Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Know the Rules Before You Play the Game

How very true. How few people actually practice this. Take paying income tax for example. WHY would not learn everything you possibly can about this?

Yet you faithfully pay your taxes every April 15, or you file to get a portion of what has been taken from you the entire year. I actually know people who have no problem with this and have no clue about the tax code that determines what you pay to be governed. They simply do what they are told. To comply.

It is social indoctrination and we are formed since birth the ways to fit into society. We are never taught how to think, instead we are taught what to think about. Religion is notorious and should be ashamed for their part in it all.

What is the result?

People trained to be and act a certain way, as society dictates. If you think outside the box or go against the flow, you are looked on as a freak. We are taught to pay taxes and believe in a Christian God because that is what our parents believe, and their parents, and their parents parents for generations.

It's time to start thinking for ourselves, face reality and stop worrying about hurting peoples feelings. Our society needs to shake off the falseness and embrace reality and who we are. We have been conditioned to accept our roles, without question.



Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Goodbye Old Friend



I wrote this a few years back and I was reminded of it as Sue took down our Christmas tree this year. As I have done every year, i have the slightest feeling of loss and just a bit of sadness as we face the reality of the new year.

I look at it with anticipation of new adventures, new beginnings, new ups, new downs. Let's make it a good one.


Goodbye Old Friend 
January 2, 2013

They provide us much joy yet they are the single most abused living creature on the face of the planet. When they are no longer useful to us they are simply stripped of their adornments and cast to the curb awaiting their inevitable destruction. Throughout the years their name has changed and songs have been written about them and this year as I see growing numbers being discarded unceremoniously I can’t help feeling a bit melancholy as I procrastinate doing what I know I must. Seeing it stand sentry in my living room window, still wearing the remnants of holiday garb like a passed out drunk wearing the accouterments of debauchery, looking worn and pitiful after the party ends.

My yule tree, decorated with tiny colored lights and shiny ornaments helped me celebrate the winter solstice and served double time as a Happy New Year tree, a tradition that was started a couple of years ago in my family, has served me well this year. It’s hard to believe that the holidays are actually over and I too must strip down and dispose of what has become a friend over the last six weeks.

I think what really bugs me the most is that now I have to face the reality of winter without further distraction of yuletide cheer. The once gaudily decorated houses will now go dark making the cold in the air seem more biting. I will now notice the nakedness of the trees and the blankness of the neighborhood. People in general will go back to their grumpy old ways as the spirt that gripped them a few short days ago disappears with every tick of the clock. The only redeeming quality of this time of the season is that the menacing bell ringers that graced the entrance to many a store with their red pots filled with the generosity of shoppers, will no longer guilt you into donating as "Merry Christmas" falls from their lips.

Now it’s time to break New Year’s resolutions. It’s a time for us to look at the coming year with high hopes and anticipation of a year better than the last. A time for both reflection and of planning.

A positive time.

So as I conclude this ode to an old friend, I see it still standing at its post. The lights are turned off and the decorations are a bit askew but STILL looking as noble as ever. I get the feeling that even IT is ready. It has served its purpose and I too must be that person that callously tosses the source of joy aside to make way for the promise of the future. The ornaments will be packed carefully away and the lights must be unstrung and wrapped carefully, knowing that I will curse and swear as I attempt to detangle them next year. And then it will lay bare before me somehow knowing that he served me well. A job well done. Until the seasons pass and before you know it, we will be doing the same things again. Just another year older when our old friend comes for another visit.





Monday, March 9, 2015

Credit Repair Does Not Work

I get asked this question all of the time...

Why are you able to get results when "credit repair" companies can't?

The answer is that they don't know what I know and they don't do what I do.

What "they" do...

You see, standard credit repair companies send letters to the creditors (jamming) requesting verification of the debt. That company then legally has 30 days to provide you proof of that debt or it has to be deleted. 80% of the time, they are able to send you proof of that debt within the allowed 30 day time frame. This is NOT our method...

What I do...

I send legal letters to the credit bureaus. There are so many things that need to be done compliance-wise and what we have found is that in over 80% of the cases, they are not compliant. Corners are cut, "I's" aren't dotted and "T's" aren't crossed. We have become experts on pointing these things out and once we do, the negative item legally has to be deleted from your credit report.

If you decide to hire a standard "credit repair" company, here is what you can expect:

Over 80% of the time the creditors will verify that you owe the debt.
Even if they do remove something, it may show back up in a few months.
They will charge you month after month until you give up after not seeing results

Your odds of having success with a "credit repair" company is less than 20%!


Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Setting Financial Goals

Its time to set your big financial goals for the year and make a plan for achieving them.

Despite the fact that an Allianz Life survey of more than 1,000 people in November found that getting in shape is a bigger priority than improving finances for most people, 4 in 10 said they aimed to manage their money better in 2015. About a quarter of respondents said they were more likely to get help from a financial professional in the coming year. Paying off credit card debt, building up emergency savings and increasing retirement savings were also among the common goals cited.

The relative health of the economy compared to a year ago seems to have alleviated some of the pressure Americans feel to set financial goals. A recent survey of more than 2,000 adults by Fidelity found a decline in interest in setting money-related financial resolutions for the new year. Just 31 percent of respondents said they were making a financial resolution, compared to 43 percent in 2014. The most popular financial goals included saving more (55 percent), paying off debt (20 percent) and spending less (17 percent).

The Fidelity survey also found a correlation between expressing a financial goal and improving one’s financial life: About half of those who made a money resolution last year said they are now “better off financially," compared to just 38 percent of those who didn’t set one.

According to Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, president of the Charles Schwab Foundation, one of the biggest barriers to meeting financial goals is that people just don’t know how to get started. In Charles Schwab’s Fall Financial Pulse survey of 1,466 adults ages 25 to 65, more than half said they “don’t feel they are on top of their finances,” and 27 percent said they “don’t know where to start and need more education or information.” In addition, 15 percent said they didn’t want to deal with their finances because it’s “too overwhelming.”

If you fall into that category, then you might also want to consider the research of Christine Whelan​, a faculty associate​ in the Department of Consumer Science at the University of Wisconsin--Madison and self-improvement expert. She developed two self-improvement programs for AARP’s Life Reimagined website that help people prioritize their goals and define the next steps for achieving them.

Her research has also found the importance of not just setting a resolution, but making sure the goals you set resonate with your values and priorities, and not outside influences. Meeting those goals also requires high levels of self-control, which gets stronger with practice, she says.

Time to set some financial goals for the new year and develop a plan of action to achieve them. A small bit of forward progress goes a LONG way in a year.

                                                         





Friday, January 2, 2015

In 2015...

With the advent of a new year brings an optimistic look at the greatness of things to come.

I have refined my focus from the 2014 campaign of do whatever you can to my new outlook of 2015 to HELP as many people as I can. I am utilizing my talents in a far greater way and expect great things from Camp Capra.

The most predominant change will be Reverend Zesty (http://revzesty.blogspot.com/), Intellectual Coitus (http://intellectualcoitus.blogspot.com/) and The Provenance Project (https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Provenance-Project/415417865280714?ref=hl).

Reverend Zesty is a foul mouth, agnostic preacher who uses Intellectual Coitus (a podcast) to deliver a message from the pulpit unlike any other. It isnt about whose god has the bigger dick. I dont give a shit about that. I preach and teach a message of prosperity using all available resources both secular and religious.

The Provenance Project is an endeavor to gather up resources from across the nation serving people in need at a local, community and national level. Tackling issues like homelessness, hunger and personal finance to name a few, The Provenance Project is my way of giving back to a world that has given me great things and taught me much.

So stay with me and give my message a try. See if it makes the most sense to you and be a disciple. Together we can AND WILL change the world.


Monday, December 22, 2014

What's Your Score?

Credit scoring is a system creditors use to help determine whether to give you credit. It also may be used to help decide the terms you are offered or the rate you will pay for the loan.

Information about you and your credit experiences, like your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, whether you pay your bills by the date they’re due, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit report. Using a statistical program, creditors compare this information to the loan repayment history of consumers with similar profiles. For example, a credit scoring system awards points for each factor that helps predict who is most likely to repay a debt. A total number of points — a credit score — helps predict how creditworthy you are: how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments when they’re due.

Some insurance companies also use credit report information, along with other factors, to help predict your likelihood of filing an insurance claim and the amount of the claim. They may consider this information when they decide whether to grant you insurance and the amount of the premium they charge. The credit scores insurance companies use sometimes are called “insurance scores” or “credit-based insurance scores.”

Your credit report is a key part of many credit scoring systems. That’s why it is critical to make sure your credit report is accurate. Federal law gives you the right to get a free copy of your credit reports from each of the three national credit reporting companies once every 12 months.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) also gives you the right to get your credit score from the national credit reporting companies. They are allowed to charge a reasonable fee for the score. When you buy your score, you often get information on how you can improve it.


Everything Has Its Price

Although being rich does have its price, I want to address the price one pays by choosing the path society tells you to take. The path that keeps people just poor enough just to have the illusion of security. The path that takes you through (maybe) college and to find a job. The path that a vast majority of people take.

And the reason the vast majority of people are miserable and poor.

What price does choosing this path cost? I would have to say; your freedom mostly. Freedom to live the life you want. The life of your dreams. As children we all had our dreams of what we wanted to be when we grew up. But somewhere along the line we were subtly convinced that life didn't matter any longer. What mattered was the false security of our parents and what society tell you. Our dreams have died.

So why on earth would you actually choose a path of slavery to a job that you hate and a life that falls short of your dreams? Why would you choose a path of constant struggle and worry? Why have you demonized money simply because you have none? Shouldn't you more be demonizing your educational choices that didn't teach you about how to use money as a tool. A tool that, once learned, will break those financial chains that bind you to your boss that treats you like shit. You all have them dont lie. Every person I know that has a job and a boss does nothing but piss and moan about them.

Why would you want to have such misery in your life?

Im addressing this article to myself just as much as to the reader. I too need to adjust my perception about things in my life - money included - because I KNOW I want more in life than I have. So do you my dear reader. I hope this churned up some feelings within your gut. That proves that you're alive and there is still hope for folks like us.

Its time to change our perceptions about things. Things that REALLY matter to us. To ignore the distractions and truly focus on what we want our lives to be like. Dare to dream the dreams of our youth once again. What do you really want? Remove all limiting beliefs and just dream about what you want, who you want to be and how you really want to live. It ALL has a price, just as the choices you have made until now have.

EVERYTHING has a price. Figure out what you want and what price it comes with. Then just figure out how to pay that price.