Surprise! It’s retirement time

In a 2012 survey, 50 percent of current retirees said they retired earlier than they had planned, up from 45 percent in 2011.

Many retirees reported reasons that were beyond their control, such as health problems or disability, company downsizing or closure, changes in the skills required for their jobs, or having to care for a spouse or family member. Yet some said they retired early by choice – because they could afford to or because they wanted to do something different.

If you're nearing the end of your working years, you probably have a retirement timetable in mind. It may be as specific as a particular date or as general as a range of years. Regardless of your timetable, circumstances could change – as the experience of current retirees demonstrates – and retirement might come sooner than you think.

Top internships for minority and African-American students - 2013/14

(BlackNews.com) – Internships are a gateway for students that lead to careers. There are thousands of internship opportunities each year across the country, and some of these programs are specifically for minorities and African Americans. Here are just five of such programs:

#1 – Explore Microsoft Internship Program For Women and Minorities
: This program is for current college undergraduate minority students pursuing a degree in computer science or software engineering. Students may apply in their freshman or sophomore year of college.
 Learn more at: www.findinternships.com/2013/04/Explore-Microsoft-Internship-Program.html.

David Ortiz selling f---ing charity bat

NEW YORK – Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is using his colorful language again, this time to raise funds for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Ortiz famously told Boston fans "This is our f---ing city!" during a ceremony at Fenway Park on April 20, which was being broadcast on live television.

Rather than spark controversy, his choice of language was widely praised, bringing cheers from the crowd and statements of support even from FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who called his choice of words "outstanding."

Divorce and business – the ins and outs

I, John Doe, take you Jane Marie, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

For those in business, divorce can be devastating, especially when we have to be at the top of our game daily. It can affect job performance and the delivery of goods and services.

When we are in love, birds seem to sing louder and even when it is raining it seems like the sun is shining bright. Our mates can do no wrong and we are their biggest cheerleaders. We overlook their flaws and make excuses for their shortcomings.

Wells Fargo bolsters diversion and inclusion strategy with new hire

Wells Fargo recently named Michelle Thornhill, senior vice president, as strategy and integration manager reporting directly to the head of Enterprise Diversity and Inclusion.

For the last five years, Thornhill served as the African-American segment manager, leading the development and execution of the enterprise marketing and engagement strategy for African-American consumers and communities.

Thornhill is now responsible for providing strategic leadership consultation in support of Wells Fargo's diversity and inclusion business goals and objectives. She will focus on developing the enterprise-wide diversity and inclusion implementation strategy.

Moving on and rolling over

Despite the uncertainties of the job market, today's workers stay in a job for an average of only 4.4 years. Job-hopping is even more prevalent among younger workers: about nine out of 10 millennials (born between 1977 and 1997) expect to stay in a job for less than three years.

The impact of moving from job to job on a worker's career depends on individual circumstances. However, any time you leave a job – whether you've been there for three years or 30 years – you could be faced with a decision about what to do with the savings in your employer-sponsored retirement plan. There are typically four options.

Microsoft 2013 summer internship program for women and minorities

(BlackNews.com) – The Explore Microsoft Internship Program is a 12-week summer internship program that is specifically designed for college underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores) and offers the opportunity to experience working at Microsoft.

The program is designed to expose students to the field of software development and encourage students to pursue degrees in computer science, computer engineering, or related technical disciplines through hands-on training and group project experience.

Signs that you may not be ready to retire

There's plenty of guidance available to help you feel confident that it's time to retire. But it could be just as important to recognize signs that you may not be ready. You might think of these as yellow caution lights, warning you to slow down and give further thought to your situation.

You've reached the eligibility age for Social Security. For some people, Social Security eligibility is synonymous with retirement. In fact, about 50 percent of those who are eligible for benefits file at the earliest age of 62, despite the fact that their monthly payments will be permanently reduced.

Better safe than sorry Prenuptial agreements

What is the common denominator between Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, Khloe and Lamar, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and Beyonce and Jay Z? They all have prenuptial agreements in place. A prenuptial agreement, premarital agreement, or commonly referred to as "prenup", is a contract entered into prior to marriage by the people intending to marry. While the content of a prenuptial agreement can vary greatly, common provisions are usually for division of property and spousal support in the event of divorce or breakup of the marriage. Additionally, "payments" in the event of adultery can even be addressed.

Although celebrities are most likely to have a "prenup" in place, these legally binding arrangements are not just limited to the rich and famous. In fact more and more ordinary working class men and women are entering into these agreements. Why? Because as economic times become more and more challenging, individuals want to protect the separate property they already have prior to the marriage. A prenup becomes even more important if this is a second or third marriage and children from previous relationships exist.

Watchtower role keeps Compliance Office hopping

(Part III of a TSD series exploring the behind-the-scenes work of building the city's minority- and women-owned business enterprise sector.)

The City of Memphis Office of Contract Compliance stands like a watchtower over the process designed to improve the city's spending effort with minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs).

Compliance Officer Mary Bright served as guide as The New Tri-State Defender pursued a broader understanding of the office's intricacy and the workload.

Breaking down ‘Black America’s’ economy

According to the data found in a new report, The Buying Power of Black America, now may be the most opportune time ever for businesses to develop a strategy for increasing their share of the African-American market.

With the nation slowly recovering from recession, African-American consumers represent the margin of profitability in most consumer product categories.

"What the recession did to Black America's buying habits is to give them a reason to re-evaluate how they spent the billions of dollars they earned collectively," said Ken Smikle, president of Target Market News and editor of the report.

Ekundayo Bandele & the Business of the Arts - Part 2

ON OUR WAY TO WEALTHY: Hattiloo Theatre's founder and owner, Ekundayo Bandele, views art as medium to express history and a community's present conditions. Theatre, he says, must be "supported, maintained and enjoyed." Spreading that message is part of his business.

Carlee McCullough: How important do you believe the arts are to a community and especially live theatre?

Ekundayo Bandele: You know I think it is just as important as food and air. Well, maybe not as important as air. The things that separate animals and humans are cultures. Cultures are the defining markers that identify people from another people. We have this T-shirt at Hattiloo that says, "Got Culture." I pose that question to our community at-large because we often think that we have culture because we may read a book or belong to a book club or we may go and even see the new upcoming movie.