Economics and Cows...

I just got this from my Mother-In-Law (bizarrely enough), and thought it could inject a little humour into the otherwise dire economic news...

> > SOCIALISM
> > You have 2 cows.
> > You give one to your neighbour.
> > 
> > COMMUNISM
> > You have 2 cows.
> > The State takes both and gives you some milk.
> > 
> > FASCISM
> > You have 2 cows.
> > The State takes both and sells you some milk.
> > 
> > NAZISM
> > You have 2 cows.
> > The State takes both and shoots you.
> > 
> > BUREAUCRATISM
> > You have 2 cows.
> > The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the
> > milk away...
> > 
> > TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
> > You have two cows.
> > You sell one and buy a bull.
> > Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
> > You sell them and retire on the income.
> > 
> > SURREALISM
> > You have two giraffes.
> > The government requires you to take harmonica lessons
> > 
> > AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
> > Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.
> > 
> > ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM
> > You have two cows.
> > You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters
> > of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a
> > debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all
> > four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
> > The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to
> > a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who
> > sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
> > The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on
> one more.
> > You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States, leaving
> > you with nine cows.
> > No balance sheet provided with the release.
> > The public then buys your bull.
> > 
> > A FRENCH CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > You go on strike, organise a riot, and block the roads, because you
> > want three cows.
> > 
> > A JAPANESE CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow
> > and produce twenty times the milk.
> > You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and
> > market it worldwide.
> > 
> > A GERMAN CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and
> > milk themselves.
> > 
> > AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
> > You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
> > You decide to have lunch.
> > 
> > A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > You count them and learn you have five cows.
> > You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
> > You count them again and learn you have 2 cows.
> > You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.
> > 
> > A SWISS CORPORATION
> > You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
> > You charge the owners for storing them.
> > 
> > A CHINESE CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > You have 300 people milking them.
> > You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
> > You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

> > AN INDIAN CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > You worship them.

> > A BRITISH CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > Both are mad.

> > AN IRAQI CORPORATION
> > Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
> > You tell them that you have none.
> > No-one believes you, so they bomb the **** out of you and invade your
> country.
> > You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of a
> Democracy....

> > AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > Business seems pretty good.
> > You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.

> > A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
> > You have two cows.
> > The one on the left looks very attractive

Don't Panic

Great article from The Motley Fool called The Number 1 Rule.

The long and short of it: the chaos isn't over, and today's upswing is probably just a blip... it will be right back down again before too long.

Having said that, that means lots of opportunity now for people who have some money to invest... provided they formulate a plan and stick to it.

To Your Prosperity!

Massive Phishing Increase

Just a quick article I wanted to pass along to you all that I came across on the BBC website:

Phishing Article

To sum it up, there has been a 180% increase in phishing (people trying to get your personal details for credit card fraud etc) over the last year due to the financial turmoil that is engulfing the world. We went through the identity theft annoyance twice earlier this year (someone was booking Air India flights with one card, and charging a bunch of stuff to a Valencia WalMart with another), but we are still unsure how the people got our information. 

Three thoughts:

1 - Keep good records! Banks are much more likely to believe you about what money was spent where if you can show them accurately your spending patterns etc. It gets much harder to prove if you don't have your account up on Quicken, Money etc.

2 - Never follow a link in an email that asks for your personal information! That includes not signing into facebook, or myspace, because many people use the same password across multiple sites, which leads onto:

3 - Use different passwords depending on the sensitivity of the site! Social networking sites can be short and sweet, but really get creative with online banking and similar things.

That's it. Nothing too much. So, even in these difficult financial times

To Your Prosperity

Learn About Money When...?

Panic! Run for your lives! The world is collapsing! In the last year, the housing market has collapsed, taking with it the stock market. Oil prices have exploded, banks are showing record losses (how about $10 Billion for a quarter anyone?), and going out of business left, right and center, and, basically, lots of people’s money is going down the toilet. So now is not exactly the best time to be learning about one’s finances, right.

WRONG!! There is a great quote by Warren Buffet (Multi-Billionaire, Philanthropist and strong candidate for greatest investor ever) that says:

“Be fearful when others are greedy, and only be greedy when others are fearful”.

What happens when there is a big economic slump is that people panic. Sometimes this is with good reason: when it is easy to borrow, people tend to get in over their heads with debt. Combine that with a housing market bubble, and suddenly that house you’re making payments on is worth 25%less than you paid for it. Ouch. Or those banking stocks that were being pumped by brokers collapsed under the weight of bad loans. Ouch again. Or... but you get the picture. The trick to riding this all out, however, is to keep ones head, and not follow the herd. 

Take stocks as an example. Let’s say you bought a solid company when it was at $25. Things happen, we hit an economic downturn, and suddenly that same stock is worth $15. Oh no. We’ve lost almost half our money. Quick, sell before we lose any more...

...Or not. If the company is strong, then it might not be its specific results that have caused its down turn, but a more general tide of poor performance across the country. If this is the case, then all selling does is make real the money you have so far only lost on paper. Combine this with the fact that you should be looking at holding stocks for at least the 3-5 year range, and with luck you won’t make any quick decisions that will loose you money. Everything goes in cycles, so instead of loosing ones head (and money at the same time), remember the old maxim:

“This too shall pass”

And keep on keeping on. The other thing, of course, is that when everything is down is actually a perfect time to be looking at putting money into the market, a house, or other currently depressed investment vehicle. I remember during the last economic downturn, in early 2002, I had just put my first real money into the stock market. A friend said to me “Why on earth would you be buying now? Everything is down?” I looked at him and said “Exactly”. We made over 50% return on that money in 2 years.

Not that we should be running out there and jumping into things willy-nilly. Random buying will make you just as broke as panic selling. But now is the time to seriously look at your financial situation. As opposed to fleeing all things financial in the coming months with the rest of the herd, swim up stream a little. Learn how to handle your debt properly, so that it isn’t hanging over you any more. Start a high interest wealth account so that you can have some money to start investing with in  the next year. Set up your finances so that you are maximizing your tax deductions. Learn about how to handle money now, so that when things turn around (which they will) you are way ahead of the curve, instead of behind it.

Money Money Money (not always funny...

... even in a rich man's world)

Given what is going on in the financial world, it would seem inappropriate not to comment on it, as there can be no doubt that we will all be effected what ever the outcome of all these debates and discussions will be. So, for what it is worth, here are my thoughts on the bailout, which I believe is necessary, but should only be passed with certain conditions attached. These are below:

1 - Tax payer equity ownership in the companies bailed out. Ie, we all become stock owners in the companies that are rescued under the plan. This to me is basic free market common sense investing, as it means that we will all benefit over the coming 5 - 15 years as these companies recover and prosper.

2 - Independent regulation and oversight. As has been seen time and again, the idea of any industry "self regulating" is ludicrous, because they simply don't do it. So, independent, bi-partisan regulation group, here we come.

3 - Golden parachute / income caps. Obviously those senior execs departing the company should not be allowed to walk away with million dollar severance packages. However, we do need to reward the incoming execs in such a way as to make them work as hard as possible to make our new companies (provided #1 has occurred) profitable. To me this looks like reasonable salaries plus highly lucrative deferred stock options - the kind they can't exercise for 5 plus years (I have no problem with someone earning $20 million if they have turned a bankrupt company into one generate billions a year... I just have a problem with the ones who bankrupted it earning that).

4 - Mortgage relief for homeowners. Some kind of system needs to be put in place to help people stay in their homes (such as lowering monthly payments, but extending the length of mortgages in default), as the trickle down effect of mass evictions / re-possessions cannot be calculated (plus, from the banks perspective, better to have some money coming in than a house sitting empty and unsold over the long term). However, I do not agree with extending this philosophy to regular consumer debt (cars, credit cards etc) - that's what debt plans are for. 

So, like I say, my opinions for what they are worth. I would really welcome any comments / thoughts on this, as it is a topic that we will all be dealing with for a long time to come.

In the meantime, to your prosperity (sooner than later!)

Balancing Budget and Social Life

Everyone’s going out for drinks after class. There’s a bar down the street that has great appetizers, and the cocktails aren’t too expensive, and it will be really good to connect with other people in the class, so never mind the fact that, with a couple of $7 drinks and an $8 plate of food and a 20% tip, that social hour ends up costing you $25. And you have class a couple of times per week, so that adds up to an extra $200 per month that you could really do with avoiding, but everyone else is doing it, and you don’t want to be the one to admit that finances are tight, and be a downer on the evening, so you go along and have a good time, but all the while feeling just slightly anxious because you know that most of this is going to end up on a credit card at the end of the month, and those bills are getting high enough as it is...

Does any of this sound familiar? I know this used to a regular occurrence when I first moved to Los Angeles to pursue my acting career. I would go out with friends after class, or rehearsal, and have a great time, but there would always be that nagging voice at the back of my head telling me that I couldn’t afford this. So the question is: how does one balance the need for a social life with the realities of a tight budget? We have three different suggestions here.

1. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. We are in some ways lucky, as artists, that we don’t have the pressure of some of our corporate counterparts in this area. For us, this area is more about dress and eating out than driving the newest Mercedes or living in the right part of town. But it is still a factor. The need to “look good” is almost beaten into us from an early age, so avoiding falling into this trap can be hard. Try shopping at a discount store instead of going to name-brand shops, or having coffee with friends instead of drinks (a $1.50 coffee is much easier on the wallet than a $6 beer). You will often find, especially when it comes to socializing, that people are really glad not to be spending money, as they are all engaged in keeping up with you as well, even if they cannot necessarily afford it either...

2. Forecast your fun. Forecasting is the process of projecting what your spending will be in any area of your life. The way to determine this is to complete a Chart of Expenses (email us at info@abundancebound if you would like one), from which you will be able to see exactly what you are spending, on average, across the financial board. You can then determine exactly what areas you are overspending in, and where you can spend a bit more if necessary. The key to this process is not denial, however: not not remove categories as trivial without serious consideration, because there is nothing like “forbidden fruit” for enticing you back. So never go into a month saying “I am not going to go out at all” - you are simply setting yourself up for failure. Instead, allocate a certain amount for “Eating Out”, or “Drinks”, or whatever other category you want, and then, when the end of the month comes around and you are near the end of your allocated funds, suggest Denny’s instead of the local bar for those after class drinks.

3. Work together to save money. Given that most people are in the same boat as you when it comes to money, be the first one to broach the subject of saving money with your friends. There is such a taboo in this country about discussing one’s finances that most people go through life never saying more than the obligatory “I’m fine...” (usually a lie) or “I’m broke...” (but with no real attempt to solve the issues causing that situation). Break with tradition and work with others on ways to both save and make more money. You will be amazed at the ideas that come out of brainstorming these things with like minded individuals, so give it a go! At the very least, it will take the pressure off the next time you say “Make mine a water...”

So anyway, I hope these pointers give you some ideas about how to have fun but still make sound financial decisions at the same time. Again, it is never about saying “I won

‘t go out until I’ve made $X.” That may work for some people, but I have yet to meet them. Instead, map out your spending, and put your money towards things that you will enjoy. Instead of feeling guilty about buying a Ice blended latte every day, and then stressed about the $30 on drinks going out with friends, drink regular coffee instead. $1.50 a day instead of $3.50 is $14 per week you have saved, which is $28 every two weeks, which covers an evening out with friends every other week. Talk to people, and work out things together, and then stick to your plan. Your bank account and stress levels will thank you for it.

Tax Rebates & How To Spend Them

“Economic Stimulus” is something at the forefront of everyone’s mind these days, especially in the entertainment industry. With the Dollar at an almost record low, gas prices soaring, the general economy spluttering, a costly WGA strike just behind us and a possible SAG strike looming, things are looking a little gloomy.

Luckily, a little relief is at hand. As of May, those that have filed their income tax returns will be starting to get bonus checks in the mail; $600 for an individual, $1,200 for a family (check www.irs.gov for details on eligibility and timing). So the question on everybody’s mind is: “What do I do with my new found money?”

If you ask the government, you spend it. All of it. After all, that is the point of an “economic stimulus” package: you give people money, which they go out and spend, which generates cashflow to numerous business that would otherwise go with out, which means more money they spend in turn on supplies, and staff, and taxes... you get the picture. However, unless you strongly feel it is your patriotic duty to blow through your upcoming $600 at Macy’s (or Target, depending on where you like to shop), we would encourage you to consider using this windfall as your very own, personal “economic stimulus” package...

So, if we accept that we are not going to do what GW and friends want us to do with our money (you rebel, you), what to do with it? We would suggest putting it into three distinct areas in your personal financial life.

Debt Relief - $200. If $600 is the amount you end up with, then $200 of it should go to the credit cards. This should be on top of whatever amount you are paying them anyway, as it means the additional money will go straight to the knocking down the principle. Not only will this reduce your interest payment next time, but will feel great as well - something that is all to rare when it comes to money, but is none-the-less crucial to work our way out of tight financial situations.

Wealth Account - $200. This is one of the cores of the Artists’ Prosperity System, and is essential to any wealth building process. All a “Wealth Account” is is a high interest savings account which you use to build up money in until you are ready to invest with it. We think highly of ING for this (www.ingdirect.com), and they always offer highly competitive rates, but there are certainly plenty of other institutions that are just as good - they can easily be researched online. What I want to stress with this account, before we move on, is that it needs to be liquid (ie you can get your money in and out of it easily), and that it is not a savings account, or an emergency account, or a travel account (all of which can be great, but are separate from your wealth account). You only take many out of your wealth account to buy assets, namely things that either generate money for your or increase in value. Nothing else. Ever. Period. Have I made my point?

Treat Yourself - $200. OK, so blow through some of the money, and feel great about doing it! When else have you been given money to go out and spend? And it is for the good of the country! A real win win! So get out there and buy a new shirt, or that pair of shoes you have been coveting, or a couple of games for the Wii, totally guilt free. Reward is an essential part of building wealth, because it makes the discipline required in other financial areas significantly easier to bear. So treat yourself. You have, after all, just paid an extra $200 towards your debt, and started a high interest account (into which you will be putting money regularly, right?), so now is the time to spoil yourself a little.

And that is it. Nice and simple. Three areas into which to put your “free money” - and any other money that comes your way if you choose to. Some of you may, of course, want to put more into debt and your new wealth account than into a splurge for yourself, and that is fine. Just don’t take it out all together. As I said earlier, one of the keys to growing money is feeling good about it, so you really do need to reward yourself for having taken action on improving your finances. There are a number of places to go next but, if you really allocate your money into the three areas listed above, you have laid a great foundation for yourself, and taken a strong step down the road of financial security and prosperity.