http://bit.ly/ub0WrH Three-fourths of CEOs running small and mid-size businesses reported in March 2011 that they were anticipating higher revenues in the year ahead, and nearly 60% expected rising profits. Among those who expressed confidence in their futures, 54% expected to hire more employees and 50% were planning to invest in their facilities.



Growth is often accompanied by change. In fact, the U.S. Small Business Administration has found that increased employment and faster growth are factors that often lead businesses to change their legal form of organization. http://amplify.com/u/a1kejd

http://bit.ly/uBByd3 On October 12, in a demonstration of bipartisan cooperation, Congress passed three separate trade agreements — with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama. They are the first trade agreements in four years. In terms of potential impact, the trade pact with South Korea is the most significant since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada in 1994. http://amplify.com/u/a1kejb

In the first half of 2011, spikes in food and gasoline prices strained the budgets of many Americans and sparked fears of more persistent inflation. http://bit.ly/rVDzzU



Nonetheless, the Federal Reserve expected such price spikes to be temporary and forecasted the overall inflation rate to stay in the neighborhood of 2.5% in 2011, with the core consumer price index (which strips out food and energy) to grow in the range of 1.5% to 1.8%.1 http://amplify.com/u/a1kej9

Retirement savers are generally wise to take full advantage of the tax benefits that apply to employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRAs. http://bit.ly/tfv3PT. However, because these tax-deferred plans are subject to strict annual contribution limits, many higher-income individuals may not be able to set aside enough money in them to pursue a comfortable retirement lifestyle.



Because a variable annuity is not subject to federal contribution limits, it enables investors to invest more after-tax dollars to supplement the income they could receive from other plans. Taxes on earnings are deferred until withdrawn. http://amplify.com/u/a1keif

One of the recommendations from the White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families was for retirees to purchase annuities to help reduce the risks of outliving their savings or experiencing lower living standards because of inflation and investment losses.



The White House is not a common source of retirement information, but its recommendation addressed a common concern: running out of money in retirement. Although the task force wasn’t talking about variable annuities in particular, one of the benefits offered by variable annuities is the potential for a guaranteed lifetime income.



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Three-fourths of CEOs running small and mid-size businesses reported in March 2011 that they were anticipating higher revenues in the year ahead, and nearly 60% expected rising profits. Among those who expressed confidence in their futures, 54% expected to hire more employees and 50% were planning to invest in their facilities.



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The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a common measure of inflation, grew at a 3.2% annual rate in April, the fastest rate since October 2008.1 For more than two years, the U.S. economy has experienced relatively low inflation, and the current rate remains below the 50-year average.2 Yet anyone who has been to a gas station or a grocery store recently may feel that prices are going up faster than the CPI suggests.



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