Sisters in Service to Enhance Resource Sharing!

Transcription

1 March/April/May 2012 Editor-in-Chief: Mary J. Ford Sisters in Service to Enhance Resource Sharing! Message from the President The Journey is Continuing As We Renew and Recapture the Vision of BWN in It is truly an honor and a pleasure to return as president for another year of this great organization. Congratulations to Black Women s Network as we celebrate the 33rd year anniversary of the organization. The month of March is the official anniversary month of Black Women s Network organization founded in March The month of March is International Women s Month across the country. As each of us continue our personal journey through life, I am asking and need each BWN sister to step up and take a more active and supportive role as a BWN member. The foundation of Black Women s Network was based on Sisterhood and Networking 33 years ago. In order to continue to move forward with the vision and goals of BWN, it is going to take a village and the support of each of you. Especially in these difficult and economic times and in this age of technology and social networking, the personal touch of communicating and connecting with each other seems to be getting lost. The vision and goals of Black Women s Network must continue to grow and stay alive so that this organization will be strong for years to come. By being more active and supportive in participating in the activities of BWN and bringing more new and great ideas and topics of interest to share with the organization will enhance your personal life. We must as BWN sisters continue to spread the word and encourage more women and more younger women to become a part of this great tradition of sisterhood and networking experience called Black Women s Network. I am looking forward to this great journey with each of my BWN sisters as we continue our pledge of being" Sisters in Service to Enhance Resource Sharing and as we Continue The Journey in Renewing and Recapturing The Vision of BWN. Sincerely, Sheila S. Johnson 2011 BWN President Sheila S. Johnson President 2012 Executive Board Sheila Johnson..President Mary J. Ford: Vice President Linda Ard-Bonner...Treasurer Jerchel Amderson Corresponding Secretary Sharon Jordan...Recording Secretary Trena Thompson..Ways & Means Sikizi Allen.Historian Olivia Payne-Tinson...Parliamentarian Gwendolyn Scott-Goodman..Community & Public Relations Marva Smith Battle-Bey Conference

2 Page 2 Many uses of life insurance Member Spotlight Most of us buy life insurance to replace the loss of income that would occur should we die or to create an estate for our loved ones, but there are many other reasons: People depend on you you have an aging parent or disabled relative who depends on you for support Retirement needs your retirement savings and pension won t be enough to support your family Ramona Dunbar Estate planning you have a large estate and expect to owe estate taxes Joint debt you have a substantial joint financial obligation, such as a personal loan for which another person would be legally responsible after your death If you own a business you may wish to consider life insurance for: Key person life insurance can be used to help protect a business from the loss of income and profits caused by the death of a key employee Business continuation life insurance can be used to help fund a buy/sell agreement or stock redemption plan to enable a partner or group of employees to buy the business interest of a deceased partner Business loans insurance on a key employee or business owner can be used to pay off or help pay down the debts of a business in the event of that individual s death Prepare for the unexpected I can help you analyze your individual situation so you can determine your life insurance requirements and be sure your coverage is appropriate for your needs and your family. Please contact me at: Ramona Dunbar Farmers Insurance Agent 1511 Pontius Ave Ste 105 Los Angeles, CA Phone:

3 Page 3 What Professional Women Should Know About Their Financial Future Courtesy of: Pamela Edwards Branch Name: Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Brea, CA Phone Number: Address: Pamela.Edwards@mssb.com What Professional Women Should Know About Their Financial Future Anticipate that you are likely to live a long life. And plan accordingly. In fact, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, a woman who reaches age 50 today without serious health problems can anticipate celebrating her 92nd birthday. Women in the United States, on average, will live to reach 81.1 years of age, compared with men s life expectancy of just So if you ve always left money matters to your husband, start learning why you need to know how to manage on your own. Beware of being overly conservative in your investments. While there is a correlation between your age and the amount of risk you should assume when investing, being too conservative can seriously erode the value of a retirement account. You may need to rely on this money for 30 years or more. That s why you should think of retirement as a long-term investment. Consider keeping a significant portion of your portfolio in stocks, as long a possible. Pay yourself first. Invest for your future now. By investing systematically over a period of time, you will be surprised how fast your nest egg can grow. Hypothetically, if at age 25 you began investing about $5,000 per year ($417 per month) and earned an 8% return, you could build a nest egg of about $1.3 million at age 65. Choose an IRA that s right for you. Take advantage of complimentary IRA and pension calculators, or ask your Financial Advisor to run a calculator for you, to compare the projected results of contributing to different types of accounts, including transferring assets from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Fund your IRA, 401(k) or other employer-sponsored program to the maximum. You can build up a good portion of your retirement savings if you contribute the maximum allowable amount into deferred income plans, such as a 401(k). You will you reduce your current taxable income, and the tax-deferred compounding feature of these plans allows you to accumulate more than you would in a comparable account that taxes earnings each year. Remember this special Social Security tip: Even if you are divorced, you are entitled to half of your ex-spouse s Social Security benefits if you are 62 or older, were married for at least 10 years and have not remarried. 2 A widow, as long as she doesn t remarry before age 60, is entitled to at least 71.5% of her husband s Social Security benefits. If she waits until full retirement age, she is entitled to 100%. For more information on your particular circumstances, call the Social Security Administration at If you are employed and decide to switch jobs, check your complete benefits package, including the portability and vesting rules of your retirement plan. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, on average, working women over age 25 switch jobs every 4.8 years. 3 This job-change frequency often limits the growth of retirement plan assets due to vesting requirements typically set at five years. Investigate your employer s tuition reimbursement benefits. In the Employee Benefit Research Institute s 2011 Retirement Confidence Survey, 74% of workers said they expected to work for pay in retirement. 4 Going back to school to develop secondary employment skills or to learn a new field can be a tremendous benefit if you choose to make a career or job change at a later date.

4 Page 4 The Ends and Out of Beauty From the inside Out *Get plenty of sleep; take a minutes cat nap *Exercise 3-5 times a week, minutes *Eat your colors everyday visit *It s never too late to start a good beauty plan *As we age we loose pigment, add color and texture *Cleanse and moisturize twice a day *Makeup will make you look great at any age *Foundation is one of the links to skincare *To look polished you need a good pair of shoes, lipstick and a great cut. *Shampoo and condition hair every 7 to 14 days *Always sleep on satin, cotton dries out the hair Michelle Moore Bell is a nationally known beauty consultant and a 16 year member of BWN. Save the Date BWN Night at the Cotton Club Saturday, May 19, 2012

5 In Memoriam Our Dear Beloved BWN Sister and Past BWN President Bayyinah Ali-Shotwell On December 18, 2011, we lost our dear beloved BWN sister Bayyinah Ali-Shotwell after a lengthy illness. Bayyinah Ali-Shotwell had been a BWN member since She has been a faithful BWN member for 31 years. Bayyinah Ali- Shotwell had been one of BWN s greatest Historian and was President of BWN in 1993 and 1994 as well as Chairperson of Community and Public Relations Committee for many years. Bayyinah Ali- Shotwell was known in BWN as our Queen of Networking. She was the BWN sister that was the most helpful in sharing information with other BWN sisters and being supportive and a nurturing sister to other upcoming presidents in Black Women s Network. When you think of BWN and the true meaning of Sisterhood and Networking if you had the pleasure and honor of knowing her Bayyinah Ali-Shotwell comes into your mind. Bayyinah was truly loved and will be greatly missed. Rest in Peace My Dear BWN Sister. Sheila S. Johnson 2012 BWN President Food for Thought

6 Page 6 BWN COMMITTEES- WE ARE YOU. Join a committee and become more active as a BWN Member. Please contact bwninfo@blackwomensnetwork.net and request the Committee chairperson of: Ways & Mean chairperson Trena Thompson, Membership committee chairperson/vp Mary Ford, Community and Public Relations Chairperson- Gwendolyn Scott Goodman, and Conference Committee Chairperson, Marva Smith Battle-Bey. HELP WANTED AND NEEDED BWN is in need for a BWN member to step up and share their computer skills in being the Communication Chairperson. The Communication Chairperson will be responsible for producing the BWN newsletter. The newsletter will be quarterly and the next newsletter edition will be in June. If you have the right skills to produce the newsletter, please come forward and contact either Mary Ford- Vice President of BWN or Sheila Johnson BWN President at bwninfo@blackwomensnetwork.net BWN COMMITTEES- WE ARE YOU. Join PROGRAM CHAIRPERSON NEEDED If you are a BWN member that wants to step up and share our leadership and program event planning skills, then please contact Sheila Johnson BWN President for consideration at bwninfo@blackwomensnetwork.net. As program chairperson you would be responsible for coordination of a portion of the June meeting program and the October meeting program. Membership Information We are Sisters in Service to Enhance Resource Sharing! Renew your membership at $55 until the end of March. Members we encourage you to network with fellow members and do business with fellow BWN members. Our objective is to support businesswomen in a variety of areas and to bring others into the organization and become involved in the community. BWN will continue to strive at providing support, encouragement, and help to fellow members. Your $55 includes your name and company information listed in the BWN membership directory scheduled to be distributed by early June. Remember to bring your business cards with you at all times to the meetings!

7 Page 7 Saturday, April 14th- Networking/Seminar Saturday, May 12, Business Meeting/Ice Breaker Program/Member Spotlight Saturday, May 19, BWN Night at the Cotton Club Dinner /Card Games and Dance 6:00 PM to 12 Midnight Saturday, June 9, June Meeting Health Fair Saturday, July 14, Networking/Seminar August (Vacation Month- No Monthly Meeting) Saturday, September 8, 2012 Business Meeting/Ice Breaker Program/Member Spotlight Saturday, October 13, Program To Be Scheduled Saturday, October 27, The Annual Business/Career & Networking Breakfast Forum Saturday, November 10, Business Meeting/Ice Breaker Program/Member Spotlight and Election of Officers Saturday, December 8, Holiday/Sharing Event and New Member Welcome- Sponsored by the Membership and Program Committee Our Monthly Meeting Location Address: ROGERS PARK COMMUNITY ROOM 400 West Beach Ave Inglewood, California Our Meeting time is 10:00 AM to 12:15 PM Happy birthday to all BWN sisters & brothers celebrating birthdays in the month of March, April and May. We Celebrate You!