Ever hear of the term "Penny Stocks" and wonder what they were? You are not alone. I use to play the stock market back in the late 1990's. I have made $900 in one day and lost $900 in one day too. Many of those stocks were priced right around $10-15 a share. When they start to be priced below $2 a share is when they are in danger of becoming a penny stock. Penny stocks are stocks that are priced below a dollar. There are dangers when trading penny stocks. What are they?
The first danger is the stock can be removed from the stock market at any time by the SEC. Often this happens with stock valued at less than .50 cents but I have seen it done to stocks valued at .98 cents. There is no warning either. Just one day they are gone and you are left holding worthless stock. I have had that happen twice on me. Once was a stock that I held on to, thinking the company would rebound, but it never did. I bought the stock when it was about $6 a share and watched it dip to $2 a share then go up again to $9 a share. All that in a matter of a few weeks. I should have sold it but I thought it would go to at least $12 and planned on selling it then. To my horror, one day it dropped to just above $1 a share then the next week hovered around .88 cents. I couldn't afford to sell it then since I only held 100 shares so I waited and waited till it became worthless and pulled from the stock market.
The next danger is from the famous "pump and dump" scheme. Con artists will purchase huge lots of penny stocks then "leak" out the word that the stock is about to boom. During the "leak" or "insider info" period the stock does indeed go up. That is due to some people falling for the lie and buying stock. Once the stock is at the price the con artist wants it to be, they then dump their shares on the market and make a bundle of cash. The problem is that now the stock drops because of the huge sell off.
If you really want to make money on penny stocks, and indeed you can, you must research the company you are investing in - thoroughly. You need to know who holds the majority of the stock, if they are selling it and when did they sell it. Don't sign up for emails that promise to guide you to the best penny stocks to watch - do your own research and don't trust a rumor.
Showing posts with label money matters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money matters. Show all posts
Keybank is a rip off
How Keybank in Oregon is trying to rip me off......
I have a very small Checking account at Key Bank. The account is usually under $20 and kept that way for a reason. I was told by the manager that opened the account for me 2 years ago that if there was not enough money in the account to cover a charge or debit the charge or debit would be revoked
I found out that he lied to me.....
A $10 charge blossomed into a -$78!!!! They had so many fees attached to it - a total of $68 in a period of less than 48 hours. Now I am in the throws of getting the account closed but I am getting the run around.
Never again will I deal with that bank.
I have a very small Checking account at Key Bank. The account is usually under $20 and kept that way for a reason. I was told by the manager that opened the account for me 2 years ago that if there was not enough money in the account to cover a charge or debit the charge or debit would be revoked
I found out that he lied to me.....
A $10 charge blossomed into a -$78!!!! They had so many fees attached to it - a total of $68 in a period of less than 48 hours. Now I am in the throws of getting the account closed but I am getting the run around.
Never again will I deal with that bank.
Stress from lack of money
Money worries are a major cause of stress in families. I can't say that it is because of the economy nowadays because money worries have haunted families for decades. I can remember when I was a child that my dad told me that we would be living like kings if he could earn just $15K a year. Those were the days when brand new homes in San Jose, California would cost only $18K and the really nice ones were $23K. Of course gasoline was only .25 cents a gallon and "gas wars" were a regular occurrence. To keep it all in perceptive, the minimum wage was about $1.25 an hour in many states.
Why does it seem that once we have gotten a pay raise or finally earn what we think was enough to get by comfortably that prices of everything seems to out pace it? That well known part of life has affected everyone of us.
I cannot imagine starting a family now, everything is so much more expensive. Yes, a young family can make baby clothes, buy used baby supplies and do away with birthday cards and send baby announcements via email, but what about health insurance? That is one cost that keeps on rising along with food. Children need healthcare and food.
The number one thing that you and I need to do, is to quit stressing over something that is elusive such as more money and learn to live on what we have. We have to learn that the quest for more of anything is stressful and that being satisfied with what we have will lead to a better life in the long run. You see, my dad never did get that elusive $15K a year salary, he became disabled from a work related accident. His dreams became dashed and he became a bitter man as the years went on. If only he had learned to be satisfied then maybe he would have enjoyed the rest of his life instead of worrying about everything.
That's enough for now. Now go and learn not to stress out.
Why does it seem that once we have gotten a pay raise or finally earn what we think was enough to get by comfortably that prices of everything seems to out pace it? That well known part of life has affected everyone of us.
I cannot imagine starting a family now, everything is so much more expensive. Yes, a young family can make baby clothes, buy used baby supplies and do away with birthday cards and send baby announcements via email, but what about health insurance? That is one cost that keeps on rising along with food. Children need healthcare and food.
The number one thing that you and I need to do, is to quit stressing over something that is elusive such as more money and learn to live on what we have. We have to learn that the quest for more of anything is stressful and that being satisfied with what we have will lead to a better life in the long run. You see, my dad never did get that elusive $15K a year salary, he became disabled from a work related accident. His dreams became dashed and he became a bitter man as the years went on. If only he had learned to be satisfied then maybe he would have enjoyed the rest of his life instead of worrying about everything.
That's enough for now. Now go and learn not to stress out.
When money is tight, that is when everything seems to break
Have you ever noticed that when you have to watch every penny of your spending, that is when things break down and need major repairs.
The family car seems to be the first on the list with something major to go wrong. Next are major kitchen appliances followed closely by well pumps or electrical wiring. Of course then there are the items that are not considered essentials but they are expensive like the computer or spa.
Our own spa was a victim of a budget crisis. It came with the house when we bought it, 7 years ago. The spa needed a new cover at the time and we bought one locally for over $300. I should have shopped around and bought a spa cover at BeyondNice.com but that was 7 years ago and who knows what the prices were back then. Then about 2 years later, the spa needed new jets, as they were crumbling. We replaced them at a cost of about $35 each and we needed 7 of them. Six months later a crack appeared in the spa and it started to leak. At about the same time, the pump started to act up and keep switching off on its own. At that point, we drained the spa and now it sits empty with a nice cover on it. To us, it is not worth putting more money into it.
What broke at your home that you have no plans to fix?
The family car seems to be the first on the list with something major to go wrong. Next are major kitchen appliances followed closely by well pumps or electrical wiring. Of course then there are the items that are not considered essentials but they are expensive like the computer or spa.
Our own spa was a victim of a budget crisis. It came with the house when we bought it, 7 years ago. The spa needed a new cover at the time and we bought one locally for over $300. I should have shopped around and bought a spa cover at BeyondNice.com but that was 7 years ago and who knows what the prices were back then. Then about 2 years later, the spa needed new jets, as they were crumbling. We replaced them at a cost of about $35 each and we needed 7 of them. Six months later a crack appeared in the spa and it started to leak. At about the same time, the pump started to act up and keep switching off on its own. At that point, we drained the spa and now it sits empty with a nice cover on it. To us, it is not worth putting more money into it.
What broke at your home that you have no plans to fix?
The financial movie you have to watch - Inside Job
This weekend I watched what has to be the most eye opening movie about the financial crisis that has ever been made. The movie is the Oscar winning, Inside Job. It explains in detail who, what and when the entire real estate market melted down and who made the big money from the entire mess and walked away from it.
I was lucky that during the time from 2008 till the present we did not have any mortgage loans. The last time we had a loan on our home was in 2004 when we sold the house and moved to where we are now - mortgage free. Yes investing in real estate does work, but only if you pay off the damn loans on it. You will never get ahead if you owe someone.
When we did have a loan on our second home we went through a loan broker who was able to find us the best deals and lowest rates. Do I suggest you go through a broker? Not at all, if you can find a loan through a bank that works for you then use a bank. Of course watch that movie first so you know where your mortgage note will end up. I prefer smaller local banks, credit unions and private lenders. If you are curious about your current loan versus another loan then try the online loan calculators at this mortgage broker Calgary. Keep in mind they are in Canada so interest rates that they advertise will be different than here in the USA.
I was lucky that during the time from 2008 till the present we did not have any mortgage loans. The last time we had a loan on our home was in 2004 when we sold the house and moved to where we are now - mortgage free. Yes investing in real estate does work, but only if you pay off the damn loans on it. You will never get ahead if you owe someone.
When we did have a loan on our second home we went through a loan broker who was able to find us the best deals and lowest rates. Do I suggest you go through a broker? Not at all, if you can find a loan through a bank that works for you then use a bank. Of course watch that movie first so you know where your mortgage note will end up. I prefer smaller local banks, credit unions and private lenders. If you are curious about your current loan versus another loan then try the online loan calculators at this mortgage broker Calgary. Keep in mind they are in Canada so interest rates that they advertise will be different than here in the USA.
Why credit scores are abused
It used to be that your credit score was nothing more that what a lender needed to know when you applied for a loan. Nowadays it means your entire livelihood depends on it, even if you don't have any loans and don't believe in credit cards. Forget the government, it is big business that controls our lives.
For example, if you have a low credit score you will have higher car, home and health insurance rates. Yes, those insurance companies base their quotes on your credit score not your driving record or current health although those items do play a percentage of the quote but only after they run a credit check on you.
High insurance rates are not the only way that we are screwed, employment is another way. Most states allow employers to run a credit check on prospective employees (this happens only if you give them your SS#). A few states have passed laws that make this illegal. Oregon in one of them. One way to stop a company running a credit check on you is to not give them your SS# until after you are hired. In fact you shouldn't be listing your SS# anywhere on applications for employment, just write in the box "will be supplied after hire."
Then of course, big business likes to scare you with the threat of identity theft so they offer a free credit score service so you can get a free credit report.Then they try to get you hooked into paying a monthly fee to "protect" your credit. I say it is all a big scam that the credit card and credit bureaus are pulling just to rake in more money from us poor saps.
For example, if you have a low credit score you will have higher car, home and health insurance rates. Yes, those insurance companies base their quotes on your credit score not your driving record or current health although those items do play a percentage of the quote but only after they run a credit check on you.
High insurance rates are not the only way that we are screwed, employment is another way. Most states allow employers to run a credit check on prospective employees (this happens only if you give them your SS#). A few states have passed laws that make this illegal. Oregon in one of them. One way to stop a company running a credit check on you is to not give them your SS# until after you are hired. In fact you shouldn't be listing your SS# anywhere on applications for employment, just write in the box "will be supplied after hire."
Then of course, big business likes to scare you with the threat of identity theft so they offer a free credit score service so you can get a free credit report.Then they try to get you hooked into paying a monthly fee to "protect" your credit. I say it is all a big scam that the credit card and credit bureaus are pulling just to rake in more money from us poor saps.
Leaving bad feedback on eBay
When I buy things on eBay, which is not as often as it use to be, I always left honest feedback. I rarely, if ever, left negative feedback, but tonight I left neutral feedback. Now if you are a seller on eBay, you would know that your buyers do read your feedback.
The feedback I left was "item broke after a few hours of use." It was a brand new laptop charger and it overheated and stopped working. Since I got it for a cheap price I am not worried about getting my money back but the seller will lose buyers, which will cost them in the long run. I admit that I should have read their feedback before I bought the item. They had a 99.2% positive rating but I failed to see that they had over 300 negative and neutral feedbacks in the last 30 days.
Now if the item was advertised as used or "as is" then I take the gamble. If the item is a collectors item or a custom made item then I am more careful. I also try to look out for fakes like counterfeit cell phones or fake bella bracelets. Granted, eBay has always been a buyer beware website but most of the time I have gotten some great deals on there. I guess most of the great sellers have moved on to other selling venues now.
The feedback I left was "item broke after a few hours of use." It was a brand new laptop charger and it overheated and stopped working. Since I got it for a cheap price I am not worried about getting my money back but the seller will lose buyers, which will cost them in the long run. I admit that I should have read their feedback before I bought the item. They had a 99.2% positive rating but I failed to see that they had over 300 negative and neutral feedbacks in the last 30 days.
Now if the item was advertised as used or "as is" then I take the gamble. If the item is a collectors item or a custom made item then I am more careful. I also try to look out for fakes like counterfeit cell phones or fake bella bracelets. Granted, eBay has always been a buyer beware website but most of the time I have gotten some great deals on there. I guess most of the great sellers have moved on to other selling venues now.
Investing for your future
So you are getting older and you have not even thought about retirement income. There are several ways you can plan for a steady income. You could save like mad and try to have enough tucked before you reach the age you can no longer work or you could make it easier on yourself. Here are a few tips on how to provide that retirement income you will need:
- Invest yearly into a personal IRA account
- If your job offers a 401K plan and matches your contribution - take their money. Invest as much as you can.
- Look into the various types of life insurance plans that you can cash out at retirement age.
My earnings from eBay Partner Network are up
I am a member of the eBay Partner Network. It is an affiliate program that eBay set up so you can earn commissions on sales on eBay. I have been a member for about 3 years now. When I first started out, eBay had a different sales commission in place. You made a percentage of actual completed sales. Now they pay per click. There have been days when I earned $40 in commissions but since they switched over to the pay per click, my earnings dropped dramatically, until recently.
What I use to do was jump into on going message board conversations about eBay and link to the item or items they were talking about. I didn't do any persuading or "selling" on the message board, I simply added a link with something to the effect "did you mean this item?" or "here is a link to that item you mentioned." That is what got me those high paying daily commissions.
I still do that sometimes but now I have added a banner advertisement to 2 of my highest trafficked blogs. Now I am getting those precious clicks and my earnings are up. Just out of curiosity I checked what people were buying on eBay and they were not buying what I thought they would be. They are buying health and beauty products both of which my blogs are not about. People seem to be searching for alternate medications, herbs and diet pills. Maybe they are making their own home based medications, but I don't care as long as I am earning commissions from their purchases.
So far today, and it is early, I have made $7.51 in commissions on the eBay Partner Network. Not bad for simply a banner ad.
What I use to do was jump into on going message board conversations about eBay and link to the item or items they were talking about. I didn't do any persuading or "selling" on the message board, I simply added a link with something to the effect "did you mean this item?" or "here is a link to that item you mentioned." That is what got me those high paying daily commissions.
I still do that sometimes but now I have added a banner advertisement to 2 of my highest trafficked blogs. Now I am getting those precious clicks and my earnings are up. Just out of curiosity I checked what people were buying on eBay and they were not buying what I thought they would be. They are buying health and beauty products both of which my blogs are not about. People seem to be searching for alternate medications, herbs and diet pills. Maybe they are making their own home based medications, but I don't care as long as I am earning commissions from their purchases.
So far today, and it is early, I have made $7.51 in commissions on the eBay Partner Network. Not bad for simply a banner ad.
Why do people love to waste their money on junk?
You know what junk I am talking about.....that item sitting in that closet that has gone unused for 3 years now that you just had to have 4 years ago. Yep, that junk. If more people would do less impulse buying and more planning to buy something then we could afford that house we always wanted or own a car without a loan on it.
Making a wise decision on what food to buy will help with long term medical expenses. If you eat healthier you don't have to worry obesity related illnesses or paying more for that so called best muscle building supplement. Just changing your shopping habits when buying food will help your pocket book and waistline. The same advice still holds true, don't buy junk food.
Since food is one of a family's largest monthly expense it also is one that can be adjusted to eliminate high priced, low nutrition value foods.
Making a wise decision on what food to buy will help with long term medical expenses. If you eat healthier you don't have to worry obesity related illnesses or paying more for that so called best muscle building supplement. Just changing your shopping habits when buying food will help your pocket book and waistline. The same advice still holds true, don't buy junk food.
Since food is one of a family's largest monthly expense it also is one that can be adjusted to eliminate high priced, low nutrition value foods.
Some things that I will not promote
I will write just about anything.......if you pay me enough, but there are some exceptions. I will draw the line at gambling, drinking, smoking and payday advance loans. Let me tell you why.
I have seen first hand what heavy drinking and smoking can do to a family. Both my husbands father and my father died as complications of smoking. Heavy drinkers are rampant in my husbands family. Their habit has broken up almost every marriage so far. Where I live I noticed a lot of older men riding bicycles, then I found out they rode bikes simply because they lost their drivers licenses due to DUI's. So you can see why I will not promote drinking and smoking.
Gambling is another story. My mother-in-law is addicted to her state's lottery. She buys scratch off tickets everyday and of course buys those tickets for the BIG one. All this on her small fixed income and living one SS check to the next. She is in her late 70's and hopes to win big one day.......I doubt it, but she is addicted to the tune of at least $100 a week. That is an addiction that equals $5200 a year or more.
Lastly, those nasty payday loan sharks. In some states they are thinking about banning them. Those loans can often equal an interest rate of 75%. I am old enough to remember when the real mob loan sharks use to charge a 30% interest charge on their loans, nowadays credit card companies took over that slot. The only loan you should ever have is the one on your house, all other items you should save up for and pay cash.
I have seen first hand what heavy drinking and smoking can do to a family. Both my husbands father and my father died as complications of smoking. Heavy drinkers are rampant in my husbands family. Their habit has broken up almost every marriage so far. Where I live I noticed a lot of older men riding bicycles, then I found out they rode bikes simply because they lost their drivers licenses due to DUI's. So you can see why I will not promote drinking and smoking.
Gambling is another story. My mother-in-law is addicted to her state's lottery. She buys scratch off tickets everyday and of course buys those tickets for the BIG one. All this on her small fixed income and living one SS check to the next. She is in her late 70's and hopes to win big one day.......I doubt it, but she is addicted to the tune of at least $100 a week. That is an addiction that equals $5200 a year or more.
Lastly, those nasty payday loan sharks. In some states they are thinking about banning them. Those loans can often equal an interest rate of 75%. I am old enough to remember when the real mob loan sharks use to charge a 30% interest charge on their loans, nowadays credit card companies took over that slot. The only loan you should ever have is the one on your house, all other items you should save up for and pay cash.
Looking back over the last 11 years
It was just about 11 years ago that my favorite job ended. Yes I did work for a company that I really liked and thought I would be with them until I retired. They were an electrical connector company that I worked at for 12 years and went from an inspector to a supervisor.
When the owner of the company decided to retire he put the company up for sale. Looking back I don't see why he needed to sell it rather than become a silent owner. After all the company's profits were in the $15+ million range each year. Never the less he sold the company to that mega giant corporation, Tyco. If you know anything about Tyco, the company is known for buying small companies then shutting them down. They want the sales connections and their technology but not their employees. So that is what happened, Tyco bought the company and within a year shut it down and laid everyone off.
Since the great layoff (over 300 people) many people have had very dramatic changes to their lives that use to work their. About 2 years after the layoff we had a get together in Santa Clara, CA to see what everyone was up to. The former owner was not there but was now residing in San Diego and was the owner of a soccer team. The vice president of the company had a divorce and now lived in Hawaii. Much of the upper management was now retired and living comfortably off of their share of the $53 million that Tyco paid for the company. Even the daughter of the former owner, that was now living in San Diego has a bright new career at the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a marine biologist. Many former employees were still struggling to find work that even came close to what they were earning before the layoff. I was among them. Yes I was working but those jobs lasted under a year till the next layoff. None were even close to what I would call another dream job.
Last year I found out more about some of the people I use to work with and what happened to them. One women moved from California to Texas and became a real estate agent. Another women I worked with moved back in with her ex-husband because she could not afford to live on her own. One of the men that use to work on the production line was now holding down 2 full time jobs and was commuting 4 hours every day to them. We moved from CA too (6 years ago) and found a cheaper place to live. I also discovered ways to make money from home like selling stuff on eBay
and writing for Yahoo. I never in a million years would have thought that I would write for a living, but I do.
Now that I live outside of CA, I find myself wanting to go back and visit the places I never had the time nor money to visit when I lived there. Two places I have never been to are Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo. Of course now it costs more in the form of air travel to go to see those places when before they were just a long car trip away. Oh well, I get to see them eventually.
I think all of our lives have changed since Tyco laid us off.
When the owner of the company decided to retire he put the company up for sale. Looking back I don't see why he needed to sell it rather than become a silent owner. After all the company's profits were in the $15+ million range each year. Never the less he sold the company to that mega giant corporation, Tyco. If you know anything about Tyco, the company is known for buying small companies then shutting them down. They want the sales connections and their technology but not their employees. So that is what happened, Tyco bought the company and within a year shut it down and laid everyone off.
Since the great layoff (over 300 people) many people have had very dramatic changes to their lives that use to work their. About 2 years after the layoff we had a get together in Santa Clara, CA to see what everyone was up to. The former owner was not there but was now residing in San Diego and was the owner of a soccer team. The vice president of the company had a divorce and now lived in Hawaii. Much of the upper management was now retired and living comfortably off of their share of the $53 million that Tyco paid for the company. Even the daughter of the former owner, that was now living in San Diego has a bright new career at the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a marine biologist. Many former employees were still struggling to find work that even came close to what they were earning before the layoff. I was among them. Yes I was working but those jobs lasted under a year till the next layoff. None were even close to what I would call another dream job.
Last year I found out more about some of the people I use to work with and what happened to them. One women moved from California to Texas and became a real estate agent. Another women I worked with moved back in with her ex-husband because she could not afford to live on her own. One of the men that use to work on the production line was now holding down 2 full time jobs and was commuting 4 hours every day to them. We moved from CA too (6 years ago) and found a cheaper place to live. I also discovered ways to make money from home like selling stuff on eBay
and writing for Yahoo. I never in a million years would have thought that I would write for a living, but I do.Now that I live outside of CA, I find myself wanting to go back and visit the places I never had the time nor money to visit when I lived there. Two places I have never been to are Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo. Of course now it costs more in the form of air travel to go to see those places when before they were just a long car trip away. Oh well, I get to see them eventually.
I think all of our lives have changed since Tyco laid us off.
Sick and tired of advertising
It has got to be that time of year when everything seems to be "sell, sell, sell." I cannot seem to get away from commercialism no matter where I go. On my way to work there are several billboards along the highway advertising everything from banks, restaurants and car lots to best weight gain supplements and RV's.
Then I go online and every page has an ad on it. This little blog actually has less advertising than most blogs (I must admit that the Google ads do pay well) and I try to keep it at a minimum. One place I don't like to visit is the Wonderwall that MSN seems to link all of their entertainment news to. It takes a long time to load the page and then it has several pop-up ads.
To make matters worse, I find out that Shell (the oil people) have been putting people into several key positions in government to keep oil areas open to them (in Africa). I have come to the conclusion that this world is run not by governments but the rich and greed few.
Then I go online and every page has an ad on it. This little blog actually has less advertising than most blogs (I must admit that the Google ads do pay well) and I try to keep it at a minimum. One place I don't like to visit is the Wonderwall that MSN seems to link all of their entertainment news to. It takes a long time to load the page and then it has several pop-up ads.
To make matters worse, I find out that Shell (the oil people) have been putting people into several key positions in government to keep oil areas open to them (in Africa). I have come to the conclusion that this world is run not by governments but the rich and greed few.
Living on cash only
I use to laugh at my parents when they told me never to buy anything on credit. They were children during the last Great Depression and saw what it had done to their families. Their own parents did not let them read the newspapers as to "protect" them from the world. I found out that not allowing children to read newspapers was the norm for the 1930's to 1940's.
I did not ever think that the world would repeat the Great Depression of the 1930's but it has. Of course most people will say that it is not as bad as back then but in a way it is, if not worse. It is just different than then. I think that people will become more of a cash only society and that weaning ourselves off of the fat credit card cow will be the only diet pills that work for becoming less venerable to the whims of banks.
I don't know if people will start stuffing their mattresses with money instead of using banks, but I would not be at all surprised anymore. After all, I used to laugh at my parents for not buying anything on credit.
I did not ever think that the world would repeat the Great Depression of the 1930's but it has. Of course most people will say that it is not as bad as back then but in a way it is, if not worse. It is just different than then. I think that people will become more of a cash only society and that weaning ourselves off of the fat credit card cow will be the only diet pills that work for becoming less venerable to the whims of banks.
I don't know if people will start stuffing their mattresses with money instead of using banks, but I would not be at all surprised anymore. After all, I used to laugh at my parents for not buying anything on credit.
My biggest complaints about health insurance companies
As a woman I think that health insurance companies discriminate against us, or at least they don't give a damn. Take for example 15-20 years ago, most insurance companies did not cover birth control pills but they did cover abortions. When I was pregnant, my doctor prescribed me prenatal vitamins and when I got to the pharmacy, I was told they were not covered. I seemed to me that the insurance company was not interested in preventing a sickness or condition as much as it was treating the condition after the fact.
If more health insurance companies would cover routine check-ups, vaccines and cancer screenings (many of them still don't) they could not only save themselves money but maybe, just maybe more of us could afford health insurance if the costs were lowered by less people getting sick.
Unfortunately the health insurance business is not set up that way. They are not a non-profit business but a FOR profit business. That means any savings they could get by offering preventative care, they would pocket it and not lower premiums.
I am still waiting to see how this Obama health insurance thing plays out. Since it passed several months ago, I have not heard anymore about it. It seems to have been swept under the rug somewhere.
If more health insurance companies would cover routine check-ups, vaccines and cancer screenings (many of them still don't) they could not only save themselves money but maybe, just maybe more of us could afford health insurance if the costs were lowered by less people getting sick.
Unfortunately the health insurance business is not set up that way. They are not a non-profit business but a FOR profit business. That means any savings they could get by offering preventative care, they would pocket it and not lower premiums.
I am still waiting to see how this Obama health insurance thing plays out. Since it passed several months ago, I have not heard anymore about it. It seems to have been swept under the rug somewhere.
The big iPod Touch giveaway
Here's a great testosterone booster for all you technology junkies - Key Bank is giving iPod Touch to everyone that opens a new checking account. I saw that on the window of my local Key Bank as I drove by it last week. I don't have an iPod Touch so I thought I would check out the offer. Key Bank only has a few requirements to get the iPod and here they are:
I will be opening an account with them next Tuesday. I am going to open it with $25 and just make deposits to the account to cover the 2 direct payments. I can pay the electric bill and another bill. I'll decide after I get the iPod Touch if I want to keep the account or not.
- Must be a new checking account (don' t know if you have to be a new customer or not)
- Must sign up for the "points reward" on the ATM debit card ($20 a year with the first year free)
- Must make one debit card purchase using pin (withdrawals don't count)
- Must make 2 direct payments ($100 minimum) using the checking account number and not the debit card
- Account must remain open for at least 180 days
I will be opening an account with them next Tuesday. I am going to open it with $25 and just make deposits to the account to cover the 2 direct payments. I can pay the electric bill and another bill. I'll decide after I get the iPod Touch if I want to keep the account or not.
Shopping on a very tight budget
One of the worse things to me is being forced into a tight budget around Christmas time. Buying just food and essential clothing for the immediate family can be very tough. I remember about 5 years ago having to go into our local super Walmart for bread and milk and not being able to afford anything else. At the time I was forcing myself to eat almost like a bird so others in the family would not go without food. Those times were tough, not because of a lack of income but because of not using money wisely. I cannot stress enough to people that they learn how to budget and not to spend over allotted budgeted amounts. I literally had to force a tight budget onto the rest of the family so we could get out of the debt hole we had dug for ourselves.
Learning to shop on a tight budget can be done painlessly if you not only put your mind to it but also get the cooperation of the rest of your family. Teach everyone they cannot ask, beg or plead in the store for something. If they have a request for something it should be placed on the shopping list before entering the store, preferably at least a day or two before the shopping trip. That puts a stop to impulse buying, which you will find will save you a bundle.
Next don't buy or plan anything like an elaborate vacation to the bahamas, a new car or home improvements unless you have at least 75% or more of the cost tucked away in the bank. If you don't have the money, start saving for it. Do not go into debt for non-essential expenses.
Once you have learned not to over spend, then when it comes time to splurge just a tiny bit on yourself, family or friends then you can afford to do so. Tight budgets have their rewards in the end, but only if you use them for the long haul.
A warning for GE Money Bank customers
If you have a credit card serviced by GE Money Bank here is a heads up for you. I have a small store credit card that is serviced by GE Money Bank and this happened to me.
My credit card due date is the 30th of each month. I usually pay at least 5 days before the due date and online at that. I was running a little late and went online 3 DAYS before the due date and paid liked I always do. For some odd reason I decided to check my account activity (something I have never done because I am paying off one purchase made a few months back) and there on the activity list was a $39 late payment post dated for the 30th of the month and it was only the 27th. I thought that the late payment would disappear once I made my payment. It didn't. I received my "Thank you for your payment" email and it was dated the 27th.
On the 31st of May I decided to check my GE Money Bank online statement again and sure enough they charged me for the late payment and the payment I made was credited on the 31st, not on the 27th when I paid it. It looks like GE is playing games so I gave them a call and after I told them I had an email dated on the 27th that they had received my payment the reversed the late fee. Of course the foreign speaking man on the other end of the phone did argue with me that I had not paid until after the due date but I did have proof otherwise. Now I am waiting for the paper statement to see if they up my interest rate due to the late fee that was charged in "error".
If you have access to your online statement at GE Money Bank go and check out your activity to see if GE Money Bank is post dating fees to your account. Unless you call and dispute them they will charge you those fees.
GO CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT NOW!
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