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August 24, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Accountability, Advice, African-American, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Book Marketing Online, Book Review, Books, Business, Business Management, Cancer, Cap and Trade, Children, China, Climate Change, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Communism, Community, Computers, Congress, Contributor's Audio/Video, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Diet, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Energy, Entertainment, Environment, Environmental Issues, Faith, Family, Fiction, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, Freedom, Freelance Author, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Global Warming, Governance, Habit Change, Health & Fitness, Healthcare, Heroes, History, Homeland Security, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Internet, Internet Advice, Interview, Islam, Journalism, Latino & Hispanic, Legal, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Marriage, Medical, Men's Issues, Mental Health, Mexico, Military, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Music, Native American, Nature/Wildlife, Non-Fiction, Nutrition, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Philosophical Genres, Poetry, Politics, Publishing, Question of the Day, Recovery, Relationships, Religion, Republican, Rhyme, Satire, Self-Help, Sex, Short Stories, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues, Sociology, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, Television, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Travel, Uncategorized, Website Instructions, Weight loss, Wellness, Women's Perspective, Women's Rights, Working Women, Workplace, World Issues, Writing Essentials
 Begun back sometime in 2001, this book was originally a fluke of an idea… [...]
May 28, 2010
Posted by Muhammad Cohen in: Biography & Memoir, Book Review, Books, Business, Current Events, Economic Crisis, Economics, Finance, Journalism, Morality, Non-Fiction, Publishing, The Pundit's Corner
Harry Markopolos, who tried to stop Bernard Madoff’s multibillion dollar fraud, is a genuine hero. But he needed a ghostwriter to tell his story properly. [...]
May 14, 2010
Posted by seamus in: Accountability, Advice, Attitude, Business, Cap and Trade, Commentary, Communications, Congress, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democrat, Economics, Entertainment, Finance, Freedom, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Governance, Homeland Security, Humor, Journalism, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Literature, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Politics, Recovery, Republican, Satire, Self-Help, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Sociology, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, Women's Rights, Working Women, World Issues
Pick Your Reason 10. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t.
9. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the [...]
April 5, 2010
How cheap can you get? [...]
March 19, 2010
A report from New Jersey investigators gives new insight into corporate malfeasance and arrogance. [...]
December 2, 2009
This time last year I was swimming in Christmas presents that I had purchased for my family and a few friends. I hadn’t spent that much since I am a careful shopper but I had more funds to do as I pleased. This year there is less money to spend all around and I am not halfway through my list. I am not disturbed by this change, I accept it as a challenge. You see I am eagerly awaiting the new because life moves on even when we don’t want it to. Continue reading Moving Forward with the Fantasy of Life
October 3, 2009
Posted by cmusico in: Advice, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Economic Crisis, Economics, Faith, Family, Finance, Habit Change, Health & Fitness, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Journalism, Life Experiences, Motivation, Nutrition, Personal Experiences, Recovery, Relationships, Weight loss
This month marks a rather large milestone in my life — it’s the official one-year anniversary of my real-world independence. This time last year, I moved into my apartment in Jersey City. Sure, I stayed in the dorms at Seton Hall University, but I always went home for the summer. This was different, though. This time I was moving out for good.
In that time, we’ve seen a lot go on in the world around us. Our economy collapsed, the Mets collapsed (again), the Phillies actually won the World Series, the Steelers won another Super Bowl, we had our first black president, and about 3,000 celebrities passed away.
Personally, I’ve seen a lot happen as well. I’ve lost about 20 pounds, seen my job transform in good and bad ways, and learned a whole lot about how strong and resilient I can be when necessary. I’m a big believer that a lot of the events that happen in our lives do influence how we act with regard to our finances. Here are eight of the most important lessons that I’ve learned in the past year — and lived to tell you all:
- Family is important and will always be there for you. I could go on forever about how this is true, but the moment that really brought it home — quasi-literally — for me was when I thought everything was falling apart. My rent went up, I was forced to take more unpaid days off at work, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to continue to live the life that I wanted. I really thought my money would run out. This was way off-base, but it took a phone call home one snowy night this past February to my mother to set me straight. She made me realize that all the money I was pooling should be used as tools for my goals, not just to sit idle. This epiphany moment helped me take a fresh look at my finances — and life. Continue reading A Look Back: One Year of Independence
September 24, 2009
We haven’t heard much about it lately in the media, but the idea of a golden parachute came from the tremendous severance packages chief executive officers of large companies would get upon leaving their respective companies. We’re talking about millions of dollars in cash, stock options, and anything else of any real value that they could throw at them.
When we had our major financial collapse last year, there was intense scrutiny on these CEOs who were being removed from their posts for, well, failing to do their jobs. But, they still got crazy packages, golden parachutes if you will.
Today, we’re not going to be talking about millions of dollars worth of stock options or an eight-digit lump sum of cash. We’re going to talk about how to utilize any substantial monetary gift you receive from family, friends, or circumstance for the betterment of your financial health.
Every month around this time, I have my federal student loan payment deducted automatically from my money market account. Usually, my private student loan bill comes to my apartment at this time as well. (I don’t automatically have that deducted because the lender doesn’t have the same level of online access the federal loan provider gives.) Continue reading My Golden Parachute
September 20, 2009
Everyone is getting all up in arms about credit card use nowadays, how they can entrap you with high interest rates and a never-ending cycle of paying off bits and pieces — to no avail. Honestly, if you use credit cards to finance a life that is way beyond your means, then yes, that will happen to you. However, like anything else, credit cards can be a great tool. You just have to be smart about how you use them.
My mother made me apply for a credit card as soon as I turned 18 (well, OK, she didn’t make me — I always wanted one of my own). It had a very low credit limit — $500 — but the point was to begin to build my credit history. That way, when I got older and would have to apply for those pesky things called student loans and have credit checks run for apartments, I would have a good credit score and avoid rejection.
Due to the fact that the limit was so low, it really behooved me to pay off my balance each month. All I really paid for at the age of 18 was gas for my car, CD, and some clothes, anyway. When I headed off to college, I found that more and more credit card companies would send me pre-approved applications. It was then that I learned the value of the credit card. I already knew I had the discipline to not spend more than I knew I could pay back in full (barring any emergencies). Continue reading Credit Cards are Tools — Not Crutches
September 17, 2009
Wednesday’s are generally good days. You’re halfway through the week, “hump day” if you will. (I know, I know. Today’s Thursday. This is a postmortem.) We’re almost to the weekend. Furthermore, when I used to live at home, it was the day of the “Good Breakfast” — a sausage and egg sandwich on a bagel, with a few extra sausage patties on the side.
But every other Wednesday it’s even better. Why? Pay day! My job pays us every other week, which gives me an opportunity to add to my checking and savings accounts — which is always a good thing.
Because my paycheck varies a bit each pay period due to furlough days at least once per month, every time I sit down to allocate my money I do as follows: Continue reading Paycheck Palooza
September 15, 2009
Posted by psuedowriter in: Accountability, Current Events, Democracy, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Environmental Issues, Family, Finance, Geopolitical Events, Latino & Hispanic, Opinion, Recovery, Social Aspects, The Economy
In the greater scheme of global brotherhood and advancement, all of the aims of these “special schools” are wonderful things. In the meanwhile, the taxpayers of today are suffering, and I don’t think most of us like it. [...]
September 14, 2009
I’ve taken the lessons my mother has taught me about planning and budgeting and broken it down into six steps. Follow these to establish your personal finance plan, and you will have the foundation in place for success — no matter what small obstacles or larger life events may come your way.
Here are the six (in order):
1. Figure out your net worth.
2. Set goals for yourself.
3. Determine how much money you spend per month.
4. Take your paycheck and start allocating for your expenses.
5. Set aside your savings.
6. Adjust accordingly.
Common cents? Sure, but sometimes we all need to get back to basics. Read on for more information on each step. Continue reading Six Steps to Budgeting Bliss
September 14, 2009
- Save at least 10 percent of your yearly income.
- Have goals for yourself — and write them down.
- Do not spend money on items you cannot afford to pay immediately.
- Treat credit cards like a privilege, not a right.
- Have a cushion for yourself.
- Stay on top of all purchases, bills, and other financial information.
- Keep it simple when it comes to personal finance.
- Have a disciplined plan, but be flexible when necessary.
- Do not go it alone — ask for help.
- Reward yourself within reason.
For more detailed information on each one, read on. Continue reading Christopher’s Commandments
August 30, 2009
 By Alan Caruba
There is considerable irony involved when a Russian warns Americans against what is taking place before their eyes as President Obama seeks to transform and ultimately acquire dictatorial powers by a series of steps that are both bold and obvious.
In April, Stanislav Mishin’s post on his blog, Mat Rodina, was published in Pravda. The title was “American capitalism gone with a whimper.”
You can read the commentary at
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/107459-american_capitalism-0.
Having lived under Communist rule in the former Soviet Russia, Mishin and his fellow Russians were literally freed by the fall of that regime that began with the overthrow of the Czar in 1917 by the Bolsheviks. What followed was an experiment in Communism that killed millions of Russians as a succession of dictators, starting with Lenin, sought to impose an economic and political system that simply does not work.
Mishin enumerated the ways the path to the present effort to destroy capitalism and our political system has been laid in America.
“First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics.” There are few that would argue that the American education system is not controlled by the National Education Association, a union, and the American Federation of Teachers, a union. Both have long supported the Democrat Party. Virtually every way one can measure the system reveals its failure to educate the millions passing through government schools.
“Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different ‘branches and denominations’ were for the most part little more than Sunday circuses…” America is a “religious” nation if one looks at the survey numbers of those who say they believe in a supreme being. This, however, is not reflected in the breakdown of moral values as seen in the spread of pornography, the use of illegal drugs, the divorce rate, and the touchstone issue of abortion in America. Our popular culture is drenched in sex and violence. Continue reading A Russian Warns Americans Against a Communist Takeover
August 11, 2009
Posted by timbryce in: Finance
Are you checking them? [...]
July 26, 2009
B.O. is an economic ignoramus or a devious Marxist
By Ben Cerruti
Recently B.O. said “Wall Street took unnecessary excessive risks and almost our entire economy into depression”. It is unfortunate that he knows so little about economics and the fact that what happened on Wall Street was the EFFECT rather than the CAUSE of the economic tsunami. In fact, if not ignorant he certainly is disingenuous since the Wall Street to which he is referring happens to be the entity that markets the debt issued by the Treasury. Firms like Goldman-Sachs are in essence an arm of the Treasury. The fox in the chicken coop.
In regard to the economic crisis that occurred on Wall Street, its CAUSE was initiated when the Fed placed an excessive amount of money into the economy to address the recession that started just prior to the GWB presidency and extended to ease the economic blow of 9/11. This inordinate amount of money deposited into our banking system had to be loaned out since that is how banks make money. The ability to easily sell the loans removed the liability of foreclosure and the result was the accelerated development of creative loans to meet the demand.
The increased demand caused home prices to increase markedly attracting speculators. The increased need for buyers of these loans was met by Wall Street’s investment bankers. They created bonds that were backed by a bundled package of a variety of mortgage types and initially priced by a complicated mathematical formula. Called Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) they became considered as highly desirable investment vehicles and were sold worldwide. Continue reading B.O. is an economic ignoramus or a devious Marxist
July 15, 2009
 By Alan Caruba
It sometimes seems to me that the Congress and the White House are determined to put an end to the nation through a combination of exorbitant borrowing and insane spending.
At the end of May, an article in USA Today reported that “The government took on $6.8 trillion in new obligations in 2008, pushing the total owed to a record $63.8 trillion.”
These trillions reflect various retirement benefits such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the new prescription medicine benefits. Then there are programs to aid Americans who have lost jobs, are behind on their mortgage payments, or just want to buy a new car by declaring their old one a “clunker.” When you add in the so-called “stimulus” bill, the bailout of General Motors, and the TARP bailout to financial and insurance firms, it adds up.
Robert Samuelson, a syndicated columnist, asked in May “Just how much government debt does a president have to endorse before he’s labeled ‘irresponsible’?”
While facing $63.8 trillion in obligations, Samuelson noted that “From 2010 to 2019, Obama projects annual deficits totaling $7.1 trillion; that’s atop the $1.8 trillion deficit for 2009.” It doesn’t stop there, however, “Obama’s health plan might cost $1.2 trillion over a decade; he has budgeted only $635 billion.” Continue reading Borrowing, Spending and Regulating, Oh my!
July 10, 2009
Posted by Author 101 in: Advice, Business, Business Management, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Finance, General Topics, Inspiration & Motivation, Internet Advice, Interview, Literature, Marketing, Motivation, Non-Fiction, Opinion, Publishing, Self-Help, Social Issues, Technology, The Economy, Uncategorized, Women's Perspective, Working Women
Do you plan to give up your job and start a new business of your own? What would that take? What would be your new responsibilities? Probably more than you planned. In new business, your security is the biggest thing you give up. The idea of having a paycheck in the same amount you can count on every week is gone. The benefits you get now, your insurance, or whatever it is that you count on is gone. When you work for someone else you have set responsibilities, when you work for yourself, you are responsible for everything. Scary huh?
Failure? The myth that nine out of ten businesses close in their first year may or may not be completely true. According to more recent Dun and Bradstreet data, 76 percent of new companies were still in business after two years, 47 percent after four years, and 38 percent after six years. These estimates are substantially different than what is still commonly believed.
These business survival statistics are based on the number of new business licenses applied for each year, which are not renewed on following years. The licenses could be for a person selling crafts at the swap meet on Saturdays, or someone in a temporary business, or just as a tax shelter. Some of these “failed” businesses could have been sold or transferred to another individual. These estimates are hard to prove either way, but realistically, most new business does fail. Continue reading Start a Business? Are You Ready?
July 9, 2009
So you want to start a home based business now what?
You have made the decision to become an entreprenuer and start a home based business but with so many different comensation plans, products, established companies and start up businesses the choice can become a daunting task.
If you have been searching you will hear over and over again about all the money you can make in MLM, or network marketing. Yes, it is true you can achieve financial freedom in this industry however; why is it that only about 3% actually achieve the financial freedom when the other 97% either burn out or move on to the next latest greatest business opportunity.
So how do you become the MLM success story instead of the people who scream MLM is a scam. First MLM isn’t a scam to paraphrase J. Paul Getty give me 100 people giving 1% effort instead of me doing 100% effort. In essense you create leverage and when done properly it is a successful business realtionship for you and the people you attract to your home based business. Continue reading Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki endorse networking as a business. Do you have what it takes for this industry?
July 5, 2009
Posted by Author 101 in: Advice, Attitude, Business, Business Management, Cap and Trade, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Finance, General Topics, Habit Change, Inspiration & Motivation, Internet Advice, Interview, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Men's Issues, Motivation, Self-Help, Social Aspects, Social Issues, The Economy, Uncategorized, Website Instructions, Women's Perspective, Working Women
No, we won’t begin with “Do you have a master’s degree?” Although education does matter, higher education is not a requirement for starting or succeeding in a new business. In fact, according to a 1992 United States Census Bureau report, only 5.3 percent of business owners have a Master’s degree or higher education. 9.4 percent had less than a high school education—some only up to the eighth grade. Oddly enough, only 17 percent had any business education. The founder of Dell Computers was a college dropout. Starting out of his garage, he managed to excel above all of the world’s top computer manufacturers. One in three computers sold today is a Dell.
What you will need is more commonly known as “street smarts” or common sense. In addition, you will need to have certain individual qualities, or personality traits. Most individuals who are successful in business and in “life” possess these traits. Take the quiz and see how many of the following questions you can answer with a confident “yes.” Continue reading Am I Ready to Start a Business? 10 personal questions to ask yourself before you commit
May 22, 2009
The nonsense involved with them. [...]
May 14, 2009
SEO Strategies for Financial Websites
by David Leonhardt
Here are a few SEO tips specific to financial websites.
First, understand that people are very sensitive and possessive about their money. Your website has to ooze credibility if you want to convert traffic to customers. You probably know this already, but keep it in mind when you hire an SEO consultant. He or she needs to make sure that SEO changes do not reduce the credibility of the website.
Are you selling services locally or nationally/globally? If you are selling locally, there is no point fighting for national rankings. People will search for “bookkeeping southern California” if they need somebody local, and you have a fighting chance to rank for that search term. But the investment required to compete with all the other sites and outrank them for “bookkeeping” just isn’t worth it. Continue reading SEO Strategies for Financial Websites
April 20, 2009
“Getting Around Congress?”
 It’s Much Worse than That
by John Armor
The Treasury Department announced today that it would “convert its preferred stock in the nation’s largest banks into common stock.” The stated advantages were that this would allow Treasury to aid more banks without going back to Congress for more money than what was already approved. Some Administration officials even said that this would “get around Congress.”
That alone would be bad enough. But the actual meaning of this action subverts the entire Constitution and is an assault on the American people. It is a take-over of American government, similar to the take-overs that occur every month or so, in tin-pot dictatorships around the world.
Harsh charges. Here is the evidence: Continue reading “Getting Around Congress?” – It’s Much Worse than That
April 9, 2009
Posted by dromkeen in: Accountability, Business, Economic Crisis, Economics, Finance, Governance, Opinion, Politics, Social Issues, The Economy, Uncategorized
Our economy is going through a lot of turmoil right now and there is a push to find the bastards to blame. But if we concentrate too much energy on those at fault and too little energy on correcting what went wrong then we will be equally culpable when we go through this again.
So let’s get a handle on this by going back to the beginning.
Economies grew out of society’s attempt to take advantage of human strengths: different special and valuable skills in different people. Some people were better at hunting and some were better at making hunting tools. If the hunter kept all of his kills then the toolmaker would have to hunt too instead of making it easier to catch prey and the hunter would be using sub-par equipment. If they share the kill then both can concentrate on what they do best with the net result of more to share for everyone. This led to the development of money so that all specialties could share in the wealth of the community. Take special note. Money is NOT wealth. Wealth is the accumulated value of an individual’s, or society’s, production. Money is merely the unit of measure for the production. A key part of what has gone wrong in today’s economy is that money is sought after for itself. Continue reading Toxic Money v. Toxic Assets
March 18, 2009
When we were in Vietnam they said that if Vietnam fell then the rest of Indochina would go Communist. They invoked the Domino theory to say one thing will cause another. Ten years later we left and Vietnam became a Communist country and nothing else happened. Then they said that if we didn’t go [...]
March 4, 2009
Posted by John Joss in: Accountability, Business, Business Management, Current Events, Economics, Finance, General Topics, Inspiration & Motivation, Journalism, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
John Ruskin wrote: “There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man’s lawful prey.” These days many of us are looking carefully at our bank balances, striving for economy, trying to avoid unnecessary expenditures. Whatever we do, we must avoid ‘cheap.’ It’s never worthwhile in the end.
Where I came from—an England that unfortunately no longer exists—‘cheap’ was usually accompanied by the word ‘nasty.’ Cheap and nasty. Do you feel queasy reading that? You should. Cheap is too often nasty.
That’s a healthily skeptical way to look at what we’re being asked to buy these days, even if our fortunes are declining The stigma goes to the core of our lives and our negotiations, as we grovel for cheap—value and quality be damned.
Before we explore ‘cheap,’ consider the costly alternatives and their challenge to our tastes and pocketbooks. How often do we see purchased objects—cars and houses, foods and wines, entertainment and architecture—sold as imagined superiority? My favorite example: Rolex, purveyed for decades as a better way to keep time. The old pitch (verbatim): “Men who guide the world’s destinies wear Rolex watches.” Logical corollary: “Wear a Rolex watch, you’ll guide the world’s destinies.” Puh-leeze. My Timex works excellently for 99.99% of the problem. Continue reading The stupidity of ‘cheap’
February 28, 2009
The President hath decreed that we, as a unified nation, will fix what’s wrong with our economy. I strongly agree with this. I have faith. But that faith is not based on any of the ample collection of strengths possessed by President Obama. I have faith in Nature. Not human nature. Just Nature. [...]
February 25, 2009
A Baptist friend once told me that Catholics didn’t know what a good thing they had in Lent. We were both trying to loose a few pounds at the time and my friend, soon to become a minister, proselytized stating the virtues of being forced to fast during Lent. Although her point was taken having [...]
February 20, 2009
Posted by John Joss in: Accountability, Business, Business Management, Communications, Current Events, Economics, Finance, Governance, The Economy, The Media, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized, Writing Essentials
The U.S. economy, and much of the global economy, is retrenching. There are many causes, some nefarious or naive, some cyclic or naturally caused (what goes up must come down—nature’s oscillations). Either way, we’re seeing a ~10% adjustment worldwide. It has happened before. It will happen again. Guaranteed. For an individual suffering layoff, foreclosure [...]
February 12, 2009
You tell yourself you don’t have a dime to spare. You wish the man in the ragged coat would withdraw his hand and not ask for your help. You are tired of seeing the homesless person with the dog sleeping outside on the cold ground. You wish the agencies to assist the needy would [...]
January 21, 2009
Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. When they rescued the fifteen hundred people from the icy Atlantic they found a disproportionate amount of first class people. There were some from second class, further down in the ship, but very few from steerage down in the bowels. It seems the Captain and his crew had [...]
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Books by SWI Contributors
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The Gaslight Journal is Done
Begun back sometime in 2001, this book was originally a fluke of an idea… [...]