Money Merge Account

I was having a conversation with an old friend who related a misadventure he had experienced a number of years ago. Because of his reaction in a moment of anguish and duress, he found himself unfairly shackled, in an orange jumpsuit, about to spend the night in a cell with a complete stranger.

Fortunately for my friend, he had the resources to raise bail and hire a competent attorney. For him, justice prevailed and all was well. Not so for his one night cellmate. He had three children but no money. He had languished in the system for days and had no idea how he was getting out.

Now you may be asking, what on earth is the relevance of this story? Well, I suppose there is a social commentary about justice and fairness that could be offered, but this is not about politics or social justice. This is about money. The Bible tells us it is evil to love it; however, to use it well is wisdom.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon comes into his old age and is bewailing the emptiness of wealth for its own sake. However, to paraphrase, he says the following: for wisdom is protection just as money is protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. My friend found that because he had been wise with his money, it was there when he really needed it. That night it went beyond something that was nice to have and became necessary beyond his expectations.

So I ask you, is it wise to treat our financial resources nonchalantly? I am suggesting that while each of us must make decisions for ourselves, it is unwise and foolish to fail to acquire the truth about any effective strategy that can revolutionize how we use our money. Good grief, unless you are the beneficiary of some enormous trust fund, you’re probably working your tail off (like me) for what you have.

If you have not investigated the possible advantages to your financial well being that the Money Merge Account System™ can provide, you may be cheating yourself out of the fruits of your labor.

Click on the link: Money Merge Account System™ and you can look to the left and request a free analysis. Or you can email me: (Paul Phaneuf) if you have specific questions about the Money Merge Account System™. I’ll be happy to answer them. You can decide for yourself if it works for you once you see the numbers.

Paul Phaneuf
Paul@PaidAndFree.com
www.PaidAndFree.com

“John, you are not going to believe this but they have a new invention that will replace gas lamps you are using now in your house. And it does not use flame or fire at all! ”

“What are you talking about, Bill? How do you get light without fire?

“No, it uses electricity like the telegraph. A wire comes in and makes light in a glass ball. There is a switch on the wire and you just turn it on when you want.”

“That sounds incredible but I’m happy with what I have now for my family. It has worked for years and I trust it.”

“John, you are using fire to provide light now and look at the deaths and damage caused by home fires. Over half of the fires in this city are started or accelerated by gas lamps.”

“The gas lamps we have today work fine and we have not burned out house down yet. It may be a good thing for some people but I don’t need any changes to our house: wires and switches and whatever.”

Many people are reluctant to embrace change. Often that is a good thing. I proudly sell the United First Financial Money Merge Account™ program. It has totally changed all my customers’ financial future for the better. Every single customer, no exceptions. But many people still are not interested. While that is often frustrating to me, there seems to others I meet that are interested. I have made an effort to continue to reach out to those who have been reluctant at first, because they will eventually see that this program is right for them also.

If you find someone that just does not want to act now, change your approach to passive. Pushing is far more likely to cause harm. But passive does not mean you forget them. Continue the communication, keep them informed. At some point there will be a “Tipping Point” and they will come to you if you have kept the communication channels open. If the term “Tipping Point” is unfamiliar to you, read the short and important book of that name by Malcolm Gladwell.

Larry Lynch

www.30in10.US

“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” – Woodrow T. Wilson

Not too long after I started appraising, I knew that it wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I didn’t feel any sense of purpose to what I was doing. I certainly don’t want to minimize the work that appraisers, or even other mortgage professionals, do - we need them. But for me there was no fulfillment. I was just making a living. I had forgotten the errand.

Bringing the Money Merge Account™ System to people really does fulfill what President Wilson said: We are able to bring hope to people who may have never imagined home ownership without the bondage of debt. The debt on a home is considered “normal” in our society. We have become complacent in letting the “standard” banking instruments work so well for the lenders and not for the homeowner. Offering this system really is “a finer spirit of hope and achievement.”

If you would like to talk about how the Money Merge Account™ System can bring new hope and a vision for a bright future to you, send me an email or give me a call. I’ll be glad to help.

John Janecek
United First Financial
Independent Agent #895492
JohnJanecek@gmail.com
(805) 757-1404

This morning I was eating a grapefruit with a spoon, when I found myself using my left hand…Since I am right-handed, it gave me pause.  When I was younger I used to practice using my left hand for different tasks, such as writing or tying my shoes.  I guess I did this because I wanted to be prepared if I ever broke my hand or sprained my wrist–some might say this is a self-fufilling prophecy, or a defeatest attitiude–if you prepare to break a hand–then you will.

 But I don’t think that’s true, I see it as just good planning.  That’s my business, I help people prepare for the things they never think will happen to them.  And even though, that it is MUCH more likely that someone will lose their job, get down-sized, bought out, or otherwise discarded, people never think it will happen to them!

But, life is just full of surprises…lot’s of things are out of our control–but good planning is NOT!  Make sure you are not relying on just your HELOC or that you have “plenty of equity” in your home for that rainy day.  That safety net is just not there now for so many Americans and it is placing them at risk of foreclosure.  Remember CASH IS KING!

Take control of your equity by separating it from the walls in your home.  Plan ahead and when your surprise comes, you’ll be using your left hand without missing a beat, with your cash, in control.  For more information about Equity Management, visit www.UnlockMyMoney.com.

“A year from now you will wish you had started today.”  Karen Lamb

Pam Provo, The Equity Expert TM,  385 South St., Shrewsbury, MA 01545 (508) 925-4517, info@unlockmymoney.com

Our government in Washington may think highly of itself, but it does not want to be all things to all people. While there are some agenda’s that it actively pursues, there are some areas it stays away from. Our government does not want to get into the business of retirement planning. But there is a serious need to assist our senior citizens and the implementation of Medicare by Lyndon Johnson is viewed by most economists as this country’s greatest single step towards eliminating poverty nationally. The next steps were to supply better financial tools for retirement: first the IRA and then the Roth IRA.

The Roth IRA was 10 years old this January and is the biggest money making tool ever offered to Americans. By law or by the nature of mathematics, this program does not work for all Americans. There are limits as to how much money you can put in a Roth, requirements that you have an earned income and the risk of stock market investing. However putting $20,000 in a Roth for a child that is turning 18 (that is likely to take 5 years or more, which is then covered by the IRS “Gifting” clause) when that child turns 68, you can expect that they will have well over $1,000,000.00 Tax Free in that account. Over One Million Dollars Tax Free. And they should expect to live past 100 and will need every penny.

If you start at age 45, about half way through the time period, you will NOT get half the money. Sorry, but that is how Compound Interest works. At age 45 you can only expect about $175,000. If you want the big bucks you need to start early.

So while our government does not want to be in the retirement business, they want to give you powerful tools to help you make your own decisions. The power of the Roth presents several challenges:

Does it really make sense to spend $100,000 on college for your kids when only about half finish and then they move back in with you? For 1/5 that amount you can insure they have economic security for half of their adult life.

When the government and financial institutions offer the Roth with almost no charges at all, why would you pay a Personal Finance Consultant thousands of dollars a year to help you do the same thing?

The only legal financial system I know of that will give you a better return on your investment is the Money Merge Account™ from United First Financial. For $3500 in the area where I live, my customer are getting back about $221,000. And like the Roth IRA, all that money is Tax Free. Getting back $1,000,000 from a $20,000 investment in a Roth IRA is a 50:1 return and takes 50 years. Getting back $221,000 on a $3500 investment in the Money Merge Account™ is a 63:1 return and takes less than 30 years.

Larry Lynch
30in10.US          www.KidsFutureUSA.org

Here are five quick and easy tips to prepare for your home appraisal that are frequently overlooked:

1. Turn off your sprinklers

The appraiser is going to have to walk all around the outside of your house to measure, take pictures and look at the overall condition of your property. If your automatic sprinklers are on - or worse, they turn on while he/she is standing in your yard - the appraiser isn’t going to be too happy. Yes, appraisers are supposed to be impartial, but don’t forget that they are human - with human emotions - and can get real annoyed if they have to go to their next appointment soaking wet. They’ll be even more annoyed if their electronic equipment, like their digital camera, pda or laser measuring device, gets completely ruined. Also, if your sprinklers turn on overnight and you have a morning appointment, the appraiser will have to walk through your wet lawn and muddy flower beds. Keep the appraiser happy by providing a dry yard to walk through. Obviously, you can’t control the weather, so if it’s just rained or is raining when the appraiser shows up, don’t worry about it. The appraiser has to handle weather. But if you have sprinklers on, the appraiser might think that you are rather inconsiderate.

2. Put away or control your dogs.

Appraisers are people. Some of them like dogs, others don’t. But dogs are dogs. I’ve always had dogs, but it seemed that whenever I showed up at someone’s home, their dog treated me like the mailman. Maybe the dog senses the homeowner’s apprehension. Even if your dog is super friendly - I’ve never met a lab that wasn’t super friendly - don’t make the appraiser get distracted by your dog. The appraiser might miss some very important features of your home because he/she was looking at the dog or trying to make sure the dog wasn’t sneaking up to bite. Put your dog in the garage. Make sure all doggie doors are closed off. Then, when the appraiser is ready to look in the garage, put the dog outside or in one of the bedrooms. Oh, and let the appraiser know what you are doing. He/she will recognize that you are being very considerate.

3. Make a list of features and all completed improvements.

In order to be sure that you told the appraiser everything, print up a list of all the features of your home and any improvements you have completed and give this list to the appraiser. Also, try to include the completion date and an estimate of the improvement cost. If you’ve owned your home since the 1960’s and you remodeled your kitchen in 1983, don’t expect the appraiser to be terribly impressed. But if you spent $50,000 on a kitchen remodel with maple cabinets, granite counters and bamboo flooring in the last few years, make sure you list all that out for the appraiser. It’s likely they’ll comment on these improvements in their report, even if they don’t add much value to your home. They’ll include it just so they don’t get a call from the lender saying, “Hey, the homeowner said they gave you a list of improvements and you didn’t mention any of them in your report. I think you missed a lot of improvements and upgrades and you probably undervalued the property.” The appraiser will appreciate the list and you’ll know you didn’t forget to tell them about something.

4. Make a copy of the last appraiser’s sketch.

If you have a copy of a previous appraisal, you’ll find a drawing of your home with all the measurements. Make a copy of that for the current appraiser. He/she will still have to verify measurements, but it will make things go much quicker. Also, if there is any discrepancy, the appraiser can double check the measurements and explain why his/her square footage calculations are different than the prior appraisal report.

5. Tidy up.

The appraiser is not coming to check out your housekeeping abilities and doesn’t expect that teenager’s room to be spotless. The appraiser is there to look at the overall condition of the property. He/she is going to look at the condition of the wall coverings, floor coverings, counters, bathrooms, kitchen appliances, etc. However, if the appraiser has a hard time seeing surfaces because of clutter, or if the home has a strong odor, chances are the appraiser’s opinion is going to be swayed to a lower condition rating. You aren’t trying to sell the appraiser your house, so it doesn’t have to be perfect, but you do want to present the best possible image to the appraiser. Also, many appraisers include interior photos of the house - sometimes due to appraiser liability issues and sometimes at the request of the lender. If the appraiser says the condition of the home is “good” or “very good” but the photos show a really cluttered home, the review appraiser or the lender might have to call the appraiser and question the report. Once someone starts questioning the appraiser’s report, things don’t usually turn out good. So, take a few minutes the night before the appraisal and tidy up.

Bonus tip #1 - Make sure the appraiser can walk around your house.

The appraiser will have to measure the exterior of your house and take exterior photos. If you have that one side of your house that has all your junk piled up - you know, the left over lumber from that playhouse that was almost finished five years ago, the lawnmower that doesn’t work any more and your old motorcycle from college that you haven’t started for 25 years, but YES! you will someday - the appraiser will have a hard time taking that wall’s measurement. If it’s a straight wall, the appraiser knows how to handle this, but if that side of the house has any bump outs or angles, the appraiser is going to have to get in there. Remember what I said about the appraiser being human. He/she doesn’t want to climb over all that junk any more than you do, so clean it out. It’s good for the appraisal and it will make you happy because you finally got that job done that you’ve been meaning to do for the past few years.

Super bonus tip #2 - Clean up after your pets.

If you have dogs or cats (or even neighborhood cats that visit your yard), make sure you clean up any pet droppings before the appraiser gets to your home. If the appraiser has to dodge dog bombs, then he/she isn’t able to fully concentrate on what they are doing. Also, it may lower their perception of the condition of your home. Yes, every appraiser has stepped in it occasionally. Even though I’m not appraising anymore, I still keep packages of baby wipes in my car because I learned how useful they are for just such emergencies. I’ve also dropped the end of my tape measure in a pile of dog doo - more than once. I’ve even had to throw shoes away because I accidentally stepped in cat feces and the smell just wouldn’t go away no matter how much I cleaned them. Trust me on this one, be considerate of the person coming to your home and clean up the doo.

If you would like to talk about how United First Financial’s Money Merge Account™ System can work for you, send me an email or give me a call. I’ll be glad to help.

John Janecek
United First Financial
Independent Agent #895492
JohnJanecek@gmail.com
(805) 757-1404

The Statistics: Why Lenders Lock Client’s out of HELOC’s by Kimhouy Ung- 702-767-3208

The Statistics: Americans household debt has more than doubled in a decade to $13.8 trillion at the end of 2007 from $6.4 trillion in 1999, the household debt went up by $7.4 trillion in eight years, and the vast majority of it is in mortgage and home equity lines, according to Fed data. Americans owe a record-breaking $1.1 trillion in HELOCs (which is twice as much as a decade ago). Securitized second-lien mortgages (HELOCs & Fixed Rate 2nd Mortgages) are in real trouble as there are still tens of billions to be written down.

As more Americans borrowed against the rising value of their homes, many defaulted when the housing bubble burst in 2007. Moody’s economy.com claims that 5.7% of HELOCs were delinquent or were in default at the end of 2007 (up over 26% from 2006). Nearly 6% of all U.S. homeowners were in some form of mortgage delinquency during the fourth quarter of 2007(an all-time high). According to Mortgage Bankers Association report, the U.S. is currently enduring historic levels of foreclosures (since it started keeping track in 1985). Adjustable-Rate Mortgages led the way, with Foreclosure rates doubling year over year in both Prime and Sub-Prime ARMs.

There are 1.5 million loans, representing 40% of the outstanding Sub-Prime ARMs, scheduled to reset this year. Already, more than 1 in every 20 home mortgages and 1 in every 5 subprime mortgages are delinquent, while foreclosures are at record highs. According to T2 Partners LLC, many of the home sales from February are foreclosures (and it will continue to rise), a bottom in the housing crisis is not in sight (not until we have worked through the millions of foreclosures that are in front of us with the more than 3.5 Million in excess home inventory, along with a lower than 6 Months supply of homes for sale- which currently takes 9.8 months to clear out all the homes that are for sale, the highest since 1981), thus indicating that we are still in the Early Innings of the bursting of the Housing & Credit Bubbles.

John Burns Real Estate Consulting analyzed that stable inventory levels of 6 Months will nationally be achieved in 2010, stable pricing will be achieved in 2011, and sales should be higher than current levels by 2012. In 1994, the Derivatives held by major US Banks were $15.7 Trillion, now according to the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); it reports that the total national value of derivatives in the hands of U.S Banks is $172.2 trillion. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned that these derivatives could derail our financial system; they have grown eleven-fold since 1994 from their initial warnings. According to the OCC, just 5 major U.S. Commercial Banks control 97% of all the bank-held derivatives in the United States (a concentration of power, and risk, unsurpassed in the history of finance). Four of these banks: Bank of America, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Wachovia, and HSBC, have more credit exposure to derivatives defaults than they have in capital.

Please send an e-mail to geneheckerman@vmdirect.com for a copy of the full article.

“I paid for it, give it to me!”

This was one of the most common comments I received from borrowers when I was appraising. The law seems confusing to a borrower, but it is actually very specific for the appraiser. If the Appraiser is performing an appraisal for a lender, the homeowner is not the Appraiser’s client, and therefore, the Appraiser legally cannot give a copy of the report, or even discuss the appraisal, with the borrower. Here is a portion of the text from the receipts I would give a borrower when they paid me directly for an appraisal that was being performed for a home loan:

“When an appraisal is performed for a lender, the borrower/homeowner is NOT entitled to a copy of the appraisal report from the appraiser. This is because the appraiser’s client is the lender, not the borrower, even though the borrower pays the appraisal fee. A client is defined as the party who directly engages the appraiser to perform the assignment. The client is most commonly a mortgage broker, mortgage banker, or direct lender if the purpose of the appraisal assignment is for a loan transaction secured by 1-4 unit residential real property (for purchase or refinancing purposes).

Appraisers receive and accept many appraisal assignments from clients specifically instructing them to collect the appraisal fee at the door (or “C.O.D.”) from the borrower. It is considered a common and generally accepted practice for the appraiser to collect this payment directly from the borrower on behalf of the client to compensate for the appraisal service. However, this does not render the borrower as the client or entitle them to a copy of the appraisal from the appraiser.

The appraiser is required to protect the confidential nature of the appraiser-client relationship, and thus is prohibited by law to provide a copy, or disclose the contents of his or her appraisal report to anyone other than the client. Any licensed appraiser violating this portion of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice may be subject to disciplinary action by the Office of Real Estate Appraisers (OREA).

Although the appraiser cannot provide the borrower with a copy of the appraisal without the client’s permission, the borrower has every right to receive a copy of the appraisal from the lender, provided he or she has paid for the appraisal and the loan involves 1-4 unit residential property. According to California Business and Professions Code Section 11423, a borrower has up to 90 days after the lender has provided notice of their lending decision to submit a written request for a copy of the appraisal.”

Now, that language was specific for me, an appraiser in California, but that was the simplest language I could find to help the borrower understand that the law prohibited me from giving them a copy of the report. The topic of the “Appraiser/Client Relationship” is deep enough for several future articles, but understand that the appraiser can only give the report to his/her client due to privacy laws. The client is the party that engages (not schedules, not who may benefit, etc.) the appraiser.

For me, one of the best things about offering the Money Merge Account ™ System is being able to talk to and get to know the people I am helping. If you would like to talk about how the Money Merge Account™ System may help you, send me an email or give me a call.

John Janecek
United First Financial
Independent Agent #895492
JohnJanecek@gmail.com
(805) 757-1404

There are very few mortgage and finance questions for which you cannot find an answer somewhere on the Internet.  However, what is difficult to find is the answer to “which financial solution/product/program is the best fit for me?”  The best fit has less to do with right or wrong, good or bad, but rather, how compatible a financial solution is with:

1.    Your unique financial situation.
2.    Your financial habits, behavior, discipline, tolerance for risk and appetite for reward.
3.    Your short and long term financial goals.

For example, interest-only loans, pick-a-payment loans, 40-year mortgages, paying points, adjustable rate mortgages, etc., are not “bad” options as media may portray; but they definitely aren’t the best fit for every person.  There are advantages and disadvantages to all of them, but with understanding it can become clear whether or not a solution will work harmoniously with you.

As another example, when it comes to paying down debt, there are really 2 schools of thought: pay off your highest interest rate account first then the next lowest with your freed up monthly capital, or pay off the smallest balance first and then the next highest with your freed up monthly capital.  Mathematically, the first option will save you the most money in the long run, but the progress in paying off debt may seem very slow and to some can be discouraging.  The second option tends to be very appealing because you see progress almost immediately (especially if you have a number of debts to pay off) and the progress helps you to stay motivated and disciplined to stick to your plan, even though in the end you will likely pay more interest to your creditors than the first option. 

The best fit theory is also applicable to this common dilemma:
A: Should you focus on paying off your mortgage and debts early on and then begin to plan for retirement and amass your savings by putting your funds into an investment vehicle that when compounded over a period of time will grow significantly? 
     or,
B: Should you take advantage of time and put aside money now to grow in an investment vehicle that when compounded over a period of time will grow into significant savings that would allow you to pay off your mortgage and other debts later in the future (if you desired to)?

While both options have merit, neither option is the best fit for everyone.  What matters more than how soon you’ll be debt free or how much savings can you accumulate, will be, which option are you more motivated and disciplined to stick to.  Both options will not reach their targeted destinations if you fail to keep at the plan on a consistent basis.

Let me introduce to you The Money Merge Account Program™.  It can work with your mortgage regardless of what type it is: whether fixed, adjustable, interest-only, 40yr, or pick-a-payment, etc.  It is more efficient than either of the debt-reduction plans mentioned.  It is also a solution that can either help you pay off your home in record time, or act as a synergistic solution to first get you debt free of credit cards, then second, help build up your equity so that it can be ‘harvested’ every 5 years or so to fund your retirement in the here-and-now, and third, employ your stagnant money to cancel unnecessary consumer and mortgage interest while you are waiting to spend your paycheck on other things.  It provides a visual financial dashboard that shows you every day what your progress looks like and can be an excellent motivator to not only stay on your plan, but accelerate toward your goal.  The Money Merge Account Program™ can help you to be more disciplined with your finances as you keep your focus on the end result – because it gives you real-time feedback every step of the way.

Conventional wisdom is sometimes worth challenging.  As you look inwardly at your propensity and desire to save, manage debt, spend, and grow your wealth, I extend an invitation to you to discover if the Money Merge Account Program™ is the best fit for you.  It’s worth a look.

Qabbani J. Goodwyn
Mortgage Planner
Option Avenue Financial Group
qabbani@optionavenue.com
(800) 939-1396 Toll Free
(443) 200-5956 Office

Taking Your Business to the Next Level
By Stan Shaw of the equity rescue TEAM

In past articles we discussed ways to created more value and help more clients with the Money Merge Account that on the surface looked like they were not good candidates.
This week we will look at how to increase your opportunities through finding and working with specially trained licensed professionals that will compliment and expand your business.

In fact they will design a long term financial blue print around your Money Merge Account analysis, not in place of it. These advisors will become your partners, not your competitors and will add a whole new level of opportunity that didn’t exist before.

They will even be able to help you do business with the over 30 million clients that have little or no mortgage. They will be able to show them the tremendous value of equity management and the need for mortgage planning turbocharged by the money Merge Account.

How many mortgage planners and United First agents in today’s market have these clients with great credit scores and little or no mortgage calling them? If you answered not many, you would be correct, with the exception of this special group that is part of a national network that is dedicated to helping people protect what is, for most, their largest asset, their home equity. In fact they are actually able to help there clients achieve more safety, liquidity and rate of return, as well as increase there spendable retirement income!

For those of you interested, but not sure where to find one of these specially trained Equity Management professionals, I have some good news!
Gene Heckerman, creator of the innovative Lead Busters remote selling program, is working on a system that will make this process much easier. His program will offer agents the opportunity to either team up with one of these specially trained licensed professionals or a mentoring program that will offer step by step training that will turn them into a licensed professional trained in equity management. For more information on this soon to be released program check out his website at www.myleadbusters.com

Stan Shaw
Total Wealth Solutions
781-985-7597
www.MyTotalWealthSolutions.com