GOP Presidential Hopefuls Spend Labor Day Wooing The Tea Party


gop frontrunners romney bachmann perry

As President Barack Obama addressed the left wing of his party at a Labor Day union rally in Detroit, the 2012 Republican presidential hopefuls tacked to the other side of the political spectrum today with appeals to social conservatives and the GOP's far-right Tea Party faction.

In South Carolina, five GOP candidates avowed their faith in the U.S. Constitution and free market enterprise at a campaign forum hosted by Tea Party kingmaker Jim DeMint, the state's diehard conservative U.S. Senator. The event kicked off the busiest campaign stretch yet for Republican primary contenders, who will meet for three nationally televised debates over the next three weeks.

The candidates — Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and Herman Cain — spoke separately, focusing their attacks on Obama rather than on their GOP rivals. Each pitched him or herself as the best candidate to roll back Obama's policies and carry the Tea Party mantle to the White House next year.

All of the candidates were denied their first opportunity to go up against Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is leading in national polls just three weeks after entering the race. A staunch social conservative, Perry had planned to attend the forum, but pulled out to return to Texas to deal with the state's raging wildfires. He did speak at a town hall in South Carolina Monday morning, where he promised to roll back Obamacare if elected.

Despite his fairly recent embrace of the Tea Party, Romney fell in lockstep with the movement's anti-Washington platform, decrying the Obama administration for sidestepping the Constitution to push through a liberal agenda.

"I don't think I've ever seen an administration who has go further afield from the Constitution ... than the Obama administration, not just with regulation, but with energy policy, with financial regulatory policy and, with the worst example, Obamacare," Romney said. The reason I see us struggling economically is that Washington has become too assertive, too big, too demanding on the lives of the American people."

Bachmann, who has struggled to keep up in national polls since her Iowa Straw Poll win last month, set out to solidify her status as Tea Party darling. She frequently referred to government spending and overreach as a "moral" issue, and accused Democrats of of taking away essential American freedoms.

She couldn't resist taking an indirect swipe at Romneycare, saying that she believes it "unconstitutional" for states, as well as the federal government, to require residents to buy health insurance, although, when pressed, she could not point to the exact section in the Constitution that a state individual mandate would violate.

Paul, a libertarian favorite, stuck to his usual rallying cries against Washington overreach and the Federal Reserve, while Cain, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, railed against Obama's economic policies. And Gingrich, who has been largely absent from the campaign trail for the past few months, reemerged with a confusing campaign message; after opining on the founding fathers' conception of liberty, he told forum moderators his campaign is increasingly focusing on "brain science." (We don't know what that means either.)

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, along with former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, was not invited to attend DeMint's forum. Instead, Huntsman spent the day in New Hampshire, working the crowd at a Labor Day parade in Milford. Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, also attended the event.

Just a few miles away, Sarah Palin continued to tease a possible presidential bid at a Tea Party rally in Manchester. The former Alaska Governor warned against Tea Party infighting, telling supporters: "We simply don’t have time to be bogged down in internal conflicts and friendly-fire conflicts."

Although her trip to the first-in-nation primary state, on the heels of Saturday's Iowa speech, has once again sparked speculation about Palin's presidential ambitions, she once again gave no clues as to whether or not she has made a decision about a White House bid.

Please follow Politics on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/75bSDyQt-hI/gop-presidential-hopefuls-spend-labor-day-wooing-the-tea-party-2011-9

credit card debt advice credit card debt collection credit card debt death credit card debt forgiveness

HOUSE OF THE DAY: A Historic Private Mansion In Paris Is On Sale For $50 Million


Placedes victoires

An historic private mansion in Paris has been listed for sale at about $50 million by an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate.

Click here to tour the mansion >

The 10 bedroom, 10 bath estate encompassing 10,700 square feet of luxury living space, located on the posh Place des Victoires, has been carefully renovated by a renowned architect to preserve the incredible architectural details including imposing fireplaces, wood and plasterwork, some dating back hundreds of years.

The property is currently separated into luxurious apartments but could easily be combined. The main apartment is a triplex with a massive terrace overlooking the Place, dominated by an equestrian monument in honor of King Louis XIV.

A duplex apartment on the third and fourth floors also features a terrace with a view. Both apartments are connected through a grand marble staircase as well as an elevator.

Smaller apartments including one with a private entrance on the first floor and two studios opening to landscaped courtyard can be used for household staff. Visit ChristiesRealEstate.com to learn more.

Click here to tour the mansion >

JustLuxe is a luxury Web publication providing objective analysis and information to affluent consumers to assist with their decision making, such as chartering a yacht, purchasing a jet membership card, booking a luxury hotel, traveling to a specific destination, or buying real estate. Our writers conduct interviews with industry executives and leaders in their fields, analyze product offerings and review the Web sites of leading companies to ensure our readers have up-to-date data to make informed decisions. Consumers can find purveyors of fine luxury goods, services and travel solutions throughout the pages of JustLuxe via content or with our advertising partners. See our Best of Luxury high-end brands and partners.

The library

The staircase

The living room

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.

See Also:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/Dag6lArmyS4/paris-mansion-for-sale-photos-2011-9

best debt consolidation company best debt consolidation loan best debt management best way to pay off debt

Fake Debt Collectors Terrorizing Individuals About Debt

[WizardRSS: unable to retrieve full-text content]

Fake debt collectors are popping up everywhere. They are threatening people that they will call and have you arrested for old debts such as payday loans, etc. These fake debt collection companies are using call centers to make calls to people and most of the time the individuals didn't even owe a debt.

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6527916

non profit debt help non profit debt management north carolina debt consolidation nova debt

The Credit Card Trap - 2 Things to Watch For

[WizardRSS: unable to retrieve full-text content]

Do you know how much the credit industry makes per year and; more importantly, how they make this money? The answers may surprise you, unless you're one of the few people who actually can understand the fine print. The banks and card-issuers take in early $170 billion before expenses, three-quarters of which comes from the steadily-rising interest rates they charge us for not paying off the credit each month.

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6509792

medical bankruptcy mercers debt michigan debt consolidation military debt consolidation

Advice for a Stay-at-Home Mom Trying to Re-Enter the Job Market

UnemploymentKelly, 51, a mother of five who lives in the Midwest, wants to get back into the workforce after a 20-year absence. Her family isn't in financial trouble -- not yet, anyway -- because she and her spouse have studiously avoided debt, even paying off their mortgage, and they have some cash-producing investments. But her husband is struggling to find a job.

Kelly (who asked that we not use her last name) faces an enormous challenge. Friday's employment report showed the economy failed to add jobs in August for the first time in a year. The official unemployment rate is 9.1% percent, but that rises to 16.2% when including people who have stopped looking for work and those settling for part-time jobs. Overall, the long-term unemployed -- those who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more -- represent nearly 43% of the jobless. Among women age 45 to 64, the number of long-term unemployed rose 6% year-over-year in August, to 1,046,000.

As Kelly contemplates the future, she has the nagging feeling that she's looking down the economic ladder, on the verge of a dizzying slide. After all, it was a long way up. Kelly grew up on the East Coast, one of three daughters of a clerical worker and a fireman who also worked a second job. "We didn't do anything special, but we had a nice house and I was quite content. I never felt like I didn't have things," she says. Kelly put herself through college and landed in a career she loved, negotiating contracts at two different aerospace firms.

Her husband had it tougher: He started working at age 12 to support his mother and nine siblings after his father left the family. In the 1980s, he launched a mortgage business where Kelly worked part-time, and sold it a decade later for a substantial profit. "He was working himself to death," Kelly says, and she was thrilled when he finally took some time off. "He wanted to be more involved with his children. We were able to invest our money and live a modest but nice life."

The couple plowed their windfall into rental homes, the stock market and other investments. Some did well while others tanked. They set aside savings for the kids' college and gave literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to help out strapped family members. As the housing market heated up in the mid-2000s, her husband did some construction management work and started a small contracting firm.

A few years ago the couple realized their investments wouldn't sustain them long-term, so Kelly's husband went back to school and earned an MBA. "We were hoping this would make him more marketable," says Kelly. "He has an amazing financial mind, but could not find a job." Friends from business school have asked him to launch a start-up with them, but "he's afraid to invest in something because if it doesn't work, we'll be in trouble," says Kelly.

Kelly has two children in college, a high schooler, an elementary student, and one in graduate school. Her college kids work summers to help pay for textbooks and living expenses, and the oldest is footing the bill for her own master's degree. Uncertain about the future, the couple has shunned vacations, restaurants and new clothes, and is focusing on simple pleasures -- family dinners, bike rides, attending the kids' sporting events and barbecues with friends. "I'm lucky with my family and my health and that's huge in my life," says Kelly. "But I still want to be able to really contribute financially."

Guidance for Stay-At-Home-Mom Kelly

A 2009 survey by the Center for Work-Life Policy found that 73% percent of women trying to return to the workforce after a voluntary absence have trouble finding a job. And Kelly's situation mirrors another growing trend: Women in 2009 were 28% more likely to have a nonworking spouse than they were five years earlier.

I suggested Kelly talk with her husband about her taking an active role in building his small contracting business, so he could put more energy into his job search. It would provide an opportunity to refresh her office technology skills, tap her community network and flex her negotiating muscles, while building up new experience for her resume.

"Companies are extremely enthusiastic about the skills entrepreneurs have to offer," says Vivian Steir Rabin, co-author of Back on the Career Track: a Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work. Rabin, a Harvard Business School graduate, is co-founder of iRelaunch, a firm that designs career reentry programs for employers and individuals. Also a mom of five, Rabin re-entered the workforce after a seven-year break.

If Kelly prefers not to get involved in the family business, she should get focused, says Rabin: What skills did she enjoy using on the job? Is she passionate about a certain industry? Is she open to commuting or does she need to limit her search to local firms? "You have to have a target -- people can't help you unless you are more specific about what you want," says Rabin.

While she refines her target, Kelly can put up a profile on LinkedIn, listing educational institutions and former positions. That will allow her to join alumni groups for those organizations, connecting her with potential contacts and events.

That exercise can also serve as the basis for her new resume, which should include the part-time work at her husband's company and substantive volunteer work. Describe volunteer accomplishments in business terms, i.e., "Managed 50 volunteers in raising $40,000 for a school fundraiser, a 20% increase over the previous year's event."

LinkedIn can also be used to find current and former employees at Kelly's target companies, and if they're on Twitter, she should follow their activities. That could give her a clearer view of various firms' priorities and challenges. She can contact those folks and ask to meet for coffee for 20 minutes to learn more about growth areas of the company.

Make It Easy for the Company to Test You Out

Practice interviews well before you go to a real one, says Rabin: "This is where people who have been out of work a long time don't do well -- they are very defensive about the fact that they've been out and should not be." Kelly shouldn't dwell on the gap in her resume, but talk about her work accomplishments as though they happened yesterday.

Another angle: Ask to consult on a specific project for a firm, or offer to do a non-binding trial stint of three to six months. "Companies are leery of taking people on a permanent full-time basis. Make it easy for the company to test you out without having to commit," says Rabin.

Although Kelly worries about not being as available for those of her kids still at home, she's anxious to get back to an office. "I wanted to be there for them as much as I was for the others, but things change," she says. "I'm not the greatest homemaker anyway," she adds with a laugh. "I hate cooking and all that kind of stuff, so I'm better off working."

Struggling with your own personal finance situation? I welcome your questions but it's also about your wisdom, ideas, and experiences that may help other readers. Email me at laura.rowley@teamaol.com. You can also follow me on Twitter @MoneyHappiness.

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials

Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/09/04/advice-for-a-stay-at-home-mom-trying-to-reenter-the-job-market/

debt relief grants debt relief of america debt relief scams debt repayment calculator

Advice for a Stay-at-Home Mom Trying to Re-Enter the Job Market

UnemploymentKelly, 51, a mother of five who lives in the Midwest, wants to get back into the workforce after a 20-year absence. Her family isn't in financial trouble -- not yet, anyway -- because she and her spouse have studiously avoided debt, even paying off their mortgage, and they have some cash-producing investments. But her husband is struggling to find a job.

Kelly (who asked that we not use her last name) faces an enormous challenge. Friday's employment report showed the economy failed to add jobs in August for the first time in a year. The official unemployment rate is 9.1% percent, but that rises to 16.2% when including people who have stopped looking for work and those settling for part-time jobs. Overall, the long-term unemployed -- those who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more -- represent nearly 43% of the jobless. Among women age 45 to 64, the number of long-term unemployed rose 6% year-over-year in August, to 1,046,000.

As Kelly contemplates the future, she has the nagging feeling that she's looking down the economic ladder, on the verge of a dizzying slide. After all, it was a long way up. Kelly grew up on the East Coast, one of three daughters of a clerical worker and a fireman who also worked a second job. "We didn't do anything special, but we had a nice house and I was quite content. I never felt like I didn't have things," she says. Kelly put herself through college and landed in a career she loved, negotiating contracts at two different aerospace firms.

Her husband had it tougher: He started working at age 12 to support his mother and nine siblings after his father left the family. In the 1980s, he launched a mortgage business where Kelly worked part-time, and sold it a decade later for a substantial profit. "He was working himself to death," Kelly says, and she was thrilled when he finally took some time off. "He wanted to be more involved with his children. We were able to invest our money and live a modest but nice life."

The couple plowed their windfall into rental homes, the stock market and other investments. Some did well while others tanked. They set aside savings for the kids' college and gave literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to help out strapped family members. As the housing market heated up in the mid-2000s, her husband did some construction management work and started a small contracting firm.

A few years ago the couple realized their investments wouldn't sustain them long-term, so Kelly's husband went back to school and earned an MBA. "We were hoping this would make him more marketable," says Kelly. "He has an amazing financial mind, but could not find a job." Friends from business school have asked him to launch a start-up with them, but "he's afraid to invest in something because if it doesn't work, we'll be in trouble," says Kelly.

Kelly has two children in college, a high schooler, an elementary student, and one in graduate school. Her college kids work summers to help pay for textbooks and living expenses, and the oldest is footing the bill for her own master's degree. Uncertain about the future, the couple has shunned vacations, restaurants and new clothes, and is focusing on simple pleasures -- family dinners, bike rides, attending the kids' sporting events and barbecues with friends. "I'm lucky with my family and my health and that's huge in my life," says Kelly. "But I still want to be able to really contribute financially."

Guidance for Stay-At-Home-Mom Kelly

A 2009 survey by the Center for Work-Life Policy found that 73% percent of women trying to return to the workforce after a voluntary absence have trouble finding a job. And Kelly's situation mirrors another growing trend: Women in 2009 were 28% more likely to have a nonworking spouse than they were five years earlier.

I suggested Kelly talk with her husband about her taking an active role in building his small contracting business, so he could put more energy into his job search. It would provide an opportunity to refresh her office technology skills, tap her community network and flex her negotiating muscles, while building up new experience for her resume.

"Companies are extremely enthusiastic about the skills entrepreneurs have to offer," says Vivian Steir Rabin, co-author of Back on the Career Track: a Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work. Rabin, a Harvard Business School graduate, is co-founder of iRelaunch, a firm that designs career reentry programs for employers and individuals. Also a mom of five, Rabin re-entered the workforce after a seven-year break.

If Kelly prefers not to get involved in the family business, she should get focused, says Rabin: What skills did she enjoy using on the job? Is she passionate about a certain industry? Is she open to commuting or does she need to limit her search to local firms? "You have to have a target -- people can't help you unless you are more specific about what you want," says Rabin.

While she refines her target, Kelly can put up a profile on LinkedIn, listing educational institutions and former positions. That will allow her to join alumni groups for those organizations, connecting her with potential contacts and events.

That exercise can also serve as the basis for her new resume, which should include the part-time work at her husband's company and substantive volunteer work. Describe volunteer accomplishments in business terms, i.e., "Managed 50 volunteers in raising $40,000 for a school fundraiser, a 20% increase over the previous year's event."

LinkedIn can also be used to find current and former employees at Kelly's target companies, and if they're on Twitter, she should follow their activities. That could give her a clearer view of various firms' priorities and challenges. She can contact those folks and ask to meet for coffee for 20 minutes to learn more about growth areas of the company.

Make It Easy for the Company to Test You Out

Practice interviews well before you go to a real one, says Rabin: "This is where people who have been out of work a long time don't do well -- they are very defensive about the fact that they've been out and should not be." Kelly shouldn't dwell on the gap in her resume, but talk about her work accomplishments as though they happened yesterday.

Another angle: Ask to consult on a specific project for a firm, or offer to do a non-binding trial stint of three to six months. "Companies are leery of taking people on a permanent full-time basis. Make it easy for the company to test you out without having to commit," says Rabin.

Although Kelly worries about not being as available for those of her kids still at home, she's anxious to get back to an office. "I wanted to be there for them as much as I was for the others, but things change," she says. "I'm not the greatest homemaker anyway," she adds with a laugh. "I hate cooking and all that kind of stuff, so I'm better off working."

Struggling with your own personal finance situation? I welcome your questions but it's also about your wisdom, ideas, and experiences that may help other readers. Email me at laura.rowley@teamaol.com. You can also follow me on Twitter @MoneyHappiness.

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials

Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/09/04/advice-for-a-stay-at-home-mom-trying-to-reenter-the-job-market/

debt relief grants debt relief of america debt relief scams debt repayment calculator

Financial Planning Certification - The J01 Exam

[WizardRSS: unable to retrieve full-text content]

In order to advance in your career as a financial planner, you will need to upgrade your knowledge and your education. To be promoted to QCF level 4, you must complete 140 academic credits and earn a Diploma in Financial Planning. You should also pass the J01 exam. Passing the examination is part of the authorisation process, so you need to prepare for this test well.

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6473308

clear your debt cnn debt calculator consolidate my debt consolidation debt loan payday

Firing Your Team Up

Picture this: It's early Friday afternoon when you suddenly find out you have a chance to sign a huge client. The only problem? He needs a 30-page proposal by 8 a.m. Monday morning. Sound like an impossible challenge?

It probably won't be easy. But if you have a dedicated, passionate team who will pull together and is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, miracles (and last-minute proposals) happen. The key is to treat your staff like you would want to be treated?the Golden Rule?and that includes properly compensating them.

As Dave teaches in EntreLeadership, a good compensation plan that motivates and encourages excellent performance contains a lot of variables, depending on your financial situation. Cash awards, like raises, commission, profit sharing and bonuses should be part of your strategy. But studies show non-cash rewards are equally important. And you don't have to break the bank to offer them. A bit of creativity can go a long way. Here are just a few we use to inspire our team.

Feed Their Souls

Whether it's lunch, a gift card to a local restaurant, or even a birthday cake, people get excited about free food. When just starting his business, Dave hosted an occasional company-wide potluck. Besides being an inexpensive way to celebrate, he noticed it was a great vehicle for building relationships. Today it's so important that he caters lunch for all of his team members once a week, and birthdays are celebrated once a month with cake and ice cream.

Be Flexible

In today's world of crazy schedules, long commutes and year-round school calendars, giving your team members the option to choose a specific set of hours is deeply important. You'll need to set parameters, though, that will allow you to conduct business as usual.

Time Off for Good Behavior

After a year of employment, each one of Dave's team members earns one week of time off, totally separate from their vacation time, to work with a ministry or certified nonprofit. To be eligible for "ministry time," team members submit their activity for approval? no one's ministering to their cat for a week. Not only does ministry time allow them to make an impact on a worthy cause and help others in need, but team members also come back refreshed, inspired and ready to roll up their sleeves and get back to work.

Getting Social

Everyone is a kid at heart, so connecting to that inner child can be a great motivator. And the simplest way to do that is to offer some old-fashioned fun. A summer picnic and a Christmas party should both be on your list. But also schedule random, unexpected outings, like renting out the local theater for a team movie night, or taking everyone to the ice rink or pizza parlor. One of the favorites here is an annual watermelon seed-spitting contest. The cost is minimal and the fun enormous.

Creating an excellent compensation plan takes a lot of time, attention and careful planning. But you also need a generous spirit toward those who help you win. Compensate them well. As Dave says, "You will live with fewer regrets, and you will profit more by attracting and keeping extremely talented and passionate people."

No leader should lead without these principles. It?s what your team members need to see in you, and what you want to see in them. Learn more about the EntreLeadership Live Events, and put Dave's 20 years of proven business principles to work for you.

In 20 years, Dave has grown his company to a national winning brand with more than 300 team members who have impacted millions of lives. His company has been named one of the ?Best Places to Work in Nashville? four years in a row. EntreLeadership is how he?s done it and how you can do it too. Get your copy of the new book now!

Powered By WizardRSS.com | Full Text RSS Feed | Amazon Plugin | Settlement Statement | WordPress Tutorials

Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/firing-your-team-up/lifeandmoney_business

debt settlement solution debt settlement usa debt shield debt stoppers