Michael Coslo wrote:
bb wrote:
Mike Coslo wrote:

bb wrote:


Mike Coslo wrote:

safer places to park your money.

Look at the Federal retirement system.

Look at your state retirement system.

Look at your teacher's retirement system.

Is is all in the market?

Is it all out of the market?

Or is it a balance of the two?

Greed, that potential bad character that we have tapped and used
for
good in out semi capitalist system, is an almost irresistible pull
on
some people.

I'm sure that greed doens't exist in semi-socialist sytems, so why
don't we just get it over with and switch?

Huh? I don't understand.

"Social" security. Get it? And some of the greediest people were
socialists.

I know quite a few people who during the mid to late '90's were so
impressed by the stock market goings on, that they put all or most
of
their retirement investments in risky, high yielding investments. A
couple invested exclusively in Tech stocks. Guess how much money
they
have today? (answer - not a whole lot) They won't be retiring early
*or* soon.

Were those retirement investments outside of a conventional pension
plan?

No. Where I am at, there are two retirement plan options. One is with

the state, and the other allows you to "customize" your plan with
your
investment options.

Do they limit your options to somewhat wise, conservative investments?

Or are you options wide open? Probably not.

The Federal Government would likely put limits on the types of
investments you could make with your SS diversion. No gold and
platinum futures, for example. As you graduate to an older age group,
they would probably change the investment vehicles available. Gosh!

But that's just me thinking out loud. I heard from Al Franken that
Bush doesn't want any ideas on this matter.

On the other hand, I was very careful with my retirement
investments,and didn't lose anything. All I did was take a hit in
my
earning rate.

Until the bubble burst though, Len wasn't the only person that
thinks
I'm a dimbulb!

Aren't you a University of PA employee?

Penn State. U of Pa is the one in Philadelphia.

The point is that you do have a government pension plan.

Just how much control do you have over your state employee and
school
employee retirement funds?

Those two plans. We also have an additional TDA possibility from
various companies. On the state plan, there is not a lot you can do.
On
the other plan, there are more investment options.

TDA? Is that like a supplemental, tax-deferred investment option?
Ohio has a 457, "deferred compensation," plan, which is in addition to
the public employees retirement system.

http://nrsretire.nrsservicecenter.co...ome/?Site=Ohio

Ohio also has five (5) public employees retirement systems for some
reason.

http://ohio.gov/Retirement.stm

If you want to see something scary, look at the Federal Employees
Retirement System. They tell you right up front that SS is "the rest
of your retirement." Not the so called safety net that Jim and FDR
described it as.