The gentleman interviewed in the documentary “Collapse” is Michael C. Ruppert. I started following his writings in the year 2000. After 09/11/2001, my interest in what he had to say grew even more. The above movie trailer may be shocking to some, laughable to others, or a wake up call. It all depends on where you’re at on the scale of overall awareness.

Whether or not you understand and believe peak oil is a reality, the financial education aspect of the film “Collapse” is priceless. The movie trailer only scratches the surface. You have to see the film to appreciate how money and oil fit together.

I urge you to buy the DVD “Collapse”. It’s less than $11.00 plus shipping. Sit down and watch it with your spouse or partner. Watch it the entire way through the first time. Then talk about it if you have questions or aren’t sure of something in the film. Then watch it again.

If you want to know the truth about how the economy really works, you have to be willing to look for and absorb information that isn’t on your favorite TV news channel.

Review:

What is it?

Collapse is a documentary film that addresses Peak Oil, human population, and money. It addresses how all three are inexplicably intertwined.

Things I Like:

The film’s style is documentary and doesn’t use actors. The man being interviewed is talking about matters he has personally studied, lived, and agonized over for many years. It’s very personal, so we see a genuineness in the film that really brings it to life.

I’ve personally subscribed to his newsletter as far back as 2000. I now subscribe to his website www.collapsenet.com

His website for the move Collapse states in bold letters at the top of the page:
“Collapse – It’s happened to every great civilization.” I appreciate that boldness. It’s a wake up call.

Things I Would Change:

The subject matter covered in the film is so big, I honestly wouldn’t be able to recommend any changes to it and keep a straight face.

Rating: 5

Highest rating will be 5 Stars.

Click on the link below for more information on Collapse. It’s also available on Netflix.

Pre-paying debt can be like giving yourself an 8% pay raise every year. Stop worrying about that pay raise from the boss. Don’t sweat the guy who got promoted ahead of you even though you’ve been on the job longer. The only economy you’re concerned with is YOUR economy. Take control of your debt, take control of your income.

Start saving 10% of your income and paying yourself first. If you work 40 hours/week, 10% of that is 4 hours. So from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Monday you are going to work for you! It’s time to get selfish.

You MUST have a will. My wife and I both have one. It doesn’t matter how many assets you do or don’t have. This is about protecting you, your family, and your stuff. It’s inexpensive, less than $100 bucks, so no more excuses.

1. STOP borrowing money.
2. Spend LESS than you earn (live within your means).
3. SAVE 10% of your net income (even if it hurts).
4. Lather, rinse, repeat.

The days of thinking it has to be hard are OVER in your life!  The death of common sense can’t be tolerated another second.  The above 4 steps would solve the financial problems of this country.  Not over night, mind you.  But much, much sooner rather than later.

To Your Financial Freedom,
Greg Whitaker
www.debtshepherd.com 

© Greg Whitaker 2011, All rights reserved

When relatives ask you for money it can seem very innocent. Hardly ever would the word moocher come to mind. After all, we have all had hard times here and there. But what happens when someone will not stop asking you for money?

Saying no is hard, especially to someone you love. But what if you simply cannot afford to help them? One thing that is very important is to consider the person who is constantly asking you for money. What is their story? Are they working? Do you know if they are still traveling or going out to dinner? Are they working hard to make it on their own? Are they working on weekends and if they don’t have work are looking diligently for a job? Sometimes when we are asked by relatives for money it can be easy to overlook their actions. Our love for them can get in our way of being honest with ourselves. Many of us want to be generous and giving, but how often have you really thought about whether giving is a good thing or is harmful?

Giving can be harmful to you because you do not know what is around the corner for yourself. Have you seriously looked at your own finances and made sure you can give? Do you have a large emergency fund for at least a year and a half? Are you working or do you depend on social security? Are you young and have lots of years of work ahead of you? Or, are you older and sometimes wonder if you should skip taking your medication to pay your bills?

Are you an older person being asked for money by someone young? When a relative or loved one asks you for money do you become stressed? Notice your own thoughts and feelings because they may be telling you to say no even when your mouth is saying yes. People who are asking for money can paint very bleak pictures about how they are so desperate and are starving or about to be evicted from their apartment. That can make it even harder to say no.

None of us know what our future will bring and life is very difficult when we are broke. It can be even more difficult when you know you gave away your money to help someone else and they are nowhere to be found in your hour of need. Seriously look at your situation and please re-evaluate giving to relatives, especially when they are younger than you. Money is hard to come by and you deserve to keep it. Many of us have generous hearts and want to see our loved ones succeed but if you are putting yourself in harm’s way then you need to stop.

Julie Horton lives in Utah has created a website to share the detriments of over-giving. To learn more about why you should keep your money and not give to moochers, please visit: Be a Smart Giver.com

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Julie_K._Horton

Dave Ramsey discusses the importance of budgeting.

I can not stress ENOUGH the importance of becoming debt free and having a financial plan. Be honest. The “economy” isn’t getting any better. Home values are depressed nationwide. Gas and food prices are on the rise. Corporate layoffs are a harsh, daily reality. And even if things were picture perfect, being debt free and having a financial plan will serve you for a lifetime. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

I didn’t start getting serious about my finances until I was about 35 years old. A bit late? It’s never too late. I was working in residential mortgage lending. You’d think lenders would be the smartest people when it comes to handling their personal finances. I can’t speak for all lenders, but I certainly didn’t have my ducks in a row.

Being on the “inside” of the money game wasn’t enough. I knew how to create debt. I was good at creating my own personal debt and helping others create debt (mortgages). But I wasn’t saving. I had a mortgage, two car payments, and $17,000 in credit card debt. Fairly normal by most standards for sure.

If you want to get your debt under control and have a financial plan, you are going to have to do a few things that aren’t “fairly normal”!!!

Review:

What is it?

Debt To Wealth® is a debt elimination, financial freedom plan in a box. It’s an e-course you can study and follow at your own pace. It’s author, John Cummuta, created the #1 selling debt elimination program in the world. You may have heard some of his ads on radio.

Things I Like:

The material is straight forward and presented in a logical step-by-step fashion. There’s videos, audios, and a printable workbook. You can download all the material at once. Or you can bookmark the content page and access the material from there. Either way is a big plus, especially if you don’t like to wait for snail mail. There’s some pretty cool bonus e-books too. The author issues a “14 day challenge” to keep you focused and motivated.

This author is who got me started back in 2006. I refer to his material often.

If you need coaching and guidance, there’s a free resource offered via a toll free number. Prosperity, Inc. is the name of that company. I checked them out and they appear to be solid with a top notch client list.

Things I Would Change:

There’s nothing I would change, content wise. I had a little bit of trouble downloading one of the files, but just refreshed my web page and tried it again with no problem. One of the video modules looked a little bit grainy, but wasn’t an issue. You could adjust the window size of your video player. A smaller viewing window can help with picture clarity.

Rating: 4.5

Highest rating will be 5 Stars.

Click on the link below for more information on Debt To Wealth®:

Note: Yes, the above link is my affiliate link. And I will get a commission if you click on it and buy this product. However, that doesn’t affect how I review the product because I will tell you both the good and bad regarding the product. Any commissions I earn cover the costs of maintaining this site so that I can continue to provide informative and entertaining reviews on the products that matter to you.

© Greg Whitaker 2011, All rights reserved