Filed under: Politics

Here’s one of the most appalling stories you’ll ever see: tax credits that enable ambitious tax-avoiders to get free golf carts courtesy of the United States government. The Wall Street Journal sums it up well (subscription required): “We thought cash for clunkers was the ultimate waste of taxpayer money, but as usual we were too optimistic.”

The tax credit of $4,200 to $5,200 is enough to offset the entire cost of some lower-end golf carts. And if you hold onto it for a year and then sell it, you can actually make money once you include the benefit of the tax credit. According to the Journal, “The golf-cart boom has followed an IRS ruling that golf carts qualify for the electric-car credit as long as they are also road worthy. These qualifying golf carts are essentially the same as normal golf carts save for adding some safety features, such as side and rearview mirrors and three-point seat belts. They typically can go 15 to 25 miles per hour.”

Continue reading Should the government really buy people golf carts?

Should the government really buy people golf carts? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: AT and T (T), Stocks to Buy

It goes without saying that one investment theme favored here concerns companies with demonstrated business models, which is why I’m Reiterating my Buy rating for AT&T (NYSE: T), first recommended on July 9, 2009 at a price of $25.89.

AT&T’s shares have meandered somewhat since the February Buy rating, but that in no way changes T’s low-risk, decent-return-on-equity story.

Continue reading AT&T: Demonstrated business models have their rewards

AT&T: Demonstrated business models have their rewards originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Loan Modifications have been put forward as the great savior of the current credit crisis. Whether this is true or not is a matter of debate. I personally feel that dealing with a credit crisis by trying to fix mortgage issues is not going to deal with the big picture.

Nevertheless it is a fact that many are benefiting from the taxpayer subsidized loan modifications that are being grudgingly supplied by banks and other mortgage providers.

However many are not benefiting at all from this service, what is worse many have considerably worse off because they tried to get a loan modification and bumped into a scam artist or organization that duped him out of the little money he had left. Nobody wants to become a statistic, especially when it is the number of borrowers that are conned out of their homes by dishonest “loan modification consultants”.

What can you do? Here are 6 easy steps:

1)    Know the beast. Understanding what your options are and who qualifies for aid is vital. Reading www.blownmortgage.com and other mortgage help articles will provide you with inside information about loan modifications and mortgages. Other websites that should be on your list are: WWW.hud.gov www.makinghomeaffordable.gov and www.financialstability.gov . In fact wherever you go for help make sure it is free. The best help out there on loan modifications is, believe it or not, is free.

2)   Beware and be alert. If you are struggling with your mortgage you are a prime target for scams, recognize and avoid common scams.

3)  Avoid fast loan modifications. Companies who want you to sign papers immediately or who claim they can save your home if you sign of the deeds of your house to them are scam artist. Nobody can save your home except you and your mortgage provider. Organizations and individuals can provide valuable information but they can’t guarantee anything because they don’t make the decisions.

4)  Again, DO NOT sign the deed of your house to anybody unless you are working directly with the mortgage company to forgive your debt. In other words only sign off the deed of your house if you are selling it back to the bank.

5)    Only make mortgage payments to your bank. A common scam is for a “consultant” or loan modification company to ask you to pay them so they can deal directly with your mortgagee and make the payments for you. As you probably guessed this payments stay in the pockets of the scam artists while you get deeper in debt.

6)  Don’t pay anybody for advice on your loan modification or for counseling services on a delinquent loan. This is not to say they are all scam artists but even the kosher variety or not as good as the organizations that provide free counseling as a public service.

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1. Loan Modifications, lies, scams and misinformation
2. Creative Ways a Loan Modification Lowers Your Monthly Payments
3. Loan Modifications and FHA Refinance What Is The Deal

Related posts:

1. Loan Modifications, lies, scams and misinformation
2. Creative Ways a Loan Modification Lowers Your Monthly Payments
3. Loan Modifications and FHA Refinance What Is The Deal

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Filed under: Internet, Google (GOOG), Yahoo! (YHOO), General Electric (GE), Time Warner (TWX), Walt Disney (DIS), News Corp’B’ (NWS), Media World

A new executive team is trying to bring MySpace back to its former glory. By focusing on music, videos and games, it hopes to recapture some of its luster. With the MySpace refugees mounting, it’s time for some new blood to make some brilliant, future-changing decisions. This week, the company is holding a conference for its global ad sales team to explore ways to bring in traffic and beef up ad spending.

MySpace is poised to haul in $495 million in ad revenue this year, down 15% from last year’s $585 million, according to research firm eMarketer. In August, MySpace attracted 64.2 million unique visitors from the United States, off 15% from August 2008, according to comScore, while Facebook pulled in 92.2 million unique U.S. visitors - up more than 100% year-over-year.

Continue reading MySpace (still) refocusing on entertainment content

MySpace (still) refocusing on entertainment content originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It seems Obama’s administration has a program for every issue. If you are struggling with your mortgage but are keeping up with your payments (wouldn’t that be 90% of us) you can get help with HARP. If you are delinquent (behind in your monthly mortgage payments) you can try your luck with HAMP.

HAMP stands for Home Affordable Modification Program. The program is designed to help borrowers who are struggling to keep their loans current or who are already behind. HAMP does this by providing incentives to mortgage loan servicers to modify existing first lien (primary) mortgages. The Treasure hopes this will motivate mortgage providers to move faster with loan modifications. It doesn’t seem to be working quite as planned but the effort is certainly there.

What makes HAMP any different to the other loan modification programs? To start, as mentioned above you can apply for HAMP even though you are behind in your payments. You can also apply for a HAMP loan modification even if your mortgage is not provided or guaranteed by Fannie or Freddie, a requirement most other government programs have.

So what are the requirements for a HAMP Loan Modification?

1.) You must have a home and live in it. The home must have one to four units.

2.) You must owe a principal balance (the actual amount you borrowed without interest) that is equal or less than:
1 Unit: $729,750
2 Units: $934,200
3 Units: $1,129,250
4 Units: $1,403,400;

3.) Be the primary mortgage and have been contracted before January 2009.
Your monthly payments must be greater than 31 percent of your monthly income. If it isn’t we kind of assume you don’t need a mortgage modification.

Unfortunately for many the mortgage is the least of their “loan problems”.
Have a mortgage that is not affordable due to financial hardship that can be documented (that means you can prove it).

If you answered yes to all the above questions you MAY qualify for a HAMP loan modification. The final yes will have to come from your mortgage provider. You must contact your provider in order to find that out.

But what if you aren’t behind in your payments, can you apply for a HAMP Loan Modification.

Yes, the requirements are those stipulated above, no more, no less.  This is good news for borrowers that are making payments, want a loan modification in order to take advantage of the lower interest rates but can’t do so because their home value has dropped and they don’t have a mortgage with Fannie or Freddie.

What you will need to do is prove why you are struggling to make your payments. This will have to be documented so be ready to show paperwork to back your claim.

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Related posts:

1. Loan Modifications and FHA Refinance What Is The Deal
2. Freddie Mac educates borrowers via YouTube
3. Mortgage Refinancing For Underwater Borrowers Now Available

Related posts:

1. Loan Modifications and FHA Refinance What Is The Deal
2. Freddie Mac educates borrowers via YouTube
3. Mortgage Refinancing For Underwater Borrowers Now Available

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Filed under: Private equity

The amount of investable assets available to venture capital funds has basically been a growth story since 2003. Dry powder slipped 7% in 2004 and 10% in 2008, but increased in every other year over this period.

Now, the dry powder number sits at $155 billion, according to alternative investment research firm Preqin, just off its December 2007 peak of $160 billion. The big number, however, masks a wide range of market situations for venture capital funds. Dry powder levels vary by strategy and region. To get a sense of what’s going on behind the scenes, check out the five facts below about venture capital dry powder.

Continue reading Five views of venture capital dry powder

Five views of venture capital dry powder originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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