Building Wealth - Cutting Costs

I am first and foremost a believer on marking online for any and all services and products today. I have marketed everything you can think of online from 20 Dollar informational DVDs to multi million dollar pieces of heavy construction equipment to legal service and even how to make money online products.

That said there is still a ton of power in using “old media” like television advertising so when I was asked to have look at a website that produces and promotes TV Commericals and Infomercials I was happy to do it. The company is called Hawthorn Direct aka, DRTV.

What I really like about Hawthorn Direct is the fact that they are very good at integrating your marketing efforts and tracking the exact results from each campaign.   Nothing is more important in marketing and advertising then knowing your exact ROI for every effort, so for that reason Hawthorn Direct makes my list of recommended sites for business owners.

I talk a lot about mortgages, the US real estate market and investing in property in the US because it is something I know quite a bit about. I have really not said much about foreign real estate markets for the exact opposite reason, I just don’t have any real estate experience outside of the United States. So when I was asked to have a look at a UK based site that provides free financing advice and quotes on UK Mortgages I was happy to do it.

The site is called Money Magic and I found that it provides excellent advice for both investors and consumers alike. They even have information for international mortgages that was something that I haven’t seen on may mortgage sites.

Today the Down Jones Closed down a significant 370 points (almost 3%).  The question is why?  The answer, The Institute for Supply Management’s January report on the service sector, which accounts for about two-thirds of the economy, said the service side of the U.S. economy dropped sharply . The index dropped to 44.6 last month from a revised reading of 54.4 in December.  This the lowest number since 2001.

So what the heck is the real meaning of this?  The simple way of putting this is the U.S. economy is in a definite decline on the “service” side of the economy.   This is bad because so much of our economy (66%) is service based.

So what’s next?  It’s possible the services side of the economy could rebound some in February, like the manufacturing side did in January after its’ own slide in December.   The benefit of the Federal Reserve’s two big interest rate cuts in the latter part of January could also help spur the service sector back into growth mode later this year.

The key to understand here is this is another shot across the bow of the coming war that is a imminent recession that sooner of late will happen.  My advice yet again is to make sure you are not fully exposed in stocks right now.  We had a few good years but a slide is coming have a heart to heart with your advisers and put some of your investments into something safer for the next few years.

Look I am not for driving like a maniac or speeding in school zones but I also really feel that most traffic tickets are nothing but another revenue source for our bloated government. As my blog is about keeping money in your pockets rather then putting it into bad investments (is their a worse investment right now then our Government?) when I was asked to look at a new website called, Ticket Bust , that shows you how to fight a speeding ticket I was happy to do it.

Unfortunately these guys seem to only be available in California but if you live there I would have a look at their website.  They are so confident that they can help you they offer a money back guarantee and that is one of the reasons they make my list of recommend sites.   The reality is traffic tickets are one of the legal issues most of us have to deal with sooner or later (I have had to), so I am glad their are companies out there like this to help consumers.

So please comment below, have you ever used a service like this to handle a ticket?  How did it work?  Have you ever beaten or gotten a ticket reduced on your own?  If so how?

Super Tuesday is today and I am excited about one thing and only one thing about it.  You see I am in  state that votes AFTER Super Tuesday in fact we don’t do our primary until March.  In general no one cares how we vote in the primaries because by March most nominations are sewn up.

Not this year!  I will vote in the Republican primary and my vote will matter and so will the votes of others in my state.  My guy is Ron Paul and I will stick by him if he has any chance at all by the time we vote, if not I may have to go with Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee as my second pick.  I have not forgotten the sell outs of John McCain on things like McCain - Feingold and McCain - Kennedy I hope my fellow Republicans don’t either.

Yet this post is not about who I am voting for or who you vote for just I want to ask, why is it only in a year like this that my primary election matters?  Do you think the primary elections would be better if we had say 4 blocks, 25% of the country in each one and all of it done in 60 days?

I do and further more I would rotate each election which “block” went first.  Seems like a much better way to me, what do you think.

I am not a big golfer but being active in the business world I know just how many people are totally addicted to the sport. One of my partners is a positive fanatic and would rather golf then even say enjoy a very cold martini (some folks?). So when I was asked to have a look at a web site that provides very cost effective golf tournament software it seemed like something that some of my readers might enjoy.

This site is called, NetHandiCap.com and they offer  really cool software product that keeps track of players statistics and handicaps etc.  It is designed to be used by anyone from say people that own a Golf Course and run tournaments to amateur golfers that small run individual clubs competitions and play where and as they choose.   The platform is browser based meaning it does not hog up your PCs memory or resources and can be access from any PC with an internet connection.  Add to this the fact that it is fully customizable and very affordable and at least for the golfers out there NetHandiCap.com makes my list of recommended sites.