By Tamara Marie
When our economy took a nose-dive, so did my pocketbook, and my stable life.
In 2010, the catering business I worked for was no longer getting the usual amount of business we had experienced in the past. Week after week, month after month, my hours were continually cut to the point where I was barely working part-time. I was having a hard time paying my bills and started looking for another job or even another part-time job to help sustain me during this (what I thought was temporary) time. It finally came to the point that my employer took me off the schedule and told me she didn’t know when she would be putting me back on it.
Seeing as how I was already just scraping by, and didn’t have much left in the bank, my mom talked me into moving back home. I wound up packing up a small U-Haul and moving 1000 miles, back home to Mom’s. If that wasn’t bad enough, when I reached my destination, my poor tires on my truck were so worn from hauling the U-Haul, they were nearly bald. I had enough money to pay a couple months rent, buy some food and hoped I would find a new job very soon.
As luck would have (or maybe not), I got a job interview a few days later. As I was on my way to the interview, all of a sudden I heard a big boom, my truck swerved, and I knew I had blown a tire. I never made it to the interview. I had to call my insurance company for emergency road service and a nice man came out and changed the blown out tire for my good spare.
I had about $100 left in my pocket at the time and this is where the dilemma began.
I needed to pay my truck insurance for the month, pay for new license plate tags since I had moved from a different state and the tags were expiring that month, get a new drivers license for this state and now a new tire for the truck because the one that just blew out was trashed.
Now, I knew I couldn’t do all that with just $100. Should I buy the new tire and then not have enough money to get the tags and license or pay the insurance that month, in which case my insurance would be cancelled and the tags would be expired. Should I pay the insurance, but then I still wouldn’t have a new tire to put on the truck or the money to pay for the new tags and license, so wouldn’t be able to drive the truck any way. Should I get the new tags and license, but again wouldn’t have the insurance or the new tire, and still wouldn’t be able to drive the truck.
Talk about wanting to find a hole and crawl in! It seemed like such a circle jerk and it reminded me of the old story – which came first, the chicken or the egg.
Luckily, I have a great sister who came to my rescue and loaned me the money to get a new tire. I used my $100 to pay the insurance and get the new tags. I still haven’t made it down to get the new driver’s license and hope I don’t get stopped between now and then, but I still have a valid driver’s license. It hasn’t expired yet.
Times are tough, so I guess I have to get tough too.
Get your money when you need it
Everyone knows over time, money loses value
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Press Release: Sovereign Funding Launches New Website
By Kathryn Sias
We've been in business over 15 years. Sovereign Funding has always had a rocking website. Having a facelift every now and again is a good thing. In the world, where the web is always growing, the more spectacular the audience, so shall the website be.
Sovereign Funding is proud of it's brand, it's way of doing business. The new website reflects how well we do to obtain and retain business, getting referrals from satisfied customers, knowing that we truly do give the best quote on the sale of your structured settlements and annuities.
As of midnight, tonight, 8/20/2011 the old site is still visible. In just a few short days you will see a website with a modern flair, and a cool photo blog with sophisticated conversations, articles, and posts, helping everyone understand just what a structured settlement or annuity is, who qualifies to sell a structured settlement, how quickly it can be done, and how soon you will get your money in one lump sum.
Along with the new website we have a new vanity phone number, 1855 E GO CASH so that you never have to try to remember our number again, and can pass it along to someone you know who has a structured settlement and needs cash today!
David Springer, owner of Sovereign Funding will also be hosting live webcasts onsite, via UStream.com These broadcast will run live straight from the website. We welcome everyone with questions to come into the live broadcast area to chat and ask questions directly to the owner himself.
For all our current clients, we thank you for your years of loyal support. We're now in a position where we can offer our new clients more than ever. Not only do we give you the best quote for a buy out on your structured settlements and annuities, but we can offer you smart blogs, teaching you how to use your money to make it grow. I'll bet you can't wait until Monday!
Monday, August 08, 2011
What Becomes of the Poor, Elderly and Disabled
By Lady Worth
Recently the United States government began to debate the National Debt and whether or not to raise the debt ceiling. It was at this time the question arose in my mind. What becomes of the poor, elderly and disabled. Were they going to be weeded out like some kind of bad livestock? Were they going to be left to fend totally for themselves? What will become of the poor, elderly and disabled?
While these questions were coming to my mind, I thought of the homeless people that we have already on our streets. I live in a very rural area in Missouri and just recently I have been seeing more and more people who are homeless.
It's rare for this area. Generally around here, families take care of their own. However, with the state of economy the way it is these days, families are barely taking care of their own little units, let alone taking in someone else to take care of.
Left with no choice, family members are forced, as a means of survival for themselves, to turn their backs on other family members and friends.
I suspect that this is not something that most people in this area are fond of. So why is our government so effectively ignoring this problem while they make thier decisions about budget cuts?
There are also the poor. Such a disgusting term for those who struggle just to make ends meet. Many of these people live from paycheck to paycheck.
They may also live with the aid of food stamps or some type of government assistance. They may be the ones who question how each and every bill is going to be paid. But the fact is that many of these people feel beaten down and really can't afford any other means of surviving.
What are they going to do? What becomes of the poor, elderly and disabled?
Some of them may actually cheat the system just to survive. A bill has to be paid so they work for cash just to make a few extra bucks. God forbid that Johnny may need braces. Even with the help of Medicade, there is still not going to be enough resources in that house to make sure he gets them. If the electric bill gets too high in the winter-time, they better know a rich relative or that bill isnt going to be paid in full.
Now the elderly. How can we as a society be so cruel to our elderly who have raised their children and paid their dues so to speak? Most are forced to live off of Social Security and SSI which in most cases does not pay enough even to meet those monthly expenses of living or the doctor's bills.
If they are lucky they might have a small retirement check from wherever they worked, and do notice that I did type small. We all hear the stories of the old man or woman going to the store to buy cat food and you know they dont have a cat. Cat food might taste pretty good.
Would we hear those stories if we were actually taking care of them as we should?
And the medical expenses...yes, they may have medicare, but that only pays 80% of a hospital bill. Come on, have you been hospitalized lately? Even 20% of a medical bill can chew up and spit out a Social Security check like it is nothing. Then the government is talking about more Medicare cuts. Hmmm.
Then the disabled people who are out there are in a very precarious position. Some of these people did work for the time before something happened to thier health. Others were born with disabilities. None of these people asked for thier health issues. Many of those who did work before hand would prefer to be working again. They like the idea of being independant. Yet, they are being forced to live off of government assistance. Some source of real independance wouldnt you say?
Here I have to wonder what kind of common sence our government is using. They want to make cuts to medicare and all other kinds of assistance that these people are living off of. So what is going to happen to them? Well lets see.....common sence tells us that the poor get poorer and maybe will become another case of homeless. And then there are the elderly......are they going to become homeless also?
And for the disabled and others who are in nursing homes.......are they also going to be homeless? It seems to this writer that maybe we should take the millions and trillions that we send to other countries for thier disasters and apply it here at home. So I repeat the question: What will become of our Poor, Elderly and Disabled?
Recently the United States government began to debate the National Debt and whether or not to raise the debt ceiling. It was at this time the question arose in my mind. What becomes of the poor, elderly and disabled. Were they going to be weeded out like some kind of bad livestock? Were they going to be left to fend totally for themselves? What will become of the poor, elderly and disabled?
While these questions were coming to my mind, I thought of the homeless people that we have already on our streets. I live in a very rural area in Missouri and just recently I have been seeing more and more people who are homeless.
It's rare for this area. Generally around here, families take care of their own. However, with the state of economy the way it is these days, families are barely taking care of their own little units, let alone taking in someone else to take care of.
Left with no choice, family members are forced, as a means of survival for themselves, to turn their backs on other family members and friends.
I suspect that this is not something that most people in this area are fond of. So why is our government so effectively ignoring this problem while they make thier decisions about budget cuts?
There are also the poor. Such a disgusting term for those who struggle just to make ends meet. Many of these people live from paycheck to paycheck.
They may also live with the aid of food stamps or some type of government assistance. They may be the ones who question how each and every bill is going to be paid. But the fact is that many of these people feel beaten down and really can't afford any other means of surviving.
What are they going to do? What becomes of the poor, elderly and disabled?
Some of them may actually cheat the system just to survive. A bill has to be paid so they work for cash just to make a few extra bucks. God forbid that Johnny may need braces. Even with the help of Medicade, there is still not going to be enough resources in that house to make sure he gets them. If the electric bill gets too high in the winter-time, they better know a rich relative or that bill isnt going to be paid in full.
Now the elderly. How can we as a society be so cruel to our elderly who have raised their children and paid their dues so to speak? Most are forced to live off of Social Security and SSI which in most cases does not pay enough even to meet those monthly expenses of living or the doctor's bills.
If they are lucky they might have a small retirement check from wherever they worked, and do notice that I did type small. We all hear the stories of the old man or woman going to the store to buy cat food and you know they dont have a cat. Cat food might taste pretty good.
Would we hear those stories if we were actually taking care of them as we should?
And the medical expenses...yes, they may have medicare, but that only pays 80% of a hospital bill. Come on, have you been hospitalized lately? Even 20% of a medical bill can chew up and spit out a Social Security check like it is nothing. Then the government is talking about more Medicare cuts. Hmmm.
Then the disabled people who are out there are in a very precarious position. Some of these people did work for the time before something happened to thier health. Others were born with disabilities. None of these people asked for thier health issues. Many of those who did work before hand would prefer to be working again. They like the idea of being independant. Yet, they are being forced to live off of government assistance. Some source of real independance wouldnt you say?
Here I have to wonder what kind of common sence our government is using. They want to make cuts to medicare and all other kinds of assistance that these people are living off of. So what is going to happen to them? Well lets see.....common sence tells us that the poor get poorer and maybe will become another case of homeless. And then there are the elderly......are they going to become homeless also?
And for the disabled and others who are in nursing homes.......are they also going to be homeless? It seems to this writer that maybe we should take the millions and trillions that we send to other countries for thier disasters and apply it here at home. So I repeat the question: What will become of our Poor, Elderly and Disabled?
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
US Debt Rating - Moody Blues or Standard and Poorer
Moody’s Blues
or Standard and Poorer
Dennis Paulson
Don’t look now, but US debt rating agencies just became irrelevant. Sure, the Democrats’ 98% capitulation to the Republican plan to raise the debt ceiling saved us our triple-A rating with Moody’s, but now Moody’s itself has been downgraded.
The Dagong Global [emphasis on the word ‘global’] Credit Rating Company, China’s premiere credit rating agency, having lowered the US credit from A++ to A+ at the end of last fall, has quietly lowered the US credit rating to A in direct response to the no-nonsense action by the US to preserve war funding at the cost of entitlements. You would think that the Chinese are Kucinich peaceniks or something.
“The two (US) parties acted in a very irresponsible way, and their actions greatly exposed the negative impact of the US political system on economic fundamentals,” said Dagong Chairman Guan Jianzhong.
“The squabbling between the two political parties on raising the U.S. debt ceiling reflected an irreversible [make note of the word ‘irreversible’] trend on the United States ability to repay its debts.”
According to the DGCRC, all would have been hunky-dory if the cuts in spending had focused on our continued funding of five (or is it six with Yemen?) wars. Surely our debt could have been wiped out in a pen stroke had Obama lived up to his oft parroted 2007 campaign slogan to end the wars. The only question remaining for Obama seems to be how to whittle away at Medicare and Social Security without anyone noticing. Ah well, where there’s a will there’s always a way.
Does the US Debt rating have to be so confusing?
None of the wrangling over the debt ceiling put the markets at ease as it turns out. The August 2 drop of well over 200 points on the Dow coupled with the continued slide the following day are a signal that no one’s been fooled by this ‘grand bipartisan moment’, especially the Chinese.
For the time being, until the Yuan takes hold as the new petro-dollar, China will continue to buy U.S. junk bonds, but the US markets are getting noticeably more fidgety as that eventuality draws ever nearer.
Happy days will likely never be here again. There are undercurrents of rumblings throughout Europe as the Dagong gets a real footing as a power broker. That the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission once flatly refused to recognize Dagong’s sovereign ratings of 67 countries, shows only that in the game of ‘follow the money’, the SEC recognizes the potential of this new competitor.
One day, Dagong or some other truly global agency will snub the SEC in similar fashion, and our grand PNAC project in the Middle East will have been for naught. In the final analysis, after the Chinese control all sales of petroleum products, we’ll be wondering perhaps if the lives of 5,000 of our young American men and women might have been better spent getting an education rather than participating in our Blood For Oil program.
or Standard and Poorer
Dennis Paulson
Don’t look now, but US debt rating agencies just became irrelevant. Sure, the Democrats’ 98% capitulation to the Republican plan to raise the debt ceiling saved us our triple-A rating with Moody’s, but now Moody’s itself has been downgraded.
The Dagong Global [emphasis on the word ‘global’] Credit Rating Company, China’s premiere credit rating agency, having lowered the US credit from A++ to A+ at the end of last fall, has quietly lowered the US credit rating to A in direct response to the no-nonsense action by the US to preserve war funding at the cost of entitlements. You would think that the Chinese are Kucinich peaceniks or something.
“The two (US) parties acted in a very irresponsible way, and their actions greatly exposed the negative impact of the US political system on economic fundamentals,” said Dagong Chairman Guan Jianzhong.
“The squabbling between the two political parties on raising the U.S. debt ceiling reflected an irreversible [make note of the word ‘irreversible’] trend on the United States ability to repay its debts.”
According to the DGCRC, all would have been hunky-dory if the cuts in spending had focused on our continued funding of five (or is it six with Yemen?) wars. Surely our debt could have been wiped out in a pen stroke had Obama lived up to his oft parroted 2007 campaign slogan to end the wars. The only question remaining for Obama seems to be how to whittle away at Medicare and Social Security without anyone noticing. Ah well, where there’s a will there’s always a way.
Does the US Debt rating have to be so confusing?
None of the wrangling over the debt ceiling put the markets at ease as it turns out. The August 2 drop of well over 200 points on the Dow coupled with the continued slide the following day are a signal that no one’s been fooled by this ‘grand bipartisan moment’, especially the Chinese.
For the time being, until the Yuan takes hold as the new petro-dollar, China will continue to buy U.S. junk bonds, but the US markets are getting noticeably more fidgety as that eventuality draws ever nearer.
Happy days will likely never be here again. There are undercurrents of rumblings throughout Europe as the Dagong gets a real footing as a power broker. That the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission once flatly refused to recognize Dagong’s sovereign ratings of 67 countries, shows only that in the game of ‘follow the money’, the SEC recognizes the potential of this new competitor.
One day, Dagong or some other truly global agency will snub the SEC in similar fashion, and our grand PNAC project in the Middle East will have been for naught. In the final analysis, after the Chinese control all sales of petroleum products, we’ll be wondering perhaps if the lives of 5,000 of our young American men and women might have been better spent getting an education rather than participating in our Blood For Oil program.
Play Money
Play Money
Heather Graham
It’s time to break out your old Monopoly game. Your little blue or green notes are about to gain real value as your dollars become worthless.
According to monetary scholar Edwin Viera, every 30 or 40 years, a fiat currency loses its value when placed against a new or other currency. We can thank Richard Nixon for cutting direct ties between the dollar and the gold standard. Since the dollar was allowed to float freely from any controlling commodity, it now floats as aimlessly the lira. Come this fall, we may be sweeping up dollars like so many dead leaves from a tree. Ah, what will we do with them? Fill our bags full of them, I suppose, and add them to the compost pile.
Here are some currencies that have slid into Monopoly status since this kind of measurement in 1992:
Venezuela: 10,000 Bolivars= 1 dollar
Zaire: 5 million Zaires = 1 dollar
Russia: 10,000 rubles = 1 dollar
Berlarus: 100,000 rubles = 1 dollar
Fiat currencies not tied to commodities lose value in good times as well is bad. In times of global financial disaster, which we have never experienced before, one can expect that all fiat currencies except the top dog, simply fall a lot faster.
So the question becomes, of course, come say 2014, how many dollars will equal one Yuan? Talk about inflation. The government may have made grand political theater about raising the debt limit, but when you factor in the rate the dollar is plummeting, measuring anything against a “ceiling” is ludicrous. It doesn’t matter, it’s only for show. Are indebtedness to China grows daily not only because we have to borrow more, but our dollar value is shrinking at a prodigious rate. Eventually our bonds China holds will only serve as so much toilet paper.
Play money, you betcha!
Fairly soon you will be paying $30 -50 for your morning latte. Want to drive your car to visit aunt Emma in Tulsa? That’ll be $900 for gas, thank you very much.
Listen. Not to boast, but I know two millionaires. Really. If the Fed keeps printing money like it’s going out of style (and it is), their millions might come in handy some day when they want to buy the odd Snickers bar.
It’s not that the dollar is dying. It’s already dead. Our indebtedness to China cannot be paid off. It’s only a matter of time before they call in their chits.
Meanwhile, it behooves you to collect silver and gold, and to keep an eye out for any copper you can swipe. When the dollar hits bottom, there will be nothing of value except the old trusted commodities.
Who knows, maybe Monopoly notes will come in handy some day. There’s a hell of a lot of the stuff already in print in most households. Even better, the Fed can’t get their grubby hands on yours.
Mark my words. Monopoly money might one day allow you to buy a real hotel on Park Avenue. The dollar certainly won’t even if your name is Trump.
Heather Graham
It’s time to break out your old Monopoly game. Your little blue or green notes are about to gain real value as your dollars become worthless.
According to monetary scholar Edwin Viera, every 30 or 40 years, a fiat currency loses its value when placed against a new or other currency. We can thank Richard Nixon for cutting direct ties between the dollar and the gold standard. Since the dollar was allowed to float freely from any controlling commodity, it now floats as aimlessly the lira. Come this fall, we may be sweeping up dollars like so many dead leaves from a tree. Ah, what will we do with them? Fill our bags full of them, I suppose, and add them to the compost pile.
Here are some currencies that have slid into Monopoly status since this kind of measurement in 1992:
Venezuela: 10,000 Bolivars= 1 dollar
Zaire: 5 million Zaires = 1 dollar
Russia: 10,000 rubles = 1 dollar
Berlarus: 100,000 rubles = 1 dollar
Fiat currencies not tied to commodities lose value in good times as well is bad. In times of global financial disaster, which we have never experienced before, one can expect that all fiat currencies except the top dog, simply fall a lot faster.
So the question becomes, of course, come say 2014, how many dollars will equal one Yuan? Talk about inflation. The government may have made grand political theater about raising the debt limit, but when you factor in the rate the dollar is plummeting, measuring anything against a “ceiling” is ludicrous. It doesn’t matter, it’s only for show. Are indebtedness to China grows daily not only because we have to borrow more, but our dollar value is shrinking at a prodigious rate. Eventually our bonds China holds will only serve as so much toilet paper.
Play money, you betcha!
Fairly soon you will be paying $30 -50 for your morning latte. Want to drive your car to visit aunt Emma in Tulsa? That’ll be $900 for gas, thank you very much.
Listen. Not to boast, but I know two millionaires. Really. If the Fed keeps printing money like it’s going out of style (and it is), their millions might come in handy some day when they want to buy the odd Snickers bar.
It’s not that the dollar is dying. It’s already dead. Our indebtedness to China cannot be paid off. It’s only a matter of time before they call in their chits.
Meanwhile, it behooves you to collect silver and gold, and to keep an eye out for any copper you can swipe. When the dollar hits bottom, there will be nothing of value except the old trusted commodities.
Who knows, maybe Monopoly notes will come in handy some day. There’s a hell of a lot of the stuff already in print in most households. Even better, the Fed can’t get their grubby hands on yours.
Mark my words. Monopoly money might one day allow you to buy a real hotel on Park Avenue. The dollar certainly won’t even if your name is Trump.
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