A Message From ICMA-RC President and CEO Joan McCallen

As the year progresses, we are continually challenged by one of the most volatile economic times in recent memory. While these times are uncertain, it is important to remember that successful retirement planning is meant to meet long-term financial goals. We have tools and resources available to help you consider your options through our Investor Services team, our Retirement Plans Specialists and our Web site.

Saving for Retirement in a Down Economy

One of the lessons of this period is the realization that we all need to be more aware and engaged in planning and preparing for our retirement. Preparing now may go a long way towards reaching your retirement savings goals. One encouraging sign is a significant rise in the rate of personal savings in the United States. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, it topped four percent in February after sinking to nearly zero in early 2008. No matter what the cause, getting back into the savings habit is critical to building retirement security.

Resources and Web Tools to Meet Your Needs

The investing principles that have served investors well — educate yourself, assess your risk tolerance, and calculate your cash flow requirements based on your retirement time frame — continue to be valuable today. The InvestSmart educational resources provide information about investing, as well as suggestions to help you develop an investing strategy based on your individual needs. For investors nearing retirement, our Reaching Your Dreams Web site can help you further plan for and manage your investments in retirement. Be sure to visit Eye on the Market, an interview with our Chief Investment Officer that offers insight into the changing financial markets. And, we recently issued the latest VantageTrust PLUS Fund Overview that describes our stable value fund.

ICMA-RC Is Committed to Serving You

Since our founding in 1972, ICMA-RC has been a nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to serving public employees and lessening the burden on local government as we help our participants save for retirement. We are here to assist you in reaching your retirement goals. Thank you for the opportunity to continue serving you.

Sincerely,
Joan McCallen

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