Time to get serious if you have not already done so.

Where do you start developing a family financial plan?

How about the beginning?

How do you know if you are in "trouble" financially? If more than 20% of your pay (net) goes to fund non-housing debt or if your outlay for rent or mortgage exceeds 28 - 30% of your monthly pay (after tax), you should restrict your "money" to a diet and get your "numbers" in-line.

If you don't have an automatic savings plan, we highly recommend the following:

1. First - EMERGENCY SAVINGS PLAN - build 15 to 18 months of expenses. Don't get overwhelmed if you are no where near this. Remember: Once you start saving, the growth will come faster than you think. The most important factor is to set up automatic savings. Start with 1% of your next after-tax paycheck. Then add 1% to the "savings" amount with each paycheck until you reach 15% of your after-tax pay. It is hard to start saving from cold zeros. However, you won't likely miss 1%.

2. 401k - If your company offers one, do it. Even if you start at 2%, do it. Automatic savings build faster than you realize. Automatic savings boost your overall savings.

3. Roth IRA and/or IRA - Find a way to do it. Research the companies that might be right for you. Remember that balance is the key to success with investing. If you qualify for a ROTH IRA, our recommendation: Do it. If you don't qualify for the Roth IRA, check into a traditional IRA and "just do it."

4. Eliminate debt (especially credit card debt). Eliminate your debt by researching your high-interest, revolving credit lines. Pay off the highest interest rate credit cards first. Call your credit card companies and ask for them to reduce the interest rates. If you are successful, you could save thousands. Be persistent.

5. If you have a mortgage, review where your interest rate is today. If you can truly save by refinancing, review the numbers and make sure. Only consider FIXED RATE MORTGAGES. Varibles come with unusual and unpredictable surprises. Try to build a "wall" of money (emergency fund) only for your house. Building this gives you opportunity to help yourself down the road if the road gets...rougher.

You and your entire family should be at the dinner table discussing the financial crisis and explaining what each person in your family can do to help the economy of your own family. Notice we didn't say the economy in GENERAL. That is the government's responsibility to manage. Your job is limited to your family and those you care about in this life.

To get started on your own plan, put everything on the table. Review where you actually are financially. Define your goals for short-term savings, long-term savings and retirement. Define your overall goals.

Keep visiting our little blog and we will encourage you to pay off debt and consistently save. We appreciate your reading this blog and sharing with others.

Thank you for reading.


Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

These are difficult times. The rich are running for cover (bailouts) and everyone else is taking the hit as we push forward into the economys' future. It is well-known that we encourage those who read this blog to research ways to save and generate income thru use of the internet. It is simple and widely-available to everyone (even at your local library). However, we also work hard to make sure you know our GOLDEN RULE:

If you read something and double-check the truth of it with other sources, it still has to make sense to you. If you don't understand it, you should not do it.

We will add this measure to that. Whenever difficult times come, there are always what Elvis Presleys' manager (Col. Tom Parker) used to call Snowmen. These are the people who are always looking for ways to fleece weaker minds. You must be careful. Keep in mind that some of the smartest and richest people on Earth were taken in by Bernie Maddolf. That actually happen because they DIDN'T do their research.

Take these words lightly and you may have regret of personal understanding of the saying, "A fool and his money soon parted."

GET RICH QUICK

My least favorite people on the internet are the same as my least favorite people in the "real world." My least favorite are those with the GET QUICK RICH PLANS.

You know who I am talking about. "I made $5,000 in a week."

"I make $7800 a month and only work about three hours a week."

This is covered with the rule: If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

So, you must do your research. You must use the internet. But you must also consider that you are not likely to personally know or see people on the internet. True wealth is not usually built overnight.

True wealth and value is usually built over time through hard work. Those people who think Warren Buffett has been lucky overlook his skill, committment and strong work ethic. However, they also miss that he believes in researching every move he makes. He is not just placing bets with big money. He isn't always right. He has had to build wealth the hard way (the normal way).

This blog is set up to help people and spread to other people you love and care about today. The economy is a mess. However, that does not matter. What matters is YOUR economy. You must focus on steady savings and - yes - investing today. First comes the building of the correct EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND today. Then, 401k and IRA. Then, mutual funds (with low fees) and other investing.

You've heard it, right? Slow and steady wins the race. That may not be 100% true, but it is the way to bet every time.

Be careful out there. But use your best judgement, learn and move ahead step by step. You can do it.

Share this blog any way you want. You can use the SHARE button on the right of this page to put it on your MySpace or Facebook.....or you can simply tell family and friends where to find us.

Thank you for reading. Good luck.


Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

We all know it is better to save as you go in life, right? Of course! If you ask people at work right now if you should be saving something for the future or for retirement, most people will pipe right up and say "Oh, yeah!"

Ask people how you build savings - spend less than you make, right?

It is psychology that plays a role in our knowing that we should have a plan....but NOT ACTUALLY PUTTING A PLAN INTO ACTION in our personal lives. You look up one day and you are in your 40s or 50s. You wish you had been putting away money for years, but maybe you just didn't get it done. That's easy because life slides right along. Being an adult is harder than they promised us when we were kids. Sooner than you think, you are left with regrets about financial things you could have done to improve your lot in life....but didn't.

We're going to talk about one of those things you could do right now. Anyone who reads this knows that someone blogging about saving money will say, "Start." However, I am going to say, "Invest in yourself first."

Of course, spend less than you make. If you're not doing that, begin looking at how you can put your family budget on a diet. Make some form of automatic savings part of your monthly life. Start looking for ways to learn about saving and investing. Go slow - seek advice from professionals if you like, but learn to understand it yourself.

INVEST IN YOURSELF

At work, you work to be productive. We all want to keep our jobs and position ourselves to live a good life. We want our employer to invest in us because we have a strong value for them. This is why you work. This is why you may get raises in your working life. So, why not get some of that value yourself? Seriously.

Think about this:

We now live in a new era - the era of the consumer. We drive 70% of the economy in the U.S.

Personal computers. The internet. Coupon codes. Your opportunity to research products, savings, investments and ways to produce what we call Asset Trains is amazing. It is very simply like no other time in HUMAN HISTORY.

So, here is what we are suggesting to you:

1. Invest in yourself and your own value by using one (1) hour a day to research how to best save money, invest and grow more assets (yes, you can). Check out sites on the internet where you can find coupon codes to save on things you normally buy (not new things you usually don't purchase). Look for ways to save money on your energy, your groceries, your lifestyle. I'm not suggesting you change your life and live like a homeless person. That's not right. Use the tools God has given you in 2009. Look for ways you and your family can generate passive income. One (1) hour a day can be used in a lot of ways to boost your income, build savings and grow wealth. By using only one (1) hour a day, you may improve your family financial future by 50%.

2. Use the one (1) hour a day (or in the evening) to literally build your own plan to curb expenses, save more money and grow wealth. You can make time for this, and if you start working on developing your own plan to save and grow wealth, you will become productive for your new part-time employer: Your family.

Thank you.


Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

If you are one of those people who has noticed that someone in a low paying job can become wealthy over time, you might wonder how that happens. It is hard to tell the future, but that has not changed. No one has ever really had a crystal ball about the future. A recession that puts everyone's focus on savings and job retention really highlights that fact like nothing else. So, here are seven (7) items to put you on course and get you to your goals until the recession is over and beyond:

1. Spend less than you earn. This is a hard first step. If you can do this one, the rest become that much easier. Simply put - if you are spending more than you make, you have to put your life on a financial diet. Take a look at your bills, look at what businesses you deal with are charging you for service, look at fees and reduce, reduce, reduce.

2. Value what you save - not what you earn. A lot of people put their worth or value on what they earn in a job. Aside from the obvious (that we are much more valuable than what we do for a living), the real financial value of your life is not in what you earn. It's what you keep. This is why we preach over and over that checking accounts are money laundering accounts for other people's money. You must focus on savings and investing to really get ahead.

3. If you have a mortgage on your home, you should look at the breakout of your actual mortgage payments. Look for the amount that represents the "principle" part of your monthly payment. Try to make an extra "principle" payment each month (the amount of the bill last month that went to "principle"). It might be a lot less than you think, and paying even a little extra could move you YEARS AHEAD.

4. You can't own credit cards. Credit cards own you. If you have a balance on any credit card, focus all you can on paying it off and stop using credit cards. If you have multiple cards with balances, you know (if you read this blog) we recommend that you make some kind of extra payment on the highest interest rate card and pay the minimum on the others until you pay each one off. Also: Call the credit card companies and ask them to reduce or eliminate the interest rate. Don't allow embarrassment to mess you up. They are not embarrassed to charge you more. Tell them you are struggling and need their help. They want people to pay down credit cards and not default. They often recognize that they can help you, but don't consider them your friend. They are not. Work to eliminate them from your life.

5. Accelerate your money. Focus on returns. Check every three (3) months (not once a year). Make sure you are earning the best interest on certificates of deposit or money market accounts. These instruments are there to help you make money as safely as possible and with as little risk as possible. Make sure your money is in FDIC insured.

6. Know the cost of borrowing money. This is simple, but it requires that you do your homework. Everytime someone says, "Let's see what you can afford," you should think of that as being AGAINST your best interest. In other words, forget what you can afford. Forget what things cost per month. You want to know out-the-door pricing and what the actual terms of any loan or credit are BEFORE you sign. Interest rates add up to a lot. Know the details. If you have to make a loan or use credit in any way for a purchase, do your research to make sure you get the best rates. Make sure you understand the terms and that there are not fees for early pay-off (just one of the nasty tricks that can be put in a contract). These people are not your friends. They are profiting every time you borrow money. Learning the best terms is in YOUR best interest.

7. Invest in what you know. Education is an intimidating word. It does not take that much "education" to learn what you need to know about savings accounts, certificates of deposit and mutual funds. If you are uncomfortable investing, you should always seek smart council. However, if they can't explain it where it makes TOTAL sense to you, don't do it. If you can't research the answers they are giving you, DON'T do it.

If you have read this blog for any amount of time, you know we are big believers in researching things on your own. YOU are your most valuable asset. Things should not be complicated. If they are, you have the wrong investment situation. Understanding how to put your money to work is important. Learning about savings, money market, certificates of deposit and mutual funds can play an important role in developing wealth over time.

If you have not signed up for our FREE monthly e-saver, you can do so on this page (look for the e-mail sign-up box). Saving and investing money is not magic. It does not come without some risk. You have risk in your everyday life. If you dont' save and invest, the risk you are taking with poverty could be much worse.

If you have a Facebook page, a MySpace page or Twitter, we ask that you share this blog with others. You can link us to your Facebook and MySpace pages. You can send friends to us thru Twitter. If you are blogging yourself, please LINK our blog to yours. We think sharing the information in this blog is one of the most important things we (and you) can do for people right now.

Anyone can save money, invest and become wealthy over time. One of the biggest enemies we have in this world is people who tell you how you can become an "instant millionaire" or how you can make so much money easily if you just purchase their handy-dandy system. There are many people looking for fools everyday to invest in their magic solutions. Take it from us. The truth is much more simple. There is only hard work and strategies that have been proven to work for decades and decades. Real value develops over time, and you can get ahead with commitment and finding the strategies for wealth-building that are right for you. That's why we're here on this blog. Good luck!

Thank you for reading our little blog.


Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

So the era of easy credit is over. Now focus must shift to the real work of reducing or eliminating debt. While other sites and blogs will focus on maintaining your credit score, we don't actually like all that talk. No, we don't want you to do things that punish your credit score. While we don't believe you should have NO credit, we do believe that a large part of what has gotten so many middle class American families in trouble in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s is what we call "chasing the credit score."

How did the "credit people" (big corporate "bad actors") manage to put themselves at the head of the line in terms of leveraging middle class American families beyond all reason? They made it seem easy. They played on emotion. They pushed people to see credit as a way to live a bigger and better life. However, this credit-is-king mentality comes with a dark side. Ever been behind on a credit card payment? Ever got caught up in a dispute with American Express?

It should be said that we think credit card companies are some of the worst of the "bad actors" for middle class families in this or any economy. We recommend you consider them your enemy every day of your life and constantly consider strategy to remove their grip from your financial life.

Credit card companies don't blink when applying pressure to you and your family. That is why we say the following is true:

1. You can't own credit cards - credit cards own YOU.

2. In the new era of the consumer, you MUST demand better treatment from creditors. After all, they have quotas. You have a choice: go along - or demand better.

Keep in mind that we believe you should circle the wagons on all credit cards. Borrowing high interest money to pay for something you cannot afford is a bad idea in good times or bad and is counter to wealth-building. But....let's assume you have "relationships" with credit card companies ("relationship" is code for being involved with a loan shark). How do you get out?

START BY LOOKING AT YOUR GLOBAL CREDIT CARD "SITUATION"

You should review your credit cards every six (6) months and put the credit card companies under as much pressure as possible. If they don't mind doing it to you, you shouldn't mind doing it to them.

If you follow this blog regularly, you can review past blog entries and see exactly how we think you should split up and overcome credit card companies, but today's blog will focus on some other areas often overlooked by consumers that can save you hundreds (or thousands) of dollars. Ready? We thought so.

If you think you cannot put credit card companies under some pressure, think again. The following things can be done as a part of a yearly review of all credit card "relationships." Obviously, the better your credit the more the credit card companies are likely to bend, bend, bend. However, I don't care who you are....you should ALWAYS try to extract the most out of these credit card companies. If you stay after them, they will bend. You have to be committed. So, once a year you should do each of the following:

ANNUAL FEES

You should not be paying any annual fees. Let us repeat. YOU should NOT be paying ANY annual fees. If you are, call 'em up and ask them to remove the fees. Enough said. If they won't remove the fee, you have the WRONG CREDIT CARD. Fight. Tell them you have another offer for the same kind of card - without the fee. Ask again for them to remove the fee. If they won't, ask for a supervisor and try again. Ultimately, if they won't remove the fee, you must consider other options. Many companies will simply remove the fee to continue to have you as a customer. If you did this in year one, do it again in year two. We don't allow any credit card company to put a yearly fee on our cards. We simply think it is wrong.

REWARDS CARDS

If you are participating in a "rewards" card, often these cards will gain you a specific percentage in rebates (often 1%). If you have used this credit card for a number of years, YOU should call the credit card company and specifically tell them that you have found a similar card that has DOUBLE the rebate. Being patient and smiling as you negotiate with them goes a long way. Remember - the phone call is free.

DON'T BLINK - LET THEM BLINK

We recommend that you pick a time each year to call your individual credit card companies and demand a reduction in interest rates. Tell them you want to keep paying them. Tell them that you are reducing your debt. Tell them you cannot make it without a reduction.....tell them whatever you want (legally)...but focus on how much they can reduce the interest rate they are charging you.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER

Credit companies of all kinds want you to believe credit is shrinking. Fine. But you shouldn't back up or give an inch when trying to get advantage with these companies. They bend every single day. With a little effort and some patience, you can reduce, reduce, reduce.

Ultimately, we want to see you get yourself in position to have all your credit cards in a safe (not in your wallet or purse). We are not "no credit freaks." But.....these people are not your friends. You can push back at them to get better rates, better rewards and no fees.

After all, a penny saved is.....well, you know.

Share our blog with those you love. Link us on your Facebook or MySpace pages. You can use our content on your blog (please credit us). We want to share the message of how you can reduce credit load, boost savings and grow wealth. Sign up for our FREE monthly e-saver, too. We can save you THOUSANDS of dollars. You'll be glad you did.

Thank you for sharing time on our little middle class savings blog!


Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

It's easy for rich people to save money or ride out a rough valley in the economy. They have enough money to pull back without changing their lifestyles. How about those of us who are more normal or middle class? Don't we face a struggle that is fundamentally different than what is happening to the rich? Of course it is. We are more angry than they are because we don't think of $500,000 as a "retention bonus." We live in the real world.

What can you do? How can you focus on "what's important now" and get ahead during these difficult times? Focus on where the power of your money will do the most good for you and your family.

You see statistics like:

About 50% of all Americans in a recent survey say they could cover about only one (1) month of expenses if they were to lose their incomes. If you have a job right now, you should start saving. No, we're not kidding. The goal is to build your savings slowly at first and then pick up the pace until you reach 15 to 18 months of expenses in your savings (FDIC money market and CDs). You can do this starting with your next paycheck. Start by calculating 1% of your next paycheck. Calculate this off of the after tax amount. Take that 1% and flip it to savings. Then, each paycheck after that make certain you add 1 additional percent to flip to savings. Do this until you reach 15% of your income. Doing it slowly will make it easier to move to a saving lifestyle. You won't miss 1% of your income, and doing this slowly over many months is ONE WAY to establish a path to having 15 to 18 months of expenses in savings. Do it and you will be glad you did.

Millions of Americans are rolling credit over month after month on high-interest credit cards. If you follow this blog, you know that we believe YOU don't own credit cards - CREDIT CARDS OWN YOU. Get out your credit cards and call the companies associated with them individually. Ask them to reduce your interest rates. Make sure you tell them that you are focusing on paying them off. Give them a little bait. They may offer you a "pay off," but you should tell them you are struggling and you need help with a reduction in interest rate. (If you don't get the right answer right away, ask for a supervisor and tell them you really need the help). Then, split the cards up by interest rates. The lower interest cards go on the Blue Team. The higher interest rate cards go on the Red Team. Focus on the red team. You do this by paying the minimum on all Blue Team cards. Look for the highest interest rate Red Team card. Pay MORE than the minimum each month on this card until it is paid off. Then, go to the next...and so forth...until you are credit card debt free. You can pay off credit cards, but you MUST see them as the ENEMY. Attack them each month the smart way.

90+% of Americans don't pay extra on their mortgage each month. What? Have you looked at how much of your monthly mortgage payment goes to principle and how much goes to interest and other costs? Check it out and then think about how a little extra principle payment each month could save you YEARS of paying your mortgage. It's probably a lot less than you think. A little bit more can mean reducing your payments to your mortgage company by a decade. Check with your mortgage company to make sure there are no tricks about fees for paying additional on your mortgage. If those tricks are in your mortgage, seek a new relationship by seeking a new mortgage refi. Now may be a good time to look at refinancing your mortgage anyway, but don't lose focus on the goal: additional payments mean faster payoff. In the coming month or so you may see serious reduction in interest rates. Watch this closely and check to see what the benefit of a refi would be for you to reduce the interest rate by 1.5 or 2%. Always look to lock in a 30 year fixed mortgage unless you can afford a 15 year fixed mortgage. Gone are the years when you should consider interest only loans or adjustable arms. Seek shelter for potential harder economy ahead. If you can reduce your interest rate, it should be considered.

There are many other things you can do to reduce or eliminate debt and boost personal savings. We are asking you to bookmark our blog. If you like our blog, we ask that YOU help us spread the messages of our money-saving-blog by putting us on your Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. We want to spread the message that it is possible for consumers to take control of the "system" now, you can save and build wealth....if you know where to focus the power of your money. That's why this blog focuses on proven strategies that actually work to reduce debt, be a smarter consumer and build wealth. Our goal is helping you develop specific plans to save money and build wealth. We think it is a good cause, and we will appreciate your help spreading this to Facebook, MySpace and your friends and family.

You can also sign up on this blog to receive our FREE e-saver by entering your e-mail address in the e-mail box on this page.

Thank you for reading our blog!


Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

Every once in awhile we like to drop in some very helpful websites to the cause of life, liberty and the pursuit of (less costly) happiness. Such is today's blog.

So, you want to save some money? Okay. Here are some websites we think could be helpful to your cause:

www.couponmom.com

www.pricegrabber.com

www.retailmenot.com

www.shopittome.com

www.consumerworld.org

As always, we tell you to DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. These sites offer starting points for you to think about ways you can generate savings. www.stickyasset.com/blog does NOT endorse websites or publications. We tell you that if you read our blog we always recommend you spend time researching what is right for you.

We live in a consumer's world now. Consumers drive the economy. That means we vote with our spending, but it should also mean that we have the power to negotiate and gain advantage at retail and on-line.

If you want more ways to save, sign up for our FREE monthly e-saver by giving us your e-mail address in the e-mail box in the top right corner of this blog site.

The "old ways" of retail are tired. Spend a little time researching, using coupons and knowing what you want before you go "shopping." By removing emotion from your purchases, you CAN and you SHOULD get better prices. That means more for your family.

Thank you.

Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

You cannot control the economy. Seriously, you cannot change what is happening in the global economy and you cannot have a significant impact on your own local economy. What you can do is make good decisions for yourself and your family and become watchful of the little things that usually remain hidden because most people focus on big money in their attempts to save or boost wealth. We call this "being aware" of situations that exist in your fanancial life. Each year millions of dollars "slip by" because people are not watching the small fees and small spending that adds up dramatically.

There are also attempts in the media and among politicians to downplay the role of smaller savings because of your "responsibility" to boost the economy. Let us tell you the truth: You don't have a responsibility to this economy - your responsibility is to your family and survival. Focus on the fundamentals and you will save, save, save.

CHOOSE YOUR EXPERTS WISELY

Recently we have even seen "experts" talk about how focusing on small savings will not really help your family. This is a fool's errand to think you cannot control smaller expenses and make that impactful over the next several years to strengthen your family finances. Rich people often focus on little savings opportunities. You may have heard the saying, "Focus on the little expenses and everything else will take care of itself."

HOW TO SAVE THOUSANDS AT THE GROCERY STORE

What are small expenses that can eat up your income while you are not looking? Going to the grocery store or Walmart without a specific list that you stick to while shopping. Not using coupons for ITEMS YOU ALREADY PURCHASE regularly (in other words, cutting coupons or using coupon codes for things you wouldn't ordinarily purchase is a fool's errand). The key is to focus on what you need (and not what you want).

REMOVE EMOTION - SAVE MONEY

Try to remove emotion from purchases. When you grocery shop, make a "hard list" and don't vary from those purchases. Look for coupons for ONLY THOSE PURCHASES and go on-line to get coupon codes that can be used only for those things you plan to purchase (needs). Compare between your local grocery store and Walmart or SAMS. Focus on "out the door prices." It might be hip to go to the high-dollar grocery store, but it will rob you of your future. Seriously, you can save THOUSANDS every year.

SAVINGS IS ONLY SAVINGS IF YOU "WALK THE WALK"

We call this "walking the walk." If you save money using a coupon or a coupon code, pull the money you saved out of your checking account AND PUT IT IN SAVINGS. You don't save money if you leave it in CHECKING. Checking accounts are money laundering accounts for other people's money. Avoid giving your money to other people by focusing on the small amounts and taking the savings directly to savings (FDIC money market).

Bank branches are generally there to sell you - not to serve you. That's why there is so little service and you can hardly get a bank employee on a telephone in 2009. They want to sell you or "fee you." Bank fees are likely to go up, up, up. So, reviewing your bank fees every six (6) months is a good idea. This is also why you should be careful using ATM machines. Little fees add up quickly.

Read your statements for add-on fees by phone companies and cell phone providers. It's also not just banks and cell phones or local phone companies. Any service that is provided to you for a fee should be closely reviewed every six (6) months.

THE BIGGEST MONEY WASTER ON EARTH

Don't take things for granted. If you have a long-term relationship with an insurance company, shop your policies. See if there is a better rate. Again - look for any hidden fees. Go to naic.org to find YOUR state insurance commission website. There you can download your state's car insurance buyers guide. Those guides often show you examples of people like yourself. It is a great tool for beginning to compare insurance companies. Remember: your goal is to save. Whatever you save should be REMOVED from your checking account and taken directly to SAVINGS (money market).

Don't limit yourself to checking insurance. Check everyone you do business with today. The biggest money waster today is people "letting things ride" because they have long relationships with corporations. These people are not your friends. Look at your expenses and make sure you are getting the best deal. You should do this every six (6) months.

JUST BECAUSE THEY SAY THEIR SMART WON'T MAKE THEM YOUR FRIEND

Millions of Americans are watching the Bernie Madoff rip-off. If you think really rich people can be taken advantage of today, think about any financial advisor or financial institution you deal with. We are NOT suggesting that everyone (or anyone) is like Bernie Madoff, but we ARE suggesting that you want to review what is happening with your 401k, bank accounts, insurance and any other relationship that involves money twice (2) each year to focus on fees (hidden and those in the open) to make sure you are avoiding being ripped off, or "skimmed off" as we call it.

IS YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR SMART ENOUGH FOR (YOUR) FREE MONEY?

We've seen years of rich advisors talking about how much smarter they are and why we should pay them all this money to invest for us. Please! We can now see that the ultimate responsibility is ours to research and learn, and we should always limit their FEES because "they're so smart." Again - please. Pay attention to these people and their fees. They're not that smart, and you're not that rich. If you pay attention, it will pay off for YOU. That's the goal.

Remember - financial advisors are not your friend. Most of them don't have all the answers, but they are supposed to work for you. There are NO shortcuts in really building wealth. A financial advisor won't work for you unless you stay involved and demand they really work. Staying on top of any fees - hidden or otherwise - is one way to make sure your investments are...investments. Not just extra income for an advisor.

Some people think we take the hard line with financial advisors (yes, we get e-mail), but we simply don't think many of them do anything but line their pockets with other people's money. There are honest people advising many on investing, but you must keep your eye on anyone watching or investing your money. There are always people set to take advantage of you. To keep this from happening to your family, you must work to understand anything you invest in today. You must do your research. You must learn how money can work for you and ask questions.

Being "tuned in" to the fact that businesses sometimes like to hide fees in their relationship with you can save you thousands of dollars over the years. Don't discount putting in that effort.

You can share this blog by using our "share" button to the right of this blog. If you've not signed up for your FREE monthly e-saver, you can do that by using the e-mail sign-up window in the upper-right-hand part of this page. Remember: We do not sell, lease or allow anyone to borrow your e-mail. We only send one e-mail per month (and that is the e-saver).

Thank you for reading our little blog.


Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

Everyone wants to save money when times get tough. When things are good, spending increases and savings decreases. People are human. Humans are subject to emotion. Emotion during good times leads to more spending. Emotion during difficult times leads to savings. It's simple, right?

While everyone wants save right now, some people think it is outside their reach. Some people literally think it is beyond possiblity for them to save, and there are situations where it does become impossible to save money temporarily. However, our attention is currently on the fastest ways to build savings beginning today. Here are some tools and strategies you might put to work for you beginning right now to save and grow wealth.

Take 1% from your after-tax pay the next paycheck you receive and put it in savings (before you pay any bills). Each paycheck you get after that, increase the percentage by 1% until you reach 15% savings. If you feel you cannot do it that quickly, change the percentage once a month. Would you miss 1% of your income? This gradual move to savings will not shockingly adjust your lifestyle. It will help you develop a plan that works to save money.

Change the deductibles on your car, homeowners and other insurance. An adjustment could save you hundreds of dollars in short-term money that can be used for savings. While you are in this process, you should compare insurance companies and combining insurance (home/car/health) to help leverage additional savings. Remember: It isn't savings unless you pull it from you CHECKING ACCOUNT* and put it in a money market or other appropriate savings vehicles. You're on a mission to move money to savings and increase your EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND.

Bundle your wireless, home phone and cable. Take the savings and put it in....yes....savings.

Don't use credit cards. This is a tricky one. If you already have credit cards, then use this separate rule just for you: Don't use credit cards.

If you do use a credit card, make sure you pay it off each month and harness the points. This is difficult to do. Unless you are a totally non-emotional financial person, leave credit cards ALONE. The more emotion you remove from your connection with money, the more success you are likely to have saving and growing it.

If you have multiple credit cards and carry a balance, sit down with the family at the kitchen table and research the interest you are paying on each. Split them up and put them on "teams." Blue team (lower interest rates) and Red team (higher interest rates). Rank them (#1 is the card with the highest interest rate, #2 is the second highest....). Pay the minimum amount on each card EXCEPT the highest interest card. Identify that card and make extra principle payments to it each month. Make sure you send a letter with the extra payment (or payments) each month. Once you pay it off, repeat with the #2 card and so on until you have ZERO CREDIT CARD DEBT.

Use coupons and coupon codes. Take the money that you would have paid full price and take away the amount you actually paid using the coupons or coupon code to identify savings. Take that amount and put it in savings.

Don't get caught using 1980s standards for EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUNDS. You should build an EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND of 15 to 18 months of expenses. The first 3 to 6 months should be in FDIC insured MONEY MARKET. The rest can be in CDs or some other savings vehicle, but you want it to be some form of reasonably liquidity. Think: How long might it take you to replace your current income if you lose your job?

If you don't have savings or you don't have 15 to 18 months of savings, don't worry. Go to work on the problem. Use strategies you find here to save. Savings builds faster than you think. You have to develop a plan and stick to it. You can grow savings.

It's not out of your reach. You can save money. Focus your effort and always do anything you can to move money from CHECKING* to savings.

It's not what you make. It is what you save that counts. Living below your means and using every opportunity to save will help you and your family during these difficult or during any economic times.

Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

*Checking accounts are money laundering accounts for other people's money.

Many millions of Americans have not seen anything like the "Great Depression." Some of us have seen 1974 or 1987 or 2002, but nothing like 1930 or 1932. That will not make it any easier. In fact, our lack of experience means we may not prepare enough for the possible hard times just ahead. We'll underestimate.

We all know stories of grandparents that were touched by the hard times. Maybe your family shares stories now about this time in American life that was marked by simple values and bootstraps. Still, many millions of Americans today don't have a strong idea of what that was really like in the 1930s and may not be the slightest bit prepared for the difficult times that could be just ahead.

AVOIDING MORE PERSONAL CRISIS

What can you do to help your family now before times may indeed worsen?

I call it a "Bite Down On Credit." Review your credit cards and all debt. Talk with your family members about reining in spending. Seriously. Consider things you have thought beneath you before. It's time to get hard.

SUPPORT THE ECONOMY Vs SAVE THE FAMILY

We are very aware of the call to spend to support the economy. If you do not have 15 to 18 months of expenses in an emergency savings fund, that call to spend is NOT for you.

If you have not been participating in a 401k and/or an IRA or Roth IRA, that call to spend is NOT for you.

Focus on savings. If you are employed today, you should have an automatic savings plan. If you don't have one, stop in with payroll and get the paperwork to start saving. Even if you start with only 1% of your after-tax income, START SAVING NOW. You cannot tell me you will miss 1%. If you do miss 1%, you are WAY OVEREXTENDED. After you get paid the first time with your new automatic savings, increase your savings amount by 1% with each paycheck until you reach 15%. It will be easier to save now than it will later if you lose your job.

INTRODUCE "DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER"

Begin thinking NEGOTIATION with every purchase you make. Don't be embarrassed to ask for a better deal. Don't be afraid of the word "No." They can only refuse. You are always free to go somewhere else. We live in a world where many multiple retailers in real stores and internet stores will compete to deliver find things to your front door. 2009 is the year to really start making them work for it. Remember: This really is the era of the consumer. Frankly, "the man" has been "putting it to" the middle class for years.

You can no longer afford to make purchases without RESEARCHING costs first. Millions of Americans must have a special four-pronged attack on saving money. Here's how YOU can make it work to OVERachieve with savings:

1. The #1 goal before you begin the process of purchasing anything is to take all emotion out of your purchase. Emotion is what sells things in this country and around the world. TAKE ALL THE EMOTION OUT OF YOUR SIDE OF A PURCHASE. That's right - have a "take it or leave it attitude" and be prepared to leave it.

2. Make sure you do your research in advance on what an item costs to the retailer where you are to purchase the item. Do this LONG BEFORE you visit the retailer (this goes DOUBLE for car dealers). This information is more available to any consumer than ever at any moment in human history. If you don't have a computer at home to research real costs, go to the local library. Get connected by using their computer to do your research. That will show you real costs Vs what they might tell you is costs. It will also tell you where to start the slightly lower "asking price" (the price you will ask them to take for the item).

3. Learn to LOAD THE EMOTION of the sale to the retailers' side of the deal. In other words, frame the time and frame the way in which you will purchase the item they have to sell. Let them know for sure that you are a BUYER. They have quotas - they have sales goals. Make them emotional and make it clear that you are there to purchase and that you can and will walk away if the deal isn't right.

4. You must take the money represented by the difference between the original sale price and the actual price you pay out-the-door and put the money you "saved" in actual savings. Yes, it will make things more difficult on you in the short-term. However, if you do this with every purchase, you will be stunned how quickly your savings will grow.

THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS

Let's get started taking this country back. Credit is not your friend. Retailers are not your friends. Corporate America is not your friend. You can't own credit cards - credit cards own you. Let's take a stand and stop chasing credit scores. Start negotiating on everything - and save the difference. You'll be glad you did.

You can do this. Pass this on to your friends by using the "Share" button to the right of this blog. Check us out on Twitter at LoydFord. You can also sign up on this page (top right) for your free monthly e-saver. Just look for the place to enter your e-mail address. We won't spam you with e-mail. We respect your e-mail box (and you). You'll only get one e-saver from us each month.

Thank you for sharing a few minutes with us.


Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

The worst part about the recession that you see continuing to fan out across the U.S. and around the globe is the unusual widespread reach of the job losses. By the very nature of what you see happening, you should plan for the worst and hope for the best. This simply means that no one is safe from job loss and every individual family should do everything possible to prepare now in case your personal situation begins to worsen. The economist are beginning to talk about the high potential for 10 - 12.5% unemployment. This would have far reaching impact. Don't take this projection lightly. Prepare.

YOUR ACTION PLAN NOW

What should you be thinking about and taking action on now? Take a very close look at your expenses. We are big believers in putting your expenses on a diet. To do this, simply take all your actual spending expenses for the last three (3) months to your kitchen table. Go through everything and lay each expense out so you can see what you actually spent money on over this period. Separate expenses into "wants" and "needs."

You should know that we recommend that you work to build your EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND to include 15 - 18 months of expenses in today's employment environment. If you don't have this amount, do not worry. Start finding ways to save. Start building with baby steps. If you have your job, you have a better opportunity to save than some people. If you have to start by taking 1% of your next paycheck and "skimming it off the top" the next time you get paid for savings, DO IT. Then, increase the amount you save paycheck to paycheck by another 1% every time you get paid.

What if expenses are "tight" (or even if they are not)?

Go on a DIET. No, not that kind of diet. Go on a "Money Diet."

THE MONEY DIET

Now you can begin. The goal will be to trim overall expenses by 10 - 15%. Of course, you will want to see if you have a "spending leak." This would be any area where you are spending money on something that you really know you should reduce or eliminate. This can be as simple as a Starbucks habit (sorry). You know what we are talking about here. Be honest with yourself and you will save more money.

Second: Look at your monthly "automatic" bills. Start with credit cards. Do not in any way be embarrassed to call your credit card company (or companies) and ask them for help. Tell them you are having difficulties and that you want to continue paying them. However, you want their help. Ask them if they can reduce or eliminate your interest while you are paying these cards off. If they say no, ask for a supervisor. If you don't have success, do not take no as an answer. Tell them you do not want to end up in bankruptsy. Tell them you want to pay this debt off - please help.

And stop using your credit cards.

If you owe someone like Sears, see "credit cards" and repeat.

Look at your insurance. Call them. Tell them you are having difficulty, and that you don't want to have to drop your insurance - is there any way they can help you survive this economic crisis? Look at deductibles. See if you can adjust them and reduce your expense.

If you have not noticed by now, we are recommending that you begin to see this as what it is: you are in a battle to do what all companies are doing right now (that may result in you losing your job in this recession) - your battle is to reduce expenses now and save what you reduce or eliminate.

LITTLE FEES TAKE A BIG BITE

Focus on fees. Look at your bank. Got fees? Got the wrong bank. Checking fee? Wrong. Call them. See if they will eliminate the fees. If they won't, leave the bank behind and get a fee-free checking account.

Call the cable company. Call the power company. Do the same things with them. Tell them you are looking to reduce expenses so you can still pay them. Ask what they can suggest to help you. Remember: Your goal is to reduce your bills and expenses by 10 - 15%. You can do this.

Take a look at expenses like phone and cell phone. Reduce, reduce, reduce.

SAVINGS IS NOT SAVINGS IF IT'S IN YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT

Make absolutely sure that every time you get a concession, you put the amount you save in your EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND. That means that anything you save you are now setting aside in savings every single month going forward. If you reduce your expenses by 8%, you are now saving 8% more. If you save 12.5%, you are now to be moving this 12.5% to your savings.

Savings does NOT belong in your checking account. If you have been following this blog, you know that we believe your checking account is a MONEY LAUNDERING ACCOUNT FOR OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY. Get YOUR money out of checking.

WHAT IF YOU ARE DOWNSIZED?

People continue to see reduction in workforce all across the country. You must plan for the worst and hope for the best. However, if you are downsized, you must look at the best and fastest way to retool and grow new income. In today's economy that is likely to mean:

EDUCATION

RETRAINING

See what is available to you in terms of STIMULUS MONEY. That's right. If the government is going to spend, why shouldn't you get your unfair share?

Look at the industries that are most likely to generate hiring. This includes healthcare, education and government. Do your research (as we always recommend). Get starting thinking (now) about what you might like to do. If you have lost your job, get rolling toward retooling and educating for potential career change.

No one likes thinking about downsizing or financial ugliness. However, a little planning can go a long way. We hope you find this blog useful and will share it with others. You can always sign up for our free monthly e-saver on this page and you can now follow us on Twitter: LoydFord.

Thank you for spending a few moments with us. Let's turn this economic situation on it's ear and get things rolling our way. The biggest ways you can do that is prepare ahead for the worst and hope for the best.

People are hurting in this economy. It's time to take some strong medicine and get your personal house in order. You know this and we can do it. Good luck!

Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

There is a lot of fear being pushed by the media.

You can see the fear factory in story headlines. Some "journalist" are choosing headlines that "sell" or headlines that push fear. There is a story circulating now about how the FDIC could be insolvent this year. Once you read the actual story, you learn that the chairman of the FDIC is pushing back at banks that are complaining about the higher fees to insure money by saying if they had not increased fees the FDIC could have become "insolvent this year."

What is driving these scare tactics?

How do you know if your money is safe?

Here are contact numbers and a website for you:

FDIC toll free 1-877-275-3342

www.FDIC.gov

Security Insurance Protection Agency 1-212-371-8300

Don't allow anyone scare you. Get the facts.

You need to have savings in this current environment. If you are not saving money and you have a job, you need to reevaluate your needs Vs. wants and develop a plan to put some money away. The information in today's blog will help you find out if your bank is FDIC insured.

If you enjoy our blog, we ask that you share it with others. There is a "share" button on the right-hand side of this page. You can also sign up for our free e-saver (once a month). The sign up is right on this page. We are serious about our mission of helping people develop their own plan to survive the financial crisis and strengthen the family finances for the future.

You can build wealth over time. There are no easy fixes. You want to know the facts, and you should not allow anyone to frighten you in this environment.

Thank you for reading our little blog.

Good luck.


Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog

A lot of people are focused on the short-term right now. That's okay. Fear is everywhere. However, there is NEVER a bad time to pump up your EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND. We can show you how to do it and how to improve how much you save.

We recommend that your goal is to have 15 to 18 months of expenses in your EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND. If you don't have this amount of money in savings, don't allow yourself to become overwhelmed. Focus on the fundamentals AND START.

Save by automatic savings. You can do this with your employer thru companies like T Rowe Price. This is not an endorsement of T Rowe Price. Do your research. Find the company that is the right fit for you. Start saving automatically. Every paycheck.

Start with our model of using 1% from your next paycheck and increasing that percentage by 1% each payday until you reach 15% savings. If you can do more, you should. Set your goal for EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND and work to get there recogizing that wealth is not build immediately. Good things take time. You can do this.

Remember this: If you have a JOB today, you are much more likely to be able to save than if you lose your job. Start saving. Don't wait.

What about the vehicles (where to put the savings)?

Let's talk about the fundamental savings that are safer than risk investments. While savings accounts are available, we don't consider them a successful vehicle because they pay you almost nothing. We don't like banks (unless the interest they pay is HIGH -- as it should be for you). That said - you must zero in on FDIC or NCUA insured vehicles (for credit unions).

1. Money Market.
2. Certificates Of Deposit.
3. U.S. Savings Bonds - Series I or EE. (caution - we think inflation could eat you up - always use balance with your savings; i.e.: don't put all your savings in U.S. Savings Bonds).

If your goal is to have our recommended 15 to 18 months of EMERGENCY SAVINGS, you should have 6 months in money market. Then, you can look at certificates of deposit (nothing longer than a year) and U.S. Savings Bonds.

You want to focus on how you can have very liquid cash for emergencies and to live off of if you lose your job and less immediately liquid assets that can be converted into usable cash within six months.

Just keep building that savings. That is what will help keep your family safe in really troubled times.

BANKS - Checking Accounts

This is a universal rule, but let's start with checking accounts. The Universal Rule: FOCUS ON THE FEES. Request a complete list of fees that are charged on your accounts and decit card fees. Yes, call the bank right now.

If you have fees on your checking account, you need a new bank and/or a new checking account. Seek an account with a no minimum balance requirement.

OVERALL FEES - NOT JUST THE BANK

It's time to begin to focus on "What Matters Now." What's that? FEES. The experts that handle money are supposed to be experts, right? Do they look like experts to you? You simply must look at everything in your financial life. Fees seem small, but do you really know what is going on in your financial life? Have you looked at fees attached to everything your money touches?

Your goal in the next 24 to 48 hours is to reduce or totally eliminate fees. Or change who you do business with today (and in the process reduce or eliminate fees).

If you've been following this blog, you know we believe in looking at ways to reduce what things cost in your life. This is not new purchases - we mean things you ordinarily purchase. The things of life. Start with every individual bill that comes to your house. Look at the details and ask the people and businesses you do business with today. Call them and ask about any fee and or any potential reduction. Tell them you have been hit by the economy and that your GOAL is to keep doing business with them. Tell them you need help. It is very likely they will be interested in KEEPING your business. Ask them to help you find a way to reduce the cost of that bill each month by 10%. Negotiate with them. There is no crime in this. What are they going to say? No?

Ask. Ask.

Look at the fees you are charged. Think of it as fees you are OVERCHARGED. If you have an investment person, call them. Have them explain all fees. This is their job. Look at everything as closely as possible with the idea that you want to reduce by 10% or ELIMINATE the fees all together.

And make sure you calculate up the savings and PUT THE SAVINGS in money market or certificates of deposit. You are leveraging your WORTH and SAVING YOUR FAMILY.

Think we are kidding? Not at all. It's a new world for middle class families. The rich want to be bailed out. Let's start bailing OURSELVES out.

Thank you for reading this blog and passing it on to others you love and care about today.


Loyd Ford
www.STICKYASSET.com

The world is financially falling apart, right? Take a moment. Turn off the news. Stop thinking about the fear at work over jobs, mortgages, banking and more. Take a moment just for yourself. Imagine what it would be like if you could take all of your debt and reduce it to the size of a small shoebox. Now reduce it again and again. Slowly. Until it is gone completely. Just in your mind. Just for a minute.

How does that feel?

Millions of Americans can tell you that being debt-free would be amazing. If you call your best friend right now, they will tell you that it is good to save money. Oh, everybody gets it. But....you know that some people say, "Okay for you. THEY can do it, but paying off debt and really saving is not for me. I cannot do it."

Close your eyes. Imagine what it would be like to be debt free. Make that jump with me.

Just for a moment.

Now think of anything but the reasons why you cannot save. Think about what would enable you to save money. Could you start by saving only 1% of your next paycheck? Could you save your tax refund? Could you save the actual money you save on coupons at the grocery store? How much is that?

Seriously, you must find ways to trick yourself into saving money.

If you have a job, you are 99.9% there.

It's not what you make that counts. It's what you save.

Let's say we start with your very next paycheck. Save 1%. Can you honestly say 1% of your after tax income is going to kill you? I hope you don't make that much. After all, that much income (where even 1% hurts you) is a burden!

Each paycheck after the next one you should bump your savings by 1%.

Put the money in a money market that is FDIC insured. Keep saving. Put your tax refund in this money market. Look for other ways to save. My family actually looks for money on the ground (found money). This year so far we have "saved" $30.00+ of other people's money.

You can find ways to save. Just start thinking about the WAYS you CAN SAVE - not reasons you cannot.

Imagine yourself debt-free. Then, work your way backwards. You can do this. Debt-free will look good on you.

Share this blog by using the "share" button at the top right.

Thank you for reading our little money saving blog!

Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com