Investing for retirement made easy

Yes: Go to work every day and have some money automatically taken out of your paycheck by the government who then will guarantee a monthly payment when you retire.

No: Figure out how to invest the money yourself.

All persons who have any NET POSITIVE returns for the period which started in 08/2007 feel free to leave comments and suggestions.

Bad Credit

No, not as represented by the funny number FICO, but as OFFERED by the credit card companies. Really folks, you need to read all those words they throw at you before you apply. Why? Because if you find out later the credit card terms are crap, it is already being factored into your FICO score.

I use paypal whenever possible. I decided to look at the terms for the PLUS credit card they are always pushing. First, it was not easy to find the terms online. I ended up on an application screen where the terms displayed in a small, scrolling window (all 7942 words). Although it said there was a way to Print (via some print button), neither the browser print, nor the non-existent feature was going to help.

So I did a cut and paste into a text program. My first favorite part was where it said they would send all the real important info once the application was approved (what happened to full disclosure). The APR chart showed some pretty high rates (considering Treasuries are around 3%). The paragraph where I stopped reading was:

"We may, at any time and for any reason, change, add or delete provisions of the eBay MasterCard® or PayPal Buyer Credit agreement, including increasing rates or fees. These changes may affect existing balances as well as future transactions. We will send you notice of any terms change as required by applicable law. The information about the costs described above is accurate as of billing periods beginning after 8/1/2008. This information may have changed after that date. To find out what may have changed on PayPal Plus Credit Card, write to: PO Box 981064, El Paso, TX 79998-1064; to find out what may have changed on PayPal Buyer Credit, write to: P.O. Box 981064, El Paso, TX 79998-1064.
"

(I can just see the person whose job it is to change that date at the beginning of every month ... oops they forgot Sept ... oh, probably forgot due to the holiday)

Reserving the right to change anything at any time for any reason. That is the kind of contract I avoid. But maybe that has changed since 8/1. I should send a letter to El Paso and find out. Now when I get that letter I should check the date again and send another letter if it has changed ....

iPowerweb Sucks

Excuse my language, but it is the truth. They have been hacked multiple times recently which results in them changing (breaking) customer accounts and then when you call customer service they a) officially deny everything, b) will not answer your questions, c) hang up on you, d) all of the above.

Think long and hard before you sign up with these people. There are other, cheaper providers. If you still are not convinced, Google "ipowerweb sucks". If reading from others is not enough, check out their BBB record

There are plenty of ISPs out there. Do not be afraid to move your account away from a bad one to a good one.

But what if I cannot speak

I do not think the newer phone based customer "service" systems are designed to service all customers. I called CIGNA recently and noticed they assume the caller can speak. When the rep came on the line I asked if there was a number that mute people can call. He said NO.

How can that be? He said use the keypad but how does one know what keys to press? He put me on hold to get the answer. He told me 1=yes and 2=no. The other responses correspond to the number in which they are listed in the prompts. Guess your best on the correct way to enter the account information they ask for.

That is great, but if I could not call and ask how to use the keypad, how would I know? There did not seem to be any automated help!

Since the objective of the automated system is to provide as much information as possible without having to connect the caller with a live person, why then do I need to speak to use it?

I guess if you cannot speak to the automated system then you just need to write a letter!

The sound of silence

Well maybe not the sound of silence ... maybe just silence the anthrophony just for a few moments. I have hiked in some remote areas and it never ceases to amaze the man-made noise (anthrophony) that makes its way everywhere. The Jun2008 issue of Wired magazine had an interesting essay on how man-made noises may be altering the easth's ecology (sorry, could not find the essay online). Of course it makes sense that we are effecting an ecological change with our ever-louder noise, including adding to our stress level. I know more than one person who avoids most media for its ability to agitate.

The essay also pointed me to the WildSanctuary.com site where I listened to some very cool sound bites recorded worldwide. They are the sounds of the nature. Go over and take a listen. Share it with some noisey people. Maybe it will help the loud talkers turn it down a notch when they are on their cellphones.

Freecycle

Over the past three years I have found new owners for a KitchenAid cooktop (a young woman was adding a kitchen to a studio she rented), a bike (another young woman who needed cheap transportation), an old computer (twin middle school children), a washing machine (single mom with her first home), a twin bed (young family in transition), a big pile of useless CDs (the children's museum art program) and a broken bread machine (mr. fixit) via the fabulous Freecycle Network.

Unless you live way off the beaten path, there is a Freecycle group in your area. You post a message to OFFER the item, get responses, decide on the recipient and they come and pick it up. The washing machine was gone in 4 hours. How can I let these things end up in a landfill when there are plenty of takers. Oh, and you can also post a message if you need something.

A friend needed to clean out the home of a deceased relative recently. I mentioned Freecycle a number of times. But my friend went the traditional route -- Vetrans, GoodWill, etc -- and some of those organizations did collect items. In the end, some nice furniture and kitchenware was left. My friend called a junk hauling company who CHARGED them to cart the stuff away. And the junker literally smashed everything into a truck. Very sad for my friend to watch their relative's possessions going off that way.

Not every item finds a home. I was unable to find a taker for an old (still working) dishwasher. Still, there are many folks out there ready to reuse just about anything.

Try it. I think you will see that it is easy and satisfying for both the giver and the receiver.

Life Takes Cash

You may have seen the TV ads that try to convey how much better your consumer experience will be if you pay with a debit/credit card instead of cash. If you have not seen the ads, look here and check out "Juggling".

I must say I hardly ever use anything but cash anymore because it always seems the quickest payment method. For example, I stopped by Trader Joe's to pickup ONE item I needed. Checking out turned into a lengthy ordeal because they were having glitches with their electronic payment system. Each transaction took over one minute to process, and it often failed, which meant a re-do. I tried to have "customer service" check out my one item, but they did not have the means to scan the item and thus could not ring me up! (Not to get off the track here, but the only way to enter a transaction is to scan?!?!?)

Relying on electricity and connectivity to buy a container of juice is exactly how the US ended up so wrapped up in energy.

Make an effort to embrace another GREEN lifestyle change ... USE CASH.