Stories

Indian Head CentIndian Head Cent

March 21, 2010 – 5:09 pm

Have you ever seen an Indian Head Cent? Unless you are a senior citizen or are an avid coin collector, the odds are that you have not. I am 75 and have seen only one.

If you have an interest in the Indian Head penny, visit www.icoincollect.com to read about the Indian Head Cent and numerous other articles about coin collecting and related subjects. This website discusses such topics as Silver or Gold, Tips for Buying Gold, Tips for Coin Collectors, Gold at Auctions, Ounce of Silver, Price of Gold Per Troy Ounce, and Is Gold a Good Investment?

A visit to icoincollect.com should give you hours of enjoyment and enlightenment.

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News

The Murray Clan

March 15, 2010 – 5:10 pm

Please bear with me through this personal note. I have just celebrated my 75th birthday and I would like to share with you the great joy of having a wonderful family. My children decided that my 75th should be special. They arranged a party for me, my wife and my granddaughter. My wife turned 72 10 days after my birthday and my granddaughter, who shares my birthday turned 33. I don’t think she will object to my revealing her age.  In addition, our 22nd wedding anniversary fell in between birthdays.

They not only arranged for the party, they spent a week with us and painted the interior of our rather large home (2248 square feet). My eldest called to tell me what was going on (they gave up on making it a surprise). If I would supply the paint, they would paint the interior of our home, a project we had been wanting to do but, due to our  limited mobility, lacked the physical ability to perform ourselves.  I spent about a month removing books, bookshelves, collector plates, and pictures from our living room walls. My wife is an avid reader and collector of books and plates. All were packed in boxes and moved to other rooms. The primary ringleaders, my 2 daughters said they would paint the walls but could not paint the vaulted ceilings due to their limited physical abilities. However, my middle son said he was available and he would paint the ceilings. To our surprise, a crew of seven arrived on Saturday. 2 daughters, 2 sons, a grandson, a granddaughter, and a great-grandson (age 5). (We have pictures to prove that he painted.)

My daughters, my wife and I went to the local paint store and selected the paint for the living room, the first to be painted. On Sunday, the painting began. As the week progressed, we made several trips to obtain paint and supplies and the painting progressed quickly and smoothly.

I had hoped that they would get the living room and family room finished. They did that plus the kitchen/morning room and the master bedroom. All in all, a fantastic job was done and I would like the world to know that, in my opinion, I have the greatest family in this world. I pray that I can live many more years to enjoy the growth of my family of 5 children, 8 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, a stepson, 3 step-grandchildren, and 2 step great-grandchildren. I have indeed made my mark on this planet.

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Finance

Credit Card Debt

December 4, 2009 – 5:11 pm

Have you recently lost your job? And do you have credit card debt? A thought that might have crossed your mind—take money out of my 401(k) and pay on credit card debt. No, no, no.  According to Gerri Willis, host of CNN Open House, it is never a good idea to use 401(k) money for anything but retirement, especially if you are near retirement.

A better way to go—talk to your credit card company. They can usually work out a payment plan, possibly with lower interest, and you may be able to get part of that debt forgiven. If you have a good credit rating until your job loss, it may be easier to deal with the credit card company. Some are helpful and some are very hard-nosed.

There is another alternative called debt reduction or debt negotiation. These plans claim they can negotiate down your debt by 40 to 60%. While this sounds attractive, there is a down side. You must stop paying on your credit card bills while you pay into an escrow account for negotiation and fees. The fees are rather significant and your escrow reserves must build up so the company can negotiate. Meanwhile with no payments being made your credit score takes a huge hit. Some credit card companies will phone you several times a day. You are instructed not to take the calls and if you do, refer them to the debt reduction firm.

If you have a good credit rating, it can be very difficult to watch your score take this huge hit.

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News Uncategorized

Boxcar Willie country icon

November 10, 2009 – 4:12 am

Who’s Boxcar Willie? If you aren’t familiar with his music, it’s one of a kind. Read this article; hear his music. Let this article be your introduction to his style of music, if you aren’t already familiar with his works.

Visit this website, http://www.mycountrymusichits.com/2009/11/05/boxcar-willie-country-icon.html, and find a new world of music. This site has articles about Willie Nelson Videos, Tom Brumley-Steel hero, CM SINGERS, Kris Kristofferson, Country Music Lovers, Buddy Holly, Lorrie Morgan, Brooks and Dunn, Grand Ole Opry, Hank Williams Jr. survivor, Waylon Jennings life and legend. It also has links to a free Country Music Toolbar and a free music toolbar. There are even articles on retirement and health topics.

 

Browse around this site and you will find a new experience.

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Finance

Debt Reduction Plans

November 9, 2009 – 5:13 pm

Are you having trouble keeping up with your credit card payments? There is a plethora of companies out there anxious to help you. They promise they can negotiate settlements with your credit card companies that will get you 40 to 60 percent off your balances. These promises are very enticing but know what you are getting into before you sign for one of these debt reduction plans.

These claims may all be true, but be aware that your credit score will take a severe hit. Also, be aware that they charge a hefty fee to set up the plan (about 18% of your total balance). Although this fee is not paid upfront directly, it is part of the settlement.

You must completely divorce yourself from the credit card companies and you must make payments to an escrow fund. The debt reduction company takes a hefty portion of the payment and maintenance fees take the rest for several months. None goes toward the escrow account and the balance remains at zero for several months. When there is enough money in the escrow account, the debt reduction company will begin negotiations with the credit card companies. Meanwhile, some credit card companies will harass you with numerous phone calls. If you have caller ID, you are instructed to let these calls go to voice mail.

So you can see that you will endure several months of uncomfortable waiting and watching your credit score plunge while avoiding your creditors. If you are a conscientious bill payer and like a good credit rating, this may not be for you. Evaluate closely before you sign.

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