Take Personal Stock in This Financial Meltdown

Let's be honest. When the world is in crisis, or at least you perceive the crisis will happen soon, your personal performance is the first to go. Maybe you're worried about your investments. Perhaps you thought that the impending layoffs, or salary freeze and hiking store bills will cripple your goal to start saving for kids' college. Perhaps there was a reorganization of the company, or move to a new place, and chaos ensued.

If you have problems with attention lately, here are a few good reasons to delete those cobwebs from your head and get a survival plan in place:

1 I do not know where your company will be tomorrow.

2 I do not know if I'll still be employed at this company.

3.Financijske future is extremely uncertain at this time.

4 Living expenses continue to rise.

I do not try to paralyze you in fear of the listing of these options. What I'm trying to do is point out the reasons why it is wise to prepare for change. Our friends in the southern states recently endured Hurricane Ike and is now slowly and painfully picking up the pieces.
Homes and lives were lost. How do you think it would feel to have a life as you know it ripped from under you? Would you be willing, if something major happened tomorrow?

While disasters, whether natural, financial or otherwise, sometimes can not be avoided, it pays to think ahead and be prepared for what May come your way. Instead of anxiously scanning the news, participate in a heated argument over the politics of nation, download Tina Fey's Sarah Palin parody, or otherwise frittering away your precious time, why not mentally and physically prepared for what May come?
I dare you to start putting plans into action following today:

1 Take your inventory on-job performance.
Poll all you have managed to accomplish last year. Gather the evidence - including reports have helped to create, you have to give presentations, sales performance reports that indicate improvement on the basis of plans and procedures that are implemented and all the creative projects that have been involved. Create two "achievements" of the folders for you - one that will live on your computer, and another that can hold in your hands. Print documents, make copies. E-mail to all your personal e-mail

2 Update your resume and find their own "personal stores ."
To help you identify your most marketable traits, look at the achievements of the folder that I talked about in point 1 Based on its achievements, in which areas you excel? To make this appeal to a future employer? If you have problems with this, talk with a personal trainer who will help you define your core strengths. Not sure of your writing? Pass the task of resume writing expert who will know the right word to use, who will play up your best features. Add keywords to your resume that hiring managers can find on sites like Monster.com.

3 Have some face time with your financial advisor
If you're feeling insecure about your money, now is a great opportunity to team up with their investments and the type you see in your portfolio. At the time of this writing (October 2008), financial experts point to the "spread" their money across several different banks, if you have more than $ 100,000.00 in assets. Check to make sure that your financial institution is FDIC insured. Look at global investments. Our economy can not be in the best shape right now, but it is money that the international stocks. Your financial adviser will help you make the right decisions about what to do with their money.

4 Arm yourself with a list of reliable contacts
With the world in such a state of flux, there is no better time than to their firm connection with people that May be of service to you and vice versa. Web sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook were to gather friends and acquaintances from decades past. Now it's time to get back in touch with the former employer who has always had rave reviews for his work .... that the child's first grade class who now owns his own marketing. Get phone numbers, e-mail and mailing address. You really just never know when you'll be needing these!

5 Get and give a statement
While you are reaching out to people, be sure to get referrals and testimonials from those who know and trust. If you do not have any more, and then start giving some out. Offer public praise for those whose skills will benefit.

6 Create a "consulting portfolio" (even if you're not ready to become a consultant yet)
OK, so May have no intention of leaving his job at the moment, and you May even feel super confident in your position. All this is great! But again, the preparation will put you two steps ahead of the game. So if you have the skills that can be easily transferred to the area of counseling, it is now time to play one up

(to shed some light on how easy it is to begin consulting. If you take a bite for independent work, it can easily apply that extra income in the 1099-MISC to your tax return.)

Get a web site! Hosting is less than $ 200 per year and domain name only $ 6.00. Take those skills that you specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 above, and transfer them to your online resume or personal portfolio page that shares professional information about you in the world.

Think of all the people out there, searching Google for something that might be able to make them ponuditi.Najpametniji people are getting out into the virtual world and be seen!

There are many other ways to "conservative down" and be prepared for the unexpected in today's rapidly changing world. Look at the revenue side capabilities, such as investments in real estate. Things like laundry mats and machines are also great ways to pocket extra cash. And do not forget to retrain your mind for cheap shopping. Be on the lookout for bulk deals on things you know you'll always need - like toilet paper

While some things are certainly beyond your control, other facts of your life and your future upravlja.Ključ is easy to put "in charge" of things can change for the better. After you do this, you will be able to buckle down and give your business full attention it deserves.

Anyway - this is what you pay, you still get paid. Right?

CitiGroup's Destructive Potential Still Poses a Systemic Threat

surrender more of taxpayers' money to Citigroup was temporarily avoided truly systemic collapse of the world banking system, but, as always, the real problems are not resolved and the inevitable collapse is only delayed.

Bloomberg reported that "Citigroup will cover the first $ 29 billion pre-tax losses of $ 306 billion troubled asset pool, in addition to reserves already set aside.Citigroup will accept 10% of the value above that amount with the government (ie tax taxpayer), which is responsible for 90%. treasuries absorbing 5 billion dollars in losses and the FDIC absorbing another $ 10 billion. If the portfolio plummets, the Fed will get credit for the rest. "Citigroup has already received $ 25 billion in the TARP.

Citigroup has 185 million credit card accounts around the world, even before the current phase of financial crisis, the increase in losses from year to year has jumped by 67% while the increase in accounts 90 days or more past due. Credit defaults are rising and it is inevitable that the main source of income will be reducing all the time. Nothing has happened to credit card debtors to repay what they owe, or to stop the exponential costs accumulate when you perform the payment due. are more matured, more difficult to pay the debt back. So, we can assume that Citigroup would be extremely vulnerable in that area and cause more losses.

above does not include the ever-present Pale Horseman of the products of the world. U.S. Commercial bank I account for 182.1 trillion U.S. dollars in notional derivatives. The frightening thing about this is that only 8.2 trillion U.S. dollars is regulated by the Exchange, and the remainder over the counter and not subject to any regulation. In mid-2008, Citibank NA held $ 37.1 trillion in derivatives bets with only 6.6% of regulated exchanges. This makes the derivatives exposures Citi 5 times the exposure to Lehmans had when he went to the wall. fallout from that still feels banks around the world. risk of these products is growing as the economy worsens and who will pick up the account when the inevitable debacle arrives? taxpayer, who should be getting something tangible for your hard-earned tax dollars as a real relief of their debt, the opportunity to keep their homes, investing in the creation of real jobs in manufacturing, rather than publicly funded largesse to Paulson's cronies on Wall Street. that have been exposed so far.

small agile Treasury policy continues to take precedence over common sense. This is despite the mixed culpas by Paulson himself admits that his cunning plan was not improving situation.Does anyone in Washington even think about the real economy more or they mistakenly assume that they can just throw a fiat money in financial institutions, hoping to will go away? U.S. ability to continue to throw money down the drain and still relies on the willingness of China, Japan and the oil kingdoms and they will be when the Treasury yield slipped below the level at which inflation will erode their gains. Gold is making a comeback in the reserves as a means of inflation proof. These latter countries also have to deal with their own economic disaster and need to have real money to solve the problem, not the promise of fundamentally bankrupt subject them to repay the money. increasing the distance between East and West Ogres bad for USThe splicing of countries in regional blocs, with their associated pragmatism, is a sign of things to come. How U.S. attack to the real economic problems will be determined by the wisdom and patience of some others. Whichever way you look at it, the U.S. must drastically lower living standards and expectations of relatively long and the existing production infrastructure reconstruction to the competition. Exposure to the U.S. taxpayer on the toxicity of Citigroup's "property" has only served to accelerate the downward trajectory.

Criticizing a Message of Hope?

Having read the transcript of the speech Mr. Obama, I think he puts forward a case for necessary reforms and political change. Issues such as health care reform, education and finance reform, a commitment to promoting renewable energy were the highlights of his speech. He also touched on taking action to stabilize the banks, helping credit worthy borrowers to find affordable refits, and regulatory reform. These are all questions that are watching us in the face for a while, but have not had the attention and commitment behind the decision for them to tackle them. In addition, the president expressed his support for American troops fighting for us around the world, promising better pay and benefits, and before leaving the service and afterwards.

He even does a good job of justifying most of the stimulus package, saying states that have been overlooked in an attempt to showcase the Republican pork. He drew attention to the push for more alternative forms of energy, infrastructure, middle and lower class tax cuts, tuition tax credits, and extended unemployment benefits and health coverage. While helping those in need, will now help in the short term, what I like most about this plan is not to ignore the long-term interests in order to score a few brownie points close. the appointment of inspectors and inspection under the guidance of Joe Biden will address some of the abuses of this kind of spending can create.

the thing that impressed me most about all of the speech, but his focus on long-term solution, was his lack of fear to tell Wall Street that he really did not care what they think about their programs. He made ​​it clear that they will not let the market dictate what the American domestic political needs, offering constructive solutions to the future for short-term profits and gains.

is the official Republican response submitted to Governor Jindal was predictable. He criticized the president plans and initiatives, pointing to a deficit that will be caused the bemoaning plan to expand the role of government. He reiterated the classic Republican battle cry less government. House GOP leader John Boehner, also promotes a "small government", was more complimentary. Boehner said he felt that the President made ​​an "exceptional case" and that it was very close to the talks that he will give.

can find a Republican call for smaller, less intrusive government and criticism of deficit spending to be disingenuous at best, really hypocritical at worst. This is the same party, when they had control of the White House and Congress voted to expand government by creating new departments such as Homeland Security instead of reconstruction and the creation of cooperation between existing CIA and FBI. This is the same party that hacked away at the basic civil rights for the creation and adoption of the Patriot Act that allows the government unprecedented and unrestricted access to private information and eliminates the need for transparency in judicial proceedings. Your library book checkout list, your credit card charges, your internet use, all subject to government supervision. You could literally be picked up and taken away, your home is searched, to be held without charge for unlimited time permit anonymous and untouchable court only on the government suspected of wrongdoing. This is the Republican version of the smaller and less intrusive government?

As for the deficit spending, tell me, how billions of dollars spent on the war that was launched on false and trumped up information used in this country and help our economy? We do not even know what the real count so far for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, let alone the future of total costs. Despite all the money we spent, we lose the war in Afghanistan and created nothing but a long-term commitment to fiscal and global ill will with the war in Iraq. We are committed to the reconstruction of Iraq and its infrastructure, spending money on schools, hospitals, roads, police and security forces to the Iraqis when we can not fund our own. All this for a country that our excessive use of oil helps to be rich, even without our tax dollars going to work for them. Where is the Republican in Congress cried when we went from a balanced budget to record deficit spending to less than 5 years for that to happen?

and, of course, no Republican in Congress or the White House has never been funded pork projects, while the control ... The bridge to nowhere, anyone?

I will argue that Obama, their platforms, and its stimulus plan was perfect. They do not. I will argue that the plan is a model for targeted and effective spending. It is not. But we sit around, take a sharp stand and do nothing? Do you take any action at all, because few in Washington, both sides play "I'll stroke your back if you stroke my" game to get anything done? Do we stick with the tried and true, although it does not work, because we have to spend money to invest in what it takes to move to the next level? Do we hold the future hostage to just score a few political points, or to have a better shot at the next election? I do not think so. And in the privacy of your own heart, nor the majority of congressional Republicans.

tough times require bold action. Only time will tell if President Barack Obama campaign and the Democratic Congress will take the right ones, and what is the cost if they fail. But what is the cost if we do nothing? Mr. Obama has repeatedly struck a note of hope in his speech to repeat his belief in the determination, strength, and drive the American people. We look for those characteristics not only of myself, but from our elected officials. This is a nation of thinkers and doers. Let's act like it.

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