Free Retirement Plan

With your student going off to college and living away from home, of course you are concerned. It is going to be expensive, you already know that, but how to make sure that your student is able to get things taken care of financially without them having to call home multiple times per week to ask for more money. In a lot of different ways, it makes sense to get a college student credit card for your student, which can make things a lot easier on you.

Of course you want to be very careful with it. Depending on your child, you may want to get a card that does not permit cash advance privileges. The temptation for the new college student who is now all of a sudden living away from home is that this now represents “free money”, and I am sure you do not even want to think about what they might spend money on.

But then again, college is a time for growing up and a time for education. There are many advantages of having a college student credit card, such as:

* Your child will learn the responsibilities of financial management. You may insist that they get a part time job to pay the costs that THEY incur which are not related to getting the college education.

* Your child will learn about interest, and how interest can accumulate at an alarming rate if the balance is not paid in full at the end of the month.

* If payments are made late, your child will learn the realities of the “late payment fee” which is assessed by many of the issuers of college student credit cards.

* Your child will become versed in the fine art of budgeting and planning ahead. For example, if there is only $200 of the credit limit left on the student credit card and your child has the option of paying for a kegger this weekend or paying for two textbooks that are required for class, the right or wrong decision can tell you how far along they are getting with the aspect of financial management and budgeting.

There are many card issuers who are very anxious to offer a credit card to college students. Often these come with a lower credit limit, maybe $500 and also since college students are typically viewed as a risk due to a typical lack of experience with financial obligations, the interest rate on the unpaid balance is going to be higher, perhaps MUCH higher than you might expect. But this all goes with the territory.

But if a student shows or learns responsibility with a college student credit card, that will teach the student the benefits of having one and keeping it fiscally sound. The student is rewarded with a good credit score at the credit bureaus, so they are somewhat established already in that area by the time they graduate. And the card issuers are well aware that with that good experience, that college student will very likely be their credit card customer for life.

Jon Arnold
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/find-out-the-benefits-of-a-student-credit-card-113631.html

Despite all your efforts of savings and earning a decent paycheck, you may be stuck in a situation where you require additional finances to support you. What would you do? Ask a friend or relative? There is another alternative that you can opt for if you are facing dearth of finances, which is available in the form of personal loan.

As the name suggests personal needs can be fulfilled by accessing these loans. These personal needs include:

•Purchase of home or car

•Purchase of computer

•Cosmetic surgery

•Funeral

•Wedding

•Debt consolidation

You can opt fore either of the two options of personal loan in accordance to your fiscal requirements. Two options of personal loan include:

•Secured

•Unsecured

Secured personal loan is accessible against a securable property, which is serves as guarantee. Although other forms of guarantee such as jewellery etc also exist but home is the most preferred form of guarantee by lenders. Presence of a security is beneficial in fetching you feasible rate of interests on your loan amount.

Unsecured personal loan can be obtained without a guarantee. This feature makes unsecured loan for personal needs suitable for tenants as well as those homeowners who do not want to risk their property. This option of personal loan is tagged with a comparatively higher rate of interest.

Are you planning to apply for a personal loan ? The routine way to apply for a loan can be quite cumbersome with a pile of paperwork to do, besides finding a suitable lender. If you are internet savvy, you have an alternative to apply for a loan online, which can help you to cascade over tedious routine approach.

Gamut of online personal loan arrangers are accessible which can serve your requirement for a loan. Most of these online loan arrangers offer the service of free no obligation loan quote service, which can give an idea of the competitive loan deals available for you. If you need professional financial advice, even the facility of getting the expertise of loan advisors on matters concerning loan is also made available by these online arrangers.

Before you go ahead with availing the services of these online loan arrangers, thoroughly read their terms and conditions of use. This approach can help you to cascade over any prospective confusion which may arise from procurement of the loan.

Gilbert Noble
http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/transcend-financial-responsibilities-with-personal-loan-130773.html

The prime importance of technology lies in the fact that it must stretch its helping hand in all aspects of life. Internet has revolutionized our thoughts as well as working and options are being laid open in every field. The financial sector is not an exception as the lending firms are reachable by just a mouse click! Personal loan is one of the most common and popular loans and most interestingly this loan can be availed through the net.

Personal Loan Online: Get Benefit of Technological Advancement

The prime importance of technology lies in the fact that it must stretch its helping hand in all aspects of life. Internet has revolutionized our thoughts as well as working and options are being laid open in every field. The financial sector is not an exception as the lending firms are reachable by just a mouse click! Personal loan is one of the most common and popular loans and most interestingly this loan can be availed through the net. Entering into online trading is not only beneficial for the customers but also for the lenders. It’s quite easy for the lending firms to negotiate over the net rather than entertaining each customer personally.

Personal Loan Online: Advantages

In the modern era nothing can be more precious than time and personal loan online saves a customer’s time. There is no point in worrying about these loans as personal loan online is not some new type of loan rather it’s just a different way of presentation. Through personal loan online a customer can avail any amount up to £25000 which is sufficient enough to fulfill the needs for which these loans are actually framed. The interest rate is same as any other personal loan lent by any physical lender. Personal loan online is equally available for any UK citizen aged 18 years or above and the repayment period varies between 3 and 25 years.

Personal Loan Online: Important Points

The lending companies provide each borrower an I.D. with a password and it’s the responsibility of the concerned customer to keep it confidential as this is the only mode of connection between the customer and the lender.

To conclude, personal loan online is quite suitable to assist in the hour of need like paying off a bill, managing a ceremony, planning for an exotic outing or buying some necessary gadgets. If you owe such a loan you can make the repayments through your credit card as well as query for the account status in a moment. What makes personal loan online different from any other loan is it’s reduced overhead time. Anything that saves time is worth and in this respect personal online is more than worthy!

Steve c clark
http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/personal-loan-onlineeasy-and-hassle-free-way-to-get-financed-188068.html

Getting ready for the GED test can be overwhelming. For adult learners enrolled in a GED class, it’s often difficult to find the time or motivation to study outside the classroom, engage in the classroom experience or to measure the effectiveness of study sessions. And for adult learners who manage their own study program, test prep may seem even harder.

Planning, perseverance and motivation are the keys to effective, successful GED test preparation, the most important thing a test candidate can do to pass the GED test. Using these keys will reduce challenges and ensure that test prep is worthwhile.

Explore the GED test areas.

The official GED test is a set of five tests, which measures knowledge of math, science, social studies, reading and writing. Determine which test area you’ll probably score best in, and study that area first. Successful and enjoyable experiences with your GED preparation early will help motivate you and ready your brain for more difficult material later.

Measure test readiness.

Use official GED practice tests as part of your test preparation and as a study guide to help you determine skill strengths and weaknesses. Test scores on practice tests will indicate the skill areas where you’ll need the least and most work, and will help you outline a study plan.

Official practice tests also serve another purpose. They’ll give you familiarity with the test structure and timing. Understanding the way the test asks you to apply knowledge, and how the test is paced is a good way to improve your score.

Develop a study plan.

Study guides and study plans are available, but it’s important to adapt these models to your own needs. A study plan that you develop yourself or center around yourself will go a long way toward helping you reach your goal. Develop a realistic plan that’s established according to your needs and schedule, and complements the way you learn. This allows you to stick to your study plan and learn at your own pace, which contributes to the learning process.

A good study plan will include frequent short study sessions of 30 minutes to an hour, along with periodic longer sessions – two to four hours — to help prepare you for the marathon 7.5-hour official GED test. Be sure to include your weekly study objectives and measure them. Then you’ll clearly see what you’ve accomplished and it will motivate you further. The key is consistency.

Enhance learning with test prep materials.

If you’re an adult learner enrolled in a GED class, your GED program probably includes test prep materials. If needed, you can supplement these with additional materials that may be better designed for the way you learn. Libraries often have GED test prep materials for loan, and local bookstores should also have a range of offerings. Materials, study guides, practice tests and interactive courseware are also available online. Shop wisely though; be sure that study materials are authentic and will enhance your GED study program.

What motivates you?

There are many reasons adult learners work on their GED. For some, it’s a higher-paying job, a new career or the stepping-stone to educational opportunities. For others, it’s simply completing an educational milestone or being a role model for their own children. Regardless of your reason, it’s reason enough to motivate you. You’ll want to clearly identify your motive and visualize the benefits of achievement.

Motivation is essentially based on a single premise: how bad you want

something. If you really want it to happen, it will. If you really want to pass the GED, you will. It’s that simple; it’s the cornerstone of your GED program, whether you opt for a classroom experience, an online program or create a self-guided study course.

So, when preparing for the GED, prepare through small, well-planned steps. Accomplish each step; build upon them. Then use these accomplishments as additional benefits and motivators to move you closer to the final achievement — the GED.

More Resources

For additional GED study tips, test information and free resources on the GED test, including financial aid and student support, visit www.passGED.com. The website also provides links to federal agencies and nonprofits that serve GED students, instructors and workforce development programs. For a list of official GED testing sites and administrative contacts, visit Test Sites.

©2007 Essential Education Corporation www.passGED.com

Leonard Williams
http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/planning-perseverance-and-motivation-for-the-ged-test-139936.html

I am trying to figure out if this is a scam or not. I do not have to pay for the financial aid (of course) and it is telling me i ave to go to an interview on may 15th or 16th.

If you would like to read the letter I have typed it out here for you.

Congratulations, you and Taylor are cordially invited to attend a free personal interview in your area on Saturday or Sunday on May 15th or 16th in order to help maximize your eligibility to recieve financial assistance and minimize your family’s out-of-packet exspenses for Taylor’s college education.

Taylor has been selected as one of the students in your area eligible to apply for grants, scholarships, tuitiun discounts, ow interest and subsidized loans through our college assistance program.

If Taylor plans to attend college, please make every effort to attend your personal interview. At your interview you will also recieve an informative free financial aid handbook.

then on the back of the letter it tells about Edifi.

I would really like to know if this is a scam or not because i really do need financial aid, for my family does not have very much money. I also have great testing scores and grades, so it’s not so out of the ordinary that this happened, but there is always a chance of a scam.

Thank you very much.

I have never heard of grants coming from anywhere other than the government or the school itself. Tuition discounts are only avaliable directly through the school. This sounds like a scam through and through. I would be surprised if you went and were not asked for money at some point. If they ever say "in your area" that is the key that it is a national mailing term and will not be legitimate. Fill out the FAFSA, that is the application for grants, loans (subsidized and non-subsidized) and work-study. You will have to apply for scholarships independently, the majority come from the school. Please, do not go to that "interview."

Now I am going to give you TOP secret of real home based business opportunity for your home based affiliate business leading to your financial freedom. I understand completely that people are looking for high income business opportunities. Also, I strongly believe that building a highly successful home based affiliate business can bring you a LOT of high income business opportunities.

Recently, I’ve been asked that what the top secrets of affiliate entrepreneurs for making a HUGE of money online and gaining more high income business opportunities are. My best answer is to promote the residual income webmaster affiliates program. You’ll get paid a LIFETIME affiliate commission.

READ THIS: If you are truly serious about homeworker business opportunities and are looking for real home based business opportunity:

Are you a webmaster in need of additional income? Or are you planning to set up a home based affiliate online business but you still don’t have any product or service to sell? If so, home based affiliate marketing business may be the best solution for your problems. With home based affiliate marketing business, you won’t need to worry about the products or services you have to sell. All you need to have is a high quality website with sufficient & well written contents that are related to the products of a certain online company offering webmaster affiliates programs. By becoming a member of those programs, or by becoming an affiliate entrepreneur, you can start earning a certain amount of money right away!

I am sure that you will discover a TON of high income business opportunities online from home if you know EXACTLY how to build highly successful home based affiliate business.

The home based affiliate marketing business is some sort of business relationship established between a merchant and his affiliate business owners. In home based affiliate marketing business, an affiliate entrepreneur agrees to direct some traffic to a merchant’s website. If that traffic is converted into some kind of action, like a visitor purchasing a product on the merchant’s website or a visitor becoming a lead for the company, the affiliate who directed the traffic will be compensated. Compensation may take the form of either a percentage sales commission for the sales generated or a fixed fee predetermined upon the application of the affiliate on the merchant’s affiliate program.

Promising a lot of benefits both for the merchants and the affiliates, home based affiliate marketing business has become one of the most popular online marketing methods today. In fact, almost every merchant or retailer site today offers a webmaster affiliates program that any one can join into. Most retailers would entice people to become affiliate entrepreneurs or members of their program by promising great benefits like large affiliate commissions, lifetime commissions, click through incomes and a lot of other benefits. But would all these webmaster affiliates programs bring off the same benefits?

Most webmaster affiliates programs would pay you, as an affiliate, a one-time commission for every sale or lead you brought to the merchant’s website. Commissions for this kind of webmaster affiliates programs are usually large, ranging from 15% to a high of about 60%. Other webmaster affiliates programs would pay you a fixed fee for every click through or traffic you send to the merchant’s website. Programs like this often pay a smaller fee for every click through, usually not getting any larger than half a dollar. The good thing about this kind of program, however, is that the visitor won’t have to purchase anything in order for the affiliate to get compensated.

Another type of webmaster affiliates program is the residual income affiliate program. Residual affiliate programs usually pay only a small percentage of sales commission for every sale directed by the affiliate business owner to the merchant’s website. This commission often comes only in the range of 10% to 20% sales commission. Because of this, many people ignore residual affiliate program and would rather opt for the high paying one-time commission affiliate program. Are these people making a mistake, or are they making the right decision?

We can’t tell, for sure, if people are making a mistake by choosing a high paying one-time commission affiliate program. But we can definitely say that they are making a large mistake if they ignore residual affiliate programs. Residual affiliate programs would indeed pay at a lower rate, but merchants offering such kind of programs would generally pay you regular and ongoing commissions for a single affiliate initiated sale! That means, for the same effort you made in promoting a particular webmaster affiliate program, you get paid only once in a one-time commission program, and a regular and ongoing commission for a residual program!

So, are the benefits of promoting residual affiliate programs clearer to you now? Or are they still vague? If they are still vague, then let’s make them a bit clearer with this example.

Suppose there are two online merchants both offering web hosting services on their sites. The first merchant offers a one-time commission type of webmaster affiliate program that pays $80 for every single affiliate initiated sale. The second merchant also offers an affiliate program, but this time a residual affiliate program that pays only $10 for every single affiliate initiated sale. As an affiliate, we may get attracted at once at what the first merchant is offering, as $80 is definitely a lot larger than $10. But by thinking things over before actually getting into them, one may be able to see that the second merchant is offering us more real home based business opportunity to earn a larger amount of money.

Supposed you have directed traffic to the merchant and it converted into a sale, you’ll get paid once by the first merchant for the sale you have initiated. But with the second merchant, you’ll get paid monthly for as long as the customer you have referred to the merchant continues to avail of the web hosting service. That means that for the same effort of getting one customer to avail of the merchant’s service, you get paid monthly in residual affiliate programs while you only get paid once in a one-time commission type of affiliate programs.

Otherwise, you can start advertising the residual webmaster affiliates program here! You’ll discover #1 best seller internet marketing and related home based business products to earn a lot of money online from home. It is absolutely FREE to join. Also, promoting those products is one of my high income business opportunities on the internet right now.

So, are residual affiliate programs worth promoting? Definitely yes, because you virtually get more money from these types of webmaster affiliates programs in the long run! And would residual affiliate programs work best for you? Probably not, probably yes. It is not really for me to tell. But with the benefits that residual affiliate marketing can provide, it would really be unwise to ignore such programs.

My bottom line is to promote the residual income affiliate program TODAY and start earning LIFETIME affiliate commission in a minute. You’ll discover a lot of high income business opportunities and real home based business opportunity. I am sure that there are a TON of homeworker business opportunities in affiliate marketing business online. The only thing you have to do is to GRAB those opportunities NOW!

Learn more now about how to build highly profitable home based affiliate business. You’ll discover a TON of high income business opportunities and make a HUGE of money online from home through affiliate marketing business.

zmilliondollars
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/discover-top-secret-of-real-home-based-business-opportunity-to-your-financial-freedom-today-116532.html

You need loan to accomplish your task but you are in a dilemma because of your God fearing acts and avoid taking loans or going under some debts. But sometimes, circumstances play havoc role and one is forced into things that one does not wish to do. But one has to come out of that crunch to lead a financially stable life but cannot rely on loans providers due to your beliefs. Hence, you can rely on Christian debt consolidation loan as it will solve your problem without hurting your religious sentiments.

This Christian debt consolidation loan is a service that many financial organizations offer to those Christians who have reservations about debt. Generally, we come across people who have their doubts and reservations regarding the debts. Generally, you must have witnessed many people who are dead against loans and debts but now with the change in times, you can find people going for loans if the services provided are within the limits of Christianity. And moreover, do not create problems or cause harassment to the family. Therefore, many loan providers and financial institutions understand the worries of people seeking loans and also offer online Christian debt consolidation loan planning services also.

Do not hesitate any more, as when you are taking Christian debt consolidation loan; you are not going against the laws and principles of Christianity. This is because the procedure adopted are based on the laws the religion. If however, because of any unforeseen situation or circumstance you have fallen into the trap of debt trap and are unable to get out of it then you can always look forward to Christian debt consolidation loan without any fear. Well, you can always share queries regarding your inhibitions about the loans from the representative of the organization. Moreover, you can also tell your exact financial position like, how much do you owe to different lenders? All you have to do is to provide them with details of loans taken from various creditors along with your budgetary limitations. As a result, the organizations will come out with various solutions that are suitable for you. Christian debt consolidation services will further offer you a loan that will end all worries in a one go.

In fact, the term of loan will be extended so that the monthly installment can be brought down to the minimal amount. The good news is that the organization will additionally provide you with religious counseling to clear your doubts on Christian debt consolidation loan. In fact, due to this loan, your creditors offer significant rebates to you while considering your good intentions about paying off all debts. However, the interests are also involved in the process of debt consolidation because once you file bankruptcy it will take even more time to clear the matters. So, in spite of all your good intentions if you are still in a financial problem then going for Christian debt consolidation loan is not a bad idea and will not hurt your religious beliefs also. Hence, you can bury all your problems forever with the help of Christian debt consolidation loan.

Tom Frederick
http://www.articlesbase.com/debt-consolidation-articles/lead-a-debt-free-life-with-christian-debt-consolidation-loan-231057.html

1. Which of the following best defines health insurance?

An annual contract between an insurance company and an individual
A type of insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured
A type of insurance that protects your personal property if you are unable to pay your bills
A type of insurance that assists your loved ones in the event of your death

2. Which of the following illustrates the main difference between Medicare and Medicaid?

Medicare helps to insure the elderly, while Medicaid focuses on low–income individuals and families.
Medicaid helps to insure the elderly, while Medicare insures low income earners.
Medicaid helps to replace lost income for the poor.
Medicare is available only to those over the age of 65.

3. Which of the following is not true about managed care?

The most common types of managed care are HMO’s and PPO’s.
Your employer is responsible for all co–payments.
It is a system in which companies contract with doctors to provide health care services.
If you have health care coverage through your employer, you probably have a managed care plan.

4. Which of the following statements is true about Medicaid?

Medicaid covers only hospital and doctor’s visits.
Medicaid is a managed health care system.
Medicaid was established to help ensure that people living below the poverty level could receive health care.
Medicaid provides health care only for elderly veterans.

5. What is life insurance?

Health insurance that covers you for the rest of your life
Insurance that supplements your income if your life in threatened
Insurance that protects you in the event of an unexpected illness or accident that prevents you from working
Insurance that assists your loved ones with income in the event of your death

6. John T. works on the assembly line in an automobile factory. One day, he falls off the roof of his home while cleaning his rain gutters and injures his back. He soon learns that he will have to be off his job for close to a year while his back heals. Which of the following insurance will he need to cover losses from his absence?

He will be covered by disability insurance for a period of three months.
He may potentially be covered by disability insurance provided by his employer until he returns to work.
He will have to collect from his regular medical insurance.
Because the accident occurred at home, he is not covered.

7. Which of the following statements is not true about HMO insurance?

It is a managed health care system.
The letters stand for Health Maintenance Organization.
In an HMO, you are assigned a primary care physician.
In an HMO you can choose your own primary care physician (PCP), but specialists must be referred by the PCP.

8. Which of the following statements is not true about disability insurance?

The only way to get disability insurance in through your employer.
You can have short–term or long–term disability insurance.
Long–term disability insurance ends when a person turns 65.
Long–term disability insurance usually lasts five years.

9. Which of the following might be considered positive aspects of HMO’s?

Free choice of primary care physician
Care from non–HMO provider not covered
Out–of–pocket expenses are usually low
Easy to receive specialized care

10. Which of the following might be considered a negative aspect of HMO’s?

Out–of–pocket expenses are usually high.
HMO’s focus on preventative care.
Not easy to receive specialized care
Free choice of primary care physician

Assuming each choice is lettered in successive order:
1.B
2.A
3.B
4.C
5.D
6.A
7.C
8.A
9.C
10.C

I have $170,000 cash to be used for all my expenses during 5 years of school and am looking for a safe, hands-free place to invest it. I have worked out my budget for the next 5 years and this money should be enough to cover my expenses if it grows above inflation. I am not interested in purchasing real estate, owning a business, or managing a large stock portfolio, so I would be grateful for any ideas regarding the best way to invest this money for the next 5 years. I will need to be able to withdraw 20% of the money each year to cover my expenses. Money-market savings accounts and certificates of deposit do not appear to have high enough interest rates to be viable options. The only option that I have found so far are Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) and Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities (VIPSX) looks to be the best TIPS, but I don’t know enough about inflation, diversification or investing to know if putting the entire $170,000 in a TIPS for 5 years is the best option. I would greatly appreciate any financial planning advice regarding my situation. If you could map out the specific investment vehicles or sketch a composite portfolio for the $170,000 I would be very thankful. This would be easier for me if I was investing for the long term, but my 5 year window, expense requirements, and the current inflation outlook and bear market make my situation very confusing. Thanks for your help.

Get a checking account if you don’t have one. Put 20% ($34000) into it and thats your first year "budget". I’d put another 20% in a 1 year cd, and when it matures, add it to your checking account for your second year budget. Another 20% in a two year cd and another 20% in a three year cd and the final 20% in a four year cd. The return will be a little more with each year and cd’s are generally pretty safe investments, so your risk is very low. I wouldn’t suggest investing anything in a risky venture–your education will be your most valuable asset and you don’t want to risk that. Good luck.

As both a homeowner and a financial professional, I become completely disgusted when financial professionals, Rick Santelli being a prime example, put all the blame on homeowners for taking bad mortgages and get angry when the individuals will receive some stimulus money yet don’t seem nearly as upset that poorly managed companies receive a rediculously higher amount of stimulus money for taking high risks and getting burnt?

This situation highlights a huge issue that I have with the perspective that so many have.

First of all, why do people who work in finance and many wealthy right-wingers in general assume that everyone is financially savvy and should have been able to know they were getting a bad loan?

Lets put it this way – when I am ill and go to a physician, and he perscribes a medicine for me, would these same people assume that everyone should be medically astute enough to know on our own if we will be able to handle this dosage, or if this is the right perscription or not? Of course not. So how can these people blame homeowners who visit a mortage broker (who at one point in time could credibly be presumed to be a financial professional), and the mortgage broker says that based on their analysis you can afford $X of a home, and we would recommend this mortgage – how when the person puts their faith in the financial professional’s opinion can they all be blamed? This is as hippocritical as if in the previous scenario, a prescription ended up killing many people, would the patients be blamed by medical professionals?

And on the second part of my argument, I hear so many right-winged representatives (talk show hosts on radio and tv, among others) mocking individuals who expect to get "free stuff" (i.e. government tax dollars paid for by individuals) from the stimulus package, in particular under Obama. Why do these people not feel the same way, but on a more intense level, to the corporations, like the auto CEO’s who flew to meet with congress and asked for their "free stuff", and when congress asked them to show how they will spend it "uuhhhh, we didn’t really put a financial plan together to bring with us"…not to mention other corporations who receive insane sums of money for taking huge risks and failing.

Wouldn’t a better plan for the people of this country have been to let the big corporations who burned themselves fail (doesn’t the true nature of a free market involve a "survival of the fittest" component?), and use these huge sums of money to help the individuals and other businesses stay afloat who weren’t a cause of this problem but were inadvertently affected – i.e., cut out the problematic corporations on the top of the economic food chain and support the rest of the innocent?

Please discuss – and STAR and COME BACK TO THIS QUESTION to keep the discussion going through additional edits.
Thanks for sharing.

You didn’t address one of my points though – you say if YOU cannot buy something that YOU cannot afford, then that is STUPIDITY.

What about the financial professionals selling things that people cannot afford? Is that not STUPIDITY from a higher level within the transaction. They have a responsibility to be ethical and perform duel dilligence to make this determination, and when they don’t, or even worse knowingly do sell a bad product as an investment which further hurts our economy, that is a much greater form of STUPIDITY. What about the people who were not informed as to how adjustable rate mortages worked, and were encouraged into them by the professionals. How can you not blame the professional over the individual?

I think the blame should be shared between the people who borrowed and spent too much money and the financial professionals who encouraged, advised, and provided the means for such unwise borrowing and spending by consumers.

And the government also is responsible to a large degree. Because the Fed lowered the interest rates a lot and did nothing when many people were borrowing more money than they could pay back.

Many politicians also are partly responsible. Because they changed the rules and the laws designed to prevent a repeat of the Great Depression.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass-Steagall_Act#Repeal_of_the_Act