Attention Retirees and Baby BoomersNeed a New Retirement Game Plan?

May 14, 2005 -- As some 77 million Americans approach retirement in the coming decades, the concept of retirement is changing. According to a recent Gallup Study, almost 30% of a person’s life will be spent in retirement. But only 15% say they want a traditional retirement. Keeping busy playing golf is not enough. Feeling valued, needed, challenged and connected is what respondents say is important to success in retirement. Also, according to an article in Smart Money April 2004, “Retirement planning is no longer all about the money…many adults hit retirement with little conception of how they’ll use the 2000 plus hours per year they currently spend on the job. Retirees wind up feeling alone. Coaches and counselors who advise older workers are pushing self-assessment-the kind of soul searching that busy professionals usually put off” Go to www.yoursecondlife.org

The YSL Retirement Profile was developed for these reasons by the Charleston Marketing Group, a creative think tank in Charleston, SC and Dr Cary Weber, a prominent Charleston clinical psychologist who specializes in retirement. Dr Weber explains: “The YSL Retirement Profile was designed based on the cognitive and emotional dichotomies of personality. All people have preferences. Some people enjoy socializing, others prefer solitude. Some people don’t mind a messy room while others are very orderly. And so on. Although anybody can function outside of their comfort zone, if they do it too long, they will become stressed. In this way, the YSL retirement Profile defines retirement into major dichotomies and matches those with the appropriate personality traits. Thus, in retirement an individual who is outgoing, people-oriented, and likes travel, will be matched to the Adventurer type in the YSL Retirement Profile as opposed to the Homebody type, who is more cautious, introverted, and prefers the activities of home life.”

To participate in the YSL Retirement profile, one simply goes on line to www.yoursecondlife.org and completes a 66-question personality profile. In just a few seconds one receives a 5-page printout about their retirement type and lifestyle including where to live, whether to work, compatibility, and things to do in retirement. All of this for free.

Since www.yoursecondlife.org went live in late 2004, and was mentioned in the New York Times, hundreds of people have taken the test and learned about their Retirement Type. According to the first wave of research, 75% of the respondents agree with their assessment (no one disagreed) and 40% agree that it helps them make key decisions. Here is what they are saying, “My wife and I needed discussion points to start planning our retirement-the retirement profile got us going in the right direction and is a very helpful tool.” “It brought realistic focus to our dreams about retirement.”

As Your Second Life.org becomes more established, important data is being generated via www.yoursecondlife.org that will ultimately benefit those planning for retirement. Recently, the creators of Your Second Life.org partnered with Dr. Tom Kent, a specialist in organizational behavior at the College of Charleston’s School of Business and Economics. Dr. Kent will lend his research expertise to ensure that this data can be appropriately analyzed and used most effectively.

As important as the benefits of the YSL Retirement Profile are for individuals, this initiative is also attracting corporations. Says Charles Carder, President of Charleston Marketing Group, “We are talking with major companies in the financial services business who are planning to offer the YSL Retirement Profile to their clients and prospects. We are also talking with human resources professionals, who want to include the YSL Retirement Profile as part of their employee retirement and pension package.”

For additional information about this unique tool, visit www.yoursecondlife.org or contact Charles Carder at www.charlestonmarketinggroup.com