Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Bull or bear...not so good...just more confusion

The roller coaster express seems to be on Wall Street this week with it up 900+ and then two days later down 700+.
When something happens as regularly as this could it be considered the norm? I sure hope not!
Heart starters or bumpers should be what the stock market should be called.
We are definitely being tested for stability of our working life's systems.
Euphemistically meaning how our bodies can stand all this!
So far it’s a bit nerve racking for most.

But that might be the ones who didn't listen to their financial advisers say...only 10% of your savings in the market! It seems that the lament from them now is you didn't listen. No one takes the blame, but in reality it’s all our faults.
That 10% rule is also what they stand by for you trying to save when they are speaking of your income, but here's where I get lost they also say you should have 6-8 months of a cushion of savings for just these situations, of a down in the market or job loss or illness.

What about that insurance company with the duck, are they still in business?

What about the fact that people on the TV financial shows say cut up those credit cards and pay cash only; if you can’t afford to do that, pay cash, you can’t afford it!
Remember to always pay yourself first when you receive any of your income, percentages again, 10%.

I don’t know about you but when I was a kid most people lived that way, and money was respected and saved in banks. All of us children started savings accounts in elementary school and that was in the school itself and we would add to it weekly with chore money, birthday money, allowance or tooth fairy money, and slowly we would watch it grow, as we got older part-time jobs added to it while we were still in school. I personally started baby sitting at the age of 12, and worked through college.

How did this happen?
We had good beginnings, then why has my generation, the Baby Boomers, gotten so far out of hand with greed, and passed that on to so many of our offspring?
I cannot say that about our sons though fortunately, in spite of us always trying to keep up with the Joneses at one time; we did pay cash and worked to pay for it as they do too, not on credit. Unfortunately, it obliterated any savings, but we owned what we had.
Today, both of our sons are in their thirties and are extremely good at managing their monies and they own homes, and save and invest as well.

Retail sales are off, at the lowest point in years and that is what seems to have had an affect this time on the market's downturn so they are saying.
I am now making a recommendation to all people still with monies in their wallets, roofs over their heads, food in their fridges …brown bag it to work everyday, walk when you can instead of driving, and save that money to go out and make cash purchases two times a month in the forms of clothing, dining out, or something fun with the family. I guarantee that if all those people will pave the way for the ones that have nothing left by creating more jobs and help the economy in some small way.

Donating time in lieu of monies to your choice organization will make you and they feel better too.
Surprisingly, cleaning out garages and closets can give you spare change, and help others by donating what you know needs just loving care.

We are so capable of changing our thinking.
If people will be getting, hopefully second chances with mortgages, credit and car payments we can do this.
Erase our past mistakes and start anew!
After all we are now bankers ourselves and the more screwed up our financial monarchs become we will learn what not to do.
The secret word seems to be…CASH, that’s right Groucho!

Good night to all and to all we can do this and we will!

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