Carl Crossman

One thing that all Americans can do is to spend the extra money we have in order to help the economy. Every dollar we have is important and getting the money out there helps get the economy going again. Job growth has remained unsteady and the future is not bright.

I think that by spending money, we show confidence in America. This will lead the major companies to employ more people and that will help get people working again as well as get them off the government rolls.

One of the biggest subjects around the office is the state of the economy. Everybody has strong feelings on the subject and everyone seems to be concerned about the future. It seems that many people are really concerned about their retirement and how much money they will have. It’s a matter of much debate with everyone adding some input of their own. It’s a big issue and there seems to be no good answer.

Over the last several months, I have been doing some research on the subject when I have time. I gave everyone my opinion on the subject and told them that I believe they could do better with their finances by using a Do It Yourself portfolio management tool. It can be found online and is very effective because you are in control of your money. Why pay someone else to do when you can do it yourself.

Your retirement is very important. Using your money effectively to prepare for it can mean a big difference in the future. I found an Online Portfolio Manager that I like very much as well as some Portfolio rebalancing software that is very good. I feel confident that my future will be bright despite the poor economic news that is heard all the time. I hope the people at the office will heed my advice.

The stock market is a scary place for most people. I myself am hesitant to put my money where I feel I have little control. I don’t really trust the big companies that run the markets and I certainly can’t afford to lose thousands of dollars in a day. The good news is that there is another route.

Penny stocks can be taken advantage of with very little investment capital. As long as we keep our investment small, we can have fun making or losing a few bucks. I have tried it a few times and have come out about even. I may never get rich, but I’ll have fun trying.

Today is the last day to file your taxes. Or, in some cases of extreme procrastination, file your extension forms.

I file on the last possible day, but I figure out what I owe or what I’ll get back the day after my W-2 comes in the mail. I just don’t see any point in filinf earlier than I have to. I have the form in an envelope, ready to mail. I guess I’ll head out after dinner and drop it in the post office box tonight.

New reports have come out saying that the federal budget ran a deficit of $80 million dollars for the month of December. While this number is down from last December, it is still worrying for many economists. The total deficit is projected to be around $1.3 trillion dollars for the coming year.

The deficit is staggering and has many worried that the financial security of the U.S. is in danger. Efforts to close the gap have largely failed and there seems to be no end in sight. The economy is slightly improving though and some hold out hope that this will improve the situation. I sure hope it does.