Groups run by volunteers that hold money on behalf of all
their members are increasingly vulnerable to insider scams,
such as homeowners' association fraud.
Unscrupulous employees or board members exploit the fact that
most volunteers likely know little or nothing about financial managementto "cook the books" or channel money to contractors
who pay them a kickback.
They know too that volunteers are often pressured for time and
may not scrutinize activities in the way that paid officials
would do.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, June 29, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
How the Wall Street Mafia Holds America and the World Hostage
Alternet/ Billmoyers.com/ by Bill Moyers and Matt Taibbi and Eves Smith
Yves Smith and Matt Taibbi join Bill Moyers to discuss our criminal global financial system.
Rolling Stone editor Matt Taibbi and Yves Smith, creator of the finance and economics blog Naked Capitalism, join Bill to discuss the folly and corruption of both banks and government, and how that tag-team leaves deep wounds in our democracy. Taibbi's latest piece is "The Scam Wall Street Learned from the Mafia." Smith is the author of "ECONned: How Unenlightened Self Interest Undermined Democracy and Corrupted Capitalism."
Bill Moyers: Welcome. This past week, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase, was back on Capitol Hill, testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, as he had earlier done before the Senate Banking Committee. He was being questioned on how his bank had lost two billion dollars or more on risky trading. His reception in the House was less fawning than what he got from the senators. Although many of them also are beneficiaries of JP Morgan largesse, House members were more combative.
Alternet/ Billmoyers.com/ by Bill Moyers and Matt Taibbi and Eves Smith
Yves Smith and Matt Taibbi join Bill Moyers to discuss our criminal global financial system.
Rolling Stone editor Matt Taibbi and Yves Smith, creator of the finance and economics blog Naked Capitalism, join Bill to discuss the folly and corruption of both banks and government, and how that tag-team leaves deep wounds in our democracy. Taibbi's latest piece is "The Scam Wall Street Learned from the Mafia." Smith is the author of "ECONned: How Unenlightened Self Interest Undermined Democracy and Corrupted Capitalism."
Bill Moyers: Welcome. This past week, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase, was back on Capitol Hill, testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, as he had earlier done before the Senate Banking Committee. He was being questioned on how his bank had lost two billion dollars or more on risky trading. His reception in the House was less fawning than what he got from the senators. Although many of them also are beneficiaries of JP Morgan largesse, House members were more combative.
Barney Frank: You said you have a
fortress balance sheet. That assumes there's something special about the
way you are that made us have to worry less. But we can't assume that's
going to be the case for every financial institution.
Jamie Dimon: But I also said that we'd be solidly profitable this quarter. So relative to earnings.
Barney Frank: That's not the question. Mr. Dimon, please don't filibuster.
Sean
Duffy: You didn't know about these trades. You didn't know about these
losses. How do you come forward today and say the regulators should have
known that what one of the best CEOs in the industry didn't know and
couldn't have known?
Michael Capuano: With
the regulatory regime that we have today -- we both agree that it's not
what we want, but it's what we have. Do you really think it's a smart
idea to be cutting the legs out of one of those major regulators? Do you
think that's good for America?
Jamie Dimon: I have enough problems. I'm going to leave that to you.
Michael
Capuano: Well, Mr. Dimon, the only reason I ask is because you have had
no hesitancy whatsoever in expressing opinions on other matters. I
thought you might want to take an opportunity to express one today.
Bill
Moyers: Coincidentally, just before Dimon's House testimony, Bloomberg
News published data indicating that JP Morgan Chase receives a
government subsidy worth about 14 billion dollars a year in taxpayer
money.
Money, said Bloomberg editors,
that "helps the bank pay big salaries and bonuses, and more important,
distorts markets, fueling crises such as the recent subprime-lending
disaster and the sovereign-debt debacle that is now threatening to
destroy the euro and sink the global economy."
With
me are two guests who can guide us through the thicket of testimony and
beyond. Matt Taibbi, contributing editor at "Rolling Stone" magazine,
has investigated the folly and corruption of banks and government with
scathing, often profane wit and perception. His book, Griftopia: Bubble
Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America,
described the events leading up to the financial meltdown in 2008. His
newest piece for Rolling Stone is a chilling expose called "The Scam
Wall Street Learned From the Mafia."
Yves
Smith created and runs Naked Capitalism, the popular blog on finance
and economics. She once worked for Goldman Sachs, McKinsey &
Company, and Sumitomo Bank, and now heads a management consulting firm.
You'll want to read her book, ECONned: How Unenlightened Self Interest
Undermined Democracy and Corrupted Capitalism.
Welcome to both of you.
Yves Smith: Thanks so much.
Matt Taibbi: Thank you.
Bill
Moyers: So in this particular case, what is JPMorgan's sin? That's the
question Representative David Schweikert raised on the day of the
hearing. He asked, "What sin has JPMorgan committed other than being big
enough to lose billions of their own money in a quarter and still turn a
$4 billion profit?" Want to take a stab at answering?
Friday, June 22, 2012
Don't Get Hijacked by These Rest Area Scams
When you pull into a rest area, it's usually for a well-earned
moment of relaxation or an urgent restroom break.
Either way, the last thing you want is an interruption from someone who's after your money.
But, increasingly that's the risk we face at rest areas, despite efforts by law enforcement or security guards to stop the scammers.
And, with the vacation season in full swing, the crooks are out in full force on the lookout for likely victims.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Either way, the last thing you want is an interruption from someone who's after your money.
But, increasingly that's the risk we face at rest areas, despite efforts by law enforcement or security guards to stop the scammers.
And, with the vacation season in full swing, the crooks are out in full force on the lookout for likely victims.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Friday, June 15, 2012
10 Most Common Fakes and How to Avoid Them
The counterfeiting industry is a multi-billion dollar business
with the most common fakes raking in a fortune -- but
sometimes doing untold damage in the process.
For example, phony drugs have been known to cause serious illness or even death, while counterfeit event tickets bring misery and sometimes a courtroom visit for innocent victims.
This week we take a look at 10 of the most common fakes categories and offer some advice on how to spot and avoid them.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
For example, phony drugs have been known to cause serious illness or even death, while counterfeit event tickets bring misery and sometimes a courtroom visit for innocent victims.
This week we take a look at 10 of the most common fakes categories and offer some advice on how to spot and avoid them.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Monday, June 11, 2012
The Nerds Have Landed!
So some of the Nerds have landed in the beautiful state of Rhode Island
for what should be…Quite the week ahead. We’ve got lots planned and
tomorrow’s T3 seminar should be quite legendary…
Be sure to check out the lifetime upgrades that we set up this weekend along with our very exclusive ‘slow and steady snail’ badge collection and trophy. We are here for the long run and we want customers and clients that are just as dedicated to the long term success of their business as we are…
Click here to read more and see Jon Olson's video!
by Jon Olson Hit Exchange News
Be sure to check out the lifetime upgrades that we set up this weekend along with our very exclusive ‘slow and steady snail’ badge collection and trophy. We are here for the long run and we want customers and clients that are just as dedicated to the long term success of their business as we are…
Click here to read more and see Jon Olson's video!
by Jon Olson Hit Exchange News
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
WHY YOU DON'T MARKET THE WAY YOU SHOULD... AND HOW YOU CAN
Are the
results you're getting from your marketing not what you hoped for?
Perhaps there is something else you should be doing. I don't mean
something MORE. You are probably working hard at marketing already. I'm
suggesting something ELSE.
It's been my experience that many independent professionals just don't market the way they should. Here are the five most common reasons, and how you can overcome them:
1. Missing information.
There's a lot of misleading information out there about marketing. It's not that what you might learn is actually wrong. But it's often off-target, leading you to direct your efforts inappropriately.
For example, one frequently-taught approach to marketing involves relying on website visitors who you capture for an email list by offering a bonus. Then you point those folks to a long sales page with many superlatives about your offering. If they don't buy on their first visit, you bombard them with promotional email messages. That's great if you're selling home-study courses, ebooks, and mentoring programs. But it's no way to sell professional services.
You can't sell consulting or graphic design or coaching or accounting as if it were an ebook. You also can't market the services of a solopreneur or small professional firm as if you had the budget and staff of a nationwide enterprise. With only one or two principals available to serve clients and manage marketing tasks, you can't support multiple social media profiles, paid advertising, PR campaigns, and other resource-intensive approaches.
The best ways to market professional services are to make direct, personal contact with potential clients, network within your niche, get to know potential referral sources, and build your credibility and audience with speaking and writing. All of these can be done offline or online. But just becoming more visible, without also working to build relationships and credibility, will rarely pay off.
2. Resistance to marketing.
Every professional needs to market, but not everyone wants to. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you do a good job, clients will start coming on their own. Or to tell yourself that engaging in sales and marketing is pushy, undignified, or even sleazy. The next thing you know, you are avoiding marketing tasks and procrastinating, perhaps without even realizing it.
Acknowledge that marketing is an essential part of running a successful business, and create a marketing plan that spells out what you will do and when. (The Get Clients Now! system is one approach to doing this.) Then engage with your plan on a regular basis, so avoidance and procrastination will get nipped in the bud. If you have trouble moving forward on your own, partner with a business buddy, action group, or coach to gain more support and motivation.
3. Fear of rejection and exposure.
You're not the only one who fears possible rejection by your prospects or the potential criticism you might face with more exposure. All entrepreneurs have fears like these at times. It's really just a matter of degree. The people who seem to be fearless have simply found ways to manage their fears so they aren't held back by them.
Instead of trying to avoid or deny your fear, own it. Identify what you're most afraid of, name it when you see it, and seek out possible ways to get past it. Some people ask themselves, "What's the worst thing that could happen if I...?" Others remind themselves that a business rejection is not personal. Or try letting go of needing to make a sale, and just be of service. Find an approach that helps you move forward despite your fear, and it will begin to lose its power.
4. Lack of resources.
There are probably many areas of marketing where you don't know everything necessary to make it happen. Not all of these are subjects you even want to learn about. And there are others where doing it yourself isn't the best use of your time. In any of these cases, don't struggle alone!
Buy a book, read some articles or blogs, watch some videos, or take a class. None of us are born knowing how to market a business; we all had to learn. With technical and specialized projects like web or graphic design, copywriting, proofreading, or creating a slide show, get advice or hire help. Delegate projects or portions of them to people who already know what they're doing, and you'll see results much sooner.
5. Doing what's easy instead of what's best.
When any of the barriers above are blocking your way, it's tempting to fall back on something that seems easier. Copying someone else's marketing style, for example, instead of designing an effective approach of your own. Or sending emails instead of making calls, because you'll be less likely to experience rejection. Or hanging out with your friends on Facebook instead of going to a live networking event where the real prospects are.
But doing what's easy may ultimately be the hard way to go about marketing. If what you're doing isn't very effective, you'll have to work way too hard to see any results. Instead, make sure you have the right information about marketing, work to conquer resistance and overcome fear, and invest in the right resources. Then you'll be ready to do what's best instead of just what's easy.
The good news is that then what's best will BECOME easy. And then you'll be marketing the way you should.
Copyright © 2012, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
It's been my experience that many independent professionals just don't market the way they should. Here are the five most common reasons, and how you can overcome them:
1. Missing information.
There's a lot of misleading information out there about marketing. It's not that what you might learn is actually wrong. But it's often off-target, leading you to direct your efforts inappropriately.
For example, one frequently-taught approach to marketing involves relying on website visitors who you capture for an email list by offering a bonus. Then you point those folks to a long sales page with many superlatives about your offering. If they don't buy on their first visit, you bombard them with promotional email messages. That's great if you're selling home-study courses, ebooks, and mentoring programs. But it's no way to sell professional services.
You can't sell consulting or graphic design or coaching or accounting as if it were an ebook. You also can't market the services of a solopreneur or small professional firm as if you had the budget and staff of a nationwide enterprise. With only one or two principals available to serve clients and manage marketing tasks, you can't support multiple social media profiles, paid advertising, PR campaigns, and other resource-intensive approaches.
The best ways to market professional services are to make direct, personal contact with potential clients, network within your niche, get to know potential referral sources, and build your credibility and audience with speaking and writing. All of these can be done offline or online. But just becoming more visible, without also working to build relationships and credibility, will rarely pay off.
2. Resistance to marketing.
Every professional needs to market, but not everyone wants to. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that if you do a good job, clients will start coming on their own. Or to tell yourself that engaging in sales and marketing is pushy, undignified, or even sleazy. The next thing you know, you are avoiding marketing tasks and procrastinating, perhaps without even realizing it.
Acknowledge that marketing is an essential part of running a successful business, and create a marketing plan that spells out what you will do and when. (The Get Clients Now! system is one approach to doing this.) Then engage with your plan on a regular basis, so avoidance and procrastination will get nipped in the bud. If you have trouble moving forward on your own, partner with a business buddy, action group, or coach to gain more support and motivation.
3. Fear of rejection and exposure.
You're not the only one who fears possible rejection by your prospects or the potential criticism you might face with more exposure. All entrepreneurs have fears like these at times. It's really just a matter of degree. The people who seem to be fearless have simply found ways to manage their fears so they aren't held back by them.
Instead of trying to avoid or deny your fear, own it. Identify what you're most afraid of, name it when you see it, and seek out possible ways to get past it. Some people ask themselves, "What's the worst thing that could happen if I...?" Others remind themselves that a business rejection is not personal. Or try letting go of needing to make a sale, and just be of service. Find an approach that helps you move forward despite your fear, and it will begin to lose its power.
4. Lack of resources.
There are probably many areas of marketing where you don't know everything necessary to make it happen. Not all of these are subjects you even want to learn about. And there are others where doing it yourself isn't the best use of your time. In any of these cases, don't struggle alone!
Buy a book, read some articles or blogs, watch some videos, or take a class. None of us are born knowing how to market a business; we all had to learn. With technical and specialized projects like web or graphic design, copywriting, proofreading, or creating a slide show, get advice or hire help. Delegate projects or portions of them to people who already know what they're doing, and you'll see results much sooner.
5. Doing what's easy instead of what's best.
When any of the barriers above are blocking your way, it's tempting to fall back on something that seems easier. Copying someone else's marketing style, for example, instead of designing an effective approach of your own. Or sending emails instead of making calls, because you'll be less likely to experience rejection. Or hanging out with your friends on Facebook instead of going to a live networking event where the real prospects are.
But doing what's easy may ultimately be the hard way to go about marketing. If what you're doing isn't very effective, you'll have to work way too hard to see any results. Instead, make sure you have the right information about marketing, work to conquer resistance and overcome fear, and invest in the right resources. Then you'll be ready to do what's best instead of just what's easy.
The good news is that then what's best will BECOME easy. And then you'll be marketing the way you should.
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Spotlight on the Federal Trade Commission
If you only bookmark two scam protection websites, make sure
one of them is -- the Federal Trade Commission.
(The other one, of course, is Scambusters!)
We write about the Federal Trade Commission a lot here, for the simple reason that it's the main source of official information and advice on consumer fraud.
So, it's a natural for our occasional series spotlighting the best "scambusting" organizations and showing you how to make best use of them.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
(The other one, of course, is Scambusters!)
We write about the Federal Trade Commission a lot here, for the simple reason that it's the main source of official information and advice on consumer fraud.
So, it's a natural for our occasional series spotlighting the best "scambusting" organizations and showing you how to make best use of them.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
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