Action Plan to Survive Economic Hardtime and Safeguard Financial Freedom
As financial issues are a major concern for all of us in today’s global economic recession, I am always on the lookout for new resources. This morning one came to my attention and I’d like to share it with you. You will need to act fast in order to save the file before the offer expires on Thursday at 11:59 pm.
Suze Orman, a nationally recognized expert on personal finance has made her book “Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan” available for free download via the Oprah Winfrey website. This download will only be available for a limited time. (A hardcover copy will be on sale in bookstores soon for approximately $10.) Right now, we can get the electronic version for free. Just click on the hyperlink above and follow the instructions.
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081119_tows_bookdownload
The news release about this book is included below:
The credit crunch, the stock market freefall, the staggering toll of home foreclosures and job losses: The economic crisis that struck in 2008 has left no one untouched. Seemingly overnight, the financial landscape has undergone seismic changes that have opened up all kinds of questions about things that used to seem so certain: Are your savings safe? Should your retirement fund be invested in the stock market? Will you be able to afford your child’s college tuition? Who better to answer these questions than Suze Orman, the nation’s go-to expert on financial matters?
In her new book, Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan (Spiegel & Grau; on sale: December 30, 2008; $9.99), Suze delivers honest, straightforward guidance that will help you adapt to the new economic reality of today and place you on the path to financial security in the years ahead. She discusses what safeguards should be put in place, appropriate actions to take, costly mistakes to avoid and even opportunities to be had so that you are protected during the downturns and prepared to prosper when things take a turn for the better.
Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan addresses every question you may have about credit, savings and spending, paying for college, retirement, real estate and protecting your family.
Suze will launch the book on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Thursday, January 8, 2009, during Oprah’s Best Life Week. The show will offer Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan as a free ebook download in English and Spanish on Oprah.com for one week, culminating in a live webcast on Thursday, January 15, 2009, at 9 p.m. EST/6p.m. PST.
Suze’s previous book, the New York Times best-seller Women & Money, was offered as a free eBook download on Oprah.com for 33 hours in February 2008. More than 1.1 million people downloaded the book, and it subsequently returned to the top of best-seller lists.
In the mean time, you can take a quick look of Suze’s action plan recommendatiions:
Credit - What to do in 2009
- Make it a priority to pay off your credit card balances.
- Read every statement and all correspondence from your credit card company to make sure you are aware of any changes to your account, such as skyrocketing interest rates.
- Work to get your FICO credit score above 720.
- Be very careful where you turn to for help with credit card debt. Debt consolidators are often a very bad deal. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling is a smarter choice.
- Resist the temptation to use retirement savings or a home equity line of credit to pay off credit card debt.
Retirement Investing - What to do in 2009
- Make sure you have the right mix of stocks and bonds in your retirement accounts given your age.
- Do not make early withdrawals or take loans from retirement accounts to pay for non-retirement expenses.
- Convert an old 401(k) to a rollover IRA so you can invest in the best low-cost funds, ETFs, and bonds.
- If eligible in 2009, consider moving at least a portion of a 401(k) rollover into a Roth IRA. Or wait until 2010 to convert to a Roth, when everyone,regardless of income, will be able to make this move. Just be aware of the tax due at conversion.
Saving - What to do in 2009
- Make sure your bank or credit union is covered by federal deposit insurance.
- Check that what you have on deposit is eligible for full insurance coverage in the unlikely event your bank or credit union fails. Through December 31, 2009, the general limit has been raised to $250,000 from its previous $100,000, but you need to understand the ins and outs.
- If your savings is in a money market mutual fund sold through a brokerage or mutual fund firm, consider moving your money into the Treasury money market fund at that company.
- Build up your savings to cover eight months of living expenses.
- Move all money you need within the next five to 10 years into savings. Money you need soon does not belong in the stock market.
Spending - What to do in 2009
- Separate wants from needs.
- Get over your guilt that you aren’t “providing” for your kids.
- Strike the word “deserve” from the conversation. What you deserve is irrelevant; what you can truly afford is all that counts.
- Try to negotiate better terms on a car loan you can’t keep up with.
- Be very careful when asked to cosign any loan,no matter how much you love the person who is asking for your help.
Real Estate - What do in 2009
- Push for a “mortgage modifi cation” if your current loan is too expensive.
- Do not use credit cards or retirement funds to pay for a too-expensive home.
- Stay informed about new programs, from lenders and the government, in the months ahead that aim to keep more homeowners out of foreclosure.
- Build a real savings fund; a HELOC should not be your safety net in 2009.
- Focus on your home’s long-term value, not its price change from month to month.
About Suze Orman
Suze Orman has been called “a force in the world of personal finance” and a “one-woman financial advice powerhouse” by USA Today and was named one of the Time 100, the most influential people in the world, by Time magazine in 2008. A two-time Emmy-winning television host, New York Times mega best-selling author, magazine and online columnist, writer/producer and one of the top motivational speakers in the world today, Suze is undeniably America’s most recognized expert on personal finance.
Getting Back On Track After The Holiday Blues
“I survived another holiday season.”
You’ve heard it said. Maybe you’ve said it yourself. For most, it’s simply a figure of speech. They may “survive” certain aspects of the holidays – the stresses of shopping, piling up debt, travel, etc. – but the overall experience involves joyous celebrations that draw together family and friends.
For some, however, getting through the holidays may actually feel like a matter of survival. They experience all of the stressors and none of the joy. They feel completely out of step with the good cheer all around them. They had expected to relive the happiness of holidays past, but it didn’t happen. They’ve got the holiday blues, and it stays with them after the decorations have been stored and New Year’s toasts have been forgotten.
There may be logical reasons for feeling down during the holidays. For example, you may have lost someone close to you, and not having that person around for this special time of the year might rekindle your grief.
Perhaps you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which results in symptoms of depression when there’s less exposure to sunlight. Or maybe you have such high expectations for the holidays that you’re always
disappointed.
If your emotional low is simply the lingering blues, there are things you can do to lift your spirits. Here are a few suggestions:
Reconnect with your social network. Perhaps you isolated yourself during the holidays because you didn’t want your bad mood to spoil anyone’s fun. Whatever the reason for shutting yourself off from others, it’s time to reach out and do things with people whose company you enjoy.
Get back to healthy habits. The days got shorter and the weather turned cold, so you stopped exercising. You overdid the holiday food and treats. The damage is reversible if you make the right choices. Take your exercise routine inside, if necessary. Don’t let a holiday slipup discourage you from eating properly. Feeling better physically helps you feel better emotionally.
Get some sun. Go outside at lunchtime on workdays. Plan outdoor activities for the weekend.
Make a realistic assessment of the holidays. Realizing that your expectations were set too high should help temper the disappointment.
Find time to relax. Even as you get back into the work routine, regularly give yourself some peace and quiet. This lowers the stress level and helps you heal mentally.
What if you’ve tried things like this and still can’t shake the blues? In that case, you may be experiencing a bout of depression, an illness that strikes an estimated 19 million Americans each year. The National Institute of
Mental Health has information about depression and its symptoms here:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/complete-publication.shtml
Don’t try to fight major depression on your own. It’s a serious condition. If you’re struggling with it, getting help is the best gift you can give yourself – any time of the year.
Thanksgiving Thought
Gifts From the Heart
According to legend, a young man while roaming the desert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher. After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.
Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: “Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?”
The teacher replied, “You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving-kindness and nothing could be sweeter. Heartfelt gifts deserve the return gift of gratitude.”
I think we understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gifts of love from young children. Whether it’s a ceramic tray or a macaroni bracelet, the natural and proper response is appreciation and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea within the gift.
Gratitude doesn’t always come naturally. Unfortunately, most children and many adults value only the thing given rather than the feeling embodied in it. We should remind ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gratitude. After all, gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart.
Michael Josephson
www.charactercounts.org
The Healing Power of CoQ10
The healing power of CoQ10 has been well recognized. Here is an example relates to Parkinson’s disease. The Archives of Neurology published a study3 several years ago indicating Parkinson’s patients supplemented with 1,200 mg per day of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) had a 50% reduction in the progression of their disease. There are no drugs available proven to provide this benefit, nor could you ever have this amount of CoQ10 in your diet. Dr. Rimm is providing wrong and misleading advice that will continue to bankrupt America with out of control health care costs related to cancer, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and many other diseases which may benefit, or experience reduced risk, from proper dietary supplementation. Read more
Affirm Continuously to Yourself
Affirm continuously to yourself:
I am in the right place, at the right time, for the right purpose
- Ursula Roberts
Achieve Your Goals
“If you make the unconditional commitment to reach your most important goals, if the strength of your decision is sufficient, you will find the way and the power to achieve your goals.”
“If you know what to do to reach your goal, it’s not a big enough goal.”
Bob Proctor, Author and Speaker
What Is Life Like
“Life is like riding a bike. It is impossible to maintain your balance while standing still.”
- Linda Brakeall, Author of Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Women in Business
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”
- Oprah Winfrey, Television Host, Actress and Producer Read more
The House of 1000 Mirrors
Long ago in a small, far away village, there was a place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the house, he thought to himself, “This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often.” Read more
The Power of Serenity
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.A person becomes calm in the measure that one understands themselves as a thought evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as one develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, one ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, serene. Read more
The Amazing Power of the Human Will
“My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces.”
Wilma Rudolph
The human will is the most incredible thing. I believe it is the human will that keeps us going, when everyone else expects us to sit, or even quit. Read more
