| It's not too late to open an IRA, and save for life
Millions of Americans filed their taxes last week, and many missed the opportunity to open an IRA and stash money away for retirement.
They may have flirted with the idea of funding an individual retirement account, and then discarded the idea as the countdown to file taxes pressured them into a tizzy. Others peered into their bank accounts and felt like Old Mother Hubbard looking into an empty cupboard.
Yet if you were among those who considered an IRA and then let the opportunity pass you by during tax time, you don't have to give up for the next 12 months.
In fact, you shouldn't.
People often think that the only time to open an IRA is during tax season, so they can reduce their taxable income to pay less to Uncle Sam.
But as of April 17, you merely missed the opportunity to open an IRA for the 2006 tax year.
North County FYI
Connections Academy will present "Is Virtual School Right For Your Children?" information session, 6:30 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at Lake San Marcos Resort, 1025 La Bonita Drive, San Marcos. A session also will be offered from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Ramada Inn, 1440 Mission Ave., Oceanside. (800) 382-6010. Naturalist Tom Lyon will lead an easy walk at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Daley Ranch in Escondido. Meet at the entrance on La Honda Drive. Free. (760) 839-4680. The Classical Ragas ensemble will present music of North India, noon Tuesday at Cal State San Marcos, 333 Twin Oaks Valley Road, San Marcos. Free. Wendy Barker, director of the Escondido History Center, will lead the tour of The Boulevard, an artery that has served Escondido as a residential street, commercial district and transit corridor since 1886.
Brown Bridges Businesses In ING Restructuring
ING's Valerie Brown must be feeling pretty good these days. After more than three years as president of ING Advisior's Network, she's been promoted to executive vice president of annuity and wealth management. The news comes on the heels of ING's development of a new wealth management arm led by CEO, Kathleen Murphy. In this newly created role, Brown will be Murphy's right-hand woman in charge of developing strategies to grow and develop the new business. Brown will bridge the gap between the company's wealth management arm and the annuity business led by ING Annuities president, Harry Stout. As if her plate wasn't already full, Brown will also develop new retirement income products for the industry giant. It's a big job, but Brown finds the challenge exciting. "INGs wealth management strategy is all about creating road maps that connect defined contribution retirement plans with retail retirement plans," she said, adding that "the time has come for INGs wealth management approach to the marketplace.
Freeze on pension opts
Argentines will not be able to change their private pension fund providers until next year as part of a wider reform of the US$30 billion system, according to a government decree to be published today.
The ban on switching funds aims to avoid cut-throat competition between funds during the pensions shake-up, which also lets people move back into a state pension system, said a source at the regulatory agency that oversees pension funds.
It was decided in order to organize the process of affiliates changing funds... that any switch people ask for will not go into effect until next year," said the source, who asked not to be named.
Under current rules, private pension-fund holders can change to another private fund twice a year if they want to. .
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