general store and sold stoves until he became a minister. Lay delivered newspapers and mowed lawns to pitch in. He attended the University of Missouri, found his calling in economics, and went to work at Exxon Mobil Corp. predecessor Humble Oil & Refining upon graduation.

He joined the Navy, served his time at the Pentagon, and then served as undersecretary for the Department of the Interior before he returned to business. He became an executive at Florida Gas, then Transco Energy in Houston, and later became CEO of Houston Natural Gas. In 1985, HNG merged with InterNorth in Omaha, Neb. To form Enron, and Lay became chairman and CEO of the combined company the next year (2006).

Whether his death brings forgiveness to his crime or being condemned to his grave, his nightmare is over. His legacy will haunt the rest of hardworking, honorable corporate leaders and teach them a valuable lesson. So the sense of trust that had lost in the public by all this is hopefully restored.

Death of a Modern Corporate Impostor is gone, we heard, but is he?

Did you know you have a right to sell your note/contract and get cash now?

If you have the following Notes, you might be able to cash out today. Find out how much your note worth.

• Real Estate Notes: Real Estate Joint Ventures/Exchanges, Real Estate Notes, Home Improvement Notes, Commercial leases, Mobile Home notes, Property Lease, Land Contracts, Time Share Notes, and Lease purchase Agreement
  
• Business Notes: Accounts Receivable, Gas, Oil & Mineral Leases, Business Invoices/Receivables, Equipment, Letters of Credit, Farm Subsidies, International Opportunities, Investment Opportunities, Lawyer's Fee Notes, Invoices, Consumer Receivables, Credit Card Accounts, Defaulted & Sub-Performing, Purchase Orders, Mechanic's Liens, Medical Receivables, and Commission Notes
  
• Structured Settlements: Collection Acounts, Deferred Settlements, Disability Payments, Divorce Settlements, Structured Settlements, Partnership Agreements, Lawsuit Insurance Settlements, Court Judgments, Class Action Awards, Commercial Deficiency Portfolios, Consumer Installment Paper, Annuities, Automobile Notes, Cash Prizes and Awards, Casino Winnings, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Church Bonds, Funeral Purchase Agreements, Government Contract, Inheritances & Probates, Lottery Winnings, Marine, Military pensions, Pensions, Royalty Payments, RV Paper, Sports Contracts, Standard Full Purchase, Sweepstakes, Tax Certificates, Tax Shelters, VA Compensation, Vocational School Paper, Voluntary Separation Incentives, Aircraft, and Worker's Compensation
  
• Viaticals: Viaticals Settlements - Life Insurance
  
• Bankruptcy Cash Outs