Monday, December 7, 2009
Book TV: Andrew Sorkin, "Too Big To Fail"
"Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System--and Themselves"
New York Times reporter and columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin talks about the 2008 financial crisis and the government's response to it. Mr. Sorkin spoke at Credit Suisse in New York City during an event hosted by the Foreign Policy Association.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Trailer - "H*Commerce: The Business of Hacking You"
The world wide web has become the wild wild west: ruthless, lawless, every man for himself. Each day billions of online scams are targeted at anyone and everyone in cyberspace, and if only a tiny fraction are successful, it's still incredibly lucrative. "H*COMMERCE: The Business of Hacking You" explores the inner workings of this dark trade and exposes how opening just one malicious email can disrupt a life or tear a family apart.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
TPMtv: A Talk with Joseph Stiglitz
Your Daily Politics Video Blog: We interviewed Nobel Prize-winning economist Joe Stiglitz on Friday about the bank bailout. And I focused on two key questions. What's wrong with the idea of buying the 'toxic assets' from the banks? And just what happens if we let these banks go bankrupt instead of continuing to prop them up with continuing bailouts?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Wells Fargo's Customers First - Bloomberg
Analysis and discussion with the CEO of Wells Fargo John Stumpf. He says there is only one way to thrive in the future by using money to make good loans and do as much business as possible with every customer. (For The Record)
Friday, July 24, 2009
Economic Expectations - Fed Needs to Retain Independence - Bloomberg
Live! From St. Louis, MO: Exclusive Interview with St. Louis Fed President James Bullard [FULL INTERVIEW - 14:56] (Bloomberg News)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Money Saving Tips For Seniors by Catharine D. Allado
Times are hard. With this economic condition, it is very important to use your money wisely. Spending less money means more savings for you.
As a Senior Citizen, you can take advantage of all the discount privileges available to you. Many stores, hotels, theaters, restaurants, airlines and other establishments offer senior citizen discounts but do not advertise it. They don't even give you the discount automatically, unless you ask for it. Make sure you ask, otherwise, you'll miss out.
Here are important Money-Saving tips for senior citizens. Tips that can potentially save you thousands of money annually.
Shopping
1. Check the store if they have any Senior Discount Policy. This is getting popular nowadays. Some stores offer discounts on purchases made by seniors. Make sure you ask about it so you don't miss out on any discounts. Remember, there's no harm in asking.
2. Make a list and stick to it. Be sure to write down the things that you need before going to the grocery to avoid any unnecessary purchases. Be sure to update this list frequently.
3. Buy the store brand or the generic version. Most likely, the store brand is as good as the name brand. This will help a lot lowering your regular grocery bill.
4. Compare the price of items you buy in your local grocery with other stores in your area. You will be surprised on how much money you can save by shopping in the cheaper grocery store.
5. Do not go to the grocery when you are hungry, otherwise, you will end-up buying more than you actually need.
6. Sign-up for any free rewards program. You might not shop that much at that store, but you will accumulate points every time you do. Plus, the nice thing about this is that most likely the store would send you coupons and discounts as part of their promotions.
7. For online shopping, be sure to search the web for any online coupon codes and discounts before finalizing your order. There lots of websites out there that maintain a list of coupon and discount codes for hundreds of online stores.
8. Shop the clearance or bargain department, most online stores have this. Be sure to check if they have a free-shipping promotion (usually stores require a minimum purchase amount).
Food and Entertainment
1. Prepare meals at home instead of dining out. It's cheaper this way plus its healthier.
2. Dine-out only during special occasions. You will be surprised on the amount of money you can save.
3. Take advantage of senior discounts. Most theaters and restaurants offer discounts for Senior Citizens so be sure to ask.
4. Check the newspaper and the Internet for any restaurant coupons.
Prescription Drugs
1. Always ask your doctor for the generic versions. It is much cheaper compared to brand name drugs.
2. Ask your doctor for several free samples.
3. Check the Internet for coupons. Some manufacturers provide coupons for their products.
4. Check with your pharmacy if they offer any Senior Citizen discounts or any discounts from organizations you belong to.
5. Pill-splitting. Most of the time prescription drugs cost almost the same regardless of the dosage. As your doctor if he can give you a prescription for twice the amount of dose you need so you can split it in half before taking it. Be very cautious when doing this. Make sure to ask your doctor and pharmacist for advice before doing this. They should be able to tell you whether or not you can cut each pill in half before taking it.
Insurance
1. Use the same insurance company for your home and car. Most Insurance Companies give a big discount when you use the same company for insuring your home(s) and car(s).
2. Before scheduling your medical visit, be sure to check if your doctor is part of the "In-network" of your insurance company and if the procedure will be covered. Most of the time if you go to an "Out of Network" Provider, you end up paying a higher deductible and more out-of-pocket expense.
3. Medicare recipients can save money by getting a Medigap Policy. This is an insurance policy sold by private insurance companies to help pay for some medical services not covered by Medicare. To read more about Medigap Policies, click here .
Vacation and Travel
1. Always check the Internet for the lowest plane fares. Sometimes, the Senior Citizen discount that airlines offer may not be the best deal.
2. Some hotels offer Senior Citizen discounts. It would be best to call and check with the hotel if they offer this kind of discount before making your reservation. It will also be wise to check the Internet for any on-going promotions for comparison purposes.
3. Take advantage of Senior Citizen discounts for car rentals and public transportation.
Banks and Credit Cards
1. Call your bank and ask them for the best program that will suit your banking needs. Most of the banks now have no fees if you maintain a certain amount.
2. Call your credit card company and ask for an interest rate reduction. Most of the time, they will give you a lower rate.
3. Negotiate with your credit card company about waiving or lowering your annual fee. Most of the time, they would accommodate you, but if not, at least you tried.
4. Pay your bills online. It's completely free and convenient. Plus it will save you money from postage.
Home
1. Consider using fluorescent bulbs as this will save you up to 50% in lighting bills.
2. Be sure to turn-off the lights and other appliances when not in use to save money on electricity.
3. Replace your old appliances with energy efficient appliances. Look for the "Energy Star" label as you may be eligible to receive rebates, credits or sales tax exemptions just by buying qualified energy efficient appliances.
4. Have a yard sale to get rid of things you don't need. As the popular saying goes: "Another man's trash is another man's treasure."
5. Rule of thumb: Anything you haven't used or worn for a year or so need to be given away.
6. Wash your hands thoroughly. Keeping your hands clean will prevent you from acquiring all kinds of bacteria and viruses. This will help save a lot on medical bills.
Copyright © 2008 La Dolce Living, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About The Author
Catharine D. Allado writes articles for http://www.ladolceliving.com, the most trusted and comprehensive online service helping seniors and families find FREE and RELIABLE information from senior housing care such as assisted living and nursing homes, in-home care, articles and tips, health information, senior discounts and services, a senior online community, plus more...
The author invites you to visit:
http://www.ladolceliving.com
As a Senior Citizen, you can take advantage of all the discount privileges available to you. Many stores, hotels, theaters, restaurants, airlines and other establishments offer senior citizen discounts but do not advertise it. They don't even give you the discount automatically, unless you ask for it. Make sure you ask, otherwise, you'll miss out.
Here are important Money-Saving tips for senior citizens. Tips that can potentially save you thousands of money annually.
Shopping
1. Check the store if they have any Senior Discount Policy. This is getting popular nowadays. Some stores offer discounts on purchases made by seniors. Make sure you ask about it so you don't miss out on any discounts. Remember, there's no harm in asking.
2. Make a list and stick to it. Be sure to write down the things that you need before going to the grocery to avoid any unnecessary purchases. Be sure to update this list frequently.
3. Buy the store brand or the generic version. Most likely, the store brand is as good as the name brand. This will help a lot lowering your regular grocery bill.
4. Compare the price of items you buy in your local grocery with other stores in your area. You will be surprised on how much money you can save by shopping in the cheaper grocery store.
5. Do not go to the grocery when you are hungry, otherwise, you will end-up buying more than you actually need.
6. Sign-up for any free rewards program. You might not shop that much at that store, but you will accumulate points every time you do. Plus, the nice thing about this is that most likely the store would send you coupons and discounts as part of their promotions.
7. For online shopping, be sure to search the web for any online coupon codes and discounts before finalizing your order. There lots of websites out there that maintain a list of coupon and discount codes for hundreds of online stores.
8. Shop the clearance or bargain department, most online stores have this. Be sure to check if they have a free-shipping promotion (usually stores require a minimum purchase amount).
Food and Entertainment
1. Prepare meals at home instead of dining out. It's cheaper this way plus its healthier.
2. Dine-out only during special occasions. You will be surprised on the amount of money you can save.
3. Take advantage of senior discounts. Most theaters and restaurants offer discounts for Senior Citizens so be sure to ask.
4. Check the newspaper and the Internet for any restaurant coupons.
Prescription Drugs
1. Always ask your doctor for the generic versions. It is much cheaper compared to brand name drugs.
2. Ask your doctor for several free samples.
3. Check the Internet for coupons. Some manufacturers provide coupons for their products.
4. Check with your pharmacy if they offer any Senior Citizen discounts or any discounts from organizations you belong to.
5. Pill-splitting. Most of the time prescription drugs cost almost the same regardless of the dosage. As your doctor if he can give you a prescription for twice the amount of dose you need so you can split it in half before taking it. Be very cautious when doing this. Make sure to ask your doctor and pharmacist for advice before doing this. They should be able to tell you whether or not you can cut each pill in half before taking it.
Insurance
1. Use the same insurance company for your home and car. Most Insurance Companies give a big discount when you use the same company for insuring your home(s) and car(s).
2. Before scheduling your medical visit, be sure to check if your doctor is part of the "In-network" of your insurance company and if the procedure will be covered. Most of the time if you go to an "Out of Network" Provider, you end up paying a higher deductible and more out-of-pocket expense.
3. Medicare recipients can save money by getting a Medigap Policy. This is an insurance policy sold by private insurance companies to help pay for some medical services not covered by Medicare. To read more about Medigap Policies, click here .
Vacation and Travel
1. Always check the Internet for the lowest plane fares. Sometimes, the Senior Citizen discount that airlines offer may not be the best deal.
2. Some hotels offer Senior Citizen discounts. It would be best to call and check with the hotel if they offer this kind of discount before making your reservation. It will also be wise to check the Internet for any on-going promotions for comparison purposes.
3. Take advantage of Senior Citizen discounts for car rentals and public transportation.
Banks and Credit Cards
1. Call your bank and ask them for the best program that will suit your banking needs. Most of the banks now have no fees if you maintain a certain amount.
2. Call your credit card company and ask for an interest rate reduction. Most of the time, they will give you a lower rate.
3. Negotiate with your credit card company about waiving or lowering your annual fee. Most of the time, they would accommodate you, but if not, at least you tried.
4. Pay your bills online. It's completely free and convenient. Plus it will save you money from postage.
Home
1. Consider using fluorescent bulbs as this will save you up to 50% in lighting bills.
2. Be sure to turn-off the lights and other appliances when not in use to save money on electricity.
3. Replace your old appliances with energy efficient appliances. Look for the "Energy Star" label as you may be eligible to receive rebates, credits or sales tax exemptions just by buying qualified energy efficient appliances.
4. Have a yard sale to get rid of things you don't need. As the popular saying goes: "Another man's trash is another man's treasure."
5. Rule of thumb: Anything you haven't used or worn for a year or so need to be given away.
6. Wash your hands thoroughly. Keeping your hands clean will prevent you from acquiring all kinds of bacteria and viruses. This will help save a lot on medical bills.
Copyright © 2008 La Dolce Living, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About The Author
Catharine D. Allado writes articles for http://www.ladolceliving.com, the most trusted and comprehensive online service helping seniors and families find FREE and RELIABLE information from senior housing care such as assisted living and nursing homes, in-home care, articles and tips, health information, senior discounts and services, a senior online community, plus more...
The author invites you to visit:
http://www.ladolceliving.com
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Access to Personal Finance Is As Vital As Business Finance If We Are To Beat The Recession by Derek Cooper
I have come across many examples of small business owners or directors who use personal borrowing to supplement their business cash flow. This practise may not strictly be the right way to finance a business but certainly it has for a number of years, been the reality for many businesses.
Unfortunately due to the effects of the credit crunch, personal credit is now becoming much harder to obtain. As has been widely reported, lenders are being more careful when considering what and to whom to lend thus affecting the availability of both secured and unsecured loans. In addition, despite interest rates being their lowest since records began, the interest being charged by banks for personal loans is now higher than any point in the last 5 years at between 8-9% APR. This increase means that even if money is available, it is more expensive to repay.
With personal borrowing more difficult to come by, small business owners are less likely to be able to get access to funds. As a result, the life blood of their business dries up and all too often the business is unable to continue to operate. More and more businesses are therefore failing and jobs being lost.
In my view, this situation goes hand in hand with the problem of personal insolvency that we are currently experiencing in the UK. The Times on Sunday reported on the 23rd May 2009 a suggestion from the Citizens Advice Bureau that there may be many more people who are suffering personal insolvency in the UK than the official figures show. I believe that this analysis is absolutely correct. According to insolvency statistics published by the Insolvency Service, in the first quarter of 2009, just under 30,000 individuals were declared personally insolvent.
However, these figures only include formal insolvencies – i.e. people who have declared bankruptcy or entered into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA). I believe a conservative estimate would be that for every person declaring formal insolvency, there are at least another two who are insolvent but dealing with the problem by using an informal Debt Management Plan (DMP). A Debt Management Plan is simply a gentleman’s agreement between an individual and their creditors to reduce monthly debt repayments to fit within an affordable budget. There is no formal register of these plans and therefore no way currently to accurately measure the number of people who enter into them. If my estimation is correct, this would mean that an additional 60,000 individuals would have become insolvent in the first quarter, of 2009 totalling 90,000 all together.
Surely the significant increase in the number of people suffering personal insolvency simply highlights the problems that are currently being faced by small business. Where access to cash is not available, increasing numbers of businesses are likely to fail. The knock on effect of this is increasing redundancy and the likelihood of personal insolvency for both employees and the former business owners themselves.
The Government has made its intentions clear to help businesses through increasing availability of business loans. However, I believe that whether we like it or not, the life blood of small business is the finance that business owners take on personally in the form of personal loans and mortgage debt. As such, where these types of funds are not readily available, the difficulties currently facing small businesses are likely to continue.
Unfortunately due to the effects of the credit crunch, personal credit is now becoming much harder to obtain. As has been widely reported, lenders are being more careful when considering what and to whom to lend thus affecting the availability of both secured and unsecured loans. In addition, despite interest rates being their lowest since records began, the interest being charged by banks for personal loans is now higher than any point in the last 5 years at between 8-9% APR. This increase means that even if money is available, it is more expensive to repay.
With personal borrowing more difficult to come by, small business owners are less likely to be able to get access to funds. As a result, the life blood of their business dries up and all too often the business is unable to continue to operate. More and more businesses are therefore failing and jobs being lost.
In my view, this situation goes hand in hand with the problem of personal insolvency that we are currently experiencing in the UK. The Times on Sunday reported on the 23rd May 2009 a suggestion from the Citizens Advice Bureau that there may be many more people who are suffering personal insolvency in the UK than the official figures show. I believe that this analysis is absolutely correct. According to insolvency statistics published by the Insolvency Service, in the first quarter of 2009, just under 30,000 individuals were declared personally insolvent.
However, these figures only include formal insolvencies – i.e. people who have declared bankruptcy or entered into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA). I believe a conservative estimate would be that for every person declaring formal insolvency, there are at least another two who are insolvent but dealing with the problem by using an informal Debt Management Plan (DMP). A Debt Management Plan is simply a gentleman’s agreement between an individual and their creditors to reduce monthly debt repayments to fit within an affordable budget. There is no formal register of these plans and therefore no way currently to accurately measure the number of people who enter into them. If my estimation is correct, this would mean that an additional 60,000 individuals would have become insolvent in the first quarter, of 2009 totalling 90,000 all together.
Surely the significant increase in the number of people suffering personal insolvency simply highlights the problems that are currently being faced by small business. Where access to cash is not available, increasing numbers of businesses are likely to fail. The knock on effect of this is increasing redundancy and the likelihood of personal insolvency for both employees and the former business owners themselves.
The Government has made its intentions clear to help businesses through increasing availability of business loans. However, I believe that whether we like it or not, the life blood of small business is the finance that business owners take on personally in the form of personal loans and mortgage debt. As such, where these types of funds are not readily available, the difficulties currently facing small businesses are likely to continue.
How to Maintain Your Income Stream If You Are Laid Off? by Nicole Reebi
How to Maintain Your Income Stream If You Are Laid Off?
| |
The world has entered into a recession, many corporations and companies had announced their job cutting news. If you are an employee for any of the companies that have plan to reduce their company's headcounts; then, your job will not be guaranteed. The question is how you are going to maintain your income stream just in case you are being laid off and unable to find a new job due to the job opportunities have been cutting down tremendously by most companies. It's time for you to think of setting up a second income source.
If you are thinking of getting a part-time job from other company, and go to work after your day job, then you probably will have a hard time find one in today's recession situation. Then, what other ways to source for income if you can't find a part-time job?
What if you create one for yourself? There are a few ways to make your own business without the need to investment a lot of money. By using the advantages of internet and online business features that allow you to work from home, here are the 2 common ways of earning money online:
1. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a business model that enables you to make money online without the need to have your own product. There are many online merchants looking for marketing outsourcing. They make their products available for online freelance agents, called affiliates who will be given commission based on their sales. You can set up a website to sell a few selected affiliate products. Your role as an affiliate is to drive web traffic to your website or directly to merchant's website through a unique link that will identify you as the affiliate who makes the sale.
Affiliate marketing has been a good income source for many people either as the part-time job or a full-time income. You may consider to set up a second income source through affiliate marketing while you still with your day job. Invest some time and efforts to make it successful; it can become your main income source just in case you are being laid off.
2. Set up an online store
Unlike traditional business, you don't need to invest a lot of money to have your own business on internet. You can choose to become your own boss by opening an online store to sell physical or downloadable products. In addition, you don't need to own a product for an online business. There is a business called dropshipping where you can easily find the products you are interested in selling at your online store; buy it at wholesale price and sell it at retail price at your online store. Under the dropshipping business model, dropshippers will sell you their product at wholesale price for individual item and they will deliver the ordered items to your customers on your behalf.
You don't need to quit your day job to start an online business. In fact, you can do it in parallel and work it out for a success. The income from online store can replace your main income just in case you have lost your job due to being laid off.
Summary
Under the bad economy situation where companies are looking for potential cost cutting and headcounts reduction, no job is guaranteed. As a working individual, you need to start to think of how to maintain your income stream if you are hit by the recession wave. Internet can be the best source to set up an income online and be the back up income stream while you are still with your day job.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Understanding the Financial Crisis
Yale hosted a panel discussion with Yale Faculty on Understanding the Financial Crisis: The Stimulus, Bailouts and Other Solutions.
Arts: The Passing of a Pop Icon - NYTimes.com/Video
Michael Jackson, the legendary singer, songwriter and dancer, died in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Interview with Michael Cheney from Adsense Videos
Interview
with Michael Cheney from AdSense Videos
Q. So what made
you get started with AdSense?
A. I
was looking for a way to monetize some of my websites. AdSense
is such an easy thing to get started with the eye for it would
be a great way to start earning more money without actually putting
into much more effort. I think as soon as you see the first earnings
coming into your account you get addicted to AdSense. I know is
what happened to me and since then I've just spent time working
out how to earn more and more each day.
Q. How much do
you make with AdSense?
A. Some days I can earn
close to $1000 and others it's less than that. But it all comes
down to how much time and effort you devote to creating a quality
site that people like visiting. AdSense is not what my business
is based on by any means - but it is a great way to earn revenue
almost on autopilot.
Q. What is the
biggest mistake people making with AdSense?
A. Probably
the biggest mistake people make is thinking the AdSense earnings
are easy to achieve. It is very easy to get started but as I learned
it takes a lot of effort to increase your earnings. I got really
downhearted whenever I would log in to my account to see that
I had only made a few dollars. And that's when I decided to spend
months and months of my time learning everything I could about
AdSense.
I basically buried myself
away and devoured every single piece of AdSense information I
could find. I ran thousands of AdSense tests and started to see
a dramatic effect on my click through ratio and therefore on my
earnings.
This is why I'd decided
to record the videos - because I knew that it would help people
who were in my position to also increase their earnings. I've
read an absolute ton of AdSense e-book's but they take so long
to go through and always seem to keep information back.
With AdSense Videos I
knew that I had to tell the story exactly as it is and actually
show people and lead them by the hand through the exact techniques
that I use to generate large earnings from AdSense.
Q. In your videos
you show people how to increase their AdSense earnings - can you
give us a taster of this advice?
A. I
don't want to give away my biggest secrets as you can understand!
But some of the more basic things that you can do to increase
your revenues include using ads that blend in rather than stand
out from your content. Flat out the worst thing you can do with
an AdSense ad is make it look like the standard Google ad. What
you need to realise is that you will get more clicks if your ad
actually appears part of your site rather than something that's
just been dropped into the page.
Q. What would
you recommend that someone do right now to increase their AdSense
earnings?
A. I've
created a totally free AdSense minicourse that people can go through
to learn some of my techniques. It takes you through the four
cornerstone principles that I've used to build up my AdSense empire.
You can check it out, as well as all the AdSense Videos, here:
CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEOS
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Michael Jackson Dead At 50: "R.I.P."
One Word... "Legend" "Which Michael Jackson song is Your ALL TIME FAV?"
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The China Factor: Stimulus Working??
Why would a central government stimulus program work in China and NOT in the US or Europe?? Check this out.
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