You can receive Featurettes by e-mail daily, weekly or monthly by request. We can e-mail by your choice of topic or all stories as you may prefer. To make it even more convenient for editors to use our stories, NAPS has added an RSS syndication feed to our Web site. Simply hit the RSS button on our site for automated updates on available content. Please contact us to arrange to receive Featurettes in the format that works best for you at (800) 222-5551 or e-mail your request to us at printmedia@napsnet.com. We can provide Featurettes on CD-ROM or you can download it online at www.napsnet.com. Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2495 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Planning For Retirement In A Tough Economy (NAPSA)—Planning for the future and the changes in the economy often go hand-in-hand— and now is no exception. These issues are top of mind for millions of Americans. In fact, a recent AARP study (May 2008) found that one-third of middle-aged and older people have stopped putting money into their retirement accounts. This is likely due to the challenges and stresses they feel in the economy. However, proper retirement planning, which can be stressful at any age and income level, does not have to be a cause of anxiety. With smart planning and the guidance of an investment consultant, you can take steps now to plan for a more comfortable retirement. Investment consultants can help identify goals and create a personalized plan to help achieve them, and then—most importantly—continue to help manage and follow through on those plans. Acting as a partner, these consultants can help work through the anxiety and uncertainty of retirement planning, providing practical answers and solutions to common retirement concerns—no matter what the economic conditions may be. Retirement Planning Tips While there is no substitute for speaking directly to an investment consultant who is well educated on the economy and the latest retirement strategies, here are some tips for consideration to avoid putting your own retirement at risk: • Continue making contributions to your retirement funds; • Refrain from borrowing against or pulling from your current retirement savings; • Identify long-term and shortterm goals and consider having money automatically deposited into an interest-gaining retirement account. Even a small amount can add up quickly; and • Use online tools as a way to ease into the planning process— many financial institutions provide these free resources to both current and potential clients. SunTrust’s Retirement GamePlan is an example of such an online tool that helps people ease into the planning process (www.suntrust.com/retirement). Retirement GamePlan provides the resources to quickly and simply plan for retirement, as well as direct access to a corps of specially trained financial advisors. “We believe that planning for retirement is a journey,” says John Rhett, chairman of SunTrust Investment Services. “It is a lifetime of preparation that can help reach a comfortable retirement.” SunTrust guides clients at all life stages, from just beginning to plan to all the way through retirement, so they are knowledgeable about exactly how much they are saving and spending in order to be well positioned for a comfortable retirement. A Tale Of Their Own (NAPSA)—The books you loved as a child are now available in unique, personalized editions that make great gifts for the children in your life. There are dozens of classic children’s titles to choose from, including “The Poky Little Puppy,” “Pinkalicious” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” To make each one special, you create a dedication page, which includes a photo of the child and your personal message. The page then appears in the front of the book. Your favorite youngsters can now enjoy personalized versions of classic children’s books. This unique gift is printed in a hardcover version and shipped, free. With a selection of over 80 classic titles for kids of all ages and more titles added daily, there are a myriad of possibilities for gifts that will be read and treasured for years to come. To learn more, visit kids.sharedbook.com. Hibernate Those Seasonal Items In Your Garage (NAPSA)—It’s a lot easier than you think to clear the clutter and organize your garage to fit everything inside—from tools to toys and cars to lawn chairs. “Garages are often misused as an oversized closet and quickly become a mountain of clutter,” said home improvement expert Karl Champley. “An organized garage will open your eyes to space you didn’t realize existed and make room for extra storage or carve out space for a pleasant work environment during the winter months.” In order to reclaim valuable real estate in the garage, Karl Champley offers homeowners five easy steps to transform the space: 1. Define Your Goal: What are your organizational goals for the garage? In most cases, you’ll want to store more inside as the seasons change. If you are expecting a change in weather, maybe you need to store lawn chairs inside. Or, if winter just means shorter days, maybe you want extra storage for infrequently used items such as camping equipment. Or perhaps you just want to park the car inside again. 2. To Keep or Not to Keep: Determine what you’ll stow and what must go. Go through the garage and keep only what you need and donate or throw out the rest. Better yet, hold a garage sale, some of which can generate $1,000 or more, according to wiki how.com. 3. Elevate What You Can: Can you see your garage floor? Clear the floor of unnecessary clutter and take advantage of the wall space. For example, hang your bike or wheelbarrow on a hook to regain floor space. Organized garage space is the final frontier when you have to make room for extra storage. 4. Select the Right Products: If you want more, you must explore. Do your homework and find storage components that were created specifically for the garage. Look for sturdy shelves to support heavy items, lockable cabinets for hazardous containers, or storage products that can withstand extreme temperatures of the garage. 5. Get it Done: If You Plan, Then You Can: Be resourceful and use online tools that can help you plan and budget out your garage, like the Blueprint Estimator from Gladiator GarageWorks. From planning layouts to picking out specific products, this unique and easy-to-use tool lets you envision the master plan for your garage. Whether you’re preparing for shorter days, the rainy season or a snowy winter, seasonal storage is an important task no matter where you live or how severe the weather.