Joe Campbell’s letter (“Phoenix taxpayers deserve better representation,” AFN, May 8) has a unique view as to what is and what is not in the interests of those of us who live in District 6 of Phoenix.

I am tired of reading articles denigrating public worker pensions. Let’s get one thing straight; teachers, policemen, firefighters and municipal workers did not crash the economy. It was crashed by unregulated banks and financial institutions with the blessings of Congress, who were later rewarded with bailouts while middle-class Americans bore the brunt.

Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio works day and night to rob the wages and pensions from city employees.

Here’s a sobering statistic: 46 percent of workers surveyed had little or no confidence that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years, according to the 2010 Retirement Confidence Survey, issued by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. So you may want to explore all possible retirement savings vehicles —including a variable annuity.

When I took office last year, I made three commitments about the city’s budget. I made the commitment to cut wasteful spending and build a smarter government that does more with less. I committed to use our savings and increased revenues from a recovering economy to lower taxes. And I made the commitment not to accelerate any tax cut if the result hurt our public’s safety.

If you own a business, you may well follow a “do it now” philosophy — which is, of course, necessary to keep things running smoothly. Still, you also need to think about tomorrow — which means you’ll want to take action on your own retirement and business succession plans.

Phoenix voters approved changes to the city’s pension system during a special election on Tuesday.

The state House voted Thursday to scrap the generous retirement plan enjoyed by elected officials and judges — but not in a way that would affect any of them.

In the past, many people stayed at one job, or at least one company, for almost their entire working lives. When they retired, they could typically count on a pension, the value of which was based on their years of service and earnings. But today, workers can expect to hold several different jobs in their lifetime, and to a great extent, pensions have been replaced by 401(k) plans, which place much of the funding responsibility on employees. So, assuming you will change jobs at some point, and you do have a 401(k), what should you do with it?

This is turning out to be a really bad month for Phoenix residents and it looks like a radical agenda is now being moved forward. First, Phoenix is selling its citizens on “pension reform,” but the reality is, it is anything but reform.

Given the economic climate we’re in, you may one day be faced with a downsizing or otherwise forced to retire earlier than you had planned. But even if that happens, you can still maintain control of your financial future — if you make the right moves.

If you are contributing the maximum amount to your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan each year, that’s good. And if you’re also “maxing out” on your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) annually, that’s even better. But what then? If you’re already fully funding your 401(k) and IRA, can you put away even more for retirement? Should you?

The lucrative pensions that taxpayers now provide for state and local elected officials could soon be on the way out.

Almost everyone would agree: Moving is a hassle. In addition to selling your current home and finding a new one, you may need to deal with a new school for your kids, a new doctor, a new dentist — the list goes on and on.

A special election in March will decide if changes are made to Phoenix’s unbalanced pension system, which could save the city about $600 million over 25 years.

The Pension Reform Campaign Committee will provide information on the comprehensive pension reform for Phoenix and Proposition 201 during the Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee meeting on Friday, Feb. 1 at noon at Dignity Health Urgent Care Community Room, 4545 E. Chandler Blvd.

A quick Google search yields no fewer than six bicycle rental shops with addresses in Phoenix, expanding the search to include neighboring cities brings the total to a couple dozen shops.

Not all households have two wage earners. By choice or circumstance, either you or your spouse may be out of the work force for an extended period of time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make progress toward your joint financial goals, such as a comfortable retirement. It does mean, however, that you need to carefully review your situation and make the right financial moves.

In the past few years, Americans have done a pretty good job of whittling down their debt load. If you’re in this group, you may now have a chance to use your lower level of indebtedness to your advantage — by investing for the future.

If you’re relatively young, and you’ve only been investing for a few years, you possess an asset that is invaluable and cannot be replaced: time. And the more time you spend contributing to tax-advantaged investments, the better off you may be.

When people hear the words “estate planning,” they often assume it’s an activity only for retirees or near-retirees. But if you have a family, it’s never too soon to create your estate plan.

If you’re a woman who owns a small business, you’ve got plenty of company. In fact, women own more than 10 million U.S. companies, and women-owned businesses account for about 40 percent of all privately held firms in the U.S., according to the Center for Women’s Business Research. Clearly, the good news is that women like you are entering the small-business arena at a rapid pace. The not-so-good news is that you may be facing a retirement savings gap in comparison to male business owners.

It’s that time of year to hand out some honors for the year’s best. So it is without further ado that I bring you the Third Annual Hammer Awards.

Once you’ve started contributing to your 401(k) plan and funded it with investments that are appropriate for your needs, you might think you’re in good shape and that your 401(k) is now on “autopilot.” But that type of thinking can actually be counterproductive, because to get the maximum benefits from your 401(k), you’ll need to revise it over time to reflect changes in your life and in the investments that make up your plan.

In the past few years, Americans have done a pretty good job of whittling down their debt load. If you’re in this group, you may now have a chance to use your lower level of indebtedness to your advantage — by investing for the future.