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Economy William Stuff

Will The Fed Survive Ron Paul?

Ron Paul recently gave an interview to a reporter from Fortune magazine. The headline of the story reads, “Will the Fed be able to survive Ron Paul?”

Ron Paul used to be considered an extremist whose views were so far out on the fringe that nobody took him seriously.

There is a little bit of that view represented in the story when Nin-Hai Tseng, the interviewer, asks the question, “But some would consider ending the Fed is a bit extreme, don’t you think?”

Before I share with you Ron Paul’s response to that question, allow me to provide a quick bit of history.

Our forefathers were completely against the idea of a central bank. It wasn’t until 1913 that Congress passed the law that created the Fed. Even that process was done on a Christmas Eve under very devious circumstances.

President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Federal Reserve Act. He later regretted doing so, saying, “I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men.”

His point of view is that just allowing the Fed to exist is extreme. The very President who signed the law creating the Fed later confessed that he ruined the country by doing so.

More and more people are realizing that just allowing the Fed to exist, unaccountable to anyone, is extreme. It’s not just the lunatic fringe who think that anymore.

Ron Raul’s response to Nin-Hai Tseng’s question was spot on. He replied, “No, I think printing money is extreme and crazy. I think the obscenity is allowing the Federal Reserve to print $3.3 trillion and we don’t even know where it went. That to me is what’s so extreme. And that’s what the American people are waking up to.”

For a long time the Fed has been of the opinion that anyone who questioned them and what they do were part of the lunatic fringe.

No more. As Ron Paul said, American people are waking up to how obscene the Fed’s actions are, and how those actions benefit a very, very select few while harming the masses.

When Ron Paul was asked if he wanted to end the Fed, he replied, “Well, I don’t expect to. The Fed’s going to end itself when they destroy the system. So yes I would end the Fed but I would do it gradually and have a transition.”

A gradual transition would be preferable, but with the disastrous actions the Fed is persuing, I think Dr. Paul was correct when he said that the “Fed’s going to end itself when they destroy the system.”

That won’t be pleasant or orderly. It will happen as a result of just creating too much money through various programs, including QE2.

It’s coming, and there is nothing you or I can do to prevent the destruction of our financial system.

The only thing we can do is to get prepared and alert those around us who are willing to listen.

We certainly live in interesting times, and in the coming year, they look to get a whole lot more interesting.

Ron Paul isn’t going to end the Fed anytime soon. Bernanke has already stated that QE2 will continue, so look for more of the same: money flowing from the Fed into Wall Street’s hands.

It is not until money flows into Main Street that we will get a sound, lasting recovery.

Until then, expect more of the same.

Categories
Economy William Stuff

How To Haggle For Your Next Vehicle… ?

This video from ABC may disturb me simply because I work in the retail automotive industry. Or maybe it’s how smug they act throughout the process… but either way, ABC released a special on how to haggle for cars and it really caught my attention.

Now, I do have to say some of their tips are helpful. It’s mainly the way they go about the whole process that bothers me. And when buying a vehicle, you have to realize it’s a really emotional process all the way around, for both parties involved. You’re going to be emotionally tied to the vehicle. The dealer is emotionally tied to making a profit (it does keep him in business and the local economy afloat). And both are emotionally tied to making a positive outcome. These are all things we need to think about! Not just focused solely on what our emotions are tied to. I’ve seen way too many people leave using these very tactics, only to regret doing so because the vehicle they wanted was sold and could not be found elsewhere. So I say, be VERY careful when using these tactics! Car buying should be a friendly process. It’s never easy or quick (forget about it!). Instead, you need to make sure you’re dealing with a dealer who cares about your end of the emotional bargain hunt.

At my store, we use pricing transparency and show you what all the retail guides like KBB, NADA, and Edmunds say — right up front! This makes the process transparent. And while we have to make a profit at the end of the day to stay in business and pay the employees,  we couldn’t do so and take $3,500 off the asking price like in the video. Sounds to me like someone started way too high to being with.

All in all, the internet allows you to do what was shown in the video WITHOUT going store to store, wasting a bunch of time, and embarrassing yourself by walking out on a great deal just because ABC says you should. Doing research online can show you all the great deals at once and let you pick out the best one for you! So why would ABC show you the old-fashioned way of buying cars? I guess they really just don’t know any better.

Think about it. The first store they went to, the dealer really wanted to sell them an Odyssey. Their response — we don’t want one. That’s basically what they said, “Not right now.” How would you react were you the dealer? Would you give a better deal than you had already (I don’t even think they had gotten a real offer yet)? NO! Think about it… you’re saying I really want to buy an Odyssey one minute, then the next you’re obviously saying we don’t like the Odyssey and there’s nothing you can do to help us buy one. Okay. Buh-bye, let me quit wasting MY time with someone who’s not interested. If you’re not interested, I have some customer emails from people who are interested but prefer to engage in a less confrontational way.

Think about it. You’re a salesperson. You just gave someone a killer deal on a used Odyssey because you have a family to feed. In the middle of going to your boss to see if you can help them out and sweeten the pot just a little more for them, they LEAVE! Rude much? How would you feel about the buyers? They must be crazy, rude, or I must have farted on them. Because that’s just ridiculous. And this is how ABC wants you to buy a car.

My internet shopping techniques have been proven to dumbfound Edmunds.com’s own researchers. They even wrote an article about it a couple years ago (I just can’t find it right now…).

Bah… it’s really silly actually. If you want to learn how to REALLY get a great deal and have a pleasant car buying experience (ABC’s version DID NOT look pleasant!!!!) then just ask in the comments below!

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Savings/video/car-buying-undercover-guide-haggling-11848893?tab=9482930%C2%A7ion=1206852&playlist=11128107&page=1

Categories
Economy William Stuff

Lack of Confidence In Fed Reserve Notes Showing Up Everywhere

I was surprised, but pleasantly so, to hear about a local SC politician trying to re-impress the value of gold and silver coinage in today’s society of the dollar losing more value more quickly than ever. Rep Pitts from SC introduced a bill in the South Carolina that would make not just federal reserve notes legal tender, but also silver and gold bullion (which was outlawed and robbed of the American people in the mid-20th century).

I saw a lot of great comments and discussion on the topic on the website Palmetto Scoop, but one really stuck out. I’ve attached the comment below, very much worth the read. And here’s the original post: http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2010/02/17/bill-would-ban-federal-currency-in-sc/

I understand where both sides of this discussion are coming from. But most people are commenting without knowing and understanding the history of currency, in the US and internationally. But this guy gets it:

Posted by Goldigger on 02/18/10 at 7:57 am
“Vast Variety in post #5″ obviously doesn’t realize gold is global. Today, gold coins are still highly desirable as a trusted store of value and as a recognized medium of exchange. Additionally, gold bars are held by central banks to assure their ability to make international payments.

Gold is highly liquid, has few geographic boundaries and can be bought, sold and stored in most parts of the free world.

Because of its global market, the price of gold cannot be easily manipulated by any single nation or borrower. On the contrary, gold is widely thought of as the foundation of the world’s monetary system. In a world where other assets, such as currencies, are depreciated by high inflation or interest rates, gold acts as a superior hedge against inflation.

Gold and silver coinage has been used as a medium of exchange and a store of value throughout recorded history. That’s why it seems funny to me that some of you view the idea as some new and crazy way of exchange. Lol.

From Abraham in the Old Testament to your grandfather, they all understood that gold and silver coins are “real money”. As in “Vast Variety’s post #6″, Perhaps that’s why America’s Founding Fathers designated gold and silver coins as the only “tender in payment of debts” in Article 1 Sec. 10 of the U.S. Constitution. So if South Carolina chose this path they would be the only one’s obeying the U.S. Constitution wouldn’t they? Can that be wrong?
Gold coins were removed from circulation in the U.S. upon Franklin D. Roosevelt’s issue of the Presidential Executive Order of 1933. Under this order all circulated gold coins and gold bullion had to be surrendered to the Federal Reserve Bank.

As far as printing our own money, it’s not as illegal as we thought.

Last year, two Detroit tavern owners were sitting at the bar, sampling their beverages and bemoaning the local economy — no one in the city had cash, and when they did, they spent it in the suburbs. Then the pair hit on a solution: Print their own money.

It is, after all, perfectly legal for anyone to issue currency, as long as it doesn’t look too much like a U.S. dollar. Thus was born the “Detroit cheer”, a local scrip accepted by a handful of city businesses.

Residents in tiny North Fork, Calif., just launched the “North Fork share”, and folks in Piedmont, N.C., spend the newly issued “the plenty”, a currency depicting local flora and fauna like the ever-popular turkey vulture. Brooklyn, N.Y., is preparing to launch the “torch”, while South Bend, Ind., is set to print what it calls “MACs”.

Susan Witt, the executive director of the E.F. Schumacher Society, a think tank devoted to decentralized economies, says she gets calls daily from towns across the nation looking to join the movement.

Read it here. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/BetterBanking/struggling-towns-printing-their-own-cash.aspx

Gold’s Value is a Safety Net

A common example is the saying that an ounce of gold could buy a quality men’s suit at any point in history. In addition, in times of political and economic uncertainty, gold’s value traditionally rises.

The King, stamping gold coins or bars with his personal heraldic device, made gold his king dorrys “coin of the realm” or “legal tender.” During the following 2,500 years in the evolution of world trade and commerce, gold emerged as the preeminent global currency as thousands of gold coins were minted by many countries.

The U.S. dollar was originally backed by gold. Meaning if someone gave you paper money, it was an I.O.U. this amount in gold. In 1971 Nixon was forced to close the “gold window” and the U.S. dollar was no longer redeemable in gold. Now paper notes are I.O.U.’s for nothing. Imagine in one hand, you hold an unprinted piece of linen paper and in the other you hold an unstamped piece of gold. Which has more value?

“The destiny of a currency determines the destiny of a nation,”
according to Dr. Franz Pick, a noted free market economist. With
today’s dollar retaining a mere three cents of it’s original buying
power as a century ago, (Between 1915 and 2008 the dollar shrank to just 3 cents!) it’s easy to see why the world sees the U.S. as
a nation in decline. Reversing the dollar’s decline seems remote,
given our debt and deficit addictions. Gold is now the world’s only
currency that has retained a store of value over time; buying
roughly the same goods or services today as it did three centuries
ago.

Would you invest your life savings in a company with a track record like the U.S.
dollar?

Do you think the trillions in U.S. government bailouts will strengthen or
weaken the dollar given that we are facing trillions of dollars in national debt?

What’s really at risk now is the dollar’s role as reserve currency. Unless foreigners continue to buy dollar-denominated assets, the exploding US trade and budget deficits threaten to sink the US dollar.

When paper money eventually folds as major world economies begin to devalue their currency and the others must follow in a race to the bottom to keep their goods affordable for export. So then what will shop keepers prefer in payment for goods and services, gold or that phony IOU-for-nothing paper money? You tell me.

Also check out these stories worth reading:

Categories
Economy Internet Marketing

What’s Your Twitter Spam Score?

If you’ve been on Twitter lately then you’ve definitely noticed the number of spammers that are starting to show up. It’s starting to look like my email inbox! So I went looking for a way to find out who’s a spammer and who’s not, because with just over 5,000 followers and following, and spammers getting smarter, it’s harder to tell.

So I went to Google, of course, and came up with a story on Mashable about TweetBlocker. Now this sounds interesting.

They take Twitter profiles and give them a grade based on how long the profile’s been around, the ratio of followers to following, and if they’ve been reported as spammers. Makes a great one-location to keep up with this stuff!

My score for my profile was A+, so I’m no spammer. I did notice that some of my real-life friends who aren’t spammers had low scores, despite being long-time twitter users. So it’s not 100%. Which is why they have grades from A – F.

It allows you to unfollow and block everyone based on their certain grade (or you can pick individuals), which I promptly did with everyone who was rated a D or an F. The C grades were hard to distinguish, so I left them as-is.

Tell me what you think and how it works for you! And what’s your spammer score?