Posts Tagged ‘Economy’

The Underemployed

More than 18% in the U.S. are still underemployed.[1] This will continue to place a burden on retailers, home builders, and banks. Many U.S. cities and states will be forced to downsize their labor force and make cuts in other areas as high unemployment continues to limit the amount of revenue they receive.[2][3][4] Not long ago, the Governor of California declared a fiscal emergency.[5]

Real Estate

Foreclosure has decreased the amount of credit available to many.[6] Fewer people with good credit will cause retail sales to flatten or shrink, which will not translate into any improvement in commercial real estate.[7]

While sellers continue to cut prices, home sales continue to plunge.[8][9] Many homes still have yet to be unloaded by banks.[10]

New Taxes

Many new taxes will take effect in less than six months.[11] These taxes will take a massive toll on the economy.

European Debt Crisis

The austerity packages in Europe will decrease the amount Europeans have to spend, which will affect what they spend on American products.[12] Some believe “Europe is still in deep, deep in trouble.”[13] Portugal and Ireland’s debt ratings were recently downgraded.[14][15] Hungary’s debt rating could be downgraded again shortly.[16] Greece’s debt rating is already at junk status.[17]

Reasons the Correction Will Occur Before Year-End

-Even though the death cross is not a particularly useful metric on its own, it is on the minds of those holding.

-As more housing and jobs reports come in worse or as bad as expected, more weak hands will sell.

-The massive rally was mainly driven by optimists. Analysts continued to regurgitate that jobs were a lagging indicator and that once numbers started to improve, they would continue to improve and not level off. More and more are beginning to see the writing on the wall. Hope was the primary driver of this rally, and that hope is fading.

I own SPY puts and QQQQ puts

Sources:

1. gallup.com/poll/141770/Underemployment-Steady-July.aspx

2. finance.yahoo.com/news/Job-openings-drop-in-May-as-apf-1383917273.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=3&asset=&ccode=

3. kswo.com/global/story.asp?s=12751713

4. thenewamerican.com/index.php/economy/sectors-mainmenu-46/4017-facing-fiscal-meltdown-municipalities-struggle-with-pensions-

5. thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/schwarzenegger-declares-fiscal-emergency/california-budget/

6. cnbc.com/id/38152583/US_Consumer_Credit_Plunges_in_May

7. politifi.com/news/Retail-sales-fall-adding-to-recovery-worries-930534.html

8. cnbc.com/id/38244093/Home_Sellers_Slashing_Prices_While_Banks_Mow_the_Lawn

9. cnbc.com/id/38239511/US_Home_Buying_Applications_Sink_to_13_Year_Low

10. articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/11/local/la-me-derelict-homes-20100711

11. atr.org/six-months-untilbr-largest-tax-hikes-a5171#

12. huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/29/europes-massive-austerity_n_629062.html

13. finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/greece-in-%22death-spiral%22-europe-still-in-deep-deep-trouble-says-niall-ferguson-518977.html;_ylt=Ajo2DUEbiEHW4ZXR3JQ6oo.7YWsA;_ylu=X3oDMTE2aDFyMHY2BHBvcwMxMQRzZWMDdG9wU3RvcmllcwRzbGsDZXVyb3Blc3RpbGxp?tickers=udn,uup,ero,fxe,spy,%5Eftse&sec=topStories&pos=9&asset=&ccode=

14. msnbc.msn.com/id/38218449/ns/world_news-europe/

15. digitaljournal.com/article/294858

16. bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-23/moody-s-places-hungary-s-baa1-sovereign-rating-under-review-for-downgrade.html

17. money.cnn.com/2010/04/27/news/international/Greece_debt_downgraded/index.htm

The aim of Options trading now is to feature a critical view of the market, while providing a detailed report of my options trading. I have been trading puts for some time and am currently holding qqqq puts and spy puts.

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At one time or another, some may find themselves in debt. This may come from careless spending or a tragedy such as the loss of a partner or job. Learning to control the debt can not only help most people stay on track with their finances but also prevent future risk to their credit. In some instances it may be a lifestyle change that is needed to handle the mounting problem.

When people begin noticing that their outgoing bills are far greater than their monthly income, they realize that soon the debt will overtake their entire life. Many times this means making changes to their lifestyle in order to cut the debt. This can be done in various ways and save on the debt that is mounting.

Most people begin with their luxuries. This does not mean one has to live without some of the small luxuries in life but cutting out the ones that are most expensive are important. Although many people feel like a cell phone is a necessity, it is not. Everyone lived well without one for centuries.

Many people have two telephones. If business requires the use of a cell phone, it may be wise to have the home phone turned off. If the resident phone is necessary, perhaps cutting features will cut the bill to a minimum. Many people find that getting a prepaid plan for their cell is less expensive and helps them manage the expenditure.

Another good way to cut down on the luxuries of life is by dropping premium cable services. Most people are too busy to watch enough television to actually pay for these services in the first place. Dropping them from the service can actually save enough to pay the interest on credit cards or to pay for the basic service each month. This can save a family more than half of what they are paying for cable or satellite service.

Household expenses can also be cut to make life a little easier. Snacks and prime choice meats are not necessary for any family. Instead of eating out, cook your meals at home. Buying meats that can be used for more than one single family meal can save a tremendous amount in only a month.

The money that can be saved on utilities can also make a difference. Many homes do laundry several times a week. Some loads are not even full, yet it is turned on and operating. By washing only full loads of laundry, a family can save of their water usage and in turn save on their waste bill. Fluorescent bulbs make a big difference in electric consumption. Replacing all bulbs that are used the most can save a family close to one third of their bill.

People are learning to control the debt in their life and prevent it from becoming a problem in the future. Just a few small tips can make a huge difference in the way money is spent. This makes their money go farther and means that they may even be able to save for their future.

Want to find out more about making PPI claims? Then visit www.PPIRefundsUK.co.uk and find out how to start your mis sold PPI claim today.

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People who borrow money via a mortgage, car, loan or other means are often told they need PPI (Payment Protection Insurance). This is supposed to pay their monthly payment should they become ill, unemployed or under some other circumstances cannot meet their obligation. It is a common practice with banks, credit card companies, auto companies and others. Faults have been found with this insurance which has resulted in many ppi claims.

When a person signs for a mortgage, loan or other indebtedness sometimes they have been told of this coverage and, it has been revealed, sometimes it is just added on without their knowledge. This coverage costs a certain amount each month and is included in the debt payment.

It has been found that people who have been aware of the coverage and tried to file claims were informed of certain, built-in circumstances of which they were unaware. This, of course, caused rejection of the claim despite all the payments made for the coverage. The very fine print at the bottom of the PPI document has many circumstances listed that make almost any claim invalid.

Many times this insurance has been included in the loan without the borrowers knowledge. This adds an additional cost to the loan. A mis-sold PPI is when the plan is sold without a full explanation to the borrower regarding the cost of the insurance and full details of the coverage. Many lenders have been making money for some time by selling insurance, which is worthless.

Recently the United States Financial Services Authority has started bringing these companies under scrutiny for unfair practices. The consumers, to have money charged for this insurance refunded, have filed many claims. It is not just the big lenders who have pushed this useless insurance. Lately many stores and businesses have sold this coverage, called ‘ unemployment insurance’, to cover everything from cars to furniture.

Many banks have been found guilty of this practice with such things as loans or credit cards, even telling the customer that it is compulsory. It is extremely overpriced and provides a huge profit to the lender as this insurance comes at a very high rate and often becomes a large part of the initial loan. When the cost of the PPI is added to the loan payment the borrower winds up paying interest on the insurance as well as the loan.

With a record of only 4% claims filed regarding the thousands of policies and many of them rejected it is obvious that this is a completely useless insurance policy that benefits no one except the lenders. The exceptions to being able to file a claim are enormous and cover almost every aspect that might occur, leaving the person who has a catastrophe, such as unemployment, with no way to make their payments.

Companies issuing this worthless insurance are well aware that few people are even aware that they are paying for it. Many of those who do know about it are unaware of how worthless it is. A number of people have filed ppi claims to get a refund of all charges they have paid.

Learn more about PPI Claims. Visit www.PPIRecovery.com where you can find out all about how to make PPI compensation claims and start to get your cash back.

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Look at those lines. Admire the aerodynamics and styling. Oh how fabulous it would be to be seen driving that beautiful new car. All the neighbors would drool, dribble and babble, while turning green with envy. All you have to do is go in and buy it, and the Payment Protection Insurance the sales person will be demanding you purchase at the same time.

The idea sounded rather tasty until, Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) entered the picture. In the UK, PPI is pushed on consumers when purchasing such things as automobiles, real estate, and credit cards. Offered as a way to protect consumers from falling behind in payments in case of injury, illness, layoff, and even death; PPI is played up as the stop gap protection. Little is discussed as to the real benefit of this type of insurance to the consumer.

Consumers loving the idea of that new item or property have fallen prey to this unethical and deceitful practice for some time. Billed as a type of financial protection, it has shown it does not live up to its promises. Consumers know at any time situations and events could cause making a payment on time an issue. In some situations, no payment will be made at all. Enter PPI to the rescue.

Consumers entering into financing contracts should be made aware of approaching pressures to buy this type of insurance in addition to their intended purchases. In many situations, sales people are insisting customers purchase PPI while making their intended purchase. Pressure is applied and in some cases, the deal making process is stopped until the customer agrees to purchase PPI. As you might imagine, it’s done in the best interest of the customer.

These types of practices and the way PPI actually worked were the source of a storm of complaints going into (FSA) Financial Services Authority, a UK government agency. Due to all the complaints, FSA and other appropriate authorities investigated. They reported that; in 2006 1.4 billion pounds was the combined profit for the 12 largest distributors of Payment Protection Insurance. These same distributors showed a gross combined written premium (GWP) of 3.5 billion pounds. Payment Protection Insurance proved to be very profitable for the distributors.

Consumers discovered purchasing Payment Protection Insurance increased the price of the item or service purchased, and came with draw backs. Even though it’s sold as payment protection, it offered little. In many cases when used, holders of these types of policies were often denied claims for various reasons. For example, policy did not cover claims file for illness or injury resulting from pre-existing conditions.

Some consumers discovered PPI only covered a 12 to 24 month period of payments. At the end of the period, payments stopped and they feel behind, but payments on the insurance premiums continued. As a result, complaints poured into regulating authorities demanding an investigation. Investigations by authorities did in fact determine, milking of customers. To this day fines are continuing to be levied against violating companies.

Even though fines and penalties have landed on offending companies; that is of little comfort to those who have already loss and suffered the emotional and financial damage. Payment Protection Insurance may sound like a great idea and it could be however; consumers have discovered purchasing such insurance is better done away from sellers of other products and services. It is also likely to be much cheaper.

Looking to get your cash back from mis-sold-ppi? Then visit www.Mis-Sold-PPI.com to start your PPI claim today.

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A mortgage is one of the most costly financial services that an individual will take advantage of in their lifetime and consequently it is important to make sure that you simply evaluate the prices and terms which are made available from several mortgage brokers and financial companies to ensure that you’re obtaining the best rate when it comes to your mortgage.

How really should you begin to evaluate the prices which are obtainable for the mortgage? The first step that one must take whilst comparing mortgage prices would be to discover five businesses in which you are going to evaluate between the prices and terms.

You can use the web, as there are many services which permit consumers to compare the rates, and conditions, by entering their info into one search engine. After the info has been entered the consumer can have access to multiple quotes, without having wasting time entering the info into additional search engines. Utilizing these types of websites enable you to have multiple quotes from mortgage brokers, conventional banks and even credit unions to allow you to compare the rates and also the conditions which are obtainable.

You must compare a maximum of 5 rates at one time to make sure that you’re capable to research every thoroughly. Use at least three of these quotes to follow up with a phone call to the lender to request verification for the rate.

At the moment, the lender may issue you a file number to ensure that you’re capable to obtain the same rate. Most frequently, this enables you to have the exact same rate offer for twenty-one days, at which time you must re-evaluate.

So the first step everyone should do is to browse around the internet and compare the rates of terms for your mortgage, just be careful while there are lots of great reputable businesses around, you can find just as numerous scams and rip off artists out there.

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