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Using Sales Skills to Land a Job
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Marriage Calls for a Tax Review
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STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Company: 1 Retiree: -1
by Jill Schlesinger


ARCHIVES

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
What we REALLY need to fear
by Jill Schlesinger
09-23-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Fall Out
by Jill Schlesinger
09-22-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Back to School: Advanced Placement
by Jill Schlesinger
09-13-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Inversion Immersion Over
by Jill Schlesinger
09-1--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Housing, shopping, eating and drinking
by Jill Schlesinger
08-9--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Hindsight Bias
by Jill Schlesinger
08-8--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Here Come the Bonds
by Jill Schlesinger
08-4--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
403 B-WARE
by Jill Schlesinger
08-31-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Is That Really Saving?
by Jill Schlesinger
08-3--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Short Memories
by Jill Schlesinger
08-29-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
More Housing Grousing
by Jill Schlesinger
08-26-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
LTC TLC
by Jill Schlesinger
08-2--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Price Advice
by Jill Schlesinger
08-18-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Entertainment vs. Real Life
by Jill Schlesinger
08-17-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Lies Unearthed
by Jill Schlesinger
08-16-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Death to the Death Tax?
by Jill Schlesinger
08-15-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
When will we care?
by Jill Schlesinger
08-13-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Lender Bender
by Jill Schlesinger
08-11-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
First Down, Federal Reserve
by Jill Schlesinger
08-10-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Good Idea, Bad Execution
by Jill Schlesinger
08-1--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
June Spending Spree
by Jill Schlesinger
07-8--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Grim Reminder
by Jill Schlesinger
07-7--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Balancing Act
by Jill Schlesinger
07-6--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Good News to Help Your Re-entry
by Jill Schlesinger
07-5--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Housing Boom is Dea
by Jill Schlesinger
07-28-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Lance, France and Finance
by Jill Schlesinger
07-27-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Unethical and Dishonest
by Jill Schlesinger
07-26-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Portfolio CSI
by Jill Schlesinger
07-22-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
All My Taxes, Continued
by Jill Schlesinger
07-21-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Debt Fret
by Jill Schlesinger
07-20-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Tempus Fugit (Time Flies)
by Jill Schlesinger
07-19-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Gored, Ignored and Bored
by Jill Schlesinger
07-18-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Bernie Faces the Music
by Jill Schlesinger
07-14-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Above Average Mack
by Jill Schlesinger
07-13-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Real Bottom Line
by Jill Schlesinger
07-12-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Lessons from London
by Jill Schlesinger
07-11-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Independence Day
by Jill Schlesinger
07-1--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Worry Less, Do More
by Jill Schlesinger
06-9--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Less Wealthy
by Jill Schlesinger
06-8--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Boring is Better
by Jill Schlesinger
06-7--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
D-Day for Housing?
by Jill Schlesinger
06-6--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Miffed Maestro
by Jill Schlesinger
06-30-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
No, Non, Nee
by Jill Schlesinger
06-3--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Demise of One-stop Shopping
by Jill Schlesinger
06-29-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
SPAM JAM
by Jill Schlesinger
06-28-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Gentleman’s C
by Jill Schlesinger
06-27-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
A Strange Odor in the Air
by Jill Schlesinger
06-24-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Clear as Glass-Man
by Jill Schlesinger
06-23-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Déjà vu All Over Again
by Jill Schlesinger
06-22-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
TomKat
by Jill Schlesinger
06-21-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Is I-O for You?
by Jill Schlesinger
06-20-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Fed in a Box
by Jill Schlesinger
06-2--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Buffett Wrong?
by Jill Schlesinger
06-17-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
10 vs. 2
by Jill Schlesinger
06-16-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
When the Boss Goes, Should You?
by Jill Schlesinger
06-14-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Diagnosing the Doctor
by Jill Schlesinger
06-13-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
An Old Fashioned Notion
by Jill Schlesinger
06-10-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Arthur’s Revenge
by Jill Schlesinger
06-1--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Here We Go Again…
by Jill Schlesinger
05-9--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
In the Eye of the Beholder
by Jill Schlesinger
05-6--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Menu Overload
by Jill Schlesinger
05-5--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Fed View: Looking Ahead, Looking Back
by Jill Schlesinger
05-4--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Stealth Wealth
by Jill Schlesinger
05-31-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Education Gap
by Jill Schlesinger
05-3--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Reality Financial Planning
by Jill Schlesinger
05-27-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Mixed Emotions
by Jill Schlesinger
05-26-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Froth Defined
by Jill Schlesinger
05-25-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Men are from Mars…
by Jill Schlesinger
05-24-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Dark Side of Investing
by Jill Schlesinger
05-23-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Investors Behaving Badly
by Jill Schlesinger
05-20-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Spender’s Cocktail
by Jill Schlesinger
05-2--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Stag-Party
by Jill Schlesinger
05-19-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Tiger Woods and Other Unexpected Events
by Jill Schlesinger
05-18-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Attention to Pensions
by Jill Schlesinger
05-17-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Single Life
by Jill Schlesinger
05-16-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Go Figure
by Jill Schlesinger
05-13-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Trimming Down
by Jill Schlesinger
05-12-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Miss Hummer’s Summer
by Jill Schlesinger
05-11-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Precise About Advice
by Jill Schlesinger
05-10-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
One Week to Go
by Jill Schlesinger
04-8--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Why They Do What They Do
by Jill Schlesinger
04-7--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
VA-VA-VOOM
by Jill Schlesinger
04-6--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Six Tax Facts, Part 5
by Jill Schlesinger
04-5--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Safe at the Plate
by Jill Schlesinger
04-4--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Slow Down, You Move Too Fast
by Jill Schlesinger
04-29-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Guess the Asset
by Jill Sclesinger
04-27-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
l 26 2005 - With all the talk about steroids these days, we thought we might borrow Jose Canseco’s best-selling title "Juiced
Jill Schlesinger
04-26-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Letter from London
by Jill Schlesinger
04-25-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Filling the Bill
by Jill Schlesinger
04-22-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Twin Sins
by Jill Schlesinger
04-20-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Empty Promises
by Jill Schlesinger
04-19-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Before the Brink
by Jill Schlesinger
04-18-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Small Sacrifices
by Jill Schlesinger
04-15-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Dinner Faux Pas
by Jill Schlesinger
04-14-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Anti-Globalization
by Jill Schlesinger
04-13-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Six Tax Facts Part 6
by Jill Schlesinger
04-12-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Report Cards
by Jill Schlesinger
04-11-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Fools Rush In
by Jill Schlesinger
04-1--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Debt Threat
by Jill Schlesinger
03-9--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Martha’s Paid Dues
by Jill Schlesinger
03-7--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
What Do They Know
by Jill Schlesinger
03-4--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
A Pox on the S-Ox
by Jill Schlesinger
03-31-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Bottom Line on Ethics
by Jill Schlesinger
03-30-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Six Tax Facts, Part 4
by Jill Schlesinger
03-29-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Yield at these Yields
by Jill Schlesinger
03-24-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Measure at your Pleasure
by Jill Schlesinger
03-23-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Six Tax Facts, Part 3
by Jill Schlesinger
03-22-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
There’s Two Sides of a Divorce
by Jill Schlesinger
03-21-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Transcribe the Jive
by Jill Schlesinger
03-18-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Content to Rent
by Jill Schlesinger
03-17-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Ebbers and Flow of Corporate Greed
by Jill Schlesinger
03-16-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Six Tax Facts, Part 2
by Jill Schlesinger
03-15-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Cash Re-hash
by Jill Schlesinger
03-14-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Pillow Talk
by Jill Schlesinger
03-11-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Pisces Markets
by Jill Schlesinger
03-10-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Year of the Rooster
by Jill Schlesinger
02-9--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Super Bowl Patrol
by Jill Schlesinger
02-8--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Invest Well
by Jill Schlesinger
02-7--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Corporate Evolution
by Jill Schlesinger
02-4--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Fed’s REAL Intent
by Jill Schlesinger
02-3--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
It’s So Bad That He Won’t Believe Us
by Jill Schlesinger
02-28-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Our Oscars
by Jill Schlesinger
02-25-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Tame or Lame
by Jill Schlesinger
02-24-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Q and A
by Jill Schlesinger
02-23-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
New England’s on a Roll
by Jill Schlesinger
02-22-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Groundhog Investing
by Jill Schlesinger
02-2--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Capacity Tenacity
by Jill Schlesinger
02-17-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Budget Busters
by Jill Schlesinger
02-14-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Procrasti-Nation
by Jill Schlesinger
02-11-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Carly’s Crash
by Jill Schlesinger
02-10-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Press vs. Price
by Jill Schlesinger
01-7--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Play Money
by Jill Schlesinger
01-6--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Blame Alan!
by Jill Schlesinger
01-5--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Resolutions We’d Like to See
by Jill Schlesinger
01-4--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Beyond January
by Jill Schlesinger
01-31-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Resolution Solution
by Jill Schlesinger
01-3--2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Fed is Talking…Are you Listening
by Jill Schlesinger
01-25-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
The Gift that Keeps on Giving
by Jill Schlesinger
01-19-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Happy Fifth!
by Jill Schlesinger
01-18-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Still Ahead
by Jill Schlesinger
01-14-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Take a seat
by Jill Schlesinger
01-13-2005

STRATEGICPOINT OF VIEW
Too Rich
by Jill Schlesinger
01-12-2005

StrategicPoint of View
Company: 1 Retiree: -1

October 20, 2005: This week General Motors stock forged higher because it had successfully negotiated concessions from the United Auto Workers. The deal did not focus on wages or current employees but on health care benefits for union retirees. If you are keeping score, mark this move as follows: Company +1, Retirees -1.
I surely do not blame GM for making this deal—in fact, it was one of the few ways that the company can simply tread water in a an industry rife with problems. With skyrocketing health care costs that companies never anticipated, they just could not keep the original deal that they had negotiated without putting the core business at risk in the future. So GM followed a number of large employers like Sears, Delta, Lucent and Northwest Airlines, not to mention a number of municipal employers. This is one of those impossible situations where there are no good options. As a retired pilot said to me recently, "I know that they need to cut my benefits to save the company, but it still hurts me."
How likely is that you will lose what you have? The most vulnerable are former salaried employees. When companies seek reductions or are in bankruptcy, the first class of employee that is up for grabs is nonunion retirees. Yes, there may be some written contractual obligation, but often these agreements have language that allows the company to blow up the deal down the road under certain circumstances.
But don’t think because you are unionized that you are immune from cuts. As the UAW retirees just learned, sometimes the union has to play ball with the company, especially in light of the recent bankruptcy by GM auto parts maker Delphi. The reasoning is that it is more important to preserve most of the retirement benefits, like pensions, than put the whole thing at risk with a potential bankruptcy. If the company does declare bankruptcy, you will likely lose your health benefits anyway.
So how can you protect yourself if you have been counting on health retirement benefits from a large employer? The first step is to imagine your retirement years without that very valuable benefit. You will quickly come to the conclusion that the best thing to do is to save extra money for health coverage while you are working. If you are already retired and are receiving health care benefits, you should be squirreling away extra money just in case. As is the case with most risks in your financial life, a little extra savings can usually help guard against unforeseen events.

The data referred to above was taken from sources believed to be reliable. StrategicPoint Investment Advisors has not verified such data and no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made by StrategicPoint Investment Advisors . For more financial information visit www.strategicpoint.com.

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