It contains information that everyone should be aware of. These issues can take you out of the game permanently.  Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones:

It was a sunny September day in the Pacific Northwest, and Jeff Hale had just closed a $1.5 million deal. To celebrate, he was taking the afternoon off, relaxing on his patio lounge, and playing ball with his dog. That’s when he began feeling compression high in his chest, some pain in his left shoulder, and an unsettling sense of dread. At 44, he was in relatively good shape, although 15 pounds overweight and under a lot of stress from work. At first, he thought it was an asthma attack and took a hit off his inhaler. But when that didn’t help, he remembered an article he’d read in Men’s Health.

“There were two things from that article I recalled,” he recounted to our reporter a few years ago. “One was that every heart attack is unique. My symptoms will be different from your symptoms. The other was, if you suspect you’re having a heart attack, take an aspirin.” Hale took two and drove himself to the hospital. He almost didn’t make it. Doctors found blockages in three arteries and performed a triple bypass the next day. “They told me I’d saved my life,” says Hale. “The aspirin thinned my blood, and the inhaler dilated my arteries.”

Heart disease is the number one killer of men, claiming the lives of nearly 400,000 fathers, friends, brothers, and sons every year. Often, the difference between life and death is razor thin—remembering to pop an aspirin, not delaying your trip to the E.R.

This week is National Men’s Health Week, which was created by Congress in 1994 to raise the awareness of the health threats uniquely facing men. To commemorate, we’ve put together a list of the most popular ways to die as a man in America. Collectively, these diseases kill nearly one million of us annually. And, chances are, your lifestyle or genetic profile puts you at risk for at least one of them.

But, as Jeff Hale learned, our fates are not sealed. If you understand your risks, and learn how to negate them, you can outrun the reaper. Here’s how:

STROKE
Why you’re at risk: Each year, nearly 50,000 American men die of a stroke, according to the American Heart Association. I know what you’re thinking: But those are really old men. But you’re wrong. In fact, 1 in 14 stroke victims is younger than 45. As a neurologist I interviewed a few years ago told me: “If you did MRI scans on a hundred 40-year-olds, you’d see that a large number have already had a silent stroke.” And that’s scary because small, silent strokes often precede large, debilitating strokes.

What you can do about it: Keep your blood pressure at 120/80 or lower. Every 20-point increase in systolic BP (the top number) or every 10-point rise in diastolic BPdoubles your risk of dying of a stroke, says Walter Kernan, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Yale University. The good news: Simple lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce your risk. Assess your stroke risk right here, and learn how to turn the odds in your favor.

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE
Why you’re at risk: Nearly 60,000 men died from COPD—which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema—in 2006, according to the CDC. The chief cause: the Marlboro Man. In fact, smoking causes 80 percent of COPD deaths. Considering that tobacco use has also been directly linked to the other man killers on our Top 5 list—notably, heart disease (#1) and cancer (#2)—you have to ask: Why are people still smoking?

What you can do about it: It’s pretty simple, really. You need to figure out how to kick butts for good. Improve your odds by joining a gym—smokers who are trying to quit often fall off the wagon during stressful moments. Regular exercise lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the brain. Warning: Going cold turkey is one of the least successful ways of quitting. Find out how to tilt the odds of success in your favor by checking out Will You Be Able to Quit Smoking?

ACCIDENTS
Why you’re at risk: According to the CDC, 80,000 men die each year in unexpected tragedies, from sports injuries to fires to falls. But the most preventable accidental deaths are the 30,000 that occur on America’s roads every year.

What’s that? You’re a great driver? Not surprising that you think so. According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 72 percent of drivers regard themselves as more skilled than everyone else. Researchers trace the bias to a fundamental information imbalance, namely that the poorest performers are also the least able to recognize skill (or lack of skill) in themselves or others.

But fine, let’s say it’s true. Then consider the guys you’re sharing the road with: Surveys indicate there’s a nearly 80 percent chance they speed regularly, and a 53 percent likelihood they talk on the phone while driving. There’s a 4 percent chance they run red lights—on purpose—and a 2 percent chance they have driven after drinking too much. These guys make Evel Knievel look like a defensive driver.

What you can do about it: If you do one thing today, make it this: Stop texting while driving. You’ve probably heard that texting behind the wheel is just as dangerous as drinking and driving. Not true. Texting is way more dangerous. In fact, texting increases your risk of a crash by 23 times (versus 11 times for driving under the influence), according to a Virginia Tech study. Step into the MH Driving Simulatorand test how well you multitask behind the wheel. 

CANCER
Why you’re at risk: The Big C killed nearly 300,000 men in 2010, according to the American Cancer Society. Lung cancer tops the list, accounting for 29 percent of all cancer deaths, followed by prostate cancer (11 percent) and colon/rectum cancer (9 percent). We all know that smoking causes lung cancer, but the risk factors for prostate cancer are less well known. Yet, it’s one of the most common—1 in 6 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetimes—and least understood killers of men.

What you can do about it: Take our quiz to determine your risk. If you’re at high risk, put certain staples of the Mediterranean diet on your plate. A study published in theJournal of the National Cancer Institute shows that men who eat more than 10 grams of garlic or scallions (about three cloves of garlic or 2 tablespoons of scallions) daily have a 50 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than those who eat less than 2 grams. Sound like too much of a good thing? Other studies have linked the lycopene in cooked tomato products to lower prostate cancer risk; aim for at least two servings a week. And if you really like coffee . . . Harvard researchers found that drinking 6 cups a day reduces your risk of developing advanced prostate cancer by 59 percent.

HEART DISEASE
Why you’re at risk: This is the deadliest disease known to man. More than 1 in 3 adult men have some sort of heart disease and more than 390,000 men died of the killer in 2007, according to the American Heart Association.

But you’re a fit, healthy guy, right? Why would you die of heart disease? Believe it or not, not every victim of the disease is overweight or inactive. Men’s Health Editor Peter Moore discovered this eight years ago. He was doing everything right: He was thin, exercised regularly, and ate a healthy diet. But none of that prevented one of the arteries in his heart from becoming 99 percent blocked. Still think you’re risk-free? You can find out your heart disease risk by clicking right here.

What you can do about it: Small lifestyle changes can yield big results when it comes to improving heart health. Here are four simple changes you can make today:

• Exercise for 30 minutes. Middle-aged men who exercise vigorously for two hours a week (aim for 30 minutes, four times a week) have a 60 percent lower risk of a heart attack than inactive men.

• Lose the spare tire. If you’re overweight, dropping 10 to 20 pounds lowers your risk of dying from a heart attack. In fact, a 10-year study found that overweight people had heart attacks 8.2 years earlier than normal-weight victims.

• Drink five glasses of water a day. Men who drink that many 8-ounce glasses are 54 percent less likely to have a fatal heart attack than those who drink two glasses or fewer. Researchers say the water dilutes the blood, making it less likely to clot.

• Count to 10. Keeping your cool under stress may keep you alive. Men who respond with anger are three times more likely to have heart disease and five times more likely to have a heart attack before turning 55.

Article Source: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/top-5-killers-of-men

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That was the experience I had when I recently satisfied a long-time yearning and visited New York’s J.P. Morgan Library and Museum (Madison Ave. at 36th Street).  I’ve always held a fascination with J.P. Morgan, a man larger than life and one of the nation’s great financiers at the end of the 19th century.  Morgan, toward the end of his life, set out to build America’s leading collection of “the most beautiful things in the world.”  Not, say his admirers, as a tribute to himself; but rather to provide a range of the most beautiful cultural objects from around the world to America, the assembled for viewing by the public, out of his belief that Americans were being deprived of sufficient access to this type of culture in the day to day hustle and bustle of settling the country.

The range of articles he collected, both from ancient times, Renaissance Europe, and from American arts and history, is truly-awe inspiring.  Morgan’s original mansion including his sitting room and personal library, were recently renovated and you can see such rarities as examples of the Gutenberg bible, handwritten, signed music scores by Beethoven and Mozart, letters and manuscripts by Dickens, Twain, Thoreau, Poe, and Ralph Waldo Emerson; ancient and medieval illuminated manuscripts and objects of art, ornate tapestries, and period furniture.  Perhaps most startling is how accessible everything is–you can look closely at everything from the Gutenberg Bible to a 12th Century gilded artifact said to contain an original remnant of the Cross. 

Just as Morgan set out to create a collection of the world’s most beautiful things, we at the Boomers Retirement Network have set out to collect the world’s most beautiful and well-crafted solutions for our Baby Boomer members to put to use in creating your most satisfying life going forward.  You’ll see a number of these solutions featured in this issue of “The Beat Goes On.”  Each has been hand-picked to help you realize all your future dreams that you possibly can.  So don’t miss out on any of them! 

Committed to your success,
Richard Roll

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You’ve probably heard that the first Baby Boomers are reaching the traditional retirement age of 65 starting this coming New Years Day, January 1, 2011. Incredibly, every day for the next 19 years, 10,000 members of the Woodstock Generation will turn 65, yes–10,000 Boomers turning 65 every day, for the next 19 years!  That’s about 7 Boomers every second!

So what steps can Boomers be taking to make 2011 a great year for them?  Here are 10 areas every Boomer can be looking at right now, to have the high quality of life they want in their next stage of life.  Here are my Top 10 New Years Resolutions for Boomers in 2011 (and for everyone else who wants to be able to retire some day, too):

I resolve that I will:

1.  Take Control to Have Enough Money to Retire Some Day—Put away enough money in 2011 to get your 401(k) match, if your employer offers it—that’s free money that can immediately double your retirement investment (just make sure you don’t keep it all in one company’s stock).

2.  Re-Balance, Diversify, and Keep the Costs of My Investments Low—Take a new look at all the investment choices offered in your 401(k) plan.  Make sure to re-balance your investment allocations and expand into investments that will preserve asset value in the next few years, including some that can benefit from emerging economies growing faster than our own.

3. Investigate the Best Ways to Have Continuing Income After I Retire From My Primary Career—Cultivate passions and talents that can provide you ongoing income (such as subject matter expertise, information marketing, consulting, collecting).  Forget about the old idea of “retiring from.”  Think of what it is you will “retire to.”

4. Get Moving Every Day in 2011 and Improve My Health—The biggest single health threat for most Boomers is from diseases of their heart and circulatory system.  The best antidote: Get moving every day, for 30 minutes a day, in the exercise of your choice (and with the approval of your doctor).  Too many people think of their health in terms of treatment, rather than prevention of disease, and that’s a calamity.

5. Take Better Steps to Help in Caring for My Aging Parents, And Provide for Preserving My Own Sanity—Anticipate the predictable stages of change in the capacities of your parents, and start a conversation with them now to clarify their wishes regarding actions to be taken or not taken at the end of life.  Put in motion the documents, which will provide legally for their wishes to be carried out.  Don’t keep putting it off, and don’t assume everything will stay the same

6.  Have a Will (and also a Living Will) Made Up This Year by An Attorney, Based on My Outline—Even if you don’t care a whit what happens to your money or property after you die, you owe it to your relatives to have a will (and a Living Will, so that in any event, you won’t burden your children, spouse or caretaker with making the key decisions without your input). Without a will, family squabbles and bickering will inevitably arise (and momentarily tarnish your memory).

7. Build My Dreams Together With My Spouse and Significant Others—Start sharing your future retirement dreams together now…it’s stimulating, fun and productive.  The key to planning for your enjoyable next stage of life is to build-in all the possibilities. You should organize activities that you can do individually as well as activities that you can pursue as a couple.

8.  Learn My A, B, C’s: Research and Decide the Best Place(s) for Me to Live in the Future, and When—Many aspects of retirement planning get involved with considerations of money.  However, here is where you get to consider the potentially huge variations in your annual cost-of-living – the expense side of wherever you choose to live.

9.  Enjoy a Travel Adventure While Visiting My A,B,C’s—Where to live for the rest of your life? That’s a question many baby boomers are asking themselves and each other these days. It’s difficult to know what life is like in a different part of the country, or the world, without spending some quality time there, in a few choice locations, at different times of the year.  2011 is your year to start planning for this critically important decision by investing in one or more strategic travel adventures, to investigate the potential best new location for your next stage of life.

10. Tap Into the Wisdom of the Ages to Strengthen My Spirit and Wellbeing—To deepen your faith beyond today’s concerns, tap into the Wisdom of the ages and strengthen your inner resources.  Whether through a church, temple, yoga, volunteering, other spiritual practices, reading of the sacred texts, or all of the above, restore your faith in the eternal intelligence of the universe.  Much has been written on the topic of finding happiness after retirement because it is so fundamental and yet so challenging for many retirees. One good place to start is with a little self-examination, along with obtaining inspiration from wise authors and trusted acquaintances whose ideas and input you wouldn’t have easily discovered by yourself.

Richard Roll

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This past Saturday, my family and I helped assemble and deliver Thanksgiving baskets and turkeys to families in need in Bridgeport and New Haven, Connecticut. What a gift it was for us! We shared the spirit of the season with adults and children in a number of households. They were dealing with challenges, as we all are in this struggling economy. We shared our humanity together. It was a joyful and heart warming experience for all!

I wish you and your loved ones a joyous and peaceful Thanksgiving.

With warm regards,
Richard Roll

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Support the Boomer Corps Initiative–Help Reform Social Security Positively:

With the noisy rhetoric of the mid-term elections now behind us, it’s clear again that our country is still facing the same old problems, with few innovative solutions being proposed, and even fewer being acted upon by those whose leadership we are now depending on.

One of those problems is how to sustain a Social Security system that is no longer collecting enough funds to pay out monthly benefits at forecasted rates, while the Treasury itself faces record deficits, and retiring Boomers face horrible second career job prospects in the current economy.

For several years now I have been studying the Social Security data and past proposed solutions, while racking my brain to come up with at least a partial solution that can make a difference in rebuilding our country’s greatness.  I finally came up with it:  The Boomer Corps Initiative.  I have now bounced this idea off scores of knowledgable people of every political stripe, in every part of the country.  And they seem to like it a lot.

Now it’s your turn.

For starters, check out the brand new video we’ve posted all around the web (including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and lots of other sites).  It’s only a few minutes long, but make sure you’re sitting down and holding onto your hat when the explosive facts start to fly!  To Watch the Video, Click Here.

At the end of the video, you’ll see the details about the Boomer Corps Initiative, and the site to go to for more complete information: www.boomersretirementnetwork.com/boomercorps .  Go there, sign the petition, and forward it onto a friend (or lots of friends).  We need to get things moving across this country to save Social Security without breaking America!

And don’t forget to email me with your thoughts and opinions at Richard.Roll@mybbrc.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or on Facebook at Baby Boomers Retirement Club.

To Our Success,

Richard Roll

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Kathleen Sibelius—Head of the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, talking about how health care reform will affect seniors

Newt Gingrich—Talking about Health Care reimbursement Fraud that’s costing the tax payers tens of billions

James Carville & Mary Matalin—Talking about the upcoming election races

Whoopi Goldberg—Interviewing Larry King and talking about how he at age 76 still conceives children without viagra

Rob Reiner—who has a new film out that’s supposed to be terrific

Even Crosby Stills & Nash were there. I’m a big fan but I didn’t see them on this trip, I imagine they played their song “helpless helpless helpless helpless.”

It all reminds me of the man who fell off the top of the Empire State Building. He’s falling and falling, and by the time he gets to the 50^th floor, people are hearing about it and poking their heads out the window. Someone asks him, “How are you doing? Are you ok?” and he calls back, “So far, so good!”

Well we know how that’s going to most likely turn out. And the longevity we’re seeing today, and the future entitlements costs in this country, with 78 million Baby Boomers, the first ones turn 65 on January 1, 2011 (1/1/11).

I went to the AARP Convention to get a bird’s eye view of the state of over-50 America and I’ll tell you, I was fascinated to meet and talk to some the 20,000 people who were there, I’d say 80% or more were over 65, many in their 70’s. some in their 80’s and one lady I heard had just turned 90, lovely people and one thing I can tell you if you’re a Baby Boomer—one of these days that’s going to be you and me! And we’ve got to get ready for it now. The average Boomers will live more than half their adult life after 50.

More and more people are talking about what they’re calling the Third Chapter—the 25 years between age 50 and age 75—as a new stage of mid-life with a whole new set of possibilities, which is great. New purpose, new adventured, new passion. But it’s a lot tougher if you’re doing it without any money, or without enough money.

A lot of these older people I met there were teachers or worked for the Federal government. They’ve got great pensions so there were a few things I came away with from there that I believe stronger than ever:

1) There is no one number. You’ve got to work on your future, financial and lifestyle situations from both ends at the same time, money in, money out, over time

2) There is no one investment—its all about different buckets

3) Taxes and powerful strategies to minimize them are going to be more important to almost everyone than pure investment returns by themselves. Taxes are obviously going to be going up, all kinds of taxes

4) Every successful professional golfer, every successful pro tennis player, has a coach. They don’t try to do it all by themselves. Everyone must have some kind of coach, an unbiased, up to date coach or source of coaching. You’d have to be crazy not to.

But it’s hard to find that kind of coach today and that’s why I created the Boomers Retirement Network and the 10 Minute Retirement Quiz. It’s all about making what comes next work for you.

I’m going to tell you where to take the free 10-Minute Retirement Quiz that’s easy and confidential with no wrong answers. People tell me that it helps them get tremendous clarity about their priorities and then it gives you a lot of free resources and puts you on a good track to move forward. Again, it’s free and your privacy is protected.

Go to www.BoomersRetirementNetwork.com today—Take the Quiz. Thousands of people have already taken it and I highly recommend it.

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Baby-Boomers-Retirement-Club-BBRC/253436943585

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Now that a Financial Reform Bill has been passed by Congress and signed into law, it’s worth taking a step back to see how well the bill achieves what some (such as myself) saw as the essential tasks of financial reform, to prevent a similar meltdown from blindsiding us in the future. 

Here’s some background:
In November 2009, I was getting upset at the organized, well-funded campaign of “disinformation” and obstruction taking place in the nation’s capital to put the kibosh on any truly effective consumer protection in the banking and financial services industry, (where I began my career).  I sent a letter to Christopher Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, whose consumer protection efforts I’ve been involved with in the past.  In the letter, I outlined 7 principles that I believed had to be included for financial reform to achieve its objectives. 

How well does the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act make the grade?  Below, I’ve assigned a letter grade for each of the 7 principles, with pertinent comments:

1. First, there needs to be a clearly-stated mandate and set of principles for the Bill that assures that those in government who are to serve as watchdogs in enforcing the provisions of the laws, understand their duty on a basis that resists the influence of politics. The job of the watchdog in government is to give pushback, to level the playing field, to publicize wrongdoing, and to deter others in the industry from following down the same wrong path.

Grade: A
Comment: While specific rules in some cases are still to be drawn up, there is clearly a new sheriff in town and the previous “anything goes” atmosphere has been brought to a screeching halt.

2. Second, there needs to be a system of checks and balances put in place to assure that accurate information is being produced and reported, and that the law is being carried out.

Grade: B+
Comment: The requirement for exchange trading of derivatives, and creation of an oversight process for systemic soundness are needed steps in the right direction.  Having consumer protection under the Treasury Department remains a concern. 

3. Transparency must be created via a process of auditing and public reporting.

Grade: B+
Comment: Congress will be auditing the Fed for greater transparency.  Jury is out on this, we’ll have to wait and see. 

4. Capital adequacy must be enforced relative to the types of risks being incurred and the type of stakeholders being exposed to these risks.

Grade: B+
Comment: With no limitations on leverage, and considerable latitude for the regulators, much will depend on the competence and diligence of those in charge, who are being paid by the taxpayers, but not always controlled by their interests.  

5. There needs to be a clear distinction between “risk capital” and “safety capital,” but neither the taxpayers nor the safety return stakeholders should be put at risk for what should be appropriately private equity risk-taking.

Grade: B
Comment: While a Glass-Steagall separation of commercial banking and investment banking activities was not restored, new capital requirements and restrictions on depository institutions are important steps in the right direction. 

6. The banks should be chartered to serve the public, while making a decent return. They should not rip off the public with exorbitant and unavoidable fees so they can make risky investments suited to investment banks, private equity and hedge funds and risk capital.

Grade: A
Comment: The new Consumer Protection Agency, together with stronger bank practices and regulatory authority, are needed fixes.  Now, they must show they can get the job done. 

7. A consumer financial services agency must have teeth.  It must be primarily a watchdog, enforcing and, when necessary, prescribing remedies, and clarifying rules when there is a clear pattern of abuses taking place against the public’s interest. 

Grade: A
Comment: (See comment #6)

Overall Grade: B+
Comment: The Bill was repeatedly weakened to gain needed votes and yet still barely passed, against unyielding partisan opposition.  Under the circumstances, I give it an overall grade of B+, with one important caveat:  Now, it will take determined vigilance to assure that the rulemaking process and its results will not be allowed to compromise these principles.

In short, while far from perfect, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act is a very good step in the right direction.  It establishes (or re-establishes) some of the sound principles that were wantonly abandoned, leading to the financial meltdown of 2008-2009. It creates a new ethos of enforcement, accountability, and oversight, which must be maintained if we are to avoid a similar recurrence in the future. 

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Bruce Reznik with his pet water buffalo at his home in Southeast Asia.

I recently discussed the financial and cultural benefits of great places to retire abroad in Southeast Asia with my good friend Bruce Reznik, an international lawyer, who is now semi-retired (meaning he works only part of the year). Bruce has some valuable advice for you about traveling to and living in this area of the world.

There are five countries that Bruce recommends as great places to retire abroad in Southeast Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines. Each country has its pros and cons.

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples:

Cambodia:

Pro: Low cost of living

Con: More rudimentary accommodations

For instance: In Battambang, Cambodia, the second- largest city, the price for a 4-star hotel is about $20 a night. The average price for a comfortable apartment in Phnom Penh, the capital, ranges from $200 to $800 a month.

However, Bruce also said of Battambang:

“ It has the goods and services that one would need in general. It lacks an international courier office, so it’s tough to send things quickly. It is remote from any airport so it’s about a five hour drive to Siem Reap which is the town near Angkor Watt that has an airport, and also a five, four, six hour ride to the capital.”

Vietnam:

Pro: Similar accommodations to the U.S.

Con: It’s a little more expensive

Vietnam has accommodations that are more similar to what expatriate retirees from the United States are used to.

As Bruce says in the interview:

“I just think that because their economy is greater than the other countries that they have, perhaps, accommodations that are more reminiscence to Americans of what they’re accustomed to back home.”

Bruce compared the two countries with an anecdote:

“A friend of mine told me that he went to his mother’s home town which is in Cambodia along the Vietnamese border and it was at night. Everything was dark on his side of the border but as he looked down in the valley there were lights all over in Vietnam showing that their power system is on a much better level.”

Retirement in Southeast Asia is not for everyone. There are many other options Baby Boomers can explore when considering retirement overseas as a way to lower costs.

Check out theBaby Boomers Retirement Network for the resources and expert advice you need when choosing from the many great places to retire abroad. For more information, and to read and listen to the entire interview, go to: http://www.boomersretirementnetwork.com/audios.php.

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