Podcasting Can Generate Profit

Make it interesting

Made interesting, pod casting can generate money so you don’t have to rely on short term loans. On the other hand, you will face fierce, cut throat competition from people with free podcasts. If you do decide to start a podcast, you should provide content that is informative, and has an expert's touch in order to stand out from the crowd.

A sponsor

What's even better is you could get a sponsor for your podcast, supplying direct payment, without a middle man.

Generate revenue

One of the newest ways to make money on the internet is through podcasting. To podcast for profit involves making and distributing podcasts in order to generate revenue. Podcast profits can be made through actually selling the podcast, but they are more likely to be generated through donations, sponsorship and advertising programs such as Google Adwords. Podcasting can be a great way to generate revenue, but that revenue will usually need to be generated in other ways than selling the podcast.

Make Money with Donations

It seems that the most popular way of making money through podcasts is by placing a donation button on the sidebar of your website or blog. Should a person want to donate to your cause, and though many people are unwilling to pay for a podcast, they might certainly be willing to voluntarily make a donation in order to keep the podcast going. This doesn't even have to be a large amount. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Podcasting Can Generate Profit"

CFO David Kellermann of Freddie Mac Commits Suicide

Freddie Mac Official Dead in Apparent Suicide

Tough year for consumer finance. People use online cash advance loans and credit cards to dig in where their paychecks don’t go, but habitual use can create trouble. It has also been a rough year for American high finance. Small and large banks have collapsed under the weight of their own irresponsible lending (special thanks to ACORN and Self-Help, Inc. for that recession bomb). The largest financial institutions have begged at the doorstep of Obama’s big top government, and they have made off with billions of dollars. Whatever confidence investors and the general public had in this system is severely damaged. One would hope that it is not permanent.

Then there are big time lenders like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They have disgraced themselves (again, with ACORN and Self-Help, Inc.’s assistance) before the eyes of the taxpaying public, and the day-to-day efforts to rebuild credibility must weigh on their consciences like a great millstone.

But money and public opinion are never worth more than a life. Sadly, acting CFO David Kellermann of Freddie Mac may have taken his own life over it.

A horrific story

Tom Jackman, Debbi Wilgoren and Zachary Goldfarb of the Washington Post report that David Kellermann was found dead in his Fairfax County home after apparently committing suicide, Fairfax police said. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "CFO David Kellermann of Freddie Mac Commits Suicide"

Three Easy Ways to Save Money

Quick tips

Save money on groceries by paying with cash.

CNN Money recently produced a list of simple ways to save money here are my three favorites:

1. Pay for groceries with cash

Studies have shown that people spend 12 percent more when they are using credit or debit cards to pay for clothing and food.

We all have a food budget. Next time you go to the grocery store, instead of putting it on your debit card, pull cash out of your bank account. If you get to the register and don’t have enough cash, put some things back. Imagine the cash you took from your bank account is a payday loan, and it’s all the money you have.

2. Scoot away from gas costs

CNN Money recommends, if you want to save money on transportation, buying a scooter. Scooters get great gas mileage compared to cars. Between gas, insurance and vehicle payments, CNN estimates you’ll save $3,621.

3. Bring your own wine to dinner

You may feel a little silly or awkward carrying your own bottle of wine into a restaurant for dinner, but I assure you people do it all the time. It’s true that restaurants generally charge a corkage fee for patrons who bring in their own wine. However,  purchasing wine at the grocery store and paying the corkage fee is still less expensive than buying a restaurant bottle of wine.

Bankruptcy is Not the Answer | Debt Consolidation Part 10

One last question

Bankruptcy will keep you a slave to your credit report, but debt consolidation can get you going in the right direction.

Welcome to the final chapter in Personal Money Store’s guide to debt consolidation. By now you should have a pretty good idea of whether you should pursue debt consolidation.

But is there one lingering option nagging at the back of your mind? If you think bankruptcy is a better alternative than debt consolidation, think again.

Why do people consider bankruptcy?

Perhaps you found out how long it will take to pay off your debts, even with debt consolidation, and it’s longer than you thought. Perhaps you like the idea of supposedly “wiping the slate clean.”

Bankruptcy is never a good option. People who file for bankruptcy should do so because they really, truly, without a doubt have no other options.

Why avoid bankruptcy?

Filing for bankruptcy will follow you forever. Chapter 7 Bankruptcy stays on your credit score for 10 years. Chapter 13 bankruptcy stays for seven years. However, if someone inquires about whether you’ve filed bankruptcy at any point, ever, and you don’t own up, that’s criminal fraud. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Bankruptcy is Not the Answer | Debt Consolidation Part 10"

Turner Radio Network Part 2 | Bank Stress Test Results

Big five in big trouble

Will Goldman Sachs stay standing?

As I reported in Turner Radio Network Part 1, the U.S. Treasury has said that the bank stress test results are not in yet. However, Turner Radio Network published on its blog what it says are the results of the tests conducted on the 19 biggest banks in the United States.

The report says that 16 of the 19 banks are technically insolvent, so if installment loans or other types of loans go into default the banks could go under. It has specific numbers for five giant financial institutions that have credit exposure that exceeds their capital.

By the numbers

Here are the results of the study regarding total credit exposure to derivatives, according to Turner Radio Network:

1. Bank of America: credit exposure to derivatives 179 percent of its risk-based capital
2. Citibank: 278 percent
3. JPMorgan Chase: 382 percent
4. HSBC America: 550 percent
5. Goldman Sachs: 1,056 percent

That means Goldman Sachs’ credit exposure is more than 10 times its capital. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Turner Radio Network Part 2 | Bank Stress Test Results"

Steve "Chooch" Rattner | Another Obama Headache?

You are such a chooch

What’s a “Chooch” worth? More or less than a quick payday loan or debt consolidation?

Ray Werb writes for Jalopnik that Steve Rattner, President Obama’s “car czar” who has been tasked with leading the Obama administration’s efforts to restructure the auto industry, has been named in an SEC investigation. He’s looking like such a chooch right now…

OK, what’s a chooch?

According to UrbanDictionary.com, chooch is a term “derived from the Italian word ciuccio. It is a derogatory term referring to an irritating, less than intelligent person. But what does this have to do with Rattner? More than you might think.

You see, Mr. Rattner is in charge of an investment firm called the Quadrangle Group. According to the SEC, his investment firm paid more than $1 million for the distribution of a movie named “Chooch” in exchange for New York State pension business. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Steve "Chooch" Rattner | Another Obama Headache?"

Online Petition Aims to Stop Payday Loan Legislation

Thousands sign petition at SaveMyPawnshop.com

A group of pawnshop owners, payday lenders, their customers and their employees have joined forces online to try to stop Senate Bill 500.  SaveMyPawnshop.com points out that the interest rate cap in SB 500 would not only drive payday lenders out of business, it would drive pawnshops out as well.

The online petition at SaveMyPawnshop.com right now has 3,687 signatures. Today alone, 90 people have signed online so far. The site says the petition has more than 10,000 signatures, including those from people who have signed but not on the web site.

More on the web site

SaveMyPawnshop.com has detailed information about SB 500, but it also warns that there are several pieces of legislation out there that will negatively affect payday lenders and pawnshops.

SB 500 is sponsored by Senator Dick Durbin. The web site’s organizers invite pawnshop and payday loan customers and advocates to e-mail Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois.

Outside source

A story from Huliq News says:

Millions of people rely on pawnshops to pay for unexpected hospital bills, car breakdowns, and other unforeseen expenses. If you talk to customers of a pawnshop, they will tell you that pawnbrokers are the only lenders willing to loan them money. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Online Petition Aims to Stop Payday Loan Legislation"

Leftover Ham Recipes Stretch Your Food Dollar

Got ham? Here are fast and easy ideas

It’s always a good idea to be economical when it comes to food, whether there’s a recession on or not.  If we need payday cash advance loans to help put food on the table, we know that adjustments are needed.

Mary Lawrence of The Saginaw News brings us some good advice for leftover ham recipes, which is timely considering that many American families share the tradition of a ham dinner for Easter. Thankfully, ham leftovers are a great resource for producing meals like ham casserole, ham soup, split pea  or bean soup, ham salad, and more for some time after the original meal. It’s as versatile as you need to be when feeding a family during a recession.

Truly a miracle food, this ham

How long does ham last? Three or four days in the refrigerator, says the National Pork Board. They don’t advise freezing large pieces of ham, because it makes the texture unpalatable. If you must freeze, slices or cubes are the way to go. They work great in soups and casseroles at that size, anyway, so no worries.

Soups, croquettes, frittatas and pasta dishes are all great options. But how about a nice ham sandwich. Here, via the Associated Press, is a recipe Lawrence uncovered: a ham and cheese with sliced pears and mango chutney inside a gently toasted and pressed panini. Sounds good enough to me… ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Leftover Ham Recipes Stretch Your Food Dollar"

BYD China's Electric Car in Sales Slump

The revolution is on hold for BYD

Once they get this right, we’ll no longer need personal loans for petroleum-based fuels…

The race to build a mass market electric car has had its ups and downs. Companies like Tesla are pushing at the doors of innovation, but they have yet to break out with a winner. Other companies continue to test out their ideas for new hybrid vehicles, but the question “What happened to the electric car?” remains.

Well, here’s another story to feed the flame. Domenick Yoney reports for Auto Blog Green that Chinese company BYD Auto has a vehicle called the BYD F3DM. That’s the good part. But this Dual Mode (range-extended) electric vehicle hasn’t sold in numbers that would challenge comparable American counterparts like the Chevy Volt. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "BYD China's Electric Car in Sales Slump"

I Have Too Many Bills! | Debt Consolidation Part 1

Should I think about debt consolidation?

My current financial adviser keeps getting distracted.

You probably have heard the phrase “debt consolidation” before. If you’re like me, the first time you heard it you thought “That’s not for me” or “I will never need that.”

However, we all know times are changing. Lately, the bills just keep coming. I was unemployed for a bit and got behind on a bunch of stuff. Every day I find a different bill in the mailbox. Medical bills, overdue utility bills, car payments and credit card bills pile on top of my cable bill, cell phone bill and rent. There has to be an easier way.

The sooner the better

For the past few months I’ve been struggling. I keep thinking “I’ll get it under control next month.” I know better than to skip credit card payments, so I’ve kept up on those. Meanwhile, bills from other creditors are collecting dust and interest. I know that this will only get worse with time. I have tried the “ignore it and hope it goes away” strategy before. It did NOT end well.

What is debt consolidation?

I know that debt consolidation usually involves getting a personal loan to pay off all of your creditors at once. The slate is wiped clean. Then, instead of paying the hospital, the podiatrist, Visa, Mastercard, a collection agency and Toyota, you just make one payment each month on your debt consolidation loan. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "I Have Too Many Bills! | Debt Consolidation Part 1"

The Closer the Doomsday, the More Glenn Beck Cries (Pt. 2)

End of the World… do you feel fine?

Keep moving. This Rick Sanchez train is bound for glory and funded by personal loans. If you missed the last train to Clarksville, CLICK HERE.

The failing economy; the election of Barack Obama, the nation’s first minority president; and then there’s the garden-variety fear and hate mongering provided compliments of Fox News night in and night out. That’s where Glenn Beck is seen night after night, talking about doomsday, about the country coming apart, while his counterpart Sean Hannity calls the president a socialist, and worse, implying day in and night out that he’s trying to destroy America. Here’s an apparent result. Americans are scarfing up guns and ammunition at an alarming rate. Growing numbers of people appear to believe that the government wants their weapons.

Still my Glenn Beck gently weeps

After trying to prove his point by attacking all of the experts he rolls out there, Sanchez introduces left-wing non-profit research group Media Matters’ Eric Boehlert for a debate. Boehlert brought the kettle to a boil:

Glenn Beck yesterday on his radio show said Barack Obama will take away your gun any way — one way or another — he’s going to take away your gun. This message has been on Fox News for weeks and months, and it’s not just the gun control issue. They are painting, as you mentioned, sort of this doomsday scenario, almost mainstreaming this militia idea of tyranny and, you know, totalitarian state in America. It’s incredibly irresponsible to be doing. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "The Closer the Doomsday, the More Glenn Beck Cries (Pt. 2)"

There are recessions and there are disasters

Not all disasters are equal

Everyone knows the story of the Titanic, the world's most luxurious liner which hit an iceberg in 1912 on her maiden voyage and sank taking more than 1,500 people with her. You've either read a book about the disaster or seen a movie about this disaster.

The truth of the Titanic

When the latest version of the movie came out, I took an Online Payday Loan to buy tickets for my entire family. I thought it was important that everyone know the story and perhaps learn something from it. I later learned that modern testing of the hull has shown that inferior metal rivets were used in the construction and that on collision of the metal plates with the iceberg under terrific force, these rivets 'popped' allowing the plates to buckle and letting the water in.

Titanic-iana

When one talks about man-made disasters the Titanic is way out in front. There are people who collect Titanic-iana, there are Titanic fan clubs, there are websites on the internet with the most intimate details of the passengers and the ship. There is the Titanic Historical Society whose headquarters are in Indian Orchard MA.

Now, as the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s launch looms there is a new exhibition at Belfast’s Linenhall Library and it features a small brass trinket box that held its secret link to the Titanic safe across the years and thousands of miles. This is quite an amazing story. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "There are recessions and there are disasters"

Pulte Homes, Centex Join Homebuilding Forces

Companies merge in housing slump

Pulte Homes Inc. has purchased Centex Corp. The two homebuilders will both benefit from joining their assets now, as the United States is in the worst housing slump since the ’30s. Pulte bought Centex for $1.3 billion in an all-stock deal. The companies now share $1.8 billion in net debt.

Too many builders

Both companies’ boards approved the pourchase.

"This is really good because not only are there too many homes, there are too many homebuilders," said Vicki Bryan, a senior high-yield bond analyst for New York-based Gimme Credit LLC. "Cash is king and this gives them $3.4 billion, the most in the industry, which means they don't need the banks."

Hopefully that means the companies won’t have to rely on short term loans to stay in business until the housing market picks up.

Need for change

New home sales are down 75 percent since July 2005. Sales rose in February, and Pulte Chief Executive Officer Richard Dugas hopes that change in direction plus the acquisition of Centex will return the company to profitability.

Merger motivation

In the past year, Centex has lost 70 percent of its value. Pulte suffered, too, losing 30 percent of its value. Fixed mortgage rates in the U.S. are at record lows, and home prices are still falling. Neither Dugas nor Centex CEO Timothy Eller is predicting a turnaround for the industry, but Dugas said “We’re cautiously optimistic about what we’re seeing now.” ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Pulte Homes, Centex Join Homebuilding Forces"

GM Segway Part 2 | More Opinions on PUMA

‘Today Show’ takes a test drive

GM and Segway have partnered to make a tiny, electric vehicle, the PUMA, that more closely resembles a scooter than a car. I shared my outsider’s opinion in Part 1 of this article, but there are plenty of other people out their sharing their thoughts.

This morning on the “Today Show,” a developer gave show host Meredith Viera a test drive in the passenger seat. Check out the video at Kicking Tires.

Word from the inside

As Viera rode around in the PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility), she had a few insights of her own to share. She commented that she wouldn’t feel safe riding in the PUMA in the streets. She also said they’d need to create an enclosed version in order for people to use it in the winter.

The driver of the PUMA, called “Mike the engineer” in the video, said it was a very early prototype and more safety features would be developed. GM executive Larry Burns said the vehicles will be “fully designed and test-driven” by January. It sounds like it will take more than a payday loan to buy one, though. The vehicles will cost up to a third as much as an average car.

Harsh words from Business Pundit

Though Burns sounded enthusiastic about developing the PUMA, some business analysts don’t think this risky venture is best for a company living on a government lifeline. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "GM Segway Part 2 | More Opinions on PUMA"

SAT Scores Optional At Some Colleges?

What’s your score? Do I care?

SAT scores are coming out soon (or have already been released, depending upon when you read this). This brings thoughts of the future to millions of American high school students. Nervous feelings, excitement, expectation, even dread may color the pallet of days. What will the score mean for their college and career prospects? Does a high score ensure success in life? Does it make it easier to obtain a cash advance? Do all colleges still care about SAT scores?

No.

Jeremy Rodriguez reports for Carnegie Mellon’s The Tartan Online that an increasing number of colleges are ready to consider SAT scores optional in the admissions process.

Change the game

Thomas Espenshade and Chang Young Chung, a sociology professor and statistical programmer from Princeton University, have conducted a study that found that “dropping standardized test scores as an admissions requirement will lead to increased percentages of minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students admitted to college.”

Clearly, it’s a story we’ve heard before, at least anecdotally. In the modeling for the study, researchers assumed that at the SAT-optional colleges, those with high scores would still apply there and receive the benefits of their scores. There are no advantage for high SAT scores at institutions that don’t use the scores in the admissions process.

Hooray for handouts

In the SAT-optional model, private colleges where applying black students with a mean SAT score of 1405, the percentage of admitted applicants who are black would increase by three percent. In an environment where the SAT was not considered at all, the percentage of accepted students goes up almost six percent. For Latino students, the numbers are three and four percent. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "SAT Scores Optional At Some Colleges?"

GM PUMA | Is General Motors Grasping At Straws?

GM partners with Segway Inc.

The United State’s biggest automaker and the creator of Segway scooters have teamed up to create the GM PUMA , a two-wheeled electric vehicle. So far the Puma is only in the prototype stage.

Perhaps this “sit-down scooter” or GM Segway, as some people are calling it, could be the next big thing in automotive technology. However, most market watchers are predicting the PUMA (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) will be just was big a flop as the Segway scooter.

About the PUMA

The prototype was unveiled today in Manhattan. The vehicle weighs 300 pounds, runs solely on electricity and basically looks like a sit-down, shielded Segway. It has no safety features, but the makers say such features are unnecessary because the vehicle automatically avoids obstacles, pedestrians and other cars.

The PUMA’s top speed is 35 mph, and its top distance on a single charge is 35 miles.

PUMA price

It’s tough to say whether you’ll need a personal loan to buy a PUMA, if it ever does come out.

“The companies did not release a projected cost for the vehicle, but said ideally its total operating cost — including purchase price, insurance, maintenance and fuel — would total between one-fourth and one-third of that of the average traditional vehicle,” according to the Huffington Post.

So I guess the projected price depends on  your opinion of what an “average traditional vehicle” is.

Predictions of a non-expert

In my unprofessional opinion, any time or money that GM has spent on this vehicle during its time of economic crisis is a huge waste. I applaud the automaker for developing a vehicle that doesn’t use fuel, takes up less space and costs less than its other products, but the GM PUMA will never catch on. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "GM PUMA | Is General Motors Grasping At Straws?"

Goodbye numbers, hello QWERTY

The entire world is invited to a retraining course

Last week, after much deliberation on the matter, I applied for and received an Online Cash Advance. This was no frivolous action. All my life I have managed to stay just over the red line of solvency and I cannot remember ever having resorted to a loan. But my cell phone died one evening; rolled over onto its back and gave out a weak off-key rendering of the Nokia tune and closed down forever. I poked around inside it with a paper clip but to no avail.

I took the loan money and went into my cell phone provider for something new to replace my old phone. I came out with a shiny black third generation model with a camera. So far, I've taken a lot of pictures and made zero calls.

This morning I open the paper over breakfast and find a most distressing article.

What’s QWERTY?

“Goodbye, numeric cell phone keypads. You’re going the way of the rotary dial. Touch screens and QWERTY keyboards will take over from here, thank you.” At North America’s largest cell phone trade show, running this week in Las Vegas, there were few new phones for the U.S. market that had a numerical keypad instead of an alphabetic keyboard. Touch screens also were out in force.

These changes are recognition of the popularity of text messaging and wireless Internet use. The industry organization CTIA Wireless, which hosts the show, said U.S. subscribers sent 1 trillion text messages last year, three times the 2007 volume. Meanwhile, the same people used 2.2 trillion minutes of voice calls, an increase of less than 5 percent. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Goodbye numbers, hello QWERTY"

Revolution Money Challenges Credit Cards, PayPal

A revolution in money

We’re all looking to cut costs. Consumers are trying to spend less, even if it is contrary to how the economy receives greatest stimulation. When people shop for payday loans, they’re looking for low cost. When merchants want to cut costs, they look at expenses and see where savings can be had.

Ty McMahan reports for the Wall Street Journal that major financial firms and investors have contributed $42 million in venture capital into Revolution Money, a payment-processing company backed by AOL co-founder Steve Case.

What do they do?

Revolution Money cuts costs by providing an online portal through which merchants can accepting credit card payments. The cost is decreased for merchants by up to 75 percent for transactions, and the merchants can then pass part of that savings on to consumers as lower prices for goods. The company expects to steal market share from both traditional credit card companies and payment services like PayPal. According to reports, the post-money valuation (after investment has been made) of Revolution Money is less than $200 million. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Revolution Money Challenges Credit Cards, PayPal"

FASB: Taxpayers Should Feed Banks More (Pt. 2)

But that’s not all

(This concludes my look at what the FASB has done. CLICK HERE if you missed the opening)…

The FASB is also going to allow companies to list impaired assets like mortgage securities in their books as “other comprehensive income.” This improves operating income by allowing companies to report smaller loss amounts on their financials. So long as the company discloses quarterly their justification for listing assets in this category, it will be considered appropriate.

Columbia Business School Accounting Professor Robert Willens sees this new provision upping companies’ earning statements by 20 percent on average. Yet large banks like Citigroup Inc. would sop up much of this revaluation profits because they are carrying much many more toxic assets than smaller banks.

And bankers want even more

Bankers are also lobbying for the FASB and the SEC to receive retroactive compensation for their impaired illiquid assets. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank told the American Bankers Association he will present their proposal to the SEC and Congress. However, Willens finds the idea very unusual.

“FASB doesn’t traditionally do that, but Frank’s pressure could make it happen,” he said.

What does this mean to taxpayers?

The prognosis isn’t good. Looking at the responses to the article, “JoeHunt” provides a good yardstick:

Honestly, how can anyone believe this rubbish? Show me a strong, dependable cash flow and I’ll show you a market and investors willing to pay market value for the discounted cash flow. In this market especially, I’d dump my entire portfolio into something with a dependable cash flow. WAKE UP folks, the problem is these future cash flows are “pie in the sky” or the actual dependable cash flow is way under book value, so the assets do not exist at these prices and that’s why there’s an illiquid market, the lapse of mark to market is an utter robbery. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "FASB: Taxpayers Should Feed Banks More (Pt. 2)"