Choosing Which Debts To Pay First

By Ian Pelham

Prioritizing Debt

It is quite likely that if you are experiencing debt problems then you are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with your monthly debt repayments. Your income can only go so far and only some of your expenses can be reduced.

You therefore have little choice but to either delay, or not pay at all, some debt repayments as they come due. In this situation you will be forced to think very hard about which payments you really should pay first. You risk several things such as your home, gas, electricity, car and even your household possessions.

Following the rules in this chapter may make the difference between keeping or losing important property.

Do Not Take On More Debt To Pay Off Old Debt.

A short-term fix can lead to long-term problems.

Many people opt to take on new debt to pay off old debt instead of delaying or eliminating certain debt payments. Very rarely is this a good idea. The option to refinance or take on new loans and when, if ever, you should do so is discussed in a later article.

Your main strategy in dealing with too much debt is deciding which debts to pay first, which you can refuse to pay, and which you can put off until later.

The most important creditor to pay is not necessarily the creditor who screams the loudest or the most often. Creditors who yell the loudest often do so only because they have no better way to get their money.

Of more concern are creditors who not only threaten, but actually can take quick action against your home, utility service, your car, or other important assets.

Pay off creditors who can take the quickest action to hurt you, not those who yell the loudest and call the most often.

You should direct your limited resources to what is most necessary for your family -- typically food, clothing, shelter, and utility service.

It would be great if there was a recommended 'list' dictating the order in which your debts should be paid, but unfortunately there isn't. Your situation will be different to someone else's. The guidelines in this article should be used as reference points only as you make your decisions.

Debts with collateral are top priorities.

There is one particularly important concept you should keep in mind while you are deciding which debts to pay first and which you may need to let go. This is the concept of "collateral."

Collateral is defined as a physical object stipulated as being used as an object of value which will be recovered in the case where non-payment of a loan takes place, usually your home (mortgage) or car (car finance).

A creditor may also have collateral in your household goods, business property, bank account, or even wages. Collateral can take many forms. When a creditor has taken collateral for your loan, it has a "lien" on your property.

Determine which of your debts are 'secured' and which are 'unsecured'.

You should almost always pay secured debts first. Creditors who have collateral are usually referred to as "secured" creditors. They have the security of knowing that if you don't pay, they can take the collateral from you and sell it to get their money.

Creditors without collateral are often referred to as "unsecured." It is usually hard for unsecured creditors to collect what they are owed unless you pay voluntarily.

The notion that 'secured debts' are the ones most vital to pay is a fairly simple one. The problem arises when you have a constant stream of debt collectors harassing you to pay unsecured debt, often distracting you from keeping the 'secured debt first' rule in mind.

It is extremely important to remember this concept as you make decisions about your financial future.

About the Author:

Ian is someone who has come through a very difficult time financially. He used credit debt consolidation to ease his situation markedly. Without good debt consolidation advice he would have certainly gone bankrupt.

Personal Development Always Fails Without Action And Application

By Christina Helwig

While sitting in a symposium in a few months ago, I realized something very basic to the entire topic of personal development. I understood so much more clearly why even though I have a deep understanding of this material, I have not been able to produce the results I want in my life until now.

For years my focus has been on learning and understanding material; not their twin sister - application. I have spent hours and hours on my bed reading, studying and taking notes on these topics. Those hours moved me light years ahead mentally but they did nothing until now for my physical, daily world. I have been so intent on getting my mind wrapped around these concepts that I failed to pay attention to the most crucial aspect of this process = personal action.

Throughout "Think and Grow Rich" Napoleon Hill gives his readers many action steps to complete and several daily tasks to perform. I always thought "I will read the entire book and then go back and DO what he suggests." This was a HUGE mistake. Even if I was not in the right position, those action steps would have moved me closer to my dreams and would have begun the process of building up my self-esteem, self-confidence and my level of awareness of my innate ability to handle my big life goals. And, I incrementally would have been moving closer to what I desired, even if it was only a little bit at a time. I have since become an active student of the application of these concepts. It is only through action that I prepare the way and the method by which I can receive what I want in my life.

Please stop just reading about improving yourself and really think about whether you need to become an "active" student of "application" in your life. You learn the methods or the "certain way" only by doing, not by studying. Studying allows you to understand the process but to learn and internalize material you must act on all things that Napoleon Hill, Brian Tracy, Jack Canfield, Bob Proctor, Wallace Wattles and all the other personal growth authors tell you to do.

"Take the first step in faith and the rest will be revealed to you." Wallace Wattles. Take is a verb. A verb requires action. Recently I came up with an idea to help law students. I did not have the product finished or know all the details of what I wanted to include in my product. I did not know the distribution method or how I would advertise the product. But, I took action. I called my mentor and booked an appointment with her to talk about my idea. As the month ticked down I worked on my presentation, read some more material and got more ideas.

When I finally went in to talk to her in person she loved my idea. I only showed her a short snapshot of the project and she ended up booking me to teach to over 70 students in a month and a half. All of this happened because I did not wait until everything was "perfect," "complete," "just right" or "totally finished." I acted on my idea and my idea produced results. As I continue to take action on this project the next steps and new ideas keep coming to me. The project gets better and better and will help many people in the near future.

You can do this too. Stop waiting for the time to be right and just start moving on your ideas. Without action steps taken nothing will happen. You will continue to stack up self-improvement books and seminar tickets and you will blame the books and speakers for not helping you. They are helping you; they are giving you the tools you need to move forward. Since they are not there to hold your hand when you act, you have to do it on your own. Remember small steps add up to big results. Last year I climbed Half Dome in Yosemite and I did it one step at a time. Sometimes it was hard, and sometimes it was fairly easy, but every step was important because it moved me closer to my goal.

I know this may seem very basic but taking action is fundamental to your progress and can delay or completely hinder your efforts if you do not pay attention to making things happen instead of just thinking about things happening. Like yin and yang: learning and application go hand in hand.

About the Author:

When you change your habits, actions and thoughts, your whole world will change. Set aside a several moments each day to work on your goals. Click on http://www.GlobalSuccessILG.com to learn about how to increase your income and create wealth in your world. This site covers topics from goal setting, to tax strategies, to growing your business and many more. Christina Helwig is an attorney and VP of Wealth Expressions, Inc.

Trading Mindset - Live vs. Demo

By Doug West

We have taught nearly 1,000 people how to daytrade the mini-Dow or S&P emini index. Of those traders, nearly all were able to successfully trade our simple index strategy on their demo accounts (we only know of 2 exceptions that reportedly could not even get consistent on the demo. One man claimed that every single trade he made was a loss. In my mind that would be as hard to do as to make profit on every trade).

If your day trading strategy is consistently successful on your demo account, then what is the difference when you go live? Mindset! It all boils down to that in your trading (in my opinion this is true of life in general, but you see the results immediately in trading - especially day trading).

I really hate to call what we do as index traders, day trading. That is only because of the negative connotation the term brings to mind. Stock trading is what most people think of when they hear the term day trading. Regardless of what type of trader you are, you will have to come to terms with the fact that each trade depends on YOU. What frame of mind you are in at the time you place those trades will have a HUGE impact on how many of those trades are successful.

Most traders think that it all boils down to the technical and/or fundamental analysis of the markets. This is where they spend all their time and money, but they never get around to working on the mindset. They feel the real key is in becoming a great market analyst. However, the world is FULL of good market analyst (just watch CNBC or Bloomberg for examples) who are not able to trade. They too didn't have the right mindset and had to take jobs instead.

So what is the right mindset for a trader (or day trader)? That would take volumes of articles to answer. A good start is to read Mark Douglas' book "Trading In The Zone". Don't end your mindset training there, but it is a good start.

Another good exercise is to keep a traders diary. Write down what you were thinking and how you were feeling as you made your trade. Do this immediately after the trade so that you can be as accurate as possible. Do this on winning trades and on unsuccessful ones too. You should notice that on your winning trades everything felt easy and sure. Once you notice the difference, don't enter trades unless your mind is in the correct frame!

It's amazing how the human mind is able to pick up on the overall mood of the market. Douglas calls this being "In The Zone". We have always referred to it as getting a "Market Feel". Some traders have felt that it was impossible, while others gain that market feel advantage rather quickly. The difference is always in the mindset of the person. Some people are naturally much more in tune with their emotions, and they don't let them effect their mind while trading.

Many traders reason that if they can just add the right tools, they will become successful traders. They work on finding the lastest greatest chart, software or gadget that will take them to the next level. After working with hundreds of traders over the years, I can tell you for certain that you will NEVER be successful unless you have the right mindset. Work on that and you will be MILES ahead of ones who are always adding more tools!

About the Author:

Mini-Dow Index Trading Made Simple. Discover how to build your trading income. Get Doug's Debt-Free Report. Read his blog here.

Daytrading Mindset - Demo Vs. Live Trading

By Doug West

We have taught nearly 1,000 people how to daytrade the mini-Dow or S&P emini index. Of those traders, nearly all were able to successfully trade our simple index strategy on their demo accounts (we only know of 2 exceptions that reportedly could not even get consistent on the demo. One man claimed that every single trade he made was a loss. In my mind that would be as hard to do as to make profit on every trade).

If your day trading strategy is consistently successful on your demo account, then what is the difference when you go live? Mindset! It all boils down to that in your trading (in my opinion this is true of life in general, but you see the results immediately in trading - especially day trading).

I really hate to call what we do as index traders, day trading. That is only because of the negative connotation the term brings to mind. Stock trading is what most people think of when they hear the term day trading. Regardless of what type of trader you are, you will have to come to terms with the fact that each trade depends on YOU. What frame of mind you are in at the time you place those trades will have a HUGE impact on how many of those trades are successful.

Most traders think that it all boils down to the technical and/or fundamental analysis of the markets. This is where they spend all their time and money, but they never get around to working on the mindset. They feel the real key is in becoming a great market analyst. However, the world is FULL of good market analyst (just watch CNBC or Bloomberg for examples) who are not able to trade. They too didn't have the right mindset and had to take jobs instead.

So what is the right mindset for a trader (or day trader)? That would take volumes of articles to answer. A good start is to read Mark Douglas' book "Trading In The Zone". Don't end your mindset training there, but it is a good start.

Another good exercise is to keep a traders diary. Write down what you were thinking and how you were feeling as you made your trade. Do this immediately after the trade so that you can be as accurate as possible. Do this on winning trades and on unsuccessful ones too. You should notice that on your winning trades everything felt easy and sure. Once you notice the difference, don't enter trades unless your mind is in the correct frame!

It's amazing how the human mind is able to pick up on the overall mood of the market. Douglas calls this being "In The Zone". We have always referred to it as getting a "Market Feel". Some traders have felt that it was impossible, while others gain that market feel advantage rather quickly. The difference is always in the mindset of the person. Some people are naturally much more in tune with their emotions, and they don't let them effect their mind while trading.

Many traders get hung up in all the technical tools that are available today. They reason that if they can just add the right tools, they will become successful traders. After working with hundreds of traders over the years, I can tell you for certain that you will NEVER be successful unless you have the right mindset.

About the Author:

Mini-Dow Index Trading Made Simple. Discover how to build your trading income. Get Doug's Debt-Free Report. Read his blog here.

Debt Negotiation- Same as Credit Consolidation?

By Dillon Azungen

Are you drowning in debt and considering debt negotiation? Debt negotiation has a bad connotation but does it affect your credit that badly? There are pros and cons to debt negotiation and there are alternatives. Here are some things to consider which will help you decide if debt negotiation is right for you.

First, you need to educate yourself on debt negotiation since there is a lot of misinformation out there. Debt negotiation is also known as debt arbitration or debt settlement. A third party negotiates with creditors and lenders on a payment plan and decreased interest. The creditors will put further credit to you on hold so you won't be able to use your credit cards until after your debt is repaid. After that, it is up to the creditor to decide if you should regain credit approval and if so, how high of a limit.

Lenders will usually only lower your rates and give you a break on fees if there is a reason. If they can be shown you're personal finances are not in a position to make the agreed upon payments then they will usually negotiate. They would prefer to negotiate rather than turn your account over to a collection agency.

Some people think that your credit report is unaffected by debt negotiation. This is not the case however. Your negotiation is reported and shows as such on a report. This is why debt negotiation should be used only if you can't otherwise pay off your bills. If you're finding yourself paying your lenders late and incurring fees then this will hurt your credit rating more than negotiation. And if you end up declaring bankruptcy then this can be even worse.

Before debt negotiation you should first find help with your budgeting and learn about other options by seeking a credit counseling service. A credit counselor can give you the information you need to help reduce your payments and get your finances back on track. They will tell you what will affect your credit rating, what will not and recommend what steps you should take. They can also help you with credit consolidation.

To find a credit counseling service search the internet or the yellow pages. Be careful since there are some that are not as helpful or legitimate as others. There are some that are supported by the government which are legitimate and should be researched first. A legitimate service will usually have a free consultation face-to-face and will be upfront about their services and fees. Don't sign anything until you are comfortable with their terms.

Don't think that since debt negotiation will tarnish your credit report that you should give up and let your account go to collection agencies. Ignoring the problem will make things much worse.

About the Author:

Dillon Azungen usually pens reports on problems relating to how to negotiate amongst creditors and how to negotiate a settlement with creditors. His articles on how to negotiate debt settlement yourself and how to negotiate a settlement amongst creditors are found on his website .

Advantages of Debt Consolidation

By Glen Stroude

Before choosing to consolidate your debt to manage your finances, first understand what advantages it provides. Its benefits result from how the method works, and does not necessarily applies to every debt situation. Consider what it offers and how it can improve your financial situation.

When your debt is consolidated, it ends in a single periodic payment to an individual creditor. This creditor comes in the form of a credit counseling company. They will contact and deal with your previous creditors, while allowing you to pay off the debt via monthly amounts.

What are the advantages of this method over a continued management of debt with individual creditors?

Firstly, you only need to make a single payment off your total debt each month. This is easier to manage for most people, as different payments each month can be extremely stressful. Late payments and undesired phone calls from creditors chasing their debt could be a thing of the past.

There is also an attractive proposition offered by credit counseling firms. They often provide lower interest rates for customers willing to consolidate their debt through them. If your own research shows that these rates will lower your overall debt, the method should be given due consideration.

The creditor that manages your debt will provide a longer repayment period. This could leave the process dragging, but it also means lower monthly payments. Use the extra money saved to manage other areas in your life that require financial attention. Or you could also increase your savings at the same time.

An important benefit from consolidating your debt is the instant positive effect it has on your credit rating. Your debt exposure is considered to have lessened. Risk is therefore reduced considerably, providing improvements in credit scores. There are other advantages from this, such as giving you access to loans in the future that might be required.

If the above benefits can improve your current financial situation, consolidating your debt should be given due consideration. One should also not forget about managing personal finances properly and conscientiously. Debt consolidation will be just one of many ways to achieve that, and a useful one at that.

About the Author:

Glen Stroude teaches the ins and outs of consolidation loans. Debt consolidation management is a critical part of the process and Glen writes more about it on his site.

3 Tips for Finding a Consumer Credit Counseling Service

By Steve Collins

Selecting a consumer credit counseling service seems like a fairly straightforward task. However, with the field growing by leaps and bounds, it is in your best interest to take some time and follow a few tips to make sure that the consumer credit counseling service you choose is reputable and offers the best services.

One recent and regrettable trend in the industry has been a steady rise in the numbers of consumer complaints lodged with various reporting agencies and watchdog groups that keep an eye on the consumer credit counseling service industry. Sadly, whenever an industry sees real growth year after year, the temptation of easy money invites disreputable players who, provide poor service and even actively work to cheat customers. It is particularly upsetting when the business caters to people who are already facing grave financial problems.

One of the best tips when searching for a credit counseling agency is to pass over any consumer credit counseling service that has not been in business at least 8-10 years. An extensive track record in the consumer credit counseling service industry usually indicates a business that is run professionally and that provides good services for the fees they charge.

A second tip is to verify the professional accreditation of each consumer credit counseling service you're considering. Look for agencies that have been formally accredited by either (or both) the Council on Accreditation (COA) or the International Standards Organization (ISO). Note: always make sure that the consumer credit counseling service you choose has a current accreditation with these organizations! Some will have been accredited in the past, but may be operating now on a expired certificate.

Finally, due diligence requires verifying with the Better Business Bureau and your State's Attorney General's Office for complaints against the agency. You might be astonished by what you uncover with these simple checks. Many disreputable credit counseling agencies remain in business, even after many complaints have been lodged against them. Take the time to check each one out thoroughly before choosing one and paying them for their services.

About the Author:

Steve Collins is an author and journalist. In these trying times, he knows the importance of obtaining effective debt solutions if necessary. Read his article about debt solutions here.

Sixty Seconds to Freedom from Debt

By JR Rooney

Imagine for a minute being free of debt -- no more sleepless nights over mounting credit card balances, no more ball-and-chain of debt feeding your anxieties, and no chance of threats from dreaded collection agencies. You can do it! Here's the scoop -- in one minute flat.

0:60 Resolve to spend less than you make! Make it a habit as fundamental as changing your underwear. Realize once and for all that if you can't pay for it today -- you can't afford it.

0:55 Distinguish between Bad Debt and OK Debt. OK Debt has an interest rate well under 10% -- preferably with some tax advantages to boot. In the best case, what you bought with borrowed funds will appreciate in value. Home mortgages and student loans are examples of OK Debt. Automobile loans are on the border: They often satisfy the low-rate piece, but automobiles almost never appreciate in value. Bad Debt is everything else -- from your titanium credit card to the 35% loan from Karl's Kwik Kash.

0:50 Pick a winner. Out of all your cards, pick the one or two major credit cards that feature the lowest annual interest rate. Resolve to use those cards for emergencies only. As for all the other plastic pals in your wallet, remove temptation by taking them out of your wallet. Throw them behind a major appliance, freeze them in a bowl of water, or put them to a shoe box. Do whatever it takes not to use them.

0:41 Gather all the bills from your accounts. Line these up on the kitchen table. Find the minimum monthly payment for each account and then add these up to get an overall monthly minimum. Make a decision to pay this overall minimum PLUS a hefty additional chunk every month -- enough to make a solid dent in the outstanding balance of at least one account. If you can't pull this off, you'll have to make a drastic move to increase your income or lower your expenses. It's harsh, we know, but it's also an inescapable fact.

0:34 Pick the highest interest rate account and: Attack! Next, order the latest bills according to annual interest rate charged. Apply the "hefty additional chunk" (beyond the minimum) to the highest rate account(s). Repeat this process monthly until the last Bad Debt account is paid in full.

0:26 Ask for a lower interest rate. Grab a bill from any account charging you more than 14% interest. Dial the toll-free number on the bill and ask to have your rate reduced -- say, to 11%. Tell them that you'd really like to stay with them out of customer loyalty (embellish according to your acting skills), but that you have received offers for much-lower-rate cards. Expect to be made very uncomfortable, but stand firm and remember that, to them, you are both a customer and a profit center. You also stand to save a bundle. The more calls you make, the more persuasive you'll become.

0:18 Be prudent. Be aggressive in paying down the cards, but don't get so ambitious that you risk missing minimum payments on your mortgage, automobile, or any other secured credit account. (Secured means that if you miss enough payments, the bank can show up and take away the item.)

0:12 Commiserate with others. You'll find plenty of emotional support and great ideas by visiting debt relief discussion boards. Help others celebrate their debt-free "happy dance."

0:05 Dance, Fool! You're done when the Bad Debt is 100% exorcised and you can make remaining OK Debt payments with ease, leaving plenty of budget room for savings.

About the Author:

JR works for a Debt Collection Agency. If you do not have the means to pay your debt it is best to try and settle with the Collection Agency

Car Insurance - The Best For Your Budget

By Susan Tanner

Insurance can be defined as the transfer of risk to a company you pay to accept the risk for you. In today's economy, it's important to get the best insurance for your money. Here are a few tips that will help you get the best insurance for your budget.

Auto insurance is sometimes mandatory in a lot of states and areas, and is often an unavoidable and expensive part of driving a car. As a result, it's important to do a lot of research to make sure you get the best quote for you and your coverage needs. An excellent way to find a good insurance company is to ask your family and your friends where they buy their automobile insurance. Check with people who are your age and have similar driving histories to find out the most accurate rates.

You can also comparison shop for insurance over the internet. Some companies offer to look up other companies' prices to find the customer the best deal. Sometimes you can get a discount by signing up online, rather than in-person with a broker or over the phone. This saves that company money in man hours and paper so they kindly pass those savings on to the consumer.

Some people only need what is required by law, so a good starting point is to look at the coverage required of you by state law, and use that information to determine what you need. However, if you are still paying off your car, or if you have a lien holder, the price will be higher because you will be required to carry more insurance, including both comprehensive and collision coverage, most with deductibles smaller than $500. It might be possible to talk with your lien holder to reduce the amount of coverage they require.

The most important thing to do is ASK where you can save more money. Remember, these companies are in the business of making money. When dealing with auto insurance, the best thing you can do is ask if there are any other discounts that you may qualify for. Some may offer a discount for auto clubs, your highest level of education, even if you have a minor child in the household.

There are other ways to find and keep cheap auto insurance. One of the most important is to be a safe driver. Keeping a clean driving history will make sure you get the rates that you deserve. With each ticket and accident, you are asking to have your rates raised. Remember, sometimes rates get raised if the accident was not your fault.

Think when you buy your car. If you buy an expensive death trap of a vehicle, your insurance will go up a lot. The safer and more inexpensive your vehicle is, the lower your insurance rate will be. Make sure you buy a car that is reliable and reasonably priced with good safety ratings.

Know what you need, do your research, ask questions and don't settle for a price you don't think is fair. Buy a reliable car and be a safe driver, and you will be well on your way towards insurance rates your friends will envy.

About the Author:

To find out exactly how I got car insurance, visit my website about auto insurance rates

Be Wary of Reverse Mortgage Folklore

By Xerine Raziel

I received a phone call from a local real estate professional. She called in response to an ad I placed detailing how seniors can buy a home using the reverse mortgage to fund the purchase.

She was sincerely interested in the program, but first decided to vent with an amazing story of pain, agony and just downright horror relating to the reverse mortgage.

First things first... The rule is you must complete this article. You can't just read what happened and then stop before I can explain. We can't have you running about telling everyone else how horrible the reverse mortgage is.

The father of a friend of a friend of the realtor who told me (see the problem already?) had a reverse mortgage on his home prior to passing away. After his death the home was willed to the FOAFOAR (friend of a friend of a realtor).

It's a bit of a rareity but the home was valued less than the mortgage amount. It can happen with drastically falling values. Naturally, when her father passed away the mortgage company called the entire note due.

After selling the property, the FOAFOAR still had to come up with an additional $40,000 to repay the bank the difference.

Now, I have doubts about the validity of this story. I have doubts about any story told through a chain of three people, but look.... HUD prohibits mortgage companies from doing what the FOAROAR said it did. The term is "non-recourse". It means a mortgage company cannot come after the borrower or heirs for a deficiency.

If a deficiency exists at the time of repayment of the reverse mortgage, either the borrower or heirs go through the same drill.

The mortgage company will require a real estate agent to list and market the property for sale. In the process the realtor will furnish comparable properties so the mortgage company knows the property will be sold at a fair market value. Eventually the home is sold and the lender is repaid the sale price less closing costs.

HUD makes the rules and the lender is entitled only to these proceeds from the sale of the home. If the loan balance exceeds the net proceeds, it's tough cookies for the lender. They have to write it off and go on their merry way.

A bunch of folklore is flying about concerning the reverse mortgage. You may have a financial obstacle in need of an answer. The reverse mortgage may or may not be a great tool for you. Make sure you have real facts at your disposal before making a decision.

About the Author:

Get 6 more myths revealed plus five monster blunders at the Reverse Mortgage Texas Guide. For great questions for your lender try Five Questions you must ask your lender prior to moving forward with a Texas Reverse Mortgage.

Do You Need a Bailout?

By Doug West

Whether a shoe is flying at him or he is showing off his dog, President Bush has been on the TV a lot lately. Too late for him to go down in history as a good president, but we will give him credit for trying. The Pres. has assured us all that we can grow our economy by spending more money. He even sent us each a few hundred to help us do that.

Next came the BIG bailouts for the banks and boys on Wall Street. Hey, where do we apply for some of that 700 Billion dollar pie? Well, don't hold your breath on that one (in a moment we will show you how to cash in on the bail out actions with simple mini-dow index trading)!

Let's see, if you are already in debt up to your ears - like the US government is, how is sending out free money going to stimulate the economy? And, how is that going to help the US government?

OH, don't forget our friends over at the FED. The Reserve! The agency that is owned by the bankers. That masquerades around like they are part of the government. What many folks still don't know is that they all pulled a fast one on us by sticking that word Federal in front of their name. The same thing the guy at Federal Express did when starting his company.

Frederick W. Smith founded FedEx. I clearly remember years ago when he was on 60 Minutes, he said that by the time folks figured out that he was not part of the government his company was already well on it's way to success! Can't blame his reasoning? What a PLAN! IT WORKED for the FED why not FedEx too?

Let's quote right from the FedEx web site:

"Federal Express was so-named due to the patriotic meaning associated with the word "Federal," which suggested an interest in nationwide economic activity. At that time, Smith hoped to obtain a contract with the Federal Reserve Bank and, although the proposal was denied, he believed the name was a particularly good one for attracting public attention and maintaining name recognition."

I'm sure Smith did want a relationship with the Federal Reserve - who wouldn't! These guys have the legalized right to print money! Think about it. It does not matter if it is a $1 bill or a $100 bill, it cost them about the same to make it (a few cents each). Then they "LOAN" that money at full face value to the US government. Full face value PLUS INTEREST! So now you know where the national debt comes from. We now owe that money - Plus Interest - to the FED. A private corporation controlled by international bankers.

So if you are thinking that Bush's plan to grow the economy by handing out $100 bills won't cost anything - Think Again! Where is that money going to come from? That's right - the good ol boys at the FED. These mystical folks seem to be able to pull money out of thin air! Just think, with today's high-tech world, the FED can just punch a button on a computer somewhere and release new funds to the world. Most of which never represents new bills being printed, but just credit in some bank or financial institutions account. Electronic numbers moving through nanoseconds of time and space.

Not only does the FED create money, they also have the ability to set their own interest rate!

- The Fed's Open Market Committee (FOMC), announces their interest rate decisions. This is NOT the interest rate that you and I can get money for, (why don't we all meet at the Fed Discount Window - wherever that is) but what the BIG boys who keep the whole world flowing receive. They in turn pump up the volume and pass the savings on to you and me right - WRONG! It could take weeks or even MONTHS after a cut to see any savings at the consumer level. So why do the markets get so active after an FOMC announcement?

The BIG boys are the ones who really move the market right (and they CAN line up at the FED window for a bailout). We just want a small slice of it. That's all. Remember that when you are trading (or practicing the FED move trade -after an FOMC announcement).

So how do you cash in on the bailouts without getting a slice of the pie? Index trading! With all these bailout moves, the FED buying stock and giving away billions of dollars, it has caused some GREAT moves in the market. Not so good for stock traders, but Wonderful for those of us that just trade and follow the overall index.

No matter what happens, we can all do well with Simple Mini-Dow Index Trading. I look for GREAT times ahead for Index traders. We might have to pay more for the things we need, (because of the FED printing out bailout money like candy these days) but at least we can stay home and earn the money to get them!

Remember those FOMC announcements mentioned earlier? Many times after an announcement, the market moves and moves BIG. Much like the market moves we have all been seeing here lately with the bailout manipulation of the markets. The FED won't give you a partnership deal like FedEx was looking for, but you can capitalize on their dealings.

You may not be able to get in line for a bailout, but you can stick your hand in the market and cash in on the Wild moves we are now seeing in the FED manipulated market. Just follow an index and stay away from stock!

About the Author:

Mini-Dow Index Trading Made Simple. Discover how to build your trading income. Get Doug's Debt-Free Report. Read his blog here.