JAE Brokerage

MA Hot Deals is now on your Mobile App.

2011-06-13T08:26:00.005-04:00

Missing out on the MA Mobile app? Find it here for FREE in the iTunes store, and on your Android!

MA's "Hot Deals" feature has gone mobile! For details on how to use this, and many other features on your Mobile Device, visit the Market America YouTube page. Feeling
lazy? - Just click here to see videos in less than two clicks that tell you how this works on your Android or iPhone.

Ready for Summer? Be sure with the TLS Three Week Slimdown!

2011-05-22T08:15:00.001-04:00

Trim your waist three to five inches with the Transitions 3-Week Challenge! Just follow the three steps and you’ll be slim and trim in no time. First, our Transitions Tonalin CLA weight loss supplement targets stubborn belly fat and works to maintain lean muscle tissue. Second, the quick and easy exercises provided will help tighten your core muscles and burn calories. Third, Transitions On the Go Shakes offer a delicious meal replacement – and we’ve even given you more than a dozen recipes to shake thing up! So whittle your middle today with the Transitions 3-Week Challenge!

The End of Medicare Advantage? JAE Insurance Explains the Details

2010-10-10T02:52:00.003-04:00

JAE Brokerage has long enjoyed the benefits of working with clients in the Insurance Industry. With the dawn of Insurance Reform coming upon us, be sure that you are aware of your new election periods, as contained in this article by Heather Trease for Agents Sales Journal.

Some major changes are coming to the Medicare Advantage program, thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

These changes, which include a shorter selling season, plan adjustments, and cuts to physician and plan reimbursements, mean that soon, selling Medicare Advantage could be a lot more difficult for many agents. So is it time to throw in the towel? Or is this merely another blip on the radar of a rapidly evolving insurance industry?

The Changes |

According to Chuck Moore, chief financial officer of the Premier Agent Group brokerage, the biggest change is that the Medicare selling season will be shorter than usual. This fall, the selling season will only run from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31 (during the annual election period); in the past, there were an additional three months at the beginning of the year during which beneficiaries were able to make one more change (the open enrollment period, or OEP). In 2011, the annual election period will last from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.

“What agents are going to have to do,” said Moore, “is make very good use of their time and spend very long hours if they want to see the same number of people they’d normally see during an OEP. They’ll have a very narrow 45-day window in which to see all of their clients and prospects and finalize their plans.”

Rusty Rice, president of the Texas Association of Health Underwriters, is concerned about the trickle-down effect that reduced doctor reimbursements will have on Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.

“Physicians will start exiting Medicare Advantage at a huge rate,” said Rice. “Here in Texas, in the last two years, 300 physicians have exited the program. Fifty have exited in the first half of 2010 alone. Physicians just can’t be profitable at the new rates.”

And if a client’s favorite doctor stops taking MA — or worse still, if no doctor in their area accepts the plan — the client will want to explore their options.

Furthermore, beginning in 2012, carrier reimbursements will be restructured and made uniform to bring payments closer to the average county-by-county costs of Medicare beneficiaries,. Reimbursements will gradually be reduced to levels closer to the costs of enrollees in traditional Medicare in each county, with lower reimbursements in counties with higher fee-for-service Medicare costs, and higher reimbursements in counties with lower fee-for-service costs.

This means that carriers will be even more selective about where they market their products. Additionally, plans that perform well on certain quality measures will receive modest bonuses, which will be used, in part, to provide richer benefits. To compare plan ratings, visit the Medicare Plan Finder; plans that receive higher than 3.5 stars will be rewarded.

For a quick look at the Medicare changes contained within PPACA, see "Medicare Reform: The Next 4 Years."

Holiday Season: Prepare Now, Profit Later

2010-10-04T11:39:00.000-04:00

Here at JAE Brokerage, we're gearing up for the holidays with a marketing plan that will carry us through January, and we're pretty excited to share some tips with you, courtesy of Network Solutions.

If you're a small business owner, odds are you've already started thinking about the upcoming holiday season. It may still be summer, but the perfect time to prepare your business for the holiday rush is right now. By starting early, you can increase your chances of profiting later.

Summer is the perfect time to begin planning your business's holiday-season strategy. Since most shoppers usually wait until November to make the bulk of their holiday purchases, you still have time to research, plan, and prepare your business for a successful holiday rush.

So what should you start doing in August? Here are a few suggestions:

*Determine your target audience. August is the perfect month to figure out who your potential customers will be. Take a look at who your current customers are, and who your customers were during previous holiday seasons. By using this information, you can adjust your advertising and marketing campaigns to better appeal to your projected audience.

*Determine what your best-selling products will be. First, take a look at your inventory. Your current best-sellers could very well maintain this status during the holiday season, so promote them. If you have any new products that look promising, promote them as well. If your customers keep asking if you carry Product X, then by all means start stocking and promoting Product X.

Next, do a little research. Ask your customers, friends, and family what kind of gifts they're going to look for this holiday season. Browse the Internet for products that are starting to garner a lot of buzz, look up the current gift-giving trends, and look for articles that predict trends for the holiday season. Compare these results with your targeted customer demographic: If you have the products they're going to want, then promote them; if you don't have them, get them and start promoting.

*Increase your customer reach. If your business doesn't have a social media presence, now is the perfect time to get involved. Most social media outlets are free-Twitter^TM, Facebook®,MySpace®, and LinkedIn® are all 100% free services that are actually effective. Once you join these sites, you can start conversations with potential customers and keep them updated on your store's new products, sales, promotions, and so forth. You can also use these sites to research product trends, as discussed above.

*Cater to pre-shoppers. Although a lot of shoppers wait to actually purchase gifts until later in the fall, their research begins much sooner than that. With the economy in its current state, consumers want to be sure that they are spending their money wisely. They want to feel confident that the products they purchase are both high in quality and worth their cost, so they turn to the Internet for gift ideas, product reviews, and price comparisons.

If your business has a website or an ecommerce store, you can include SEO-friendly content that appeals to your target audience. Do a little keyword research, and include relevant keywords in your product descriptions and site content. Offer shopping advice, promote hot products, and include a ‘related items' list for each product in your inventory. By making more of your products visible, you're exposing your customers to more possible gift ideas. This can result in more sales for your store.

If you own a brick-and-mortar store, find a way to feature promising products. This can be done via an email newsletter, through in-store ads, on your business' website, or through product recommendations by in-store sales associates. Never underestimate the power of persuasion: If your customers feel that you are truly passionate about Product X, they will be more likely to consider purchasing Product X.

*Adjust your budget. The holiday season is not the time to skimp on spending. Think about all the costs that could-and probably will-go up: shipping costs will rise; you may need to keep your business open for longer hours, resulting in more pay to your employees; you may need to hire extra staff to keep up with order demand; and it is critical to boost your advertising efforts during the holidays. As the old adage goes, "You need to spend money to make money." By preparing your business for an increase in costs, you're also improving your chances for an increase in revenue.

*Plan your promotions. Since August is a little early to start running holiday shopping promotions, use this month to plan them. First make a list of promotions that will work for your store. Some popular promotions include free shipping offers, ‘spend more, save more' deals, percentage-off sales, and ‘deal-of-the-week' promotions. After you decide which promotions you'd like to utilize, figure out when you're going to implement them, and determine how you're going to market these promotions. Include your promotions everywhere you can-on your website, via email newsletters, in newspaper advertisements, through customer mail, via your Facebook® page and other social media outlets, and so on. If your customers are not aware of your promotions, your business will not benefit from them.

The holidays can be stressful for everyone, especially retailers. With so much potential profit on the line, it's best to start thinking about the holiday season while it's still months away. Preparing your small business for a successful, profitable holiday season doesn't have to be hard-think ahead, start planning, and get ready to profit!

Social Media and Your Business ='s Harmony For Sure!

2010-09-21T14:28:00.003-04:00

JAE Brokerage recently celebrated a massive overhaul of it's look and feel, as well as its site functionality. This update was launched to accompany the official upgrade of YAFCA.org, as it is a JAE Brokerage project. Recently, one of the improvements to the JAE Brokerage site was the addition of a "Like" option for Facebook, and added Twitter page, and a full layout (find it in the header menu) for our Facebook page. Please enjoy this post from Social Media Today's Adrian Swinscoe entitled "16 Lessons On Using Social Media For Business."

It's been over 6 months now since I started this blog with the aim of sharing a few ideas, developing my own book content and learning about the social web. As a result, I've learnt a few things along the way that I wanted to share with you so that you can apply them to your business if you are using social media or are thinking about using social media in your business.

Here are the 16 lessons that I've learned so far:

Define your goals to keep you on track — this all has to have a purpose otherwise how will you know what you are doing, where you are going, what you are creating and how you are getting on.
We can be everywhere — the internet opens up potential markets across the globe and, so, thinking globally will help you expand your reach. Don't be limited by geography.
The internet has a long memory and is an echo chamber — Be careful what you say and how you act as the internet has a long memory as everything gets archived
It doesn't have to be expensive — most of the social tools on the internet, at their basic level, are free.
Don't try and be everywhere — reflecting on lesson 2 can mean that we get over-stretched. So, pick what fits and works for you.
Be helpful and contribute to others — be social, comment and help. If you write a blog…offer to write (guest post) for someone else
SEO is important but great content is more important — this is a bit of an art/science that I have not mastered. It is important but don't spend too much time crafting SEO-optimised content. Concentrate on generating good content first and foremost
This use up a lot of time — limit yourself to a set amount of time/activity to make sure that it doesn't take over your time.
Get to know and learn from the players in your niche — this is all about leverage. If you can get to know them that's great and they can be a great help. But, realise they are busy people too and always be respectful. Reading and commenting on their stuff is a great start.
Spamming your readers = no traffic — be social and act social. You wouldn't/don't sell to your friends, do you?
Not everyone is going to like you — there is so much truth in the variation of the old saying ‘You can please all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot please all the people all the time'
Do a little often — social media takes commitment and so doing a little often is a better way of getting results rather than showing up on an infrequent basis. Remember: if you only show up some of the time what does that say to your readers or followers
Find the niche forums for your interest or business — forums are places where people with niche interests gather. Find one that applies to you and get involved answering and posting questions.
It takes time, persistence, consistency and commitment to generate results - relationships, trust and credibility are not built overnight so be patient. However, don't forget to measure your progress to see how you are doing. If not on track then do something about it.
Anyone can do it, but NOT everyone ‘does' it - It will make sense for many businesses to have a social media presence and many businesses are talking about it. However, there is a lot of talk and your competitive advantage may come from actually doing something rather than just talking about it. Only, if it makes sense for your business.
Pick and keep refining your niche — Your niche will not always be what you think it is so keep think about your target market and refine your content accordingly. Alternatively, listen to your readers/customers and let them tell you what your niche is or is becoming.

These things I have not learnt in isolation but have learnt from a number of people. These include Chris Brogan,Seth Godin, John Jantsch, Darren Rowse and Brian Clark. Thank you to all of them for helping me on my journey.

What lessons have you learned?

Announcing the NEW YAFCA.org

2010-09-18T05:10:00.004-04:00

JAE Brokerage is proud to announce the near completion of our Non-Profit project "YAFCA.org."

Please join us in celebrating, as the site represents a springboard for many more great things to come for YAFCA, and JAE Brokerage.

JAE Brokerage is now "MAOneSource" at Market America!

2010-02-20T00:20:00.000-05:00

New Name, Same Great Service!

Amazon shares close at record high

2009-10-31T05:50:00.002-04:00

Amazon shares close at record high

The online retailer's stock finishes up nearly 30% as investors see the company becoming a powerhouse of the post-recession economy.

EMAIL | PRINT | SHARE | RSS

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Shares of Amazon.com surged to an all-time high Friday as investors bet that the online retailer would dominate e-commerce as shell-shocked consumers gradually begin spending again.

The rally came one day after Amazon reported a 69% surge in third-quarter profit, led by strong sales of the Kindle e-reader and other electronics and general merchandise.

The Seattle-based company's stock closed up 27%, to 118.49, shattering the previous high of $106.68 from December 1999.

"[Amazon] held up better than overall e-commerce and retail during the downturn and it appears to be one of the first to be spring-boarding out of it," said Frederick Moran, an analyst who follows the company for The Benchmark Company.

Moran said Amazon drew price-wary consumers away from online competitors and traditional retailers as the recession forced many households to cut back on expenses. Now that consumer spending appears to be gradually recovering, "the rate of growth at Amazon looks truly stunning," he said.

Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) said Thursday that sales climbed 28% to $5.45 billion in the third quarter, beating analysts' expectations for an 18% rise to $5.03 billion.

Sales of electronics and other general merchandise, which represent 43% of Amazon's revenue mix, grew 51% in North America and 48% internationally.

Looking ahead, Amazon said it expects fourth-quarter sales to range between $8.12 billion and $9.12 billion, or to grow between 21% and 36% compared with fourth quarter 2008.

Amazon could sustain a 25% growth rate through next year, according to Moran. "Amazon has very uniquely stood out above the retail crowd," he said.

First Published: October 23, 2009: 12:22 PM ET

Buy now, pay later losing appeal for U.S. consumers

2008-11-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

By Emily Kaiser

WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - By choice or by force, more U.S. consumers are putting away their credit cards as the financial crisis reshapes attitudes toward spending and debt.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc noticed that customers were pulling out the plastic less and less this year as the financial turmoil intensified. The world's biggest retailer said the portion of transactions using credit cards was falling after three consecutive years of double-digit gains.

"Customers have maxed out on their credit limits," Eduardo Castro-Wright, the head of Wal-Mart's U.S. stores, said at a recent conference. "They can't use (credit cards) more."

A survey on U.S. holiday shopping intentions, conducted for Reuters by America's Research Group, found that 60 percent of shoppers plan to use credit cards less this year to buy gifts. Some of that reflects efforts by banks to clamp down on credit lines, but it is also a symptom of rising anxiety among consumers worried about how to survive a recession.

By definition, credit lets consumers smooth out their spending by borrowing against future income. When confidence is running high, appetite for debt increases, and when the mood turns pessimistic, demand for credit dives.

The latest borrowing binge was likely exaggerated because it coincided with the housing bubble. Rising real estate values fostered a sense of economic security that is now deflating faster than home prices.

BACK TO BASICS

"The consumer has completely lost confidence in the future," said Richard Hastings, consumer strategist at Global Hunter Securities LLC. "They don't want to make long-term financial commitments."

First, consumers cut spending on homes, which usually come with a 30-year commitment otherwise known as a mortgage. Then came cars, typically financed over five years or so.

Now the pullback is spreading to all but essential goods.

In October, for instance, U.S. retailers' sales fell a record 2.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted $363.7 billion -- the largest drop since this series began in 1992, the Commerce Department said. In comparison, September's U.S. retail sales slipped a revised 1.3 percent.

That's ominous for the economy at home and abroad. The American consumer's spending accounts for two-thirds of U.S. economic growth and has been one of the most reliable engines of world growth for the past decade. So when the U.S. consumer puts the wallet away, it reverberates around the world.

Not only are American retailers hurting, but U.S. data released on Thursday showed that both imports and exports fell sharply in September. The World Bank thinks global trade will drop next year for the first time since 1982.

A MOUNTAIN OF DEBT

U.S. households have accumulated an additional $8 trillion in debt since 1998, bringing the grand total to $14 trillion, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Federal Reserve. As banks grow wary of extending more credit, that may prove to be the high-water mark for many years to come.

While much of that pile of debt is made up of mortgages, credit card usage also jumped toward the tail end of the housing boom. Now it is slowing. JPMorgan economist Joseph Lupton expects consumer credit to contract by 8 percent in the coming year.

That will hit lower-income consumers particularly hard.

"In light of the weak labor market as well as falling share and home prices, the credit card is for many households the only chance to maintain current consumption," said Harm Bandholz, an economist with UniCredit in New York.

Among the 20 percent of households with the lowest income, credit card debt equals about a quarter of income, he said. For the wealthiest quintile, it is around 3.5 percent.

The delinquency rate on credit cards rose to 4.9 percent in the second quarter of this year, according to Federal Reserve data, the highest since the first quarter of 2002 when the economy was recovering from the last recession.

The percentage of credit card debt that banks have written off is even higher at 5.47 percent, and that figure will likely rise in the coming quarters. Deutsche Bank analysts said charge-offs were up more than 50 percent last month at six of the 11 credit card issuers that they survey.

IN NO MOOD TO SHOP

Private consumption fell in the third quarter that ended in September, and economists think it will drop again in the current period and in the first quarter of 2009. It would mark the first time since quarterly statistics began in 1947 that consumption fell for three straight quarters.

That is precisely what the U.S. government is trying to avoid. The Treasury wants to use some of its $700 billion rescue fund to guarantee consumer lending in the hope that doing so will get money flowing again.

It may not be enough because even those with plenty of credit appear to be curbing their spending.

In the 2001 recession, consumer spending remained positive even as the economy contracted. The current episode has taken a much heavier toll on confidence across a wider swathe of the population.

Luxury retailers that are normally deemed recession resilient are hurting badly, as evidenced by weak sales at chains such as Saks Inc.

Simply put, shopping does not feel good right now, with or without easy credit.

"It's no longer cool to display ostentatious spending habits when those around you are losing their jobs and homes," said Darrell Rigby, head of the global retail practice at consulting firm Bain & Co. (Additional reporting by Brad Dorfman in Chicago and Nicole Maestri in New York; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Some advice from Renovation101.com

2008-09-23T02:27:00.001-04:00

Top Home Remodeling Tips

1)Here's a home remodeling organization tip: If you are being your own General Contractor, keep an expandable folder (“redwell”) with individual folders inside for each trade. For example, I have an expandable folder for each house that I’m working on, and inside are manila folders labeled “Plumbing”, “Electricity”, "Tile", etc.

2)Local building codes require a certain number of electrical outlets in a room. However, some electricians will slap the receptacles into the walls in an unattractive configuration when you consider where the phone and cable jacks are going. Tell your electrician exactly where you want the outlets and jacks to be (and how high you want them as well). This is especially true if you have an idea where you want your furniture to go and you want to hide the outlets and jacks behind the furniture.

3)Here's one of my favorite home remodeling tips that's easy to forget: Be sure that your painter saves you some paint in the cans for touch-ups and duplication later.

4)Before the plumber (or any contractor, for that matter) digs into the ground, you need to call your local utility locator service to come out and mark the underground utilities. This will prevent your contractor from accidentally digging into and damaging the existing services. If you neglect to have the utilities marked, you could face very large repair bills that the utility companies will require you to pay.

5)One of the classic home remodeling tips is to maximize resale value by spending your money "where the water is". This means kitchens and bathrooms. Also, having a good trim carpenter install fine crown molding, etc. can really dress up your house.

Market America Creating the Economy of the Future at International Convention

2008-08-06T16:11:00.010-04:00

Partnerships with Google, Kimora Lee Simmons, Alejandro Sanz, and Paulina Rubio among the announcements to be made at annual event

GREENSBORO, N.C. (July 30, 2008) — As gas prices climb, the value of homes fall, and stocks plummet, online retailing continues to see a surge in growth, as evidenced by data from the U.S. Census Bureau that online sales rose 19 percent and topped $136 billion in 2007.

Greensboro based Market America, an Internet Marketing and Product Brokerage Company, will hold its annual International Convention Aug 7-9 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex to a sold out crowd of over 25,000 to detail how the company is leveraging the Internet to ensure its over 180,000 Distributors are in position to take advantage of the growth of online retailing.

Throughout the three day event, Market America executives and industry leaders will document how Market America is investing in Internet technology to create the ultimate online destination. Representatives from Google will be on hand to discuss their partnership with Market America and the grouping of over 50 million products on marketamerica.com. Market America’s website, which will soon be powered by Google, represents the largest categorization of online product search that the search engine giant has undertaken.

Market America is partnering with some of the world’s hottest stars such as Kimora Lee Simmons, Alejandro Sanz and Paulina Rubio to continue developing quality, top of the line products and to change the face of the music industry. “Market America will be to the music industry what Amazon.com was to books,” predicted JR Ridinger, president and CEO of Market America.

Simmons, former model turned business mogul, will present her new Fabulosity Bath and Body Line available exclusively through marketamerica.com. The product launch consists of a sugar body scrub, body butter, lavish firming lotion, and silky cleanser. In February, Market America and Simmons launched a Fabulosity Cosmetics line that sold out within weeks of its release.

Sanz, a 16-time Grammy award winning artist, and Rubio, who has recorded 12 number-one hit singles, will be announced as the first two artists to sign on with MA My World, an entertainment website that will allow visitors to purchase CD’s and products associated with their favorite artists, buy concert tickets for upcoming shows, download music, and will be a platform for interaction between fans and their favorite artists.

Other partnerships and services being highlighted include comparison product shopping, customer reviews, a universal shopping cart, product videos and demonstrations, and the launch of Market America’s new social networking site, MA Chatterbox.

-MORE-

Market America will also unveil a number of new products, including a line of multivitamins geared towards children who need neurological, metabolic and digestive support, a new line of Motives^®cosmetics, called “Gossip,” Heart Health™ Citrus CoQ10 which is a natural citrus-flavored chewable tablet that provides antioxidant protection for the cardiovascular system, and a number of new products for Market America’s Transitions Lifestyle System^®. In all, there are over 100 new products being launched in product categories ranging from telecommunications, website sales, health and nutrition, weight management, pet care, and auto care. On Sunday August 10, Distributors will have the opportunity to see the products and demonstrations first hand at a tradeshow held at the special events center at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

The three day event will culminate with Ridinger’s final address on Saturday August 9. Ridinger will tie in how the new product releases, services, partnerships, and investments in Internet technology will help each Distributor maximize their Internet based business. Ridinger will detail how Market America is in the perfect position to sell and market the products of traditional brick and mortar stores that are transitioning to the Internet by giving them access to 180,000 entrepreneurs who are selling to over 6 million customers on marketamerica.com. With multiple partner stores being added daily, retail leaders such as Barnes & Noble, Bloomingdales, and Best Buy have all seen the advantages that Market America’s One-to-One marketing plan offers to their bottom lines.

2008 marks the 16th consecutive year Market America has held its annual Convention in Greensboro. The convention provides Market America Distributors from across the world with business and product training, product demonstrations, and advice and leadership from the company’s executive team, field leaders and industry experts. Previously the event has drawn funds in excess of $20 million for the city of Greensboro, making it the top event in the city in terms of attendance-based revenue.

About Market America, Inc.

Market America is a product brokerage and Internet marketing company that specializes in One-One-Marketing. With more than three million customers and 160,000 Distributors worldwide, the company has generated over $2.4 billion in accumulated retail sales. Headquartered in Greensboro, NC — the company was founded by James Ridinger in 1992 and employs over 500 people globally with international operations in the United States, Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia. Through its revolutionary One-to-One Marketing concept, Market America combines the Internet with the power of people — creating the ultimate online shopping destination. More information is available at marketamerica.com.

'People Are ... Worried,' Bernanke Acknowledges

2008-07-17T10:16:00.003-04:00

'People Are ... Worried,' Bernanke Acknowledges

U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke waits to speak at Harvard senior class day in Cambridge, Massachusetts June 4, 2008. Bernanke told Congress Tuesday the fragile economy is facing "numerous difficulties" despite the Fed's aggressive interest rate reductions and other fortifying steps.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Source: USA TODAY
Publication date: 2008-07-16

By Sue Kirchhoff

WASHINGTON -- A slowing economy and rapid inflation are presenting significant challenges to Federal Reserve policymakers, Chairman Ben Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday.

Bernanke, presenting the Fed's twice-annual report to Congress, predicted the economy would grow through the rest of year, albeit at a weak level.

But he acknowledged that is cold comfort for consumers.

"Whether it's a technical recession or not ... the combination of declining wealth, a weak job market, rising food and energy prices, foreclosures, tight credit, all those things are putting tremendous pressure on families and ... explains why consumer sentiment is very low," Bernanke said. "People are very worried.

Still the Fed chairman said he wasn't ready to recommend that Congress pass what would be a second economic stimulus bill this year. In February Congress and the White House quickly reached agreement on a $191 billion stimulus package that included tax rebate checks for about 136 million Americans.

Democrats have been considering a host of new proposals to boost the economy, including public works projects. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Tuesday after meeting with economists that Democrats may try to approve a second round of tax rebates.

The Fed may have reached a limit in what it can do by adjusting monetary policy, at least for now. After cutting interest rates aggressively for nearly a year, the Fed voted on June 25 to hold a key rate at 2%, citing inflation risks.

"The possibility of higher energy prices, tighter credit conditions, and a still-deeper contraction in housing markets all represent significant downside risks," Bernanke said. "Rising prices of energy and some other commodities have led to a sharp pickup in inflation."

Bernanke gave no clue as to future interest rate policy, saying the central bank must closely watch incoming data on both inflation and growth. The Fed is next scheduled to meet on interest rates on Aug. 5.

Bernanke said the depressed housing market is the central economic issue, creating stress in financial markets and affecting consumer wealth. The best move Congress could make would be to approve legislation helping consumers refinance out of troubled mortgages, set a stronger regulator for mortgage giants <Fannie Mae and <Freddie Mac and approve a new Treasury Department plan to bolster the two huge firms, which back half of U.S. mortgages.

"The near-term focus is on stabilizing the financial situation. ... There is not even the slightest hint that the door is open to further" rate cuts, said Stephen Stanley, chief economist at RBS Greenwich Capital.

Lawmakers were generally supportive of Bernanke, though some worried the Fed was expanding powers as it takes emergency actions to grapple with the economy and credit crisis.

"Giving the Fed more power is like giving a neighborhood kid who broke a window playing baseball in the street a bigger bat, and thinking that will fix the problem," said Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky. (c) Copyright 2008 USA TODAY, a division of <Gannett Co. Inc.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc. Publication date: 2008-07-16

© 2008, YellowBrix, Inc.

Companies try to cash in on green trend, but should consumers buy it?**

2008-07-02T09:07:00.006-04:00

KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Chuck Burton, left, and Dustin Riggs, both of Seattle, power two computer stations during the Green Festival in April. The event drew a whopping 30,000 people.

More photos | Most viewed | Purchase photos

By Warren Cornwall

Seattle Times environment reporter

Does anyone want a tree?It's a foot-tall spruce. I'll even throw in the green-checkered, cotton bag it was tucked into, along with the pine cone decorated with a tiny wood chip painted to resemble a little bird.

How, you might wonder, did I wind up with a tree in a box?

Follow the logic of Coinstar, the Bellevue-based coin-counting company that sent it to me:

Copper mining has big environmental impacts. Coins have a lot of copper in them. If you leave those pesky pennies sitting in your sock drawer, someone has to mine more copper to put new pennies into circulation. Thus, taking your change to a Coinstar machine is good for the environment.

And nothing says eco-friendly like mailing a spruce to a newspaper reporter.

Welcome to the green-selling machine.

The idea that sex sells is now sharing space with the fact that green sells. Big time. Corporate America has discovered that it tugs at customers' heartstrings these days. People seem to have a big appetite for all things green.

Sales of organic products have gone from $10 billion in 2003 to more than $16 billion in 2006, and were expected to surpass $20 billion last year, though the numbers are still being tallied. More broadly, products sold as sustainable or healthy — everything from vitamins to wind power — added up to more than $200 billion in the U.S. in 2005, by one estimate.

But it's become a Wild Green West out there.

Legions of marketers are trying to infiltrate your overtaxed eco-consciousness, with pitches ranging from earnest to ridiculous.

The result is customers are growing warier. And now government watchdogs are taking notice. The Federal Trade Commission is looking to update its 1990s-era guides advising companies what environmental claims they can make.

"I think the amount of terminology that has creatively come out of the marketing departments to describe attributes of 'green' rivals the ability to name paint," Michelle Harvey of the Environmental Defense Fund testified at one of the FTC's hearings. "How many ways can you name a green color?"

Trinkets and junkets

As an environment reporter, I get an extra dose from companies hoping to get free advertising.

Next to my desk sits a bag of inducements. A bowl made from a palm leaf. The label says it's "Renewable, Compostable, Elegant."

A green-tinted water bottle from a company that sells replacement parts for toilets: "Save Water, Save Money, Start By Fixing A Leaky Toilet."

A chain of thrift stores just mailed me a used CD from a band I've never heard of, Oleander. The accompanying note says people are going green by buying used stuff.

Some companies go much further.

The Body Shop, purveyor of various beauty products, recently offered to take me on an all-expenses-paid trip to Nicaragua. I would spend a few days touring a "fair-trade" plantation where some of their sesame oil comes from.

Alas, I can't take gifts from people I'm writing about. And my boss isn't about to foot the bill for a junket to Central America.

Getting into your head

Around here, The Hartman Group has been a chief beneficiary of the rise in green marketing. For 19 years, the Bellevue-based marketing-research firm has literally picked through people's pantries and bathroom cabinets, trying to figure out what motivates them to buy eco-friendly products.

In the past, many of its clients were smaller companies, focused on things such as organic food. But recently Hartman's president, Laurie Demeritt, says she's seen more Fortune 500 companies that are convinced that "organic" is no fad.

Demeritt says she has also seen an evolution among consumers. The latest trend is "local" — products either made nearby, or connected to a distinctive place. Like cheese made in some idyllic English village.

"It's not enough to say you're organic if all of your competitors are, too," Demeritt says. "If you really want to stand out at the shelf, you're really going to have to take it to the next level."

Environmentalists welcome genuine corporate efforts to make products more benign — and to let consumers know about it. Even Wal-Mart, reviled by some environmentalists as an engine of wasteful consumerism, has won praise for efforts to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency.

This year, for the first time ever, the venerable Sierra Club endorsed a product — a new line of home-cleaning products from Clorox.

But not everyone with a green label gets kudos. There's a fine line between real environmental efforts and "greenwashing."

Last year, a Philadelphia marketing firm called TerraChoice went to big-box stores and counted no fewer than 1,018 products claiming to have some environmental benefit.

All but one of them committed one of what the company dubbed the "Six Sins of Greenwashing."

The most common was the "sin of the hidden trade-off." For example, a company might bill a computer as "energy-efficient," but doesn't mention things such as toxic metals in the electronics.

Another sin is vagueness. Think how many things you see labeled "All Natural."

"Arsenic is natural," TerraChoice notes. "So are uranium, mercury and formaldehyde."

In April, the FTC had one of its hearings on green marketing and heard about all kinds of catchphrases: carbon neutral, fair trade, compostable, sustainable, renewable, recyclable, organic, natural and biodegradable.

All things eco-chic

In April, a carnival of green consumerism materialized at a downtown Seattle convention hall as the Green Festival — a 7-year-old cross between a trade show and an environmental rally, billed as "parties with a purpose" — made its Northwest debut.

Thirty thousand people showed up.

Most of the companies that came were small, and sincere. The booth for Manitoba Harvest, purveyor of food and oil from hemp, was erected next to Dagoba, which sells organic, fair-trade, sustainable chocolate.

In front of them all, televisions greeted visitors with clips from "Planet Green." That's a new offering from the people who bring you the Discovery Channel. It's 24 hours a day of all things eco-chic.

Through all this hoopla came a prime target, wheeling a stroller. And Holly Sommer, mother of 4-month-old Oliver, looked a little dazed.

Sommer is 30, lives in Seattle's Wedgwood neighborhood, teaches English at Ballard High and doesn't think of herself as an environmentalist. She associates that with people "chaining themselves to trees."

But she describes herself as "environmentally conscious." She can't bring herself to use cloth diapers, because it grosses her out. But she has a twinge of guilt for using disposables. She came to the festival to check out options for residential solar power.

Skepticism, though, has clouded her green vision.

"You don't even know if it's real or not," she said. "Every company is a 'green company.' "

What shade are you?

Marty McDonald spends a lot of time thinking about people like Sommer.

As the founder and creative director of egg, a Seattle marketing firm, his clients have included environmental groups, a renewable-power company, the Seattle Monorail Project, the company that makes Gardenburgers and Nature's Path, a company that makes organic breakfast cereal.

So McDonald is a student of what motivates people to buy environmental products.

Yet counterintuitively, McDonald says that usually means not trying to persuade someone to buy a product because it's better for the Earth. Instead, he tells clients their primary mission is to figure out how to appeal to a customer's self-interest.

Don't say an organic apple is good because it saves the planet. Say it's good because it's more healthful without toxic pesticides.

Don't try to convince Holly Sommer that disposable diapers are evil. Tell her your organic, fair-trade, local, carbon-neutral, biodegradable, reusable ones aren't as messy.

And, for the record, McDonald does not recommend mailing a spruce tree to reporters.

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or wcornwall@seattletimes.com

1)For some tips from JAE Brokerage, and going green, search "wesabe" in the JAE Brokerage search bar.

2)Check with your bank to see if you can have your statements e-mailed or PDF downloaded, instead of in the mail, and save some trees.

3)In reference to "wesabe" and the JAE Brokerage article, they both green the earth(between online PDFs and Wesabe features, it's win-win for both your wallet and Mother Earth!).

Food for thought....

2008-06-05T20:21:00.001-04:00

It's more important to reach
the client who counts...
than to count the clients you reach.

Milton M. Kleinberg

Teeth Gritted, Drivers Adjust to $4 Gasoline

2008-05-25T19:04:00.007-04:00

On Friday, gasoline prices hit a nationwide average of nearly $3.88 a gallon. The
average price of diesel reached $4.65 a gallon. A sign at a gas station in La Jolla,
Calif., reflects why many drivers are cutting back.

By JAD MOUAWAD and MIREYA NAVARRO

Published: May 24, 2008

Hating every minute of it, Americans are slowly learning to live with high gasoline prices. For a nation accustomed to cheap fuel, big vehicles and sprawling suburbs, the adjustments are wrenching.

Many Americans are beginning to changetheir lives in order to cope with rising gas costs. Cory Asmus of Temecula, Calif., bought a motorcycle to commute to work. His gasoline bill has dropped to $8 a week, from $110. Cory Asmus of Temecula, Calif., just bought a $4,800 motorcycle for his 20-mile drive to work so he could cut his gas bill to $8 a week, from $110.

Florian Bialas, a retiree who lives near Chicago, sold his Pontiac Sunfire for $3,000 and plans to give up his license when it expires in September. “I can walk to most places where I need to go,” he said.

And Debbie Gloyd of Cleveland has parked her Chrysler Concorde and started taking the bus to work. “I can’t afford these gas prices,” she said. “They’re insane.”

With the nationwide average price for regular gasoline closing rapidly on $4 a gallon, people are bracing for a summer of expensive driving.

As the Memorial Day holiday starts the summer driving season, record prices are provoking dread and upsetting vacation plans. A recent survey by AAA, the automobile club, found a rare year-on-year decline, of 1 percent, in the number of people planning to travel this summer.

Interviews with more than 70 people across the country suggested that the adjustments they were making, mental and otherwise, would last well beyond the summer. Americans have started trading their gas guzzlers for smaller cars, making fewer trips to the mall and, wherever possible, riding public transportation to work.

For years, it was not clear whether rising prices would ever cause Americans to use less gas. But a combination of record prices, the slowing economy and a tight credit market has beaten consumers down.

Gasoline demand has fallen sharply since the beginning of the year and is headed for the first annual drop in 17 years, according to government estimates.

The Transportation Department reported Friday that in March, Americans drove 11 billion fewer miles than in March 2007, a decline of 4.3 percent. It is the first time since 1979 that traffic has dropped from one March to the next, and the month-on-month percentage decline is the largest since record keeping began in 1942.

High gasoline prices, plastered on 20-foot signs from coast to coast, are turning into a barometer of the country’s mood.

“The psychology has changed,” said Sara Johnson, an economist at Global Insight. “People have recognized that prices are not going down and are adapting to higher energy costs. It’s a capitulation.”

Typically, gasoline sales rise before Memorial Day weekend. But gasoline sales dropped nearly 7 percent last week compared with the same week in 2007, according to an estimate by MasterCard.

Gasoline prices almost always rise in the summer, as demand increases. On Friday, gasoline prices reached yet another record, a nationwide average of nearly $3.88 a gallon. That figure was up 4 cents in one day and is 65 cents higher than this time last year, according to AAA. Diesel hit $4.65 a gallon on Friday, up $1.73 a gallon in a year.

The force behind high gasoline prices is the high price of oil, which is being driven up by soaring worldwide demand. Oil reached a record above $133 a barrel this week, nearly five times as expensive as it was five years ago.

All this has led to a vast transfer of wealth from American drivers to domestic and foreign oil producers. Every one-cent increase in gasoline prices means Americans pay $1.42 billion more a year for gas, according to Stephen P. Brown, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Nearly two-thirds of that goes to foreign producers.

In the first four months of the year, Americans spent $158 billion on gasoline. In 2003, just as oil prices started to take off, they spent $88 billion over the same four-month period, according to Michael McNamara, vice president for MasterCard’s Spending Pulse, an indicator of weekly gasoline sales.

Whether today’s high costs will translate into a permanent change in behavior remains to be seen, of course. The Energy Department expects gasoline sales to fall by 0.6 percent this year, the first drop since 1991, but it expects consumption to rebound in 2009 as the economy strengthens.

Still, analysts said that the hardship induced by today’s prices is getting close to the level reached during the oil shock of the early 1980s.

Americans spend 3.7 percent of their disposable income on transportation fuels. At its lowest point, that share was 1.9 percent in 1998, and at its highest, it reached 4.5 percent in 1981, said Ms. Johnson of Global Insight.

Still, despite the rise in energy prices, gasoline remains cheaper in the United States than in most industrialized countries. In France, for example, a gallon of gasoline costs about $7.70 at today’s exchange rates. Also, Americans pay less to drive a mile today than they did in 1980, once the impact of inflation and gains in fuel efficiency are taken into account, said Lee Schipper, a visiting scholar at the transportation center of the University of California, Berkeley.

Mr. Schipper estimates that the cost of gasoline for each mile traveled will be about 15 cents this year. That is nearly three times the low of 5.6 cents a mile reached in 1998, when fuel efficiency peaked and prices were at their lowest. But it is still cheaper than the record paid in 1980 of 17.1 cents a mile, adjusted for inflation.

The oil shocks of the 1970s and 1980s introduced the nation’s first efforts to curb consumption, including the first fuel efficiency standards and scaled-back speed limits. These had an impact on gasoline demand, which fell each year from 1979 to 1985. But then oil prices collapsed, political pressure evaporated, and many consumers lost interest in small cars.

“This is the wake-up call,” Mr. Schipper said. “We actually have a lot of choices, based on what car we drive, where we live, how much time we choose to drive, and where we choose to go. But you have built in a very strong car dependency. And when the price hits the fan, people have a hard time coping.”

For many people, higher energy costs mean fewer restaurant meals, deferred weekend outings with the family, less air travel and more time closer to home. Big-box retailers are suffering as customers balk at driving to the mall, airlines have slapped on steep fuel surcharges and carmakers have seen their sales slump. On Thursday, the Ford Motor Company announced production cuts because of sharply lower demand for sport utility vehicles and pickups.

In Los Angeles, Ron and Patricia Lowe spend more time at home on weekends, hanging out and barbecuing. They are also more likely to leave their house together now, scheduling fewer car trips and bundling their chores to cut the gas bill.

“If I go to the grocery store, and the mall and pick up some prescription, I do it in one shot,” he said.

As gasoline prices have risen to record highs, consumer confidence, as measured in surveys, has fallen to its lowest level since 1980.

“The whole gas price situation makes me so angry,” says Lissa Nash, 39, a single mother struggling to raise her two sons on a modest nursing assistant’s salary. To make ends meet, she has started working extra shifts at a suburban Chicago hospital, picking up whatever overtime is available.

“Rising gas prices end up hurting working, lower class people like me, who can’t afford it anymore,” Ms. Nash said.

The higher costs ripple through the economy in unusual ways. In Round Lake, Ill. $3 still buys a wriggling tangle of night crawlers in a dirt-filled Styrofoam cup. But Marty Badegian, the 72-year-old owner of the Red Worm Ranch Bait Shop, says he might have to raise prices after his vendor imposed a $5-an-order gas surcharge.

“The gas prices are killing us,” Mr. Badegian said.

In Encinitas, Calif., Ryan Andrews, 23, and Tara Driscoll, 21, arrived at the beach red-faced and sweating from riding their bicycles in 80-degree weather.

They had bought their bikes the previous week and had just cycled six miles from home. Ms. Driscoll said she had gotten the bicycle so she could ride to work every day, a commute of two miles, instead of driving.

“It just makes sense,” she said.

At Sim’s Bowling Alley and Lounge, in Des Plaines, Ill., Robin Sebastian, 51, who tends bar there, sounded bitter the other day after recalling that she had just paid $46 to fill half a tank in her 1994 Buick Regal.

“There are too many politicians’ hands in our pockets, and too many crooks in the oil companies,” said Ms. Sebastian, an Army veteran who served in the Persian Gulf. “I’m all for helping other countries, but we need to help our people here in the U.S. first.”

Another Job By JAE Remodeling

2008-05-11T19:50:00.002-04:00

No job too small, JAE Remodeling does it all!

Old Sidewalk

Foundation Prepped

Final Laying / Feathering

No job too small, JAE brokerage is always open for placing a bid on your next project. Check out the latest one above!

TAXES: When to Expect Your Tax Rebate Check

2008-05-04T12:26:00.008-04:00

The last two digits of your Social Security number will determine when you’ll get your tax rebate check -- $600 for most taxpayers, $1,200 for couples who file joint returns, plus an extra $300 for every child under age 17 claimed as a dependent on 2007 returns.

The IRS announced yesterday that it hopes to pay the first 34 million rebates in the three weeks beginning May 2, wrapping up stimulus payments owed to most tax filers by early July. Taxpayers who haven’t filed their '07 returns in time to be queued up for the initial payout schedule will get their money later in the summer and into the fall.

RELATED LINKS
	Estimate Your Tax Rebate
	Rules Behind the Tax Rebate Check
	Find 2007 Tax Deductions

Taxpayers who opt to have their 2007 tax refunds electronically deposited in their bank accounts will move to the front of the rebate line. The first payments will be made electronically May 2 to the accounts of refund taxpayers whose Social Security numbers end in 00 to 20.

The next batch, paid May 9, will go to those with Social Security numbers ending in 21 to 75. Then, on May 16, the final electronic payments will be made and, at the same time, the first paper checks will be issued . . . to taxpayers whose Social Security numbers end in 00 to 09. The rest of the checks will be issued according to the schedule outlined in the box below.

If you file a joint return, the timing of your economic stimulus check will be based on the Social Security number of the first spouse listed on the return.

Procrastinators may have to wait

Although you must file a 2007 tax return to get a rebate check (even if you otherwise don’t need to file), filing by the April 15 deadline does not guarantee that you’ll be get your check on the IRS-announced schedule. The agency said its timetable is for taxpayers whose 2007 returns are "filed and processed" by April 15. Since it takes a few days to process electronic returns and a week or more to handle paper forms -- especially those filed en masse as the deadline approaches -- waiting until the last minute to file is likely to delay your chance to put the rebate to work to stimulate the economy.

For the best odds of getting your money as soon as possible, file electronically at least a week before the April 15 deadline and have any refund direct deposited into your bank account. If you file on paper after April 1 and have a relatively low Social Security number, there’s a good chance your return will still be in the processing phase when the payouts begin. Rebates not paid as part of the initial rollout will be made on a weekly basis as the year progresses and 2007 returns are processed.

The IRS said Monday that no rebates will be issued for returns filed after October 15.

IRS timetable for rebate payments

Here’s the government’s plan for making the economic stimulus payments for taxpayers whose 2007 returns are filed and processed by April 15:

DIRECT DEPOSIT PAYMENTS
If the last two digits of your Social Security number are:	Your rebate should be sent to your bank account by:
00 - 20	May 2
21 - 75	May 9
76 - 99	May 16
PAPER CHECK
If the last two digits of your Social Security number are:	Your check should be in the mail by:
00 - 09	May 16
10 - 18	May 23
19 - 25	May 30
26 - 38	June 6
39 - 51	June 13
52 - 63	June 20
64 - 75	June 27
76 - 87	July 4
88 - 99	July 11

Calculate your tax rebate

IRS announced on March 17 that it has developed a calculator to help taxpayers estimate the size of their rebate. As noted above, most taxpayers who file as single, married filing separately or head of household will get $600, those who file a joint return will get $1,200, plus there’s a $300 bonus for each child under age 17 claimed as a dependent on your 2007 return. Some taxpayers will get less, however. The IRS calculator will estimate your rebate based on your 2007 return.

We posted our rebate calculator more than a month ago to let taxpayers estimate their personal stimulus package from Uncle Sam. We think you’ll find ours more user-friendly. Check it out.

See Our Update: Checks Are on the Way

Visit Our Tax Center for More Advice

By Kevin McCormally, Editorial Director, Kiplinger.com (March 18, 2008)

Discover your ability to enhance someone else's wealth!

2008-04-25T01:34:00.003-04:00

"The greatest good we can do for others is not just to share our riches with them, but to reveal theirs."

Zig Ziglar

Take your Money and RUN....

2008-04-10T17:47:00.012-04:00

If you have been telling yourself for forever and ever that you were going to save up money for Quicken, but have yet to get serious and manage your debts, investments, and every day spending with this high ticket and somewhat cumbersome (yes, I've used it in the past) item - it's finally an excuse you can take out of the excuse pile; "reasons I HAD (moving FORWARD, right?) for why I hadn't made any headway with getting that 'debt and money situation' squared away. "

The rise of web 2.0 web sites has drastically implemented the ability of consumers to interact with each other, and this interaction has gradually increased and fine-tuned communication between companies and consumer groups, and those who benefit from the resulting improvements in products like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn.

Enter the financial gurus of web 2.0 - companies like Wesabe.com, Mint.com, and Yodlee.com.

This type of networking sings a much different tune then its slightly different predecessors listed above. This tune is a tune that surely has investors with a competitive edge VERY excited... investors like Verizon, AT&T, etc. At least with Wesabe, (I am unsure how the other sites turn a profit) there is room for hope after the $80 hit you took for too much time gabbing on your cell, because these guys will diagnose the problem, and suggest (automatically, non-non-invasively, and seemlessly) a more cost-effective alternative that may either be a different product or service, or perhaps a totally different cell phone provider. When users utilize this advice and purchase, said company gets the profits, and Wesabe gets a percentage, thereby providing its excellent financial management site ABSOLUTELY FREE, meanwhile helping you get your coin together. To add some fuel to the fire, don't just take my word for it, check out these other reviews as well.

Wesabe also provides a Firefox add-on that allows you to view your spending and investing at the click of a button, right to the left of your browser. It is also vital when it comes to categorizing your finances based on what you clarify, or "tag" as "food, entertainment, sewer bill....etc." The add on allows for quick and easy access to information, which it uploads as it tracks your spending. Choosing the "Tag Cloud" option also shows your biggest areas pf spending to the right, and itemizes them if you click a tag. In other words, clicking "entertainment" will take you to a page with nothing but your entertainment expenses, with charts and graphs available to neatly and succinctly show you how much was spent for movies, and how much was for drinks at the bar.

With a "goals" section, that allows you to set your and chart financial targets, and "group" sections, where like-minded people collaborate towards similar tasks (Save up $1000, Pay Off credit Cards), Wesabe covers more bases than Mint seems to offer.

Check this video out for a closer look:

Happy saving!

PS-

Check out the Wesabe blog to keep informed as these guys make Wesabe even better!

Bernake Forecasts sketchy close to 2008 economy??

2008-04-03T15:49:00.002-04:00

A weakening economy is largely psychological. The solution to a lagging US dollar is to not necessarily to spend more, but to maintain a normal spending pattern if you are able. Theoretically, this should facilitate a normal growth pattern. I personally think (even though I know it will be made up up for in other ways) that the coming economic stimulus plan may help get consumers in the right frame of mind for more spending and a better outlook for the remainder of 2008. Hopefully. Ben Bernanke forecasts otherwise.....

Recession May Be Here, Fed Chairman Says

Source: Knight Ridder Washington Bureau Publication date: 2008-04-02 WASHINGTON _

A worsening short-term outlook for the U.S. economy suggests that growth has stalled and may even contract in the first half of this year, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Wednesday, sending a strong signal that a recession may have arrived. "It now appears likely that real gross domestic product will not grow much, if at all, over the first half of 2008 and could even contract slightly," Bernanke told the Joint Economic Committee, adding that "uncertainty attending this forecast is quite high and the risks remain to the downside."

Translation: The U.S. economy may be in recession (italics mine). That's usually defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, although recessions are called after the fact by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which measures recession as a protracted slowdown in a wide range of business activities. Bernanke's testimony was the strongest evidence yet that the economy may have slipped into what a majority of mainstream economists now expect to be a mild recession. The Fed chairman expects economic activity to strengthen over the second half of the year as steep interest-rate cuts and a fiscal stimulus package passed by Congress with tax rebates to consumers start to be felt. By 2009, growth should return to or above a "sustainable pace," buttressed by a stabilization of housing activity, Bernanke said. Not all housing economists agree. The chief economist of government-sponsored enterprise Freddie Mac. Frank Nothaft, said last week that he didn't expect a recovery in housing sales and prices until 2010.

___ (c) 2008, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Why you should consider a Medicare Advantage plan: Explained

2008-03-26T22:29:00.008-04:00

Tell your grandparents it's too late to get the $1700 check that was payable to them. (This dollar figure is the average savings of a Medicare Enrolee who is using a Medicare Advantage plan.) The Medicare Modernization Act, or MMA (2003-2005) made this possible through the creation of what is called a "private fee for service" plan. This revision was created because of a very serious need for revision within Medicare and it's payment / management structure. Medicare currently hosts the benefits plans of 44million seniors, which it already struggles to manage in a cost-effective way, and with 77 million baby boomer's who will turn 65 between the time you' read this, and the year 2019. You may wonder how this affects you? Consider the laws of economics.

The MMA system works directly with insurance companies to handle claims, rather than requiring the 250,000 (I think this number is actually higher!?) US doctors to deal directly with Medicare. This allows for a much less interactive process when a claim is filed...and less interaction means less cost, and less room for mistakes. As a result, the premium that would have been $120 (on average) per month can in some cases reduce to zero dollars per month, without any compromise in coverage. Now that's what I call a good thing! In many cases, there are no networks, or referrals.... Please see the government's Medicare Advantage updates for additional information, and to learn how you can help a loved one(s) save money without compromising on the quality of service they receive!

Stop. Read. React.

2008-03-23T13:42:00.007-04:00

This blog is designed to be interactive, so kick your feet up, stay awhile, and browse around. There will be a new poll up each week on the right hand menu bar. If you're reading this on a MySpace profile, you'll need to double click the post that you're reading now to to redirect to the actual blog, where you can vote on the poll. Those who participate will be eligible for special deals and services from JAE Brokerage and affiliates! The current poll is a study of buying trends, thanks in advance for your participation!

Find JAE Brokerage on Technoranti!

2008-03-20T20:08:00.002-04:00

Technorati Profile

Is social networking part of your marketing strategy?

2008-03-18T21:19:00.004-04:00

How do social networks fit into your web strategy?

As a web strategist I am looking for ideas on how people are incorporating social nets into their personal and corporate web strategies. I like to hear opinions from my Linkedin network regarding how they see applications such as Linkedin impacting the way they market themselves or their organizations.

Any comments/answers are greatly appreciated.

posted 2 hours ago in Business Analytics, Business Development

This question can be found on www.LinkedIn.com, posted by "Gus."

____________________________________________________________________

Please respond with any ideas you have. The more we share, the more we grow!

Sales

2008-03-15T19:33:00.005-04:00

Never go on a sales call with a mediocre salesperson...
unless you're there to teach.

Think about it.

Hilton Johnson

* This one holds a special place in my heart.... because I have given some very poor (as well as very good.....a few times) sales presentations in my day... this quote is SO true. Anyone out there have some tips / suggestions on how to beef up a sales presentation in a professional, result producing way? Please share.