From the category archives:

National Debt

If you’re relying on a pension fund to get you through your retirement, you may need to look for alternatives.

Employees of the state of Maine are just learning that their state –- which until now has covered retirement benefits with its pension program –- is looking at offsetting its burden by having employees participate in Social Security for the first time.

Maine is among a handful of states that have prohibited participation in Social Security in an effort to save on Social Security costs, which are 6.2 percent of the payroll for employers and the same for employees, according to a New York Times article.

Maine’s shift is yet another example of the strain the country’s failing economy is putting on traditional retirement strategies. Both public and private employers are struggling to maintain retirement plans for their employees (that is – for the employees they haven’t had to lay off already!).

And with the country’s skyrocketing Social Security debt – and national debt – there’s little comfort that Social Security will be there when you need it.

Times like these make it more clear than ever that relying on an employer or the government to provide for you is not enough. And it’s clear that the same-old, same-old traditional financial planning advice can’t always protect you.

It’s imperative that you take charge of your own financial future. It’s important to identify retirement planning strategies that can keep your retirement money safe, liquid, at a good rate of return – and with tax advantages.

Find out more about how you can protect yourself through the Missed Fortune strategies.

Isn’t It Time You Became Wealthy?©

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Missed Fortune RadioThis week Doug Andrew discussed the following:

Upcoming Complimentary Webinar

Attend our free 90-minute webinar live over the Internet this coming Tuesday, July 13th at 11:00 a.m. pacific (12:00 p.m. mountain, 1:00 p.m. central, 2:00 p.m. eastern), and again at 6:30 p.m. pacific (7:30 mountain, 8:30 central, 9:30 eastern).

The topic is “True Asset Optimization: How to Choose the Right Investments.” You’ll learn how to maintain liquidity and guarantee safety of principal while earning a healthy, tax-free rate of return that outpaces inflation.

Register now by calling 1-888-76-Radio (888-767-2346). If operators are busy, please call again.

All attendees receive a bonus hardcover copy of Last Chance Millionaire, Doug Andrew’s New York Times best-selling book.

Government Confusion Has Led to Gambling Plan

Is our nation’s best hope for an economic recovery left to officials who will continue increasing our debt at an alarming rate?

Nile Gardiner voices his alarm at this question in “America is sinking under Obama’s towering debt”:

“I hope the White House is paying attention to the latest annual Congressional Budget Office Long-Term Budget Outlook, which offers a truly frightening picture of the scale of America’s national debt, with huge implications for the country’s future prosperity. According to the non-partisan CBO, “the federal government has been recording the largest budget deficits, as a share of the economy, since the end of World War II…

“As a result of those deficits, the amount of federal debt held by the public has surged. At the end of 2008, that debt equaled 40 percent of the nation’s annual economic output (as measured by gross domestic product, or GDP), a little above the 40 year average of 36 percent. Since then, large budget deficits have caused debt held by the public to shoot upward; the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that federal debt will reach 62 percent of GDP by the end of this year—the highest percentage since shortly after World War II.”

In the last year the debt has risen from about $11.7 trillion to $14 trillion. And with the baby boomers coming up on retirement needing social security, Medicare and Medicaid, this number should be expected to soar.

As a result about a quarter of the population believes that the economic stimulus package has created jobs. In fact according to a recent Rasmussen report, over 40 percent of the population believes that the economy is now in a worse position as a result of the implementation of this plan.

Social security seems to use the same plan that Bernie Madoff used causing him to go to jail. It simply takes the money from the newer members and uses it to pay off the benefits promised to older members.

The only difference is this “robbing Peter to pay Paul” plan is considered legitimate since is falls under government control.

At this point it seems that the government is confused and policy makers have decided to bet that the private sector can make for some of the stimulus over the next few years.

If they are right they can get a head start on trying to close the budget deficits, but if this gamble is wrong they may set off a vicious new cycle in which drastic spending cuts could greatly weaken the world economy.

How to Protect Yourself?

We can no longer expect the government to fix everything. Those in a position to promote growth should do so.

It is time for individuals to take ownership of their future, health-care needs and retirements and create their own stimulus plan.

In “Create Your Own Economic Stimulus Plan — Save Yourself Because Big Government Can’t” six points are addressed teaching the ways to create economic growth for yourself no matter what schemes the government is trying to ‘fix’ the economy.

The following are the initial three points of this plan that can lead you toward financial growth no matter what is going on in the world economy.

1. Learn how increasing your credit score from 680 to 720 can increase your monthly income by $700 a month.

2. Learn to use $150,000 of equity in your house to create an additional $2.3 million in your retirement.

3. Forget 401(k) and IRA plans and learn to earn, grow and upon death even transfer money tax free.

Meet with a Missed Fortune advisor to gain a greater understanding of these points and learn to avoid being a pawn in the governments stimulus gamble.

Bonus Missed Fortune E-Book: Baby Boomer Blunders

The average Baby Boomer has less than $50,000 accumulated for retirement (which means many have less than that), primarily due to bad habits and having money invested in the wrong places where economic downturns can diminish their nest egg.

Download this e-book now at www.babyboomerblunders.com.

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Missed Fortune RadioThis week Doug Andrew discussed the following:

Upcoming Complimentary Webinar

Attend our free 90-minute webinar live over the Internet this coming Tuesday, June 15th at 11:00 a.m. pacific (12:00 p.m. mountain, 1:00 p.m. central, 2:00 p.m. eastern), and again at 6:30 p.m. pacific (7:30 mountain, 8:30 central, 9:30 eastern).

The topic is “True Asset Optimization: How to Choose the Right Investments.” You’ll learn how to maintain liquidity and guarantee safety of principal while earning a healthy, tax-free rate of return that outpaces inflation.

Register now by calling 1-888-76-Radio (888-767-2346). If operators are busy, please call again.

All attendees receive a bonus hardcover copy of Last Chance Millionaire, Doug Andrew’s New York Times best-selling book.

The Obama Spending Nightmare Continues

In their “Morning Bell” publication, the Heritage Foundation recently published an article that reported:

“This morning White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and budget director Peter Orszag will release a memo directing all federal agency heads ‘to develop plans’ to cut at least 5 percent from their budgets by ‘identifying programs that do little to advance their missions or President Obama’s agenda.’

“This spasm of fiscal responsibility can mean only one thing: the Obama administration is about to go on another wild spending binge…

“This spend-now/cut-later act has become a staple for the Obama administration. In February 2009, after signing the largest single-year increase in domestic federal spending since World War II, President Obama held a ‘fiscal responsibility’ summit designed to ’send a signal that we are serious’ about putting the nation on sounder financial footing.

“Then in June 2009, the day after promising faster deficit spending to stimulate the economy, Obama called on Congress to pass ‘pay-as-you-go’ legislation (PAYGO), a rule Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has violated by a mere $1 trillion since she took power in 2006. And then after President Obama signed his trillion-dollar health spending plan, he convened his toothless National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform…

“While the recession is chiefly responsible for collapsing federal revenues, it is runaway government spending that is the main driver of our nation’s long-term fiscal crisis.”

Thankfully, the American people are catching on to the act. A Gallup poll recently showed that government debt is now tied with terrorism as the most worrisome issue to Americans.

But the question is “What can we actually do about it?

Wake Up & Escape the Nightmare

To begin with, we can learn from our mistakes.

As millions of Americans have seen, these times teach us to borrow to conserve, not to consume. How many people have fallen into credit trouble because when times were good, they used credit to buy furniture, cars, ATVs, boats…things they did not need but they wanted?

And millions of Americans have learned that saving for retirement means more than investing money in 401(k)s, IRA(s), stocks or other vehicles that are vulnerable to economic downturns.

Retirement savings vehicles like maximum-funded, tax-advantaged insurance contracts can provide liquidity, safety and rate of return –- which are all equally critical in retirement savings options.

Use these tough times –- whether they’ve affected you directly or indirectly -– to plan for the future and protect yourself.

Find out now how to make wiser choices, and how to obtain True Wealth.

Bonus Missed Fortune E-Book: Baby Boomer Blunders

The average Baby Boomer has less than $50,000 accumulated for retirement (which means many have less than that), primarily due to bad habits and having money invested in the wrong places where economic downturns can diminish their nest egg.

Download this e-book now at www.babyboomerblunders.com.

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Missed Fortune RadioThis week Doug Andrew discussed the following:

Upcoming Complimentary Webinar

Attend our free 90-minute webinar live over the Internet this coming Tuesday, May 11th at 11:00 a.m. pacific (12:00 p.m. mountain, 1:00 p.m. central, 2:00 p.m. eastern), and again at 6:30 p.m. pacific (7:30 mountain, 8:30 central, 9:30 eastern).

The topic is “True Asset Optimization: How to Choose the Right Investments.” You’ll learn how to maintain liquidity and guarantee safety of principal while earning a healthy, tax-free rate of return that outpaces inflation.

Register now by calling 1-888-76-Radio (888-767-2346). If operators are busy, please call again.

All attendees receive a bonus hardcover copy of Last Chance Millionaire, Doug Andrew’s New York Times best-selling book.

Next Up on the Government’s Nationalization Agenda

A crisis is unfolding with dire consequences, though few Americans are aware.

The harsh reality of national insolvency is forcing the government to look for new sources of revenue.

What’s the most logical source? You guessed it: qualified plans, meaning 401(k)s and IRAs, where Americans have saved more than $13 trillion.

Lee Bellinger, publisher of Independent Living, recently published a report entitled “40l(k)/IRA Nationalization Quietly Moves Forward.” His comments are just common sense:

“As the government’s finances continue to deteriorate, the White House and a powerful network of left-wing think-tanks, Congressional activists, and the highly-influential Ford and Rockefeller Foundations are engineering a new regulatory and tax-incentive drive to herd and ultimately force Americans to convert their 40l(k)s and IRAs into government-directed retirement accounts…

“…the extreme tactics used to ram health care nationalization down the country’s throat are a blueprint for what could be the biggest asset grab in history: the nationalization of private retirement accounts.”

It’s only a matter of time. In March of this year, the New York Times reported:

“This year, [Social Security] will pay out more in benefits than it receives in payroll taxes, an important threshold it was not expected to cross until at least 2016…”

Business Week reported that new federal regulations designed to “promote the conversion of 401(k) savings and Individual Retirement Accounts into annuities or other steady payment streams” would help drive cash into government-controlled entities such as American International Group (AIG), “the insurer that has received $182.3 billion in government aid.”

Bob Chapman of The International Forecaster explains,

“The looting of retirement plans is still in the planning stage, and you’re seeing these trial balloons go up.”

Bottom line: Major congressional overhaul of retirement plans — to your detriment — is something you should be planning for.

Roll ‘em Out!

In light of this crisis, the wisest, most logical decision for you may be a strategic rollout — to transfer your qualified plan funds into maximum-funded, tax-advantaged life insurance contracts, which provide the following benefits:

  1. Tax-free growth
  2. Tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal
  3. Tax-free transfer to heirs
  4. Guaranteed safety of principal
  5. Healthy returns that outpace inflation

If you think you’ll be in a lower tax bracket when you retire, you need to consider what the government is up to and think again.

Taxes will never be lower than they are today, and your dollars will never be worth more than they are today.

Escape the greedy clutches of government bureaucrats by meeting with a Missed Fortune advisor.

Bonus Missed Fortune E-Book: Baby Boomer Blunders

The average Baby Boomer has less than $50,000 accumulated for retirement (which means many have less than that), primarily due to bad habits and having money invested in the wrong places where economic downturns can diminish their nest egg.

Download this e-book now at www.babyboomerblunders.com.

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Social Security is BROKE!

April 29, 2010

Many reports indicate that Social Security will be in the red in the coming years. Listen to this shocking revelation from Doug Andrew of Missed Fortune Radio as to the real status of Social Security and what it means to you.

*If you’re reading this in an RSS reader or email, you may need to click the title of the post to watch the video.

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Missed Fortune RadioThis week Doug Andrew discussed the following:

Upcoming Complimentary Webinar

Attend our free 90-minute webinar live over the Internet this coming Tuesday, April 20th at 11:00 a.m. pacific (12:00 p.m. mountain, 1:00 p.m. central, 2:00 p.m. eastern), and again at 6:30 p.m. pacific (7:30 mountain, 8:30 central, 9:30 eastern).

The topic is “True Asset Optimization: How to Choose the Right Investments.” You’ll learn how to maintain liquidity and guarantee safety of principal while earning a healthy, tax-free rate of return that outpaces inflation.

Register now by calling 1-888-76-Radio (888-767-2346). If operators are busy, please call again.

All attendees receive a bonus hardcover copy of Last Chance Millionaire, Doug Andrew’s New York Times best-selling book.

Government Penalties for Healthy Behavior

We recently passed Tax Freedom Day, the day the commemorates how long you work for the government before being able to enjoy the fruits of your own labor.

Did you know that Americans will pay more taxes in 2010 than they will spend on food, clothing and shelter combined?

And as William La Jeunesse reported:

“When you combine the public debt — the amount we owe China and other nations — with our intragovernmental debt — what we owe social security — the interest alone is $383 billion. That’s more than what we spend on energy, agriculture, homeland security, education and almost every other government agency combined.”

We live in a great country and we should all pay our fair share to keep our nation strong and vibrant. Unfortunately, however, many people pay far more than their fair share.

What’s worse than how much we all pay in taxes is the fact that government policies penalize healthy habits and behavior.

For example, in a New York Times article by Roni Karyn Rabin entitled “Could Health Overhaul Incentives Hurt Some?,” Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, says,

“Right now, the employees who are healthy and living a healthy lifestyle are paying for those who are not. They are overpaying almost twice as much for the unhealthy: the obese, the smokers, people like that. You, an employee who is healthy and doesn’t smoke, are subsidizing the medical claims, with your premiums going up every month, to pay for someone who smokes, for someone who is obese.”

By 2020, 90 percent of all federal tax revenue will be allocated just to servicing the national debt and deficit, and most Americans will be paying 50 percent of their income in taxes.

Currently, 55 percent of Americans pay more in taxes than they receive in social benefits, and the remaining 45% receive more benefits than they pay in taxes.

This ratio is only going to get worse — we’ll continue penalizing the producers to support consumers.

Such a system disincentivizes saving, investing, maintaining physical health, and other behavior.

Play Good Offense With Your Personal Finances

It’s been said that the best defense is a good offense. With the government constantly attacking your hard-earned wealth, this holds true for your personal finances.

Rather than waiting for the government to rob your production and then playing defense with your CPA, you need to take a more proactive approach.

You need to put your serious cash in vehicles that give you the following benefits:

  1. Tax-free growth, tax-free withdrawal, and tax-free transfer to heirs.
  2. Penalty-free liquidity.
  3. Safety of principal.
  4. A healthy rate of return that outpaces inflation.

Schedule a free consultation with a Missed Fortune advisor today to jump-start your personal finance offense.

Bonus Missed Fortune E-Book: Baby Boomer Blunders

The average Baby Boomer has less than $50,000 accumulated for retirement (which means many have less than that), primarily due to bad habits and having money invested in the wrong places where economic downturns can diminish their nest egg.

Download this e-book now at www.babyboomerblunders.com.

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Whether you’re for or against President Obama’s health care reform, there’s one thing we’re all in the same boat on: the price tag.

You might want to strap on a life vest.

An online Newsweek article reveals the Congressional Budget Office’s recent estimate of Obama’s budget, which included the health care program.

“From 2011 to 2020, the cumulative deficit is almost $10 trillion. Adding 2009 and 2010, the total rises to $12.7 trillion. In 2020, the projected annual deficit is $1.25 trillion, equal to 5.6 percent of the economy (gross domestic product). That assumes economic recovery, with unemployment at 5 percent. Spending is almost 30 percent higher than taxes. Total debt held by the public rises from 40 percent of GDP in 2008 to 90 percent in 2020, close to its post-World War II peak.”

It’s clear in the coming years the national budget –- and corresponding debt –- could severely affect all of us. What’s worse, America’s woes could impact more than just the USA, as we’ve seen financial ripple effects spread globally.

Even with signs of economic recovery, the future looks anything but balmy. You can find calm waters and pull yourself ashore with smart financial planning.

Take advantage of tax-advantaged retirement savings now. Find out how you can protect yourself so you never have to lose again.

Give yourself an antidote to the future side effects of costly health care reform today.

Isn’t It Time You Became Wealthy?

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Missed Fortune RadioThis week Doug Andrew discussed the following:

Upcoming Complimentary Webinar

Attend our free 90-minute webinar live over the Internet this coming Tuesday, April 13th at 11:00 a.m. pacific (12:00 p.m. mountain, 1:00 p.m. central, 2:00 p.m. eastern), and again at 6:30 p.m. pacific (7:30 mountain, 8:30 central, 9:30 eastern).

The topic is “True Asset Optimization: How to Choose the Right Investments.” You’ll learn how to maintain liquidity and guarantee safety of principal while earning a healthy, tax-free rate of return that outpaces inflation.

Register now by calling 1-888-76-Radio (888-767-2346). If operators are busy, please call again.

All attendees receive a bonus hardcover copy of Last Chance Millionaire, Doug Andrew’s New York Times best-selling book.

The Riddle of 3 Fishermen — & Government Finances

After a great day of fishing, 3 fishermen check into a lodge. They’re told that a room will cost $30.

Each of them pay $10 and they go up to their room. Later, the receptionist realizes that she overcharged them; the room should have cost $25.

So she gives five $1 bills to the bellboy and asks him to take them to the fishermen. The bellboy, not being very honest, pockets $2, then gives each of the fishermen $1 back.

This now meant that instead of paying $10 per person, they had paid $9 per person. $9 times 3 is 27. Now add the two dollars that the bellboy took and it comes to $29.

Where did the other dollar go?

Listen to the radio show to find out the answer, as well as to discover how it relates to government finances and you.

Health Care Reform is Draining, Not Helping America

Whether you’re for or against President Obama’s health care reform, there’s one thing we’re all in the same boat on: the price tag.

You might want to strap on a life vest.

An online Newsweek article reveals the Congressional Budget Office’s recent estimate of Obama’s budget, which included the health care program.

“From 2011 to 2020, the cumulative deficit is almost $10 trillion. Adding 2009 and 2010, the total rises to $12.7 trillion. In 2020, the projected annual deficit is $1.25 trillion, equal to 5.6 percent of the economy (gross domestic product).

“That assumes economic recovery, with unemployment at 5 percent. Spending is almost 30 percent higher than taxes. Total debt held by the public rises from 40 percent of GDP in 2008 to 90 percent in 2020, close to its post-World War II peak.”

It’s clear in the coming years the national budget –- and corresponding debt –- could severely affect all of us.

What’s worse, America’s woes could impact more than just the U.S., as we’ve seen financial ripple effects spread globally.

Even with signs of economic recovery, the future looks anything but balmy. For example, according to experts 10 states are currently on the brink of insolvency.

You can find calm waters and pull yourself ashore with smart financial planning.

Harness the power of tax-advantaged retirement savings now. Find out how you can protect yourself so you never have to lose again.

Give yourself an antidote to the future side effects of costly health care reform today by meeting with a Missed Fortune advisor.

Bonus Missed Fortune E-Book: Baby Boomer Blunders

The average Baby Boomer has less than $50,000 accumulated for retirement (which means many have less than that), primarily due to bad habits and having money invested in the wrong places where economic downturns can diminish their nest egg.

Download this e-book now at www.babyboomerblunders.com.

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Missed Fortune RadioThis week Doug Andrew discussed the following:

Upcoming Complimentary Webinar

Attend our free 90-minute webinar live over the Internet this coming Tuesday, March 30th at 11:00 a.m. pacific (12:00 p.m. mountain, 1:00 p.m. central, 2:00 p.m. eastern), and again at 6:30 p.m. pacific (7:30 mountain, 8:30 central, 9:30 eastern).

The topic is “Choosing the Right Investments.” You’ll learn how to maintain liquidity and guarantee safety of principal while earning a healthy, tax-free rate of return that outpaces inflation.

Register now by calling 1-888-76-Radio (888-767-2346). If operators are busy, please call again.

All attendees receive a bonus hardcover copy of Last Chance Millionaire, Doug Andrew’s New York Times best-selling book.

America’s Health Care Tragedy

With the recent passage of the health care bill, liberals have struck one more blow to the American spirit.

If things continue toward socialism, the America we grew up in and love will be lost for our children and grandchildren.

We’re heading towards income tax rates for average Americans of 50 - 60 percent. And the bill is having immediate impact on American businesses.

Claudia Cowan recently wrote an article entitled “On the Tab: Food, Drinks, & Health Care.” She reports:

One of the provisions in the new health care law requires small businesses to provide coverage for workers. Such an ‘employer mandate’ has been in place in San Francisco, Calif., for over a year. The mandate has earned mixed reviews at best.

“Under the law, businesses with 20 or more employees are required to provide medical coverage, either on their own or by paying into a city-run program. That’s what most restaurants are doing — albeit grudgingly.

“To cover the cost, owners are either having to raise their menu prices or tack on a so-called ‘Healthy Surcharge’ onto the tab. At some places, it’s around 4 percent of the check. Others charge a flat fee of a dollar or two.

“Either way, customers are footing the bill for the health care of their waitstaff, busboys, and cooks…”

Beginning in 2013, investors will also start feeling the oppression of Obamacare. As Associated Press reports in an article entitled “Health Bill Extends Wage Tax to Investments”:

“High-income families would be hit with a tax increase on wages and a new levy on investments under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul bill…

“A new 3.8 percent tax would be imposed on interest, dividends, capital gains and other investment income for individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples making more than $250,000.

“The bill also would increase the Medicare payroll tax by 0.9 percentage point to 2.35 percent on wages above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly.”

Take Ownership For Your Future

We can’t depend on the government to take care of us. The government is simply plunging America deeper and deeper into debt and taking from those who produce to support those who do not.

Producers must take ownership for their future. You need to be proactive about retirement planning. You need to save yourself because big government can’t.

Specifically, you need to learn how to invest wisely. You need to invest in strategies and products that give you the following benefits:

  • Tax-free growth, tax-free withdrawal, and tax-free transfer to heirs.
  • Liquidity.
  • Safety of principal.
  • A healthy rate of return that outpaces inflation.

Taxes are going up and the dollar will be worth less. So what are you going to do about it?

Meet with a Missed Fortune advisor to learn how you can secure your future against an increasingly-intrusive and inept government.

Bonus Missed Fortune E-Book: Baby Boomer Blunders

The average Baby Boomer has less than $50,000 accumulated for retirement (which means many have less than that), primarily due to bad habits and having money invested in the wrong places where economic downturns can diminish their nest egg.

Download this e-book now at www.babyboomerblunders.com.

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With the economy taking one of its most historic swan dives the past couple years, almost everyone has felt the impact of the global drowning.

Whether you’re in real estate, high tech, financial services, the arts—or even sandwich-making—the ripple effect has been more like a whirlpool for many Americans.

superhero-300x199 Create Your Own Economic Stimulus Plan -- Save Yourself Because Big Government CantWho’s stepping in to save the day? Who’s going to perform critical emergency resuscitation? Is the government’s economic stimulus package really the thing that will revive us all?

The federal government has been doing its best “lifeguard impression,” reaching out to scoop up the banking, insurance, auto and other industries.

In doing so, the government has undertaken some risky strategies.

The bailout efforts have all but nationalized some sectors while marginalizing others. Funded by tomorrow’s dollars, today’s national debt is astronomical, and it is escalating by the moment.

In fact, half of the $3.6 trillion President Obama has earmarked for the economic stimulus has already gone deficit.

And while many of the banks and institutions that took Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) money have already paid that back, the fact is, the federal deficit was about $1.8 trillion for 2009 alone. That was quadruple 2008’s deficit, and it brought our total national debt to nearly $13 trillion.

Is all this emergency intervention the best response? I don’t think so.

Recessions are nothing new. The economy naturally goes up and down; booms and busts are almost as American as apple pie and baseball. The country has gone through at least five major recessions in the past thirty years alone. In fact, on the average, we go through these cycles about every eight years.

Sometimes the cycle lasts longer, such as the 1990-2001 cycle. Sometimes it’s a shorter run, such as the 2002-2008 cycle. And while financial strategists like me argue against intervention, Congress insists on trying to spend the country’s way out of a recession.

But as the past has shown, the results of the government’s efforts are often only short-lived.

Federal financial intervention is sort of like chugging on an energy drink. An energy drink’s infusion of caffeine and sugar provides a boost for a few hours, but once the effects wear off, there’s a big crash that follows.

Right now it might look like the economy is beginning to rebound. But this is likely the impact of federal spending that has caused a surge in housing, a drop in interest rates, and a spike in car sales from last summer’s Cash for Clunkers program.

The long-term effects remain to be seen, because we’re operating on an economic “caffeine and sugar” high.

The reality is that during the last couple years, businesses have suffered, and they have been forced to make changes. They have had to cut costs; they have had to find ways to be more productive; and in many cases, they have had to lay off employees.

Their hard-learned lessons will not be quickly forgotten during the temporary boost from Congress. They have found out their companies can now produce more with fewer expenses and a smaller workforce. They are cautious about re-hiring employees. That’s why we see unemployment remaining high.

In fact, unemployment usually doesn’t bounce back for eighteen to twenty-four months after a recession has flattened out and turned around.

The best advice in these times? Stop waiting for the government to rescue you. Perform your own Creative Practical Recovery (CPR) by identifying your own individual economic stimulus package.

Learn how to protect yourself, your family, and your future using sound and proven strategies and then practice the skills to thrive, no matter what economic storms might be bringing others down.

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