How do you tell a relative to repay a loan without offending them? Is there a right way to use credit? Can you improve your credit score by taking out a loan?

Those are just a few of the questions that have recently provoked interesting discussions within the Mint Answers community.

We launched Mint Answers a few weeks ago to give consumers a platform to voice their personal finance and investing questions. Since then, hundreds of you have asked – and many more have chimed in with responses. (At Mint Answers, your questions are answered by experts, as well as by other community members like you.)

Below are three of the most popular questions for the past week. Find and ask (or answer) more at answers.mint.com.

How do I ask my brother for money he owes me?

Keep in mind, my brother is a full-grown adult. He’s owes me a couple thousand dollars. I don’t want to make him mad or feel like a loser but I kind of want the money. How can I bring up the topic without causing ill-feelings?

1. You might ask if he is willing to make payments to you. But you have to be somewhat confrontational and it might be awkward. Unless … you are willing to just forgive the debt. I’ve done my share of “loaning” people money in my past, and won’t do it again. I like to help, but in the end it doesn’t truly help because a lot of times we are enabling people to keep doing the things that keep them needing to borrow money. 

2. I tend to use public shame to get money back from my little brother, but he’s still in college and only owes me about $150 for gifts and stuff that we were supposed to “split” but he never reimbursed me for. 

More answers to this question>>

Is there a right way to use credit?

Is there a right or a good way to use credit? Or is using credit always a bad thing?

1. Depends on who you ask. You’ll find some people that say don’t ever use credit cards, because credit cards are always a bad idea. Others (like myself) will say credit cards are okay if you are tracking all your transactions and you pay off the balance completely every month, so that in effect you are using them like you would use a debit card.

Some people will say having a line of credit is good because you can use it in an emergency. But, I would say that is what your emergency savings is for.

The use of credit encourages an “I want it NOW” attitude. This type of selfish or immature attitude is usually considered negative. However, there ARE times when the use of credit may not only be necessary, but also okay: buying a home, a student loan, and a business loan.

2. In my opinion, the only good way to use revolving credit (like consumer credit cards) is by paying the balance off in full every month. If you start to spend more than you can afford and have to carry a balance and live paycheck-to-paycheck, your financial situation will go downhill from there.

The fact is, more and more business is being conducted online. I can’t tell you how many things I now buy from Amazon which I previously would have bought from a physical store. The vast majority of online retailers require payment via a credit card of some kind (or a debit card that can be used both ways). I still prefer an actual credit card because of the greater consumer protections it affords you.

More answers to this question>>

Will taking out a loan improve my credit score?

Right now I have two credit cards with a combined limit of $7,000. I use both cards and have paid them off regularly for about two years now. I have no other debt to worry about so far.

I really want to boost my credit score. I currently have a “fako” score between 694 and 766. Since all my debt/credit is revolving, I was thinking that taking out a loan would diversify my credit history/type. While rates are low, I was thinking about taking out a CD-backed secured loan. Will this help my credit score?

1. It depends on what is on your credit report specifically. You have the 2 credit cards, so you show you can pay revolving debt. My experience, having gone from average to excellent credit over the course of a few years, is that best thing you can do to build good credit is to pay your debts on time over a number of years. Stuff like revolving credit lines, not having excessive debt, etc. all helps, but the key is just pay your debts consistently; you will get to 800 quickly. 

2. How about changing your life and family by not worrying about or worshiping FICO?  Be weird and don’t live beyond your means like the rest of society.  Debt is the whole reason that our economy is in this mess in the first place.

3. If you start a CD or Savings Secured loan, you are paying interest on your own money! Not an ideal situation, but good if you need to build your credit score for one reason or another. I think, however, that you can have similar results by keeping your utilization lower. Use only 15% or less of your credit lines every month and pay off in full. Over time, this will have a greater effect on your score.

More answers to this question>>

Do you have a money question that you feel has no black-or-white answer? Go to Mint Answers and ask away! While you’re there, feel free to answer questions from other community members. Come back often, as we introduce new enhancements to this feature.

 

Carrying a Water Bottle Around Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars

It's often the little things that add up. Personal finance blog Get Rich Slowly points out that carrying a water bottle around with you can add a few hundred bucks to your pocketbook each year.

Photo by (nutmeg).

Get Rick Slowly is quick to point out that if you, on average, spend only five dollars on water and soda a week, you would save over $250 a year just carrying around a water bottle. Get Rich Slowly reader Austin sums it up quite well:

Every time I'm out shopping for groceries, out with friends for the weekend, or out for the day around town, I bring a water bottle with me. When I'm thirsty, I fill it up in a water fountain or, if I have to, a bathroom sink. [This allows me to avoid] those little two- to five-dollar purchases that really add up when you're thirsty and want a quick drink.

Of course, make sure you choose a safe and reusable water bottle. What are the easiest no-brainer ways you've found to save extra money? Let us know in the comments below.

penis enlargement

Managing your finances while you are between jobs is tough. You have to consider the overall economy, the reason for your unemployment, your skill set, and estimated length of unemployment. The economy is a determining factor since you may apply for unemployment benefits via your state. The estimated time frame is 24 weeks with the possibility of extension for an additional 24 weeks but if the economy has a high unemployment the probability for an extension is limited.

The reason for your unemployment is important. For example, if your company was part of a well-known, massive layoff/acquisition you may have received a generous severance package. You would be able to maintain fixed expenses such as rent/mortgage, property taxes, and insurance using your severance while keeping your unemployment separate for postponed/variable expenses such as dining out, entertainment, and travel.

On the other hand, it is rare to obtain a generous package so your unemployment may be your only income for both fixed and variable expenses. Remember, it will run out. While searching for a new job, check with an unemployment expert to see if you can go back to school for a short-term certificate in a promising field such as computers, technology, education, and medicine. Also, check with your state to determine if you can start a homebased business for minimal costs instead of searching for a traditional job.

Your skill set is critical. For instance, if you are a registered nurse who lost her job because of a merger you will obtain a job offer sooner because of the national shortage of good nurses and you may receive better pay/benefits/work-life options. You may still choose to enjoy an expensive two week vacation. However, a low-skilled clerical worker who has enormous competition needs to forego a vacation and hit the books.

Managing your household income will be a challenge and it may take time to establish a new budget. However, you can change your unemployment budget based on your personal needs.

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 6/28 – Arrowhead Pride

Yep, it's another Monday. Here's you Kansas City Chiefs news. The rookies are attending the annual symposium, more updates on Pope's and Urban's camps, and an announcement for a Brandon Flowers camp lie ahead. Enjoy.

Magda Abu-Fadil: Dubai's Gulf <b>News</b> Embraces Convergence With Gusto

Reporters and editors at Dubai's Gulf News are blazing a trail in multimedia that could serve as an example for Arab newspapers struggling with a journalistic identity crisis.

Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Vuvuzela Fail – FAIL Blog: Epic Fail Funny <b>…</b>

epic fail photos Probably Bad News: Vuvuzela Fail.

Love — it's been written about my psychologists, admired by artists, philosophized about by mystics and hated by singles every February 14th. This thing called Love runs our world. Everything we do revolves around Love.

From my Western male point of view, I make money to be able to one day provide for a family and to experience Love. The way I make money is by doing what I love and I love inspiring people. I love giving. I love seeing myself and friends succeed! Love makes my world go round.

On my journey to experience Love in my life I've created two outlets to express the lessons I've learned about Love. An apparel company called Love Yourself and blog called The Daily Love. When I first stepped out of “fearing” (the opposite of loving) and into attempting to Love, the first insight I had was that it would be impossible for me to love others until I loved myself — and then quickly found this corroborated by many other sources (both human and “divine”). The next step on my journey was to express what I was learning about myself everyday as a part of loving myself which manifested as The Daily Love. It's sort of my way of journaling what I'm learning out loud. And after learning about loving myself and expressing that journey through a blog a wonderful thing happened — I found out I wasn't alone.

Now that I have experienced success with both of my businesses and met some internal goals, I still feel that love is lacking in my life. I'm left with the question “where's the love?”

I recently attended a “love” seminar by “love expert” Pat Allen that dramatically changed my life. I asked her how I could go from being a normal 28 year old guy “exploring dating” to a “real man” in a committed relationship. I've always longed for a girlfriend (and eventually a family), but they always ended up being “girls” that were my “friends”. I was always in the friend zone — you know — “that” guy.

Her answer was simple, yet profound. She told me that biologically a man knows where he is going and the right woman will come with him. She also told me to promise not to sleep with a woman until I decided I only want to be with her.

This was terrifying. This meant I had to risk rejection and entrapment. Looking at my life through Pat's eyes I realized two things. One — my standards had to go way up! And two — I needed to take responsibility for my life. And in that, to me, lies the key to love.

Realizing that my evolution required that I loved myself enough to choose a better woman and to make that choice seriously meant I had to become more. Not only with women, but with all my relationships. I had to love myself enough to say “no” to the good and leave room for the “great”. To not let my emotions run me, but to let my awareness guide my emotions.

To me, this is the key to true love. Until you are the true love of your life and you commit to that change, the outside world will not reflect true love back to you.

True love was asking me to step up. And I did. I faced the fears of rejection and entrapment and to my surprise I've been met with amazing new opportunities both personally and professionally.

I was so busy making low level choices and fearing responsibility that Love eluded me. Love was asking me to take it seriously. When I finally did, it took me seriously, too.

The most common personal finance question I'm hearing from people of a surprising array of ages is this: “Is it possible for my golden years… to really be golden?”

The one, two, three punch of the housing, stock, and job markets has left millions reeling. Thankfully, there is some good news. And here to deliver it is Mark Miller, author of the newly released book, The Hard Times Guide to Retirement.

Mark, what prompted you to write The Hard Times Guide to Retirement?

I've been covering retirement and aging for more than five years. Before the economy crashed, I was struck often by the lack of planning, preparation and thought that my generation–baby boom boomers–has given to retirement. Now, the Great Recession has made the planning gap much more critical. I wrote the book hoping to give people looking ahead to the next part of their lives the first examination of retirement issues in the post-crash economy. I wanted to show how strategies for money, work and living can be interwoven and leveraged for retirement security-even in tough times. I also hope to help readers boost their retirement I.Q.s by showcasing the best thinking I've been able to find in my reporting on retirement and aging.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in researching this book on retirement?

One of my major themes is that the traditional notion of retirement–hanging it up at age 65–will be discarded, and not only for economic reasons. But I was surprised–and really amused–to learn where that notion of age 65 came from. Otto Von Bismarck, the chancellor of Germany, started the first system of social security in the 19th Century. He initially set the German retirement age at 70, and later adjusted it to 65. When FDR started the American Social Security system in the 1930s, he looked to the German program as a model. That's where the idea of retirement at age 65 got its start, and it has stuck with us ever since. Of course, people didn't live nearly as long then as they do now, and 65 has really become somewhat irrelevant, I think.

If a reader could just take away one concept from The Hard Times Guide to Retirement, what would you want that to be?

There are no magic bullets or easy solutions to the problems we face with retirement security. But there are many solid ways to achieve a satisfying, secure retirement, even in difficult times. These aren't get-rich-quick investment gimmicks or schemes to make millions working part-time from your kitchen table. I think the best ideas focus on basic blocking and tackling–getting the most from the financial tools already at hand, and making smart decisions about work and lifestyle. Also, I want my readers to focus on the definition of retirement security. It's not just about what happens this year or next, but finding a way to reliably generate income to support a retirement that could well last 25 years or more for you or your spouse. Boomers are going to need to start focusing on what lies ahead–and get smarter about retirement–quickly!

What is your favorite free online retirement calculator?

Actually, I'm not a big fan of most free retirement calculators. A recent study by actuarial experts on retirement calculators shows that many of the free online tools have serious flaws that can lead to serious miscalculations when you're plotting your retirement. The Society of Actuaries analyzed 12 retirement calculators created by financial services firms, software companies, nonprofits, and government for consumers and financial planning pros. All but one of the six consumer calculators was free-and they had a lot of problems. For example, most of the free calculators do a poor job projecting your Social Security benefits. They also use questionable rate-of-return assumptions on investments. And they don't handle longevity questions or inflation very well.

One exception is ESPlanner, which was developed by Larry Kotlikoff, an economist at Boston University. There are free and premium versions of this tool available to consumers. Unlike many of the freebies, ESPlanner gathers more detailed data, and experts on this have indicated to me that it can give you a more reliable forecast. Outside of that, I wouldn't use the free tools for anything beyond getting a very general idea of where you stand with your retirement planning. Making a precise plan requires one of the more sophisticated software programs that you pay for, building your own spreadsheet or hiring a financial planner.

Did you find any of your own personal financial habits (or attitudes) changing as a result of writing this book?

Well, speaking of financial planners . . .The biggest change for me came from writing the chapter “How to Hire a Financial Adviser.” This chapter sorts through the alphabet soup of the myriad designations you can find for different types of advisers, and also the different ways that they are compensated. I'm in my mid-fifties, and my wife and I have been diligent retirement savers over the years–but we never really had a retirement plan. Writing this chapter pushed me into action, and we hired an adviser this year to help us build a plan. My research convinced me that the best way to go in this area is to hire a fee-only planner. Unlike advisers who work on commission, fee-only advisers aren't registered reps for any particular financial services company. Usually, they are self-employed Registered Investment Advisers or work for a firm of independent planners. You pay all the fees, but the planner has no bias toward any one product or solution. I've been really pleased with the process, and it's given me much more confidence that we can meet our goals.

Which was your favorite chapter to write and why?

I had the most fun writing the chapter titled “Making a Difference: Encore Careers.” It examines how mid-life Americans are reinventing their careers with a social purpose in mind. The Encore Career concept comes from Civic Ventures, a not-for-profit think tank and incubator for social entrepreneurship co-founded by Marc Freedman and John Gardner in the late 1990s. Gardner, who died in 2002 at age 89, was a visionary thinker and leader on civic engagement, civil rights, and social reform. He wrote extensively on leadership and self-renewal, and he co founded Experience Corps, the national organization that promotes and enables volunteer work for older Americans. Freedman is one of the country's leading thinkers on how Americans can redefine the second half of life with a sense of social and individual renewal.

This chapter was really fun to write because I had a chance to interview and profile a number of people who have created Encore Careers for themselves–an aerospace exec who transitioned to teaching in gang-ridden Los Angles high school, an auditor who went to work for the IRS, and a college teacher who now runs a non-profit that helps refugee immigrants adjust to life in the U.S. I found their stories fascinating and inspiring. I also really enjoyed writing the chapters on doing volunteer work and lifelong learning for similar reasons–I really love telling the stories of people who are taking action and getting things done!

If you could give a woman in her 30s or 40s just one piece of “retirement advice” what would you say?

I'd urge younger women to confront the fact that they are greater risk of retirement insecurity than men–and take steps to fight back. Unfortunately–and outrageously–women earn less over the course of their lifetimes than men. That reduces their contributions to Social Security and retirement savings plans. Caregiving for aged parents or children often interrupts their careers. And women are less comfortable dealing with their finances than men, which makes them more conservative investors at a younger age–at a time when they should be investing aggressively.

Even for middle-class or affluent women, the risks are high. Single elderly women are the largest segment of Americans living in poverty. In 2007, 20.5 percent of unmarried women age 65 and older had income below 100 percent of the federal government's definition of poverty–far higher than rates experienced by men or married couples, according to Census Bureau data. I urge younger women to get educated about retirement security, and to build a plan at the earliest possible date. When you're job-hunting, be sure to pay attention to retirement benefits, and crank that into your decision-making about what job to accept. It's also important to start saving for retirement at the earliest possible date, either in a tax-deferred account like a 401(k) or a Roth IRA. I think Roths can be especially beneficial for younger investors.

Finally, focus on debt management, not just investing! In particular, try to avoid building up big credit card balances, because they can eat even the best retirement plan alive.

How do you plan to spend your retirement?

I don't anticipate having a traditional retirement. I hope to do a mixture of work and leisure as long as possible. I'm already in my own Encore Career, which should make that possible–after working for years at large media companies, I'm now an independent writer, and I also do some consulting work helping non-profit organizations with their online strategies and websites. When I decide that I want more down time, I expect to simply adjust that mix. My areas of interest outside of work include distance bicycling, tennis, playing guitar, traveling and doing volunteer work in the non-profit sector.

To read a sample chapter of The Hard Times Guide to Retirement, CLICK HERE. To get more wisdom from Mark, follow him on Twitter at @RetireRevised

penis enlargement

Love — it's been written about my psychologists, admired by artists, philosophized about by mystics and hated by singles every February 14th. This thing called Love runs our world. Everything we do revolves around Love.

From my Western male point of view, I make money to be able to one day provide for a family and to experience Love. The way I make money is by doing what I love and I love inspiring people. I love giving. I love seeing myself and friends succeed! Love makes my world go round.

On my journey to experience Love in my life I've created two outlets to express the lessons I've learned about Love. An apparel company called Love Yourself and blog called The Daily Love. When I first stepped out of “fearing” (the opposite of loving) and into attempting to Love, the first insight I had was that it would be impossible for me to love others until I loved myself — and then quickly found this corroborated by many other sources (both human and “divine”). The next step on my journey was to express what I was learning about myself everyday as a part of loving myself which manifested as The Daily Love. It's sort of my way of journaling what I'm learning out loud. And after learning about loving myself and expressing that journey through a blog a wonderful thing happened — I found out I wasn't alone.

Now that I have experienced success with both of my businesses and met some internal goals, I still feel that love is lacking in my life. I'm left with the question “where's the love?”

I recently attended a “love” seminar by “love expert” Pat Allen that dramatically changed my life. I asked her how I could go from being a normal 28 year old guy “exploring dating” to a “real man” in a committed relationship. I've always longed for a girlfriend (and eventually a family), but they always ended up being “girls” that were my “friends”. I was always in the friend zone — you know — “that” guy.

Her answer was simple, yet profound. She told me that biologically a man knows where he is going and the right woman will come with him. She also told me to promise not to sleep with a woman until I decided I only want to be with her.

This was terrifying. This meant I had to risk rejection and entrapment. Looking at my life through Pat's eyes I realized two things. One — my standards had to go way up! And two — I needed to take responsibility for my life. And in that, to me, lies the key to love.

Realizing that my evolution required that I loved myself enough to choose a better woman and to make that choice seriously meant I had to become more. Not only with women, but with all my relationships. I had to love myself enough to say “no” to the good and leave room for the “great”. To not let my emotions run me, but to let my awareness guide my emotions.

To me, this is the key to true love. Until you are the true love of your life and you commit to that change, the outside world will not reflect true love back to you.

True love was asking me to step up. And I did. I faced the fears of rejection and entrapment and to my surprise I've been met with amazing new opportunities both personally and professionally.

I was so busy making low level choices and fearing responsibility that Love eluded me. Love was asking me to take it seriously. When I finally did, it took me seriously, too.

The most common personal finance question I'm hearing from people of a surprising array of ages is this: “Is it possible for my golden years… to really be golden?”

The one, two, three punch of the housing, stock, and job markets has left millions reeling. Thankfully, there is some good news. And here to deliver it is Mark Miller, author of the newly released book, The Hard Times Guide to Retirement.

Mark, what prompted you to write The Hard Times Guide to Retirement?

I've been covering retirement and aging for more than five years. Before the economy crashed, I was struck often by the lack of planning, preparation and thought that my generation–baby boom boomers–has given to retirement. Now, the Great Recession has made the planning gap much more critical. I wrote the book hoping to give people looking ahead to the next part of their lives the first examination of retirement issues in the post-crash economy. I wanted to show how strategies for money, work and living can be interwoven and leveraged for retirement security-even in tough times. I also hope to help readers boost their retirement I.Q.s by showcasing the best thinking I've been able to find in my reporting on retirement and aging.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in researching this book on retirement?

One of my major themes is that the traditional notion of retirement–hanging it up at age 65–will be discarded, and not only for economic reasons. But I was surprised–and really amused–to learn where that notion of age 65 came from. Otto Von Bismarck, the chancellor of Germany, started the first system of social security in the 19th Century. He initially set the German retirement age at 70, and later adjusted it to 65. When FDR started the American Social Security system in the 1930s, he looked to the German program as a model. That's where the idea of retirement at age 65 got its start, and it has stuck with us ever since. Of course, people didn't live nearly as long then as they do now, and 65 has really become somewhat irrelevant, I think.

If a reader could just take away one concept from The Hard Times Guide to Retirement, what would you want that to be?

There are no magic bullets or easy solutions to the problems we face with retirement security. But there are many solid ways to achieve a satisfying, secure retirement, even in difficult times. These aren't get-rich-quick investment gimmicks or schemes to make millions working part-time from your kitchen table. I think the best ideas focus on basic blocking and tackling–getting the most from the financial tools already at hand, and making smart decisions about work and lifestyle. Also, I want my readers to focus on the definition of retirement security. It's not just about what happens this year or next, but finding a way to reliably generate income to support a retirement that could well last 25 years or more for you or your spouse. Boomers are going to need to start focusing on what lies ahead–and get smarter about retirement–quickly!

What is your favorite free online retirement calculator?

Actually, I'm not a big fan of most free retirement calculators. A recent study by actuarial experts on retirement calculators shows that many of the free online tools have serious flaws that can lead to serious miscalculations when you're plotting your retirement. The Society of Actuaries analyzed 12 retirement calculators created by financial services firms, software companies, nonprofits, and government for consumers and financial planning pros. All but one of the six consumer calculators was free-and they had a lot of problems. For example, most of the free calculators do a poor job projecting your Social Security benefits. They also use questionable rate-of-return assumptions on investments. And they don't handle longevity questions or inflation very well.

One exception is ESPlanner, which was developed by Larry Kotlikoff, an economist at Boston University. There are free and premium versions of this tool available to consumers. Unlike many of the freebies, ESPlanner gathers more detailed data, and experts on this have indicated to me that it can give you a more reliable forecast. Outside of that, I wouldn't use the free tools for anything beyond getting a very general idea of where you stand with your retirement planning. Making a precise plan requires one of the more sophisticated software programs that you pay for, building your own spreadsheet or hiring a financial planner.

Did you find any of your own personal financial habits (or attitudes) changing as a result of writing this book?

Well, speaking of financial planners . . .The biggest change for me came from writing the chapter “How to Hire a Financial Adviser.” This chapter sorts through the alphabet soup of the myriad designations you can find for different types of advisers, and also the different ways that they are compensated. I'm in my mid-fifties, and my wife and I have been diligent retirement savers over the years–but we never really had a retirement plan. Writing this chapter pushed me into action, and we hired an adviser this year to help us build a plan. My research convinced me that the best way to go in this area is to hire a fee-only planner. Unlike advisers who work on commission, fee-only advisers aren't registered reps for any particular financial services company. Usually, they are self-employed Registered Investment Advisers or work for a firm of independent planners. You pay all the fees, but the planner has no bias toward any one product or solution. I've been really pleased with the process, and it's given me much more confidence that we can meet our goals.

Which was your favorite chapter to write and why?

I had the most fun writing the chapter titled “Making a Difference: Encore Careers.” It examines how mid-life Americans are reinventing their careers with a social purpose in mind. The Encore Career concept comes from Civic Ventures, a not-for-profit think tank and incubator for social entrepreneurship co-founded by Marc Freedman and John Gardner in the late 1990s. Gardner, who died in 2002 at age 89, was a visionary thinker and leader on civic engagement, civil rights, and social reform. He wrote extensively on leadership and self-renewal, and he co founded Experience Corps, the national organization that promotes and enables volunteer work for older Americans. Freedman is one of the country's leading thinkers on how Americans can redefine the second half of life with a sense of social and individual renewal.

This chapter was really fun to write because I had a chance to interview and profile a number of people who have created Encore Careers for themselves–an aerospace exec who transitioned to teaching in gang-ridden Los Angles high school, an auditor who went to work for the IRS, and a college teacher who now runs a non-profit that helps refugee immigrants adjust to life in the U.S. I found their stories fascinating and inspiring. I also really enjoyed writing the chapters on doing volunteer work and lifelong learning for similar reasons–I really love telling the stories of people who are taking action and getting things done!

If you could give a woman in her 30s or 40s just one piece of “retirement advice” what would you say?

I'd urge younger women to confront the fact that they are greater risk of retirement insecurity than men–and take steps to fight back. Unfortunately–and outrageously–women earn less over the course of their lifetimes than men. That reduces their contributions to Social Security and retirement savings plans. Caregiving for aged parents or children often interrupts their careers. And women are less comfortable dealing with their finances than men, which makes them more conservative investors at a younger age–at a time when they should be investing aggressively.

Even for middle-class or affluent women, the risks are high. Single elderly women are the largest segment of Americans living in poverty. In 2007, 20.5 percent of unmarried women age 65 and older had income below 100 percent of the federal government's definition of poverty–far higher than rates experienced by men or married couples, according to Census Bureau data. I urge younger women to get educated about retirement security, and to build a plan at the earliest possible date. When you're job-hunting, be sure to pay attention to retirement benefits, and crank that into your decision-making about what job to accept. It's also important to start saving for retirement at the earliest possible date, either in a tax-deferred account like a 401(k) or a Roth IRA. I think Roths can be especially beneficial for younger investors.

Finally, focus on debt management, not just investing! In particular, try to avoid building up big credit card balances, because they can eat even the best retirement plan alive.

How do you plan to spend your retirement?

I don't anticipate having a traditional retirement. I hope to do a mixture of work and leisure as long as possible. I'm already in my own Encore Career, which should make that possible–after working for years at large media companies, I'm now an independent writer, and I also do some consulting work helping non-profit organizations with their online strategies and websites. When I decide that I want more down time, I expect to simply adjust that mix. My areas of interest outside of work include distance bicycling, tennis, playing guitar, traveling and doing volunteer work in the non-profit sector.

To read a sample chapter of The Hard Times Guide to Retirement, CLICK HERE. To get more wisdom from Mark, follow him on Twitter at @RetireRevised

Artnet <b>News</b>: Super-Riches Fuel The Art Market – artnet Magazine

ARTNET NEWS. A few words about the super rich, plus some summer shows.

Kelly Guzman Survives 11 Days in Rocky Mountain Forest With No <b>…</b>

(June 23) — A woman whose day trip to the Rocky Mountains to clear her head turned into an 11-day ordeal survived in bear country with no food, medicine or shoes.\n.

Stabroek <b>News</b> – Education: The crisis of teacher education in <b>…</b>

Daily News, Sports, Business, Entertainment and more from Guyana.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) and Beef Checkoff taking credit for developing new products and building beef demand is as ridiculous as a company like BP claiming to promote the Gulf fishing industry.

I recently attended a gathering at a Five Star hotel in Colorado Springs. A lady sitting at my table looking at the filet on her plate, mostly uneaten, grumbled, “That's it, I'm not eating another steak in a restaurant.”

Why has the NCBA and the Beef checkoff ignored the drastic quality decline in commodity beef. The hormone/steroid implant programs have never been more aggressive, resulting in even less tender, less flavorful beef than years ago when it was documented that most steaks lacked sufficient tenderness. And now, in the interests of technology and drug company profits, we are feeding Optiflex and Zilmax (beta-agonists) to increase carcass weights, while reducing eating quality to new lows.

Tenderness problems caused by misguided production technology now require most commodity steaks to be blade and/or chemically tenderized. These pre-digestion techniques make the meat more chewable, but do not address the mealy mouth feel and lack of natural flavor. It also doesn't fix our inability to digest the tougher muscle fiber and the uncomfortable digestive feeling following the meal – made worse by the weight enhancing water solutions and chemical flavoring agents.

Yesterday, a woman in our meat market said she got sick eating store bought beef at her daughter's house. She informed her daughter she wouldn't be coming to dinner again if the meat didn't come from Ranch Foods Direct.

Per capita demand is decreasing at a fast pace as consumers react negatively to bad meat eating experiences. More consumers turn away as they become aware of the way livestock are treated in the abusive industrial food system. Last week, at an animal welfare symposium in Manhattan, Kansas, Temple Grandin related, “If you can't explain to people at a Barnes and Noble in New York City what you are doing and have them understand and accept it, you shouldn't be doing it.”

Zilmax, even more than Optiflex, DRASTICALLY reduces meat quality, makes cattle crazy, increases chances of respiratory distress, and damages joint health-thereby increasing the incidence of lameness. Zilmax is a clear indicator of how far these short-sighted profit driven corporations will go. Is this the kind of animal production we want? Is this the kind of beef we want to eat?

The top-down controlled NCBA and their packer/retailer partners will not change their direction willingly. Increased promotion (Beef, It's What's for Dinner) will not recover lost demand.
NCBA's long-range plan, financed with our checkoff dollars, is on track. Their goal of vertically integrating and industrializing the cattle and beef sectors using the chicken and hog models has, for the most part, been accomplished. NCBA, catering to their drug company board members, continues to push the use of growth promoting compounds and antibiotics. NCBA's meat packer board members will make sure the organization never supports restoring a fair market that is needed to provide a living income for producers.

Our industry, as we once knew it, no longer exists. The repair costs are going to be big. The longer we wait, the more costly it will be.

Maybe next time you're at a Barnes and Noble, you could explain to someone the benefits of eating Advanced Meat Recovery (AMR) beef and then ask them if that's what they really want for dinner.

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White House: Senator Kyl Not Telling Truth About Immigration <b>…</b>

White House officials challenged the veracity Monday of an account of a private conversation Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said he had with President Obama. Political Punch Blog.

Chinese Currency <b>News</b> Lifts Asian Stocks – DealBook Blog – NYTimes.com

China's weekend announcement of more flexibility for the renminbi triggered an across-the-board rally in Asian stock markets Monday as investors welcomed the political and economic implications of the announcement.

At Buffalo <b>News</b>, New Rules for Online Comments – Media Decoder <b>…</b>

In a significant step toward reigning in the largely unpoliced world of anonymous online commenting, The Buffalo News said that it will require all people who leave comments on its website to identify themselves.

“The U.S. health care system was already facing a shortage of approximately 150,000 doctors in the next decade or so, but thanks to the health care “reform” bill passed by Congress, that number could swell by several hundred thousand more Source: American Medical Association via thetruthwins.com”

The “source” was the AAMC, not the AMA. Your primary source, thetruthwins.com, states that the US “will likely face a shortage of as many as 150,000 doctors”, whereas the WSJ article it references states,
“At current graduation and training rates, the nation could face a shortage of as many as 150,000 doctors in the next 15 years, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.”
A minor grievance and semantics it may be, but “could” is hardly the same as “will likely”. However, the WSJ article cites the true cause of the shortage as the number of available resident positions, rather than the boom in newly covered patients, as the ultimate cause of doctor shortages.

“There is a shortage of medical resident positions…Teaching hospitals rely heavily on Medicare funding to pay for these slots. In 1997, Congress imposed a cap on funding for medical residencies, which hospitals say has increasingly hurt their ability to expand the number of positions.”

To imply that the latest health care reform bill is the straw that breaks the camel's back is to be less than truthful. It may increase the doctor to patient ratio, but the shortage will never be resolved until this resident bottleneck is addressed. Also, in your same source article on thetruthwins.com, the author plainly states, “According to a survey published in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly one-third of all practicing physicians in the United States may leave the medical profession because of the health care legislation that was just passed.” This is libel, at best. The NEJM is not responsible for the study, and the provided link points to yet another link, stating “the opinions expressed in the article linked to above represent those of The Medicus Firm only. That article does not represent the opinions of the New England Journal of Medicine or the Massachusetts Medical Society.” As an astute commenter on thetruthwins.com points out:

“That survey was reported on not published by the NEJM. Being published by them requires the survey to be peer reviewed, being reported requires it only be newsworthy. Reading the methodology of the study is has numerous problems the biggest being:
1. The sample wasn’t truly random.
2. There are no control questions.”

I'll add to that that the Medicus Firm, the company that conducted the study, ” highest quality permanent physician recruitment services to our clients.” Their clients being hospitals or other facilities in need of medical staffing. A conflict of interest, to be sure, as it would be in the Medicus Firm's best interest to present the worst case scenario. When the impending mass exodus of doctors from the medical field does occur, why not hire a”a physician search firm that can produce timely and impressive results without creating undue financial strain”? Why not hire Medicus? Internet journalism at it's finest.
An Ohio-based loan modification service disciplined in its home state a year ago now faces similar allegations from neighboring Indiana that it promised more than it delivered to save troubled homeowners from foreclosure.

The lawsuit filed against Foreclosure Assistance USA by the Indiana Attorney General alleges 600 Indiana residents signed contracts with the company. FA USA sent direct mail offers with specific foreclosure case information, claiming it could offer immediate assistance, the attorney general's office said.

In addition to deceptive practices, the suit claims the company further violated Indiana law by not providing a $25,000 surety bond — a sum of money given to a third party to back up a transaction if it falls through — to protect consumers for money-up-front services. A new law will go into effect July 1 requiring all foreclosure assistance operators to have a $25,000 surety bond on file with the state.

An attempt to reach FA USA at the number listed on their Better Business Bureau reliability report found the line disconnected.

In a similar case, the Federal Trade Commission placed a restraining order on New Jersey-based New Hope Property for collecting money on services not provided. The case found them owing $11.45 million in civil settlements to the state.

The FTC is cracking down on companies trying to take advantage of distressed homeowners by adding new defendants to its case against mortgage relief scammers.

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In an indication that the market is not where people would like it to be, ReachLocal cut the price of its IPO yesterday to below the midpoint of the range for the offering.

Reuters tells us

Internet marketing company ReachLocal Inc (RLOC.O) priced shares in its initial public offering 28 percent below the midpoint of the expected range on Wednesday, according to an underwriter.

The company, based in Woodland Hills, California, sold 4.17 million shares for $13 each, raising about $54.17 million. It had planned to sell shares for $17 to $19 each.

ReachLocal sells services to maximize the effectiveness of online advertising by small and medium businesses.

The initial filing from December of last year had ReachLocal looking to raise about $100 million.

ReachLocal is well known in the SMB world of Internet marketing. The responses to the service are all over the map with many loving it while an equal amount are looking for an escape route. This just underlines how difficult it is for the SMB’s of the world to get an effective foothold in Internet marketing. This is not an indictment of ReachLocal because there are others in the same space including Network Solutions that garner the same reactions from customers.

The lack of overall knowledge of Internet marketing techniques and just what is truly available to them hurts the SMB in general. As a result, they may decide to go with something that looks great in the sales process but in reality falls very short of expectations. By the way, SMB’s expectations of just what Internet marketing should automatically do for their business are often so unrealistic that no one will be able to prove successful enough for them. This disproportionate view of Internet marketing’s capabilities comes in part from being fed up with traditional marketing / advertising plays like the Yellow Pages and the Internet marketing industry itself saying that it is the savior of the SMB. Set the bar that high and your chances of consistent success decrease significantly.

Another piece of the trouble in the SMB Internet marketing space are slick sales efforts coupled with a real significant helping of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) on the part of the SMB makes for bad decisions and disappointed business owners.

And the final stumbling block with the SMB and Internet marketing services? Price points. In many cases, SMB’s simply don’t have the financial resources to put into Internet marketing. The available ‘budget’ they have for these services is so low that there is little chance of being able to hire an ‘expert’ that can truly help them through this maze. With an economy that is still limping along and the SMB space still feeling very unsure of the future this isn’t likely to change any time soon.

Maybe this whole cycle is why the ReachLocal IPO did not reach the goal of raising $100 million it hoped for originally. Every day there are more and more stories of the SMB wanting to be in the Internet marketing game but the barriers to entry are much higher than they are led to believe. What comes out of that scenario is skepticism and even higher demands for performance. This is a cycle for repeated failure that will take some doing to get out of for sure.

So what’s the SMB Internet marketing wannabe to do? What options would you offer to the business that is struggling to survive (other than promoting your own business here in the comment section)?

Social Media Monitoring in Just 60-Seconds. Guaranteed!

Did eating the KFC Double Down merely compromise your kidneys? Now you can finally push your digestive system over the edge. Introducing: McRibbles.

Check your calendar. Is it April 1st? It is not. This recently-leaked ad might still be a hoax, but at least we know it's not a seasonal prank. And if it is indeed a joke, it is a rather cruel one to play on the nation's McRib aficionados, who are at this very moment lost in reverie over the idea that they will soon be able to enjoy their boneless, bastardized meat in a more elegant manner befitting the finest hors d'oeuvres.

Sophistication aside, purists will raise the obvious question: Why complicate a classic? Of course, the glossy Photoshop gleam lends these bite-size porkish products an edible aesthetic, but consider the logistics of actual consumption. How is the average gourmand to enjoy these slathery nuggets without sustaining intolerably glutinous fingers? Perhaps they are served with cutlery, or a wet-nap. (And, hopefully, an antacid.)

Despite the surfeit of feverish Internet speculation, based solely on this one picture floating around the web, McDonald's has released no information about the McRibbles—a stark contrast to media blitz that preceded the introduction of the Double Down. But then the McRib has always cut a shadowy figure—mysterious in both its composition and its availability.

Since it first released the McRib in 1981, McDonald's has constantly confused the consumers who grew devoted to the product. Pulled from the market after poor sales, the McRib reared its saucy, pork-flavored head once again in 1994 as a promotional tie-in to the Flintstones movie (presumably at the request of John Goodman).

The ultimate tease came in 2005, where McDonalds launched a two-pronged marketing campaign—simultaneously staging a “McRib farewell tour” while acting as the organizers of an online “Save the McRib” campaign. Three subsequent McRib tours have satisfied/taunted America.

At least Shamrock Shake followers—another sect of McDonald's deranged cultists—can be assured of a Saint Patrick’s Day-centered release date. A quick chat with “AJ” on the McDonald's hotline yielded no such information about McRib or McRibbles. While the McRib tours happened last fall, the much-referenced McRib locator reports a McRib sighting in New York City as recently June 3rd—yes, this very day!

It is exactly this elusiveness that contributes to unparalleled McRib fanaticism. Does the readily-available Big Mac get this sort of devotion? (Well, maybe from this guy.) The McRib even achieved its apotheosis as an American cultural meme in 2003, when it was parodied on "The Simpsons."

It seems McDonald's has stumbled upon the greatest marketing tactic of all: turning its sandwich into an urban legend. Specialty items at other fast food chains—like the Chipotle Chicken/Asian Chicken at Wendy’s or, arguably, Burger King’s salads—are too easily accessible to generate mystique. Perhaps sensing the wisdom of McDonald's approach, Taco Bell only puts its Cheesy Gordita Crunch on the menu sporadically. (Spoiler alert: You can special order them!) Like Big Foot, McRib sightings are rare and its taste questionable.

Proponents of the McRib—and there are some—seem to enjoy the taste despite (because of?) its disturbing similarity to elementary school cafeteria fare. The hype machine behind the Double Down–KFC’s specialty item—might have generated a thousand “taste-and-reaction” videos across the blogosphere, but did any of those brave tasters have much more of a reaction than "I need water immediately"?

McRibbers, on the other hand, seem to genuinely enjoy the spongy meat-like product and the cloyingly sweet barbecue sauce in which it is draped. If these pint-sized McRibs are real and not an elaborate extension of the McRib viral campaign, will devoted McRibbers be willing to make the conversion from hand-held to McRibble? Given current consumer preferences, where products continually grow smaller to indicate innovation and complexity, it is quite possible that they will. Do keep in mind that we are talking about fast food, though: People want to shovel as much of that crap into themselves as cheaply as possible. Perhaps a super-sized bucket of McRibbles will prove a happy solution.

UPDATE: There appears to be a somewhat tragic resolution to this story.

Mary Shyne is a recent NYU graduate, Bushwick-based writer, and fast food connoisseur. She blogs here.

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MeeGo is a fast operating system for netbooks with a lot of great ideas, as I outlined in a recent article. It’s also very, very young so far as Linux distributions go. This can be exciting, because trying new things is always fun; it can also be frustrating, because you can’t get necessary programs working.

For me, necessary programs include Dropbox, Skype, TweetDeck and proprietary codecs. It took me the better part of my Memorial Day evening, but I’ve managed to get all those things working with a little help from the web. Let’s take a look.

1. How To Install Dropbox on Meego

Dropbox, to me, is the netbook killer app. Files I change on my desktop are automatically transferred to my netbook, making my netbook the perfect portable supplement to my desktop. What could be better?

MeeGo, however, does not include a simple way to install Dropbox. Getting it working is a bit of a challenge, but not impossible.

To start go to the Dropbox Linux download page and grab the Fedora x86 package. Then open up your Terminal (click “Applications” on the tray, then “System Tools,” then “Terminal.”) Type “cd Downloads” followed by “Enter” to change directories to the Downloads folder, and then type

“sudo yum localinstall nautilus-dropbox-0.6.2-1.fedora.i386.rpm”

(making sure, of course, that the version number in the command matches the version number of the file you’ve downloaded.) Just like that you’ve installed Dropbox.

You can open Dropbox whenever you want, and for most people it will work.

If you attempt to move the folder your Dropbox is located in, however, you’ll find that Dropbox crashes instantly. I did, and so did Bry who wrote about this struggle on Monday.

I eventually found a solution, however. Open the “.dropbox-dist” folder in your home foler (in Nautilus press Ctrl+H to reveal the hidden folders.) Simply delete the file “libdbus-glib-1.so.2” and you’ll find changing the location of your Dropbox now works perfectly.

Want to know why this works? Find an explanation here but be warned: it’s geeky stuff.

There’s one more thing you should do, or you’ll find that yum will stop working. Open up your Terminal again, then type “cd /etc/yum.repos.d/” followed by “sudo rm dropbox.repo“. This will remove the Dropbox repo automatically added when you installed Dropbox, which does not work on MeeGo.

2. How To Install Skype on Meego

I don’t have to get into the awesomeness of Skype; it’s been explained here before. Getting Skype working on MeeGo isn’t as easy on MeeGo as other distributions, but it can work — this post on the MeeGo forums explains everything.

Basically what you need to do is head over to the Skype Linux download page and install from the command line as explained in the Dropbox section above: “sudo yum localinstall skype-2.1.0.81-fc10.i586.rpm –nogpgcheck”

Note the added word, “–nogpgcheck“. The installation will not work without this, as Skype is not signed.

3. How To Get Adobe Air Apps Working on MeeGo

Try to install an Adobe Air app in MeeGo and you’ll quickly learn that the browser-based installation does not work. There is a way to get this working, but it’s a little bit of a hack. Go to the Adobe Air download page, then click “Download.” You’ll find the .bin file in your Download folder. Right-click it, then click “Properties.” In the “Permissions” tab click “Allow executing this file as a program.”

Open up the Terminal, then type “cd Downloads” and hit enter. Then type “./AdobeAIRInstaller.bin” to start the installation process.

Once you get this working you’ll notice that simple going to the Tweetdeck or the Times Reader website won’t work for installation; you’ll get find the following sad-face:

There’s a workaround: you need to download the .air files directly and install them using the Adobe Air Program Installer found in “Accessories” in the programs menu. Finding these direct .air downloads can be challenging, but not impossible. TweetDeck is here and Times Reader is here, and some Google-fu can probably help you find any other app you’re looking for.

After doing all this, I found that Flash no longer works in Chrome. There’s a simple fix for this: uninstall and re-install flash. Open a terminal and type “sudo yum remove flash-plugin” and hit enter. When this process is done type “sudo yum install flash-plugin” to re-install flash. You’ll find everything works after doing this.

4. How To Install Proprietary Codecs on Meego

I personally don’t use my netbook for much media, but if you do you’re going to want proprietary codecs. I tried to make everything in this guide as simple as possible, but there’s no easy way that I’ve found to set up MeeGo with proprietary codecs. You’ll find instructions for compiling all the codecs you could ever want at the MeeGo forums.

These instructions obviously aren’t for the faint of heart, but they work. If MeeGo is worth it to you than check them out and work your way through them, but I can’t find an easier way to explain to you how to get started.

Conclusion

None of these things are nearly so hard to do on other netbook systems, such as Ubuntu (which has pre-made packages for all these things) or Jolicloud (which allows for one-click installation of Adobe Air, Dropbox and Skype and also includes all codecs by default.) MeeGo, however, has a cool user interface and is very speedy. For now it’s possible to get MeeGo working with everything by using the guide above, but a much simpler solution would be a third-party repository containing all of these things.

If anyone reading this has the know-how to build such a repository I’d love to see that happen, and will be sure to give you exposure if you do so. If you’ve got any other things you’d like to see working on MeeGo I’d love to hear what they are in the comment below. I’d also love to hear about any help you need with the steps, or any easier methods you’d like to point out.

Congress went home last Friday for a ten day recess. After much “talk, talk, talk” about jobs, no jobs bill emerged from Capitol Hill for President Barack Obama to sign. And no Act of Congress now can alter the indelible impression left with jobless voters.

The die is cast. For the 31 million Americans idled in this Gravest Recession, the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately question has been answered: Not a damned thing.

Finally, congressional Democrats – and their Republican colleagues – have forged a bi-partisan alliance. Jobless voters despise them all. And their simmering anger at politicians in general and incumbents in particular is growing into an uncontrollable rage.

Are these political professionals worried? Apparently, not. How else can you explain their utter disdain for their unemployed and underemployed constituents?

Incumbents think that time is on their side, that November is a long way off. They think their war chests are more than adequate and can always be refilled. They think their other advantages – franked mail, automatic access to local news outlets, a litany of local pork projects, government funded constituent services, and gerrymandered districts – will protect them. And they think that working voters are their ace in the hole.

As morally reprehensible and cynical as that last thought may be, pitting jobless voters against working voters is not a novel strategy. “It's Morning in America” was a graphic way to ignore the millions of unemployed in 1984. And, from a purely mathematical standpoint, it makes some sense. With unemployment at 9.9 percent, ten times more Americans are working than are jobless.

Professional politicians really only care about who turns out on Election Day. If you are not registered to vote or you have a history of voting infrequently, you do not exist. In midterm elections, when the surge voters in presidential elections stay home, the pro's focus almost entirely on those they know are turning out. And they're convinced that the unemployed are less likely to vote than working voters.

In fact, the United States Census Bureau did a study that reinforces that conviction. Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2006 reported that 69 percent of the employed were registered to vote but only 53.9 percent of the unemployed were. It also reported that 70 percent of working voters turned out while only 58 percent of jobless voters did.

There's only one problem with relying on the Census Bureau's Voting and Registration study. It focused on the 2006 midterm elections when the total unemployed was 6.2 million, the unemployment rate was 4.6 percent and only 1.7 million of the unemployed voted.

Today, the official unemployment rate is 9.9 percent – more than 200 percent higher than in 2006. The official number of unemployed is 15 million – nearly two and one half times what it was in 2006. And incumbents know that those “official” numbers are off by a country mile.

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 30 million Americans who are unemployed, who work part-time involuntarily or who have looked for a job in the past year but could not find one. That's five times the number of unemployed in the Census Bureau study.

Moreover, it would be foolhardy to apply the Census Bureau's 53 percent registration figure or that 58 percent turnout number from 2006. The jobless are not living in an era of full employment. They are caught in the Gravest Recession since the Great Depression.

Today's jobless have college degrees, have (or had) home mortgages, and have years of experience in the workforce. Many held management positions. Most were highly skilled. And they are far more likely to have registered to vote, particularly given the surge in voter registration during the 2008 presidential campaign, than the structurally unemployed of 2006. So, registration levels should be the same for jobless and working voters.

Incumbents might argue that the hopelessness and lower self-esteem associated with long-term unemployment depresses turnout. They are whistling past the graveyard. The jobless have far more reason now to go vote than working voters do. Their rage is bipartisan and they know who has screwed them over.

First in Pennsylvania and now in South Carolina, Ur Union of Unemployed (UCubed) purchased cable TV spots aimed at the jobless. Imagery of a screw being driven as the faces of unemployed workers flash on the screen is compelling. The ad ends with the announcer saying, “Now it's our turn to turn the screws. With our votes we can put America back to work.”

Where it ran in Pennsylvania, the UCubed ad helped boost turnout. York, Dauphin and Lancaster counties saw voter turnout between 17 and 22 percent higher than in the last contested midterm primary. Where it did not run – for example, in Erie, Westmoreland and Montgomery counties – turn out was down 8 to 13 percent from the 2002 contest between Ed Rendell and Bob Casey. And it only took 1,000 spots in Pennsylvania to disprove the idea that the jobless are going to sit out this election.

In South Carolina, the “official” unemployment rate was 12.2 percent in March. Four counties had “official” rates in excess of 19 percent. And yet, discussion about jobs has ceased as prurient rumors run rampant in the Palmetto State.

Perhaps, the UCubed ad can persuade working voters and jobless voters alike who really is getting screwed over. If so, incumbents better take note. Their careers, just like their affairs, will take a back seat to what really matters this year: getting Americans back to work.

Rick Sloan is Director of Communications of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and Acting Executive Director of “Ur Union of Unemployed”. Ur Union of Unemployed, or UCubed, is a community service project of the IAM that offers the unemployed a way to work together to help end the Great Recession of 2007.

bmaryqj

Using a sitter for children while working at home is a personal choice but there are a few factors to consider before making the decision. Two of the major factors that play into this decision are the age of the child and the type of work at home job that you have.

Is your child easily entertained or constantly clamoring for attention?
A child that is capable of entertaining themselves for short periods of time will obviously make working at home much easier than one that is in constant need of your attention. The longer your child is able to play independently, the less likely you are to need a sitter while working at home. The need for a sitter can also depend upon the kind of work that you do from home and the length of time that you need to work on a daily basis. Being able to break your work into short increments intermixed with interaction with your child will make the day go much smoother.

What is the age of the child?
Infants sleep so much during the day that hiring a babysitter while working at home is typically not necessary. As the baby grows, more attention must be paid as they start to explore. It only takes a second for a small child to put themselves in harm's way. Hiring a part-time sitter while you work at home may often be a good idea as your child becomes more mobile.

These are just some of the factors that need to be considered before deciding if you need a babysitter while working from home. The decision could come down to the original purpose of working from home. Are you working at home to avoid the expense of daycare out of the home or are you a stay at home mother that is simply earning some extra spending money?

There are several things that you can do to avoid hiring a sitter while you work at home even if you have the most active of children.

While it may not be a popular opinion, “Dora” can be great in moderation. If using the television to entertain your child for short periods is not what you had in mind, roll out some craft paper and see how long your budding Picaso will stay entertained. I would recommend giving new ideas a test run on a Saturday to see how long they will keep the attention of your child.

By being prepared and having a variety of activities planned for your child, you are much more likely to have a more productive day than trying to work as the day allows. If your work at home job requires a quiet environment or set hours, it is probably best to have a sitter come in for a few hours so that you are able to work quietly.

According to Section 3210(e), the CLASS insurance programs can start selling policies on January 1, 2011. Since the vesting period for benefits is five years (Section 3203(1)(B)), the first payments from the CLASS program for medical benefits will start on January 1, 2016. This mismatch in revenues and expenses due to the start-up of the program is why Foster estimates that the CLASS program will lead to a net savings in federal spending over the ten fiscal years ending in 2019 of approximately 38 billion dollars. Before I go on, it's worth noting that in the CBO report (see page 11) on Obamacare from December 19, 2009, this same mismatch led the CBO to conclude that the CLASS program would reduce the federal deficit by $72 billion over the same ten-year period. This $72 billion represents over half of the CBO's estimate of a $132 billion reduction in the federal deficit that Obama and his cohorts bragged about ad nauseam.

With the news that Fox Business Network had canceled its show-in-a-bar Happy Hour, the network needed a 5pmET replacement.

It has found it in new hire Gerri Willis, whose The Willis Report debuts June 7.

Willis came over from CNN in March, and has appeared on several programs on FBN as well as Fox News. Her new show will “feature a breakdown of the day’s top stories and how they impact the American taxpayer,” according to the FBN release. The news was first reported here.

No word yet on the fates of Eric Bolling, Rebecca Diamond and Cody Willard, the former Happy Hour hosts.

Here’s the full FBN release:

FOX Business Network (FBN) will debut a new daytime program hosted by Gerri Willis on Monday, June 7th, announced Kevin Magee, Executive Vice President of the network. The Willis Report will appear weekdays at 5 PM/ET and feature a breakdown of the day’s top stories and how they impact the American taxpayer.

In making the announcement Magee said, “Gerri Willis’ insights on personal finance issues are unparalleled and we’re very excited to add this consumer-focused show to our weekday lineup.”

FOX News and FOX Business Chairman & CEO Roger Ailes, who hired Willis from CNN in March, added, “Gerri brings a fresh, no-nonsense approach to complicated financial issues and her new program will be a clear reflection of that.”

Joined by a different panel of experts each afternoon, Willis will dissect the news of the day and explain its bottom line effects on the wallets of everyday Americans. The program will also examine the latest scams, hidden fees and other ways companies take advantage of consumers.

Willis added, “I am thrilled to have a platform where I can help consumers understand this ever-changing economy and provide them with the tools to manage their financial future.”

The new program will take the place of Happy Hour, which will end its run on Friday, June 4th.

FOX Business Network (FBN) is a financial news channel delivering real-time information across all platforms that impact both Main Street and Wall Street. Headquartered in New York—the business capital of the world—FBN launched in October 2007 under the leadership of FOX News Chairman & CEO Roger Ailes and is now available in more than 50 million homes in major markets across the United States. Owned by News Corp, the network has bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, DC and London. On the web at www.foxbusiness.com

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In a scene I fully expect to play out in hundreds of cities across the nation, all related to extravagant union contracts, the City of Fresno Declares Fiscal Emergency

The city of Fresno is facing a $30.6 million budget shortfall and the mayor announced she wants to cut hundreds of city jobs. Mayor Ashley Swearengin says 225 jobs will be eliminated and 81 vacancies will go unfilled. It means roughly one out of every 12 city workers will be let go. At a news conference Monday, Swearengin says the city is in a state of “fiscal emergency.”

In addition to the cuts, outsourcing city services to the private sector and charging a franchise fee is a big part of her plan. In return the city would receive millions of dollars in revenue.

Mayor Swearengin said the fiscal emergency declaration, which will be presented to City Council Thursday for approval, is necessary to allow the City to use its emergency reserves to help meet the daunting budget challenges by paying for one-time expenses related to budget cuts.

Franchising commercial solid waste operations

The franchising to private-owned service providers presents a number of potential benefits to the city, most notably franchise fee collection opportunities to benefit the City's General Fund and introduction of commercial solid waste service collection. The franchise fee could generate $2 million to $3 million annually to the General Fund.

Outsourcing park maintenance

The proposed budget includes funds for PARCS to continue to keep parks open and provide maintenance services but at dramatically reduced levels. The city is now working to determine if the quality and cost of the maintenance services can be improved by contracting with local landscaping companies to maintain parks and other green spaces in designated landscape areas.

“We're fundamentally changing the way that the City does business by focusing on essential public services – services that no other entity can provide – and making sure we're delivering them as efficiently as possible,” Mayor Swearengin said.

Wasted Emergency

As much as I applaud outsourcing ridiculously overpaid trash collectors and park maintenance crews, I have to say that Mayor Swearengin wimped out by wasting a golden opportunity to outsource the entire fire department as well.

Mayor Swearengin is cutting the edges Fresno's bloated budget, the core of which is police and fire salaries and benefits.

Mayor Swearengin claims “It's a budget with promise.” I claim the budget has no promise because she did not address the fundamental problem: police and fire contracts and pension promises that are out of control.

Mike “Mish” Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Remember The Alamo? Its time to blow that thang up.

by Eddie Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

Note: When each second round Playoff team bows out, we will feature a “Fix-a-Team” post, which identifies the team’s key strengths and weaknesses. Where are the opportunities to take this team to the next level and who are the key threats to their ascension? For my business colleagues, you will recognize this as a SWOT analysis. Today, we review the San Antonio Spurs.

In what is turning into a pandemic like what they were slanging on ‘The Wire,’ the almighty sweep hit the San Antonio Spurs first. If you would’ve asked me which series is most likely to not be a sweep, I easily pick Suns/Spurs. We all know the background; the Spurs have OWNED the Suns this decade. They’ve beaten them every way imaginable, they out-hustled them, they out-coached them, they out-cheated them (looking at you Robert Horry), and to have the Spurs fall on their proverbial backside in such a fashion is unimaginable.

With that being said, the season is over. You’ve got to move on to next year. How can the Spurs be fixed? I have an idea or two.

STRENGTHS
The “Big Three” of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker have been as solid of a core as the Association has ever seen. The Spurs have arguably one of the top-three coaches in the League in Gregg Popovich, and they have young talent in George Hill and DeJuan Blair. That brings some optimism to San Antonio. And the biggest strength of this team is their chemistry. They’ve been playing together for so long that it’s ridiculous.

WEAKNESSES
The problem of the “Big Three” is that they’ve been playing for an extremely long time. It has been eight years now (Ginobili came into the League in ‘02-03), and they are not getting any younger. When the ‘10-11 season starts, Duncan will be 34, Ginobili will be 33, and Parker will be 28. Plus, you’ve got to wonder how much spark Popovich is bringing to the bench nowadays. Bigger problem? How about cap space? Yeah, they don’t have any whatsoever. That horrendous signing of Richard Jefferson has them locked up with a core seven of: Duncan, Manu, Parker, RJ, McDyess, Hill, and Blair. Those seven players combined make up $66 million in payroll. The proposed ‘10-11 cap? $56 million. Yikes.

OPPORTUNITIES
Here’s where Spurs General Manager RC Buford earns his paycheck, because he’s already $10 million over the cap for next season and only has seven players guaranteed for next season. His team is horrendously old and got out-worked by the Phoenix Suns (kudos to the Suns for pulling off one of the biggest surprises of the season, but it’s still the Suns!). With that said, I have a couple of ideas that could change the outlook of the franchise. Some insane, but could potentially happen:

1. Do a Sign-and-Trade deal with Tony Parker to Atlanta for Joe Johnson – Parker’s six-year/$66 million contract is up after the ‘10-11 season and with a league lacking in available free agent point guards, Parker would be a quality catch. This becomes more realistic with the emergence of George Hill this season. Joe Johnson could be a great long term fit in San Antonio, and with his career careening into the abyss in Atlanta his value could be lessened just a bit. Playing in San Antonio would have him playing for a contender, something Atlanta’s proven they’re not ready to be at all. Giving up Parker would seem insane, but for as good as Parker is, he has flaws as well. Move him and see if you can upgrade. Atlanta’s been in serious need for a PG for years now, as the basketball gods are making them pay for passing on CP3 and Deron years ago. Parker would be a SIGNIFICANT upgrade.

2. Do a Sign-and-Trade deal with Tony Parker to Toronto for Chris Bosh – Similar premise as Joe Johnson, the difference would be more relatable to when David Robinson’s career was tapering off and Duncan was able to be a lead dog, 10 years ago. Bosh is a born and raised Texan (Lincoln HS, stand up) and San Antonio might not be a bad look for him. I think San Antonio’s biggest flaw was that Timmy can’t do it by himself anymore and that there is no real frontline depth behind him. Toronto would love to upgrade at PG after the failed experiment, known as Jose Calderon. Plus, it’s the most international team in the League; TP might enjoy himself in the T-Dot.

3. Sign A Deal with the Devil to get the No. 1 Pick – Even the devil might not sign that deal. Doesn’t hurt to at least call New Jersey and inquire about the inevitable No. 1 pick for John Wall right?

THREATS
Within their own division, we can somewhat predict improvement from Houston (Yao Ming returning plus the magic that is Daryl Morey), Memphis (pending what happens with Rudy Gay), and New Orleans (CP3 returning). The West will still be loaded, and with the “Summer of 2010” looming some of the Western powers are looking to make drastic improvements to their team. San Antonio is facing the similar closing window that Boston, Dallas, and Denver are looking at. Your players are getting older, no immediate ways to improve the team while others around you are getting better by the minute.

CONCLUSION
You’re going to see one of two things happen with the Spurs this off-season. Either San Antonio will be steadfast with their team and make minor tweaks to their engine, (finding better glue guys, drafting wisely, importing some of their foreign talent) or they’re going to make a drastic change in their personnel. Bringing in Bosh in a sign-and-trade to Toronto would change the entire game in the Alamo and would scare the living daylights out of any team preparing to face them in ‘10-11.

On a personal note, it’s kind of sad to see Timmy in the state he’s in now. He’s still very good, and I think he’s got some years left in him but…he’s almost in David Robinson mode for this team. If I’m RC Buford, I find a way to put Bosh next to Duncan and try to make a run for a title for 2010 and beyond.

Its time to make one last stand at the Alamo.

Eddie Maisonet is a freelance sports writer, blogger and big time hoops fan from Oklahoma who currently resides in Cincinnati. Keep up with Eddie at SLAMonline as well as his blog Ed The Sports Fan and on Twitter.

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The hardest part about getting into business is the startup capital that you need. Most businesses require a high initial investment that keeps many starting entrepreneurs from being able to get into business in the first place. But, the truly ingenious business ideas are the ones that allow for low startup costs and high potential income.

Looking at the many different franchise opportunities, you'll be able to begin to see what I mean. Subway seems to top the list of best franchise opportunity no matter which list is comparing it. That's because they have a great marketing package with a rather famous speaker who can boast of losing a massive amount of weight. New celebrities are joining the ranks and starting to do Subway commercials as well. That's why a Subway is bound to be successful.

But, look at the startup capital you are going to need to open a Subway for yourself! The franchise fee itself is $15,000. But, that's not all! That's just the surface. Your total investment can be as low as $75,000, but it can be as high as $220,000 to get started. And then there's the little unknown detail that is hardly advertised. A royalty of 8% is also charged for the right to have a Subway. For some people, it's not hard to come up with that initial investment money. But for most beginning entrepreneurs, that initial investment money takes them out of the running.

For as low as about $20,000, you can get started in a janitorial business that services office buildings. You'll only need as low as $8,600 for a franchise fee and then another $11,300 is about as low as you can go for the initial investment for all startup supplies and everything. That's much less than the $235,000 you would need for a Subway. But, even a janitorial service can cost a great deal to get into if you don't have that kind of money to start up with.

Why would it be that high to start a janitorial service? You would need your own transportation to bring your services to each office you have contracts with. You would also need some supplies, which might require some major equipment. Buffers and vacuums aren't cheap when you are talking about industrial strength equipment. Also, the chemicals and everything else you would need. Brooms, mops, mop buckets, paper towels, dusters…etc. You can cut corners on some of the supplies you would need. But, it would still add up in the long run.

An art workshop center is a very low cost proposition. Especially if you would be willing to cut all the corners you can to at least get it up and running. Starting an art workshop in your own home takes most of the overhead away. With as little as a few hundred dollars, you can have all the supplies you need. Your students can be required to bring their own. But if you take tuition before class begins, you can offer your students bonus supplies to get them started and you'll have the money to cover the expense.

Some franchise opportunities like Subway are sure bets if you have the money to get started and you are dedicated enough to stay from opening to close to grant your own success. Other franchise opportunities allow you to set your own hours and earn a high income potential while minimizing your effort like an art workshop. If you are serious about business, there will be plenty of opportunities come your way. Having a low startup cost versus high income potential will have you in business as soon as tomorrow compared to getting loans, acquiring supplies, acquiring equipment and all of the other hassles.

In a scene I fully expect to play out in hundreds of cities across the nation, all related to extravagant union contracts, the City of Fresno Declares Fiscal Emergency

The city of Fresno is facing a $30.6 million budget shortfall and the mayor announced she wants to cut hundreds of city jobs. Mayor Ashley Swearengin says 225 jobs will be eliminated and 81 vacancies will go unfilled. It means roughly one out of every 12 city workers will be let go. At a news conference Monday, Swearengin says the city is in a state of “fiscal emergency.”

In addition to the cuts, outsourcing city services to the private sector and charging a franchise fee is a big part of her plan. In return the city would receive millions of dollars in revenue.

Mayor Swearengin said the fiscal emergency declaration, which will be presented to City Council Thursday for approval, is necessary to allow the City to use its emergency reserves to help meet the daunting budget challenges by paying for one-time expenses related to budget cuts.

Franchising commercial solid waste operations

The franchising to private-owned service providers presents a number of potential benefits to the city, most notably franchise fee collection opportunities to benefit the City's General Fund and introduction of commercial solid waste service collection. The franchise fee could generate $2 million to $3 million annually to the General Fund.

Outsourcing park maintenance

The proposed budget includes funds for PARCS to continue to keep parks open and provide maintenance services but at dramatically reduced levels. The city is now working to determine if the quality and cost of the maintenance services can be improved by contracting with local landscaping companies to maintain parks and other green spaces in designated landscape areas.

“We're fundamentally changing the way that the City does business by focusing on essential public services – services that no other entity can provide – and making sure we're delivering them as efficiently as possible,” Mayor Swearengin said.

Wasted Emergency

As much as I applaud outsourcing ridiculously overpaid trash collectors and park maintenance crews, I have to say that Mayor Swearengin wimped out by wasting a golden opportunity to outsource the entire fire department as well.

Mayor Swearengin is cutting the edges Fresno's bloated budget, the core of which is police and fire salaries and benefits.

Mayor Swearengin claims “It's a budget with promise.” I claim the budget has no promise because she did not address the fundamental problem: police and fire contracts and pension promises that are out of control.

Mike “Mish” Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

Remember The Alamo? Its time to blow that thang up.

by Eddie Maisonet, III / @edthesportsfan

Note: When each second round Playoff team bows out, we will feature a “Fix-a-Team” post, which identifies the team’s key strengths and weaknesses. Where are the opportunities to take this team to the next level and who are the key threats to their ascension? For my business colleagues, you will recognize this as a SWOT analysis. Today, we review the San Antonio Spurs.

In what is turning into a pandemic like what they were slanging on ‘The Wire,’ the almighty sweep hit the San Antonio Spurs first. If you would’ve asked me which series is most likely to not be a sweep, I easily pick Suns/Spurs. We all know the background; the Spurs have OWNED the Suns this decade. They’ve beaten them every way imaginable, they out-hustled them, they out-coached them, they out-cheated them (looking at you Robert Horry), and to have the Spurs fall on their proverbial backside in such a fashion is unimaginable.

With that being said, the season is over. You’ve got to move on to next year. How can the Spurs be fixed? I have an idea or two.

STRENGTHS
The “Big Three” of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker have been as solid of a core as the Association has ever seen. The Spurs have arguably one of the top-three coaches in the League in Gregg Popovich, and they have young talent in George Hill and DeJuan Blair. That brings some optimism to San Antonio. And the biggest strength of this team is their chemistry. They’ve been playing together for so long that it’s ridiculous.

WEAKNESSES
The problem of the “Big Three” is that they’ve been playing for an extremely long time. It has been eight years now (Ginobili came into the League in ‘02-03), and they are not getting any younger. When the ‘10-11 season starts, Duncan will be 34, Ginobili will be 33, and Parker will be 28. Plus, you’ve got to wonder how much spark Popovich is bringing to the bench nowadays. Bigger problem? How about cap space? Yeah, they don’t have any whatsoever. That horrendous signing of Richard Jefferson has them locked up with a core seven of: Duncan, Manu, Parker, RJ, McDyess, Hill, and Blair. Those seven players combined make up $66 million in payroll. The proposed ‘10-11 cap? $56 million. Yikes.

OPPORTUNITIES
Here’s where Spurs General Manager RC Buford earns his paycheck, because he’s already $10 million over the cap for next season and only has seven players guaranteed for next season. His team is horrendously old and got out-worked by the Phoenix Suns (kudos to the Suns for pulling off one of the biggest surprises of the season, but it’s still the Suns!). With that said, I have a couple of ideas that could change the outlook of the franchise. Some insane, but could potentially happen:

1. Do a Sign-and-Trade deal with Tony Parker to Atlanta for Joe Johnson – Parker’s six-year/$66 million contract is up after the ‘10-11 season and with a league lacking in available free agent point guards, Parker would be a quality catch. This becomes more realistic with the emergence of George Hill this season. Joe Johnson could be a great long term fit in San Antonio, and with his career careening into the abyss in Atlanta his value could be lessened just a bit. Playing in San Antonio would have him playing for a contender, something Atlanta’s proven they’re not ready to be at all. Giving up Parker would seem insane, but for as good as Parker is, he has flaws as well. Move him and see if you can upgrade. Atlanta’s been in serious need for a PG for years now, as the basketball gods are making them pay for passing on CP3 and Deron years ago. Parker would be a SIGNIFICANT upgrade.

2. Do a Sign-and-Trade deal with Tony Parker to Toronto for Chris Bosh – Similar premise as Joe Johnson, the difference would be more relatable to when David Robinson’s career was tapering off and Duncan was able to be a lead dog, 10 years ago. Bosh is a born and raised Texan (Lincoln HS, stand up) and San Antonio might not be a bad look for him. I think San Antonio’s biggest flaw was that Timmy can’t do it by himself anymore and that there is no real frontline depth behind him. Toronto would love to upgrade at PG after the failed experiment, known as Jose Calderon. Plus, it’s the most international team in the League; TP might enjoy himself in the T-Dot.

3. Sign A Deal with the Devil to get the No. 1 Pick – Even the devil might not sign that deal. Doesn’t hurt to at least call New Jersey and inquire about the inevitable No. 1 pick for John Wall right?

THREATS
Within their own division, we can somewhat predict improvement from Houston (Yao Ming returning plus the magic that is Daryl Morey), Memphis (pending what happens with Rudy Gay), and New Orleans (CP3 returning). The West will still be loaded, and with the “Summer of 2010” looming some of the Western powers are looking to make drastic improvements to their team. San Antonio is facing the similar closing window that Boston, Dallas, and Denver are looking at. Your players are getting older, no immediate ways to improve the team while others around you are getting better by the minute.

CONCLUSION
You’re going to see one of two things happen with the Spurs this off-season. Either San Antonio will be steadfast with their team and make minor tweaks to their engine, (finding better glue guys, drafting wisely, importing some of their foreign talent) or they’re going to make a drastic change in their personnel. Bringing in Bosh in a sign-and-trade to Toronto would change the entire game in the Alamo and would scare the living daylights out of any team preparing to face them in ‘10-11.

On a personal note, it’s kind of sad to see Timmy in the state he’s in now. He’s still very good, and I think he’s got some years left in him but…he’s almost in David Robinson mode for this team. If I’m RC Buford, I find a way to put Bosh next to Duncan and try to make a run for a title for 2010 and beyond.

Its time to make one last stand at the Alamo.

Eddie Maisonet is a freelance sports writer, blogger and big time hoops fan from Oklahoma who currently resides in Cincinnati. Keep up with Eddie at SLAMonline as well as his blog Ed The Sports Fan and on Twitter.

One of the worst effects this will have is to further drain money from the public school system, which is funded through property taxes. As strapped homeowners appeal tax assessments, school districts will have far less reliable income. In better times, states could be counted on to pick up some of the slack, but they're in pretty bad shape themselves:

Highflying property prices drove the most-recent economic boom, and a collapse in real-estate values hammered it back down. Now, as the economy struggles to regain strength, real estate is expected to continue to act as a brake, rather than an accelerator.

Despite clear signs of revival in the larger economy, including upturns in manufacturing and consumer spending, the nation's market for homes and office buildings remains mired in foreclosures and oversupply. That imbalance will be worked out over time, but in the meantime, it is slowing the recovery in myriad ways.

Here's how it breaks down:

Less construction means fewer jobs. Construction is a big employer and one of the better-paid sectors for men who lack a college degree. The sector has shed 2.1 million jobs from its peak in March 2007 to April 2010. The 5.6 million construction jobs that are left comprise 4% of U.S. jobs, down from 6% when employment peaked in December 2007.

With the glut of houses, offices and malls already pressuring the real-estate market, many of these jobs will not come back for a while, putting added pressure on unemployment even as growth resumes.

Indeed, construction spending is running 13% below its year-ago level and about 25% below the boom-year peak.

Home owners who once felt rich are feeling poorer. Throughout the boom, consumers used their home equity to borrow and spend as they watched housing prices soar. The ratio of dollars taken out of homes to total personal income—a gauge of how much consumers are pulling out of their homes relative to how much they make in wages and other income—fell the last three quarters of 2009. During the boom years, that ratio got as high as 9% nationwide, according to Moody's Analytics.

While real-estate prices have stabilized, they are unlikely to regain prerecession values for years. That has left many consumers with a pile of debt but not much home equity to be used for investment or spending, a big reason why economists believe recent gains in consumer spending aren't sustainable.

“The housing market, since it was the epicenter of the crisis, is also central to the feeble recovery,” says Ethan Harris, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Small businesses aren't borrowing as much. While bigger companies can access the now-recovered market for bonds and other debt, many smaller companies—which are key job generators—use the value of their own property to secure bank loans. As the value of those holdings has fallen, so too has their ability to get loans, crimping investment and hiring at a time when the recovery is gaining steam.

Some 49% of small businesses own at least part of the commercial buildings in which they are located, and the majority of them have mortgages, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. But as real-estate values have fallen, so has this source of equity, limiting how much a bank can lend them.

U.S. nonfinancial companies had $6.3 trillion in real-estate assets at the end of 2009, down 33% from 2007, according to the Federal Reserve. That drop is a big reason why corporations' total net worth fell to $12.9 trillion from $15.9 trillion over the same period.

With the value of collateral so depressed “the ability for many small employers to borrow will be constrained precisely as sales begin to strengthen and new investments are warranted,” wrote the National Federation of Independent Business in a recent report on small-business credit conditions.

Lower real-estate values translate into lower property taxes, crimping government spending. State and local governments employ 20 million police officers, teachers and other employees, roughly 15% of the work force and more than in all of manufacturing. But much of the money to provide services and pay employees comes from property taxes, which depend on property values. Even as the economy and job market recover, local governments are cutting employees as they grapple with the worst budget deficits in a generation.

Property taxes continued to grow through the recession and recovery, in part because local governments calculate the levy based on property assessments that are often years old. Property taxes grew 5.7% to $170 billion in the last three months of 2009 versus the same period in 2008. That won't last as tax assessments catch up with reality.

One of the worst effects this will have is to further drain money from the public school system, which is funded through property taxes. As strapped homeowners appeal tax assessments, school districts will have far less reliable income. In better times, states could be counted on to pick up some of the slack, but they're in pretty bad shape themselves:

Highflying property prices drove the most-recent economic boom, and a collapse in real-estate values hammered it back down. Now, as the economy struggles to regain strength, real estate is expected to continue to act as a brake, rather than an accelerator.

Despite clear signs of revival in the larger economy, including upturns in manufacturing and consumer spending, the nation's market for homes and office buildings remains mired in foreclosures and oversupply. That imbalance will be worked out over time, but in the meantime, it is slowing the recovery in myriad ways.

Here's how it breaks down:

Less construction means fewer jobs. Construction is a big employer and one of the better-paid sectors for men who lack a college degree. The sector has shed 2.1 million jobs from its peak in March 2007 to April 2010. The 5.6 million construction jobs that are left comprise 4% of U.S. jobs, down from 6% when employment peaked in December 2007.

With the glut of houses, offices and malls already pressuring the real-estate market, many of these jobs will not come back for a while, putting added pressure on unemployment even as growth resumes.

Indeed, construction spending is running 13% below its year-ago level and about 25% below the boom-year peak.

Home owners who once felt rich are feeling poorer. Throughout the boom, consumers used their home equity to borrow and spend as they watched housing prices soar. The ratio of dollars taken out of homes to total personal income—a gauge of how much consumers are pulling out of their homes relative to how much they make in wages and other income—fell the last three quarters of 2009. During the boom years, that ratio got as high as 9% nationwide, according to Moody's Analytics.

While real-estate prices have stabilized, they are unlikely to regain prerecession values for years. That has left many consumers with a pile of debt but not much home equity to be used for investment or spending, a big reason why economists believe recent gains in consumer spending aren't sustainable.

“The housing market, since it was the epicenter of the crisis, is also central to the feeble recovery,” says Ethan Harris, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Small businesses aren't borrowing as much. While bigger companies can access the now-recovered market for bonds and other debt, many smaller companies—which are key job generators—use the value of their own property to secure bank loans. As the value of those holdings has fallen, so too has their ability to get loans, crimping investment and hiring at a time when the recovery is gaining steam.

Some 49% of small businesses own at least part of the commercial buildings in which they are located, and the majority of them have mortgages, according to the National Federation of Independent Business. But as real-estate values have fallen, so has this source of equity, limiting how much a bank can lend them.

U.S. nonfinancial companies had $6.3 trillion in real-estate assets at the end of 2009, down 33% from 2007, according to the Federal Reserve. That drop is a big reason why corporations' total net worth fell to $12.9 trillion from $15.9 trillion over the same period.

With the value of collateral so depressed “the ability for many small employers to borrow will be constrained precisely as sales begin to strengthen and new investments are warranted,” wrote the National Federation of Independent Business in a recent report on small-business credit conditions.

Lower real-estate values translate into lower property taxes, crimping government spending. State and local governments employ 20 million police officers, teachers and other employees, roughly 15% of the work force and more than in all of manufacturing. But much of the money to provide services and pay employees comes from property taxes, which depend on property values. Even as the economy and job market recover, local governments are cutting employees as they grapple with the worst budget deficits in a generation.

Property taxes continued to grow through the recession and recovery, in part because local governments calculate the levy based on property assessments that are often years old. Property taxes grew 5.7% to $170 billion in the last three months of 2009 versus the same period in 2008. That won't last as tax assessments catch up with reality.

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Real estate is one of the prime investment opportunities that are available in Australia. This is one such business area where foreign investors too are welcome with open arms. With a land mass comparable to that of the United States, Australia has huge areas where the land is undeveloped. Single family homes, farm/rural properties, various commercial opportunities and multiple-unit development projects all have contributed towards making Australia a much-sought after place for real estate investment.

There are several companies in the country that are presently engaged in activities regarding renting, managing, selling, purchasing or valuing of real estates. The selling process is executed through auction or private treaty. Suncorp-Metway Ltd, LPI (Australia) Holdings Pty Limited, Colliers International Holdings (Australia) Limited and Futuris Corporation are regarded as the top players in the real estate industry. Broking services, conveyancing, agency services, auctioning, management, title transfer, title searching, valuing and time share apartment managing services are primarily offered by these companies.

As per the industry reports of 2005, revenue of around $229,506 million was earned from the real estate industry in Australia. By the end of that year, there were approximately 260 establishments whereas the number of enterprises was around 220. Over 190,050 people were employed in the real estate industry by 2005.

Large franchise groups, consisting of real estate agents, mostly dominate real estate within Australia. In order to smooth the process of their property transactions and inquiries, buyers and sellers basically depend on the real estate agents. The agents resort to mainly print media and the Internet to advertise properties that are for rent or sale. www.realestate.com.au and www.domain.com.au are the 2 biggest Internet property portals of Australia. Each month, the 2 websites claim more than 3,700,000 and 2,000,000 visitors respectively. Various franchise groups, for instance www.realestateview.com.au are known for managing their own independent portals. Buxton Real Estate, a medium-sized franchise located in Melbourne, takes pride of creating buxton.mobi, the first real estate orientated .mobi site in this country.

While Americans from Wall Street to Main Street focus on much-needed financial reforms that will set and enforce clear rules across the financial marketplace, we also need to recognize that most Americans don't have the knowledge and skills they need to make the right financial decisions for themselves and their families.

Last year, the FINRA Investor Education Foundation's National Financial Capability Study, conducted in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, found that too many Americans are giving away their hard-earned dollars to bank and credit card fees. Most don't maintain a rainy-day fund for emergencies.

Few are able to perform basic interest calculations necessary to compare the cost of a loan or to figure out how much to try to save. On just about all measures, the study found young adults are the least money-savvy.

In December, the administration announced the National Financial Capability Challenge, a partnership between the Departments of Treasury and Education focused on promoting financial education among high school students and assessing their knowledge of personal finance. The results are in. More than 2,500 teachers and 76,000 students in all 50 states participated in the voluntary exam, which shows interest is strong. But the scores were disappointing. The average student is just squeaking by with 70% correct. Students failed to answer basic questions about credit cards, car insurance, and compound interest. This shows we have a lot of work to do.

Luckily we have important models to follow. For example, at Stonewall Jackson High School in Manassas, VA, teacher Terri Carson helps students manage the student-run credit union and includes a financial literacy boot camp in all her classes. She had over 100 students take the Challenge. Over half of them scored in the top 20% nationally; 17 had perfect scores. Those results are commendable, and Carson is working to replicate them. She is hoping to work with her school and the Prince William County School District to make sure that all students demonstrate a basic understanding of personal finance in order to graduate.

Today we are recognizing Carson and many teachers and students who participated in the National Financial Capability Challenge, for their commitment to financial education. We hope to see more locally driven efforts to make youth financial education a priority in schools across the country. At the same time, we'll be doing our part at the federal level. In our schools, we will promote a well-rounded education that includes financial literacy. We will give consumers the information and education they need to make smart financial choices. And we will work to provide all American families with access to the bank accounts they need to manage their daily finances.

The agenda is clear. Let's pass serious financial reform. Let's promote financial access. And at the same time, let's make sure that we are providing all Americans — especially our youth — with the financial education they need to succeed in this increasingly complex, fast-moving economy. Their futures — and ours — depend on it.

Timothy Geithner is the current U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Arne Duncan is the current Secretary of Education. And Valerie Jarrett is an Obama White House Senior Advisor.

On average, 1.5 million people graduate from college every year in the US. In our current environment, many of these recent graduates are struggling to pay down their credit card debt and student loans, searching for jobs and trying to desperately to figure out how to gain financial independence. According to a recent study by Sallie Mae, college seniors graduate with an average of $4,138 in credit card debt, up 44% from 2004. Further research shows that people in the 18 to 24 age bracket spend nearly 30% of their monthly income just on debt repayment. (A recommended amount for debt obligation stands at 10% of net income.) If that doesn't strike a chord, the number of 18 to 24-year-olds declaring bankruptcy has increased 96% in 10 years. As our nation strives to find solutions for the dire state of the economy, many recent graduates attempt to find solutions for their financial burdens without any educational background in personal finance. If we can bring financial education to the 1.5 million people who graduate each year in debt, we could prevent them from making future financial mistakes and empower them with greater financial well being. Then, I believe, we will have found a solution for their financial problems and a great way to improve our current economy.

Without any formal personal finance instruction in our high school or college curricula, many college seniors who graduate in the red will continue to make common financial mistakes that only exacerbate their debt burdens. To illustrate this problem, consider the following example. Take Jane. Jane has just graduated college with $3,000 in credit card debt and $20,000 in student loans. She hopes that with her new job in the big City and a steady income, she can pay down her debt slowly over time. Due to the economic downturn however, Jane loses her job. Now, without any stream of income, Jane can barely pay her monthly rent and cannot afford to pay down her debt. With eighteen percent APR, Jane's credit card debt is quickly increasing. Unaware of the implications of mounting debt payments on her credit score and future financial health, Jane is not only in big trouble but must continue to live on credit in order to get by.

Unfortunately, it appears this Jane example is not a rare one! Without any formal personal finance education or trustworthy resources to tell them otherwise, the majority of people in the 18 to 24 year old age bracket do not know how to use credit effectively, tackle debt or make wise decisions when it comes to spending. In the 2009 study of undergraduate credit card spending by Sallie Mae, the majority of undergraduates students polled reported they lived beyond their means and eighty-two percent carried balances and incurred finance charges each month. Interestingly enough, eighty-four percent think they needed more education on financial management topics to better manage their finances. I believe we can positively affect these young individuals' financial well being and in effect, the future state of the economy by providing them with access to basic, trustworthy personal finance education.

By teaching twenty-somethings year olds responsible debt management practices, we can help them create a balanced lifestyle and find peace of mind through increased financial awareness, smart saving and long-term investing. As a result, we can create a new generation that is both financially savvy and financially positive – a generation financially empowered to take on the future. Obama – how's that for food for thought?!

As a twenty something year old trying to master my own personal finances, I am intimately aware of the lack of educational resources focused on personal finance. As an entrepreneur, I want to do something about it. For the past two years, I have dedicated my time and energy to building a Company that offers a solution for young people and the nation at large by way of trustworthy personal finance education. LearnVest provides women with the necessary tools and resources to manage their personal finances; it's core mission, to positively contribute to society through education and ultimately, the promotion of self-sufficient and financially aware women. At the same time, the Company hopes to raise awareness on the state of financial literacy in America and the need for personal financial education across all age groups and genders.

LearnVest is trying to make a difference and like our subscribers, we are continually trying to learn. I wrote this article with the hopes that it would open up discussion so please feel free to comment below. We welcome your feedback and your thoughts on this pertinent topic.

Generation Broke: The Growth of Debt Among Young Americans.
Richmond Credit Abuse Resistant Education (CARE) Program.

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