Beginning at the age of six, Americans begin to attend school. They will spend the majority of their time in this learning environment until they graduate high school and probably college. During this time, people are educated about different subjects in the hopes that it will help them live a profitable life. What is a better way to solve a problem, than by teaching people about the causes and how to not get cheated? The current housing crisis could have been averted if the American people had been properly educated about how to handle banking and loan situations. However, due to a mentality that people should buy what they cannot afford, America has been in an ongoing recession for many years. On another note, banks need to adjust the way loans are given out as well as the programs being set up to pay them back. There is no quick fix to this problem, rather a long-term investment that must be made. Instead of pouring millions of dollars that the government does not have into a possible solution that may or may not work, I propose the government implements an educational course in an attempt to revise the way Americans think.
Everyone is aware of the problems that have been caused by the interest rates and the credit cards and the quick fixes that have attempted to solve the problem. The issue with most of these fixes is that the money used is not money currently available. Sure, more can be printed, but that lowers the value. The fact of the matter is that throwing money at a problem is not going to make it go away. In fact, it only makes the problem worse. It shows the public that it’s perfectly all right to spend money that they don’t have because eventually, everything will be okay. That’s not the case.
Up until a few decades ago, everyone believed in having patience and saving. In today’s day and age, people want everything now. Technology has continued this message with everything only a click away! If people knew that saving money is the best way to get what you want, then the foreclosure issue would not be such a serious problem. Instead, people go out and spend money they don’t have. The public needs to be educated on how to make the best deals and get the most out of the money that they have.
The first major point that Gretchen Morgenson makes in her article “The Debt Trap” is how lenders have found ways to make a bigger profit from borrowers in the recent years. Shes states that for example, “the rates that credit card companies charge borrowers rose from 17.7 percent in 2005, to 19.1 last year”. That difference added to billions of dollars charged annually. She stated that overall, these lenders increased “junk fees by fifty percent in recent years”. In the capitalistic society that we live in, these lending companies are doing everything they can to make as much of a profit as they can. If this means shoving Americans into the ground in the profit, they do not seem to feel bad about it one bit. This has created a problem with
I chose to do my book review on Brad and Ted Klontz’s “Mind Over Money: Overcoming the Money Disorders That Threaten Our Financial Health” because I have observed, and participated in, bad financial decisions that have greatly impacted my family for decades. I’ve taken many personal steps to attempt to break the cycle of destruction that ended my parents’ marriage, and to raise my children in a debt free environment. Unfortunately, it has not been an easy task. I have read many financial self help books and attended seminars on the subject. This book caught my attention when it said that simply learning how to budget and pay off debt isn’t enough, that one has to first understand our psychological relationship to money, and then move beyond the financial constraints we put on upon ourselves. For years I had struggled with debt and money management. I had always assumed it was my lack of education that held me from moving forward. Reading this book has been a welcome eye-opener.
The Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis of 2008 has been the largest financial crisis to take place since the end of the Great Depression. It was the actions of individuals and companies that caused this crisis. For although it could have been adverted, too much money was being made by too many people in place of authority to think deeply on the situation. As such, by the time actions were taken to attempt to rectify the situation, it was already too late. Trillions of dollar of tax payers’ money was spent trying to repair the situation that was caused by the breakdown of ethics and accountability in the private sector. And despite the government’s actions to attempt to contain the crisis, hundreds of thousands lives were negatively affected before, during, and after this crisis.
In essence, the problem leading to the foreclosure crisis is the recent decrease in people’s ability to make their loan payments due to job loss and lower wages brought on by the economy’s weak state. Rather than throw billions of dollars at big banks in the hope that they find ways to help the homeowners’ loans, the government should attack the problem through the individual. Simply, the government aid being spent in the hopes of stimulating the economy should be funneled toward reducing the balance of home loans to make the monthly payments affordable for the owner. By funneling the government aid directly to the American home owner in need, the economy would greatly benefit as homeowners regain their footing with their budget because the economy and foreclosure are directly related. When one hurts, so does the other; when one prospers, the other does as we...
In the early 2000’s the housing market boomed, real estate was a hot investment and everyone was looking to buy a home. However not everyone can afford a home and a majority of people were forced to take out a mortgage to purchase real estate. During the housing boom banks were supplying subprime loans and upping the risk in the real estate market. These loans were not only risky but irresponsible on the part of the banks’ lending them, and although individuals receiving the loans thought they were being helped at the time, these loans were a major reason why so many people their homes, almost crippling toe U.S economy as a whole.
It seems Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan beat the Treasury secretary to it. Greenspan could not wait for the economy to fix itself by paying of the debt. The United States economy is roaring ahead at about 5% annual growth rate, much faster then the federal reserve considers safe. In an attempt to keep inflation under wraps and fix the imbalance of the economy, the Federal Reserve raised federal fund rates half a point, overnight, to 6.5%, the highest in nine years. However the fed is not sure this wil...
Credit cards: for some they are the paths to financial freedom, for others they are a necessity for daily purchases. During the recent economic crisis, many have sought out to find the cause. One common suspect is the credit card industry, which is comprised of more than six thousand card issuers (Clayton 209). This issue is debated in the two-part article “Should Congress Regulate Credit Card Rates and Fees?” “Yes” and “No.” Tamara Draut, Director of Economic Opportunity, Demos, argues yes, claiming the credit card companies’ ability to adjust terms and interest rates traps cardholders in everlasting debt. On the contrary, Kenneth J. Clayton, Managing Director of Card Policy for the American Bankers Association, argues no, stating that regulating credit card companies would hinder many people from obtaining credit and further damage the economy. Although both Draut and Clayton present strong evidence for some aspects of their arguments, both writers make assumptions which they fail to support and ignore the complexity of the issue, making their arguments overall unpersuasive.
All of those bad loans and bonds are now becoming subprime mortgages and at alarming rates, the big banks and even smaller banks are targeting people who can’t afford them and other members of the working class. They began to persuade them in with low interest rates but with only the intention to hike up the prices after a short grace period. The worst part about this hole dilemma isn’t totally about loans themselves either, it’s about the people who are being taken for a ride. The people paying for these loans
Foreclosure in America has been a rising and prominent problem recently, and has destroyed many Americans hopes and dreams. Over 2.3 million homes were foreclosed in 2008, and an estimated four million homes will be foreclosed by the end of this year. Despite the efforts of many banks and lending companies, over half of homes will foreclose that have received their help. I believe that we have only started in the right direction in solving the foreclosure crisis. Giving money and lowering mortgage rates will help, but I believe we should find out why Americans are in this situation in the first place. We are being too stereotypical when we think the only reason someone is foreclosing is because of irresponsible payments or buying a home out of a person’s capabilities to pay for it. If we understand their situation, we will be better enabled to help and solve their crisis.
As an investor with several types of securities, I am looking for long-term stability towards a retirement fund. The combination of several different stocks and mutual funds allows for the safety of the investments. By investing long-term in different accounts, I have the ability to gain more in the long-run with less risk of not lose all my savings on one investment.
One might say there is a strong argument for the requirement of financial literacy for students in America. Americans continue to have increased balances on their credit cards as well as show a continued increase in bankruptcy filings according to statistics. Even the “baby boomer” generation is no longer exempt from financial hardships, as their generation has recently taken the title of “Fastest Growing Bankruptcy Demographic” from the 25 – 34 year olds (Linfield, 2011). Would it not make sense to say that Americans need to learn how to budget and borrow more wisely? Would not the best place to start be in schools? Well, the answer to that question is not a simple one.
me on a volunteer project I did in high school. The summer after my junior year
Money is essential for our everyday lives and people have to face choosing whether to save up or spend their money. Of course earning our money can difficult considering that it is a necessary asset that affects every aspect of our life. Every day we see people working hard to earn as much money as the can. However how they use using the all the money earned is a frequently debated topic have seen many people who earn money and can no restrict themselves from spending .They usually act like wild animals fighting for food and being separating from the delusions of business. People are usually confused and frustrated by the amount money the use in a week without knowing that their daily impulse buying objects have piled up. Although it can be very hard to control there are many easy steps to stay away y from spending and instead saying up. Setting a goal, recording the amount you spend and even lowering your expenses can be small steps that will lead to great success in saving for the future
Saving money brings security for any future expenses. The earlier in life an individual begins to save, the better they will be set financially in the years to come. There are several reasons why it is important to save money. A few of these reasons are for emergencies, retirement, and simply for luxury spending. Having money will benefit each of these examples.
Economics is the study of the production and consumption of goods and the transfer of wealth to produce and obtain those goods. Economics explains how people interact within markets to get what they want or accomplish certain goals. Since economics is a driving force of human interaction, studying it often reveals why people and governments behave in particular ways.