Basically, the more often banks foreclose on houses, the less people are willing to spend on consumer items, which further weakens the economy, potentially causing a downward spiral and leading to a recession. Of course, there are other issues causing the current economic landscape in the US - the weak dollar and higher oil prices play a large role in our economy.

Reducing foreclosures can help the economy

One of the interesting parts of the article was about home foreclosures. When it comes down to it, foreclosures are bad for everyone involved - people are forced out of their homes and have a horrible mark on their credit for years, banks lose large amounts of money, and the housing market is damaged. The entire US economy is affected by multiple foreclosures.
This has lead some mortgage lending institutions, including Fanny Mae, to provide borrowers more loans to cover their mortgage. Yes, you read that correctly! People cannot pay their mortgage, so banks are loaning them more money to cover their debts!

Something about that just doesn’t seem right.

Here is a quote from Fannie Mae’s latest quarterly financial report (emphasis mine):

“We recently introduced a new HomeSaver Advance initiative, which is a loss mitigation tool that we began implementing in the first quarter of 2008. HomeSaver Advance provides qualified borrowers with an unsecured personal loan in an amount equal to all past due payments relating to their mortgage loan, allowing borrowers to cure their payment defaults under mortgage loans without requiring modification of their mortgage loans. By permitting qualified borrowers to cure their payment defaults without requiring that we purchase the loans from the MBS (mortgage-backed security) trusts in order to modify the loans, this loss mitigation tool may reduce the number of delinquent mortgage loans that we purchase from MBS trusts in the future and the fair value losses we record in connection with those purchases.”

Translation: Fannie Mae offers borrowers with delinquent mortgages an unsecured loan to cover their delinquent mortgage payments to prevent foreclosures from occurring (more like delaying foreclosures).

You can’t borrow your way out of debt

I understand how this might work for a few people who were temporarily out of work or hit hard times… They are late $10,000 on their mortgage payments, so they can take out a $10,000 personal loan which they can pay back over several years. If you stretch it out long enough, perhaps some people may be able to afford to stay in their house for a few more months. Perhaps they may even be able to honor the entire mortgage and unsecured loan.

But most people who can’t meet their current obligations aren’t going to be able to meet the same payments, plus an additional payment. The math just doesn’t work.

This reeks of creative accounting: get the delinquencies off the books for a couple months, slow down the rate of foreclosures, and hope to appear under control. Perhaps the loan can even be packaged off and sold as “current.”

In any case, borrowing your way out of debt is not a solution. All this does is delay the inevitable.

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial

This is in an effort to help borrowers regain their financial footing and possibly find a way to keep their home. It can also benefit the lenders because foreclosure proceedings are time consuming and extremely expensive. The six lenders, Bank of America, Citigroup, Countrywide Financial, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Washington Mutual, and Wells Fargo, account for almost half of all U.S. mortgages.

Why is the government supporting Project Lifeline?

Right now, the economy is not going very well. The government doesn’t want to admit it, but we are in a recession and there is no immediate cure. The economic stimulus package is designed to pump money into our lagging economy, but no one knows if it will be enough to affect a positive change. My guess is it won’t be enough.

Adding more foreclosed houses to the real estate market can possibly depress the economy further by causing a glut of houses on the market. This could drive real estate prices lower than current levels and extend the recession.

Who Project Lifeline is aimed toward

Several months ago the government sponsored subprime mortgage bailouts to varying degrees of success. Project Lifeline differs as it is designed to assist anyone with a mortgage, sub-prime or not. This includes a primary mortgage, second mortgage, home equity line of credit, or other liens or lines of credit against their residence.

This only applies to a primary residence, and not to vacant or investment properties. The government’s hope is that lenders are willing to work with borrowers to restructure loans and reduce the number of new foreclosures.

How Project Lifeline works

The six lenders will contact homeowners more than 90 days overdue on their payments and ask them to call a number. Then, the homeowner has to state they want to keep their house.

At this point, the lenders will request up to date information about the borrower’s income levels, debt to income ratio (DTI), and other financial data. Then the lenders may offer the homeowners financial counseling or to restructure their loan. Note: loan restructuring is not automatic.

Who wins, who loses?

The winners: For those situations where Project Lifeline actually leads to someone staying in their home, then both the lender and the homeowner win. The foreclosure process is expensive for banks, and most of them have no desire to have residential property listed among their liabilities as it ties up their cash flow. Homeowners will be winners if this lets them get some financial counseling and possibly renegotiate their mortgage. On a broader scale, this could help the economy by preventing many home foreclosures, which would help prop up real estate prices.

The losers: Anything that says “backed by the White House” means you, and I, and every other taxpayer is footing a portion of this bill. Project Lifeline will probably cost taxpayers a lot of money. However, it may be worthwhile depending on its economic effects.

Some people have already lost. In many real estate markets, houses have depreciated to a value less than the outstanding mortgage. It is becoming much more common for people to walk away from their mortgage because they owe more than the house is worth. In cases such as these, there are no winners.

Will Project Lifeline work?

In certain instances, I think it will. I am sure there will be homeowners who will be able to keep their homes due to this program. But will it fix the economy or the sub-prime debacle? No. Those problems are too complex and too far along to be aided very much by a program like this. This may help individuals and to some extent the participating lenders… but it won’t stop a recession or declining real estate prices.

Project Lifeline seems like a noble cause, but it may or may not work as it is intended.

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial

Changes in a mortgage payment are actually not uncommon in the first few years of a mortgage.  The part of your mortgage payment covering principal and interest will not change unless you have an adjustable rate mortgage. However, the portion of your mortgage payment that is held in escrow to cover taxes and insurance is subject to change. Many times the escrow amounts are based on an estimate of expected expenses, and changes in the property’s value or insurance premiums can affect the bill.

How Can Mortgage Payments Change?

Property Taxes – Your property tax payments will change any time the county decides to raise or lower your taxes. In our situation, we remodeled our basement and the county reassessed our home’s value at $30,000 above reasonable market value. We decided to challenge our property taxes and we won. However, our property taxes were already locked in for the year as far as our mortgage was concerned so we paid the higher rate.

We received a refund from the county a few months after we paid our taxes, but it took a few months before the new tax rates showed up on our escrow account. Our mortgage payment was lowered to reflect that change. Next time, I will contact the escrow company myself to make sure they update their books more quickly.

Property taxes are normally adjusted by the county on a periodic basis, but can also change due to homestead exemption, veteran, disability, or other filing exemptions.

Insurance Premiums - Most mortgage bills that have escrow accounts include insurance premiums in the payment. This guarantees the insurance payment is made and protects the lender’s investment in you. Insurance premiums usually don’t have extreme changes from year to year unless you make major upgrades to your property or your land is reassessed for natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or flood plains.

Escrow Shortages – We pay our mortgage and property taxes through a mortgage escrow account. Monthly payments to escrow accounts are usually based upon 1/12 of the annual expected charges for property taxes, insurance, and anything else that may be covered. Laws also permit lenders to require additional monthly payments if the lender determines there is a deficiency in the escrow accounts.

This is what happened to us. When our property tax was unexpectedly raised and the escrow service paid the bill, our escrow account was withdrawn under the minimum balance. Our mortgage payment was raised last year to cover that difference (the payment was raised 1/12 of the difference to spread the repayment out over a year). Now that our property taxes are lower, we have sufficient money in our escrow account and we no longer pay the additional charges. Escrow surpluses are required to be returned to the homeowner within 30 days of the period end.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM) – Some mortgages, such as ARM loans, provide for periodic adjustments to your principal and interest payment amount. Adjustable rate mortgages are not usually a good idea unless you plan on getting a low rate adjustable mortgage for a few years and either selling the house before your rates adjust upward, or rolling that mortgage into a lower fixed rate before the mortgage rates change. Otherwise, you may find that your new interest rate makes your mortgage unaffordable.

Mortgage payments generally remain constant, but be prepared for some fluctuation in the bill. Any time your property taxes or insurance premiums change, you will likely see a change in your mortgage payment. If you aren’t prepared, you could be in for an ugly surprise!

As for our new found wealth? My wife and I haven’t decided yet, but we may continue paying it toward our mortgage for the time being. That will help us reduce our oustanding loan and get our house paid off more quickly.

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial

Mortgage escrow accounts are very popular for mortgages and in many cases mandatory. Mortgage escrow services first became popular as a means to decrease the number of foreclosures due to people not paying property taxes. The problem was that people were not always prepared to pay a large annual property tax payment.

How an escrow service works

A mortgage escrow service is much like a forced savings account. Money is paid directly to the escrow service where it is held until payments are due. For example, when you pay your mortgage bill, several hundred dollars per month are added to your payment. That money doesn’t go toward your interest payments or principle. This money is set aside in your escrow account and used to pay your annual or biannual property taxes, insurance, and other bills.

Advantages and disadvantages of a mortgage escrow service

The biggest advantage of using an escrow service is not having to come up with large payments once a year to pay your bills. It is much easier for most people to pay $200 per month into a forced savings account instead of paying $2400 at once. Mortgage escrow accounts also guarantee your bills are paid on-time. Your payments have already been budgeted for you and the money is waiting and available in your account. When the bill is due, the escrow account takes care of everything for you. It is nice not to have to remember payment dates, amounts, etc.

There are advantages to the lender and county as well. The lender is assured your insurance premiums will always be up to date, so their asset (your house) is protected in the event of destruction. The county is assured they receive their property tax payments on time.

There are disadvantages though – most escrow accounts do not earn the account holder interest, though some earn interest at a low rate. For someone with a large house and a $10,000 property tax bill, that adds up to a lot of lost opportunity every year. There are also associated fees which cut into your bottom line.

Can you avoid using an escrow service?

Yes, but not always. Some mortgages require escrow accounts, especially for first time homebuyers or home buyers with small down payments. There are some advantages for going without an escrow service – your money can earn you interest and you may be eligible for early payment discounts for some bills. But the disadvantages are obvious – you are required to pay your tax bills and insurance payments on time or risk losing your house.

A mortgage escrow account is an easy and simple way to manage your annual tax and insurance payments and put them on autopilot. Sure, it costs a little extra money every month, but to me, it is well worth the convenience.

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial

Why get a HELOC?

A HELOC is a great way to have an available line of credit whenever you need a large amount of money. Many times the HELOC loan rates are better than credit cards because the debt is secured by your home equity (translation – if you don’t pay it back, your home could be on the line). Credit cards are unsecured loans and generally have much higher rates.

Many people use HELOCs to pay for home improvements, debt consolidation, or as a ready source of cash for an emergency fund. However, I don’t recommend using a HELOC as an emergency fund unless it is absolutely necessary. It’s best to have an actual cash emergency fund.

In many states, the interest payments for a HELOC are tax deductible (up to $100,000). This lowers the effective interest rate you pay on the loan. AMT rules or other laws may interfere with your ability to claim this deduciton; do your research before borrowing with the assumption you can deduct interest payments.

Things to look out for with a HELOC

The interest rate on a home equity line of credit is usually variable and based on an index such as the prime rate plus a margin (the prime rate is the rate at which banks can borrow money). This means your interest rates can and likely will change. If your loan has a long amortization schedule, be prepared to have your payments change several times over the course of your loan.

The HELOC often comes with an annual fee, which is something you need to consider. Many times this fee is not disclosed, or is in the “small print.” Be sure to ask before signing any paperwork.

Your HELOC is secured by your home equity. That means if you do not pay your loan back, your home could end up in foreclosure. You should also be of your home’s value and how much equity you have. It is not wise to borrow more money against your house than your house is worth.

Do not borrow money with a HELOC just because a banker or lender says you can. Just because a lender sells you on the idea that you can tap your home’s value for a loan doesn’t mean you should. Only take out a HELOC because it is the best option for your situation.

Over the last few years real estate values increased dramatically and people used their home’s increased value as an excuse to upgrade their lifestyle by borrowing money they couldn’t afford to pay back. A vacation or a new car is not a good reason to borrow against your house. 

Used correctly, a HELOC is a great financial tool. Used incorrectly, and you could be betting the house.

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial

This was my situation: My wife and I finished our basement last year. When we hired the contractors to do the electrical and plumbing work, we filed for a permit with the county to keep everything legal. After the work passed inspection we received a copy of our new property tax assessment with the full cost of the basement remodeling added to our home’s assessed value. That was to be expected, but I was shocked to see how high the county assessed our home. The county valued our house at more than $30,000 above the cost of the home improvement and the amount the house was purchased for the year before!

We looked into the matter further and our house was listed as having more square footage and 1 more bedroom than it has. Based on the assessed value, what we thought our house was worth, and how much our neighbors houses were assessed for, we decided to challenge our taxes. In the end, we won our challenge, and saved almost $60 per month, or about $700 per year! You can read more about our tax challenge here.

Here is a general guide for how to appeal your property taxes:

Know your home’s market value. The housing market in the US has changed drastically the last few years. After record growth in many markets throughout the US, many of those same markets have softened or even diminished in value. This can be especially problematic if your area only reassesses property values every two or three years and you got hit at the top of the bubble. If you are considering an appeal, you should know what your house is worth in relation to your tax assessment.

Verify your home’s information on record. Our house was listed as having an additional bedroom and being several hundred square feet larger than it actually is. You will want to ensure all the information the county has for your house is accurate. Most counties have a website where this information is readily available. If the information is inaccurate, you could have a case for reassessment.

Research neighboring properties. You need to know whether your house is appraised fairly or not. Most counties have web sites that provide property information including purchase price, property taxes, number of bedrooms, square footage, home improvements, total land, and other information concerning the property. Use this information concerning your house and your neighbors’ houses as the first step toward deciding if you have a case or not.

Save Our Home laws. Some states have laws that limit the amount that property taxes can be raised for someone who already owns their house, and the taxes are not brought up to market value until the house is sold. These laws are designed to keep people from being priced out of their home because they cannot afford the continual increases in property taxes.

For example, your neighbors bought their house 20 years ago for $100,000. The house is now worth $250,000, but their property tax increases were limited to a 3% increase per year. In effect, they are paying taxes at a lower level than a $250,000 house. If you buy a comparable house next to theirs, the tax value of the house you buy will be “reset” to the current market value, and you will be assessed for the full $250,000 at the time you buy it. But once you are in, your property tax increases will also be capped at 3%. It is tough to compare tax rates in these states because you can have 2 houses with the same market value with property tax rates of $2,000 and $5,000.

To challenge or not to challenge? If there is a difference between the market value and the assessment value of your home, you need to decide whether or not you want to challenge your taxes. If the difference is only a few thousand dollars, it may not be worth the hassle. However, if the difference is large, it is almost always worth the effort of challenging your taxes. You should be able to determine how much the difference in your tax bill would be by contacting the county auditor’s office.

Keep in mind that sometimes your house may be assessed at less than market value. There may be reasons for this - you may live in a county that does this purposely to give all tax payers a break, or your taxes may not have been adjusted recently. If it is the latter, be prepared for a tax hike the next time taxes are reassessed!

Challenge your taxes. If you decide to proceed, contact your county auditor’s office for instructions. Some counties will do a reassessment based on a telephone or e-mail request, but others require a formal appeal. This usually involves filling out a special form, and sometimes appealing before a board. These actions should increase you chances of a successful property tax challenge:

• Research and gather information. Determine the market value for your house and the tax assessment value. You should also gather information on your neighbors’ houses to determine if you are paying a similar level.
• Be organized. Now that you have your data, organize it. Many counties limit you to one challenge per tax cycle (unless there are major changes to your property), so take the time to do this correctly.
• Present your case. Highlight any errors in the country records, discrepancies between the market value and assessed value, or the value of your house and your neighbors’ houses.
• Be nice. You are appealing your taxes to people who have the power to grant your request for lower taxes, or stick you with higher taxes for the duration of the assessment cycle, which may last a few more years. Remember, the county auditors and tax assessors are probably dealing with many people in a similar situation to yours. Being nice will not only leave a favorable impression with them, it is the right thing to do.

These steps will not guarantee you success when challenging your property tax assessment, but following them will increase your chances of getting your request approved. Good luck, and I hope you win your challenge!

photo credit: ctoocheck.

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial

I also ate out pretty much every meal, and not counting the chain restaurants, meals were about $1-3 cheaper on average. Again, not a whole lot of money per sitting, but it can make a large difference over the course of a year (depending on how often one eats out).

I only went into one grocery store, and that was only to buy a few items for my hotel room. It really wasn’t enough to make a complete comparison, but when I went shopping at our local Kroger yesterday, I compared prices. The few items I purchased in GA were a little cheaper there.

I also had the opportunity to visit the house of a business associate in GA. It was a beautiful house that would cost at least $100,000 more in a comparable area where we live. It can be difficult to compare house prices in different states and areas, but based on the house hunting my wife and I have been doing lately, there is no way we can afford a similar house here. But we would be able to afford it down there (assuming our salary levels remain the same).

These are just a few observations, and is by no means a scientific comparison. Mostly, I think the differences in gas and food prices are because taxes and labor or lower in the South. I think houses are cheaper because land and labor are cheaper. For the most part, people also earn less in those areas, so I’m sure it evens out in the long run.

I remember visiting my brother in San Diego last year, and a trip to NY City the year before. Those places are great places to live, but they are pretty darn expensive too! I guess I’ll be satisfied to live somewhere right in the middle.

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial

You will not pay fees for: Bank of America will not charge for applications, appraisals, loan originations, title insurance, or flood certifications. BoA has also announced they will not charge for PMI, which is often required for borrowers who put less than a 20 percent down-payment of the house’s purchase price.

You will pay fees for: Refinancing is not covered under their new program and borrowers are still responsible for transfer taxes, recording fees, their own title insurance (which is not always necessary!) and legal fees, among other charges.

Other perks: To remain competitive with their rates, Bank of America will also pay $250 to people who obtain mortgage approvals but close with other lenders. BoA also guarantees the loans will close within 25 days unless the customer requests more time or there are extenuating circumstances.

Why are they doing this when no one else is? Bank of America is the nation’s 2nd largest bank, and it seems as though they are making moves to take over the top spot. This is the latest in a series of moves that is intended to shake up the industry, and more importantly, bring lasting customers to BoA.

Concerning this most recent deal, Floyd Robinson, the president of BoA’s home loan business said, “We’ve found that when a customer has a mortgage with the bank, he typically buys five other products, so it’s a great way to build a relationship.”

In other industry shaking moves, last October, Bank of America began a program that allows investors to make up to 30 free online stock trades a month when they have at least $25,000 in various deposit accounts within the bank.

If you are in the market for a new home, it can’t hurt to at least look at Bank of America as an option. It might even save you a couple thousand dollars.

Source: CNN Money

~

Featured Information

Buying a home is made easier with the list of mortgages found at Thrifty Mortgages. Here you can compare over 8000 mortgage options online.

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial

Based on this calculator, Future Value of a Dollar Calculator, that represents an annual inflation rate just over a 12% . Starting… now. The last time we had inflation rates that high, Reagan was in office and my brother was in diapers. 1990 was the last year inflation rates hit even 5%. {For some fun calculations with historical inflation rates, go the an inflation calculator which calculates inflation rates from 1800-2006, based on the Consumer Price Index.)

So why does R. Kiyosaki make this statement? Well, for one, he is a doomsday sensationalist. He says these things to get his audience’s attention. But, in the article Think Rich to Lower Your Taxes, Kiyosaki aims to point out that many people pay more in taxes today than they need to. He points out that with certain real estate transactions you can use a 1031 tax-deferred exchange to legally defer all taxes on your capital gains. There are certain other investments with similar means of deferring taxes.

Kiyosaki is a smart man and has made a ton of money through his books, real estate, speaking engagements and seminars, and his educational games and programs. But you also have to realize he is always a salesman and sensationalist. Read his articles, or his books (I personally gained a lot from Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It changed the way I viewed many things). But when you read his books look for the information that applies to you and to your situation. Not everything he says is 100% applicable to YOUR situation, and that’s what matters to you.

I do like some investment advice he provides: Look for investments that put money into your pocket today - positive cash flow. Residual cash flow with minimal input is even better (such as renting out a house or apartment units). If you can rent a house for more than the monthly mortgage payment, that would qualify for positive cash flow.

In the end, you shouldn’t believe everything that that Robert Kiyosaki, or Donald Trump or anyone else says. Read their words, listen to them speak, then apply the golden bits of their wisdom that apply to your situation. After all, it is your money!

Fun Fact of the Day: Kiyosaki touts gold and other precious metals as investments, and has long been vocal against the dollar as a currency and stocks as long term investments. Did you know he owns gold and silver mines?

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial

That free CD recently came in. It is titled Trump University: Learning From Your Mistakes. It is a ‘free’ advertisement for his course, Wealth Builder’s Blueprint, and features 24 minutes of “unscripted and unrehearsed” quotes from Donald himself. Is it worthwhile? Well, it was free

Is the purchasing the course material worthwhile? That depends.

The CD had a lot of basic quotes and info on it.

• “You will be more successful doing things you enjoy.”
• “It is better to learn from other’s mistakes vs. making your own. It is a lot cheaper to learn from other people’s mistakes.”
• “You can never, ever give up.”

Some of the things I did like about his observations:

• “You can learn more from your losses than from your victories. When you have a victory, everything seems easy.” I like this because I have noticed similar things before. We all need a good challenge and we can’t all be successful all the time.
  
• “Business is survival and learning and hard knocks and learning things the hard way. The beauty of learning things the hard way is you never forget it. If you learn it the easy way, I’m not sure you really learned anything.” This blatantly contradicts several other statements he makes throughout the ‘unscripted and unrehearsed’ CD. But I think this statement has some validity. You always remember things you learned the hard way. (But I would rather learn from other’s mistakes!)

Trump University offers course in the main categories of Real Estate, Entrepreneurship, Management, and Wealth Creation. Personally, I thought a lot of the courses looked as though they were designed from a standard business school curriculum.

Overall, I think the CD was OK to listen to, but in no way made me want to go out and purchase any of his course material. The CD they sent out (even though it was free) had a lot of contradictions beyond what I mentioned, had no direction, and had a lot of self serving statements (it is Donald Trump we are talking about)

I would like to highlight one other comment The Donald mentioned in the CD.

• “A great brand is something that people can have confidence in. Like the Trump brand. I can have the same building in the same location, but because of my brand, I can command 30-40% more.”

Or, in my words… I can put something on the Internet just like anyone else, and because of my brand, I can command 30-40% more.

~/~

• $50-100 - Credit Card Bonuses (credit card sign up bonus money)
• $50 - TradeKing Bonus (details)
• $25 - ING Referral Bonus ($25 ING Referral)
• $10 - Ebates On-line savings! (Save money with Ebates)
• Blockbuster Total Access free trial
• Netflix free trial