How President McCain Might Have Handled Iran

Days like today are one reason I supported the no-nonsense war hero John McCain over Barack Obama.

After the presidential election in Iran was apparently stolen, thousands of protesters took to the streets. Instead of the United States boldly supporting the cause of liberty, and defending dissidents, President Obama meekly said, "It's not productive given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations to be seen as meddling."

That -- of course -- was not a great moment in leadership.


President John F. Kennedy did not say we would "bear any burden -- so long as we don't interfere." Nor can one imagine Winston Churchill saying, "We will fight on the land -- so long as we don't meddle." Nor can one imagine Ronald Reagan saying "Tear down this wall! -- if you're cool with it..."


If the strongest nation in the free world is not willing to take a stand and at least provide moral support for those willing to risk their lives for liberty, the America I know is long gone. While it is understandable for Obama to not invade a nation over this injustice, it is quite another thing to not even bother to forcefully condemn it. Having a humble foreign policy does not preclude one from moral clarity.


Meanwhile, Republican House Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) released a statement calling on Obama to "take a strong public position in the face of violence and human rights abuses." Cantor added that the United States has a "moral responsibility to lead in opposition to Iran's extreme response to peaceful protests." Cantor's full remarks are here.


We'll never know what President McCain would have said, but it's pretty safe to say that he would have taken a forceful stand -- once again positioning America as a beacon of freedom and the last, best hope on Earth.


Instead, we risk becoming a cynical nation that makes decisions based on perceived short-term diplomatic gain.


That's not change I can believe in.



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Living Within Your Financial Means

Actually, you should live below your means!

The most important way to generate wealth is to live within or below your means.

For example, if you make $30,000 a year, then live like you make $25,000 a year and save, pay down debt, or invest the remaining $5,000.

So many of my friends that have incomes over $50,000, $75,000 and even $150,000 have spent everything they’ve earned and have almost nothing to show for it.

Don’t try to compete with your friends or neighbors, don’t spend money fruitlessly, and most importantly, don’t spend more than you make.

Many people read this and think, “I’d love to spend less money but I can’t, I have to pay my car payment, the credit card bills, groceries, I need a vacation, I need new clothes for work, etc, etc.” Most of these expenses could be avoided or deferred (like a vacation, a car purchase or buying clothes).

The other expenses (like your credit card expenses or mortgage) could likely have been avoided if you had lived within your means when you created the expense.

For example, your car payments would be less if you’d opted for the used versus new car, or your credit card expenses would be lower if you hadn’t bought that new computer or those 5 pairs of shoes.

Even your mortgage or rent could be less if you chose a different location to live. With that said, there is a fine line between spending appropriately and spending above your means. Just remember that it is always better to forego purchases until you can pay for them in cash rather than to borrow from the future to meet your needs now. The most common exception to this rule is buying a house.

Although it will raise your cash expenses dramatically, it is often wise because 1) it’s an investment which will add to your future net worth, 2) the interest is tax deductible which effectively lowers your income tax liability, 3) your mortgage payments will add to your net worth as you pay down the principal on the loan, and 4) you were probably paying rent anyway so it will in effect turn your rent payment into an investment.

Great advice!

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Auto Finance Tips

From: Edmunds.com

Making sure to finance a vehicle properly will greatly reduce the cost of your next new or used car. "Auto Financing" is a general term meaning how you pay for the vehicle. In most cases, cars are financed by taking out an auto loan to buy or lease the car. This involves getting a credit check. By checking your credit history first, and answering all the tough car finance questions up front, you will be more prepared to handle issues at the dealership.

In the articles on these pages we will not only look at the general topic of car finance but we will consider the related topics of credit history, car loan refinancing, auto insurance and all issues pertaining to special car finance considerations. Although most people don't like to think about the subject of auto financing (instead they like to focus on that shiny new car) it is actually the most important part of car buying. While your credit will be checked by the salesman, often before negotiations begin, this is not the only way you can go to get your new car. You do not have to throw yourself at the mercy of the dealership even for special car finance situations. Being prepared before you get to the dealership will mean that you can take charge of your credit and get the new car loan that serves you best.

Keep this in mind: when you negotiate with the salesman for the most favorable auto loan, nothing is permanent until you have it in writing. The sales contract is prepared once negotiations seem to be over. This is handled in the finance and insurance office (the so-called "F&I Room"). It is here that the deal is made or lost. By reading these articles on new and used car financing you will be better prepared to get the best auto loan possible. And who knows? With the money you will be saving, maybe you can move up to that more expensive new car you've been eyeing.

GET PRE-APPROVED FOR YOUR AUTO LOAN AT: http://www.AutoFinanceInsider.com

Virginia Credit Repair Laws
Because of my bad credit, I recently contacted a credit repair company. They claim that, for a fee, they can clean up my entire credit record. Is that true and, if so, how can they do it?
In today's society, where credit cards have become as commonplace as cash, credit purchases have become more and more popular. This means that a greater number of consumers are being plagued with credit problems and bad credit histories. With this surge of bad credit comes the credit repair companies, promising to undo the damage the borrowers have done.
These credit services businesses often make promises to the consumer that they can clean up or repair the consumer's bad credit record for a fee. What these companies do not tell the consumer is that only outdated or incorrect items may be deleted from his/her credit history. The fact is, consumers can do that themselves. They will also promise to obtain credit cards or other extensions of credit for those with blemished credit histories, or with no credit history at all.
Another problem associated with some credit repair companies is the fact that they are transient, operating out of temporary offices or through post office boxes. Many charge the consumer in advance for their services. When the consumer realizes that little or nothing has been done to fix the consumer's credit, the company has often closed or left town, leaving no trace.
The Virginia Credit Services Businesses Act requires credit service companies to register and post a bond with the State Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA). This allows DCA to identify those credit repair businesses operating within the State, and to verify if the businesses are, in fact, disclosing the required information to consumers.
In addition to companies promising consumers they will improve or obtain an extension of credit, the Act also covers companies charging money simply for referring a consumer to another institution for credit. It is illegal for credit repair businesses to charge for this referral if the credit that would be extended is under the same terms as those available to the general public. Exempt from this law are financial institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC), licensed real estate brokers, lawyers, consumer reporting agencies, certain nonprofit organizations and broker-dealers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Companies also are prohibited by law from making any misleading or untrue statements to creditors or consumer reporting agencies regarding a customer's credit worthiness. The business must provide each potential customer with a written information statement outlining the consumer's rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and giving a complete and detailed description of the services to be performed by the credit services business and the amount due.
Credit Services Businesses contracts must contain a three-day cancellation clause. Under the Act, the credit repair company cannot charge or receive any money until their services have been performed in full.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act
The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers the right to obtain whatever information is in their credit file. If a consumer has been denied credit, the creditor is obligated to disclose the name and address of the credit bureau from which they received the information. The bureau will give the consumer a report on his/her file free of charge if the inquiry is made within thirty days of the credit denial. Consumers can contact the credit bureau if any of the file's contents appear to be inaccurate or incomplete. The credit bureau is required by law to reinvestigate any information on a consumer's credit record that he/she disputes. If the information is proven incorrect, it must be deleted from the file. If the facts are true, however, nothing can be done to have them removed from the record. Most negative information, such as late payment on bills, can be kept on file for seven years. A bankruptcy will remain on record for ten years. Time is often the only way to cure a bad credit history.

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A College Degree is important to achieving real success in life. Now is better than later. Research online colleges if you cannot take the time from job and family to attend a "brick and morter" university.

Better yourself today. Reading the posts on the Finance Blog will increase specialized knowledge but to really succeed, you must increase your general knowledge. Work toward getting your college degree today.

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The Credit Restoration Factory

Automotive Finance F&I Insurance:

The Credit Restoration Factory exists to help restore good credit to good people. We employ a team of prior mortgage loan officers and automotive finance managers with years of loan approval experience.

Together, we have created the Credit Restoration System. The system is tailored to the individual needs of each client and the results of our personal touch will amaze you at the speed with which your credit will become "good" again.

I just left the dealership where I was approved for my first new car and got a low interest rate. Thank you Credit Restoration Factory!

Our CommitmentAt the Credit Restoration Factory, we treat our clients with courtesy and integrity. We guarantee a taylored, realistic, credit repair plan and honest financial advice that will achieve results. We will lead you on a course to financial freedom. Our consistent track record of uncompromising ethics instills confidence and trust.

We use personalized cutting edge technologies to help remove negative items from our client's credit reports. Along with sound financial advice, our goal of restoring our clients good credit and keeping it restored will become a reality.

Email to: CreditRestorationFactory@yahoo.com

Small bump in credit score could mean a cheaper loan

Bob Tedeschi, New York Times

When lenders issued mortgages to anyone who asked, borrowers could largely ignore their credit scores, the most important and most incomprehensible determinant of a loan's interest rate.

But now that banks have tightened their lending standards considerably, borrowers must sometimes search for ways to eke out a point or two more on their credit scores to qualify for loans or for more favorable rates. Mortgage professionals say that some knowledge about the scoring system helps.

"Sometimes, I'll tell borrowers their score, and they'll start yelling at me," said Debra Killian, president of the Charter Oak Lending Group, a mortgage broker and lender in Danbury, Conn., who teaches courses on the credit-reporting industry. "And I have to explain I'm not the one who's generated the score."

The reports come from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, credit bureaus that evaluate the financial-management abilities of millions of Americans.

Credit-card companies, utilities and other creditors send reports to the bureaus, which rely on software from the Fair Isaac Corp. (creator of the FICO score), along with their own, to grade a borrower on an ascending scale of 300 to 850.

The software is a black box of sorts, whose workings are known only to the companies involved. Each credit bureau will weigh certain factors differently - the number of late payments, for example, or the number of credit-card accounts open.

To account for those differences during the mortgage application process, loan officers review the scores from all three credit bureaus and base their loan offers on the middle number. If a couple - married or not - is jointly applying for a mortgage, the loan officer will choose the middle score of the partner with the lower score.

That score essentially dictates the loan terms that a lender offers. For instance, a borrower with a credit score of 699 will often get a higher interest rate than a borrower with a score of 700. And the higher the interest rate, the bigger the broker's commission from the lender, known in the industry as a yield-spread premium.

That is why, mortgage executives said, borrowers should be proactive about this part of the mortgage process. Killian of Charter Oak said borrowers should ask the broker or lender to explain how their score changes the terms of the transaction.

Brokers buy reports from services that supply data from the three credit bureaus, and each report gives details about items that adversely affect a score.

If a consumer wishes to challenge such items, credit bureaus will do so on the consumer's behalf, or consumers can also call or write creditors directly. Credit-repair services can also help, although people should review their terms carefully because they are popular fronts for scam artists.

This article appeared on page K - 9 of the San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.autofinanceinsider.com/GET_APPROVED.html

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2007 !!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2007 !!!

Finance Blog2

To Measure a Well-Run Automotive Finance, F&I Department: Menu Selling and Compliance are Not Dirty Words!

To Measure a Well-Run Automotive Finance, F&I Department: Menu Selling and Compliance are Not Dirty Words!

Our Girls

Finance

"One of the highest honors that can come to a member of
the U.S. Senate is to serve on the Committee on Finance.
The Committee on Finance has since its creation been
associated with some of the most significant and most
controversial issues in U.S. history."


--Robert J. Dole

(This quote was taken from the Foreword of Sen. Doc. No. 97-5
"History of Committee on Finance United States Senate"

Good Finance Sites

Here are a few good finance sites. please POST A COMMENT so it doesn't seem so lonely.

www.FandI2.blogspot.com
www.FandI3.blogspot.com
www.Finance6Blog.blogspot.com
www.FandIblog.blogspot.com
www.AutoFinanceInsider2.blogspot.com

Three good and informative sites for credit repair and rebuild:

www.CreditRepairedToday.blogspot.com
www.CreditRestoredNow.blogspot.com
www.CreditRepairSecrets2.blogspot.com

Finance

Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses, and organizations raise, allocate, and use monetary resources over time, taking into account the risks entailed in their projects. The term "finance" may thus incorporate any of the following:

The study of money and other assets;
The management and control of those assets;
Profiling and managing project risks;
The science of managing money;
As a verb, "to finance" is to provide funds for business or for an individual's large purchases (car, home, etc.).
The activity of finance is the application of a set of techniques that individuals and organizations (entities) use to manage their money, particularly the differences between income and expenditure and the risks of their investments.

An income that exceeds its expenditure can lend or invest the excess income. On the other hand, an entity whose income is less than its expenditure can raise capital by borrowing or selling equity claims, decreasing its expenses, or increasing its income. The lender can find a borrower, a financial intermediary, such as a bank or buy notes or bonds in the bond market. The lender receives interest, the borrower pays a higher interest than the lender receives, and the financial intermediary pockets the difference.

A bank aggregates the activities of many borrowers and lenders. A bank accepts deposits from lenders, on which it pays the interest. The bank then lends these deposits to borrowers. Banks allow borrowers and lenders, of different sizes, to coordinate their activity. Banks are thus compensators of money flows in space.

A specific example of corporate finance is the sale of stock by a company to institutional investors like investment banks, who in turn generally sell it to the public. The stock gives whoever owns it part ownership in that company. If you buy one share of XYZ Inc, and they have 100 shares outstanding (held by investors), you are 1/100 owner of that company. Of course, in return for the stock, the company receives cash, which it uses to expand its business in a process called "equity financing". Equity financing mixed with the sale of bonds (or any other debt financing) is called the company's capital structure.

Finance is used by individuals (personal finance), by governments (public finance), by businesses (corporate finance), etc., as well as by a wide variety of organizations including schools and non-profit organizations. In general, the goals of each of the above activities are achieved through the use of appropriate financial instruments, with consideration to their institutional setting.

Finance is one of the most important aspects of business management. Without proper financial planning a new enterprise is unlikely to be successful. Managing money (a liquid asset) is essential to ensure a secure future, both for the individual and an organization

Originally published by Wikipedia

Picture of the coins was originally published by the ICU Resource Book from:www.union.ic.ac.uk/resource/

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