Archive for August, 2008

A Second Look at the Federal Reserve

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

Did you know the Federal Reserve is a privately held company?
Look it up in your local phone book. You will NOT find them in the Government section as one might think, however, you will find them in the business section. In fact, the Federal Reserve is as much a government entity as is Federal Express.
So where does our money come from? Where does it go? Who makes it? The money magician’s secrets are unveiled. Here is a close look at their mirrors and smoke machines, the pulleys, cogs, and wheels that create the grand illusion called money and the Federal Reserve.
A boring subject? Just wait. You’ll be hooked in five minutes. It sounds like a detective story, which it really is, but it’s all true. Based on Mr. Griffin’s book of the same title, this address will shatter your old ideas about money and change the way you view […]

Original post by Admin

Two new productivity tools I like

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

I am a sucker for saving time. It is like a slight obsession to me. I remember discussing with a friend of mine strategies for how we could shave minutes off our morning routines. Brushing my teeth while in the shower was one of the failed, yet humorous, attempts to save time.
I try a lot of things. Most don’t make it into my regular routine, but some do. A few that have I can think of off the top of my head are…

Google Calendar
Jott.com 
Goog411 

But, I found two new ones recently that I think are worthy of sharing…
FreeConferenceCall.com
I discovered this site a few weeks back when I was having trouble finding a free tool that would host and record a conference call for me. I have used the site a second time and have been very pleased with them. They provide the callers with a login key and as […]

Original post by bob

NASDAQ Composite Index ($COMP) Chart - August 29, 2008

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

I charted the??NASDAQ NMS Composite Index ($COMP) for the past year’s daily price action ending August 29th, 2008.?? At a glance this chart could look like it’s leaning bullish, but when you zero in on some details that bull might not be a good buy.

At a glance you could see that the Naz broke the downward trend line of lower highs, but when you look closer you see that break was only intraday and could not have a repeat close higher.??
At a glance you could see a nice uptrend of higher lows started in July, but when you look closer you see that trend already broke when it hit that line slightly above 2400 that has come into play more than a few times this year.
At a glance you can see that the $COMP is above its 50 day moving average, but when you look closer you see that it […]

Original post by Alex Fotopoulos

Learning About Home Equity Lending And How Tapping Into One Can Assist

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

While cash-strapped homeowners seek home ownership related tips as they struggle to make ends meet, our real estate has seemingly morphed into the local bank. We can tap into our home equity for everything from cars to vacations to college funds. Though tapping into your home’s value is one of the smartest ways to borrow money, there are still drawbacks.
Leaning on Your Home Equity
Drawing on your home’s equity is often suggested by financial advisers who show that the tax-free interest you pay on a home loan is much lower than what you’d pay on mounting credit card or consumer debt. However, it’s possible to overdo it.
While there’s no law that says you have to pay off your mortgage before your retirement, it’s not always pleasant being left with home equity debt once you’ve stopped working. On the other hand, if you retire with a healthy nest egg and […]

Original post by mikejohns

Stolen Wallet-learn From My Experience

Sunday, August 31st, 2008

You don’t want to have your wallet stolen. But like they say, accidents do happen. So make sure that you are prepared for the worst. I’ve lost my wallet once and it was serious trouble since I had no idea how to deal with the promise. Let me share the things that I learned from the experience.
Make the Necessary Preparations
One important thing you have to do is to write down your important account numbers. If writing them down is too much hassle for you, have them photocopied. You need you credit card numbers, your debit account numbers, your license number and important O.R. numbers.
And make sure you don’t carry important documents in your wallet, at least those that you don’t need with you. Your social security card and birthday certificate are better off at home. If anything, you don’t want them in […]

Original post by mikejohns

Book Review: Profit From The Peak

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

Wiley Publishing sent me??a copy of Profit from the Peak a couple of months ago and I finally finished reading it while on vacation a couple of weeks ago.?? The short review of Brian??Hicks and Chris Nelder’s work??is that it’s a good book and worth the read for anyone investing actively now and anyone who wants to learn more about oil.
As would be hard for any book to deliver, stock picks are not what you should expect from any book, including this one.?? Blogs, Web sites, daily and weekly newspapers are better for that since their data is more current.?? The benefit of reading this book to me (although they do give stock picks)??was that it gave me a foundation for understanding the energy industry better than I went in with.????They carefully outline the situation we as a global economy are facing with oil passing its peak production point sometime […]

Original post by Alex Fotopoulos

The Blogosphere’s Best Blogs About Money

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

I have been on a crazy quest lately. Crazy because in reality the task is endless - finding other blogs about money. Many people are running blogs about finances on the internet, but some of them are utter rubbish. Honestly, if you follow some of the advice from these so called “experts” - or at least you’d hope someone blogging on a topic was an expert, but then again, who knows … but anyway, follow some of this advice and you’ll be broke in no time! It’s important to educate yourself about money, but make sure you’re getting your education from somewhere useful. Garbage in, garbage out, and all that.
I like this blog, which covers saving money, investing, reducing debt, paying off credit cards, and creative refinancing ideas. There are some very thoughful posts in here, and it’s rare that you find a money blog these days that actually says […]

Original post by mikejohns

HD Car Stereo for under $50?

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

My CD player in my car broke last week. Bummer. I, like you, have heard the never-ending HD radio commercials. I didn’t really care about getting an HD radio that much, but since I am getting one anyway, why not at least look into it.
It turns out that Crutchfield.com (probably the best place in the world to buy a car stereo by the way) has a Dual Car stereo that plays MP3 CDs, has an aux input, and is HD radio ready for $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.
Here is a pic of it for your viewing pleasure…

HD Radio Stations
I also wasn’t sure how many HD radio stations there were in my town, so I did a little digging and you can find out how many HD stations there are near you by clicking here.
So, anyway, I only bring this up because it seems to be a pretty good deal. […]

Original post by bob

learn personal finance budgeting

Saturday, August 30th, 2008

Our CFO where I work volunteered to teach classes about personal finance budgeting to anybody who wanted to attend. The classes were held over the lunch hour in our presentation center which has an over head projector, a loud speaker system and stadium style classroom set-up. It is arranged just like a college classroom. Anyhow, it was so surprising how many employees took advantage of his offer. There must have been almost half of the workers in attendance. This was an ongoing weekly class. He even offered to work with us one on one and with confidentiality. He did this with the company’s blessing, and he did not charge us a cent.
Technorati Tags: wealth creation, debt management program, debt management, debt management services, debt prevention

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Original post by mikejohns

More Information On How To Refinance Home Loans

Friday, August 29th, 2008

There are varieties of thoughts that people may look to refinance home loans. Usually the most common is to take advantage of lowered interest rates. Some of the other reasons people refinance home loans is to pay off high priced credit cards, make home improvements, and rebuild credit rating that has taken a turn for the worse.
What is involved when borrowers look to refinance home loans? When you refinance you normally just pay off the old mortgage and sign a new mortgage. Now this will also mean most of the same costs you had when you signed the original mortgage. Depending upon your State or the terms of your mortgage you may pay a penalty for paying the note off early.
People who refinance home loans look at several things before doing so. Look for a company that may be willing to […]

Original post by mikejohns