::: Transcribed from personal myspace blog account:::

I got a call the other day. It woke me up to the reality of the world. This call was no ordinary call. This was a call from the higher ups that I have spoken about once before. The call was to tell me that the bank needs more money. The bank is hurting for money, so regardless of your point of view on the economy and how the market will do - you must invest peoples money. By investing peoples money, a sales charge will therefore then be created and every year after that there will be a fee paid to the bank. Am I slacking in my numbers? Absolutely not. I have well over a million invested in this year alone. The problem is simply I am discouraging customers to put money into the stock market via mutual funds. I believe it is a great time to be liquid, or in short to medium term fixed income. There are theories that say not to time the market, that as long as you get in, that will be fine. However, I believe that there is no point to get in at a top when all of the clear indicators are saying the economy and the credit markets are tightening so much that the stock market is going to fall flat on it's face as all of the future potential revenue from corporations will dry up as the almighty spender begins to curtail it's spending by not making those purchases needed to support the economy. There are reasons why this is happening that I've written about before - but, it is getting VERY serious. So serious, the Federal Reserve is lowering it's target rate, now down to 4.25% - However, they are realizing this isn't doing anything, and are beginning to do something completely new by trying an auction to the banks for their money - to see how low the rate will go before banks begin to borrow to bolster the lending. The problem with the lending is that the risk is getting worse and worse and the banks have tightened their lending practices so much that the average person can't get a loan for a home. I am seeing this first hand.

So, now, back to my phone call. The problem that I had with the phone call is that I was told that I need to leave my opinions and advice to the side and begin selling regardless of my views - This I can understand. Afterall, I am in a position that is sales related. However, the problem lies in the fact that I can't bring myself to sell something that isn't worth the price they'll pay for it. I can now see how homes were selling for 400,000+ for a condo. (Notice I use the word were - they are dropping like a rock, and will continue to do so). The problem is that people don't care about one another. It's kill or be killed. The system is set up to take advantage of the poor and uneducated. The more uneducated a person is, the more likely they are to be taken advantage of. This could possibly be a reason why the public school system is going down the drain - the reason why there is no personal finance programs mandated in the public school system. The more ignorant one is, the more it is possible to take money from them. I think I've written about it before, but the entire system of going to high school with, "College Prepatory" classes teach you to go to college, get an education, and get a great job. Or, in other words, go to college - get in to debt - and then work for someones company because you feel so trapped by the debt you have you will then have to work for someone's business to help them make millions while you pay off those loans that are essentially are for a worthless piece of paper that gets you a mediocre job that barely pays for those loans - and then once you pay them off, it is pressured that you go to grad school to be competitive in the market and get a better position - but, let me reiterate. That is take on more debt so you can perfect your expertise so that you can be paid a little bit more to pay off those loans in order to make that business (owner) millions more while you are getting paid even less. Take those loans that you took out for school and plow them into a business that you would love to work at - not even that, just your dream, and you could possibly build your own business with all of those loans... But, taking on large amounts of debt is extremely risky.. right? Well, you're doing it with school...

Anyway, enough of that rant. But, on the other hand - The uneducated aren't proactive either. So, it's no wonder they get taken advantage of. I see hundreds of customers that are overdrawn on their accounts - and I try to teach them how not to do it... But they still do it. They must get that snickers bar at the checkout line... They must buy that scratch off lottery ticket... However, it's not just them. It is also everyday individuals that don't care to have a financial plan done. Why? They feel they are in control of their finances. Well, most of these people don't even have an IRA set up - They aren't saving for retirement nor are they ready. I am more ready than most of my customers, and I just started 2 years ago. So, why not take advantage of these ignorant, uneducated souls? They are asking for it. If I don't take advantage of them - there'll be another one that does and will profit immensely. So, why not help them, while getting a limited amount of their money, while the other person that would royally screw them (Real Estate Agent) ends up going out of business or not able to get that one customer I did? Afterall, the poor somehow always seem to stay poor. Why is it that public libraries seem to be in the poorer areas, and yet when you go inside, you don't see anyone except middle class individuals? Is it the education we give them, or is it that they do not want the education? Ignorance certainly is bliss, but the question remains - Do these people choose to be ignorant in order for others to take advantage of them, or is the system set up like that so that they have no hope because they don't even know?

These are the dilemmas that bother me. I am only one person, but can I save the ignorant and uneducated? Maybe I need to begin getting a share of this profit from the poor and uneducated. There are literally hundreds of millions of them, and there are only around 5 million or so multi-millionaires. Meaning, there is enough market share to take a bit from. Or, should I go the other route and increase the education and wealth of millions and take market share that way? Profit for myself, or help others profit?

Oh, and the next day after that conversation with that higher up, the DOW plummeted 300 points/2.5% - So, I guess I'm not too far off base.