by Brice Hogan Many consumers are hurting under the current financial situation. With rising gas prices and food prices it is starting to really eat into peoples budgets. I was watching a news report the other day that reported it has gotten so bad in the upper Midwest that they are turning off power to family’s homes because they can’t afford the payment. Scary as that seems this trend looks like it will continue for near future, some say longer but we’ll see what happens. People generally have the sky […]

By John Packard Between the gas pump and the grocery checkout, Americans have plenty of reasons to list inflation as Economic Enemy No. 1. Is inflation really that bad? The government has been very effective in manipulationg the numbers. They have an incentive to do so. If inflation is kept artificially low, there is less of a strain on government subsidy payments to the masses. In other words, social security cost of living increases are much smaller and more acceptable. Why would they every want to pay a cost of […]

By John Packard I’ll admidt. I am rather a bear these days. I cannot say that I have not been accused fo being a doom and gloomer by my peers. Things are happening right now that are unprecedented in our country’s history. The good thing is that American’s are perennially optimistic. This has gotten us through tough times in the past, and hopefully in the future. There are some interesting statistics which have come out which should be the sound of alarm bells: On Wednesday, an annual survey of Americans […]

BYy Brice Hogan Financial Resource Advisor You are turning 50 and you realize that everything you have done to save for retirement (or not done) is about to come due. Looking at your banking account it doesn’t look promising. In fact it is down right depressing. Your retirement accounts resembles Al Capone’s secret vault, empty and lots of cob webs. . Of course during your working years you had promised yourself that you would diligently put money into your company sponsored plan or open an IRA with Fidelity. Instead life […]