The lending market is always going to be competitive. Since some people were unqualified lenders have tighten guidelines creating an environment with less potential borrowers.
It will potentially put lenders out of business, but not as many if these loans default. It is hard to speculate what is really going to happen. Just be good with your credit and you will be fine.
I've always hated that question, for many of the same reasons you mention.
And having been there with my husband, I can say that the reality is much more like what Martha describes -- find a notary, make sure the will is done, etc. Also, remember that if you know you're going to die very soon, you probably don't feel great. Although there are exceptions, chances are high that you're tethered to IV morphine or other serious meds and are not exactly in a position to go running off to Europe.
About the only really helpful insight you can gain from this thought experiment is: love your family, try not to hold grudges, and don't put off *all* pleasures for the future...
I use to drink mountain dew and coke everyday like 3 20 ounce bottles a day. One day I checked my blood pressure because I didn't feel well and it was way too high for my age (22) but it was not considered hypertensive yet. I knew that caffeine and my smoking were the culprit. I stopped caffeine cold turkey and muttled through the work day with a migraine for about 3 days but once it went away I lost all cravings for it! I feel so much more refreshed by drinking water. I lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks when I stopped caffeine which was an extra bonus!! I have been caffeine free for 38 days and nicotine free for 9!! If I can do it anyone can. Good luck!!
My father in-law just got a reverse mortgage and I wanted to know what happens to the house if he passed away. Would his son be able to get the house back or do it just got to the bank. I also wanted to respong to the person saying that you shouldn't get a lump sum unless you really need it, well they gave my father one and he sure don't need it, it's just sitting in the bank is that the wrong thing for him to do any feed back I can get will surley help us thanks and GOD BLESS
after reading some of the comments I to do not think that it is fair for the responsiable people that would like to take advantage of the rates to not be able to because of the equity has tanked. we live in a neighborhood to where when we bought our home it appraised for 270,000 when we bought it in 2007 over the amount we purchased it for at 265,000 and now it appraises for 230,000.00. we called countrywide to see if we could refinance, with the good credit, but not the equity because we did not have it anymore, they told us no because we were never late on a payment nor have we ever missed a payment. we were told the only way that we could get a good rate without the equity would be to put 20% down or just miss some payments( I could not believe it) I am glad that Obama plan will help other people because I am about helping people, but I just do not think that it is fair for us and the ones who want to take advantage of the great rates as well, I am a christian and I believe that God,Jesus have a great plan for us and for the people who are in situations like ours, it could and can be a lot worse we could be and still be one of the families living in tents. So Stay Blessed And May God Continue To Bless You All!
last day
saw scores of employees bring their carts of stuff from rear of store -- one employee had a canon 5d which had mysteriously disappeared from the camera section weeks prior :) and he had a bunch of other dvds and games -- his total bill -- a whopping $57.97 (thaat was a $3000 slr) -- so there was deals to be had especially for employees -- consider it severance pay:) farewell cc -- ill miss ya
this is in line with my theory of contentment. I sense either the dawning of the age we have been waiting on for 40+ years, catalyzed by the current economic crisis(depression) being the transition years for the aquarian time of mankind, yes the age of aquarius, either that or we are a few steps closer to the eve of destruction. Will the Mayan calendar ending in 2012 prove to all that they knew something so far in advance, but were unable to decipher--- a new beginning or in fact the demise of the lifestyle brought to us by the need, not want, as genetically we need to be more than we are. The very genetic makeup/code that enabled us to develop the sciences and technologies, keeps us from sharing the wealth of a world, yet with abundant resources to offer all their basic needs, and offer wants at a level that will bring contentment to such a an overwhelmingly large proportion of the population.
By using payment coupon books, consumers are forced to blindly trust that their payments are being applied timely and accurately -when all too often, they are not.
I have been fighting for a borrower's right to obtain, or have access to, monthly mortgage statements since the mid 90's after spending years cleaning up a mess caused by mortgage servicing problems. see: http://givemebackmycredit.com/richardson_my_story.htm
I too was paying additional principal payments that either were not applied -or inaccurately applied, without my knowledge all because I never received a monthly mortgage statement! This created a harmful chain-reactive set of events that took a decade to repair.
Since we are able to receive monthly utility statements and credit card statements, wouldn't it be a reasonable expectation that we should have access to monthly mortgage statements so we can track and verify how our mortgage payments are handled? Allowing mortgage servicing companies to continue operating without oversight or regulation, is not only a disturbing reality but one that angers many homeowners -and rightfully so.
What you don't know -can absolutely hurt you! Knowing how our payments are applied should be a basic right -not a privilege dictated by mortgage servicing companies!
If you take Bush's 8 years out of this picture, this crisis won't have happened. Bush was bent on spending money, going to war and forgot how to govern his own country. All that classic spending with runaway inflation was real ammunition for a crisis. He knew but he allowed it to happen. In the end he lost the war on both fronts. This is no way to fight a holy war. Now he just walk away for someone else to clean up his mess.
if a 2 cent piece of wire could improve reception, every cell-phone company would just include it with their phones.
Some of the above suggestions can actually RUIN your phone.
There are no magic fixes, these idiots think its funny to get people to wreck their phones trying these useless ideas.
I'll tell you what would be funny - if people who followed your advice and wrecked their phones got lawyers and sued you and your parents (if you're a minor) for everything you own!
HAHAHA, yeah THAT would be funny!
The entire attitudes towards credit cards is something I've never understood. Maybe its a cultural thing. I am in my 30s now and have never ever ever thought of credit cards as something to use as a form of actual credit. To me, my family, and most people I know they are simply an alternative to cash. I charge most things I buy and always pay off the balance in full each month, it would never even occur to me to not pay off the full balance each month. It's just not the way I was brought up. People say you'll spend more money if you charge things than if you use cash - but that isn't true. It may be true for someone who is weak and stupid but if you have even half a brain you know a dollar is a dollar whether its on your card or you pay in cash. I save over half my income even after taxes and max 401k contributions. I make a pretty average income for people like me - e.g. white-collar professionals, college degree, etc. Nothing crazy high but comfortable even after saving over half of it. I just don't understand how people in my demographic can't have savings, how they find the need to buy things on credit, etc. But that is the case, so many people I know would be categorized as upper-middle class and they have such little in savings. Asian-Americans I know are the only group where it seems virtually all are very smart with their money.
It was one of my commenters who suggested that she could eat for $25 a week; I don't think I tried to put a specific number on it--there are too many variables.
Having said that, I'd just point you to what I said in comment #25 above.
It didn't work for me, actually I caught the towel on fire too and then I freaked and it landed on my rug and melted that, so now you owe me the money.
I find that rather hard to believe. Even shopping at the farmer's market, where I can fill a cart with produce for less than $150, a diet that is so central in whole grains and fruits and veggies still costs more than $25 a week. I know how to eat healthy. I'm a vegetarian. I know how to prepare food. And I have about five or six feet in a city kitchen, so that's enough . . . but when I eat all the produce I'd like, my food bill more than doubles.
After many years, I still am glad I became a teacher. For many years, I worked towards Financial Independence (a la Your Money or Your Life), but that was because I had a stomach ache inducing department head who disliked me. I wasn't planning to quit; I just wanted to say to myself, "I'm going to work because I WANT to, not because I have to."
Finally my dept head retired after 15 years (many stomach aches for me), and, of course, my savings have been decimated. So I still "have" to work; luckily I feel that I'm doing something good every day.
Love your blog! I know you hear that all the time, but I suppose that never gets old.
Good post. There's one more option for the hard drive. You can buy a 500GB replacement hard drive and install in the mini for $120. 320GB is $85. I'm not a computer expert, but had no problem doing this kind of work on my laptop after watching some You-tube videos. Of course you're going to install some RAM while the box is open.
I plan use my old G4 mini until Snow Leopard comes out. Then, I'll get the new mini and upgrade it. I've never seen an Apple product fail, so the warranty is not a big deal to me. I'll still turn the computer on first to make sure it's OK before I void the warranty.
This doesn't save a huge amount of money compared to the Apple upgrade. Someone who doesn't want the hassle could just buy the computer from a dealer.
You are more that correct about Hackintosh. I'll never go there again!
im a stay at home mom, with a part time job for a few hours and love the idea of a book on the job.i carry it everywhere.if happiness and joy dont count as a primary reason to buy an item like K2, im not sure you will find any satisfactory reason. I got it as a gift from a cousin of mine, who has been very generous and thoughtful and i can assure you i would not have bought it on my own, having said all this, i must confess i would have missed out on something spectacular had i not been given this as a gift.This is the first time, i have really appreciated technology in giving me happiness unbound...it did not happen with my HTC phone either...and i love a shelf full of books dearly.im old fashioned to the core but reading is my passion...and on that i will gladly invest more money.I would say you have bought umpteen number of book shelves, why not a K2?? you'll be surprised by the convenience and pure joy.
My husband was given a choice of early retirement or layoff and I left my job to be a stay at home mom to our three year old (yes we are very late bloomers, so-to-speak). Do you or any of your readers know if there are any forms of public assistance that are not asset based? We have savings but no income at all.
The lending market is always going to be competitive. Since some people were unqualified lenders have tighten guidelines creating an environment with less potential borrowers.
It will potentially put lenders out of business, but not as many if these loans default. It is hard to speculate what is really going to happen. Just be good with your credit and you will be fine.
I've always hated that question, for many of the same reasons you mention.
And having been there with my husband, I can say that the reality is much more like what Martha describes -- find a notary, make sure the will is done, etc. Also, remember that if you know you're going to die very soon, you probably don't feel great. Although there are exceptions, chances are high that you're tethered to IV morphine or other serious meds and are not exactly in a position to go running off to Europe.
About the only really helpful insight you can gain from this thought experiment is: love your family, try not to hold grudges, and don't put off *all* pleasures for the future...
I use to drink mountain dew and coke everyday like 3 20 ounce bottles a day. One day I checked my blood pressure because I didn't feel well and it was way too high for my age (22) but it was not considered hypertensive yet. I knew that caffeine and my smoking were the culprit. I stopped caffeine cold turkey and muttled through the work day with a migraine for about 3 days but once it went away I lost all cravings for it! I feel so much more refreshed by drinking water. I lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks when I stopped caffeine which was an extra bonus!! I have been caffeine free for 38 days and nicotine free for 9!! If I can do it anyone can. Good luck!!
Nice tip!
Thanks for the reminder on this . . . time to do a walk around to unplug things!
My father in-law just got a reverse mortgage and I wanted to know what happens to the house if he passed away. Would his son be able to get the house back or do it just got to the bank. I also wanted to respong to the person saying that you shouldn't get a lump sum unless you really need it, well they gave my father one and he sure don't need it, it's just sitting in the bank is that the wrong thing for him to do any feed back I can get will surley help us thanks and GOD BLESS
after reading some of the comments I to do not think that it is fair for the responsiable people that would like to take advantage of the rates to not be able to because of the equity has tanked. we live in a neighborhood to where when we bought our home it appraised for 270,000 when we bought it in 2007 over the amount we purchased it for at 265,000 and now it appraises for 230,000.00. we called countrywide to see if we could refinance, with the good credit, but not the equity because we did not have it anymore, they told us no because we were never late on a payment nor have we ever missed a payment. we were told the only way that we could get a good rate without the equity would be to put 20% down or just miss some payments( I could not believe it) I am glad that Obama plan will help other people because I am about helping people, but I just do not think that it is fair for us and the ones who want to take advantage of the great rates as well, I am a christian and I believe that God,Jesus have a great plan for us and for the people who are in situations like ours, it could and can be a lot worse we could be and still be one of the families living in tents. So Stay Blessed And May God Continue To Bless You All!
last day
saw scores of employees bring their carts of stuff from rear of store -- one employee had a canon 5d which had mysteriously disappeared from the camera section weeks prior :) and he had a bunch of other dvds and games -- his total bill -- a whopping $57.97 (thaat was a $3000 slr) -- so there was deals to be had especially for employees -- consider it severance pay:) farewell cc -- ill miss ya
this is in line with my theory of contentment. I sense either the dawning of the age we have been waiting on for 40+ years, catalyzed by the current economic crisis(depression) being the transition years for the aquarian time of mankind, yes the age of aquarius, either that or we are a few steps closer to the eve of destruction. Will the Mayan calendar ending in 2012 prove to all that they knew something so far in advance, but were unable to decipher--- a new beginning or in fact the demise of the lifestyle brought to us by the need, not want, as genetically we need to be more than we are. The very genetic makeup/code that enabled us to develop the sciences and technologies, keeps us from sharing the wealth of a world, yet with abundant resources to offer all their basic needs, and offer wants at a level that will bring contentment to such a an overwhelmingly large proportion of the population.
By using payment coupon books, consumers are forced to blindly trust that their payments are being applied timely and accurately -when all too often, they are not.
I have been fighting for a borrower's right to obtain, or have access to, monthly mortgage statements since the mid 90's after spending years cleaning up a mess caused by mortgage servicing problems. see: http://givemebackmycredit.com/richardson_my_story.htm
I too was paying additional principal payments that either were not applied -or inaccurately applied, without my knowledge all because I never received a monthly mortgage statement! This created a harmful chain-reactive set of events that took a decade to repair.
Since we are able to receive monthly utility statements and credit card statements, wouldn't it be a reasonable expectation that we should have access to monthly mortgage statements so we can track and verify how our mortgage payments are handled? Allowing mortgage servicing companies to continue operating without oversight or regulation, is not only a disturbing reality but one that angers many homeowners -and rightfully so.
Read comments from borrowers against mortgage servicing companies as they battle to right corporate wrongs caused by either accounting errors or fraud;
http://givemebackmycredit.com/richardson-petition.htm.
What you don't know -can absolutely hurt you! Knowing how our payments are applied should be a basic right -not a privilege dictated by mortgage servicing companies!
If you take Bush's 8 years out of this picture, this crisis won't have happened. Bush was bent on spending money, going to war and forgot how to govern his own country. All that classic spending with runaway inflation was real ammunition for a crisis. He knew but he allowed it to happen. In the end he lost the war on both fronts. This is no way to fight a holy war. Now he just walk away for someone else to clean up his mess.
My tap water contains Chlorine. Will that interfere with the yeast? Should I use only filtered water?
And THANKS for a most informative blog on the basics!
Using an old book to CLEP out of biology was a good idea. No need to dissect some poor unfortunate kitty murdered by the in-humane society!
if a 2 cent piece of wire could improve reception, every cell-phone company would just include it with their phones.
Some of the above suggestions can actually RUIN your phone.
There are no magic fixes, these idiots think its funny to get people to wreck their phones trying these useless ideas.
I'll tell you what would be funny - if people who followed your advice and wrecked their phones got lawyers and sued you and your parents (if you're a minor) for everything you own!
HAHAHA, yeah THAT would be funny!
The entire attitudes towards credit cards is something I've never understood. Maybe its a cultural thing. I am in my 30s now and have never ever ever thought of credit cards as something to use as a form of actual credit. To me, my family, and most people I know they are simply an alternative to cash. I charge most things I buy and always pay off the balance in full each month, it would never even occur to me to not pay off the full balance each month. It's just not the way I was brought up. People say you'll spend more money if you charge things than if you use cash - but that isn't true. It may be true for someone who is weak and stupid but if you have even half a brain you know a dollar is a dollar whether its on your card or you pay in cash. I save over half my income even after taxes and max 401k contributions. I make a pretty average income for people like me - e.g. white-collar professionals, college degree, etc. Nothing crazy high but comfortable even after saving over half of it. I just don't understand how people in my demographic can't have savings, how they find the need to buy things on credit, etc. But that is the case, so many people I know would be categorized as upper-middle class and they have such little in savings. Asian-Americans I know are the only group where it seems virtually all are very smart with their money.
It was one of my commenters who suggested that she could eat for $25 a week; I don't think I tried to put a specific number on it--there are too many variables.
Having said that, I'd just point you to what I said in comment #25 above.
That's so cool!
It didn't work for me, actually I caught the towel on fire too and then I freaked and it landed on my rug and melted that, so now you owe me the money.
I find that rather hard to believe. Even shopping at the farmer's market, where I can fill a cart with produce for less than $150, a diet that is so central in whole grains and fruits and veggies still costs more than $25 a week. I know how to eat healthy. I'm a vegetarian. I know how to prepare food. And I have about five or six feet in a city kitchen, so that's enough . . . but when I eat all the produce I'd like, my food bill more than doubles.
@Dwight: There are also authorized Apple resellers who can do the work for you at less cost than Apple.
I'm looking forward to see how substantial the speed optimizations in Snow Leopard are. :)
After many years, I still am glad I became a teacher. For many years, I worked towards Financial Independence (a la Your Money or Your Life), but that was because I had a stomach ache inducing department head who disliked me. I wasn't planning to quit; I just wanted to say to myself, "I'm going to work because I WANT to, not because I have to."
Finally my dept head retired after 15 years (many stomach aches for me), and, of course, my savings have been decimated. So I still "have" to work; luckily I feel that I'm doing something good every day.
Love your blog! I know you hear that all the time, but I suppose that never gets old.
Good post. There's one more option for the hard drive. You can buy a 500GB replacement hard drive and install in the mini for $120. 320GB is $85. I'm not a computer expert, but had no problem doing this kind of work on my laptop after watching some You-tube videos. Of course you're going to install some RAM while the box is open.
I plan use my old G4 mini until Snow Leopard comes out. Then, I'll get the new mini and upgrade it. I've never seen an Apple product fail, so the warranty is not a big deal to me. I'll still turn the computer on first to make sure it's OK before I void the warranty.
This doesn't save a huge amount of money compared to the Apple upgrade. Someone who doesn't want the hassle could just buy the computer from a dealer.
You are more that correct about Hackintosh. I'll never go there again!
im a stay at home mom, with a part time job for a few hours and love the idea of a book on the job.i carry it everywhere.if happiness and joy dont count as a primary reason to buy an item like K2, im not sure you will find any satisfactory reason. I got it as a gift from a cousin of mine, who has been very generous and thoughtful and i can assure you i would not have bought it on my own, having said all this, i must confess i would have missed out on something spectacular had i not been given this as a gift.This is the first time, i have really appreciated technology in giving me happiness unbound...it did not happen with my HTC phone either...and i love a shelf full of books dearly.im old fashioned to the core but reading is my passion...and on that i will gladly invest more money.I would say you have bought umpteen number of book shelves, why not a K2?? you'll be surprised by the convenience and pure joy.
My husband was given a choice of early retirement or layoff and I left my job to be a stay at home mom to our three year old (yes we are very late bloomers, so-to-speak). Do you or any of your readers know if there are any forms of public assistance that are not asset based? We have savings but no income at all.
Thanks!
Wine also boosts "my battery"