Book Sequel Provides a Novel New Way of Establishing a Hydrogen Fuel Infrastructure and Innovative New Ideas to Generate Energy

Don Bongaards warns about the dangers of global oil demand and presents a practical method of establishing a hydrogen fuel program

SEMINOLE, Fla. (PRWEB) January 10, 2013
Author Don Bongaards’s initial intention in writing his first book titled “A Sense of Urgency” was to show how the United States could free itself from its dependence upon imported oil and achieve economic growth and prosperity. However, during his research it became evident that the worldwide increase in oil consumption shows a clear and present danger that needs to be addressed immediately.
HYDROGEN is a sequel to Bongaard’s first book. Aside from its continued warning about global oil demand, this book provides a new method of establishing a hydrogen fuel infrastructure that will lower costs at the gas station pump. It also proposes innovative new ways to employ renewable energy, and the last few chapters provide a unique perspective regarding the future of energy, and other resources needed to sustain an increasing world population.
This book explains why both new oil discovery plus the implementation of a hydrogen fuel infrastructure will complement each other and get the United States out of its dependence on oil imports. Bongaards believes that since the United States currently spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year to purchase oil from other countries it makes sense that this money would be better spent in the United States to support the Social Security Program. He proposes a hydrogen fuel consortium, comprised of social security investors that can build the hydrogen infrastructure and potentially save the program from extinction. While this may not be the only way to get the job done, he thinks that it should give everyone food for thought.
HYDROGEN is a thought-provoking read that exposes the public to the dangers of worldwide exponentially increasing oil consumption. Bongaards shows mathematically why claims of hundreds of years of fossil fuel supply is wrong and why we need to begin substituting transportation fuels with hydrogen now.
For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author

Don Bongaards earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. Upon graduation in 1964, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers and served in Vietnam. He began his career with the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. His experience was primarily in nuclear steam generator development. Later on, he was promoted to Section Engineering Manager and, Department Engineering Manager of a $40-million Atomic Energy Commission contract to develop a steam generator for a “breeder” nuclear power plant. His department also performed government contract engineering studies to develop solar power steam generators and fluidized bed coal gasification boilers. In 1982, he transferred to the Thermo King Corporation as Engineering Manager for the Truck Transport Refrigeration Equipment Department. His engineering group developed a new line of truck refrigeration equipment for the world market. He was also involved in design engineering activities at Thermo King factories in Barcelona, Spain; Hamble, England; and Prague, Czech Republic. He was also responsible for the successful development of a new line of refrigeration equipment for the Japanese market and a new alternator-powered refrigeration system for the European market. He has written numerous technical papers for international conferences and for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He was the Chairman of the Florida West Coast Section of ASME in 1974-75 and passed the state of Florida professional engineering examination in 1975. His experience in power generation equipment design, and the design and manufacturing of complex electromechanical equipment, makes him uniquely qualified to evaluate the process of producing hydrogen and the mass production costs of equipment associated with that process.

HYDROGEN * by Don Bongaards

Publication Date: 11/30/2012

Trade Paperback; $19.99; 318pages; 978-1-4797-3314-9

Trade Hardback; $29.99; 318pages; 978-1-4797-3315-6

eBook; $3.99; 978-1-4797-3316-3

Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879.

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Complimentary Tax Certificates for Real Estate Video Released Online

Complimentary tax certificates for real estate video series is now released online at TedThomas.com. This new series is designed to educate beginning and advanced real estate investors about the topic of using a tax certificate as an investment in 2013.

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) January 10, 2013
Investing is one area that can be confusing to many people and real estate investing brings many challenges to beginning and advanced investors. The TedThomas.com website has now released a complimentary tax certificates for real estate video series online. Direct access to the video is available at http://www.tedthomas.com/step2.
This informative video explains the various ways that certificates can be used and the process of how to locate available properties.
Buying a property for a discount price is possible and many top investors use specific strategies to accomplish this task. While some do not qualify for traditional financing, those that know about certain inclusions in the tax code could benefit from applying these strategies.
Part of the video series that is now available online is designed to walk someone through the process of understanding certificates for taxation and how these can be used to earn returns.
“The misconception in real estate investing is that a person needs a lot of money to acquire a property or to earn returns,” said Ted Thomas in his video series online. “The smart investors know how to use the government-backed securities to earn consistent returns,” added Ted.
Ted is the author of more than 30 books and DVDs to provide educational materials to beginners and advanced investors. While some of the authored information is now out of print, a large portion of what is available is now offered from the TedThomas.com website. These offerings are provided apart from the no cost webinars and videos that are now offered to supply men and women with proven strategies to use.
About Ted Thomas
Ted Thomas is one of the leading authorities online and offline now educating men and women about tax deeds and tax certificates. These two investment types represent part of the information that is offered through books, video guides and in-person live events. Ted has personally instructed thousands of men and women during his 25-year career as an educator. As a private consultant, Ted Thomas provides his vast knowledge of investment strategies to companies and entrepreneurs that want to expand real estate investments. Ted is a frequent public speaker at top conferences around the U.S. and is based in Merritt Island, Florida.

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Alma Aspin’s Adorable New Children’s Book Features The Adventures and Misadventures of a Little Fellow Who Longs to Find its Way Back Home

Author Alma Aspin Shares a Colorful Tale of a Lost Sock.

(PRWEB) January 10, 2013
Reading has indeed caused a stir in the lives of millions of children all over the country as they recently participated in breaking a world record. In a release posted by Alabama.com, youngsters across the U.S. gathered in groups to, altogether, read a book. This is in an attempt to establish the world record for the most-read book at one setting. This is a perfect campaign to get kids back into reading children’s books, especially at a time when so many distractions such as video games, the internet, and many others are becoming more accessible. In line with this, a fascinating must-read titled “Odd Sock’s Adventures” is presented by author Alma Aspin, who wishes to promote reading in a fun and colorful way.
An endearing tale of the capricious journey of a piece of clothing, this book takes children’s imagination to new heights. In this exciting story, readers will encounter Poppa Bob’s favourite pair of socks. One day, the other sock turns out missing. Poppa Bob had searched every nook and cranny but it was nowhere to be found. Little did he know that the sock winds up being misplaced. Going from one owner to the next, the odd sock takes on an exhilarating adventure. From being worn by an unknowing detective, to being thrown into the beach, and all the way into being swept away by a bird, the thrill never seems to end. Readers will want to find out if the poor thing would ever find its way back home.
A delightful tale that teaches readers about the warmth of a loving home and the beauty of finding safety and security in a place where one truly belongs, this book reveals wonderful insights.
For more information on this book, log on to http://www.Xlibris.co.nz.
Odd Sock's Adventures * by Alma Aspin

Publication Date: September 7, 2011

Picture Book; $449.99; 52 pages; 978-1-4653-0067-6
Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at 0800-891-366. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (09) 353-1455 or call 0800-891-366.

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US Drug Watchdog Now Fears Thousands Of Transvaginal Mesh, Tape Product Failure Victims Are Being Misinformed By Their Doctors-Erosion Is Not A Normal Outcome

The US Drug Watchdog is urging victims of a tranvaginal mesh, tape, or sling failure to seek a second opinion if their doctor is being dismissive about severe medical complications related to one of these devices, and because the damages are of such a personal nature the group is offering to help all women victims get to the best possible attorneys, who are also women for a legal review. For more information victims of a transvaginal mesh, tape or bladder sling failure are urged to contact the US Drug Watchdog anytime at 866-714-6466. http://USDrugWatchdog.Com

(PRWEB) January 08, 2013
Based on hundreds of phone calls from victims of a transvaginal mesh, tape, or bladder sling failure the US Drug Watchdog now believes failures related to these types of medical products are much more severe, and numerous than they ever thought possible. The US Drug Watchdog says, "We have talked to scores of women in the last two months who have been told by their surgeon that quote, erosion is normal. Erosion is a medical term that refers to transvaginal mesh protruding out of the vaginal wall, and into the vagina. This is not a normal medical condition, it is a severe medical condition involving damages, and we want to make certain victims of a transvaginal mesh, tape, or sling failure get to the best possible attorneys, who are all also women." According to court records a transvaginal mesh failure occurs when the mesh fails to bind to a woman's pelvic tissues. As a consequence of this, the body rejects the mesh that has been sewn into it. As a result, the transvaginal mesh may start to poke its way through the vaginal wall and protrude out of the vaginal tissue. This complication is more commonly referred to as "erosion." The US Drug Watchdog has begun a very aggressive initiative designed to assist women in the United States, who are victims of a transvaginal mesh, tape, or bladder sling failure. The group is urging any woman, who has had the transvaginal mesh surgical procedure done, and now has developed severe complications to call them anytime at 866-714-6466. http://USDrugWatchdog.Com
The US Drug Watchdog is indicating symptoms of a transvaginal mesh, tape, or sling implant failure may include:

Pain during sexual intercourse caused by erosion.
Mesh erosion through the vagina (the mesh is actually protruding out of the vaginal wall)
Vaginal Bleeding
Vaginal Infection
Urinary problems
Organ perforation
The US Drug Watchdog says, "One of the biggest problems we have with respect to our failed medical device or recalled drug initiative work is the average US consumer never hears about a drug recall or failures involving medical devices like a transvaginal mesh, tape, or a bladder sling. If you have a friend, or loved one who is a recipient of a transvaginal mesh, tape, or bladder sling that has already failed or is showing symptoms of a failure, please have them call us at 866-714-6466. We want to make certain all transvaginal mesh, tape, or bladder sling failure victims get to the best possible attorneys, to ensure they get the best possible compensation for their ordeal, and we will do our absolute best to make certain all of the attorneys are women.

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Electronic Medical Record Saves Physical Therapists’ Time and Money According to Practice Marketing Expert, Nitin Chhoda

Using EMR as the latest PT documentation software actually saves therapist’s time and money as Nitin Chhoda, a marketing expert said. As a licensed physical therapist, he shares more information about this latest software in his website called emrnews.com.

Denville, NJ (PRWEB) January 08, 2013
“EMR or electronic medical record is the latest documentation system used by physical therapy practices across the nation. As all health professionals know, electronic records are the future. Not only do they allow a more accurate recording of patient data, but they also cut time and save money,” Nitin Chhoda said.
Given the positive impact from updating an old documentation system to EMR can have on a practice, it isn't any wonder why so many therapists across the United States are switching over to this special physical therapy management software.
Chhoda added that like in any other businesses, medical practices understand that time is equal to money. Every minute that is spent in documenting each visit and recording patient data is a time lost which could've otherwise been billed. He said, “As of the moment, it takes an average of fifteen to twenty minutes to document a patient visit. For large practices, the amount of excess time lost during this period can add up to several hundreds or thousands of dollars in potentially billable hours each year.”
Fortunately, EMR allows practices to develop highly efficient procedures for documenting visits. This helps cut down on excessive time, saving the practice money on additional staff which may be required to handle larger patient loads. Moreover, physical therapists use the abundance of free time which results from this new improved efficiency to see more patients. They are able to make more money while still offering the same level of professional care.
The EMR for physical therapy services reduces documentation time by empowering therapists to easily record information by utilizing technological advances. The use of tablets and voice recognition software can reduce minutes of documentation. This software and the technological devices are designed to be intuitive, allowing therapist and staff to easily learn the system after just a few minutes of practice.
As a healthcare professional, therapists’ first priority is patient care. The more time wasted on bureaucratic requirements can be better spent seeing more patients or improving the care of the current ones. Practitioners will have the opportunity to increase profit, which means that they can have more money for expansion of services and upgrades.
Chhoda’s office can be reached by phone at 201-535-4475. For more information, visit the website at http://www.emrnews.com.
ABOUT NITIN CHHODA

Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT is a licensed physical therapist, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and an entrepreneur. He is the author of "Physical Therapy Marketing For The New Economy" and “Marketing for Physical Therapy Clinics” and is a prolific speaker, writer and creator of products and systems to streamline medical billing and coding, electronic medical records, health care practice management and marketing to increase referrals. He has been featured in numerous industry magazines, major radio and broadcast media, and is the founder of Referral Ignition training systems and the annual Private Practice Summit. Chhoda speaks extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Asia. He is also the creator of the Therapy Newsletter and Clinical Contact, both web-based services to help private practices improve communication with patients, delivery better quality of care and boost patient retention.

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Route 66 Dental Implants and Periodontics by Dr. David Wong D.D.S., P.C. Opens New Location in Tulsa, OK.

Dr. David Wong, D.D.S., P.C. has opened Route 66 Dental Implants and Periodontics, at his new location at 4545 S. Harvard in Tulsa, OK.

Tulsa, OK (PRWEB) January 08, 2013
Doctor David Wong and his staff have been serving Tulsa since 2003 at their location on south Harvard Ave. They have recently opened a new office across the street at 4545 S. Harvard as Route 66 Dental Implants and Periodontics.
The new office is over 4,000 square feet, and conveniently located just one half mile north of Interstate 44 at the Harvard Ave. exit.
“Despite the new amenities, our office is all about patient care,” said David Wong, D.D.S., P.C. “In addition to our portable x-ray unit, our patients have access to the best technology for periodontal care. Our Periolase laser makes treating gum disease as quick, painless, and inexpensive as possible,” said Wong.
The Route 66 Dental Implants and Periodontics web site has a variety of articles and videos about laser gum surgery, gum graft alternatives, and full mouth implants and restoration.
For more information about Doctor David Wong and Route 66 Dental Implants and Periodontics, please visit http://route66implants.com
About Route 66 Dental Implants & Periodontics
Started by Dr. David Wong in 2003, Route 66 Dental Implants & Periodontics has become one of the most trusted names in Oklahoma.
About Doctor David Wong D.D.S., P.C.
Tulsa Periodontist, Dr. David Wong is a native Oklahoman who completed his dental degree at the University of Oklahoma. His advanced training in periodontics was accomplished at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where he served as chief resident and scored a perfect 100% on his in-service examination. Dr. Wong also completed advanced implant and oral plastic surgery training from Temple University as well as from such world renowned institutions as the Misch International Implant Institute and the Dental Implant Institute of Las Vegas.
Since entering into private practice in 2003, Dr. Wong has published articles in the field of oral plastic surgery, and he has also been a guest lecturer at the Oklahoma Dental Association, Oklahoma Dental Hygiene Association, Tulsa Community College, among others. Wong recently received his Fellowship in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, the only periodontist in Oklahoma to reach this achievement. In addition, in 2005, Dr. Wong became the first Tulsa periodontist since 1969 to be board certified by the American Board of Periodontologists. Dr. David Wong is a member of PRprofile, a website dedicated to helping businesses build a publicity presence online.

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Pennies over patriotism? Stars move to tax havens

 France's Socialist government is introducing a 75-percent income tax on those earning over €1 million ($1.3 million), leading some of the country's rich and famous to set up residency in less fiscally demanding countries.
Here's a look at some big names in France and elsewhere whose changes of address over the years have meant lighter taxes.
DEPARTING DEPARDIEU
The French prime minister has accused actor Gerard Depardieu of being "pathetic" and "unpatriotic," saying he set up residence in a small village just across the border in neighboring Belgium to avoid paying taxes in France.
The office of the mayor in Depardieu's new haunts at Nechin, also known as the "millionaire's village" for its appeal to high-earning Frenchmen, said that for people with high income, like Depardieu, the Belgian tax system, capped at 50 percent, is more attractive.
Depardieu, who has played in more than 100 films, including "Green Card" and "Cyrano de Bergerac," has not commented publicly on the matter.
BEATLE TAX
In 2005, the Beatles' Ringo Starr took up residency in Monaco, where he gets to keep a higher percentage of royalties than he would in Britain or Los Angeles. France's tiny neighbor Monaco, with zero percent income tax for most people, has obvious appeal for the 72-year-old drummer and his estimated $240 million fortune.
The Beatles' resentment of high taxes goes back to their 1960s song "Taxman." George Harrison penned it in protest of the British government's 95 percent supertax on the rich, evoked by the lyrics: "There's one for you, nineteen for me."
Harrison reportedly said later, "'Taxman' was when I first realized that even though we had started earning money, we were actually giving most of it away in taxes."
LICENSE TO DODGE?
Former "James Bond" star Sean Connery left the U.K. in the 1970s, reportedly for tax exile in Spain, and then the Bahamas — another spot with zero income tax and one of the richest countries per capita in the Americas. His successor to the 007 mantle, Roger Moore, also opted for exile in the 1970s — this time in Monaco — ensuring his millions were neither shaken nor stirred.
EXILE ON MAIN ST.
In 1972, The Rolling Stones controversially moved to the south of France to escape onerous British taxes. Though it caused a stink at the time, it spawned one of the group's most seminal albums, "Exile on Main St." The title is a reference to their tax-dodging. In 2006, British media branded them the "Stingy Stones" with reports that they'd paid just 1.6 percent tax on their earnings of $389 million over the previous two decades.
FISCAL HEALING
In 1980, U.S. singer Marvin Gaye moved to Hawaii from L.A. to avoid problems with the Internal Revenue Service, the American tax agency. Later that year, Gaye relocated to London after a tour in Europe. Gaye, whose hits include "Sexual Healing" and "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" settled in Belgium in 1981. He was shot to death in 1984.

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State tax revenues continue growing in third quarter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - State tax revenues have grown for more than two years, but they are still suffering the effects of the 2007-2009 recession, according to a report released by the Rockefeller Institute of Government on Thursday.
Using preliminary data, the New York research group found that collection from major taxes increased in 47 states in the third quarter of 2012 from a year before, marking the 11th straight increase.
The recession caused states' revenues to plummet to lows not seen in decades over the course of five quarters. That forced almost all states to make emergency spending cuts, raise taxes, borrow and turn to the federal government for help just as the newly jobless and homeless increased demand for their services.
While revenues have been growing, the increases have been small. According to the institute, revenues "are still far below where they would have been in the absence of the Great Recession." Moreover, when adjusted for inflation, revenues are 5 percent below the peaks they reached in fiscal 2008, the last year before the recession devastated their budgets.
Rockefeller found that personal income tax collections were up 4.5 percent in the quarter ending in September, and sales taxes grew 3.1 percent. Corporate income taxes, which provide only a sliver of revenues, fell 0.5 percent.
In the third quarter of 2011, personal income tax collections surged 10.2 percent.
Delaware had the largest increases in overall tax collections in the third quarter, 11.7 percent, followed by Colorado, 10.3 percent.

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Muni tax break under threat from bipartisan scrutiny in congress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The tax break that U.S. states, cities and counties get on the bonds they issue is in growing jeopardy now that Republicans, in addition to Democrats, are considering limits on the exemption.
As part of the "fiscal cliff" negotiations to raise more federal government tax revenue, Republican lawmakers have joined Democrats in reevaluating the costly tax break, said Republican congressional aides and lobbyists.
Municipal bonds issued by states and localities are a $3.7 trillion U.S. market underpinned by a law that exempts their interest income from taxation. This allows states and localities to tap capital markets more cheaply than private-sector borrowers such as banks and corporations.
"The muni bond exemption is on the table, not only during tax reform, but also during the 'fiscal cliff,'" said Mike Nicholas of the Bond Dealers of America, a lobbying group for fixed-income securities dealers and banks.
That the tax break - deeply embedded in the economy and vital to state and local governments - would draw the interest of Republicans shows how far Washington has come in a short time in considering potentially dramatic tax-and-spending changes.
As the United States grapples with a huge budget deficit and a complex tax code that has not been revamped in 26 years, even once politically untouchable tax breaks are being questioned.
The "fiscal cliff" refers to sharp tax increases and spending cuts that take effect in 18 days unless Congress intervenes soon.
Some lawmakers from both parties are calling for a comprehensive tax code overhaul in 2013 and groups concerned with the muni bond exemption are worried.
"We have not felt this threat level being this real in a long time," said David Parkhurst, legislative director with the National Governors Association, which represents the leaders of U.S. states that rely heavily on the muni bond tax exemption.
SUBSIDIZING STATES, LOCALITIES
The exemption benefits bond investors on one side of the market and state and local governments on the other. Effectively a subsidy for states and localities, the muni exemption cost U.S. taxpayers about $26.2 billion in 2011.
President Barack Obama in 2011 included the exemption among items subject to his proposed 28-percent cap on deductions and other tax breaks for individuals earning more than $200,000.
That proposal alarmed muni bond issuers and investors, who were already on edge because of a proposal to kill the exemption entirely in 2010's Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction plan.
Now, Republicans are rethinking their traditional reluctance to tinker with muni bonds, largely because they want to find ways to increase federal revenues without raising tax rates.
Phasing out the muni bond tax break for individual taxpayers earning more than $200,000 could raise about $10 billion a year - or about $100 billion over a decade - Republican aides said.
In the fight over the "fiscal cliff," Republicans hope to refute Obama's argument that real deficit reduction cannot be achieved without raising tax rates on high-income Americans.
Senator Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said tax breaks of all sorts need to be weighed in the effort to raise revenue and cut the deficit, but that "they are not easy to get rid of."
FROM STATES TO SCHOOLS
New issuance of tax-exempt bonds is expected to hit about $400 billion in 2013, up from about $370 billion this year, according to investment bank Loop Capital Markets LLC.
Jurisdictions that issue tax-exempt bonds range from states to cities, counties and school districts. They defend the bonds as vital to transportation, infrastructure and other public projects, which would be threatened by an exemption roll-back.
"It certainly couldn't come at a worse time," New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli told Reuters last week, referring to the devastation the region suffered during Hurricane Sandy.
"Even before the storm, we had tremendous infrastructure needs that localities were trying to address and now we're going to have even more."
It is unclear exactly what sort of limitations Republicans have in mind. The Obama proposal would apply to all bond issues.
Citigroup Inc muni bond strategist George Friedlander has estimated that Obama's cap, if enacted, would raise state and local government borrowing costs.
The "fiscal cliff" talks and a possible tax code overhaul next year pose "a clear and present danger" for muni bond issuers and investors, Friedlander said in a recent research report.

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Boehner plan would bring top U.S. income tax rate to 39.6 percent: source

 House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner's latest "fiscal cliff" proposal to President Barack Obama would see the top income tax rates rise to 39.6 percent from 35 percent for those with net incomes above $1 million a year, according to a source familiar with the talks.
The source, who asked not to be identified, emphasized that the income tax rate increase would be in exchange for "significant entitlement reforms/spending cuts." Entitlement programs include Medicare and Medicaid healthcare for the elderly and poor and Social Security retirement benefits.
The White House has not accepted Boehner's proposal, according to another source. Under current law, the top tax rate is scheduled to rise to 39.6 percent on January 1, unless Congress extends the current 35 percent, as Republicans had been urging.

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House Republicans eye limited fiscal cliff bill

With time running short before a Dec. 31 deadline, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner will begin work on legislation that simply would extend current low income tax rates for all families with incomes below $1 million a year, according to an aide.
Negotiations will continue with the White House on a broader tax and spending deal, the Boehner aide said.
Boehner is presenting the plan to rank-and-file Republicans in a closed-door session.
On January 1, income tax increases for most Americans will begin unless Congress acts.
Last July, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed a bill to extend the current low rates for all families with net incomes below $250,000 a year. The House Republican proposal, if passed by the House, would require agreement by the Senate or force a round of negotiations on a compromise between the two chambers.
In excerpts of remarks Boehner was delivering to his Republican members Tuesday morning, the speaker complained that "the White House just can't seem to bring itself to agree to a 'balanced' approach" to deficit-reduction in negotiations. At the same time, Boehner said Republicans were "leaving the door wide open for something better" than just the limited extension of current low tax rates for most Americans.
"Current law has tax rates going up on everyone January 1. The question for us is real simple: How do we stop as many of those rate hikes as possible?" Boehner said.
For months, Democrats have been urging House Republicans to pass a bill protecting middle-class taxpayers from a January 1 rate increase.

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New Website Takes Social Approach To Personal Finance

The Internet is a great source of information on personal finance, but often this information lacks the personal touch. The new website MyMoneyCircles.com aims to provide that personalized element by taking an interactive, social media-style approach.
Though it focuses on the human element, MyMoneyCircles is anything but soft and fuzzy. The website refers to its approach as a "boot camp" for personal finance. But what exactly does a personal finance boot camp entail?
Getting financially fit
The boot camp method at MyMoneyCircles involves pushing participants to get their personal finances in the best shape possible. And the boot camp analogy is apt, because it highlights the simple fact that financial responsibility often isn't easy, and building robust savings accounts is often an act of sacrifice.
MyMoneyCircles will conduct a series of boot camps to address a variety of financial goals, including:
Saving money
Managing credit and debt
Protecting family and assets
Planning for the future
The personalized support system at MyMoneyCircles is designed to help users make the changes necessary to meet these goals. By engaging participants throughout the process, and providing advice tailored to their needs, the site aims to lead them each step of the way toward financial improvement.
Here are some of the methods MyMoneyCircles will use to engage, encourage, and energize those who want to improve their personal finances:
Personal assessment. A 10-question quiz will kick off each boot camp, to provide users with a clearer picture of their needs on each topic.
Customized advice and education. Participants will receive emails related to their areas of interest and access to online materials. Online resources will allow users to submit questions to financial experts through MyMoneyCircles.
A defined action plan. MyMoneyCircles will present participants with specific steps designed to get them to stop procrastinating and to start meeting their goals.
Community support. MyMoneyCircles is designed for users to share their personal experiences with other members of the community, especially those with similar needs and goals. In this way, users can help each other make progress.
Continued growth opportunties. MyMoneyCircles aims to provide multiple levels of informative material, allowing users to build on what they've learned.
Access to expertise
Central to the program is the expertise of Lynnette Khalfani-Cox. Khalfani-Cox, also known as "The Money Coach," is a best-selling author and frequently-quoted expert in the national media. Khalfani-Cox's input drives both the design and content of MyMoneyCircles, and she will answer individual participant questions too. A variety of financial specialists--full disclosure, this author will be one of them--will also be available to provide advice.

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Fixed mortgage rates rise above record lows

 Fixed mortgage rates rose slightly this week off their record lows. The year ends much like it began, with few people able to take advantage of the best rates in history.
Freddie Mac says the average on the 30-year home loan increased to 3.95 percent from 3.91 percent. Last week's rate was the lowest average on records dating to the 1950s.
The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 3.24 percent. That's up from 3.21 percent, also a record low.
Rates have been below 5 percent for all but two weeks in 2011. Even so, this year is shaping up to be one of the worst ever for home sales.

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Fixed mortgage rates end year above record lows

 Fixed mortgage rates rose slightly this week off their record lows. The year ends much like it began, with few people able to take advantage of the best rates in history.
Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average on the 30-year home loan increased to 3.95 percent from 3.91 percent. Last week's rate was the lowest average on records dating to the 1950s.
The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 3.24 percent. That's up from 3.21 percent, also a record low.
Rates have been below 5 percent for all but two weeks in 2011. Even so, this year is shaping up to be one of the worst ever for home sales.
Previously occupied homes are selling just slightly ahead of last year's dismal pace. And new-home sales appear headed for their worst year on records going back half a century.
Next year could be better. More than 5 percent of households said this month they plan to purchase a home within the next six months, according to the Conference Board.
Builders are also hopeful that the low rates could boost sales next year. Low mortgage rates were cited as a key reason the National Association of Home Builders survey of builder sentiment rose in December to its highest level in more than a year.
But so far, rates are having no major impact. Mortgage applications have fallen slightly in recent weeks, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
High unemployment and scant wage gains have made it harder for many people to qualify for loans. Many Americans don't want to sink money into a home that they fear could lose value over the next few years.
To calculate the average rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country Monday through Wednesday of each week. The average rates don't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.
The average fee for the 30-year loan was unchanged at 0.7; the average on the 15-year fixed mortgage was unchanged at 0.8.
For the five-year adjustable loan, the average rate rose to 2.88 percent from 2.85 percent. The average on the one-year adjustable loan ticked up to 2.78 percent from 2.77 percent.
The average fees on the five- and one-year adjustable-rate loans were unchanged at 0.6.

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Credit score focus of new celeb-backed debit card

Personal finance media personality Suze Orman is thinking big. She's the   first out of the gate in the fast-growing prepaid debit card market with a card that aims to help its users build a credit score. It's a gamble that could pay off, if it can help create a way measure the creditworthiness of millions who function outside the traditional financial system.
The latest in a string of celebrities to put their stamp on a prepaid card, Orman will likely avoid the criticism about high fees lobbed at earlier offerings, such as those of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and reality show stars the Kardashians. Orman's card costs $3 to obtain, and then just $3 a month, rivaling the hugely popular Walmart MoneyCard.
Although some will question how Orman will recoup the more than $1 million she has invested in the card when charging that little, the real twist isn't the low fee structure. Orman is working with credit reporting agency TransUnion to create a new kind of credit score for users of "The Approved" prepaid MasterCard, one that's based on their spending habits.
Right now, using debit cards — both the prepaid kind and those tied to bank accounts — does not influence an individual's credit score, which is calculated with data related to borrowing. If Orman's experiment is successful, this new type of score could be a game-changer for the estimated 60 million Americans who do most or all of their personal business in cash or with cash alternatives like prepaid cards.
The TV adviser said she approached several companies, urging them to agree to develop such a score, and TransUnion ultimately agreed to gather spending data for 18 to 24 months. It will use that data to try to come up with a formula that works as a way to predict whether the user is a good risk for lenders.
"This is truthfully a work in progress," said Orman.
Banks and other lenders are interested in creating ways to measure how prepaid cards are used, because of the huge market they represent. Consumers loaded an estimated $70.7 billion onto prepaid cards in 2011, up from $2.7 billion in 2005, according to consultancy Mercator Advisory Group.
Mercator projects the market will top $120 billion this year if adoption continues at the same pace.
In general, users can be divided into three groups. The first subset is those caught up in the economy — people who had good credit until it was damaged by events like unemployment or foreclosure. Second are those who have not yet built credit histories, mainly the young and recent immigrants. The third group avoids banks, often because of negative experiences, such as racking up high overdraft fees.
"Wouldn't it be fabulous if, for the first time in history, people are literally rewarded for spending cash, versus penalized, in my opinion, for doing so?" Orman said.
The problem with traditional credit scores from FICO Inc. and its competitors is that they measure how well individuals keep up with their payments, but don't pay any attention to their overall financial health, she said. "Scoring doesn't question where the money is coming from to make payments."
Prepaid cards have already filled some of the void for those who don't use banks, especially because they can be used to receive paychecks via direct deposit. But because they don't contribute to credit scores, the cards can't help users get a mortgage, a car loan or a credit card.
Not having a credit score, or having a low one, also drives up the cost of living in other ways. Lower scores can mean higher car insurance rates, higher rent, difficulty getting a job and paying higher interest rates for any credit available. People with little credit history — known as a "thin file" in the industry — are also the most likely to use alternative services like payday lenders, check cashing stores and bill pay services. These are expensive options when compared with credit cards and banks.
FICO Inc. and other companies use data tied to borrowing to determine a score meant to measure the likelihood an individual will pay back future loans. FICO's 300-to-850 scale is based on an individual's history making payments on loans, the percentage of available credit that is being used and how long the individual has used credit, among other data.
Those with thin credit files have a better chance of having their creditworthiness reflected by FICO's "expansion score," which factors in data like utility bill payments and rent payments. FICO CEO Mark Greene said the expansion scores have shown that the population without traditional scores mirrors to the larger population in terms of credit risk. Other credit score providers are beginning to provide measures based on utility payments and other nontraditional data.
One big difference for developing a prepaid score, however, is that these alternatives still measure how well individuals meet obligations, not how they spend the rest of their income.
"Spending is not actually a great indicator of the thing that we're trying to measure, which is the likelihood you're going to pay your bill," Greene said. "We need to be careful about how we approach that issue."
Another issue a prepaid-linked score must address is the fact that the typical reloadable card is used for just three to four months, said Brian Riley, who analyzes the card market for the consultant The Tower Group.
That timeframe is likely to expand, however, because more users are beginning to have their paychecks deposited to reload prepaid cards. Adding rewards and services, and cutting fees, may also increase customer loyalty.
Orman is adamant that her card will carry only a $3-per-month fee for users who load at least $20 per month onto it. Fees will rise only if the user uses ATMs outside the network it is linked to when withdrawing cash. Consumers who use The Approved Card will also get daily text messages updating their balance, along with one after each purchase, and other free services like ID theft monitoring, credit monitoring and free credit reports from TransUnion.
The media star, whose new show on the Oprah Winfrey Network premieres Monday, said she knows creating the score will be an uphill battle, but believes that if successful, it will help both lenders and borrowers. "You've got to start it somewhere, and this is the beginning of that process.

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Rate on 30-year mortgage drops to record 3.89 pct.

Fixed mortgage rates fell once again to a record low, offering a great opportunity for those who can afford to buy or refinance homes. But few are able to take advantage of the historic rates.
Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 3.89 percent. That's below the previous record of 3.91 percent reached three weeks ago.
Records for mortgage rates date back to the 1950s.
The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage ticked down to 3.16 percent. That's down from a record 3.21 percent three weeks ago.
Mortgage rates are lower because they track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which fell below 2 percent. They could fall even lower this year if the Fed launches another round of bond purchases, as some economists expect.
Average fixed mortgage rates hovered around 4 percent at the end of 2011. Yet many Americans either can't take advantage of the rates or have already done so.
High unemployment and scant wage gains have made it harder for many people to qualify for loans. Many don't want to sink money into a home that they fear could lose value over the next few years.
Mortgage applications have fallen slightly on a seasonally adjusted basis over the past four weeks, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist, said that until hiring picks up and unemployment drops significantly, the impact of lower mortgage rates will remain muted.
Previously occupied homes are selling just slightly ahead of 2010's dismal pace. New-home sales in 2011 will likely be the worst year on records going back half a century.
Builders hope that the low rates could boost sales next year. Low mortgage rates were cited as a key reason the National Association of Home Builders survey of builder sentiment rose in December to its highest level in more than a year.
But so far, they have had little impact on the depressed housing market.
To calculate the average rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country Monday through Wednesday of each week. The average rates don't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount.
The average fee for the 30-year loan fell to 0.7 from 0.8; the average on the 15-year fixed mortgage was unchanged at 0.8.
For the five-year adjustable loan, the average rate declined to 2.82 percent from 2.86 percent. The average on the one-year adjustable loan fell to 2.76 percent from 2.80 percent.
The average fee on the five-year adjustable loan rose was unchanged at 0.7; the average on the one-year adjustable-rate loan was unchanged at 0.6.

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Analysis: Democrats' discord undercuts Obama estate tax push

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Divisions among Democrats are undermining President Barack Obama's push to raise the U.S. estate tax on inherited wealth, just weeks before the arrival of the "fiscal cliff" could drive the present estate tax rate even higher than Obama proposes.
Action on the estate tax could be postponed. But in his successful re-election campaign, Obama called for wealthy Americans to pay more in taxes - and it is overwhelmingly the wealthy who pay the estate tax.
The outcome may hinge on whether Obama insists on his estate tax proposal - or something close to it - as forcefully as he has insisted on raising individual income tax rates for high income-earners, or whether he lets the issue be put off.
If a single facet of the complicated partisan stand-off over taxing the wealthy best captures Capitol Hill's fiscal gridlock, it may be the estate tax - a long-standing and volatile issue - that may finally be coming to a head.
"If you look at where the public is on tax issues compared to the last time this was debated - it is night and day," said Frank Clemente, campaign manager for left-leaning Americans for Tax Fairness. "They are deep into this tax fairness position."
The "fiscal cliff" is a collection of federal tax increases and automatic government spending cuts that, if allowed to take effect as scheduled early in 2013, could push the U.S. economy into recession, according to economists' forecasts.
Part of the picture is the estate tax.
Under laws signed a decade ago by former Republican President George W. Bush, the estate tax is applied to inherited assets at 35 percent after a $5 million exemption. That means a deceased person can pass on an inheritance of up to $5 million before any tax applies.
Inherited wealth passed to a spouse or a federally recognized charity is generally not taxed.
Obama wants to raise the rate to 45 percent after a $3.5 million exemption. If the Bush rates are allowed to expire and Congress does nothing, the rate will shoot up next year to the pre-Bush levels of 55 percent after a $1 million exemption.
SCHUMER ON ESTATE TAX
New York Senator Charles Schumer on Thursday said the Democrats' proposal to avert the "fiscal cliff" involves $1 trillion in immediate deficit reduction that includes new revenue from raising the estate tax to the level proposed by Obama.
No less a power broker than Democratic Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said this week, however, that he wants to hold the estate tax steady at current rates.
Baucus is up for re-election in 2014 from Montana. He says ranch and farm owners in his state would stand to lose if federal taxes rose on passing property to heirs.
"Rural Montana is much different than urban America," Baucus told Reuters in a brief interview in the U.S. Capitol.
He told a Montana newspaper on Sunday that he would even support scrapping the estate tax altogether, as most Republicans favor. A spokesman for Baucus - the Senate's top tax law writer - said he will seek as much estate tax "relief" as he can get.
At least three other rural-state Democratic senators have proposed extending current estate tax rates: Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jon Tester of Montana and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
Spokesmen for Pryor and McCaskill said everything is on the table as Congress struggles to deal with the "fiscal cliff."
But one thing is clear: the voice of farming lobbyists is registering with Democrats on the volatile estate tax issue, although it is only marginally about farms and ranches.
BEYOND FARMS AND RANCHES
The estate tax's impact extends beyond farmers and ranchers. It applies mostly to very wealthy Americans, whose taxes have been specifically targeted for increase by a president whom voters returned to the White House just three weeks ago following a tough campaign in which taxes were a key topic.
Of the 3,600 estates subject to the estate tax this year, only 100 are classified as farming estates, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.
The wealthiest 10 percent of Americans pay nearly all of the estate tax under current rates, according to the Tax Policy Center, a non-partisan fiscal policy think tank.
The number of estates subject to the tax would double under the plan proposed by Obama. About 300 farming estates would be subject to the tax under Obama's terms, which would raise about $100 billion in new revenue for the government over 10 years.
Republicans have benefited previously from Democratic division over the tax. In July, Senate Democrats shelved a plan to raise the estate tax with a symbolic extension of the Bush tax rates for the middle-class.
A senior Senate Democratic aide said the tax was pulled from the bill because Obama felt strongly about boosting the tax. It is unclear how hard he will fight for his position this time.
BY ANY OTHER NAME
The divide between the political parties over the tax is so wide that they cannot even agree on a name for it. Democrats call it the estate tax, as it is described in law.
Republicans, who generally want to repeal it, have another, more provocative name. They call it the "death tax" and characterize it as a penalty on being wealthy and successful.
First enacted nearly a century ago to combat the rise of dynastic wealth and check income disparity, the estate tax is the most progressive tax there is. That means it hits the wealthy much more than lower income groups.
It was a Republican president, Teddy Roosevelt, that proposed the first permanent inheritance tax, arguing that inheritance of "enormous fortunes" does a society no good.
"No advantage comes either to the country as a whole or to the individuals inheriting the money by permitting the transmission in their entirety of the enormous fortunes which would be affected by such a tax," Roosevelt said.
Another decade passed before it was adopted in 1916, partly to fund World War I. The rate has waxed and waned, hitting a high of 77 percent prior to World War II.

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Canadian year-to-date budget deficit narrows in September

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's federal budget deficit dropped in the first six months of the fiscal year, falling to C$8.9 billion ($9.0 billion) in April to September from a C$11.8 billion shortfall in the same period of last year, the Department of Finance said on Friday.
The monthly deficit in September fell slightly to C$2.69 billion from C$2.75 billion in September 2011.
Revenues in the first six months of the fiscal year were up by 2.8 percent, compared with the same period in 2011, reflecting higher income tax revenues, excise taxes and duties, the finance department said.
Program expenses rose by 1.4 percent, mainly due to higher transfer payments.
September revenues fell by 0.1 percent from September 2011 while program expenses increased by 0.6 percent. Public debt charges fell by 7.6 percent.

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Number of ND 'income millionaires' jumps by 102

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A record number of North Dakotans reported seven-figure incomes last year, many of whom are benefiting from the state's oil bonanza, the state Tax Department says.
Figures released to The Associated Press show a record 634 people reported incomes of more than $1 million on their 2011 individual tax returns, up from 532 in 2010 and 384 in 2009. In 2006, while North Dakota's oil boom was in its infancy, there were 339 so-called "income millionaires."
About 90 percent of the drilling in western North Dakota occurs on private land.
Tax Department analyst Kathy Strombeck said the increase in the number of North Dakotans with million-dollar incomes comes largely from royalties paid to mineral owners by oil companies.
"Oil has a lot to do with it," she said. "I imagine we'll see growth for a while as we ratchet up projection."
Through September, North Dakota already has set an oil production record for the fifth consecutive year and the state is on pace to best the previous mark by more than 50 million barrels. The state Department of Mineral Resources said crude production through September totaled more than 173.9 million barrels, up from the record 152.9 million barrels set last year.
Tax Department records show the average adjusted gross income in the state increased from $53,036 in 2010 to $60,947 last year. The average adjusted gross income on 2006 returns was about $43,300.
The number of returns has jumped from 339,000 in 2006 to 403,625 last year. The total reported income has increased from $14.6 billion to $21.9 billion during those years, data show.
Tax Commissioner Cory Fong said the higher incomes and the increase in the number of people filing tax returns in the state "adds to the narrative of what we've got going on here in North Dakota."
The oil industry has helped grow wages throughout the state and created hundreds of high-paying jobs. It also has an effect on other industries, including wholesale trade and manufacturing, he said.
"In a way, it's lifting all boats," Fong said.
A strong overall economy and healthy agriculture sector also are factors, Fong said.

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Obama says Republican "fiscal cliff" plan out of balance

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama rejected a Republican proposal to resolve a looming fiscal crisis on Tuesday as "still out of balance" and insisted any deal must include a rise in income tax rates on the wealthiest Americans.
Obama told Bloomberg Television that the Republicans' reliance on eliminating tax deductions instead of letting taxes rise on Americans making more than $250,000 a year would not raise enough money to fund the government.
House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, the top Republican in Congress, laid out a proposal on Monday that called for spending cuts but did not give any ground on Obama's call for an increase in tax rates for the top 2 percent of U.S. earners.
"Unfortunately, the Speaker's proposal right now is still out of balance. You know, he talks, for example, about $800 billion worth of revenues, but he says he's going to do that by lowering rates. And when you look at the math, it doesn't work," Obama said.
Obama, who won re-election last month, said it was important for Republicans to acknowledge that tax rates had to rise for top earners to raise revenue sufficient to balance spending cuts.
"We're going to have to see the rates on the top 2 percent go up. And we're not going to be able to get a deal without it," he said.
Obama said on Tuesday that while tax rates must go up for a "fiscal cliff" deal, it may be possible to lower rates at the top end of the scale late next year as part of tax reforms that would close loopholes and limit deductions.
"Let's let those go up," Obama told Bloomberg in an interview, referring to tax rates for the wealthiest Americans.
"And then let's set up a process with a time certain, at the end of 2013 or the fall of 2013, where we work on tax reform, we look at what loopholes and deductions both Democrats and Republicans are willing to close, and it's possible that we may be able to lower rates by broadening the base at that point."
Obama acknowledged there were more spending cuts that could be made and he pledged to work with Boehner to trim what he called excessive healthcare costs in the budget but that a deal was not possible without raising tax rates on the wealthy.
"There's probably more cuts that we can squeeze out, although we've already made over $1 trillion worth of spending cuts," he said.
Obama said there was not enough time this year to come up with an overhaul of the U.S. tax system and entitlement programs that Republicans want as a condition for an agreement to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts set to start in 2013 that economists predict will throw the economy into depression.
He said that despite weaknesses in Europe and Asia, he believed the U.S. economy is "poised to take off."
Obama added he is considering bringing a top business executive onto his economic team, but that the Senate confirmation process can be so difficult that some business executives shy away from government service.

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