What now? I’ve put off writing this article for a while. Like many of you out there I’ve watched the Dow retreat in huge, wealth-destroying, multi-hundred-point chunks. Every time it looks like the end is in sight it takes another single-day 5% lurch in the wrong direction. Not a pretty sight.

A couple of weeks ago I attended the annual meeting of the National Association of Business Economists in Washington D.C.. The event featured some interesting speakers, including recent Nobel laureate Paul Krugman and Fed Chairman Ben Bernenke. After a day of hearing smart guys w/ lots of letters after their name wax poetic about credit default swaps, mortgage backed assets, and government bailouts I came away with a single conclusion: no one knows how this thing is going to turn out. There was some suggestion in using the word “bailout” the Treasury did a poor job in selling the $700billion plan to the American public – perhaps “rescue” would have been more appropriate. Krugman added some levity by suggesting some media-friendly nicknames: how about “Bailie May?” Or perhaps “Hanky Panky” after Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

So I came away from the three day event with a more profound understanding of my failure to understand this whole mess; but I don’t feel particularly bad about it because no one else really understands it either. Bernenke’s reassuring message: we don’t really know how we’re going to price these distressed assets that the Treasury is gonna be buying with your $700 billion, and we don’t know who we’ll by them from or how we’re going to do it. This will be a trial and error process. But we’ll work it out.

Mmmmmkay. But Bernenke delivers the message with such an aura of academic cool that the audience seemed assured that he’ll succeed in making the best of a bad situation.

So, generally speaking, I’m not feeling to great about all of this. Basically I think we’re headed into one of two possible scenarios:

• Scenario 1: We’re already in a recession but we’ll muddle through. The market is cyclical. This is a particularly brutal cycle we’re dipping into, but fundamentally no different than those we’ve slogged through before. We’ll get some discouraging GDP numbers, the Dow with flit around 9,000 for a while, but eventually the market will give back some of that money it’s taken out of your 401k plan.
• Scenario 2: The wheels are about to come off. The banking system is not just in a superficial funk fueled by poor investor-confidence; it’s really in trouble. As banks write down toxic mortgage backed assets their balance sheets will be fundamentally damaged to the extent that credit will continue to tighten, consequentially decreasing spending, chopping profits, raising unemployment, and fueling foreclosures – which in turn worsens the state of the mortgage backed assets which started the whole mess. Repeat. Deflating prices, which initially feel kinda good (who can argue with $2.50 gas?) accentuates the woes of the business community which will be unable to justify new investments at lower revenue levels, further cutting business spending and jobs, pushing down demand, and deflating prices further. Repeat. Once you’re in this spiral it’s tough to engineer an exit.

Now I think (hope) that we’re in scenario #1. That’s the best case. I don’t think we’re headed towards the meltdown case, but it is something that I worry about. As further evidence that I believe in scenario #1 I recently made two long term trades, buying exchange traded funds (ETF) that track the S&P (RSU) and the Dow (QLD). Someday we’ll look back at 2008 and realize that the dow in the 8,000’s was a buying opportunity.

A few observations:

• You know this already, but if you’re going to need your retirement money in the next few years then you can’t have it socked away in the stock market.
• If your company 401k plan automatically loads you up with company stock, then you need to periodically go in and rebalance. I never cease to be amazed at smart, educated folks who have 40% of their wealth in a single stock. This is goofy.
• Rethink “diversification”. I have stocks divided between small-cap funds, large-cap funds, value funds, growth funds, and international funds. They’re all in the same toilet now. One lesson of the current crisis is that markets are now linked like they’ve never been linked before.

And yes, this is a real estate blog, so a few thoughts here:

• Hooray for Texas: We didn’t run up during the boom so we’re not getting whacked right now, but I’m expecting flat prices for a while. My strategy for finding and investing in long-term value projects is treating me pretty well right now. Plus, that’s a hunk of money I have in properties instead of in the stock market. This is effective diversification.
• Some markets really are feeling the pain. I was in Minneapolis last weekend, and as I walked the streets of some of these neighborhoods it seemed like every third house was a foreclosure. It’s gonna take a while for the market to absorb this carnage.
• All real estate is local – that is, unless the economy is melting down. I won’t be feeling so smug about Texas property values if we got into the doomsday economic scenario that I outlined above. If the banking system goes into the tank then we’re all gonna be in the same boat.
• A buying opportunity? I’m nervous about our economy, but I’m not quite ready to bury my life savings in coffee cans in my back yard. Investors who can still get loans should think about investing now, depending on how your local market conditions look.

The other day I picked up a copy of Malcolm Gladwell’s newest book, Outliers: The Story of Success. I’m only a third of the way through the book, but here’s my take on what I have read so far.

Gladwell believes that success is more than just “pulling oneself up by their bootstraps.” He tells the story of Bill Gates and that the real reason for his success was that his private school (Gates came from a well-off family) purchased a computer before computers were widely-used and that Gates was naturally drawn to it. In other words, had Gates gone to a different school, I might not be typing this blog post because computer software might not exist as it does today. In other words, circumstances matter.

The problem I have with the book is that Gladwell seems to take the approach that success is simply too hard for the poor to achieve. Yes, I’ll admit that it would be harder for a poor person to achieve success in life but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I think half the battle in achieving anything is mindset. If a person or class of people is constantly told they CAN’T do something, they end up believing it.

How would I level the playing field? My solution:

1. Allow parents vouchers so that they can send their kids to any school they desire. Not all parents would take advantage but some would.

2. Reinforce education and the importance of reading. Enlist the help of ‘famous’ athletes and musicians to get the message out to kids and PARENTS that EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT! Promote libraries and reading clubs. Offer reading classes to parents.

3. Don’t pass kids if they don’t make the grade.

4. Stop glorifying trash and stop filling our kids’ heads with hatred. Show kids how to respect themselves and those around them.

5. Require kids to watch The Big Idea.

Like I said, I’m not through reading Gladwell’s book yet. I don’t agree with some of his thoughts but I do like his style. There aren’t a lot of non-fiction books out there that are enjoyable to read.

GIVEAWAY

If you’d like a chance to win a copy of the book from me, leave a comment below explaining your thoughts on success. I’m going to make this my FIRST EVER subjective giveaway in that I am going to pick my favorite comment (and the comment doesn’t have to agree with me!) and the winner will receive a copy of the book. The deadline for entry is Friday, December 12, 9am CST. Just remember my rule:

1. you must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada (I won’t mail internationally).

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There’s so much to be thankful for, amidst the challenges we’ve faced this year. We’re counting our blessings!

Pilgrim doggies from Lulu.com

This is a post from The Digerati Life.

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There is so much bad news floating around, so much to be worried or angry or upset about in the world. However there is a lot to be grateful for as well, so I thought I would take a moment and count a few blessings. This may be a bit late, considering Thanksgiving was a week ago, but I suppose it is never a bad time to be grateful.

A few quotes on the subject I have read recently:

“Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.” - Unknown (to me)

“To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us-and He has given us everything.”-Thomas Merton

Now you may not be religious, but that last quote really struck me when I read it. It reminds me to take the bad with the good, and to appreciate it. It might seem wrong or even stupid to try to appreciate what seems unfair, bad, or even evil, but it is possible - and important. We can learn and grow and change for the better as a result of every experience - be it sickness, recession, job loss, or even death.

I once overheard my mother say that having cancer was a huge blessing. I recoiled, but she explained that it brought our family closer together and made her realize her inner strength. Remembering that comment has always kept me in check when I find myself whining or self-pitying.

Things for which I am grateful:

• Having a job and a regular paycheck; not everyone does right now.
• Not having to worry about where I’ll get my next meal or bath.
• Having the means and time to give to others who need support.
• A large family which supports and uplifts me.
• The freedom and ability to learn and pursue whatever I choose.

Many in our country are struggling, some for the first time, as our economy sags and companies lay people off and wages stagnate. Of course we are all still much better off than many in the world, but is still natural and easy to worry, to complain, to be angry and even scared.

But struggles can bring us together, and they can encourage us remember what’s really important - what matters a lot more than the 401k balance or the big bonus check. I hope as this volatile year comes to an end that we can all find some things to be truly grateful for.

More from Meg at The World of Wealth

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When it comes to getting the best car loan deals then a lot of it will depend on your credit history. If you have a good credit past then this will go in your favour when it comes to getting the best rate of interest. However, all is not lost if you have had problems with credit in the past, although you still can get credit when it comes to getting a loan for a car you wont get the best interest rates, but by shopping around you can get a good car loan deal.

If you have an excellent credit rating then it might be in your best interest to go for a personal loan, by going for a personal loan you are able to shop around online and secure the cheapest loan and rate of interest. It also works another way in your best interests because as you already have the cash in your pocket by going for a personal loan you can go along to the dealer and offer cash.

The majority of time if you pay cash for your car then you can get extras; the dealer could knock something off the price you pay if you pay cash there and then or offer you bonuses such as money off your insurance. Another benefit is that you will drive away from the showroom knowing that the dealer isn't in a position to repossess the car should you miss a repayment.

One possibility when it comes to financing your car is to take the finance through the dealer where you choose to buy your car from. However the majority of times the rate of interest will be a lot higher than if you had shopped around for a personal loan, one of the biggest benefits of taking this type of finance is that it is easier to get but you of course will pay for this privilege.

If you do have bad credit history and have been turned down time and time again for credit, then it still might be possible for you to get a loan to buy a car. If you look online then there many places which now offer loans to those with bad credit ratings, however by doing so you can expect of course to have to pay a high rate of interest on the loan.

Whichever way you decide to go for your car loan deal the best place to start is to go online, the internet holds a vast amount of information about the different types of car loan deals that are available and also the best rates of interest or best offers at car dealerships.

About the Author

Louis Rix is a Director of NetCars, one of the UK's leading motoring websites. First established in January 2000, its mission is to become the number one site for used car searches and motoring information. NetCars also provide Used Cars, loans and insurance.

The degree of online business success you experience will be directly determined by the amount of effort you put into your business. While many online businesses promote themselves as being the best and fastest way to achieving wealth online, not everyone will become rich operating an online internet business.

It makes no difference the type of online business you operate, there are still basic truths to turning it into a success. Compare your internet business to a small business on the side of a road that very few cars pass on a daily basis. You have a decent looking building, but it looks much the same as other buildings in the immediate area with nothing to distinguish it from dozens of others.

There is nothing on the outside of the building declaring what is inside and no indication that the products you sell, or service that you offer, is the best and least expensive. Add to that the fact you have no advertising in the paper, magazines or the internet. Basically, not a soul knows you exist. Undoubtedly you will be closing your business in a short period of time.

That could be your internet business on the side of the electronic super-highway, with the difference being instead of car slowly driving by, potential visitors are whizzing past your site at the speed of lighting, having no idea you are there. At least by the side of the slow road there is always the chance of someone stumbling into your parking lot. On the internet if your address is kept a secret, there is no chance anyone will find it.

This is where internet marketing and network marketing techniques can help put your site in front of the millions of daily internet visitors. Most people looking for a product or service on the internet start with a search for a specific word or phrase. Unless your website is set up to attract search engine spiders, you will be ignored. Think about when you are searching for something and how many times you went past the second or third page of search results before clicking on a link. You may seem satisfied that your site is showing up in the top 100 search engine results, but your potential customers still will not be able to find you.

How well you optimize your website to be found on search engines is up the knowledge and experience of the person building your website as well as the text content your site offers visitors to satisfy search engine requirements. Additionally, you may have the best optimized web site on the internet, showing up as number one or two on the first page of search results, but if your site does not reflect the quality of the product or service you are offering, your visitor numbers will fall, right along with your search engine ranking. Online Internet Business Success Depends On Your Dedication

The degree of online business success you experience will be directly determined by the amount of effort you put into your business. While many online businesses promote themselves as being the best and fastest way to achieving wealth online, not everyone will become rich operating an online internet business.

It makes no difference the type of online business you operate, there are still basic truths to turning it into a success. Compare your internet business to a small business on the side of a road that very few cars pass on a daily basis. You have a decent looking building, but it looks much the same as other buildings in the immediate area with nothing to distinguish it from dozens of others.

There is nothing on the outside of the building declaring what is inside and no indication that the products you sell, or service that you offer, is the best and least expensive. Add to that the fact you have no advertising in the paper, magazines or the internet. Basically, not a soul knows you exist. Undoubtedly you will be closing your business in a short period of time.

That could be your internet business on the side of the electronic super-highway, with the difference being instead of car slowly driving by, potential visitors are whizzing past your site at the speed of lighting, having no idea you are there. At least by the side of the slow road there is always the chance of someone stumbling into your parking lot. On the internet if your address is kept a secret, there is no chance anyone will find it.

This is where internet marketing and network marketing techniques can help put your site in front of the millions of daily internet visitors. Most people looking for a product or service on the internet start with a search for a specific word or phrase. Unless your website is set up to attract search engine spiders, you will be ignored. Think about when you are searching for something and how many times you went past the second or third page of search results before clicking on a link. You may seem satisfied that your site is showing up in the top 100 search engine results, but your potential customers still will not be able to find you.

How well you optimize your website to be found on search engines is up the knowledge and experience of the person building your website as well as the text content your site offers visitors to satisfy search engine requirements. Additionally, you may have the best optimized web site on the internet, showing up as number one or two on the first page of search results, but if your site does not reflect the quality of the product or service you are offering, your visitor numbers will fall, right along with your search engine ranking.

About the Author

http://forever-aloevera.myflpbiz.com

http://tatiana.successuniversity.com

http://tatiana.buildreferrals.com

http://1105934.profitmatic.com

To get more information or download your own copy of the Resource Report for free visit: http://www.the-resource-report.com/?newest_version=28845

info@tatianaivanova.ws

Oil dropped another $3.12 to $43.67…the lowest level since January 2005.

If someone would have told me back in July that oil was going to be trading in the 40s by the end of the year, I wouldn’t have believed them. It’s simply amazing how quickly things can turn.

Of course the bad side to all this is that now there’s less incentive for finding alternative fuels. I guess all those plans will get put on the back burner until it makes financial sense to go for them.

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This is a guest post from my wife, and features a story I’ve come to look forward to updating every summer: the tale of two entrepreneurial girls.

Last weekend I explored Portland’s beautiful Eastmoreland neighborhood during its annual 140-family garage sale. In the past, I’ve come away with major bargains, but this year I had to be content with enjoying the first day of summer with a couple of friends. We admired the homes, gardens, and assorted cast-offs of the well-to-do.

Many of the adult garage-salers were raising funds for charities. Sidewalks and curbs were also strewn with young entrepreneurs selling their wares: homemade cookies (still warm from the oven), beaded jewelry, rice-krispie treats, iced bottled water, and grilled hotdogs.

Over the past two years, J.D. and I have had fun meeting one pair of entrepreneurial sisters who rise above the run-of-the-mill baked goods and soda. I was pleased to see them once again. In 2006 they were selling jokes:

Last year they were selling stock tips:

My friends and I each bought a cup of lemonade, which we downed while questioning these young businesswomen about this year's products. The elder girl was selling bottle-cap magnets — each individually created and carefully crafted — at two price points. She told to us some of her inspirations, and compared the relative strengths of the magnets. (The one dollar bottle caps had stronger magnets than the seventy-five cent magnets.) She was proud of her creations, but, like any good salesperson, she didn’t oversell. I selected one with a cancelled 26-pence Queen Elizabeth stamp and moved on to see what her younger sister was selling.

The younger girl had created two issues of a neighborhood newspaper: The Lofty Times. Typed on an actual typewriter (without correction tape!), the publications bear phonetic misspellings and creative punctuation, but are brimming with enthusiasm and real journalistic gusto. We purchased a copy of each issue, did some negotiating to arrange limited re-print rights for Get Rich Slowly, and exchanged email addresses. Here’s a sample story from The Lofty Times, reprinted by permission of 8-year-old author Grace:

the Eastmorland goroge sail

Thouthins of peaple look forwerd to this moment in Eastmorland it is the garage sale! A man named Jared Seger is selling different parts of a house, such as windows, doors, and other things.

In th past years my family has allways gone big on the garagesale. one year DAD beleave it or not bot a hool stack of inapropryite gossap maggaseens, it was hollywood gossap and lemenaid, every year it was a tradishon to have lemenaid.

Other years were forchentelling, jocks, stack priceed, and so many more things that even if I tried, I probly could not name them all! this year is going in a todaly different path. AT ages of 8 and 10, my sister and I have lerned so many things, I, as you can see am making my newspaper. Madeline is making bottlecap prodex.

I have many, many good thouts about the garagesale, I hope you do to.

The girls and their mother gave us a crash course in their annual entrepreneurial endeavors. Their parents loan them seed money for the projects, which the girls must pay back from their profits. Any profit is theirs to spend. With parental support and guidance, these sisters are well on their way to understanding the value of money and the joy of making and selling their own goods — as well as knowing how to stand out in a crowd!

I’m sure that it would be easier for these parents to just give their daughters spending money, but they know that the lessons learned here are priceless and the extra efforts worthwhile.

My friend Rhonda and I later discussed the merits of each girl’s choice:

• The magnets clearly had higher start-up costs, but broader customer appeal.
• Yet the newspapers were well-worth the cover price for entertainment value.
• Both projects showcase the imagination of the creators.

I wish I could eavesdrop on these girls as they consider, reject, and perfect ideas for each year’s merchandise. And I hope that by the end of the weekend, Grace and Madeline were both sold-out! May they return next year with their contagious entrepreneurial spirit, and Bravo, parents!

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Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly:

• Accidental Entrepreneurs Turn Hobbies Into Livelihoods
• Resources for Would-Be Entrepreneurs
• Some Thoughts on Discouraging Materialism in Children
• Sponsor Get Rich Slowly for Blogathon 2006
• Marketing Affects How Children Perceive Food

My wife has wanted to move into town for quite some time so that she can be a little closer to friends and to our other activities.  I’ve been reluctant to move for a few reasons.  First, I think if we bought now, it would be like trying to catch a falling knife.  Second, it would be a longer drive to work for me.  Third, I don’t like change.  (None of these are her fault. )

And just as much as I feel pressured when my wife tells me about a good house that’s come up for sale, she probably feels frustrated by my reluctance to take any serious action on it because “this is just the beginning of the downturn” and “there will be more, and better, deals later.”

Actually, regardless of how far I feel the housing market is going to go down, I don’t really know.  I can get warm fuzzies that it’s getting to be more of a buyer’s market, but I won’t really know until I start tracking home prices.  Tracking prices is pretty straightforward, and has some advantages:

• It’s easier to recognize a deal when it comes along.  There is a huge amount of information literally a mouse click away, and tracking the price of desirable houses over time shows clearly what these houses were being offered at.  Rather than sensing that a house is a good deal, I can see that it is.
• It’s active.  It’s searching with a purpose.  It’s still basically window shopping, but I know which stores I’m going to. 
• It’s focused.  We’re looking for a house to move into.  This narrows our search and makes it more time-effective.

Here’s how we’re going about it now:

1. I signed up for an account at Realtor.com.  This allows me to save searches — and have daily or weekly e-mails sent to me — filtered by ZIP code, price, number of bedrooms, etc.
2. Since my wife is pickier (!) she chose the acceptable candidates among the few dozen houses that met the search criteria that Realtor.com allowed.  We could have fewer results to go through if we filtered by square footage, but not all of the listings include a square footage.  So, we pile through some more listings but turn up a few more candidates.  We eliminate most split foyers since she really doesn’t like those.
3. We build up a spreadsheet with the following columns:  ZIP Code, Address (to identify the house), Subdivision, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Square Footage, Basement (no, yes, or split level), Garage (no, one-car, or two-car), and Asking Price.  We make one row per house, and add columns at the end to track the asking price over time.  We also list the houses that meet the search criteria but don’t meet our criteria so that we don’t have to re-visit those listings each week.  The columns are the criteria that are important to us; if you do this, you may have other columns you want to consider.
4. Houses keep getting prices added as long as they’re listed.  If they’re taken off, then we keep them to see if they come back on again.
5. Later we may add houses listed for auction or on other services, since some sellers are going the route of national real estate listing without the commissions.

Here are some of the measurements that can be done from these numbers:

• Number of listings.  The number of listings can fluctuate with the seasons (winter is slower).  If prices are going down for similar properties, or if the prices for properties we’re following are going down, then an increase in the number of listings could be good, as it means people are coming to their senses and trying to sell for what they can get.
• Time on the market.  We’ve gotten a few new listings, so we can see how long they stay on the market.  Knowing this would help us should we want to make an offer.  If the house has been on for a good long time, we can offer more aggressively (lower).
• Price per square foot.  This is a rough measure but a useful one.  If we really can buy more house for our money, we should see a reduction in the price per square foot.

The nice thing about this method is that it’s free.  Once we get the hang of this and get closer to making a decision we may sign up for www.RealtyTrac.com to get a handle on foreclosed and bank-owned properties.  We’ll probably pull the trigger on this when we are in a better position to make offers.

Tracking prices takes a little time but I’m sure this will help us to make a wise decision when we decide to look in earnest.

Last year while big lenders like Countrywide collapsed and Wall Street took a beating on mortgage-backed securities, smaller banks weathered the storm pretty well. These guys seemed pretty stodgy while the market was racing along, home values were zooming, and investors were chomping at the bit to jump into the latest negative-amortization mortgage structure. But slow and steady wins the race, as it turns out. Smaller banks wouldn't touch this stuff with a ten foot pole. They looked like luddites a couple of years ago, but they're looking pretty smart right now.

When I started this website I funded it with the backing of Partners Bank of Texas, a small Houston based private bank with assets of less than $200 million. Last year Partners was acquired by Texas based Sterling Bank. Sterling is somewhat larger than Partners - with assets of around $4 billion - but they're very small when compared to, say, Wells Fargo, which has assets of around $600 billion.

In the past I've relied on companies like USAA ($68 billion in assets) and Wells Fargo, but Sterling is my go-to bank now. USAA is the financial institution dedicated to serving current and former members of the military community, and I've been a member for over twenty years, starting when I was a cadet at the United States Military Academy. I still appreciate their great customer service (although some of their lending practices have annoyed me). But even though I have a military connection with USAA, at the end of the day I'm just a number. No one knows me there. They put my data into a computer and it spits out an answer.

But when I talk to Sterling, I'm sitting across the table from the guy who is gonna make the decision. And I like that. When I trying to get this website funded I spent almost a year jumping through hoops for the guys over at Bank of America ($1.7 trillion in assets) and the venture capitalists wanted me to sign away my first born. But at Partners (now Sterling) I got to sit across from someone and pitch my idea; and the woman who I talked to was the same person empowered to make the decision.

I'll still shop the big boys for the plain vanilla deals I'm considering. But when I'm looking at some more challenging opportunities in this crazy market - raw land and multi-family - my first stop is Sterling. Real estate investing is all about relationships, and smart investors know that their reputation can be one of their most valuable assets.

Buy a car anytime you want, but I would tell anybody today that applying for a car offline is one of the worst and tiresome things I have done in my whole entire life. There was a man trying to explain the rates to me in a rushing manner. He even tried to force a particular car on me that I didnt even want, and the finance company that they deal with tried to push my rates close as 13 percent which is outrageous. I felt like I was being suckered into a deal so I turned towards the internet to get some information which is the best way to be successful in buying a car in todays world in my opinion.

I searched for days online looking for some great resources. There were many websites that showed you how to buy a car, but I needed to know the important points when I buy a car. Finally, I came upon some great websites that shows you everything that you need to know in order for you to apply yourself to buy a car successfully. I learned a ton of things, such as, the great loan company that I talk about on my website that you can easily apply for to buy a car anytime you want. What I liked about that loan is the rates and the time it takes for you to get a loan. It takes up to 24 hours for you to get a loan from them and the rates is the best on the net. The rates are very low. You would pay 7 percent at the most. Take out a loan because if you financed through a car dealership you probably would have to pay 9 or 10 percent interest rates to buy a car through a dealer.

When I was searching for a car, I also tried the car quote websites that, and they are great. I simply filled out the form and got quotes back to back in no time. There is four different websites for you to choose from or compare together. First I used edmunds, which is a pretty coo carl quote website, but personally, I like the other free car quote websites because it's easier to operate and quickerto obtain. You will get back some car quotes back in the same day. I used this for myself because you can make an educated decision of what price you can afford, and make or model of the cars. You can have local dealerships calling you to buy a car that fits your budget.

You can buy a car cash if you want. After I bought my car, I discovered some great auction services that allows me to buy a car from my own state and area. This is my main source when I buy a car now. The great news about buying auctioned cars is that you can get some really nice updated, running cars really cheap in your own local are. The bad news is that you have to react on these deals quickly in the process. I have posted some great car auction websites for people who want to buy a car cash instead of paying monthly rent. These are my jewels that I use here on out. I no longer have car bills to pay. I use most of my time buying 3 cars a month and selling them for a little more. Alot of the cars that are offered on the sites are in tip top shape. Many of the cars are under $1000. It's really easy to navigate your area. All you do is type in your area code and it shows you all the auctions going on in your area, contact info, etc.

***Remember before you buy a car to check and make sure mileages and price matches correctly. Check out my website and see how I calculated this for myself and do it for yourself too.***

About the Author

My name is Jay Pleas. I'm an auto mechanic and interior designer that spends most of my time buying autos and detailing them for many customers. At this time I make $100,000 a year maintaining my own car interior buisness. I live in Florida. I'm 28 years of age

www.squidoo.com/buy_a_car

I freaking love this.  One of the topics that I have seen frequently on the PF blogosphere is how little financial education there is for America's youth, and how that leads to poor decision making as adults.

In a reversal of roles, High School Freshman and Teen Columnist, Emily Hu, writes For Adults, It's Payback Time.

A brilliant nugget from Miss Hu's article: 

"It comes down to this: Once upon a time, when people were forced to really consider what they could afford and credit actually counted for something, people bought houses they could live in for a few years."

There are two components to each transaction: compensation and risk. While many investment bankers and business owners tend to focus almost solely on compensation, PLG Advisory Group gives equal consideration to the risk associated with each transaction.

There are three primary areas of risk:

(1) Known risks, for example the liabilities set forth on the company's balance sheet, or known regulatory risk;
(2) Unknown risks, for example, unanticipated employee or customer lawsuits; and
(3) Transactional risk, which is the risk that the transaction will be litigated, either prior to or after a closing.

How do small business owners view risk in a business transaction: is price or the reduction of risk the most important component of a M&A transaction?

After a little over a year of constant downturns in the economy and stock markets, some discussion is coming to light in terms of people reconsidering what retirement means, and how they are going to get there. I know I’ve seen this in my practice, as I’m encountering many more people who are approaching retirement in 10 years or less and they are seriously thinking about extending how long they work, or even changing their retirement plans.

It’s understandable that if you’re just a few years from retirement and you had a large stake in the stock market, the losses experienced this year are enough to rattle even investors who are typically risk adverse. But, what about the younger generation that typically reads this site? The bulk of readers here are in the 25-45 year old range, which puts a typical retirement at anywhere from 20-40 years away. With a longer time horizon, I wonder if the recent economic climate has forced younger people to begin thinking more critically about their retirement expectations.

Is retirement still too far off to really worry about at this point? Are you reconsidering how your investments for retirement are structured after what’s happened? Do you plan on working longer, or change your retirement goals?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Poll: Have Recent Economic Conditions Changed Your Expectations for Retirement?