How to avoid the pin skimmers and bank robbers.
How to get around the new bank plan to charge you for using a debit card
Organized crime actually will set up cameras to see you manually punch the numbers and steal the information code. Although most banks cover the loss, it is a nightmare to have your account tapped and defrauded.
Today's skimmer is a small piece of plastic that is crazy-glued on the outside of a gas station or retail store credit card slider. The slider should not protrude from the machine. Wiggle it and see if it will come loose. Cover your hand over the hand typing in the security code. Change your codes frequently on line or in the bank.
The next person in your pocket is going to be the banks themselves. I use debit rather than credit cards, as have many Americans in this Third Great Depression. Some Senator and a man named Barney Frank / Dodd decided they should limit what banks may charge vendors for debit transactions. The new law goes into place in weeks. Banks will be charging you for number of debit transactions. The law limits the amount a bank may charge to 12 cents. In the past banks, credit unions and financial institutions charged 44 on average. Since banks are not operating on charity and income is squeezed for them they will pass the charge to you.
If you have a checking account at any big box bank, take a look at your statement very carefully. Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo are no longer free checking. If you overdraft a check, the pain of fees on top of more costs is going to bite. I plan to get rid of the many duplicate accounts, but you have to go into a branch in person and check that no more direct deposit or auto drafts will be forgotten.
Be diligent in your penny pinching. Ask the banker for waiver of fees in the meanwhile.
Showing posts with label Great Depression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Depression. Show all posts
3/17/2011
1/29/2011
Stay on Track
It is brain patterns and neuro pathways we build.
Write the goals - for work , heath, life in 5 years.
Keep acting along the lines of production, action, and courage.
Resist temptations.
Know your true heart and you will succeed.
Photograph copyright Caroline Gerardo all rights reserved
11/11/2010
Orange County Jobs Improve Just a Little
“Orange County leads a very slow recovery in California,” said Jerry Nickelsburg, senior economist, UCLA Anderson Forecast. “Growth in Orange County manufacturing, professional, scientific, technical and leisure and hospitality services has been more rapid than in the state as a whole. However, overall, the county's employment picture is only marginally improved from the depth of the recession.”
7/02/2010
Beware of Short Sale Sharks
Why are short sales attracting all the sharks and crooks? Short Sale Fraud is the Real Estate Industry’s most recent shame. It is number one white collar crime being investigated by the FBI.
Short Sale fraud now occupies the time and energy of fourteen states Attorney General and their staffs to prosecute. The reasons are simple. The owner of record is usually in a dire financial situation after often a year or more of trying different solutions, only to learn that the value of their home has decreased more, they owe more, and the negative equity number is larger.
How can you avoid being ripped off by con artists? Don’t come back crying that you were taken advantage of by a subprime lender who worked part time at your local bar, to find out he now is a short sale negotiator expert. Don’t pay any short sale negotiator up front fees. Check the license and the track record of a real estate agent or attorney. Be in charge of your own destiny and in the loop of all emails and information submitted to your lender or lenders.
Shop the fees and compare before you agree to using an escrow, title or closing attorney. Fees vary greatly and junk surcharges are padded into costs. Don’t pay illegal fees outside of escrow. Read everything you sign. If you do not understand it, do not sign it until you do. Items submitted to your lender are like your permanent record, you do not want to send them anything more than they need and you do not want to lie. This is why it is important to have an agent who is honest, smart, organized and knows about financial institutions
Straw buyers and house flipping are not easy fix solutions. If it seems too good to be true –run. If the buyer of your home is using a standard lender the lender isn’t going to allow flipping. A short sale negotiator who misrepresents the market value of a property to a homeowner's lender by submitting low ball offers on the property from an affiliated straw buyer is a crook. After the home is purchased below market value, the fraudsters immediately flip it and pocket the difference.
A title or a class on the subject does not certify anything. Short sale negotiators and agents use titles including debt negotiator, debt resolution expert, loss mitigation practitioner, foreclosure rescue negotiator, short sale processor, short sale coordinator and short sale expeditor.
This is a paperwork intense process. If you are somewhat good on the computer is can be easy. Get a right fax. Fax to yourself all the documentation and keep in a folder so you can easily email copies to anyone. Many of these items can be download for free and “saved as”- label each one. This is a partial list of what you as a homeowner need to prepare:
1. complete copy of your current credit report.
2. online tax bill from your county recorder
3. copy of your fire insurance policy
4. homeowner association bill
5. Paycheck stubs
6. w-2 and 2009 tax return
7. actual bank statements not just online printout- go to the box for a statement
8. Prepare a detailed hardship letter
9. go online and look at comparable sales for your home- find three houses close by sold in past 100 days with similar square footage
Add up the numbers-
1. I owe : $
2. I can sell for $
3. I make $
Shop for your agent. This is a person you want to talk to regularly and come up with a team strategy to help you move on. Ask friends and family and persons you trust for someone who is: honest, organized, and willing to work hard. Having negative equity is not the end of the world. It is outside your control that the value decreased. If you lost your job, are getting divorced, someone is ill or deceased, or you must relocate for a job these are beyond your planning and good intentions. Planning again for getting back on your feet in the best method for your individual life takes some thinking.
Nothing too good or too bad lasts too long the key is to have grace, honor and a clear head in both.
Short Sale fraud now occupies the time and energy of fourteen states Attorney General and their staffs to prosecute. The reasons are simple. The owner of record is usually in a dire financial situation after often a year or more of trying different solutions, only to learn that the value of their home has decreased more, they owe more, and the negative equity number is larger.
How can you avoid being ripped off by con artists? Don’t come back crying that you were taken advantage of by a subprime lender who worked part time at your local bar, to find out he now is a short sale negotiator expert. Don’t pay any short sale negotiator up front fees. Check the license and the track record of a real estate agent or attorney. Be in charge of your own destiny and in the loop of all emails and information submitted to your lender or lenders.
Shop the fees and compare before you agree to using an escrow, title or closing attorney. Fees vary greatly and junk surcharges are padded into costs. Don’t pay illegal fees outside of escrow. Read everything you sign. If you do not understand it, do not sign it until you do. Items submitted to your lender are like your permanent record, you do not want to send them anything more than they need and you do not want to lie. This is why it is important to have an agent who is honest, smart, organized and knows about financial institutions
Straw buyers and house flipping are not easy fix solutions. If it seems too good to be true –run. If the buyer of your home is using a standard lender the lender isn’t going to allow flipping. A short sale negotiator who misrepresents the market value of a property to a homeowner's lender by submitting low ball offers on the property from an affiliated straw buyer is a crook. After the home is purchased below market value, the fraudsters immediately flip it and pocket the difference.
A title or a class on the subject does not certify anything. Short sale negotiators and agents use titles including debt negotiator, debt resolution expert, loss mitigation practitioner, foreclosure rescue negotiator, short sale processor, short sale coordinator and short sale expeditor.
This is a paperwork intense process. If you are somewhat good on the computer is can be easy. Get a right fax. Fax to yourself all the documentation and keep in a folder so you can easily email copies to anyone. Many of these items can be download for free and “saved as”- label each one. This is a partial list of what you as a homeowner need to prepare:
1. complete copy of your current credit report.
2. online tax bill from your county recorder
3. copy of your fire insurance policy
4. homeowner association bill
5. Paycheck stubs
6. w-2 and 2009 tax return
7. actual bank statements not just online printout- go to the box for a statement
8. Prepare a detailed hardship letter
9. go online and look at comparable sales for your home- find three houses close by sold in past 100 days with similar square footage
Add up the numbers-
1. I owe : $
2. I can sell for $
3. I make $
Shop for your agent. This is a person you want to talk to regularly and come up with a team strategy to help you move on. Ask friends and family and persons you trust for someone who is: honest, organized, and willing to work hard. Having negative equity is not the end of the world. It is outside your control that the value decreased. If you lost your job, are getting divorced, someone is ill or deceased, or you must relocate for a job these are beyond your planning and good intentions. Planning again for getting back on your feet in the best method for your individual life takes some thinking.
Nothing too good or too bad lasts too long the key is to have grace, honor and a clear head in both.
Top fraud states courtesy FBI: California is number one.
4/12/2010
Laguna Lap Band Surgi & Medical Marijuana Kiosk
CNBC and Ben Bernanke say the Recession is over. The stock market is 11017 today.
I don’t buy the Great Recession label it is the trough of the second Depression. I try to keep it positive and find solutions and maybe this sounds crazy but kiosks for what Americans are buying maybe could keep us afloat?
I just don’t buy it. Just as I won’t buy Dior, Gaultier, or Prada right now. Orange County retail has not come back. It’s not the disaster that residential is because landlords and banks aren’t evicting major tenants. ICSC states statistics of less than seven percent vacancy but I drive Pacific Coast Highway daily and I see about 20% of the storefronts with “for lease” signs. Those vacancy blemishes are even seen by the Irvine Company and Koll Company.
For example: restaurants. I thank heaven my favorites are still open: Jack’s in Dana Point, Dizz’s, the Splashes Bar, Sapphire, and Mayur are all still active and serving wonderful meals. However, my personal best list does not include the sector most likely to survive (which is anywhere that sells lunch and a drink for under five dollars). In about a year more than one hundred restaurants have closed in Orange County. I am sure I missed some so please comment and add your input.
1. Champagnes Newport Beach
2. Finbars Italian Kitchen in Rancho Santa Margarita
3. Sandella’s Flatbread Bakery in Aliso Viejo
4. Brea closures: Carvao Grill, Club 330, Market City Cafe.
5. Irvine-based Juice it Up Woodbury Town Center
6. Train Wreck Pizza, Los Alamitos,
7. The Front Porch BBQ in Huntington Beach
8. Fatburger, Quiznos and Extreme Pizza Trabuco
9. Quiznos in Westminster, Fullerton Tustin Orange
10. Yogen Fruz in Brea
11. Baja Fresh in Newport Beach at The Bluffs
12. Jody Maroni’s at The Block in Orange
13. Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream sWoodbury Town Center.
14. Lakeview Cafe in Placentia,
15. Fusion Roll and Sushi Costa Mesa.
16. The Carl’s Jr. Fountain Valley
17. Quiznos in Santa Ana,
18. Pacific Whey Cafe Ladera Ranch.
19. Haute Links in Irvine and Lake Forest
20. Sandbox Sports Bar in Huntington Beach
21. Bill’s Burgers 2 storesSanta Ana
22. 5 MaggieMoo’s ice cream shops)
23. Westbay Cafe Huntington Beach
24. TCBY (frozen yogurt) in Laguna Niguel
25. Greek Garden Grill in Orange
26. The Arches, a Newport Beach institution
27. Ho-Toy’s Chinese Cuisine in Trabuco Canyon
28. Peet’s Coffee in Anaheim Hills
29. Daphne’s Greek Cafe at the Orange and Santa Ana
30. The Beach House in Dana Point,
31. Cold Stone Creamery in Santa Ana
32. McDonald’s closes at Fashion Island
33. Waters Restaurant and Mezzanine Restaurant, both in Irvine
34. Lugatti’s Italian Grill in Huntington Beach
35. Champps in Irvine
36. The Pleasant Peasant
37. Topz in Santa Ana and Orange
38. Red Mango Fullerton and Laguna Niguel.
39. The Juice it Up Irvine
40. Johnny Rockets in Lake Forest
41. Carl’s Jr. Fullerton
42. Sumo Sushi Irvine
43. Bliss Froyo in Orange
44. The Black Angus Fullerton
45. Cold Stone Creamery Orange
46. Golden Spoon Yogurt s
47. Bistro West Tustin
48. The Wicked Garden Dana Point
49. Table Ten Fullerton
50. Mel’s Drive-in in Seal Beach
51. Jason’s Downtown Restaurant
52. Beach Berries in Costa Mesa
53. Burger King Laguna Niguel
54. Yum Yum Costa Mesa.
55. Wienerschnitzel in Mission Viejo
56. Go Roma at Tustin
57. The Clubhouse at South Coast Plaza
58. Via de France at The Shops in Mission Viejo
59. Vessia Ristorante in Irvine
60. Pasta Pomodoro in Huntington
61. Charo Chicken Irvine
62. Contodo Mexican Grill
63. Z Pizza in Foothill Ranch.
64. Mesa Grill in Santa Ana
65. Bob’s Kabob in Foothill Ranch
66. Sushi 5 Tustin,
67. Stella Cafe in Corona del Mar
68. Baja Fresh in Anaheim Hills.
69. Dickey’s BBQ in Irvine
70. Gen Kai Dana Point- fire?Red Robin Stanton
71. Baja Fresh in Santa Ana
72. Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits in Fashion Island noone seems to make it in that pad-
73. Karuta Restaurant in Buena Park,
74. Brea Mall :;Arby’s , Volcano Tea House, Teriyaki Palace.
75. Purplefeet Dana Point
76. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
77. Blue Fish in Santa Ana has
78. Mustard Cafe Mission Viejo and Orange.
79. Cask ‘n Cleaver Orange,
80. Starbucks in Brea
81. Haru Izakaya in Tustin
82. Shore House Cafe in Huntington Beach and San Clemente
83. Gen Kai in Irvine
84. Peking Garden in Orange h
85. Savannah Supper Club in Costa Mesa
86. Yamabuki Anaheim
87. Thai Spice in Lake Forest
88. Wendy’s at Foothill Ranch
89. Cherry Berry Lake Forest
90. Juice it Up Anaheim i.
91. R&D Deli Grill & Catering in Lake Forest
92. Black Angus Lake Forest and Tustin
93. Izakaya Zero, Huntington Beach,
94. Islands, Laguna Hills.
95. Kona,Sunset Beach,
96. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
97. Bobby McGee’s in Brea.
98. Ono Ono Hawaiian Barbecue in Rancho Santa Margarita.
99. Fresca’s Mexican Grill i Foothill Ranch
100. Sizzler in San Juan Capistrano
101. Juice it Up and Pasta Bravo Market Place in Irvine)
102. Hof’s Hut in Orange
103. Raku Raku Lake Forest.
104. Triple S restaurant in Tustin .
105. Mama and Papa’s New York Pizza in Fullerton
106. Alvarado’s Kitchen in Anaheim Hills is closed,
107. Bristol Farms,
108. Aldo’s Ristorante in Orange
109. El Torito Grill in Mission Viejo
So where does this lead me? What businesses will survive? Laguna Beach and San Clemente are against national chain brands entering their markets. The national brands looking to expand are those such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Discount Retailers. As much as my teenage son would support a Game Stop store in Laguna, I just don’t see it ever getting through the planning commission. My teens have always been the best stock pickers and crystal ball economists. .My eldest teen Blair could have told you Rock & Republic was out of style twenty four months ago. Perhaps our City Planning might consider a sporting goods supply (not surf but baseball football and teen boys sports clothing) and a small version of Forever 21? If they don’t we are going to be seeing billboards for LAP Band surgery centers and Medical Marijuana Doctor stores. Perhaps we can put them in kiosks or mobile homes and disguise them just for tax basis? All written with a light heart to brainstorm solutions.
I don’t buy the Great Recession label it is the trough of the second Depression. I try to keep it positive and find solutions and maybe this sounds crazy but kiosks for what Americans are buying maybe could keep us afloat?
I just don’t buy it. Just as I won’t buy Dior, Gaultier, or Prada right now. Orange County retail has not come back. It’s not the disaster that residential is because landlords and banks aren’t evicting major tenants. ICSC states statistics of less than seven percent vacancy but I drive Pacific Coast Highway daily and I see about 20% of the storefronts with “for lease” signs. Those vacancy blemishes are even seen by the Irvine Company and Koll Company.
For example: restaurants. I thank heaven my favorites are still open: Jack’s in Dana Point, Dizz’s, the Splashes Bar, Sapphire, and Mayur are all still active and serving wonderful meals. However, my personal best list does not include the sector most likely to survive (which is anywhere that sells lunch and a drink for under five dollars). In about a year more than one hundred restaurants have closed in Orange County. I am sure I missed some so please comment and add your input.
1. Champagnes Newport Beach
2. Finbars Italian Kitchen in Rancho Santa Margarita
3. Sandella’s Flatbread Bakery in Aliso Viejo
4. Brea closures: Carvao Grill, Club 330, Market City Cafe.
5. Irvine-based Juice it Up Woodbury Town Center
6. Train Wreck Pizza, Los Alamitos,
7. The Front Porch BBQ in Huntington Beach
8. Fatburger, Quiznos and Extreme Pizza Trabuco
9. Quiznos in Westminster, Fullerton Tustin Orange
10. Yogen Fruz in Brea
11. Baja Fresh in Newport Beach at The Bluffs
12. Jody Maroni’s at The Block in Orange
13. Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream sWoodbury Town Center.
14. Lakeview Cafe in Placentia,
15. Fusion Roll and Sushi Costa Mesa.
16. The Carl’s Jr. Fountain Valley
17. Quiznos in Santa Ana,
18. Pacific Whey Cafe Ladera Ranch.
19. Haute Links in Irvine and Lake Forest
20. Sandbox Sports Bar in Huntington Beach
21. Bill’s Burgers 2 storesSanta Ana
22. 5 MaggieMoo’s ice cream shops)
23. Westbay Cafe Huntington Beach
24. TCBY (frozen yogurt) in Laguna Niguel
25. Greek Garden Grill in Orange
26. The Arches, a Newport Beach institution
27. Ho-Toy’s Chinese Cuisine in Trabuco Canyon
28. Peet’s Coffee in Anaheim Hills
29. Daphne’s Greek Cafe at the Orange and Santa Ana
30. The Beach House in Dana Point,
31. Cold Stone Creamery in Santa Ana
32. McDonald’s closes at Fashion Island
33. Waters Restaurant and Mezzanine Restaurant, both in Irvine
34. Lugatti’s Italian Grill in Huntington Beach
35. Champps in Irvine
36. The Pleasant Peasant
37. Topz in Santa Ana and Orange
38. Red Mango Fullerton and Laguna Niguel.
39. The Juice it Up Irvine
40. Johnny Rockets in Lake Forest
41. Carl’s Jr. Fullerton
42. Sumo Sushi Irvine
43. Bliss Froyo in Orange
44. The Black Angus Fullerton
45. Cold Stone Creamery Orange
46. Golden Spoon Yogurt s
47. Bistro West Tustin
48. The Wicked Garden Dana Point
49. Table Ten Fullerton
50. Mel’s Drive-in in Seal Beach
51. Jason’s Downtown Restaurant
52. Beach Berries in Costa Mesa
53. Burger King Laguna Niguel
54. Yum Yum Costa Mesa.
55. Wienerschnitzel in Mission Viejo
56. Go Roma at Tustin
57. The Clubhouse at South Coast Plaza
58. Via de France at The Shops in Mission Viejo
59. Vessia Ristorante in Irvine
60. Pasta Pomodoro in Huntington
61. Charo Chicken Irvine
62. Contodo Mexican Grill
63. Z Pizza in Foothill Ranch.
64. Mesa Grill in Santa Ana
65. Bob’s Kabob in Foothill Ranch
66. Sushi 5 Tustin,
67. Stella Cafe in Corona del Mar
68. Baja Fresh in Anaheim Hills.
69. Dickey’s BBQ in Irvine
70. Gen Kai Dana Point- fire?Red Robin Stanton
71. Baja Fresh in Santa Ana
72. Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits in Fashion Island noone seems to make it in that pad-
73. Karuta Restaurant in Buena Park,
74. Brea Mall :;Arby’s , Volcano Tea House, Teriyaki Palace.
75. Purplefeet Dana Point
76. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
77. Blue Fish in Santa Ana has
78. Mustard Cafe Mission Viejo and Orange.
79. Cask ‘n Cleaver Orange,
80. Starbucks in Brea
81. Haru Izakaya in Tustin
82. Shore House Cafe in Huntington Beach and San Clemente
83. Gen Kai in Irvine
84. Peking Garden in Orange h
85. Savannah Supper Club in Costa Mesa
86. Yamabuki Anaheim
87. Thai Spice in Lake Forest
88. Wendy’s at Foothill Ranch
89. Cherry Berry Lake Forest
90. Juice it Up Anaheim i.
91. R&D Deli Grill & Catering in Lake Forest
92. Black Angus Lake Forest and Tustin
93. Izakaya Zero, Huntington Beach,
94. Islands, Laguna Hills.
95. Kona,Sunset Beach,
96. East Avenue Bistro in Tustin
97. Bobby McGee’s in Brea.
98. Ono Ono Hawaiian Barbecue in Rancho Santa Margarita.
99. Fresca’s Mexican Grill i Foothill Ranch
100. Sizzler in San Juan Capistrano
101. Juice it Up and Pasta Bravo Market Place in Irvine)
102. Hof’s Hut in Orange
103. Raku Raku Lake Forest.
104. Triple S restaurant in Tustin .
105. Mama and Papa’s New York Pizza in Fullerton
106. Alvarado’s Kitchen in Anaheim Hills is closed,
107. Bristol Farms,
108. Aldo’s Ristorante in Orange
109. El Torito Grill in Mission Viejo
So where does this lead me? What businesses will survive? Laguna Beach and San Clemente are against national chain brands entering their markets. The national brands looking to expand are those such as Bed Bath and Beyond and Discount Retailers. As much as my teenage son would support a Game Stop store in Laguna, I just don’t see it ever getting through the planning commission. My teens have always been the best stock pickers and crystal ball economists. .My eldest teen Blair could have told you Rock & Republic was out of style twenty four months ago. Perhaps our City Planning might consider a sporting goods supply (not surf but baseball football and teen boys sports clothing) and a small version of Forever 21? If they don’t we are going to be seeing billboards for LAP Band surgery centers and Medical Marijuana Doctor stores. Perhaps we can put them in kiosks or mobile homes and disguise them just for tax basis? All written with a light heart to brainstorm solutions.
3/30/2010
FOMC ends buying MBS? = G. Depression #2
Not just Ancronyms
Is this holding down the DOW from Eleven thousand?
10921 today. If the Federal government isn’t going to buy any mortgage backed securities as threatened… The stock market ought to look like October 29th 1929
How am I going to pay more taxes to cover the insurance premiums for others?
Bond market has been a rollercoaster for a week, yet little is mentioned in the news media about how scary this really looks.
Is this holding down the DOW from Eleven thousand?
10921 today. If the Federal government isn’t going to buy any mortgage backed securities as threatened… The stock market ought to look like October 29th 1929
How am I going to pay more taxes to cover the insurance premiums for others?
Bond market has been a rollercoaster for a week, yet little is mentioned in the news media about how scary this really looks.
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