PAY DAY

To celebrate National Payroll Week, which begins on Labor Day, make sure you -- and not just Uncle Sam -- are getting the most out of you hard-earned paycheck.

American workers contribute about $1.4 trillion, or 71 percent, of the U.S. Treasury's annual revenue, according to Sam Kerch, senior tax research analyst at Symmetry Software, which specializes in payroll tax software.

But Mr. Kerch offers some tips for you to get more bang for your buck.

Taxes: Check your payroll regularly to make sure the ideal amount is deducted. While a large tax refund seems like a bonus, you're missing out on interest that your money could earn throughout the year.

401(k): Thirty-five million workers saved $1.7 trillion in 401(k) plans last year. You should be one of them. If you're worried about your take-home pay, use the 401(k) calculator at www.payroll-taxes.com/calculators.htm to see your paycheck after enrolling.

HSAs: Health Savings Accounts allow employees to use pretax dollars for health expenses not covered by health insurance. Use these accounts to save for your child's braces or a new pair of glasses. The money you don't use stays in an interest-bearing savings account until you need it again.

SENIOR HEALTH

Despite the attention surrounding retirement savings, most seniors are more worried about their health and well-being than their personal finances, according to one study.

Nearly seven in 10 seniors said their health was a main concern, whereas just more than half, 52 percent, worried about their finances. Even spiritual well-being was a bigger worry at 58 percent.

Specifically, seniors worry more about maintaining mental sharpness than becoming lonely or dealing with mood disorders. Twenty-two percent said Alzheimer's disease was their top mental concern, while only 3 percent cited depression as the single mental health issue that worries them.

Eight of 10 seniors report that they keep up to date with the latest health news. To help them keep abreast, most seniors, 43 percent, turn to their physicians for health information. But one-quarter go online for health news. Younger seniors, ages 63 and 64, are more likely to use the Internet than older seniors.

Other news sources include magazines, newspapers and television.

The survey was conducted by SecureHorizons by UnitedHealthcare and polled by telephone 1,150 seniors ages 63-80.

MINORITY REPORT

A new study shows that, while women and minorities have made strides in the workplace, they're frequently underrepresented in management succession plans.

Women are more than twice as likely to be underrepresented than overrepresented in company succession plans, whereas minorities are nearly six times as likely. In one-third of succession plans, representation of women and minorities are the same as their percent of the work force.

The Novations Group, a Boston-based consulting and training firm, surveyed online 3,100 senior human resource and development executives. One-fourth of the companies did not have succession plans.

"From an individual's standpoint, presence in a succession plan is indispensable for career advancement," said Tom McKinnon, a Novations executive consultant. "So we're disappointed to find a significant lag for both women and minorities."

Mr. McKinnon believes that underrepresentation reflects a lack of developmental assignments, mentors, coaches and sponsors at companies. In some cases, shorter tenures for women and minority managers may contribute to underrepresentation.