Millions moved their funds away from Wall Street banks last year

Hundreds of thousands of Wall Street bank customers last year sought financial services elsewhere. Locally-based banks and credit unions are growing along with public disapproval of the single-minded greed driving Wall Street banks. A lot of the credit for the financial shift can go to Move Your Money, which features a site providing information and resources for individuals who would like to ditch their Wall Street Bank.

Larger financial institution defections occurring

banks on Wall Street are trying to discover ways to get funds from consumers after the financial reform took away several common practices. Every small fee results in being a lot of money. banks hope customers do not notice these fees. banks have stopped offering free checking to make up for the loss in overdraft fees. Carly Fried at MoneyWatch reports that in a recent presentation to shareholders, a Chase executive boasted of making about $1 billion simply by converting 8 million free checking accounts into a revenue stream generating $10 to $12 in monthly fees. More than likely, not several individuals are willing to make that last. It will end quickly. The largest banks lost more than 4 million accounts last year. According to the research firm Moebs Services, 7 million to 9 million more accounts could move to community banks and credit unions in 2011.

The Move Your Money campaign

You will find some consumers that wonder why checking account fees were added. When asking banks; banks reply that it is because of the government. About 65 percent of U.S. banks still use free checking though. The Dodd-Frank bill didn't change that. It’s not hard to find the financial institutions that do this. Moveyourmoneyproject.org is the place to look. There’s a campaign to go along with Move Your Money. Arianna Huffington started this campaign. The Move Your Money website search tool locates the closest local community banks and credit unions simply by typing in a zip code. There were 80,000 people that started to use the site to find new banks after CNN had Huffington make an appearance as a promotion. You will find about 45,000 page views every single day on moveyourmoneyproject.org for the last year.

Trying to close a bank account?

For consumers thinking about moving their cash, closing a bank account should be done carefully. First, clear all checks and open an account at your new financial institution. Learn about all bank policies on closing accounts before you go physically to the financial institution to do it. banks do not want you to leave. Sometimes they’ll charge one last fee in an attempt to keep you. Make sure to go before 3 p.m. on a weekday so the staff has plenty of time to complete your request. Bring with you some photo I.D. Another form of identification is needed as well. Make sure you know the account balances before leaving. Make an effort to get the bank to transfer funds electronically if possible. Get a cashier's check or cash otherwise.

Information from

Huffington Post

huffingtonpost.com/sara-ackerman/over-4-million-move-their_b_840536.html

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/Business/new-economy/2010/0107/Want-to-protest-bank-bailouts-Move-your-money-a-new-campaign-urges

CBS Money Watch

moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/blog/daily-money/new-bank-fees-will-they-make-you-walk/2324/

ehow.com

ehow.com/how_2079777_close-bank-account.html

Demand diminishing among companies as durable goods costs rise

Weak demand has caused orders of durable goods to fall over the past month. Orders for durable goods, or manufactured goods that last for long periods of time, rose in January, but increasing costs may have put a damper on the willingness of businesses to order such products. Transportation orders, though, were not affected, as people are getting more cars. Post resource – Demand shrinking among businesses as durable goods prices rise by MoneyBlogNewz.

Manufacturers have to deal with demand falling unless in transportation

AOL News reports that durable products orders have gone down significantly for a few months while transportation has been doing great. There was a 1.9 percent increase in February in automobiles and trucks orders. There was a 26.7 percent increase in commercial aircraft orders. However, orders for new defense aircraft dropped by 18.4 percent, as new planes and helicopters aren’t a priority to a cash-strapped Congress. It is the fourth time in the last five months that there was a decrease in durable goods. In fact, in February, there was a 0.6 percent decrease, including transportation.

Higher customer price

Energy costs are directly affected by oil prices and gas prices, and speculators have been driving the price of gasoline steadily up for consecutive weeks, causing the cost of consumer goods to rise, in accordance with CNN. For instance, the prices of Folgers and Maxwell House coffee were elevated by Smuckers and Kraft, the parent companies of the brands. Consumer costs for essential products have been slowly but steadily increasing, and increased energy costs ensure that trend will continue. However, prices of non-essential products, like the iPad 2, are anticipated to hold steady as consumers will hold off on gadgets if food prices go through the roof.

Gas prices continue to increase

The increase in the price of gasoline is not because of a shortage of supply. MSNBC states that gas is increasing anyway which could hurt consumers after hurting retailers. Transportation costs affect products, in the more it costs to get things like Huggies diapers and T-shirts to stores, the more stores have to charge for them. Given that businesses are cutting back on durable products, and producers are raising costs, consumers are likely to see an increase in the cost of food and other essential items. The things people will always purchase, such as gas, coffee or bread, are the ones producers can charge more for. CNBC reports that individuals could probably get cheaper iPads considering the demand for non-essentials has gone down.

Information from

Daily Finance

dailyfinance.com/article/durable-goods-orders-fall-09-percent-in/785798/

CNN

money.cnn.com/2011/03/18/news/economy/rising_prices/index.htm

CNBC

cnbc.com/id/42248040

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/42197087/ns/business-consumer_news/

Charge-offs may still be collectible

Maintaining good credit could be challenging, particularly after a life-altering event like job loss. Even if a creditor charges off one of your accounts as bad debt, that doesn’t mean you’re safe. It is quite possible that you will still be liable for that bad debt – even after it disappears from your credit score.

Good part to charge off

There are several credit history charge-off scenarios. Consider this one. Bankrate states that there are different rules for collecting financial debt and reporting financial debt which means it might be off your credit rating but might nevertheless belong to you. Collection rules come from the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) while the charge-off rules are under the Fair Credit Reporting Act- (FCRA).

After seven years, any charge off has to come off a credit history in accordance with the FCRA. This does not contain just the reporting agencies. The agency that owns the debt is also involved. You can look at your credit score pretty easily. Just do it a month after the charge-off was supposed to happen. Dispute the bad debt with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion if it’s nevertheless there.

Student loans, tax liens and Chapter 7 bankruptcies cannot be charged off.

Issue with charge-off

Bad debt will not stay on your credit report forever with FCRA rules. Unfortunately, the FDCPA makes it possible for financial debt collectors to pursue your financial debt almost in perpetuity. There is a lot of concern for one who needs debt repair even though bad debt is purchased in a market. Before selling a charge off, agencies tend to make an effort to collect from you at least once.

Applying for charge card financial debt has become more common. This is because joblessness has kept individuals from spending money. A consumer can get away from the credit cards though because of a statue of limitations. The state and court system will determine how long this time period is although it’s usually 6 to 10 years for installment loans, auto loans and payday advances and 4 to 6 years for credit cards. Your state's attorney general can be accessed. This is where you should go for more information.

Know your debt collection rights

Nobody can contact you about debt anymore if it has been charged off past the statue of limitations for your state. If a debt collector continues to chase, you may have the option to levy a counter-suit.

Legal action will require time, money and the advice of a lawyer, however. The best way to get out from under a financial debt collector that is pursuing your debt in a legal fashion is to either pay what you owe in full or come to a settlement.

Articles cited

Bank Rate

bankrate.com/finance/debt/debt-dropped-from-credit-report-still-owed.aspx

Equifax

ai.equifax.com/CreditInvestigation/

Experian

experian.com/consumer/cac/InvalidateSession.do?code=DISPUTE

Trans Union

annualcreditreport.transunion.com/entry/disputeonline

How to deal with collections

youtube.com/watch?v=9SVFdH0Ayco

Legislators focusing on lawsuit lending

There are serious questions about a new loan product in the United States. Legislatures are trying to address the new legal action financing product. Legal action financial loans are opening up new legal problems in several states. Some states are regulating these short term installment loans out of existence, others argue surely it is a needed service.

Lawsuits cost money

It can cost lots of money to sue someone. Years and thousands of dollars are needed to get a case through court, even if the payout is worth it. About $285,000 is what a personal injury legal action will payout on average even though most plaintiffs will not do the legal action because of money. Some people are not giving up on these lawsuits. Instead they are getting lawsuit loans for funding.

The emerging legal action loan market

Investors, including banks and investment firms, are taking on the risk of a personal legal action. This appears to be occurring increasingly more. In some states, the bad credit financial loans (not to be confused with payday financial loans) are called "investments" or "loans" in other states. The plaintiff winning the case means that the investor gets between 150 and 300 percent of the investment amount. This is only if there’s a win though. If the plaintiff loses the case, the investors don’t collect any cash. The annual percentage rate cap is something states are trying to add. These financial loans would have to deal with this. Others are passing consumer-protection legislation that caps the involvement legal action loan companies can have in the case. Maryland is considering a bill that would limit the loan companies to collecting no more than 200 percent of the total loan amount.

Arguments for and against lawsuit loans

You will find many discussions of cost cutting in tort cases. Personal injury lawsuits are in this too. Rising costs of malpractice insurance and business insurance are often blamed on the number of personal injury lawsuits. Some say this is a service that is needed. It helps people that would not be able to represent themselves otherwise. Others would suggest that these loan providers are abusing the legal system to make money by having more lawsuits filed.

How lawsuit loans impact your wallet

While not in a legal action, it seems like lawsuit financial loans are nothing. They might not seem important enough to even discuss. This financial product, however, does affect many individuals. Everybody has to pay for goods, services and insurance that changes based on personal injury or tort lawsuits. Many states don't have a payout cap. This could increase the cost even more. Everyone that does not have lots of money is more able to access the legal system though making things balance out.

Articles cited

Star Advertiser

staradvertiser.com/news/20110310_A_lobbying_clash_over_lawsuit_loans.html

Medical Malpractice

medicalmalpractice.com/legal-advice/medical-malpractice/medical-negligence-lawsuits/what-the-average-payout-negligenc

The foods that aren't worth purchasing organic

Organic produce could be very expensive. When attempting to cut grocery costs, some are considering going back to conventional produce. Tests from the USDA indicate that organic produce is worth the investment — however not for all items.

Organic costs

In the United States, there are many different organic certifications. The United States Department of Agriculture says labeled “Organic” products must come from farms that integrate “cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity.” Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are not allowed. Typically, organic certification expenses between $500 and $33,000. The size of the farm is the determining factor. There is a much lower yield when food is organically grown. More per unit has to be charged by a farmer because of this. Generally, buying organic food expenses more.

Food sometimes worth the organic price

Some foods absorb pesticides and chemicals much more very easily than others. Scrubbing and peeling food will not remove chemicals in 19 different products in accordance with United States Department of Agriculture. In spite of their average higher expense, these fruits and vegetables contain, on average, more pesticides:

• Celery
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Nectarines
• Peppers
• Spinach
• Cherries
• Kale
• Potatoes
• Grapes
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Green beans
• Pears
• Plums
• Summer squash
• Cucumbers

Not worth getting organic foods sometimes

The structure of some fruits and vegetables does not make it easy for pesticides and chemicals to absorb. It’s significant to know what could be bought non-organic. The USDA test suggests these fruits and vegetables.

• Onions
• Avocado
• Corn on the cob
• Pineapple
• Mangoes
• Peas
• Asparagus
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe
• Watermelon
• Honeydew
• Grapefruit

Being healthy is not always simple. Balancing a budget with healthy food is even harder. Make sure you know which foods are essential to spend just a little more on and which ones you shouldn't. This will help you conserve just a little bit more while eating healthy nevertheless.

Citations

How Stuff Works

recipes.howstuffworks.com/organic-certification3.htm

USDA

ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop

Jamba Juice is a sugar-fest, states Mother Jones

Getting Jamba Juice does not seem quite as appealing after a Feb. 28 Mother Jones article on the fast-food smoothie business. Specifically, light Jamba Juice smoothies are walking Splenda factories, writes Ashley Bates. In addition to the possible dangers of Splenda, the calorie load isn’t really all that tasty in Jamba Juice, either. Article source – Jamba Juice may not be so healthy, says Mother Jones by MoneyBlogNewz.

The real ingredients in Jamba Juice smoothies

Nutrition has been looked at more closely recently with food. Jamba Juice smoothies have been questioned recently for nutrition. This was after the McDonald’s oatmeal was torn to pieces. Bates explains that Jamba Juice's drinks aren't what they seem since they aren't really made with fruit, ice and skim milk. Jamba Juice says it has "simple, honest ingredients" in it. High-speed service is the ultimate goal though. Actual milk and fruit do not go together in smoothies since they "don't taste good together," in accordance with Jamba Juice store general manager Jillian Shamoon. The classic smoothies instead are made with frozen yogurt and sherbet ice cream. A "dairy base" with Splenda in it is used if a consumer asks for a "light" smoothie.

Calories galore

Bates says a typical, medium-sized Jamba Juice smoothie like the Mango-a-go-go Classic contains 400 calories. Jamba Juice smoothies are between 250 and 600 calories. This is typical of them. There are 540 calories in a McDonald's Big Mac. It’s fast food being eaten while at Jamba Juice when considering this. Harvard Medical School's Dr. Alison Field points out that a smoothie is a better choice than Large Macs typically. The only issue is that many people will drink smoothies like snacks instead of meals meaning too several calories are consumed.

Website for Jamba Juice does not respond

As a business, Jamba Juice does not appear to take a stand on whether smoothies should be considered meals. However, you will find enough questions about the artificial sweetener Splenda to give any health-conscious person pause. People who use Splenda really will gain weight more often than not as shown in studies that have been done, Fields explained.

There's more bad news, says Dr. Janet Hull. She wrote "Splenda Exposed." Other things such as disruption of sleep, sexual dysfunction, and cancer, MS, Lupus and diabetes can be brought on by Splenda as well, Hull says, although more testing is needed.

Articles cited

Mother Jones

motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/02/my-beef-jamba-juice

Splenda Exposed

splendaexposed.com/

When you must Jamba, which juice is on the loose?

youtube.com/watch?v=-k6dmFC87yg

Eat like a large family to cut the cost of food

Feeding lots of individuals can sound like a costly endeavor. Even if you live with a small family, you are able to use these tips. Cutting your food cost is easy with the right moves. You are able to save yourself money effortlessly. Just use these few secrets of large families and also you can reduce costs quickly. Post resource – Secrets of dishes for big families can help cut food costs by MoneyBlogNewz.

Basic things to know about meals for big families

The fundamentals of cooking for a large family or to lower your food costs start with understanding storage. Using ingredients in as several different ways as possible helps reduce the amount of food waste by making sure ingredients don’t go bad. Food might be more filling in a way that reduces expenses by adding more non-meat protein to meals. Preparation time could be cut down while also allowing you to take advantage of sales whenever you make a large dish for a family that can be frozen and reheated very easily.

Family meals ought to have several things

Making a large family dish is easy to make taste right. This is true even if it is just for freezing. In several meals, you really should add vegetables. Give some flavor with onion, garlic and celery. Try adding quinoa, pasta, wheat kernels, barley, rice and other grains. This will help the meal have a "filler" that is cheap. Legumes, such as beans or lentils, pair up with grains to create a complete protein; meat is also an option. A sauce just needs to be added to these things. It will make a fantastic meal that is healthy too.

How to use many big family meals

Now you know what large family meals should consist of. How to combine them? For a soup, try starting by sautéing onions, carrots, celery and garlic in butter or olive oil. Combine with legumes or meat and broth and simmer for a few hours. Put together some meat strips, garlic, mushrooms, and onion. You will start your stroganoff this way. Add flour, sour cream, spices and broth to it. Mix with cooked pasta or rice and serve. Steaming vegetables, cooking meat and adding some kind of grain or legumes could be all you have to really do. Putting together vegetables, grains, protein and sauce is all you really need to do. It will help save you some money.

TX white males scholarship offers $500 to Caucasian pupils

The U.S. Census has revealed lots of brand new information about the United States. For example, “non-Hispanic white” individuals will be considered the minority. A group of pupils in Texas calling itself the Former Majority Association for Equality is responding to this by offering scholarships. Applicants who have a 3.0 GPA and are at least one-quarter White can apply for the scholarship. Article source – Texas white men scholarship offers $500 to Caucasian students by MoneyBlogNewz.

Former Majority Association for Equality commences

Colby Bohannon is a Texas State University student that started the Former Majority Association. Bohannon tried to find ways to fund his education after coming back from Iraq and going to school. He noticed that women and those who were not Caucasian were given the most scholarships. He started the association for this very reason.

$500 Texas white males scholarship

There is a small scholarship that FMAE provides. It is given to everyone that has at least 25 percent non-Hispanic in them and has a GPA of at least 3.0. A statement was made on the FMAE website. It states the group “has no political aspirations, financial agenda or radical social philosophies whatsoever.” The group simply aims to fill the gap in accessible scholarships for white males. Any scholarship is accepted by a school in the very same way, including the $500 Texas white men scholarship.

The changing face of America

The FMAE scholarship, like other “white males scholarships” offered before it, seeks to highlight the truth that white men are not truly a majority in the United States any longer. Non-whites account for 48.6 percent of births in the United States, and women account for approximately 55 percent of the population, according to the latest Census figures. Some say that these changing statistics mean that scholarships based on race or gender should be eliminated entirely; others argue the factors should be adjusted to match current statistics.

Citations

Census

census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p20-544.pdf

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704312104575298512006681060.html

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/02/26/us-texas-scholarships-idUSTRE71P25M20110226

FMAFE

fmafe.org/About_F.M.A.html

Energy conserving benefits of daylight savings time questionable

Daylight savings time 2011 starts Sunday, March thirteen. Five years have gone by since Congress moved to extend daylight savings time. Before 2007, daylight savings time start on the first Sunday in April. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 integrated stretching daylight savings time, however concrete evidence of power savings has been hard to come by.

Daylight conserving time: champions and nonwinners

Daylight conserving time 2011 moves clocks forward one hour at 2 a.m. on March thirteen everywhere in the United States except Arizona and Hawaii. Saving power has been the rationale for daylight conserving time since it was first implemented by Germany in World War I to conserve coal. Daylight saving time is done in order to conserve power. The need for electric lighting disappears with this, in theory. Manipulating clocks and conserving power might not work very well though. In fact, it’s compared to cutting one end of a rope off just to add it to the other side by most. Several are confused about daylight saving time. It may help retail and outdoor recreation but farming and entertainment hate this change each year.

Benefits of energy saving

The period of daylight saving time was extended by four weeks in 2005 with the Energy Policy Act that promoted conserving power. The "spring forward" time started on March 11, 2007 although the Uniform Time Act of 1966 had the change done. There would be a 1 percent savings of power in the United States with daylight conserving time extensions in accordance with Energy Policy Act of 2005 authors. However, a study in Indiana after that state put all counties on daylight saving time in 2006 found a net decrease in energy savings. Converting the entire state to daylight conserving time cost Indiana households an extra $8.6 million in utility bills due to higher heating costs in the morning and higher air conditioning costs in the afternoon.

Benefits and drawbacks to Daylight Saving time there

Saving power might be something that daylight conserving time does not do. It has shown, because of less sleep, to trigger more heart attacks in that first week after the change though. There is one good thing about daylight conserving time. It lowers the amount of fatal vehicle crashes that occur.

Articles cited

U.S. News and World Report

health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/sleep/articles/2009/03/03/13-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-daylight-saving-time

Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120406767043794825.html

Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Policy_Act_of_2005

Richard Roeper on Best Picture this year

Noted movie critic Richard Roeper made quite a splash at the University of Central Florida on February 16 as he spoke about literature, pop culture and his view of the Best Picture Academy Award. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Roeper surprised pupils with his frank evaluation of the journalistic occupation and his Academy Awards picks. Yet it was students on hand who found most impressive Roeper’s encouragement to youthful film critics that they should stand up for their opinions and not take backlash personally. Source of article – Richard Roeper pulls no punches with 2011 Oscar picks by MoneyBlogNewz.

Anybody can write news, Roeper believes

An iPad was used by Roeper. He said "Now, everyone's a writer" to any person who would listen. Any person can blog or tweet their views; the trick is finding somebody willing to pay for it, said Roeper. The Oscar Best Picture award opinion was given by the movie critic for the Academy Awards in part of that. Roeper’s favorite film this season was Christopher Nolan’s dream epic “Inception,” however Nolan isn’t nominated in the Best Director category. Best Picture most likely will not go to "Inception." It’s nominated though.

Best Picture: A two-horse race

At this year Academy Awards, Roeper thinks that Best Picture should go to David Fincher's movies about Facebook and Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) called "The Social Network." It’s a film that has great performances and an excellent script while being great enough to be put next to "Inception". Roeper believes that "The King's Speech" will do well. It will come really close if not win the Oscar. Roeper claims that the story is “what the Academy loves: British actors talking about British things." It features Colin Firth as King George VI of England and Geoffrey Rush as the speech therapist Lionel Logue. In other words, he sees it as a more genteel film that will appeal to the mild, old majority of Academy voters. With a lot of young voters, "The Social Network" could make it to the top. This is the only way it would take place though.

Strength good and bad writing both have

The criticism of films is subjective, which Roeper made clear to everybody in the audience. Richard Roeper claims there is only one thing that changed whether a movie is universally good or universally bad:

“What makes a really good movie is the script,” he said. “There’s no chance for a good movie without one.”

Articles cited

Central Florida Future

centralfloridafuture.com/cab-hosts-an-evening-with-richard-roeper-1.2474306

Orlando Sentinel

articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-02-22/community/orl-ucf-richard-roeper-speaks-on-film-critique_1_young-critics-richard-roeper-film

Richard Roeper’s pick for best pic

youtube.com/watch?v=U3GHF03Klao

Libya unrest credited to Bin Laden and drugged coffee in Gadhafi Presentation

A recent Gadhafi speech that was broadcast on Libyan television incorporated what Gadhafi asserts the causes of unrest in North African nation. Gadhafi held accountable street violence on narcotics and unrest in the nation on Osama bin Laden and al Qaida. Gadhafi’s power over Libya is loosening by the day. Article source – Gadhafi speech blames unrest on drugs and Bin Laden by MoneyBlogNewz.

Issues in Libya happened due to teens

Libya is currently ruled by Moammer Gadhafi. He gave a speech that was on Libyan state TV recently. Reuters reports that he pointed fingers. He said some specific parties were to blame for the difficulties in Libya. Al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden were to blame for the Libya turmoil, Gadhafi said. He also thinks that teens on drugs are responsible for any violence the North African nation has dealt with. He said that al-Qaida was putting “hallucinatory pills in their drinks, their milk, their coffee, their Nescafe.” He also said that "their ages is 17" in there.

Much of Libya still liberating

About a 3rd of Libya is not controlled by Gadhafi. The Christian Science Monitor reports that even pro-Gadhafi forces have fled. Knowing that a dictator not any longer has control has calmed the "liberated" cities such as Tobruq and Benghazi. Cities like Tripoli though that is still Gadhafi controlled are continuing the violence. Factions of the Libyan army have been defecting to the side of the protesters as Gadhafi has ordered them to fire on their countrymen.

Even higher gas

According to the New York Times, Saudi Arabia promised that oil production wouldn't change due to the revolts in Libya. Nevertheless, the gas prices are going up drastically. Oil prices ended on Thursday, February 244, at $97.28. They were over $100 during the day at one point though. It’s predicted that unrest in the Middle East can lead to gas prices increasing to $4 a gallon or more.

Articles cited

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/02/24/us-libya-protests-gaddafi-idUSTRE71N4NI20110224

Christian Science Monitor

csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0223/Qaddafi-holds-no-sway-over-these-Libyans

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/02/25/business/global/25markets.html?src=busln