59 percent of mothers and fathers pay for grownup children

A new survey reveals that fifty nine percent of United States mothers and fathers provide financial support for their grown children. The research covered mothers and fathers of grownup children who aren’t in school. The study concludes the tough economy is stopping them from leaving home. Also studied were so-called “boomerang kids,” or those that move away from home only to return again.

Pressure higher for this generation

President and CEO of NEFE is Ted Beck. He said, “Parents are continuing their involvement longer than we expected. The general sentiment is that financial pressures are higher for this generation.”

This was something mothers and fathers and young adults surveyed agreed with. Of the grownup children surveyed, 65 percent said their financial pressure is harder than their parents’ was. And 32 percent of their mothers and fathers agreed that they had it easier than their kids do. Further, 43 percent of mothers and fathers said they were giving support because they were “legitimately concerned” about the finances of their kids. Then another 37 percent thought they had significant financial struggles. They hoped their kids would not have to face these struggles.

Breaking it down

The lion’s share of parental assist, at 50 percent, is in housing. Living expenses account for 48 percent of parental financial assist. There is also the cost of transportation. That is about 41 percent of aid from parents.

About 42 percent of those kids who still live at home say they cook and clean to help contribute. About 75 percent said they helped financially.

What else is there?

”Face It” author, psychologist Vivian Diller, thinks that this trend has occurred because of the economy. “In the last 20 to 30 years, the family structure has become more child-centered,” she says. “Boomer parents were very willing to make sacrifices for their kids, giving them the sense that it would continue until they were on their feet. Now parents are supporting kids’ lifestyles.”

But, she warns, continued fiscal support could have negative consequences. “Because they have been protected, some children don’t learn reasonable ways to manage money, and they run into trouble.”

How parents sacrifice

Thirty percent of parents that were surveyed say they have given up privacy because of adult kids moving back home. Even worse are the mothers and fathers that took on debt for their children to move in. This involves about 26 percent of responders. Another 7 percent say they have been forced to delay retirement.

“If parents are going to financially support their adult children, they should first have a serious talk about their kids’ expectations so that everyone protects their financial futures,” Ted Beck says. “We all want to ensure the best for our children. But if you are taking on extra debt or delaying retirement to help your adult child, you could be making a mistake and putting your own financial future in jeopardy.”

Citations

ABC

abcnews.go.com/Business/60-parents-provide-financial-support-adult-children/story?id=13648780

NEFE

nefe.org/NEFENews/PressRoom/PressRelease/ParentsFinanciallySupportingAdultChildren/tabid/1015/Default.aspx

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/05/27/us-economy-parents-idUSTRE74Q4Y420110527

Tiny extras equal hundreds of millions for airline carriers

The baggage charges and the similar tiny extras billed by current airline carriers can be costly and annoying for the vacationer. But for the airline market, they are gold. They bring the market hundreds of millions, suggests a new report.

What the new study equals

A newly released report, the Amadeus Review of Ancillary Revenue Results, says luggage charges, frequent-flier programs, co-branded credit cards and similar non-transportation expenses earned the industry $21.46 billion last year.

Those that made probably the most

The airline that brought in the most non-transportation money was United Continental Airlines, which brought in $5 billion in extras. At $3.7 billion, Delta came in second. American Airlines, at $2 billion, was the 3rd largest earner. All of these are United States based companies.

Having a low budget means revenue comes from extras

More money is spent on extra fees for income at bargain airline carriers because of lower ticket costs. They lead the pack if the data is analyzed as a percentage of their total income. Of the airlines analyzed, Allegiant Airlines made 29.2 percent with these additional expenses making it the top earner. The next two involved Spirit Airlines at 22.6 percent and Ireland-based Ryanair at 22.1 percent.

Expect an increase in fees soon

Soon, non-transportation fees are sure to go up, according to co-author or the study and president of IdeaWorks Jay Sorenson. “Oil prices spiked in 2008, which was also the year in which the U.S. industry introduced baggage fees. We’re nearing those historical oil prices again, and I believe we’re going to see another round of new à la carte fees.”

A study from before

The Customer Travel Alliance, a Washington D.C.-based lobby, did a similar study earlier this year. Open Airlines for Airfare Transparency helped with the study. This means several travel agencies were involved. Air passengers paid about $36.80 in fees every round trip in 2010, according to the study.

Getting the government involves

The two groups have collected, as of last March, more than 60,000 online signatures in an attempt to urge the federal government to force flight companies to make their fees more transparent.

Citations

MSNBC

overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/01/6764501-nickeled-and-dimed-for-21-billion

Denver Business Journal

bizjournals.com/denver/news/2011/03/10/airlines-cost-coloradans-1486m-in.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search

Business Week

businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IBOU7G6.htm

2011 NBA Finals here after a long wait

On Tuesday, May 31 at Miami’s American Airlines Arena, basketball followers will enjoy the kickoff of what will likely be a fantastic 2011 NBA Finals going between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat will have home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series. For the rabid fan, witness this NBA Finals schedule and match-up story.

NBA Finals listened to on ESPN and Sirius while you watch it at ABC

ESPN Radio and Sirius XM will both broadcast the 2011 NBA Finals game on the radio while it could be seen on television at ABC. The games have been scheduled. They go like this:

Game 1: Tuesday, May 31 in Miami, 9 p.m. ET
Game 2: Thursday, June 2 in Miami, 9 p.m. ET
Game 3: Sunday, June 5 in Dallas, 8 p.m. ET
Game 4: Tuesday, June 7 in Dallas, 9 p.m. ET
Game 5 (if necessary): Thursday, June 9 in Dallas, 9 p.m. ET
Game 6 (if necessary): Sunday, June 12 in Miami, 8 p.m. ET
Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday, June 14 in Miami, 9 p.m. ET

The dynamic duo, plus 2

Any defense going up against Miami Heat’s LeBron James and Dwyane Wade should be scared. Recently, the individuals both learned to play well together. Before that, they both were able to score whenever they wanted.

Yet when the Heat is in danger of losing, the ball goes to “King” James. He is huge and athletic. He also has an excellent basketball IQ which helps a ton. With Wade’s offense, it may be hard to stop the team from going too far. Dallas will have to keep his teammates down a bit. The Miami Heat will effortlessly win the 2011 NBA Finals in five games if Chris Bosh plays very well and Udonis Haslem can keep Dirk Nowitzki scared.

Keeping Nowitzki scared to play with veterans of the sport

Careful passing and a commitment to challenging James and Wade on the offensive end won’t only ensure the Dallas Mavericks remain in the series, but it should spell victory against the less experienced Heat. Dirk Nowitzki is on fire in the playoffs (28.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game), and his increased lower body strength has enabled him to muscle his way to his preferred spots on the floor more effortlessly, as Haslem will discover. The veterans Kidd and Terry, both Jasons, will help a lot too. The same could be said for Shawn “The Matrix” Marion, who has made key plays.

It is true that the championship window is slowly closing for Kidd, Terry and Marion which might make them work harder. Not only that, but Nowitzki appears to have finally ditched the catcalls of being “soft.” The Dallas Mavericks could easily beat the Miami Heat with Jose Barea and Tyson Chandler on the team, even with injuries.

LeBron may have to wait another year.

Articles cited

Huffington Post

huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/27/nba-finals-schedule-2011-_n_867972.html

Yahoo! Sports

sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ycn-8546101

Autopen used to approve Patriot Act

President Obama recently signed a controversial bill. The bill renewed certain provisions of the Patriot Act which were going to end. The bill went to the president from Congress, though President Obama is currently visiting France. He signed the bill with an autopen, a mechanical machine which replicates signatures. The machine being used at all is causing a conflict.

Provisions allowing government surveillance renewed

Unless a new bill was created and passed by Congress and signed by the president, some Patriot Act provisions would have expired. Three provisions of the domestic security laws that allow for highly controversial surveillance procedures would have expired, according to the Christian Science Monitor, but President Obama finalized the bill at the last moment. Even though Senator Paul tried to rally against the bill, the government can still use the internet, business records and wiretaps without a warrant whenever they want. However, according to CNN, brouhaha in Congress has begun since the president used a robotic pen.

Working on the autopen

The signature was needed instantly on the document in the president was in France. He used an autopen to sign it. The autopen is a machine that could be used. A person’s signature could be reproduced with it. The main difference between an autopen and genuine signature is almost extremely hard to tell. Some of the machines are extremely complex. Some aren’t complex at all though, states MSNBC. Several websites are reproducing an interview with Bob Olding who’s the owner of one of the two companies that exists in the United States that makes the machines. ABC spoke with Damillic Corp., owner Olding who said the technology has not changed much since the 1930s when it came out. He also stresses that Damillic goes out of its way to properly vet its customers and make sure that his goods are getting used ethically.

Nothing illegal about it

The Constitution claims “he shall sign it” in reference to the president signing the bill. As long as a signature is directed to be attached to a document, it is valid, according to the Department of Justice. The Justice Department told President Bush that an auto signature was legal in 2005 when looking into using an autopen for this same purpose. Donald Rumsfeld was found to have used an autopen to sign letters of condolences to the families of troops killed in action in 2004, and previous Vice President Quayle admitted to using one in 1992. The signature and letter duplication machine was built in the 19th century. Thomas Jefferson was responsible for this. Government officials, astronauts and business executives all have used autopens in the past.

Information from

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/0527/Patriot-Act-three-controversial-provisions-that-Congress-voted-to-keep

CNN

whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/27/rise-of-the-machines-autopen-puts-bill-into-law/?hpt=T2

MSNBC

firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/27/6731197-the-great-presidential-autopen-hullabaloo

ABC

blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/05/robama-is-it-ok-for-a-president-to-autopen-a-bill-into-law.html

Damillic Inc

realsig.com/index.htm

Compact cars far more popular than electric cars

Automobile buying habits among Americans have modified as the price of gas has been rising. {However, American consumers aren’t buying as several green automobiles for instance hybrids and electric vehicles as they’re compact and subcompact vehicles that sip the gas tank|That said, people are not buying more hybrids or electrics. Instead of green automobiles, people have been getting smaller compact and subcompact cars that sip daintily from the tank|Compact and subcompact automobilesare still far more popular than green automobiles, as individuals still want traditional cars that only sip from the tank| Subcompact and compact cars are still more p! opular than green cars like electrics or hybrids, as traditional automobiles that take just a little from the tank are selling better than greener but more costly and less useful choices|Small compact and subcompact vehicles that sip from the tank in the lightest manner possible have proven to be the best sellers, as buyers have been avoiding less useful and more expensive green possibilities.

60 percent of Americans think the leaf is ridiculous

According to a recent poll, electric cars are not that favored. In fact, about 57 percent of Americans would never purchase one, reports USA Today. The poll respondents would still purchase a traditional, internal combustion driven car regardless of the cost of a gallon of gasoline. The poll showed that individuals know the limited range an all-electric auto has. They compared it to gas cars or hybrids with backup gas engines to keep it going. The range of an electric auto is the biggest problem. Most drivers see it as impractical. By 2015, there will be 100,000 vehicles a year sold that are electric, J.D. Power and Associates predicts. This year, the company believes only 11,000 electric automobiles will sell. Power also believes that by 2015, 15 million subcompact and compact vehicles will sell a year. This year it predicts 14 million will sell.

No longer just two seats and small motor

When it comes to compact and subcompact vehicles, people tend to think of them as spending budget vehicles. This is no longer the case, the Wall Street Journal explains. Typically, a small, boxy hatchback would be two seats, a manual gearbox and a motor the size of a toaster oven, but automobile makers are beginning to slip luxury into their economy offerings. The Hyundai Elantra, for example, has models with heated rear seats, and it gets 40 miles per gallon. In the Ford Focus Titanium, there is a rear-facing camera for whenever you have to drive in reverse. There are also rain-activated windshield wipers for convenience. The Focus also has the option of a dual clutch, six speed transmissions; such a gearbox is normally the purview of Ferrari instead of Ford. The 2012 Honda Civic will have voice-activated Global Positioning System navigation, Bluetooth phone equipment and an iPod dock. Subcompacts are being purchased by wealthier consumers now.

Fiat helping Chrysler

In the automobile industry, everyone watched as Fiat purchased a stake in Chrysler. It was a large move. This has been an excellent move for Chrysler. The company is now closer to paying the American and Canadian governments off while launching in the U.S. the Fiat 500. Fiat recently staged a bit of a pre-launch stunt by filling a street in New York City’s SoHo district with 20 500 Cabriolet cars, according to CNN. For 30 years, Fiat has not been in the U.S. much. Now that will change with its subcompacts. Another Fiat brand, Alfa Romeo, has been rumored to be coming to the U.S. for years but has been delayed until at least 2013, according to MotorTrend, due to design problems with the new Alfa Romeo Giulia.

Information from

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/autos/2011-05-24-most-americans-refuse-electric-cars_n.htm

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304066504576343201704359810.html?mod=WSJ_Autos_LS_Autos_2

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/05/25/autos/fiat_500_publicity.fortune/index.htm

Motor Trend

wot.motortrend.com/report-alfa-romeo-launch-pushed-2013-66663.html

Issues model Estella Warren is confronting

To be fair, Canadian model/actress Estella Warren has a long way to go before she gets even close to Lindsay Lohan’s should-be-patented “LiLoMeter” for stars behaving badly. However, as E! Online states, Warren is at least a contender in the eyes of LA cops. Hit-and-run, DUI, assault and felony escape led to her $100,000 bond. As if that laundry list wasn’t enough, she confessed to being 40 years old on her arrest report. That’s eight years older than what the public knows.

Warren’s try to fight the power like in the film

Some might suggest that Estella Warren was simply fighting the power like her slave girl character Daena in Tim Burton’s 2001 remake of “Planet of the Apes,” although neither Warren nor her publicist have said anything about what happened Monday. According to LA law enforcement who spoke to TMZ, she was just really drunk. It was certainly too bad.

These were the events that followed for Estella Warren:

1. Using her Toyota Prius, Warren hit three vehicles. All of them were parked.
2. She easily fled the scene. She was fuel efficient throughout.
3. Officious Los Angelinos with badges pulled Warren over.
4. She got a DUI after doing a breathalyzer test.
5. Her actions continued. She took one more stance.
6. Estella Warren was cuffed and taken into custody.
7. After they realized Warren was really a different age, she got out of her handcuffs.
8. She got a felony escape charge since she ran to the door and tried to get away.
9. Bail was set at $100,000, according to the L.A. County Sheriff.
10. The fairly bird became a jail bird.

Models need to behave better than that

Drinking too several alcoholic beverages can send any person into a downward spiral. When celebrities – particularly attractive ones – tip the bottle back one too several times, it’s front-page news, food for the devilish fever dream that is United States popular culture. Some of probably the most famous magazines have had Warren in them while she is internationally known and has acted in both television and film in the past. This just makes the news even bigger.

Information from

E! Online

eonline.com/uberblog/b243600_estella_warren_arrested_dui_hit_run.html

Estella Warren wiki

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estella_Warren

Planet of the Apes – The Sacred Scrolls

planetoftheapes.wikia.com/wiki/Daena

TMZ

bit.ly/ivEW1F

Howling over Little Red Estella Warren

youtube.com/watch?v=dnwHS3wc1B8

Overdraft does not harm credit, however it is not harmless

A lot of people know that not paying bills on time or sustaining a high balance on several charge cards can result in damaging marks against their FICO score. There are other things that may or may not, however. For instance, will overdrafts affect a credit score? According to financial planner Don Taylor, the answer depends upon a number of factors.

More than just an overdraft fee is needed to hurt credit

There was a university student really concerned about hurting her credit with checking account scams. She asked for advice at Bankrate’s “Dr. Don” column. Her checkbook was stolen and someone wrote checks with it. Then her checking account went into overdraft from it. She was wonder if her FICO would be affected while waiting a couple of weeks for her bank account to go back in the black. After she sent a fraud notification to her financial institution and one of the three major credit bureaus, no other identity theft happened.

Taylor explained that a consumer’s checking ledger transactions do not matter. A credit rating won’t change depending on it. Overdrafts typically don’t, although missing bill payments will. One exception is when a banking institution does a “hard pull” of a consumer’s credit history when a new checking account is opened.

It won’t cost you anything to know about your banking

According to Taylor, consumers are able to check on their banking history. ChexSystems is the best system to use. This business enables consumers to pull one free banking history report every 12 months, as stipulated in the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA). It is bas when there are damaging marks. They stay for five years at the very least.

ChexSystems is a fantastic place to get information to help consumers know why they get denied if they are ever denied for a financial institution or credit union account. It may be worth checking out ChexSystems Customer Assistance each year even if that is not the case.

Stay away from scams

If you are the subject of a financial scam involving fraudulent checks, contact your banking institution and law enforcement. HSH.com can help you if you need to talk to your state’s banking commission to protect others from the same scam.

Articles cited

Bankrate

bankrate.com/finance/checking/overdrawn-account-won-t-ruin-credit-score.aspx?ic_id=tsThumb4

Consumer Debit

consumerdebit.com/consumerinfo/us/en/freereport.htm

HSH

library.hsh.com/read_article-hsh.asp?row_id=67

Get your bank account history once per year

youtube.com/watch?v=xazfPvwCMTw

Sydney brothel opening soon

The city of Sydney will be home to an intriguing landmark, as the city will be home to the largest brothel in Australia. The building is really an existing brothel undergoing a remodel. However, the finished product is going to be a three story, 40 room resorts that will be the largest of its sort in the land of Oz. This brothel is located in a residential district, and the neighbors aren’t terribly happy about its presence.

Suites accessible in renovation

The number of suites available at the resort in Sydney, Australia will double with the $12.7 million renovation. An extra floor of very luxurious suites will be added as well. The main difference between this building and other hotel renovations is that this building will likely become, according to MSNBC, the largest brothel in all of Australia. There will be two bedrooms with king beds, a spa and pool tables in the brothel, called Stilleto, on the third floor. There will be seven of these suites. Overall the renovations will increase Stilleto’s 20 room capacity to 40.

How the neighbors feel

MSNBC reports that Stilleto is there for “lawyers, movie stars, accountants and professional athletes.” A three story brothel in the neighborhood makes some neighbors mad. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, there are residences next door to the Stilleto who oppose the prospect of people arriving and leaving at all hours of the night. The neighborhood security will be tightened though with security guards on the building grounds, which does help ease this anger.

Prostitution in the world

Prostitution is only legal in eight counties in Nevada in the United States. Wikipedia reports that other parts of the world look at it differently. In most countries that allow it, the trade is not regulated and brothels are illegal. Every person involved must be 18 or older in Italy where brothels are not allowed although the trade is. Whether or not Ruby the Heartstealer got paid before she was eighteen by Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi has not yet been decided. The Christian Science Monitor reports he is in legal battle with it right now. There are few nations where prostitution is legal and regulated, since it is illegal in most of the world.

Information from

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/43063695/ns/travel-destination_travel/

Sidney Morning Herald

smh.com.au/nsw/three-storeys-of-sex-as-sydney-braces-for-biggestbrothel-title-20110516-1epzn.html

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0406/Plenty-of-flash-at-lightning-brief-start-of-Berlusconi-trial

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_by_country

Cadillac has plans to replace two car models with new XTS

Cadillac’s new XTS model is due out next year. The XTS will replace both the STS and DTS models. As of this time, however, no date has been given for production to start. However, GM first plans to sell off the remaining DTD and STS models on their dealer’s lots.

2010 concept automobile used

The XTS came from a Platinum concept automobile at first. Cadillac was at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show when it showed this concept auto. GM will use a stretched form of the Epsilon II platform for the vehicle to be built on. This platform is under cars for instance the Chevy Malibu and Buick LaCrosse. The auto will even be built in GM’s plant in Lansing, Mich., called Grand River.

Convenient vehicle for all

There will be a longer rear overhang than the concept vehicle while being a little bit narrower. It will also feature infotainment and connectivity features for both front and rear-seat passengers. GM’s direct-injection, 3.6 liter V-6, will power the car. It will have controlled shock absorbers so the ride is gentle.

The XTS might have different V-6 power plants, a choice for all-wheel drive and possibly a drive line for a plug-in hybrid if the model is true to the concept. Eight-cylinder motor options have been also been rumored however have not been confirmed at this time.

Will BMW or Cadillac win?

The entry-level CTS will be replacing the DTS and STS models for Cadillac. The idea is to rival the Mercedes E-class and BMW’s 5-series. This in turn will make room for the new, smaller ATS sedan (which is slated to arrive in the summer of 2012) to go up against the BMW C-class and the 3-series.

Old leaves so new can stay

The STS is not being made by Cadillac already. DTS is almost done too. The last will be built in the next month. But with an inventory of 3000 DTS models and less than 900 STS models, Cadillac intends to sell the last of its large sedans before building production models of the XTS replacement.

Citations

Car and Driver

caranddriver.com/features/10q1/2012_cadillac_xts-feature

Autoblog

autoblog.com/2011/03/11/spy-shots-latest-cadillac-xts-prototype-caught-inside-and-out/

Automotive.com

blogs.automotive.com/6737284/miscellaneous/saying-goodbye-to-cadillac-sts-dts-sedans/index.html

How Killebrew perished after 74 years

Previous Minnesota Twins All-Star Harmon Killebrew has succumbed to throat cancer. The imposing slugger from Payette, Idaho, was 74 years old. As indicated by Associated Press reports, Killebrew passed in his sleep at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home while wife Nita and loved ones were present.

Killebrew left the Mayo Clinic and entered Hospice

Monday, a statement was released by Killebrew. It said that the esophageal cancer is in advanced stages so the Mayo Clinic can no longer help. Killebrew said he would be in Hospice care until he dies. The cancer was only announced six months before.

Information on ‘The Killer’ and the game

Pitchers were never comfortable facing the 5-foot-11, 220-pound Killebrew as he swung mightily from the right-hand side of the plate. Harmon “The Killer” Killebrew had huge arms and hands. The power in his swings was something everybody wanted to see. He led the American League six times, once as a Washington Senator and five times as a Minnesota Twin, in home runs while leading the RBI only three times in his 22 year career from 1954 to 1975 where he had 573 home runs making him number 11 on the all-time list. The swing of Killebrew some believe is the silhouette on the Major League Baseball logo. This is only speculation.

“He hit line drives that put the opposition in jeopardy,” former Washington Senators scout Ossie Bluege once said. “And I don’t mean the infielders. I mean the outfielders.”

Killebrew was so soft-spoken in nature though. Fans loved this.

“No individual has ever meant more to the Minnesota Twins organization and millions of fans across Twins territory than Harmon Killebrew,” Twins president Dave St. Peter said. “Killebrew’s legacy will be the class, dignity and humility he demonstrated each and every day as a Hall of Fame-quality husband, father, friend, teammate and man.”

Jeff Idelson is the Baseball Hall of Fame President. He even said, “It’s ironic that his nickname was ‘Killer,’ as he was one of the nicest, most generous individuals to ever walk the earth.”

Articles cited

Associated Press

nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/43062969/ns/sports-baseball/

Baseball Reference

baseball-reference.com/players/k/killeha01.shtml

Boston Globe

bo.st/iLkYND

Minneapolis Star-Tribune

startribune.com/sports/twins/122004519.html

‘We’re here to love and help one other,’ said Killebrew

youtube.com/watch?v=GV9oEeKhI6s

How you are able to get probably the most from that unemployment check

Joblessness needs a great deal of pavement pounding, which has been scientifically proven to crush the soul into tiny pieces. Hopefully, the rigors of the job hunt do not make an individual forget that they are going to have to live on their unemployment checks in the interim. To do this, you need a plan. Post resource – Stretching the value of your unemployment check by MoneyBlogNewz.

Reaching backward for relief

The U.S. job market might be slowly improving, but that doesn’t mean the necessity to live frugally on unemployment benefits have gone out the window. Simply cutting out the Starbucks and purchasing less at the grocery store won’t do it, advises AOL Jobs. Work backward, personal finance expert Jean Chatzky says. Once you’ve locked down the essential, fixed expenditures, you are able to focus on what may have to go.

“I think the easiest way to budget is backward,” she says. “This is where my money is going now and then you can make changes.”

Know your expenses outside fixed costs

Changes are necessary for many people. A joblessness check isn’t typically enough. Savings isn’t the only thing to consider. Chatzky claims there is more. Anything that isn’t a fixed or essential cost in the spending budget needs to stop. There is hardly any way to change rent, mortgage or vehicle payments. They’re fixed costs. Do you have public transportation? Consider the saved costs by using it.

Cable television and Internet are both non-essential items. When you have 600 channels but feel like there’s nothing on most of the time, consider the TV bill carefully. Sometimes the Internet just wastes a lot of time. It is valuable to some parts of life though. Try going to the public library to use the Internet instead.

“The people that I’ve seen throughout this recession that have the biggest problems are the ones who continued to live as if there were two salaries coming into the family when there was really only one,” says Chatzky.

More revenue-generating, future-preserving ideas

The unemployed may have to consider some difficult questions to be able to remain above water financially. Will you rent out that room above the garage, pull the kids out of private school or sell your prized guitar collection?

Taking money out of a retirement account like a 401(k) is an option some consider, although financial experts advise the unemployed not touch that money unless it is a dire emergency. That nest egg was built for a reason, and the tax penalties can amount to 30 or 40 cents on the dollar for early withdrawal. Now it is getting harder and harder to file for bankruptcy. That is an option though if you are really struggling. Consult with a credit counselor.

Articles cited

AOL Jobs

jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/04/04/tips-to-stretch-your-unemployment-check/

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue on unemployment benefits

youtube.com/watch?v=BwkD8Kyb96A

Home remodeling that you need to do now

Completing house renovating tasks have traditionally been great for home resell value. However, the housing bubble collapse has made large house renovation tasks a calculated risk. In pockets of the U.S. where the real estate market is more favorable, renovating tasks can still provide good value for the cost. SmartMoney has a few ideas about where to start if you’re seeking to remodel your house. Source for this article – Home remodeling projects that are worth the money today by MoneyBlogNewz.

Spending to fix your kitchen

Today, kitchen remodeling is a $12.6 billion industry. After the 2009 housing bubble collapse, kitchen remodeling became something many people wanted to do. SmartMoney reports that $27,300 is what the average homeowner spends on kitchen remodels. Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies showed the amount spent on remodels is only 8 percent lower than the top of the housing boom, although there are ways around the high costs.

The higher quality work and wood doesn’t cost as much for some cabinet manufacturers. They’re eager to sell. Just ask about this. It could conserve you a lot of money. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for hand-painted tile, as there is not the kind of backlogs that would necessitate driving down prices. A major tip SmartMoney offers kitchen remodelers is not to source materials directly from manufacturers simply to conserve cash. The potential for sizing error increases, which could force you to pay more for return shipping and repairs.

Bathroom has difficulties also

Even in a sluggish real estate market, studies indicate that bathroom remodelers recoup 53 percent of costs on average. Prices for high-quality granite have come down by as much as 50 percent since the housing boom years, in part due to increased competition from Asian and Brazilian rock quarries. There has also been a huge decrease in the porcelain sink market, Chinese import activity has caused it to decrease 50 percent also. Thus, high-end restroom remodeling projects aren’t out of the question.

SmartMoney suggests doing a spa shower in a bathroom project. One water hookup is necessary to get streams of water from various areas. It can be hard though if there are individuals of various heights using the water since the shower tower kits aren’t adjustable.

Have a better backyard

It might be worth your time and energy to redo your backyard also. This might end up benefiting you with more money after all is said and done. Deluxe grills, pizza ovens, refrigerators, warming drawers, wine chillers and cabana roofs have sold well during the recession, states SmartMoney. Costs have not changed with the rising demand. This is good news. The installation costs are down 20 percent or more. Homeowners know that landscaping negotiation is easy too.

A “hot tip” SmartMoney offers readers is to consider a gas fire pit instead of a masonry fireplace. Pits are often portable, which offers greater flexibility with décor. Not only that, but gas pits can cost thousands of dollars less.

Citations

Oprah

oprah.com/money/How-to-Make-Your-Home-Renovation-Pay

Smart Money

smartmoney.com/spending/for-the-home/3-renovations-worth-the-money-now-1302561618674/

Knowing when renovating your home is worth it

youtube.com/watch?v=zBSeQgJ1ANE

Borrowing for college to enter billion-dollar sphere

student loan debt is increasing commensurate with a greater number of students paying higher tuition. Students borrowing money for college have racked up a higher amount of debt than those people who have financed any number of things in life with credit cards. In fact, the amount of money people while students have borrowed to finance education and its relevant accessories is about to blow by $1 trillion and gain momentum to the future. Student loans, long considered a “good debt,” may morph into a bad debt for graduates faced with decades of student loan payments.

Increases in school costs means increases in debt

In 1993, less than half of students earning a bachelor’s degree graduated with student loan debt. That number increased to two-thirds by 2008. In 2009, college graduates left school with an average of $24,000 in student loan debt. The total amount of student loan debt is intended to get to at least $1 trillion this year. It is anticipated to continue to grow rapidly. Republicans in Congress want to cut Pell grants, a form of federal financial aid for lower-income students. The states are starting to cut college and university funding right now. Also, tuition is increases at most of these places which may hurt the current generation of college students quite a bit. The rate of student loan default is growing quite a bit with the student loan debt. Credit damage, as well as burdensome student loan payments for those who do not default will limit the range of opportunities when it comes to purchasing a home or having children. The choice between saving for a child! 217;s education and paying for own school loans might be one that many parents have to make.

Debt that is good

When it comes to debt, student loans have always been considered “good debt,” as opposed to “bad debt” for instance credit cards, auto loans or payday loans. At the end of the recession, debt became bad altogether. It is now considered bad to take any out. However even as the average cost for a four-year private education has reached more than $37,000 a year, according to the College Board, student loans can be good debt if the degree results in a salary that allows the debt to be paid in a reasonable amount of time. Most financial advisers suggest that people do not borrow more than they could make the year after they graduate. That rule of thumb, however, highlights the risk of taking on student loan debt. It isn’t going to be simple to get a job in sociology or history that pays off the loans. There is less of a risk in degrees such as medicine or engineering. More debt has to be taken out with them though.

It is not always safe to take loans

When it comes to good debt versus bad debt, the bottom line these days is simple: all debt is bad if you cannot pay it off. Right now there’s a huge default rate. In just for-profit schools, the rate is almost to 50 percent. The student loans will never go away. Even bankruptcy cannot get rid of them. Any student loans that are guaranteed by the government will be even worse for you. You will end up having tax refunds withheld, Social Security payments docked or even your wages garnished. Anyone who pays the 15 percent of income for 25 years, or 10 years in a public service position, can have that debt forgiven which the Obama administration has done to help those in low paying jobs.

Information from

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/04/12/education/12college.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Creditcards.com

creditcards.com/credit-card-news/does-good-debt-still-exist-1264.php

care 2

care2.com/causes/education/blog/student-debt-for-college-likely-to-exceed-a-trillion-dollars/

Amazon to launch ad-supported Kindle for $114

The traditional writing industry has lost ground to e-readers, tablets and other mobile devices, and Amazon is sitting fairly with its Kindle platform. Once the $114 Kindle with Special Offers ships May 3, Amazon should improve its 60 percent share in the e-reader market. Yet there’s a catch – those Special Offers are advertisements, a move that has many worried about the shape of the reading experience to come.

Putting ads on a kindle; pay less

The price of the Amazon Kindle has fallen a few times since the first generation was introduced at $399 in 2007. In order to try and compete with the iPad in the e-reader market, the ads were put on it this time in the price deduction. The Kindle with Special Offers is slated to ship May 3. Target and Best Buy will sell the ad-supported version of the Kindle 3 in stores at that time.

Founder and CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos state it is a “chicken in every pot” move. Every person will want the Special Offers $114 kindle:

“We’re working hard to make sure that anyone who wants a Kindle can afford one,” he said via a statement.

Reader response to a Christian Science Monitor article about the price cut seems to echo the fears most customers have about an advertisement-based Kindle. With 99 cent books, one reader would be okay as long as the ad based e-kindle was free. The price of books becomes a different issue then. Another reader concurs that a $25 discount isn’t enough to make up for the presence of ads, however one thing experts believe Amazon has done right is to isolate the ads to the Kindle’s screensaver and the bottom of the home screen.

“It’s very important that we didn’t interfere with the reading experience,” Kindle director Jay Marine told the Associated Press.

Price matters

Getting to the $99 Kindle for Christmas 2011 is very important, TechCrunch believes. That is what the $114 Amazon Kindle is leading up to with its Special Features. 99 is a magical number. Most marketing would suggest this.

This is not real anymore though according to research done at the New York Columbia Business School. The Columbia study showed that the “dollar-minus” approach bringing it down to 99 cents was not nearly as effective as bring it up a penny for a “dollar-plus” approach. There was a 3 percent increase in sales of dollar plus method products. This is because they did not seem as manipulative to customers.

Citations

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2011/0413/Will-readers-accept-ads-in-exchange-for-a-cheaper-Kindle

Columbia Business School

gsb.columbia.edu/ideasatwork/researchbriefs/7314376?&top.region=main

Knowing and Making

knowingandmaking.com/2011/04/new-research-99-no-longer-optimal-for.html

TechCrunch

techcrunch.com/2011/04/11/amazon-kindle-99/

Kindle sales tripled after last price drop

youtu.be/PaAFm_fZQ2A

Installment loans are not the reason for poverty

The cure for poverty is employment. Having a job empowers consumers to provide. If it were left up to the Anti-Poverty Coalition of Greater Dallas, some jobs should actually be forfeit in their crusade. The coalition told the Dallas Observer that payday lending jobs must be sacrificed, supposedly in the name of fighting poverty. Source of article – Killing payday lending does not fight poverty by MoneyBlogNewz.

Getting poverty taken care of

Dallas-based non-profit CitySquare’s CEO, Larry James, said that there is a desire to get out of poverty for the coalition:

“The Anti-Poverty Coalition of Greater Dallas is a new coalition that seeks to move 250,000 people out of poverty permanently by 2020 by coordinating efforts to keep people from falling into poverty and increasing pathways out of poverty,” writes James.

'A treadmill of debt’ is there

There’s a reason why the unsecured loan and quick installment loan industry is being attacked. James said that “a treadmill of debt” is created with them helping individuals into poverty. All zoning ordinances would be challenged with legislation like SB 253 and Texas HB 410 that would keep payday lenders out of the credit service organization category. The poor would be much better off with a “strong zoning ordinance to decrease the clustering of payday and auto title lending stores.” This is why the Poverty Coalition of Greater Dallas is attempting to get it put together. Those who are hurt by the so-called payday lending evils, rather than bad personal spending habits and Wall Street, would be much better off. In truth, eliminating payday lenders limits customer choice and costs Texas jobs, both dire consequences in l! ight of the recession-ravaged economy.

Attack should have been played better

Industry experts are worried that more would come if zoning ordinances requiring installment and personal unsecured loan outlets to be at least 1,000 feet apart with ordinances for instance SB 253 and HB 410 that there would turn out to be more. Direct attacks against payday loan lenders for instance demanding an untenable 36 percent Annual Percentage Rate cap have proven unpopular when it comes to battling poverty, as it would shut payday loan lenders down, which means people would lose their jobs.

The zoning attacks do not show everything. The “anti-poverty” coalitions must want something else. Communities without access have a higher poverty level in reality according to extant independent research. The Anti-Poverty Coalition of Greater Dallas and other charitable groups should take the time to review this research before putting all this effort into something that may actually hurt the end goal.

Citations

Dallas Observer

blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/04/new_anti-poverty_coalition_to.php

Payday Pundit

paydaypundit.org/2011/04/12/flawed-plan/

Texas HB 410

capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=82R&Bill=HB410

Texas SB 253

capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=82R&Bill=SB253

Texas Secretary of State

sos.state.tx.us/statdoc/faqs2800.shtml

Jobs fight poverty

youtu.be/w0v7OMt3vio

14 banks required to pay property owners back for bad foreclosures

The financial institutions that wrongfully foreclosed on people in the robosigning scandal have been ordered to pay those people back by the federal government. Those people which were foreclosed on without having deserved it could be compensated. Source for this article – 14 banks ordered to pay homeowners back for bad foreclosures by MoneyBlogNewz.

Largest financial institutions in the nation to pay the price of incompetence

Federal regulators recently reached a settlement with the financial institutions involved in the robosigning scandal, in which foreclosure proceedings were improperly started against property owners because financial institution officers could not be bothered to do their due diligence on the paperwork concerning the state of the homeowners’ personnel loans. Reuters states that the homeowners who were foreclosed upon wrongly will get money. The banks will pay them back. Total, there were 14 businesses. USA Today reports that they’re Ally Financial, Aurora Bank, EverBank, HSBC, Sovereign Bank, SunTrust Banks, MetLife Bank, OneWest Bank, PNC, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Citibank. Loan servicing companies MERSCORP and Lender Processing Services have also been ordered t! o pay back improper foreclosures. Impacted homeowners will likely be contacted by these institutions in the near future to make arrangements.

Determining the total fallout in the future

The numbers of people that need to get paid or the fines that can be placed have not been added together yet. Some government officials have been recommending up to $20 billion in fines be levied against the financial institutions involved. Financial institutions have even more to worry about. This settlement really only has reached the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Office of Thrift Supervision. Every state attorney general nevertheless has settlements pending along with federal agencies.

Costs of mortgages to increase

Banking and real estate insiders are insisting that the new legislation and increased regulatory scrutiny will increase the costs of lending a mortgage to a prospective homeowner. MarketWatch reports that loan officer commission could be dropped due to new Federal Reserve rules. Most institutions are no longer giving out commission based on rates of interest on the mortgages. That means lots of profit could be lost. The Center for Responsible Lending, a consumer advocacy group that has endorsed reform of financial products from mortgages to payday loans, insists that costs to consumers won’t go up, however decreasing revenues are typically passed to customers in the form of increased costs.

Citations

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/04/13/us-financial-regulation-foreclosures-idUSTRE73C3DV20110413?pageNumber=1

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2011-04-13-wrong-foreclosures-repay.htm

MarketWatch

marketwatch.com/story/home-loan-brokers-face-new-limits-on-pay-2011-04-11

Gasoline prices nearing record and energy crisis rumors start

The steady increase in gas prices, which are nearing record highs, has started distant rumblings and rumors of looming energy crisis. The price of gasoline has been rising for weeks, causing ripple effects throughout numerous sectors of the economy. There isn’t likely to be a slowdown in the price hikes, either. Post resource – Energy crisis jitters hit as gas prices approach record high by MoneyBlogNewz.

20 cent increase in gasoline occurs easily

In the past week gasoline prices have increased by 20 cents. Reuters reports that gasoline was $3.57 on March 18, but $3.76 on April 8. The price of gas has increased by nearly $1 in the past year. In July of 2008, gasoline hit a record high at about $4.11. Currently, large cities in the U.S. are averaging more than that. California, according to CBS, has already reached a statewide average of $4.14 per gallon as of April 8.

Gas prices could clip wings of airlines

CNN has reported that jet fuel is increasing also and air travel is impacted. Jet fuel costs go up with the price of petroleum, which recently climbed to $112 per barrel. The bottom line of airline industries was really hurt in 2008 when barrels of fuel topped out at $150 a barrel. Shares of major airlines have started to fall on stock markets due to the increasing cost of oil. On April 8 stock costs for many airlines had dropped; Jet Blue by five percent, UnitedContinental by seven percent, and Delta by four percent. Costs of oil and gasoline aren’t likely to decrease, as analysts do not believe that unrest in the Middle East is subsiding. Airline tickets will only continue to go up as the cost of gasoline continues to go up in tandem.

Slashing other areas of spending

Customers want to do something about the increase in price. Charge card companies, according to Daily Finance, have noted falling gasoline sales for the past five weeks, and 70 percent of the nation’s gas station chains have noticed the same. More economic cars have aided in this decrease of sales at gasoline stations. There has been a 37 percent increase in hybrid vehicles this year, reported by the USA Today. Lower demand is resulting from the increase in prices, which might just keep costs high.

Citations

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/04/11/us-energy-gasoline-retail-idUSTRE73929V20110411

CBS News

cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/10/eveningnews/main20052599.shtml

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/04/08/news/economy/American_Airlines_fuel_crisis/index.htm

Daily Finance

dailyfinance.com/story/drivers-hit-the-brakes-as-gas-prices-rise/19908875/

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/autos/2011-04-06-prius-tops-one-million-in-sales.htm

Rising stocks act out of nature with optimistic careers document

The stock market approved of the numbers released in the Labor Department’s latest jobs report. The acceptance of employees into the midst of companies has been occurring frequently, so much so the economy at large has not seen such a gain of individuals getting up early and going to work and working all day and then going home since the last recession started. In the past, when joblessness is high stocks are too, so the inverse at the moment may seem kind of perverse. Article resource – Rising stocks behave out of character with positive jobs report by MoneyBlogNewz.

Careers and stocks in first quarter go up

The Labor Department reports a drop from February's 9.8 percent joblessness rate to 8.8 percent in March in the U.S. This is the lowest rate in two years. Stocks started to go up due to this. A new high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average happened with a rise of 87 points to 12,406. The 0.7 percent increase means a new 2011 high. There was a rise in the Standard & Poor's 500 as well. It went up 0.8 percent, 10 points, to 1,335. There was a 15 point raise, 0.6 percent, in the Nasdaq composite to 2,796. In February, there was a 194,000 increase in the number of workers on payrolls in the U.S. In March it went up another 216,000. The joblessness rate has been dropping since it was 9.8 percent Nov, the biggest four-month decrease since 1983. In the three months that ended with March, there was the first biggest first-quarter gain with a 5.4 percent increase since 1998 in the U.S.

market and labor relationship

Normally corporations announcing layoffs benefit on Wall Street because investors believe smaller payrolls equal higher profits. When the labor market was hemorrhaging jobs in Jan 2009, the stock market gained. In fact, in the past 60 years the stock market has performed better on average when the United States unemployment rate was higher rather than lower. Each year the joblessness rate was over 6 percent, there were huge increases in the S&P 500, states Ned Davis Research. It would go up 13.5 percent. Joblessness beneath 4.3 percent would mean a smaller increase. On average, the S&P 500 increase would be 2.1 percent. In January 2009 Ed Clissold of Ned Davis Research told MarketWatch that in addition to lower costs and higher profits, traders salivate at high unemployment because it means they will benefit from economic stimulus provided by the federal government. Most traders are able to make a profit quite very easily too. This is because stock costs are im! pacted by unemployment before the information gets out, so traders can do a flip to make money.

All of the traders do not want careers to get better like this

Friday's good labor market news helped stocks increase. More than likely this was because there was not too large of a stock decrease. Strategy for the long term is uncommon among traders. They are more interested in short term gains. Traders think that the Federal Reserve bond purchasing program, QE2, has helped the stock market. There are many traders with fixed-incomes that are worried about the labor markets. They worry that in June the Fed won’t purchase bonds anymore as the QE2 program will end. The good stock might not be great for everyone not involved in Wall Street which has been shown as Americans struggle and Wall Street bonuses increase. If more Americans keep finding work, the markets could change their tune.

Citations

Associated Press

finance.yahoo.com/news/Stocks-rise-after-apf-653435655.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=&ccode=

Market Watch

marketwatch.com/story/bad-news-on-job-front-doesnt-have-to-be-bad-for-stocks

CNN Money

money.cnn.com/2011/03/31/news/economy/thebuzz/index.htm

Work from home and keep away from the rip-offs

Jobs are still hard to come by, making the act of getting by all the more difficult. Work from your home opportunities abounds, however – and most of them do not even involve eBay. Try some of these suggestions on for size. Source for this article – Work-from-home job ideas you can use by MoneyBlogNewz.

Advantages to working from home

Many people pursue gainful employment because they need money to meet their expenses. Workers can work at home 50 percent of the time or telecommute, reports the Telework Research Network. By doing this, they’re able to save more than $750 billion per year between United States workers and employers.

Paying for gas causes a lot of this cost, that is where the huge savings comes from. A 6.2 million increase in man-years would be shown for productivity. The labor would go down $200 billion every year. A decrease in highway maintenance and traffic accidents would be fairly common to see. There would also be less money put into utilities and real estate for companies.

Best work from home option for you

It could be really hard to make a lot of money on eBay, although it is always a choice. This is as the cost of product and shipping needs to be less than the amount getting paid, which is uncommon. Without getting on Craigslist and finding too many scams, there is a lot of work from your home options available to you. Clark Howard points out that, some companies want an upfront fee to pay for an at home job. That is a scam, more than likely. If it is a work from your home idea, try to get one without red tape. Keep in mind that some might charge a background check fee.

Everybody can find a work at home experience

• AlpineAccess.com: AlpineAccess.com will get you to a virtual call center career after you pay a $45 fee for a background check. The positions are consumer service related. This is usually the case.
• ConvergysWorkatHome.com: Convergys can get you, on top of consumer service telephone positions, work from your home opportunities on billing service and human resource areas.
• Elance.com: A fantastic source for freelance talents who like flexibility. Smaller businesses look to Elance for web design, programming, Search Engine Optimization, graphic design and copywriting professionals. You will have to start bidding lower than normal rates at Elance unless you are very experienced since there are so many individuals willing to do it.
• LiveOps.com: Fortune 200 businesses use this for virtual call center agents. LiveOps.com can get you there, provided you pay $175 for a more extensive background check than the standard $50 check gets you. LiveOps.com will require a phone line. It should be a landline that is only there for this reason.

All the frauds work at home can have

Check with the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau websites for advice on how to spot work from home rip-offs. You will conserve lots of time and money this way.

Citations

Better Business Bureau

bbb.org/Alerts/article.asp?ID=436

Clark Howard

clarkhoward.com/news/employment-military/work-home-guide/nFZH/

Dr. Phil

drphil.com/articles/article/494

Federal Trade Commission

ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/invest/workhome.shtm

John Tesh has everything you need to work from home

youtube.com/watch?v=RLSvN6f-nvw

Ponzi scheme by Utah payday cash loans provider shutdown by Feds

Two online pay day loans lending businesses and the owner of both businesses have all been named in a SEC lawsuit in Federal Court, alleging fraud. The man at the center of the suit, John Scott Clark, is named in the suit for having allegedly run a multimillion dollar Ponzi scheme using the two companies he owned. Clark is alleged to have stolen $47 million from more than 120 investors.

New fraud suit against online lending companies

The owner of two companies involved in lending payday loans online has been sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission for running a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. The Securities and Exchange Commission sued John Scott Clark, of Cache County, Utah, for defrauding more than 120 investors over a period of five years in return for investing capital into two companies that he owned, Impact Cash LLC and Impact Payment Systems LLC, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. An average return of 80 percent was promised to investors which supposedly would come from reliable customers that are getting pay day loans with the cash, Clark said. From March 2006 to September 2010, Clark recruited investors and got over $47 million, reports the Credit Union Times, in investment.

Purchasing Mercedes with Clark's investor funds

Clark would gain the confidence of investors and allegedly use new investment funds to pay dividends to initial investors and fund his lifestyle, according to Deseret News. A 1963 Chevrolet Corvette and three Mercedes-Benz vehicles were purchased by Clark during this period. He also purchased several home furnishings including a $25,000 theater system. Clark refused to give investors their money when they started to get suspicious in 2009 that something was wrong. Clark got a lawsuit with five Securities Act violations by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Impact businesses were put into receivership and were frozen by a Federal judge.

One ruins it for all

A lot of people have a bad connotation of online payday lenders. They’re considered evil. That is far from the case, but transactions that are completed fairly and honestly don’t go widely reported. The individuals you give money to have to be trusted. Be careful about it. There’s a reason why the Better business Bureau and other companies are around. An informed customer will always be in a position to make a better decision, and something that sounds too good to be true typically is.

Citations

Salt Lake Tribune

sltrib.com/sltrib/money/51503972-79/investors-clark-complaint-payday.html.csp

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110328-710072.html

Deseret News

deseretnews.com/article/705369480/Cache-County-man-allegedly-bilked-investors-of-millions-to-feed-lavish-lifestyle.html

Credit Union Times

cutimes.com/2011/03/28/sec-halts-47-million-payday-loan-ponzi

Deciphering the information on home sales and consumer spending

More individuals signed home buying contracts in February, however not in the numbers needed to compensate for a large January decline. Inflation driven by rising food and energy prices canceled out a reported increase in February consumer spending. Stocks rose on optimism regarding the new information on consumer spending and pending home sales, while some analysts are becoming optimistic about the housing market as well.

Inflation and consumer spending

The Commerce Department reports a rise from January to February in consumer spending. It went up 0.7 percent. This is the eighth month in a row where Consumer spending has gone up. Nevertheless, February's increase is matched to January's when adjusted to inflation to equal 0.3 percent. There was a food and energy price increase in February. This caused inflation. After rising 0.3 percent in January, the Commerce Department said the personal consumption expenditures price index rose 0.4 percent, the fastest rate recorded since June 2009. The increase in the consumption expenditures price index effectively canceled out February’s 0.3 percent increase in personal income. Households have also been dipping into savings to cover increasing food and energy prices. Savings dropped from $710.5 billion in January to $676.7 billion in February.

Have a look at economy depending on pending home sales

Pending home re-sales increased 2.1 percent in February after dropping 2.8 percent in January, in accordance with the National Association of Realtors. There was a drop from February 2010 though. It totaled a 9.3 percent drop. Pending home sales represent signed contracts. They are an economic indicator for this very reason. It’s only a few months’ later when the number affects existing homes sales data. This is after the contract is complete. There was a 9.6 percent decrease in February in existing home sales which accounts for 95 percent of today's market. There was a 5.2 percent decrease from February 2010 in existing home prices which stops all increases since February 2002 in home values. The lowest recorded rate in new home sales occurred in February also. There was a 17 percent decrease in these sales. The median price for new homes dropped 8.9 percent from February 2010.

Is it going to get any lower

The prices of a home continue to fall which causes the National Association of Realtors to suspect that there could be a rise in existing home sales in 2011. This increase may be 5 to 10 percent even. You will find not very several people willing to purchase homes right now. This is regardless of the belief that it should be an investment individuals are willing to make considering how cheap the homes are. Renting a home costs more currently than it would to pay mortgages and homeownership costs in many markets, suggests Deutche Bank. In fact, 28 of the 54 major markets are this way. Owning a home is becoming a luxury many can start to better afford. Analysts feel like this should attract more buyers soon. The re-emergence of homebuyers could start raising housing costs in several markets, which could get even more homebuyers off the fence.

Citations

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-28/pending-sales-of-u-s-existing-homes-unexpectedly-climbed-2-1-in-february.html

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/03/29/business/economy/29econ.html?src=busln

Fortune

finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/03/28/real-estate-its-time-to-buy-again/

Tim Pawlenty ends program to make mortgages Sharia-compliant

Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota, has ended a program he once encouraged. The program was meant to increase home ownership among minority groups. The mortgage program was shut down by the Governor after providing three mortgages. The mortgage program offered Shairia compliant loans that did not charge interest. Pawlenty cited constitutional religious protections when shutting down this program. Article source – Sharia-compliant mortgage program in Minnesota ends by MoneyBlogNewz.

Mortgages in Minnesota without interest

A loan program was developed for Sharia law for low- to moderate-income families by Minnesota's state housing agency and the African Development Center in 2010. The mortgages are called both "Islamic mortgages" and "Sharia mortgages." It is against their religion to pay interest which the borrower doesn't have to do with the program. The home would be purchased by the state. Then, the state would sell the home to the individuals at a higher rate than it was purchased. The payments are the very same as a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, however the payments don’t contain interest to the bank. There was a larger program that this program came from. This larger program wanted to increase home ownership among minority groups.

Governor Pawlenty shuts down Sharia loans

The Sharia loan program was one Governor Pawlenty found out about. He ordered that it stop right away. This decision had several asking questions. Pawlenty's spokesperson said:

“This program was independently set up by the Minnesota state housing agency and did not make any mention of Sharia Law on its face, but was later described as accommodating it,” he wrote in an email. “As soon as Gov. Pawlenty became aware of the issue, he personally ordered it shut it down. The United States should be governed by the U.S. Constitution, not religious laws.”

The way a government uses tax dollars is one the government gets to choose. These Sharia compliant financial products aren't outlawed. That isn’t what the government was attempting to do. State supported programs that support it are not allowed though.

Sharia law

When it comes to conflicts between Muslims, a recent Florida court judge ruled that Sharia law could be used for disputes. This decision has raised concern for many lawmakers. The Sharia law is one that several states are considering banning. Some people against this support of the law feel like the "silent jihad" makes its way into the U.S. through this. The reality is, however, the U.S. recognizes Christian, Jewish, Sharia and other religious laws as long as the laws don’t violate standing state and federal law. Sharia, along with other religious law, isn't against the Constitution when it comes to obeying it. As long as the religion isn't being imposed on somebody, it’s fine. Even Pawlenty admit this. He said, "The Constitution was designed to protect people of faith from government, not to protect government from people of faith." In the case of the Sharia-compliant mortgages, it appears that Pawlenty doesn’t want his state taxpayer do! llars used to offer home ownership to religiously compliant Islamic residents.

Articles cited

Swamp Land

swampland.blogs.time.com/2011/03/25/is-there-a-double-standard-in-tim-pawlentys-disavowal-of-sharia-compliant-mortgages/

Minnesota Public Radio

minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/02/28/islamicfinancing/?refid=0

Dismal demand and worse sales can't keep rates on mortgages from increasing

mortgage rates are still rising nationwide, in spite of demand and sales dropping through the floor. Rates of interest on major mortgage products have been increasing steadily for the past few months, though the rates are still near record lows. The ongoing foreclosure controversy, as well as other factors, is keeping the real estate market from fully recovering. Article resource – Mortgage rates rise despite crippled demand for housing by MoneyBlogNewz.

Demand not there for inexpensive housing

Even some of the cheapest real estate on record can’t seem to boost sales. Recent housing data revealed new home sales and existing home sales fell during Feb.. Interest rates on mortgage rates are climbing since hitting near-record lows in the fall of 2010, according to USA Today. The nationwide average rate on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages reached 4.81 percent on Thursday, March 24, an increase of 0.05 percent in a week. About 4.04 is the average 15-year fixed rate mortgage. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage was at 4.17 percent in November 2010 while the 15 year hit 3.97 percent.

Issues with foreclosure legality continue

The foreclosure legal problem is nevertheless there. This "robo-signing" is one individual’s are nevertheless concerned about. The same day loans were being handed out by mortgage loan providers which were attempting to rush foreclosure paperwork. All 50 state attorneys general and many agencies part of the federal government looked into this with investigation. Banks and mortgage lenders involved in the scandal are still struggling to secure a settlement with the states and the federal government, and some government agencies are seeking to create their own settlement to bypass the process, according to Reuters.

Not a good future for real estate

A settlement will eventually be reached starting thousands of foreclosures and home evictions. many have simply been waiting for the settlement to occur. Evicting thousands of people will likely boost the payday advances industry as former homeowners scramble for money to cover moving expenditures. The banking industry may end up paying tens of billions due to the foreclosure issues no matter what the settlements or fines turn out to be, reports Fortune. Everyone who can get access to the credit to buy a home will benefit from doing so sooner rather than later. Demand and sales are very low, and fewer new homes are being built. The foreclosure mess has only made things worse, and the housing industry isn't going to recuperate until prospective buyers are able to buy homes again.

Articles cited

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2011-03-24-mortgage-rates.htm

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/03/24/us-usa-foreclosures-occ-idUSTRE72N5H020110324?pageNumber=1

Fortune

finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/03/24/foreclosure-vote-could-rock-the-banks/

Excessive tax evasion scenarios outlined in Internal Revenue Service report

If you think you’ve a clever tax avoidance claim, chances are the IRS has heard it before. Every year more people use frivolous arguments to get out of paying their taxes. The IRS puts out an annual report of the latest and greatest scenarios. Certain arguments the IRS considers frivolous may draw a chuckle, however they will even draw a heavy fine.

Tax cheating never good to do

The Truth about Frivolous Tax Arguments is an annual report the IRS has just released for 2011. Probably the most popular tax evasion scenarios were put in the 87 page document. The document also involves the official legal policies the government has used to get frivolous tax arguments rejected by courts, as well as the penalties and sanctions levied against would-be tax cheats as a result. There are several scam artists that are using arguments spread on the internet refusing to pay taxes for reasons that are religious, moral, philosophical and semantic.

The cost of frivolous tax arguments

You will find a lot of people that say they aren't a "person" as the IRS defines it in their argument. Others have argued that the federal income tax is unconstitutional or that paying taxes is voluntary. Foreign income is taxable for military members occasionally. Some military members do not have to pay on income. At least 10,000 individuals try to stay away from paying taxes yearly. There is a $5,000 IRS penalty to anybody that files a frivolous tax return argument. Sometimes taxpayers will go to court with it. This means a $25,000 IRS penalty. There have been many injunctions filed by the Department of Justice for these tax arguments. Since 2000, there have been 455 corporations and individuals filed against.

Never seeing courts rule in favor of tax arguers

There have been claims that paying taxes violates the fifth amendment, that it is against ones religion or that it is against the 13th amendment, the IRS explained. Courts do not like the "paying taxes is against my religion" argument. It never wins. According to the fifth amendment, a person won't be "deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” But the law gives the government authority to collect taxes from United States citizens. Courts don't think the idea that paying taxes is servitude is really a valid argument when using the 13th Amendment.

Information from

Main Street

mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/taxes/tax-excuses-irs-won-t-buy?page=2

Portfolio.com

portfolio.com/views/blogs/resources/2011/03/21/irs-warns-taxpayers-about-excuses-for-not-paying-that-won

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/Business/2010/0415/Tax-Day-101-42-excuses-you-can-t-use-to-avoid-filing-IRS-forms

Price of homeownership wondered by skeptics

Owning a home is a large part of the "American Dream." It’s designed to be a fantastic booster to the financial security of the family unit, or at least that is what many individuals are certainly told. However, there are an increasing quantity of people who assert that buying a home is actually a lousy expense, and the charge comes from individuals who really know what they are talking about. There is some evidence that could support home-ownership skeptics' argument.

Housing costs may not perform that well as assets

The popular belief that homes are a good investment when owned is something finance industry experts are starting to questions, USA Today states. A book on home values from 1890 to 1990 was written by Case-Shiller Index co-founder and Yale economist Robert Shiller in 2000. The real value of a home did not really move. The real value stayed the same. Stocks on the Standard & Poor's index would get an 11 percent return typically while real estate only had a 6 percent return, in accordance with former Federal Reserve economist Jack Francis. Not very many individuals are getting any profit out of their homes considering the change in real estate values in the past few years.

Prices going down and bringing equity with them

Home prices have gone down continuously since 2008. They have not stopped this drop yet. Reuters states that in February 2011, home sales and prices went down. Existing home sales dropped four percent during Feb. 2011, and home costs dropped 5.2 percent between Feb. 2010 and Feb. 2011. The amount of equity in a home is a statistic that isn't looked at very often, but is even worse. In the most recent “Flow of Funds Accounts of the United States” release by the Federal Reserve, the average household was estimated to hold 39.5 percent equity in the family home as of Sept 2010.

Need to try a new model

A home paying off as an expense depends on a lot of assumptions that cannot necessarily be taken for granted. After getting a 15 or 30 year fixed rate mortgage on a home, it can be paid off and then become a way to retire when selling the home. This doesn't happen very often though considering most families have to move a lot. The profit could be nullified if a home sells for more than it was purchased for. The costs to get the home and sell it also add up. This will contain closing costs, real estate agent fees, property taxes and even home repairs. A mortgage that has been defaulted on will mean a loan lender can reposes the home. A foreclosure can also occur. It’s much better to invest in stocks, bonds and mutual funds. They could be sold for money much easier.

Citations

USA Today

usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2011-03-20-home-ownership.htm

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/03/21/us-usa-economy-housing-idUSTRE72F3XG20110321

Federal Reserve

federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/Current/z1r-5.pdf

Federal Reserve

federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/current/default.htm

Applications boom for mortgage modifications due to low rates

Mortgage applications have risen over the past month, largely thanks to more people applying for mortgage modification. The time is nigh for a good refinancing, as home loan rates are near record lows. Sales of homes increased as well. However, the sales increases have been far more modest, as few people are confident enough to purchase homes with falling values.

Low interest rates fuel spike in home loan activity

Bloomberg states that home loan activity has gone up due to the low interest rates. Mortgage applications rose by 15.5 percent during the week that ended March 4, which is the largest increase in mortgage activity since June 11 of 2010. Home loan applications dropped 6.5 percent during the exact same week in 2010. About 65.5 percent of the mortgage applications were for mortgage modifications though. That is up from the week before when it was 64.9 percent. The purchase index went up 12.5 percent in one week also even though the Mortgage Bankers Association doesn't make a differentiation in the existing and new home applications. Existing homes account for most home sales. Currently 90 percent of home sales were already existing homes.

home costs nevertheless drop

Since the peak in 2006, home prices have gone down 31 percent while several expect a double dip to occur. One of the leading proponents of the idea that a double dip is pending is Robert Shiller, co-founder of the Case-Shiller Index, according to CNN. Shiller believes home costs will continue to fall, and the truth that home sales dropped during Jan. 2011 certainly means it is feasible. Getting the lower prices is something most middle class Americans may not be able to do. The standards for financing may soon change.

Freddie and Fannie might take 30 year home loan with them

There has been concern shown in the government lately. It wants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac out. Freddie and Fannie create capital for loan providers by purchasing mortgages and selling them to investors, keeping the home loan industry flush with money for new loans. Should the home loan houses be done away with, the 30-year fixed home loan might go with them, according to the NY Times. It is very risky to lend a 30 year loan with fixed interest since the future can hold many things. Usually individuals will not stay in a home for 30 years. That means the loan will not get paid off. Adjustable rate mortgages may become more normal in the next decade or 2 because lenders will want to be able to change the interest. Bigger down payments and higher rates of interest will most likely take place. This is just part of the changing industry.

Information from

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-09/mortgage-applications-in-u-s-rise-16-biggest-gain-since-june.html

Mortgage Bankers Association

mbaa.org/NewsandMedia/PressCenter/75923.htm

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/03/03/real_estate/housing_buy_or_not/index.htm

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/03/04/business/04housing.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Android selling far more smartphones than Research in Motion

In the war for supremacy in the market for smartphones, the Android operating system has finally toppled Research in Motion and the Blackberry line. RIM and the Blackberry line were the best supplying smartphone for some time, but after Google’s wildly popular Android line was launched, it quickly began outpacing Microsoft, Apple and now the RIM line in short order. You will find far more than 170 Android devices. Resource for this article – Android selling more smartphones than Research in Motion by MoneyBlogNewz.

Customers not needing Blackberry as much

CNN states the Blackberry mobile phones that Research in Motion created were selling the best for smartphones for a while. The Google based Android platform has surpassed Research in Motion in sales after steadily outpacing all other domestic competition and safely pulling into the lead with far more than 31 percent of product sales. The first phone using the Android OS was the HTC G1, which was released in Nov. 2009 and carried exclusively by T-Mobile. Since the Android came out, it has been growing continuously although it only had a 7 percent industry share for smartphones last year. Over 170 types of phones and tablet computers are using the Android OS now.

Old cell phones might not last long

Of the four popular smartphone platforms in the U.S., the only one that has continuously grown market share is Android. Between February 2010 and January 2011, Research and Motion's smartphone product sales have gone down with Research in Motion from 42 percent of the sector share to 30.4 percent. Windows cell phones have been regularly on the decline, and now make up less than 10 percent of the smartphone industry. The iPhone has been good for Apple, but not good enough. It has stayed at a constant for the market share. An estimated 350,000 new Android devices are activated daily. A larger share of the sector was held by Symbian OS from Nokia than form Android until late 2010. This was when the Android product sales came up and Symbian OS product sales went down.

Chances of Android Nokia phone

Just about every phone business makes an Android phone, as Google licenses it for free, and adapting it’s fairly simple for any developer, but Nokia isn’t really having it, in accordance with the Los Angeles Times. It was recently announced that Nokia is preparing to revamp its offerings by partnering with Microsoft and installing Windows Mobile on Nokia phones. Both businesses may be okay with the deal considering Nokia is getting $1 billion from Microsoft so it can put Windows Phone 7 on Nokia devices.

Information from

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/03/07/technology/android/index.htm

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/03/Microsoft-reportedly-paying-nokia-more-than-1-billion-to-use-windows-phone-os.html

US earnings: thirty-five % welfare, claims research

Here’s something that may not surprise you: 35 % of complete U.S. salary are actually government payouts, like Social Security, Medicare and welfare. This is in accordance with stats from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This has shocked quite a few economists. CNBC Fast Money Executive Producer John Melloy suggests that this record figure will continue to expand as the majority of the Baby Boom generations retire.

United States wage figures

The U.S. salary survey, which was conducted by TrimTabs Investment Research, indicated that the percentage of wages has grown considerably, even since 2000. In 2000, about 21 % of salary came from government aid which has changed last year to thirty-five %. It was only at 10 % in 1960. The welfare salary is at 44 percent in the U.K. though meaning it isn't that bad.

TrimTabs' Director of Macroeconomic Research, Madeline Schnapp, said that there needs to be less of dependence in the U.S. on the government.

"The U.S. economy has become alarmingly dependent on government stimulus," she said. "Consumption supported by wages and salaries is a much stronger foundation for economic growth than consumption based on social welfare benefits."

Increasing wages by thirty-five % (from $6.5 trillion to $8.8 trillion) or a 23 % cut to social welfare payouts (tumbling down 23 % to $1.7 trillion) are the best options accessible, according to Schnapp. Considering that the federal government is already stringing together short-term, shoestring measures to avert a government shutdown, experts believe only a significant compromise will turn the tide for United States salaries versus social welfare services.

Social Security approval in United States

A decision needs to be made easily for the U.S. government. This is because bankruptcy may take place otherwise. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed the option of reducing Social Security and Medicare isn’t very popular. Much of the age groups checked "unacceptable" in reducing Social Security. This would be a drastic reduction. Even the tea party members checked this box even though typically tea party supporters don't believe in large government. There were 67 of these individuals.

Two choice measures were supported by the poll participants who included 60 percent of votes for cutting Social Security and Medicare repayments to anybody in the United States that has a higher income and increasing retirement age by 2075 to 69. Age 66 is when retirement benefits entirely are in. The age is not scheduled to increase until 2027, and then it can be 67.

Getting the recession back to life

The recession that set in during 2008 hit the United States hard. Thus, it comes as little surprise that welfare payments increased by a mind-boggling $514 billion since then, states TrimTabs. A recovery in the near future is unlikely. The United States housing industry nevertheless needs to shape up. Thus, a cure for the 35 percent welfare salary percentage may still be far away.

Citations

CNBC

cnbc.com/id/41969508

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704728004576176741120691736.html

For those who can’t afford to work

youtube.com/watch?v=KqdsfPMKnyg

Mortgages are low cost loans because of low interest rates

People who can get the financing can benefit from low interest rates on home loans by getting inexpensive loans. Rates for 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed and five-year adjustable mortgage loans are beginning to slip again after housing data indicates growth has stalled in real estate. However, many see doom and gloom on the horizon. Analysts think a double dip in housing is soon to occur.

Getting a house means a steal

The demand for housing is going down still meaning market rates for home loans are going down. Buyers who are eligible may be able to get some seriously inexpensive loans. The five-year adjustable rate mortgage, ARM, went from 3.80 percent down to 3.72 percent. MSNBC reports that arms are as low as they will get. The five year ARMS have really gone up from Feb. when they were at 3.23 percent. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage hit 4.87 percent, more than the rate observed in November, when 30-year fixed mortgage loans hit a 40-year low of 4.17 percent. Currently, 4.15 percent is what a 15 year fixed mortgage costs.

Possibly even double dip

It is possible that a double dip might take place for the housing market. CNN states the possibilities of this happening. Purchasing a house will always cost more than a cash advance can give. Nevertheless, the housing market may get even worse hurting the real estate industry more than ever. The house costs might end up "falling another 15, 20 or 25 percent," according to Robert Schiller. Shiller co-founded the Case-Shiller Index. Since the 2008 crash, housing prices are at the lowest rate ever. It doesn't seem extremely hard for a double dip to occur. If it were to happen, it could mean further bad news for an already shaky economy. Since states rely partially on property taxes, lower values mean lower revenues and that would lead to more states having serious spending budget woes.

Why you need to rent

Since the latest recession started in the housing industry, it has called into question whether it is better to rent or purchase. If an individual buys a house when the value is down and pays it back when the value is high, then it could be worth it to buy a home. When putting in lots of equity or having paid off the mortgage, it is even a better investment. However, renters pay no property taxes and have to do little, if any, maintenance. Granted renting means; having to part with more instant cash each month than a homeowner.

Citations

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/38770102/ns/business-real_estate/

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/03/03/real_estate/housing_buy_or_not/index.htm

Work at home businesses shut down by Federal Trade Commission

More than 90 businesses have been summarily closed by the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers lost millions, perhaps billions of dollars to businesses that defrauded them. Unemployed individuals were often targeted by these businesses. The companies offered work-at-home information and classes, promising thousands of dollars of income in just months. Resource for this article – Federal Trade Commission shuts down work-from-home companies by MoneyBlogNewz.

Concentrating on work from home businesses

The Federal Trade Commission worked with the DOJ to send out to United States work-at-home companies, notices of frozen assets. Due to the Operation Empty promises, these shutdowns along with criminal counts being filed both locally and on the state level have been integrated in an enforcement effort. The businesses supposedly tricked customers into doing work for a profit at home. There were many companies closed. The largest are:

• Ivy Capital
• Darling Angel Pin Creations Inc.
• Global U.S. Resources
• U.S. Work Alliance Inc.
• Preferred Platinum Services Network
• Abili-Staff Ltd.
• Entertainment Work Inc.
• La Asociacion Nacional de Trabajo

How much business fraud can cost a business

Lots of money has been lost by many individuals that have been a part of these fake companies. Classes were offered on "how to start your own business" through these businesses in calls from telemarketers. Usually between $2,000 and $30,000 was paid for these webinars. The telemarketers were responsible for finding out what the credit limit was for charge cards on the account of the cardholder and would charge around there. The majority of the companies did not respond when funds were requested. If they did respond, it was with a few hundred dollars only. About $40 million was earned by targeted business Ivy Capital because of this.

Hitting unemployed with this

By targeting unemployed individuals, these companies are making a bad situation worse. Even though the unemployment rate in the United States is going down, it is not going down easily. The "real" income is going down, even with a rise in jobs, since most people are taking jobst that pay less than they were making. The social service that is losing funding is having a harder time with this jobless recovery. The corporations are definitely being closed. Still, any victims will not be paid compensation more than likely.

Information from

Los Angeles Times

latimes.com/business/la-fi-ftc-scams-20110303,0,4514894.story

PC World

pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/221170/ftc_DOJ_crack_down_on_moneymaking_schemes.html

Jobs statement for Feb. indicates joblessness declining

The February jobs report, recently issued by the Labor Department, shows that joblessness dropped since the January statement, but the decline was compellingly slight. Joblessness dropped 0.1 percent since January, finishing at the end of February at 8.9 percent nationwide. It is the 3rd month in a row that unemployment has reduced.

Job creation up

The Department of Labor released the February jobs statement. It showed that there was, in February, a small increase in jobs. The unemployment rate reduced by a paltry 0.1 %, from 9 % in January to 8.9 % in February, in accordance with CNN. There were more jobs included to the industry improving quite a bit from Jan. About 192,000 jobs were included. The weather going on in Jan led to fewer jobs being included to the economy. Only 63,000 much more jobs were added in that month. Besides an increase in hiring once the snow relented, December and January jobs reports were revised by the Labor Department to reflect that 50,000 brand new hires had gone previously unreported.

Decreasing joblessness shown for a 3rd sequential month

The decrease in the joblessness pace this month was really nice. It was the third month in a row that it has happened. The rate of joblessness has waxed and waned for the past several years, and there have been declines noted all along the way, however the unemployment pace declined almost an entire percentage point from Dec. to February, marking significant progress. Now the joblessness claims have gotten to a three year low down to 368,000. More than 9 million individuals are claiming unemployment benefits, according to Forbes. In the next few months, increasing gas prices will probably trigger some troubles even though initially the Federal Reserve planned on having a 3.5 to 4 % growth in the economy in 2011.

Difficulties seen with government spending reductions

CBS reports that reducing the federal budget is a goal that many Republicans have in mind although economists are worried that might hurt the unemployment rate some more. Mark Zandi, the chief economist for Moody’s Analytics, predicted the House Republican plan to cut $61 billion from the federal spending budget could result in more than 700,000 people losing their jobs. This projection was mirrored fairly closely by Goldman Sachs. You should bear in mind Zandi claimed the stimulus spending would allow unemployment to stay under 8 % while being one of probably the most supportive people of the stimulus packages.

Information from

CNN

cnn.com/2011/03/04/news/economy/february_jobs_report/

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/03/february-unemployment-jobs-economy-recovery-obama.html

Forbes

blogs.forbes.com/heatherstruck/2011/03/04/jobs-report-at-high-end-of-expectations-unemployment-drops-to-8-9/

CBS News

cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20037435-503544.html