Are you Saving Enough for Retirement?

Everyone knows they can't really depend on Social Security to be enough to live on in retirement, but with so many demands on our budgets, how can we be sure that we are saving enough to retire?  So many of us choose our retirement contributions based on what we have left in our budgets after all other bills, but this strategy could shortchange your retirement dreams. 

You can know how much you need to be saving by using a free calculator called the Ball Park Estimate from the American Savings Education Council.  You can find it by clicking on this link.  Just fill in a few simple questions and the calculator will tell you exactly what you should be saving.

The Social Security Administration has issued announcements that people who are working should work closely with their financial planner to assure their needs are met in retirement.  You can get personal financial planning advice by attending the Virginia Beach Financial Planning Days on October 22nd.  Just visit www.financialplanningdays.org/virginiabeach to register.  See you there!

Financial Planning Day

We’ve all heard that there’s no free lunch, but in these challenging economic times, Hampton Roads-area residents will be able to get free financial planning advice and guidance from professional financial planners at Virginia Beach Financial Planning Day.  The event will be held on October 22nd at Virginia Beach Convention Center and  will feature experts from the Financial Planning Association® and highly qualified Certified Financial Planner™ professionals, all volunteering their time and expertise to work with local residents one-on-one to address important financial issues. 

Financial planners will be set up at their own tables to meet one-on-one with attendees to answer questions on budgeting, getting out of debt, income taxes, dealing with mortgage foreclosures, paying for college, estate planning and insurance, among many other topics.  The advice will be offered on a “no strings attached” basis and planners will not give out business cards or sell financial products or services.

Betsy Duke, governor of the Federal Reserve Board will be the keynote speaker for the event.

The event will also feature a series of classroom-style educational workshops addressing key personal finance topics, including: Virginia Beach Financial Planning Day is organized by City of Virginia Beach in partnership with the Financial Planning Association of Hampton Roads  as part of a national Financial Planning Days initiative created by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Financial Planning Association, Foundation for Financial Planning and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  The collaboration is a first-of-its kind effort involving city governments and thousands of financial planners nationwide united in an effort to provide free financial education and programming to communities throughout the U.S.
  • Managing Money in Hard Times: Financially Surviving a Job Loss
  • Financial Firedrill
  • Accomplishing Your Financial Mission 
  • Financial Planning for a Home of Your Own
  • Real World Retirement Planning
  • Taking Control: A Financial Planning Starter Kit
  • Estate Planning: What Everyone Needs to Know
  • Planning for Higher Education
                                                                                                       
TO PARTICIPATE:  Virginia Beach Financial Planning Day is free and open to the public.  Members of the news media are invited to attend the event and interview the organizers.  The event will be held on Saturday, October 22nd at Virginia Beach Convention Center.  Events will begin at 9:00 am and will run until 3:00 pm.                                                                                                         
Free online registration for the Virginia Beacch Financial Planning Day is available at www.financialplanningdays.org/virginiabeach, or by calling 877-861-7826. Walk-ins are also welcome.