You all need to respond to this even if you are not currently having credit card issues or any financing issues. This is directed primarily at credit card companies; however, it should apply to all financing / loan activities. Feel free to add to this list and reply to all as well as forward to new email addresses.
The Fed has been joined in putting forth these proposed changes by the Office of Thrift Supervision and the National Credit Union Administration.The Fed has provided a seventy-five day comment period - to approximately mid-July. Providing your comments to the Fed is easy:On the Fed's web site (scroll down to the bottom of the page to Regulation AA - click on submit comment)By email to: regs.comments@federalreserve.govBy fax to (202) 452-3819 or (202) 452-3102By regular mail to:Jennifer J. JohnsonSecretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System20th Street and Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20551Be sure to reference Docket No. R-1314 in your written comments.All comments will be public and can be viewed online on the Fed's web site. Pro or con - this is an important payment card industry issue worth your comments.
Financial literacy has taken on a new meaning in today's economy, prompting the Prepaid Visa(R) RushCard to announce today a new card feature that will help its members create a budget and stick to it by better managing their spending. This feature comes as RushCard recognizes April as Financial Literacy Month and continues its efforts to make financial awareness a priority for its members. "During this month, everyone should remember how important it is to get their money right," said philanthropist and entrepreneur Russell Simmons.
RushCard members report that RushCard's online suite of money management features is helping them save money. In a recent online survey, more than 79 percent of members agreed that money management tools helped them to stick to their budget. Over half of RushCard members reported that the money management tools already available with their RushCards have helped them save more than $300 annually. Thirty percent said they are saving more than $600 a year.
Members can save even more with the new customized budget feature, which allows members to set their spending levels in 14 categories - including auto, dining, health and fitness, utilities and more.
Members can review their recent spending data in each category and determine the adjustments they want to make to achieve their financial goals. They can set budgets for each category and then have customized text alerts sent to their mobile phones or emails notifying them when their spend levels have reached their predetermined maximums.
"Financial literacy is more than just understanding your finances, it's actually being able to manage your money better," said Ram Palaniappan, general manager of RushCard. "We know that now more than ever, tools to help RushCard members better manage their financial resources have become increasingly important. Our members asked for a tool that would help them to control their spending in an effort to save more. The new budget management tool will help them do just that."
Once RushCard members review their budget data, they have the option to download their card statements into money management software like Microsoft Excel, Quicken(R) or Microsoft Money. This improved functionality will enable members to better visualize adjustments they may make to their spending and increase their savings.
This new feature joins other RushCard features such as RushPath to Credit, a tool that helps member gain access to low-interest loans, and money management pages, which allow members to track their spending, deposit and balance trends. The RushCard aids members in their effort to save money and avoid overdraft and finance charges and check-cashing fees.
RushCard supports members' efforts to become more financially savvy and is offering a special incentive to encourage direct deposit. Through April 30, RushCard is giving one lucky winner who direct deposits a tax refund onto their RushCard or Baby Phat RushCard an exclusive opportunity to dine with the company's creator--renowned philanthropist and entrepreneur Russell Simmons--and receive a free financial consultation. Anyone interested in applying for a RushCard can apply online at www.rushcard.com , or call our toll-free member services line at 1 (866) RUSHCARD. Official contest rules can be found online at www.rushcard.com .
About UniRush LLC
Headquartered in Cincinnati, UniRush LLC was created to offer the over 48 million Americans without access to a traditional banking relationship an array of basic financial services via the Prepaid Visa RushCard. Benefits of the program include direct deposit, the ability to withdraw funds at over 850,000 ATMs globally, the ability to use the card wherever Visa debit cards are accepted and free 24/7 customer service. For more information about UniRush and RushCard visit www.rushcard.com .
Source: Company press release.
Or more importantly, will the greedmiesters be willing to?
A simple three-month moratorium on billing might be all it takes...
I don't get the immigration debate. More specifically: I don't understand why it is so complicated to figure out!!
The solution is simple: if you're here illegally, you should be prosecuted and deported. Simple as that. I follow the laws, and I don't have a get-out-of-jail-free card, and I'm a citizen. There are hundreds of thousands of highly skilled individuals who have abided by the process and waited in line to enter this country and lawfully become citizens. Fifty of those people are members of my family. My father and mother waited in line back in the 60's and 70's. The point is that they followed the law! Proximity to our borders and gambling ones life to trek across the sierra nevada should not be an on-ramp to legal work status and certainly not to citizenship. If that becomes the norm, any argument for helping the poor, which is fundamental democratic thinking, immediately becomes "helping the poor and the people that broke the law to be poor but within our borders", which is an idea I (and I expect many independents) will not subscribe to. I'm not a charity. I don't mind helping people out from time to time, but I'm not going to provide free support to anybody that had the guts to cross the border.
I graduated from a highly reputable university. I have *many* friends that are brilliant, law-biding individuals. They could have easy overstayed their visa's and scrounged for some type of job. Instead, they followed the law, left the country, and waited for a corporation to sponsor their H1B visa. By giving amnesty, you are telling foreigners, particularly foreign students, that instead of adhering to the laws and policies of the US, they instead should ignore them and expect amnesty. "Intelligent immigration" is about providing incentives to those with skills and the capabilities of significantly contributing to society (which in part implies assimilation too), should be the objective. Not "charitable immigration".
Amnesty in any form is unacceptable. We need to encourage individuals to follow the law, not give them a way out because we as a government were too stupid to understand how to enforce the laws. More over, we should encourage those who have studied at our universities, graduated with good gpa's, and have quite a bit of promise to stay, work, and contribute to society. The whole mantra of "give us your weak, your poor, ..." made sense pre-depression, but now that we have social services, where our tax money is used in-part to support those that can't support themselves, that ideology no longer is ideal. I refuse to have any of my tax dollars spent caring for those that broke the law and are getting away with. If that's the case, why should I adhere to any law?? I'll walk into best buy and walk off with a playstation and a new plasma tv. Anybody that stops me is two-faced.
To me, amnesty => democrats. But at the same time, anti-immigration => republican. Both are dumb positions. We as a country need to enforce our laws and encourage intelligent immigration policies, where we encourage highly educated people and their families to immigrate to the US and establish their roots. By the way, we need to "import" highly educated people (particularly in math and science) because well, quite frankly, those educated in the US high school system (as well as most of people that graduated from the weaker 50-500 ranked universities) simply don't cut it in the marketplace, but this is for another blog post.
Finally, any candidate that panders to illegal immigrants and their supporters automatically loses my vote. Additionally, anybody that argues the people here illegally are fleeing repression, should go visit India, China, and other countries because my relatives are represessed too, but they are abiding by the law and are waiting (for $50k I could have them snuck over the border tomorrow, but it is *ILLEGAL*). If the candidates for both major parties pander, I simply wont vote at all, and I will encourage as many people as possible to not vote too. It's a matter of pride and being right. I expect this to be a sentiment held by *many* of the first and second generation immigrants in this country, because they are the ones whose family are following the legal process and waiting for US visa's in their home country. Breaking the law is breaking the law. Nothing anybody says can change that fact. Any law breakers should be prosecuted. People that follow the law should be afforded priveledges. Period.
Even though it may not look like it or feel like it, you are making progress.
Continue working towards progress instead of perfection.
Nothing or no no one is perfect.
Just keep taking steps.
Keep making those phone calls.
Continue following your plan.
Remain focused on your goal.
Do what you have to do right now to get to the next level.
Complete every task.
Keep every promise and commitment.
Don't look back.
Let no one weaken your walk of faith and determination.
Remain teachable.
Place yourself in a blessing position by associating with people on-the-grow.
Talk with teachers.
Walk with winners.
Climb with champions.
Study successful people.
Something great is about to happen for you!
Start giving thanks right now before you can even see the outward manisfestation of your prayers and desires.
Everything you do from this day forward will take you further away or closer to your potential for successful living.
-by Dr. Jewel Diamond Taylor, Motivational Speaker & Author
Well, here I am, smack-dab in the worst year of my life... Over $50,000 in debt, an ex-drug addict, and exactly $1.53 in my bank account. Today, one of only two remaining credit lines I have was closed due to a king-hell f*ckaround at the bank involving all kinds of fun things like the fact the VISA transactions take priority over electronic funds transfers, even if that transfer is for $220.00 and its the only thing standing between you and another credit card being closed. But hey, there are some things money can't buy, like me throwing my phone through the wall when I found out about this. For everything else, there's VISA. And Big Money. And crap like the bullsh*t Bush has laid on us for the past seven years while we laid around in a post 9-11 coma... Listen I was ON A PLANE THAT MORNING... to BOSTON. My ex-girlfriend (who broke up with me when I got addicted to drugs after the attacks) was literally STAMPEDED by a mob in downtown Manhattan when the towers fell. I know depression, and I know 9-11. I live in Queens. And no one knows better than me that I was gung-ho to support ol' Bush right after the attacks. But something happened. I came to my senses, and watched as the good-will of the planet collapsed into a mess of orange jumpsuits and Abu Gihrab torture manuals, slimy and dripping with oil. Something is wrong here.
So yeah, another Morning in America: Wake up, no money, another credit card closed, gas at $4.85 a gallon for hi-test, but it doesn't matter because in 15 days the car insurance will be cancelled, borrowing $20 from my girlfriend to eat, recovering from a shattering addiction, and wondering- how the fu*k can I do something to ensure this freaking Republican Party never gets another president elected? That's when, just out of instinct, I stumbled upon barackobama.com. And then I realized something else — not only to these fiends have a kick-ass web site that shoud have McCain shaking in his boots, they allow ALL OF US TO TAKE PART... and do what we want. Hmmmm so here I am: Another lone, ex-coked-out-American who wants Change, and wants it badly. Not just for myself but for my Country...
Listen up, Barack: You talk a lot, and we like your talk, and you better deliver. I am sick of being sold down the river. I saw our current President flush an entire planet's good will and intentions down the toilet and I will be dammed if I believe in another round of bullsh*t about "change-this" and "you-are-the customer-" that. YOU BETTER DELIVER. I read today that you said the Democratic National Comittee would no longer accept money from federal lobbyists or political action committees. Well, holy sh*t!! Isn't that about time! I LOVE YOU man, Because that is exactly what 99% of us want. Because... well, 99% of us get screwed when the DNC DOES accept those donations... but if you back down on that, BO, you are a chickensh*t and you will lose all the momentum you are buliding, just like Bush did. So be strong, man. I believe in you, you beautiful son of a.... and this is a man who hasn't EVER believed in ANY president since...well... EVER. I never knew what it felt like to believe until today. Cherish those words as proof that its working BO, and its working WELL.
Heck, I haven't even seen you speak. I never even read your campaign platform. It doesn't matter. I believe in the idea of you and if that doesn't get your fire burning, I don't know what will. This washed-up, broke, ex-drug-addict is writing a full page of single-spaced words and joining your team based on the idea of BARACK OBAMA. Now that is some power you have there, BO, Downright JFK-like and you better use it wisely... Our country needs you!
So yeah, you got me BO, for now... just don't do any of that good-ol' flip-floppin' that FOX News loves to report on. You seem like a good guy. And God knows we need a African-American President already. Hillary as VP? I dunno, man that's your call. You know how Billy rocked that oval office. But I think a female VP and a Commander-in-chief with a little bit of soul will do this country some good. And screw anyone who says that's a racist comment because its not. I am white, I can't boogie, and I sure as heck can't pay my bills on time— but I can write like no other.
I encourage everyone with an affinity for passionate debate, motorcycles, football, overdue credit card bills, web design, and the Money-Grubbing Elite that are strangling our country, to post something in this Blog.
You have found your home. Now go to it, my sons and daughters...
Yrs,
C42D
Flushing, NYC
