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Phoenix, Arizona (PRWEB) April 9, 2007

UTC – Blumo, Inc. today announced it is officially open for business. The Phoenix based mobile experience agency has been operating under the radar while developing its MobilePowered(TM) platform, working exclusively on projects for Chevron and State Farm Insurance.

The agency was formed to meet the ever-growing demand for technology products and services that make it easier for brands to engage and interact with their audiences. In addition to a powerful technology platform, Blumo offers a core set of competencies in creative and marketing strategy. Put simply, Blumo helps brands and agencies develop and deliver interactive consumer experiences for the desktop and mobile phone.

With the MobilePowered(TM) platform, Blumo brings to market a mobile campaign management platform that will instantly place the agency at the forefront of the mobile marketing space. The platform provides brands, agencies and entrepreneurs with a comprehensive set of tools to manage and measure their mobile campaigns. The initial release of the product will support the following campaigns:

Automated Information
Digital Collateral
Fundraising
Integrated Media
Mobile Coupons
Mobile Fan Clubs
Promotional Content
Remote Database Query
Subscription Text Alerts
Text-To-Screen
Text-To-Win
Voting & Polling

Blumo is led by its client’s goals and its experienced founding partners – Gary Knudson, Matthew Roth, and LaSean Smith. Prior to founding Blumo, Smith and Roth held positions at Motorola, a global leader in wireless and broadband technologies. Knudson brings over 16 years of marketing experience, honed while heading sponsorship agency AdSport.

“There is an opportunity before us to change the way we interact with media, advertising, and each other,” said Blumo partner LaSean Smith. “We are looking forward to working with a wide range of brands, agencies, and organizations seeking to engage their audience on the web and the mobile phone.”

Those interested in learning more about Blumo or to read the Bloom Report (the company’s mobile focused blog) can visit http://www.blumo.com.

About Blumo, Inc.

Blumo is an interactive marketing agency that helps brands and other agencies develop and deliver interactive consumer experiences for the desktop and mobile phone. Its flagship product, MobilePowered(TM), helps companies easily manage SMS and WAP-based marketing campaigns. Blumo is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit www.blumo.com.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Grey

602-790-0000

###

The Retirement Group: Your Partners In Retirement

We are a group of financial professionals who focus entirely on retirement planning and the design of retirement portfolios for the corporate transitioning employee.

Can an IRA keep growing for a century or more? In theory, it can. Some people are planning to “stretch” their Individual Retirement Accounts over generations, so that their heirs can receive IRA assets accumulated after decades of tax-deferred or tax-free growth. A stretch IRA can potentially create a legacy of wealth to benefit your heirs, and it could also help to reduce your estate taxes.

Usually, this is a choice of the high net worth investor. Typically, an individual, couple or family has amassed sizable retirement savings – so sizable that they don’t need to withdraw the bulk of their IRA assets during their lifetimes.

How does this work? Simply put, astretch IRA is a Roth or traditional IRA with assets that pass from the original account owner to a younger beneficiary when the original account owner dies. The beneficiary can be a spouse or a non-spousal heir (or in some cases, not a person at all but a “see-through” trust.)1

If the beneficiary is a person, this younger beneficiary will have a longer life expectancy than the initial IRA owner, and therefore may elect to “stretch” the IRA by receiving smaller required minimum distributions (RMDs) each year of his or her life span. This will leave money in the IRA and permit ongoing tax-deferred growth – or tax-free growth, in the case of a Roth IRA.

In fact, since you don’t have to take RMDs from a Roth IRA at age 70½, you could opt to let your Roth IRA grow untapped for a lifetime. At your death, your beneficiaries could then stretch payouts over their life expectancies without having to pay tax on withdrawals.2

What options do the beneficiaries have? Well, the rules governing inherited IRAs are quite complex. The explanation below is simply a summary, and should not be taken as any kind of advice or guide.

If you have named your spouse as the beneficiary of your IRA, your spouse can roll over the inherited IRA assets into his or her own IRA after your death (presuming they don’t need the money).

If you die before age 70½, your spouse can treat the inherited IRA as his or her own and make contributions and withdrawals. Or, instead of treating the IRA as his or her own, your spouse can elect to begin receiving distributions on either December 31st of the calendar year following your death, or the date that you would have been age 70½, whichever date is later.

If your beneficiary is non-spousal, he or she cannot treat the IRA as his or her own, and cannot make contributions to it or rollovers into or out of it.3 A non-spousal beneficiary can either take the lump sum and pay taxes on it, or transfer the IRA assets to an IRA distribution account.

If your non-spousal beneficiary elects to set up a distribution account and you have passed away before age 70½, he or she must follow either the one-year rule or the five-year rule.

Under the one-year rule, annual distributions are based on the life expectancy of the designated beneficiary and must start by December 31st of the year following the original IRA owner’s death. In this way, your beneficiary can stretch out the distributions over his or her life expectancy, which can allow more of the inherited IRA assets to remain in the IRA and enjoy tax-deferred or tax-free growth.

Under the five-year rule, there are no minimum annual distribution requirements, but the beneficiary must withdraw their full interest by the end of the fifth year following the owner’s death.

The beneficiary can be determined even after the original IRA owner dies – if there is somehow no named beneficiary, you have until the end of the year following the death of the primary IRA owner to establish one.4 But it is vital to establish a beneficiary during your lifetime: if you don’t, your IRA assets could end up in your estate, and that will leave your heirs with two choices. If you pass away after age 70½, the RMDs from the IRA are calculated according to what would have been your remaining life expectancy. If you pass away before age 70½, the five-year rule applies: your heirs have to cash out the entire IRA by the end of the fifth year following the year of your death.2

Things to think about. The decision to stretch your IRA cannot be made casually. A beneficiary must be selected with great care, and there is always the possibility that you may end up withdrawing all of your IRA assets during your lifetime. A stretch IRA strategy assumes that your beneficiary won’t deplete the IRA assets, and it also assumes a constant rate of return for the account over the years. It’s also worth remembering that stretch IRA planning is based on today’s tax laws, not the tax laws of tomorrow.

If you are interested in stretching your IRA, you must find a truly qualified financial advisor to help you. While many financial advisors know something of the rules and regulations governing stretch IRAs, look for an advisor with an advanced education in IRA planning.

This material was prepared by Peter Montoya Inc, and does not necessarily represent the views of John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese, Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki and The Retirement Group or QA3 Financial Corp. This information should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representatives nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If other expert assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information or call 800-900-5867.

*The Retirement Group is not affiliated with nor endorsed by fidelity.com, netbenefits.fidelity.com,  hewitt.com, resources.hewitt.com,  access.att.com, AT&T, Qwest, Chevron, Hughes, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, ExxonMobil, Glaxosmithkline, Merck, Pfizer, Verizon or by your employer. We are an independent financial advisory group that specializes in transition planning and lump sum distribution. Please call our office at 800-900-5867 if you have additional questions or need help in the retirement planning process.

Citations.

1 investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080501/REG/74256949/1031/RETIREMENT

2 kiplinger.com/retirementreport/features/archives/2006/06/Cover_Jun2006_03_01.html

3 irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p590.pdf

4 moneycentral.msn.com/content/Taxes/Taxshelters/P33760.asp

This does not constitute an endorsement by John Jastremski, The Retirement Group or the author of the book. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not be a representative opinion of The Retirement Group or John Jastremski. John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki, The Retirement Group, AT&T, Verizon

Provided by The Retirement Group: Your Partners In Retirement.

This does not constitute an endorsement by John Jastremski, The Retirement Group or the author of the book. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not be a representative opinion of The Retirement Group or John Jastremski. John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki, The Retirement Group, AT&T, Verizon

Are you marrying soon? Have you recently married? As you begin your life together, it’s important for you to start planning your financial future together and putting your finances on the same page. Here are some priorities you might want to write down on your financial to-do list …

Plan for retirement. There is a chance that decades from now, many of us who are currently saving and investing for the future might end up millionaires. Actually, we may all need to become millionaires.

Consider this: according to current Social Security Administration projections, the average 63-year-old in 2010 is projected to live until age 84.1 So today’s typical retiree is looking at a retirement of approximately 20 years. Some of these people will live past 100 – many more than in previous generations.

Given ongoing advances in health care, how long might you live? Living to be 90 or 100 might become commonplace for the members of Gen X and Gen Y. Factor in inflation’s effect on the cost of goods and services, and you can see a possible scenario ahead where you might need, say, 0,000 or more a year for 30 years to have a nice retirement in which you don’t outlive your money.

This (strong) possibility means you may want to make saving for retirement NOW a higher priority.

In a typical couple, one spouse is more risk-averse than the other (sometimes dramatically so). So you need to agree on the investment approach you take, preferably with the help of a financial consultant who can help you determine how much money you might need for certain life goals or financial objectives.

Manage debt. Many of us go through life shouldering five-figure or even six-figure debts. When couples marry, the danger is that one spouse’s debt will be seen as “his debt” or “her debt”. Arguments may start because “your debt” is hurting “us”.

Debt management should be a priority for any newly married couple. There are good debts which we assume on the way to a positive result (such as a mortgage), but there are also bad ones we assume through our credit cards and other channels.

Live within your means. An established, mutually-agreed-upon budget can be very helpful in this regard. Different people have different levels of thrift, and different perceptions of what a “bargain” looks like. This perception gap can result in some interesting financial moments in your life – your spouse may pick up a “bargain” that you would call an extravagance.

Save for college. If you plan to raise children, it’s never too soon to start. You can do it a little at a time, a little per month. You can open a college savings account using different investment vehicles – stocks, funds, or investments with lower risks. 529 plans in particular offer you some fine tax breaks.

Insure yourself. If you are under 40, you may not have any kind of disability or life insurance. You may feel you don’t need it yet. However, getting a policy early can be cost-efficient: if you buy a term life policy (or even a permanent life policy) when you are young and healthy, chances are you will pay less expensive premiums than people in their 40s and 50s who may be obese, diabetic, heavy smokers or drinkers.

Communicate to avoid surprises. No matter how much of a “we” a couple becomes, there is always the need for some private space, some individual pursuits and “me time”. That’s great, but that’s probably not the best approach when it comes to your shared financial life. When a spouse starts to hide a money-related matter or omit it from conversations, it may open the door to troubles. Open, frank conversations about money may be the best way to avoid problems in your finances (as well as your relationship.)

Build an emergency fund. You’ve probably watched or read a number of stories about couples who were hit hard by the downturn – nice, once-affluent people who suddenly had to live in their car or a motel. When things got rough, many had no emergency fund to sustain them and ended up homeless.

Consider building up a cash reserve (gradually, if necessary) that you could tap into should something go wrong. You won’t regret having it around.

This material was prepared by Peter Montoya Inc, and does not necessarily represent the views of John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese, Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki and The Retirement Group or QA3 Financial Corp. This information should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representatives nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If other expert assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information or call 800-900-5867.

*The Retirement Group is not affiliated with nor endorsed by fidelity.com, netbenefits.fidelity.com,  hewitt.com, resources.hewitt.com,  access.att.com, AT&T, Qwest, Chevron, Hughes, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, ExxonMobil, Glaxosmithkline, Merck, Pfizer, Verizon or by your employer. We are an independent financial advisory group that specializes in transition planning and lump sum distribution. Please call our office at 800-900-5867 if you have additional questions or need help in the retirement planning process.

Citations

1 – chicagotribune.com/business/sc-cons-0819-journey-20100819,0,1141623.story [8/19/10]

Visit us on the web: http://www.theretirementgroup.com

For information: http://theretirementgroup.com/new/retiregroup2/content.asp?contentid=2016566828

Provided by The Retirement Group: Your Partners In Retirement

This does not constitute an endorsement by John Jastremski, The Retirement Group or the author of the book. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not be a representative opinion of The Retirement Group or John Jastremski. John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki, The Retirement Group, AT&T, Verizon

You may think of life insurance in very simple terms: you buy a policy so that your loved ones will have some financial assistance when you die. But if you have assets of million or more, you should view life insurance as a tool – kind of a Swiss army knife, in fact. Life insurance has many potential uses in estate planning, and a life insurance trust can certainly help a family.

What does a life insurance trust do? It enables you and your family to do three things in particular. One, it provides you, your spouse and your heirs with life insurance coverage after it is implemented. Two, it allows a trustee to distribute death benefits from a life insurance policy as that trustee sees fit. Three, it gives you the chance to reduce your estate taxes.

When you create a life insurance trust, you are creating an entity (the trust) to buy life insurance policies for you and your loved ones. You don’t own the policies, the trust does. So the insurance proceeds go into the trust when someone passes away. Because the trust owns the insurance policies instead of a person, the insurance proceeds aren’t subject to probate, income taxes or estate taxes. The trustee can distribute those proceeds to one or more parties as stipulated in the language of the trust. Also, if your estate ends up really large, the trust can buy additional life insurance to provide additional cash to pay additional estate taxes.

Sometimes these trusts establish investment policies for life insurance proceeds, and even timelines for who receives what when (families may want to delay an heir from legally receiving an inheritance until age 18 or 21, for example).

Why not just have someone else own my insurance policy? That scenario can lead to major financial and familial headaches. If that person dies before you die, the cash value of the policy will be included in their taxable estate. So the heirs (and relatives) of that person will have higher estate taxes to pay as a result. Also, if you do this, you surrender control of your policy; the loved one you trust could end up naming another beneficiary or even cashing your policy out.

A decision for life. Almost all life insurance trusts are irrevocable trusts. That is, they are legally “set in stone” once created, unlike a revocable trust which can be amended or revoked after creation. You can make these trusts revocable, but if you do, you lose the tax benefit: the insurance proceeds will be included in your taxable estate when you die, which could increase the estate tax bill for your heirs. However, some irrevocable life insurance trusts purchase survivorship life insurance in a profit sharing plan to permit the ability to change beneficiaries.

If you’d like to know more about life insurance trusts or the potentially significant changes in estate taxes over the next few years, talk to a qualified legal, financial or insurance professional today.

This material was prepared by Peter Montoya Inc, and does not necessarily represent the views of John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese, Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki and The Retirement Group or QA3 Financial Corp. This information should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representatives nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If other expert assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information or call 800-900-5867.

*The Retirement Group is not affiliated with nor endorsed by fidelity.com, netbenefits.fidelity.com,  hewitt.com, resources.hewitt.com,  access.att.com, AT&T, Qwest, Chevron, Hughes, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, ExxonMobil, Glaxosmithkline, Merck, Pfizer, Verizon or by your employer. We are an independent financial advisory group that specializes in transition planning and lump sum distribution. Please call our office at 800-900-5867 if you have additional questions or need help in the retirement planning process.

Sign up for our newsletter: http://www.theretirementgroup.com/new/retiregroup2/content.asp?contentid=2016566134

We are a group of financial professionals who focus entirely on retirement planning and the design of retirement portfolios for the corporate transitioning employee.

(PRWEB) June 23, 2000

Internet marketplace to link fuel and lubricants suppliers with customers

SAN FRANCISCO, June 21, 2000 — Chevron Corp. today announced the formation of Silicon Valley Oil Co. (SVOC), an online marketplace which plans to enable sales of fuels and lubricants to commercial and industrial customers via the Internet. (View the SVOC Web site at www.svoc.com — opens a new browser window).

The formation of SVOC continues the ongoing implementation of Chevron’s strategy to lead the industry in transforming its key business processes to those of the e-business world.

“Silicon Valley Oil Co. intends to forge a new electronic link between commercial and industrial customers and the petroleum marketers who supply lubricants and fuels,” said Patricia Woertz, a corporate vice president and president of Chevron Products Co.

“The SVOC marketplace is designed to connect the thousands of commercial and industrial customers to the 8,500 petroleum marketers who are at the nexus of a $ 50 billion U.S. market for lubricants and diesel fuel,” she said.

Several large petroleum marketers have agreed to participate in the site from its inception and to provide feedback during live testing. They include Hasco Oil of Long Beach, Calif., and Thomas Petroleum of Victoria, Texas.

Richard Camper, Hasco Oil Sales Manager, said, “This is a wonderful innovation which allows us to build on the power of the Internet so we can reach existing and new customers in a more effective way.”

“SVOC is an outgrowth of an internal project that only carried the Chevron brand,” said Woertz. “With increased use of the Internet, we recognized that we had an opportunity to provide the full utility demanded by the market. We decided to establish SVOC as a neutral site that would be open to a broad customer base. We believe SVOC’s cutting-edge capability will create new business opportunities for marketers and suppliers who choose to utilize it.”

Chevron worked with Computer Sciences Corp. during the initial strategy formulation, market research and creation of SVOC. CSC is currently engaged as a development partner in designing the operational strategy and its implementation as well as the technical infrastructure to support SVOC’s operations.

SVOC plans to launch its marketplace during the third quarter. The site will allow buyers, for example, to place orders for diesel fuel and sellers to bid to fill the orders — leveraging current business practices with the convenience and efficiency of the Internet.

Commercial and industrial buyers include trucking and delivery companies, grocery chains, rental car firms, transit agencies and manufacturers.

James L. Conger, who led the SVOC business development team while working for Chevron’s lubricants division, has been named the company’s president and chief operating officer.

Chevron Corp.:

Chevron, headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., is a leading energy company, operating in about 90 countries and employing about 31,000 people. Since January, Chevron has participated in the formation of four new Internet companies: Petrocosm (www.petrocosm.com), RetailersMarketXchange (www.retailersmarketxchange.com), Upstreaminfo.com (www.upstreaminfo.com) and PetroCore (www.petrocore.com). (Each link opens a new browser window.)

Silicon Valley Oil Co.:

SVOC is an Internet service company dedicated to the fuels and lubricants marketplace. SVOC leverages the strengths of the existing distributor network while taking advantage of the speed and lower cost of the Internet. More information on SVOC can be obtained at www.svoc.com (opens a new browser window).

With many more Americans living past age 80, the need for long term care is rising, and so is the interest in long term care insurance. Yet, a 2006 AARP study noted that most Americans surveyed were underestimating the rising costs of LTC, and presupposing that government programs would provide adequate assistance.

The different care options. Most people assume LTC insurance pays only for nursing home care, but that is inaccurate. Insurers and healthcare providers commonly define long term care as assistance provided to someone with a condition or illness that limits their ability to perform normal daily activities. LTC insurance can also help pay for rehabilitative care, therapeutic care, and various types of assisted care in the home.

The financial relief. What does one year of care in a nursing home cost? What would you guess? What, -50,000? Think more. A survey conducted by MetLife back in 2004 found that the average annual cost of nursing home care was ,080 per year, and that the average cost of a home health aide was /hour. (Costs were cheapest in the South.) Given these costs – rising at approximately 6% per year – insurance and investment professionals urge their clients to look into LTC policies.

Premiums and choices. Your age, the amount of the daily benefit and the length of the deductible (0-180 days) determine your premium. Most LTC policies are indemnity or expense-incurred policies that pay fixed dollar amounts per day, week, or month (often -300 per day). Integrated or pooled-benefit policies allow you to assign percentages of your benefit to pay for different types of LTC services. While benefits are usually inflation-adjusted, LTC insurance policies are not guaranteed to cover all LTC expenses. (Some standard life insurance policies also offer LTC benefits; ask for your insurance agent for the details on your policy.)

What will Medicare do? Not much. Medicare does not pay for standard, custodial nursing home care. Medicare will pay for skilled nursing care or home health care only after you have spent down your existing assets to meet state and federal guidelines.

If you have questions about long term care insurance or face oncoming or immediate long term care issues, be sure to talk with a qualified insurance or investment professional today who can tell you about your options in LTC coverage.

This material was prepared by Peter Montoya Inc, and does not necessarily represent the views of John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese, Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki and The Retirement Group or QA3 Financial Corp. This information should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representatives nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If other expert assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information or call 800-900-5867.

This does not constitute an endorsement by John Jastremski, The Retirement Group or the author of the book. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not be a representative opinion of The Retirement Group or John Jastremski. John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki, The Retirement Group, AT&T, Verizon

For free information: http://theretirementgroup.com/new/retiregroup2/content.asp?contentid=2016566828

*The Retirement Group is not affiliated with nor endorsed by fidelity.com, netbenefits.fidelity.com,  hewitt.com, resources.hewitt.com,  access.att.com, AT&T, Qwest, Chevron, Hughes, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, ExxonMobil, Glaxosmithkline, Merck, Pfizer, Verizon or by your employer. We are an independent financial advisory group that specializes in transition planning and lump sum distribution. Please call our office at 800-900-5867 if you have additional questions or need help in the retirement planning process.

How much are you paying for term coverage? Term life insurance today is cheaper than it has been in about 20 years, as competition has driven premiums lower and lower.1 With hundreds of insurance firms offering term policies, it might be time to rewrite yours.

How cheap is term coverage right now?If you’re 40, it is possible to pay less than ,000 a year – perhaps much less – for a term policy with typical death benefits of 0,000, 0,000 or million. In fact, if you are a 50-year-old male living in California, million of term coverage for 10 years can be had for as little as 0 annually, according to Insure.com’s November survey. 2

How can you get the lowest rates? It helps if you a) weigh 200 lbs. or less, b) have no family history of heart disease or personal history of tobacco use, c) have blood pressure in the vicinity of 140/80 and cholesterol below 240, d) drive safely with the record to prove it, and e) avoid dangerous travel and dangerous activities. 3

Why have premiums become so inexpensive? You can chalk it up to a few powerful factors: death rates have declined markedly in recent decades, and men are starting to close the life expectancy gap on women. Plus, insurers are going all-out to get your business – advertising online, on the radio, on TV and seemingly everywhere else. 4

Besides low premiums, what else should you look for? You want a guaranteed renewable policy, which will let you renew your term coverage at the end of the given term without having to undergo a medical exam. You also want fixed premiums for the life of the term, as opposed to a “teaser” premium that rises after a few years. You can buy a term policy lasting 10, 20, or 30 years; the shorter the term, the cheaper the premiums.

Cheap premiums shouldn’t be the only factor in selecting term coverage. There’s also the health of the company to consider. Insurance companies do go out of business – it is rare, but it happens. Did you know insurance companies are rated? You can check companies out at insure.com (the online ratings are totally free) and at ambest.com. 3

How can you save money? Make sure you talk with a qualified insurance advisor who can give you an overview as well as an update on the best rates out there. You may be pleasantly surprised what kind of term coverage you can get today – for less.

Citations.

1 http://www.smartmoney.com/insurance/life/index.cfm?story=oct02-life

2 http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQTH041A15112007-1.htm

3 http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQTH041A15112007-1.htm

4 http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQTH041A15112007-1.htm

5http://www.smartmoney.com/insurance/life/index.cfm?story=lifeterm

This material was prepared by Peter Montoya Inc, and does not necessarily represent the views of John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese, Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki and The Retirement Group or QA3 Financial Corp. This information should not be construed as investment advice. Neither the named Representatives nor Broker/Dealer gives tax or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If other expert assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. Please consult your Financial Advisor for further information or call 800-900-5867.

*The Retirement Group is not affiliated with nor endorsed by fidelity.com, netbenefits.fidelity.com,  hewitt.com, resources.hewitt.com,  access.att.com, AT&T, Qwest, Chevron, Hughes, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, ExxonMobil, Glaxosmithkline, Merck, Pfizer, Verizon or by your employer. We are an independent financial advisory group that specializes in transition planning and lump sum distribution. Please call our office at 800-900-5867 if you have additional questions or need help in the retirement planning process.

This does not constitute an endorsement by John Jastremski, The Retirement Group or the author of the book. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not be a representative opinion of The Retirement Group or John Jastremski. John Jastremski, Jeremy Keating, Erik J Larsen, Frank Esposito, Patrick Ray, Robert Welsch, Michael Reese Philip Catalan, Brent Wolf, Andy Starostecki, The Retirement Group, AT&T, Verizon

(PRWEB) April 2, 2004

Novazone, a leading provider of ozone based solutions, today announced the appointment of Michael O’Connell as its Regional Director of Sales and Business Development for Southern California. In his new role, O’Connell will be responsible for expanding Novazone’s presence in life science, bottled beverage, cooling tower and food markets.

“Michael brings a wealth of water treatment experience to Novazone, as well as a strong commitment to customer service,” said Paul White, Novazone President and CEO. “He will increase our ability to provide the most reliable, accurate and cost efficient ozone-based purification solutions to customers in Southern California.”

O’Connell brings more than 20 years of engineering, marketing and executive experience to his new post at Novazone. He joins Novazone from energy giant ChevronTexaco, where he was a senior member of their corporate venture group. O’Connell also served as President of Arabian Chevron in the Middle East and Manager of Business Development for Cabinda Gulf in West Africa.

“Its exciting to join a company that has exceptionally well-engineered product solutions already recognized as the best by global customers such as Coke, Pepsi and Colgate-Palmolive, “said O’Connell. “I look forward to discussing with local companies how they can save money, reduce downtime and eliminate hazardous chemicals by using Novazone’s precisely controlled ozone systems in their cooling tower, high purity water, bottled beverage and food storage applications.”

About Novazone

Founded in 1995, Novazone is a leader in full service ozone generation and contacting solutions for bottled beverage, life science, cooling tower and food applications. Headquartered adjacent to Silicon Valley, Novazone incorporates an array of new patented technologies into complete, fully-automated systems with unsurpassed reliability and cost-effective operation, backed by ultra-responsive engineering and service support. www.novazone.net Contact us at 925 454 0303 to talk about your application and ozone.

(PRWEB) July 10, 2005

The Down The Street Bead Show Presents a Venetian Bead MasterLuigi Cattelan from Murano Italy. Come visit Luigi, in Atlanta, Georgia on July 30 & 31 along with forty other vendors at the Cobb Galleria Two Galleria Parkway or Tampa, Florida on August 5th, 6th, & 7th along with twenty-five other vendors at the Marriott Hotel 1001 North Westshore Blvd.

Luigi was just knighted by the Italian government for his accomplishments in the bead industry. Luigi says “I am not an artist. I’m just someone who works with glass”. Born and raised in Murano (Venice) Italy, Luigi comes from a family of glass masters, dating as far back as the 15th century.

For 20 years, Luigi worked as the director of production in the oldest glass factory in Murano: the Societa’ Veneziana Conterie founded in 1893. The S.V.C., which produced chevron and seed beads, Luigi, without a job, started working for himself and has since launched the chevron bead back into the Italian, U.S. and African markets using the compositions of glass from the S.V.C., as well as from his grandfather and great-grandfathers. Luigi is the only remaining Muranese who continues to produce chevron beads. Luigi also makes blown glass beads, lampworked candy beads, and blows small perfume bottles and vessels.

For more information goto the show website at www.thedownthestreetbeadshow.com or call toll free at 1-866-667-3232.

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Rancho Cucamonga, CA (PRWEB) July 10, 2007

Nomura, one of Asia’s leading investment banks, was joined in this round by SpectraSensors’ three current investors, American River Ventures, Blueprint Ventures and Nth Power LLC; and by CTTV Investments LLC, the venture capital arm of Chevron Technology Ventures, as a new investor.

SpectraSensors has grown rapidly to become the supplier of choice for a variety of gas analyzer products. The latest round of funding will enable it to accelerate growth and continue to introduce superior products and services to its established customer base, which includes leading oil and gas companies.

“Having recently announced the acquisition of Integrated Information Technologies, and several major new product announcements, the addition of Nomura and Chevron as investors will greatly enhance our market strategies,” SpectraSensors CEO, George Balogh stated. “The investment will expand SpectraSensors’ endeavors to develop superior analytical technologies, expand worldwide distribution channels and strengthen its brand as a premier solutions provider for hydrocarbon processing and natural gas industries.”

“This company has experienced exceptional growth over the past four years and has attracted blue chip North American energy customers,” said Russell Pullan, Director of Nomura’s New Energy & Clean Technology Ventures. “Our decision to lead this round of financing demonstrates our confidence in SpectraSensors’ seasoned management team. There is a lot of excitement in the industry over the company’s’ recent launch of new products such as an innovative hydrogen sulphide analyzer and a unit to measure the energy content of gas. With its novel laser technology and real-time measurement, we believe they are well on their way to becoming an industry leader and the number one global supplier for gas-quality measurement.”

New Energy & Clean Technology Ventures is a division of Nomura’s merchant banking business in Europe launched in late 2006.

About SpectraSensors, Inc.

SpectraSensors, Inc. headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California with sales and customer support in Houston, Texas was incorporated in 1999, as a technology spin-off of the NASA/Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The company is a leading manufacturer of optically based gas analyzers for the analytical process and natural gas markets. Typical applications include energy measurement, moisture analyzers, hydrogen sulfide analyzers, and other analytical products for natural gas pipelines, refineries, petrochemical processing plants, and airborne water vapor and other atmospheric measurements from commercial aircraft for the U.S. and International Weather Services. More information: www.spectrasensors.com

About Nomura

Nomura is a global financial services group dedicated to providing a broad range of financial services for individual, institutional, corporate and government clients. The Group offers a diverse line of competitive products and value-added financial and advisory solutions through its global headquarters in Tokyo, over 155 branches in Japan, and an international network in 30 countries; with regional headquarters in Hong Kong, London, and New York. The Group’s business activities include investment consultation and brokerage services for retail investors in Japan, and, on a global basis, brokerage services, securities underwriting, investment banking advisory services, merchant banking, and asset management. For further information about Nomura please visit our website at www.nomura.com.

About Chevron Technology Ventures

Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV), a division of Chevron, USA, Inc., champions innovation, commercialization and integration of emerging technologies and related new business models within Chevron. CTV is pursuing this goal through business units involving biofuels, hydrogen, emerging energy and venture capital. Chevron Corporation is one of the world’s leading energy companies. With approximately 56,000 employees, Chevron subsidiaries conduct business in approximately 180 countries around the world, producing and transporting crude oil and natural gas, and refining, marketing and distributing fuels and other energy products. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information: www.chevron.com

About American River Ventures

American River Ventures, with over $ 100 million under management, is an early-stage venture capital firm based in Roseville, California. ARV invests in information technology and communications companies in Northern California and throughout the Western United States. The firm helps entrepreneurs accelerate the growth of their companies by applying the investment team’s technical backgrounds and extensive operating experience. More information: www.arventures.com

About Blueprint Ventures

Blueprint Ventures is a seed-and-early-stage venture capital firm focused on infrastructure software, systems and components for information technology. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Firm combines extensive experience in early-stage investing with an emphasis on backing early-stage corporate intellectual property (IP) spinouts. The Firm targets companies that deliver disruptive technologies to market in a capital and time-efficient manner. Blueprint backs seasoned entrepreneurs and helps them achieve market leadership positions. More information: www.blueprintventures.com

About Nth Power

Nth Power focuses on high-growth investment opportunities in the trillion-dollar global energy and utility marketplace. Nth Power began investing in 1997 and has over $ 250 million under management, with investments in energy intelligence, power reliability, distributed generation and related services. Nth Power’s industry partners include leading electric and gas service providers and equipment manufacturers from around the world. More information: www.nthpower.com

SpectraSensors Contact:

Sam Miller

Director of Marketing

Phone 909-948-4106

http://www.spectrasensors.com

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