John Labunski, Safe Annuities

They call it a “recession”. On any given day you can hear the media and societal buzz of concern. The economists and stockbrokers give us the scoop with confidence and authoritative certainty. And the message is clear: The whole country is going bankrupt and you should be scared.

The information we are fed constantly is that there is a drop in the stock market; long-term interest rates are falling below the level of short-term. There is a decline in housing activity. And it’s neither a buyer’s nor a seller’s market; there are high unemployment rates and the list of woes go on and on. We feel that we are in the throws of financial devastation because we are letting everyone including Greenspan, C-span, and Spic-n-span tell us that we should be depressed about money. Interesting enough, the biggest disaster is not that the nation is headed for another 1929 “Great Depression.”

The real problem is that people believe they are. And whatever is believed becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What you believe will inevitably be manifested in your life whether it serves you or not. This isn’t a principle that is exclusive to only the thoughts of the economy. There are many elements of conventional wisdom that reek of defeat and cause us to transfer our personal power into the hands of the experts who tell us we are broke, busted and doomed.

People are bound by many oppressive concepts such as believing that: having no college degree locks them out of success; being a single parent holds them back, being “too old” being “too young,” starting with nothing, having no connections, they are the wrong gender, color, nationality, etc. The list also goes on and on. But the strength of your economic foundation has to be inspired from within.

When we are confident and strong in our personal constitution, we don’t subscribe to being overthrown by others. Instead, we know we must establish our steps and choices by our own individual truth. And you anchor inside of that truth no matter what happens externally — with the economy or with anything else.

Financial analysts may argue: “Hey Asha! Wait a minute. My numbers are real. I’m not making this stuff up. It is what it is! Banks are cracked under pressure with write-downs, households are upside-down on their mortgages, and there is general chaos on Wall Street! Isn’t that proof that we are all about to be in breadlines?”

I submit that statistics have their place, but adopting ANY belief about anything that does not support and confirm hope is dangerous. It will destroy you regardless of where the information comes from.

Of course, calculations are factual. But there are a couple of major concerns with “facts.” First; economists base their data on averages. That approach makes predictive quality low because there are no allowances for personal effectiveness, persistence, individual skill-sets, creativity, determination, etc. Once a person has really decided, they will most certainly find ways to make life work regardless of barriers. And second, facts are not what determine success or failure. It is how one perceives a fact that assigns its impact on their unique life.

For example, it is a fact that I was born the only child to a terminally ill single mother who lost her mind and tried to kill me. It is a fact that I was homeless at 17. It is a fact that I was voted “least likely to succeed” in high school. But I perceived those facts to be moments of happenstance — not finalizations of my destiny. So I made choices from a place of possibility in my future instead of from a place of hopelessness from my past. And when you believe in possibility the world is yours no matter what.

Remember that people have gotten rich all along the line of the economic spectrum. Just like there are some people who stay financially challenged no matter how progressive the economy gets. The reason for such vast differences in result is the “personal resolve” factor. Yours is to personally resolve to serve consistently, solve relentlessly and contribute value intentionally and you my friend will become recession proof!

Author: Asha Tyson

Posted by John Labunski

Author: Gen Wright

One problem that traditional businesses face is how to make money in a down economy. This can be related to a local economy, a national economy, or possibly a world economy. In this article let’s take a look at six ideas for making money regardless of the economy and we are going to concentrate on using the Internet to do it.

1. Sell information products on the Internet and don’t worry about what is going on in your local economy. Selling information products online allows you to create a worldwide market because you can instantly deliver your product via e-books, reports, auto responder, and so on.

Information products are always in demand because people will pay for information. This is especially true if you concentrate on solving people’s problems.

Another great thing about information products is they are easy to produce and can continue to bring a profit to you for many years to come. We did mention instant access and this is another tremendous benefit.

A person can pay you and be reading the information in a matter of minutes. With a traditional business they would have to drive to a store, or order it online and wait for shipping to arrive.

2. Do email marketing by building an opt-in list. This was a great way to make money many years ago and it’s still a fantastic way to make money today. You can sell any product you want with email marketing as long as you have a list of people to sell it to.

You can build your own list by promoting a sign up form in various ways, or you can purchase leads via co registration and jumpstart your list that way.

3. Become an affiliate marketer and sell other people’s products. This is a great way to make money because you have no start up cost to speak of. Plus the affiliate merchants will provide everything you need to make money selling their products.

There will always be people who have money to spend, but certainly some affiliate programs will be more recession proof than others. One nice thing about being an affiliate marketer is you can make money in any niche that you want as long you find an affiliate program to promote.

In conclusion these are three ideas for making money on the Internet regardless of the economy. Information products will always be great, e-mail marketing allows you to sell online to an opt in list for years to come, and affiliate marketing will allow you to never run out of products to sell.

Posted by John Labunski

 Author: B. Estelle Lowe

Recent trends imply a disaster for the current state of the economy. What is fundamental task for the U.S. Free Market Economy? Are there new rules or laws to play the game?

The central economic task for a society, in relation to the free market economy, is to secure cooperation among people in using what is available (when scarcity & surpluses exists) to obtain what is wanted. The ‘Rules of the Game’, according to Heyne, Boettke, & Prychitko, help facilitate the economic process, in which the rule and law and property rights are components. For example, the resolution of the competition for use of a scarce resource depends on whether property rights are well defined, well enforced, and readily transferable. What does this have to do with banks failing, businesses going under, and major Government bailouts? This means that all management decisions in a free market economy should be lawful and ethical, or the economy will not function properly. Economically, the most important feature of the rules of the game is clearly defined property rights and a rule of law that recognizes them.

Property rights are essential features of the free market economy because they encourage market coordination, rather than chaos (when imposing extensive market control); and create opportunities for net (comparative) advantage when scarcity exists. In fact, “a market economy is based upon private property rights – rights associated to specific individuals in the form of legal ownership”. They define and specify who owns what. These rights can be voluntarily traded or exchanged for similar rights to other goods and services, which is part of the economizing process when scarcity imposes constraints. Essentially, private property rights form an important part of the rules of governing most of the social interactions in which people regularly engage, and provides members of society with incentives and dependable information. In the economic way of thinking, Heyne, Boettke, & Prychitko (2003) contend that “the emergence of clearly defined and enforced property rights does encourage the effective use of already existing scarce resources… and the discovery of new resources”.

How does the scope or role of Government shape the wealth of nations? Consider that some level of government spending is necessary to ensure that the basic structures of society function smoothly enough to facilitate economic activity.

According to Adam Smith, a successful economic system is developed in a well-governed society. Private property rights and the rule of law provide an infrastructure that allows and ensures the protection of people and: (1) their future investments, (2) organization of useful projects, or (3) the initiation of other costly undertakings. The freedom to exchange reasonably secure property rights are necessary conditions for the evolution of a successful commercial society, in which people cooperate effectively in creating and using resources to serve one another’s wants, so that economic growth occurs and prevents poverty. “A rule of law recognizes private property rights, which allows the freedom to exchange and provides incentives for individuals to specialize in the activities of their comparative advantage”. This is secured by the rule of law, which encourages wealth, and prevents the subjection of people to the tyranny and exploitation of others. Therefore, a commercial society can develop successfully when there is the rule of law.

 Author: Kelli Smith

The news keeps coming in, and it’s not encouraging. Declining home prices and the resulting slowdown in the American economy have put manufacturers, investment bankers, and retail employees out of work. With less to spend on luxuries–and less credit from banks and lenders to draw on for large purchases–less money is circulating through the market. Industry analysts fear that this cycle could have long ranging effects on the U.S. job market. Fortunately, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Ethan Harris, chief United States economist for Lehman Brothers, describes the U.S.’s current economic woes as a “slow-motion recession.” According to Harris, “In a normal recession, things kind of collapse and you have nowhere to go but up. But we’re not getting the classic two or three negative quarters. Instead, we’re expecting two years of sub-par growth.”

In the meantime, job seekers can look to other parts of the economy for career security. According to outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas, at least five areas should see steady growth and offer excellent career prospects in the coming years.

Recession Proof Career # 1: Healthcare
Health care is one area of the economy where growth has been little affected by the credit crunch. Employment of nurses has remained especially high: currently the largest healthcare occupation (employing 2.5 million), nurses are expected to add another 587,000 new jobs to the workforce by 2016. In 2007, registered nurses earned a median salary of $60,010.

The need for new applicants has grown at such an alarming rate that many employers are recruiting workers laid off in other sectors of the economy. Faced with a growing patient population, Clair Young, chief nursing officer at the Cleveland Clinic, wants to add 300 new nurses to her staff of 3,800. The applicants are being lured from other parts of the economy with tuition reimbursement and flexible schedules. “Unfortunately,” says Young, “one of (our) strategies is capitalizing on the recession.”

Recession Proof Career #2: Energy
With high demand for fuel causing widespread uproar, energy companies have generated tremendous profits and may need to expand their workforces. In February, Exxon Mobil posted the highest profits ever recorded by a company, with net income rising 3 percent to $40.6 billion (The company’s $404 billion in sales exceeded the gross domestic product of 120 countries). Reacting to backlash from groups disgusted at the high profits, Exxon revealed the scope of its investment in discovering and developing new sources of energy: more than $80 billion between 2002 and 2006, and an additional $20 billion in 2008.

The turmoil of gas prices and the effort to implement alternative fuel sources have spawned tremendous growth in environmental engineering. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), environmental engineers should expect employment growth “much faster than average” through 2016, with an estimated 25 percent more jobs to open in the field. Job seekers can take advantage of these projected openings by earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering. And if tuition costs have you pondering the decision, keep in mind that environmental engineers earned a median salary of $72,350 in 2007.

Recession Proof Career #3: Education
Over the coming decade, careers in education–higher education in particular–are expected to remain stable. Fred Crowley, economist of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, notes that UCCS typically enrolls more graduate students during a recession. And though during the last recession the university coped with hiring freezes and frozen wage increases, Crowley noted, “No one actually lost their jobs here.”

In K-12 education careers, opportunities are likewise expected to remain welcoming. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, increased retirement, higher student enrollment, and teacher turnover should add 2.8 million teachers to the workforce over the next eight years, with the greatest gains at the preschool and kindergarten levels. Though surprising to some, kindergarten teachers earned a median salary of $45,120 in 2007.

Recession Proof Career #4: Security
Though the economy may have its ups and downs, the importance of local and national security personnel remains constant. The Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security may need to fill an additional 83,000 jobs over 2008 and 2009. In order to help train new applicants, many universities and colleges are offering associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees in homeland security, as well as certificate programs in security.

Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment of police officers and detectives to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations–7 to 13 percent–between 2006 and 2016.

Recession Proof Career #5: International Business
Although the recent banking and credit crunch has sent painful shockwaves through the world economy, a few international business careers should remain stable, even during a recession–in particular, finance and accounting careers. Steve Birkshire, Regis University professor explains, “(b)ecause of the issues with Enron and all new requirements–combined with the shortage in the field–that’s going to keep accountants in business. They’re really protected.” According to the BLS, job openings for accountants will increase by roughly 18 percent through 2016, with the best prospects for those with a college degree and/or CPA certification.

A Golden Opportunity
Job hunters may wonder what it will take to land a job in the new economy. Experts advise job seekers to keep an open mind. Nelson Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute, advises job hunters to grow comfortable working “in the service of new technologies.” Staying involved in continuing education is also important. Relevant coursework in new job skills–especially computers and software applications–are a must-have for today’s job hunter, and many recession-resistant jobs require extensive postsecondary education. Most importantly, however, job seekers should maintain a positive attitude.

Questions and Answers

Q- How bad will this economy get?

A- This downfall of the economy has really just started; in the near future you will see more local and national businesses shutting their doors, contributing the cause to many factors.  Some factors may include:  (1) gas prices - which hurt many services business cutting their normal profits in half or more while forcing them to pass on some of the fuel increases to the consumers (2) unemployment  - which causes people to save instead of spend, hurting more businesses and leads to more people without jobs and tons of bills to pay.

Do not be fooled by the government bailouts, they are doing the same thing most people do right before they claim bankruptcy - using credit card debt to pay off your bill debt.  I do not know about you, but when a government is taking on billions of dollars in debt to bail out the economy, we all need to be greatly concerned.  This means the average person probably will not be clicking their ruby slippers together while repeatedly asking to be sent home; because in reality their not sleeping, but wide awake and living a nightmare.

Q- If I loose my job, how will I pay my bills while I am trying to get hired somewhere else?

A- When someone is asking me this question, I really know that they are in a bad predicament.  This situation happens to be the single biggest reason why people have had financial problems and had to rely on bankruptcy (leaving hundreds of thousands of families without their homes, cars and basic amenities).

So to answer your question, yes you will loose everything if you can not figure out how to replace your income in a timely fashion.  No matter how far up on the feeding chain you are; if you have no income - eventually you will not be able to pay your bills.  It is very unlikely that you will find another job that will pay you in the same respect; other companies are much like the one you where fired from, and are trying to downsize their business as well.  

However, for those who have a secondary income or a full-time income that is not linked directly to our local economy or a job that they will not lose; those people will fair just fine.  You should take a look and find yourself a secondary income or home-based business that you can build before it is your turn to get downsized.  At this moment working a few extra hours every week to build a second income is not an option; it is a financial decision that could cost you everything.  I suggest that you begin as soon as you are finished reading this article.  To start, go out and find as much education on how to make yourself an extra income before time runs out.

We are living in desperate times, and those who have had their head in the sand trying to ignore what is going on will be the ones who are without food, shelter, transportation, proper education, income, health care, etc.  It is best to get going now before it is too late.  

By Jason Allen Miller