River City Foundation

Posted by admin on Dec 4, 2011 in General | 0 comments

This morning I had the wonderful opportunity to have Phyllis Hargrave from the River City Business and Professional Foundation on the show, along with Elizabeth Scott who was a recipient of a scholarship from the organization to help her further her education, despite being a full-time mother of 2, while on welfare. Savings and Sense wanted to showcase a unique non-profit 501(c)(3) throughout the end of the year. After sifting through a few dozen entries we were proud to select the River City Business and Professional Foundation and are excited to help them as the pursue their goals and vision. The organization is seeking donations to further their goals and deductible donations may be sent to the organization at the address below. If you missed the show, you may listen to the archive HERE. (will be posted by December 8th) You may learn more about the organization HERE.

River City BPW Foundation Inc.
PO Box 35154
Louisville, KY 40232-5154

Don’t Be Stubborn

Posted by admin on Nov 6, 2011 in About | 0 comments

I appeared on CNBC Friday and typically don’t repost links or pull a ‘look at me’ but I thought the interview was a great example of just how important it is to be open-minded. Successful investing isn’t about being right, but being on the RIGHT SIDE.

If you missed the clip, you can find it below:

CNBC

Savings, Sense & Service??

Posted by admin on Oct 30, 2011 in General | 0 comments

Each week Savings and Sense radio program reaches over 60,000 listeners. This holiday season Savings and Sense wants to share this reach with one deserving non-profit service organization that directly impacts the Louisville community. Tell us your story and let us know what you do and how you do it. We’ll select one deserving organization to showcase throughout the Fall and Holiday Season and partner with you as you seek to pursue your mission. We’ll invite in your director or head honcho for an hour long interview on your organization so that we may bring further awareness to your goals and actions.

There are no formal writing requirements. Simply shoot us an e-mail outlining the general information about your organization and what exactly you do. We’ll select the winner after Thanksgiving and announce the organization on the air. The only requirement is that the organization is a registered 501©(3) in good standing.

We look forward to the opportunity to partner with you! Stay tuned for more updates.

SEEING it Clearly

Posted by admin on Aug 18, 2011 in General | 0 comments

2nd Trip 2003 - Mrs. Alcius, Renold and Q

My first trip to Haiti was in 2001 with my fiancé and a large group of people from our church. I had no idea what to expect but soon learned that any problems I had in my life would never compare with what the people of Haiti faced day in and day out. I’ll never forget that first trip as I experienced some life changing things. I’ll never forget watching a baby born in mission-run hospital by an 18-year-old girl who had walked two days to get to the clinic to deliver, just hours before. I only really appreciated this after having three children of my own. I’ll never forget talking with a woman who had just lost her only child to what she called a ‘tooth ache.’ I later learned that infected teeth ultimately causing death was a big problem in Haiti and a reason Dentists are desperately needed. Through it all the most memorable experience was my final night in Haiti. Throughout the trip I had gotten to know a young boy named Renold whom my family still supports to this day. He has grown into a fine young gentleman who is graduating high school this year and looks forward to going on to college. Throughout the trip I wasn’t just interested in buying his trinkets, I wanted to know his story. One day I ventured with him away from the mission-compound, pretty dumb when I look back on it now, and met his family which consisted of a younger brother, sister and his mother. Renold at the age of 12 was the bread winner and quite the entrepreneur. He would make and sell bracelets, necklaces or run errands for the missionaries hoping to make a few bucks here or there. While many people enjoyed meeting Renold on their trip to Haiti it became clear that few ever really got to know Renold. He was a determined young man and had a heart larger than most.

On my last night at the mission I wasn’t sure if I’d see Renold again before I left. It was a hectic day of packing and tidying up before a 4am bus trip to the remote airport in the morning. Much to my surprise one of the guards came walking around the campus looking for a “Quint.” The guard, toting his sawed off shot gun by the way, which was always very strange to me, finally found me telling me there was a street kid at the gate wanting to see me. I was amazed that the guard even came looking, which meant this young Renold had to have paid him to do so.

I went to see Renold at the gate with an interpreter so I could say a proper good bye. I figured he was going to hustle me up for a few more dollars and a quick hug before I left. You could only imagine my shock when I found this young man waiting at the gate for me with a large bag in his hand filled with fresh fruit. He was saying something which I didn’t understand and when I looked at the interpreter he simply said ‘The fruit is for you.’ It was evident that this interpreter was even shocked by this gesture which didn’t even begin to compare with the rush of humility I was feeling at the time. Everything in me did not want to accept this gift which clearly could have helped to feed this family for several days. I knew however that you did not deny a gesture such as this as the Haitian culture is a giving and loving one, despite what you may see on the news.

I embraced the boy and was overcome with joy as he said, in broken English, ‘thank you for seeing me.’ I later learned that what he meant was literal in that I didn’t just look at him, or give him some money but that I actually saw him and identified him as a person thereby getting to know him and becoming his friend.

I walked into the compound with my bag of fruit and the tears began to flood. It was beyond comprehension to me that someone with so little had just given me something that meant so much. The gesture changed my life and that night I enjoyed the best tasting fruit I had ever eaten.

Let’s face it. Sometimes the world sucks. Sometimes life is hard and sometimes we may struggle. A great mentor and friend once told me that the best way to improve your life is to do something for someone  who can do nothing in return. I didn’t know what he meant until one day I did just that, I helped someone who could simple not repay my deed nor did I want or expect them to. The satisfaction received was better than anything I had ever experienced.

2010 - Renold, Q, Mrs. Alcius

My challenge to you is simple. Do something for another today. That strange looking guy who collects carts at your grocery store; stop and talk to him. Don’t just look through him but see him. How about the clerk at the gas station? Why not ask her how her day is and actually wait to listen. Rather than pushing off your kids, ask them what they want to do? When they tell you they want to play cars for the umpteenth-millionth time, rather than going through the motions, play a game of cars that would rival the best action movies ever made. If you are so inclined make a resolution to volunteer somewhere in the next few days. Rather than sell that used appliance you’ve wanted to get rid of, call your local church and donate it.

Many often ask me what would improve our country. The first thing I think I would say if I was President giving a national address would be for Americans to help their fellow Americans. I would clarify that I didn’t mean giving to the Salvation Army, which is a fantastic cause by the way, but that I meant actually SEEING your neighbors and friends. Finding out what you can do for them and then doing it.

Take my challenge seriously. Get creative and do something today. Shoot me an e-mail and tell me about it. Rather than whining about our present situation or the world around us and its terrible state of affairs let’s look to bless another and for just a moment SEE something new in someone else and ourselves.

Haiti 2010 Video by Craig VanderZwaag

Your Weekend and Washington

Posted by admin on Jul 30, 2011 in Financial Sense | 0 comments

I too have been guilty of scoffing at the activities in Washington. It’s easier to quip about politics than it is to sink your teeth into a matter and become emotionally involved. This time it’s different and I must relay just how proud I am to see the gridlock which has taken place over this debt debate. Let me explain.

As most of you know our country is on a path of destruction spending far more than the revenue we bring in. This creates a national debt which thankfully has a ceiling. Unfortunately, there are items which are excluded from this calculation such as our government’s Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac obligations, but that’s another story. In the most simple terms, America is beyond broke and now with a deadline looming from which we would be above our debt ceiling, politicians are forced to take action.

OK, so this is where it gets interesting. As you know within Congress we have two branches, the House of Representatives and the Senate. At the present time the House is primarily controlled by republicans, while the Senate is controlled by democrats. Why does this matter? Well because anything that comes up for a vote will typically be rooted in some sort of view shared by either republicans or democrats. The fly in the ointment however is that there are really three parties occupying Congress, with the Tea Party taking up 60 seats in the House of Representatives. Each of these Tea Party members are republicans however it does not necessarily mean they will vote along party lines. These uber-conservative politicians have been elected to return the government to its roots, pursuing sane methods of fiscal discipline.

Now, what is typical in Washington is what I like to call the lawn chair model. When the pressure gets too high, most politicians will fold like a cheap lawn chair. This time however it seems to be different and this is precisely why I am proud and excited to see what is happening right now.

First off, let me ask you a few questions.

1.)    Is it too much to ask our government to keep the budget balanced?

2.)    Is it too much to reduce spending such that we can actually pay our bills?

3.)    Is it too much to stand our ground and not bend from the fear of wall-street?

There are three issues surrounding the debt ceiling resolution. Most republicans want to cut spending without raising taxes. Democrats want to cut spending while raising taxes. Tea Party members want to cut spending, while amending the constitution to mandate a balanced budget, without raising taxes.

Earlier in the week Speaker of the House John Boehner crafted a bill that would cut spending without raising taxes. Most knew that should this bill pass the House it would immediately be shot down in the Senate as it did not include any tax increase. One would assume this would easily pass the House but the vote had to be delayed and ultimately cancelled as it became clear that the bill would not even pass the House. Oh yes, the Tea Party stood their ground and said they would not pass a bill without a balanced budget amendment. So in it went. A revised bill was comprised including the new addition and it passed late Friday night. As with our political process it was then sent to the Senate for their review which if passed would be sent to the President for his signature to complete the deal. It was ‘tabled’ by Harry Reid the Senate Majority Leader. In short this means it was DOA (Dead on Arrival) and they wouldn’t even bring the bill to a vote.

Enter the media.

This is where I find things to be very fascinating because if you don’t understand what is going on you could easily find yourself taking sides with the most charismatic presentation which would be clearly biased towards the one presenting.

There are a variety of different ways to portray this by the media. The first is to blanket the whole process as a circus and simply say it is ridiculous. I find this to be arrogant, ignorant and unfortunately part of the bigger problem. I can see how this view is attractive but if you dig a bit you’ll see why it is far from what is truly taking place.

There are others who will simply say that the Tea Party is being reckless and putting our country on a path to destruction. I have a very hard time with this and in fact believe most Americans would agree. Again it goes back to the three questions posed above. If you as an individual are responsible to keep your own financial affairs in order shouldn’t the government do the same? Furthermore, if these Tea Party politicians were elected based on something they stood for and an action plan they were going to pursue, isn’t it valiant and commendable that they are in fact sticking to their word? Or is it just so rare to see a politician stand up against asinine decision making that the media doesn’t know what to think? The true travesty would be if these Tea Party candidates folded and it is something I would be ashamed to see. I hope they stick to their guns and they find support from people like us rooting them on. Now, as an aside, an educated rebuttal to their views would be that they are not compromising with the tax issue. My view on that is simple. If any of us had confidence in the way Washington spent our tax dollars my guess is we would be more than willing to pitch in extra to get out of this situation we are in. I paid 40% of my income last year to Uncle Sam and as a small business owner am not at all disgusted by taxes, but in how they are appropriated.

The small but growing number of conservative media will in fact praise the Tea Party and ask why the Senate is doing what they are, attempting to hold both this group and the President accountable for their actions.

So there you have it; a tri-party congress, a split media and an uninformed public. So what will happen? Well, let’s take a look at some of the concerns first. I have heard countless times that without a debt resolution we will default. I can tell you with 100% certainty that will not happen. My guess and prayer is that Tea Party conservatives stick to their beliefs and stay strong which results in further gridlock in Congress. As the deadline looms the President will authorize a debt ceiling increase underneath Article 14, Section 4, which I have now read about 20 times and still don’t really understand it, but I’m going to assume that what I have been told is true, which means this article gives him the authority to act.

When this transpires our debt will be downgraded by rating agencies and it will in fact rattle the financial markets however let’s get one thing straight. SO WHAT?!?! If you think for a minute our financial system was on solid ground and the last two years of rising stock prices was due to some incredible economic recovery, you have been sadly misinformed. The stock market would more than likely take a hit but that is inevitable whether it happens next week, next month or next year. At some point in order to improve our financial system we will have to tighten our belts which will inevitably slow growth. This is transpiring now and showing up in corporate earnings. If we pursue this path now we can at least get it over with and begin focusing on real growth and real innovations that create real jobs. (Another topic for another day)

So outside of the stock market what happens to you? Well, let me ask you, how many of you still have some sort of floating interest rate? Do you get a new interest rate on your house each month? Do you get a new interest rate on your credit card each month? Do you get a new interest rate on your car payment each month? My guess is no. Most of you do not and if you do you should refinance and lock in that rate right now.

So what if you were looking to buy a house? Well, amidst all this chaos let’s look at what interest rates are doing right now. One would assume that with the credit agencies close to making their downgrade, interest rates should be on the rise. Nope, not even close. You see interest rates will typically move inverse to stocks and while the market sold off on Friday, the 30-year Treasury bond dropped from 4.26 to 4.13. No, that isn’t a typo. 4.13% !! Ok, so I have seen the media, the senators and the President already tell me that if we don’t come to an agreement (Those darn irresponsible Tea Party) it will cost me more money. Maybe we would see a half a point increase in the 30-year mortgage. So if someone wants to buy a house they’ll now get a fixed rate at just under 5% rather than just above 3%. Are you kidding me? Any of you buy a house in the 70’s or early 80’s? Are we a bunch of whiners now or what?

OK, so there you have it. There’s a breakdown of your weekend activities and what is going on in Washington. I am proud of the Tea Party and their standing firm. I will be upset if they bend. Whatever side of the party-line you happen to fall on I think we can all agree to root on sane fiscal responsibility, a definite change from the norm.

Enjoy the weekend!