BLC_RETIREMENT

The number of Americans who go back into business after retirement is on the rise. The 2010 Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity showed 23 percent of new entrepreneurs are 55 to 64, a figure that was just 18 percent in 2000.

Many micro-business owners have a hard time envisioning anyone else running their company. It’s your baby, after all, and you’ve built it from the ground up with your own blood, sweat and tears.

Whether you’re decades from retirement or only days, have operated a micro-business for years or are just launching one, you’ll find tools and resources here to shore up your future.

The benefits of a Roth individual retirement account (IRA), which have been inaccessible to many self-employed individuals and micro-business owners, may finally be within your reach.

Long-range planning is a wise idea even in difficult financial times. While micro-business owners have their hands full juggling inventories, meeting customer demands and studying balance sheets, they should also be planning for retirement.

If you’re afraid you’ll be scavenging for pennies during your retirement years, you’re not alone.