Measure twice, cut once

Today I want to talk to you about a wise old adage “Measure twice, cut once”, a lesson my father taught me when I was a boy. Even though it is used a lot in carpentry it has applications in different aspects of our lives, including in our businesses. The literal message means that we should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may require of

Fixing The Fiscal Hole

Everyone by now has heard of the upcoming "Fiscal Cliff", the expected effect of a number of laws which, unless changed, could result in tax increases, spending cuts, and a corresponding reduction in the budget deficit beginning in 2013. Many economists expect that the end result of the fiscal cliff will be another recession. Will the President and Congress reach an agreement for the well

The End of the International Bankers Cartel

“If congress has the right under the Constitution to issue paper money, it was given them to use themselves, not to be delegated to individuals or corporations.” - Andrew Jackson“The Government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and credits needed to satisfy the spending power of the Government and the buying power of consumers. By the adoption of these principles, the

An FHA Bailout?

On November 15th the WSJ runs the story titled “FHA Nears Need for Taxpayer Funds”. Here we go again, another bank to bail out. The story
outlines serious financial problems facing the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and it could exhaust its reserve. One of the problems cited for the reduced reserves is the rising mortgage  deliquencies. Interestingly enough, after the housing and lending

Debt Can Take Over Your Life

Debt is something that too many of us have to worry about day after day, feeling as though things might not ever get better some days. It is so very stressful wondering how in the world you could ever possibly find some debt relief and in many instances, it can cause depression, anxiety and even problems within a relationship or marriage. Throughout this article I want to discuss with you some

Accountability;The path of recovery

"Restoring responsibility and accountability is essential to the economic and fiscal health of our nation." ~ Carl Levin

 
“It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one's acts.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

 
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” ~ Thomas Paine


















As I look back to our recent "Great Recession", it is

The Invisible US Great Depression

According to Al Lewis on The News Hub, we’re actually in a depression right now, but most people don’t see it. One out of seven Americans are on food stamps – if they weren’t getting cards in the mail every month, you’d see them in soup lines. Millions of home in foreclosure or bank owned and you don’t know it, because the banks aren’t releasing them to the market. Watch the video below.

SEC Stops $15 Million Investment Scam

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced
fraud charges and an emergency asset freeze against a Denver-based
company and two Colorado residents for allegedly carrying out a $15.7
million Ponzi scheme that dragged in more than 120 investors nationwide. The SEC alleges that Michael J. Turnock and William P. Sullivan II
sold promissory notes to investors with the promise of annual

A Global Gold Standard

In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect
savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of
value. If there were, the government would have to make its holding
illegal, as was done in the case of gold. If everyone decided, for
example, to convert all his bank deposits to silver or copper or any
other good, and thereafter declined to accept checks

Investors Yank Another $5.68 Billion from U.S. Equity Funds

Outflows from U.S. equity funds show no signs of letting up, according to the latest statistics from the Investment Company Institute. For the week ended Aug. 1, investors pulled an estimated $5.68 billion from funds that invest long-term in U.S. equities, more than twice the $2.13 billion they withdrew the week before. Since the beginning of the year, U.S. stock funds have lost more than $64

If you think that money market funds are just another checking account...

Many investors when they close their equity positions and need a place to park their cash, they do not use their checking account. Most of them will sell their stocks and let their stock broker place the proceeds into a money market fund. Nothing wrong with that if you are aware the risks associated with this type of account. Many investors when they receive their monthly investment statement and

Do you need life insurance?

The main purpose of life insurance is to protect someone whose finances depend on you being alive. For example, if only one of you is working, you need a policy to protect the spouse who is not earning money against the loss of income. The same applies in the case when you have a spouse that earns the majority of the household income.

Another factor to consider is large financial obligations,

Five Tips For Financial Freedom

1. Establish and Control Cash Flow

The building blocks of any financial plan are liquidity (or like
my wife calls it “fluidity”) and expense management. People who
spend more than their income will never achieve financial
independence. Your best friend is your family budget, without it you
will be spending blindly which will lead you into constant shortfalls
and borrowing from your savings or

5 Tips on Saving Money at Home

There might be signs of improvement in the economy. However, with
our living expenses increasing, It is important to be savvy about our
expenditures.



Review your insurance policies
- Get those insurance policies out of the storage and review them.
If you need help, have your CPA help you determine if there is
overlap, unnecessary coverage, or if coverages that are missing or
need to be

Self-Discipline the Key To Saving Money and True Wealth

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:11
In today's world we have become accustomed to excess. We can never have enough and this behavior has overruled good judgement and common sense. We see how people love to spend, even for things that are entirely

Don’t Listen to the “so-called” Gurus

One of the biggest challenges we have in our society is the overflow of information. I think we have too much information and little or no idea how to discern the truth from the lies. The risk of the overflow of information is that we may be lead astray by lies that seems right at first sight. Couple this issue with our human nature to easily be impressed by the so called "Gurus" or experts.

Are Blogging Expenses Deductible?

Yes. Like any other business, if you
generate revenues from your blog(s) and live in the United States you
are required to report the income generated from your blogging
activities. Therefore, you are entitled to deduct all “ordinary
and necessary” expenses related to that venture. However, it is
important that you

Take Advantage of the Retirement Tax Credit

If you make eligible contributions to an
employer-sponsored retirement plan or to an individual retirement
arrangement (IRA), you may be eligible for a tax credit, depending on
your age and income.
Here are six things you need to know about the Retirement Tax Credit or Savers Credit:


1. Income limits


Single, married filing separately, or qualifying widow(er),
with  income up to $28,250

Why I Dislike Income Tax Refunds

This is the time of the year when American families are anxiously waiting for their income tax refunds. According to IRS information (source: Washinton Post March 22, 2012) through March 10, the IRS has issued 59.2 million refund checks totaling $174.4 billion. That is approximately $3,000 tax refund per check.

If you are proud of the tax refund you received or anxiously waiting for your tax

The Truth About Debt Consolidation Programs

"Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. " - Romans 13:8



"Do not be
among those who give pledges, among those who become sureties for debts.
If you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take your bed from
under you?" - Proverbs 22:26-27





One of the biggest challenges individuals and families at every economic level

You May Miss a Great Opportunity if You Don't Act Now

Last week I wrote about wealth transfer strategies you should consider in 2012. I believe that many families, unless they take action soon they may miss a great opportunity. I do not think that families are understanding the tax legislation wave coming to us in 2013. Maybe the focus right now is the elections.
Just to give you a short summary of tax changes scheduled to kick in with the coming of

Wealth Transfer Strategies for 2012

The preservation of a financial legacy in a efficient manner has always had its level of complexity due to the uncertainty of future transfer-tax laws which may tempt many people to put their wealth-transfer planning on hold. This can end up being costly to many families that our the fear of the uncertainty wait and decide for no action. However, strategies to pass wealth to future generations

What are you busy about?

"It is not enough to ask why you are so busy. The question is, what are you so busy about?" - Henry David Thoreau






In today's society everyone seems to be "busy". Right now you may be busy and hoping this article isn't too long to read because you have too many things to do today. People today do not have time for even the basic needs to form a strong family, the core of a strong society.

Understanding Mental Health

Mental health is as important as physical health. Still, millions of Americans suffer with various types of mental illness and mental health problems, such as social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, addiction to drugs and alcohol, and personality disorders. Mental illness and psychological disorders have good treatment options with medications, psychotherapy, or other treatments.

Mental

Life Insurance is NOT an Investment

Life insurance is not an investment, the purpose of life insurance is to protect your loved ones in
case of your premature death. The reason I am writing this short blog today is due the constant question which one is better Whole Life or Term Life? The best answer I can give is it depends. I do I have a problem with "gurus" who give their "infallible truth" about term insurance being the only

Baby Boomers Taking A New Look At Retirement

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A recent AllState-National poll found that Baby Boomers are
pushing back their initial retirement plans from an average of 60
years to 66 years. In addition, the results of the poll showed that
68% of the Baby Boomers expect to work in some form after retirement.
The concept of retirement age is no longer what used to be 10 years
ago. According to a survey

Tips on Buying Insurance

Before you talk to an insurance agent it behooves you to do a little research about the insurance buying process. The purchase of insurance should be taken seriously and you should never rush in the decision process. Regardless of the insurance you are purchasing, whether it’s life or car insurance, it’s a huge decision that demands a little research and your undivided attention. Also, if you

Texas Elder Investment Fraud Scams

Seniors many times live
solitary and isolated lives, which makes them ripe targets for scammers and fraudsters
to gain their confidence by becoming their new constant "friend" which can
lead to any combination financial abuse. As our baby boomers in our families are reaching the age of retirement, they will be become the focus of attack of these opportunistic fraudsters. The common thread in