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Is It Safe Yet?

To many investment bankers working on Wall Street, information means everything, while sentiment and uncertainty are to be avoided at all costs. These people are serious about wanting absolute answers before deciding whether it’s safe to move their money out of cash and into equities.

To support my point, here’s recently uncovered video of a few of them trying to extract information from one poor unsuspecting economist, whom they believe can give them just the answer they seek. (turn up the volume)

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Posted 08 March 2010 † Guzzo § Commentary § Market Timing § Stock Market ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Arizona College Savings

Are you a prospective (or current) college student living on a limited budget in Maricopa County, and looking to save a significant amount of money?

Then you’ll want to read an Arizona Economics blog post written by Mesa Community College economics teacher Scott Gustafson, proposing a very simple idea to cut your college tuition by approximately 200%!

Maricopa Community CollegesJust how simple, but powerful, of an idea?

Instead of enrolling at one of Arizona’s State universities this Fall semester where tuition is expected to climb over $8000.00 for the year, consider taking similar transferable credit classes at a Maricopa Community College, where tuition is to remain steady at just over $2000.00 for the 2010-2011 school year.

That’s what I did to initially afford college.

I was able to save on two years of tuition by fulfilling my pre-pharmacy requirements at Phoenix College, then transferring those credits to the University of Arizona upon acceptance into their College of Pharmacy program to finish the final four years.

Not only was I able to save money, I also have very fond memories of the time I spent at Phoenix College. I received a quality education, met some great people, always felt welcomed, and throughly enjoyed my time there.

You can’t put a price on that.

Posted 07 March 2010 † Guzzo § Personal Finance ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

You Don’t Need Eyes To See

I recently got an email from a reader wanting to know how I’ve been able to accurately assess market and economic conditions so consistently over the past few years, even though I’m not an investment, economic, or any other type of financial professional.

I thought it best if I answered that question here, for everyone to read.

Well dear reader, while it would be easy to claim that I’ve gained this ability through years of consistent study and personal experience, I really don’t possess any abilities that you don’t also have within yourself.

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You can do it too. All you need is the desire to learn, to open your mind and think for yourself, and to be aware of what’s happening around you.

Posted 06 March 2010 † Guzzo § Commentary § Market Timing ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

Recession Affecting Your Bling?

The Great Recession has affected every sector of the economy, even the one’s we haven’t really thought about. Just ask The Daily Show.

Posted 01 March 2010 † Guzzo § Commentary § Economic ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

The State Of Arizona’s Economy

I’m about a month behind in finding this, but here’s an Arizona Illustrated interview of University of Arizona economists Marshall J. Vest, Director Economic and Business Research Center, and Professor Gerald Swanson, Eller College of Management.

These two leading economic advisers give their assessment of the State of Arizona’s economy and the budget crisis.

Posted 26 February 2010 † Guzzo § Commentary § Economic ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,

America Saves Week

America Saves WeekFebruary 21-28 is designated as America Saves Week, a week where financial bloggers encourage people to take financial action through saving, debt reduction, and wealth building.

The personal savings rate has risen above 4% recently, but most Americans are still not saving adequately for retirement, and most lower-income households do not have adequate emergency savings for unexpected expenditures like a car repair. But with more societal encouragement and support, more Americans can be persuaded to build wealth, not debt.

For my contribution to America Saves Week I thought I would share a personal story of a simple strategy that I use to save a portion of my income.

My personal checking account is with Arizona Federal Credit Union (AZFCU). Opening a checking account at AZFCU requires first opening a “share” savings account with a minimum of $25.00. One doesn’t have to contribute further savings to this share account in order to keep the checking account open. It’s just a requirement for being a member, and it can also be used for overdraft protection.

I also have a piggy bank at home. When I empty my pockets upon changing my clothes everyday, I feed the pig with my leftover change from that day. When the piggy bank gets full, I rolled up the coins and periodically deposit them into my share account at the credit union.

I’ve been saving my change for approximately five years now. I don’t contribute anything to this account except my spare change, and use this share savings account for the sole purpose of seeing just how much I can save over time with this strategy. It’s not a lot of money, but with time and consistency, I’ve managed to save just under $2000.00.

Now, I know that your probably saying to yourself “$2000.00?!, that isn’t squat”. If so, then you’re right. But it doesn’t take a significant effort on my part and doesn’t cause me undue financial hardship. It also shows that even a few cents here or there can become a significant level over time.

So, what are you going to do during America Saves Week? Take action.

Posted 23 February 2010 † Guzzo § Commentary § Personal Finance ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: ,