UNCOMMON CENTS 50

PROMISES, PROMISES, NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS. IF YOU COUNT ON THE PROMISE OF SOCIAL SECURITY TO MAKE YOUR RETIREMENT DREAMS COME TRUE, YOU WILL NEED TO MODIFY THE CONTENT AND CHARACTER OF YOUR DREAMS. THEY MIGHT EVEN BECOME NIGHTMARES. THE REWARDS OF A LONG TERM (45 YEARS) PERSONAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT, HOWEVER, WILL BE GREATER THAN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS. WHETHER A LOW, AVERAGE OR HIGH WAGE EARNER, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ANNUAL SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT AND A PERSONAL ACCOUNT IS DRAMATIC. APPROXIMATELY 2 TIMES FOR A LOW WAGE, ALMOST 3 TIMES FOR AN AVERAGE AND NEAR 5 TIMES FOR A HIGH WAGE WORKER UPON RETIREMENT. WOW!

HOW WILL YOU FEED YOUR SELF ESTEEM IF YOU SPEND YOUR DISCRETIONARY INCOME INSTEAD OF INVESTING IT? IF YOU COUNT ON YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY DEDUCTIONS (AND/OR YOUR COMPANY PENSION) YOUR GOLDEN YEARS MAY INSTEAD BE LEADEN. FOR GOODNESS SAKE, YOU DON'T WANT TO LET YOUR POCKETBOOK FINANCE THE MEDIA EMPIRE OR THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. REMEMBER, STEVIE WONDER -OVER-RATED AND OVER-PAID. REMEMBER, DISNEY THEME PARKS - OVER-RATED AND OVER-PAID. REMEMBER, FRANCHISED RESTAURANT CHAINS - OVER-RATED AND OVER-PAID. REMEMBER, YOUR POCKETBOOK OVER-PAYS FOR AND YOUR EGO OVER-RATES TRANSITORY EXPERIENCES THAT DRAIN YOUR RESOURCES AND DEPRIVE YOU FROM A GENUINE SATISFACTION GAINED FROM RALPH WALDO EMERSON'S CHAMPION VIRTUE, SELF-RELIANCE.

HINT: PROMISE YOURSELF A BRIGHT FUTURE.