Although Republicans are slated to take control of the House, Democrats were able to hold onto the Senate majority even with a run-off coming between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock.

Republicans were hopeful to win Senate seats in Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. None of this worked out with Democrats cruising to clear victories except for Nevada which was much closer.

Republicans took control of the House but by a thin margin which will make it difficult for the Majority Leader to gather aligned support especially from the more fringe Representatives.

So Why Did The “Red Wave” Not Come?

The Republican “red wave” did not come for two main reasons:

1. Overturning Rowe vs Wade proved to frighten large amounts of people enough to reject Republican politicians who they fear would further take away women’s right to choose.
2. The sneaky Democratic strategy of spending their funds to promote more alt-right election denier Republican candidates paid off in a big way. By helping these less-electable candidates become the Republican winners heading into midterms, they stacked the deck in Democrat candidates favor because although the country generally prefers the Senate and House to be led by the opposite party of the President, they did not want election deniers and low quality Republicans enough to overcome their desire for checks and balances with a split Government.

There you have it. The red wave did not come and the United States goes into the next two years with a Democratic President and Senate. And a Republican controlled House.

Then shortly after ballots began getting counted and Florida was looking more and more like a Trump victory, the odds suddenly switched to 50/50 and shortly after 60/40 toward Trump.

Pollsters didn’t learn much from their embarrassing 2016 debacle but they basically followed up with the same tomfoolery in 2020. They got Florida wrong, many got Texas wrong, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan polling numbers are also so far off that it is embarrassing.

Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight looks like he is not taking any accountability or responsibility for how wrong his site has been yet again.

In a predictable move to take attention away from President Trump’s strong, unexpected performance in several states tonight they make this the headline on their home page –

If the President does in fact go on to win the election tomorrow or in the coming days, we all know CNN will find anything and everything to sensationalize and bash the President about instead of reflecting on what they got wrong and how they continue to let their left ideology get in the way of fair and balanced reporting.

We also know that CNN and MSNBC need President Trump to continue their higher viewership count, which results in more ad revenue dollars. If Joe Biden wins the election, viewership will drop and potentially force CNN and MSNBC into large cuts.

Now you’re starting to understand the double whammy that CNN pulls – they sensationalize their left leaning Democratic support and bashing of Trump because it incites emotional responses from their viewers thereby sucking them in for longer periods. And then they have to come up with as angering and fearmongering headlines as possible because that’s what allows them to retain their visitors which keeps ad revenue higher.

The morning of this day four years ago, all pundits and the world were expecting a convincing win by Hillary Clinton.

As the day went on, tiny hints of a lack of Clinton domination were starting to appear but even by 3pm PST when the first exit polls from the east coast were sprinkling in, the consensus was still a strong victory for Hillary.

From there with each passing our, watching CNN and FoxNews was a surreal experience. On CNN, the anchors were in visible disbelief at the strength of the Trump vote. Soon after the election, CNN lost all objectivity in their reporting but on this day four years ago they still pretended to be objective.

The look on every CNN anchor was one of shock, disbelief and near tears at the inevitability of Trump’s win becoming more clear.

Who knows what will happen tonight in the 2020 election of Joe Biden vs President Trump but we will know a lot more in 12 hours, even if we do not yet know the winner.

Here is how the electoral college ended in 2016:

All signs point to the 2020 presidential race coming down to Florida, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. With the biggest current uncertainty being Pennsylvania.

Is there a hidden silent majority that will come out for Donald Trump like 2016? Has Trump lost too much of the independent and female vote? Is Trump’s handling of Covid-19 going to cost him the election? Will we ever get a definitive election result without a huge legal battle?

All of these are huge questions looming over the United States of America today. We will update when more information emerges.

The Dark Secrets of Debt Settlement:

To be blunt – Debt Settlement firms prey on your stupidity, laziness and fears.  Take it from me, an ex-insider who did his fair share. In contrast to the other representatives at my firm, I presented other paths to venture down if the customer was uninterested in our service.  Very few ever do.  I was eventually fired because I did not meet the quota.  I’m not angry for being fired.  I don’t think I was helping people.  I was helping my company be a middleman who takes advantage of people struggling to make it.  I’m writing this to inform the customer of the true merits of Debt Settlement.

The Debt Settlement Firms

There are about 10-15 prominent debt settlement firms in the U.S.  Just to let you know, they are all controlled by a few players.  So if you don’t go with one company and you go with the other, more than likely you are still working with the same owner.  The only difference is the customer representative or salesman that you are working with.

You may also notice that new companies pop up but have the same background story.  The reason being that an old company closed down because they had a bad reputation and just created a new entity to use.  Sound like Boiler Room to you?

The Process:

Debt settlement firms will discuss in general terms what debt settlement is, how it differentiates from credit counseling, a rough estimate of how much they can save you on a monthly basis and on your total principal amount (usually a whopping 50%). They will talk about the pros of the program, which all sounds good and dandy, making you feel good that there is something out there to help you out.

The firm will then pry information from you to use as leverage.  This is called the “qualification process“.

Questions include:

• How much debt do you have?
• How long have you had this debt?
• Which credit cards?
• Are you just making the minimum payments (of interest) or are you paying off the principal?
• Have you noticed that your interest rates have been going up?”

Then they tell you things like: “These credit card companies are trying to take advantage of your situation.  You are a victim to these corporate giants.”  You might hear, “In order to get a better understanding of your financial situation, what is your annual income, monthly expenses?”

After getting this information from you, they will state that you are the perfect candidate for the program.  99.9% of the customers are “perfect” for the program. 

“You sound like you are eager to take control of your finances and want to have a new beginning.” But what they will do is pull it away from you.  Classic Bait and Switch tactic.

Both you and the firm knows that you are a good candidate for the program, but the firm will stress that this program is for people who really want to help themselves.  And people who are committed, a trust that you have with each other.  They will ask to pull your credit to get a better understanding of your finances.  Also, they will review it with you free of charge in order to figure out if they can really help you.  Once reviewed, they will say that they need to take your file to the “underwriters” to see if you are approved.

The truth is – there aren’t any underwriters.  They will call you back in 30 minutes while you squirm and hope that you are approved..  To create a sense of urgency, they will state that they had to make an exception for you and create a time limit of 48 hours for you to sign up, otherwise you cannot apply for another 30 days.  Basically leading/urging you to sign the forms.  Don’t worry though, they will go over the entire 20 page document with you.  (Note: This is me being sarcastic.)

The Game Plan

Once in the program, you stop paying the credit cards that you have agreed upon.  As a result, you cannot use those credit cards to buy anything.  You will make a payment to a third party Bank that is the custodian of your savings account.  This prevents any kind of conflict of interest between the Debt Settlement firm and the bank.  Within the first several monthly payments, half of those payments go to the Debt Settlement firm as fees and the other half is accumulated into  your savings account.

Firms differ in the way they collect the initial fees.  Some may even collect 100% of the first couple of months as fees so you are not saving any money until three months down the road.  Please note that Debt Settlement firms don’t start negotiating with a Credit Company until you have approximately 50% of the debt load of your smallest credit card principal.  So if you have three credit cards: 1^st is for $2,000, 2^ne for $5,000, and the 3^rd for $8,000, in most cases they will not start negotiating on the first credit card until you have $1,000 accumulated in your savings account.  However, since the Debt Settlement firm deals with hundreds to thousands of clients, they can group some clients together who have X credit card together.  As an individual you have $8,000 of debt but with a combination with other clients there is a total of $150,000.  As a result the Debt Settlement firm has more leverage to negotiate with the bank and will get a better deal on reducing the debt.

In this example, if they were negotiating for you alone, they could drop it down to $3,500 (a savings of 56.25%).  But for the combination of clients, they can negotiate it down to $40,500 (a savings of  73.00%).  Sounds good to you, but remember, they take a % of the savings at the end of the program.  In a way they have an interest in saving you money, because the larger the savings, the more money the firm makes.  But you can do it yourself, and possibly get the same results of a Debt Settlement firm.  Saving you even more money that usually the Debt Settlement firm gets paid on.

Your Representative aka The Professional Salesman:

The most important thing to know about Debt Settlement firms is that they’ll do whatever it takes to close a deal.  The motto “ABC – Always Be Closing”.  The representatives of these firms are professional salesmen (usually ex-mortgage bankers who helped create the housing bubble).

Consequently:

1. You are a number to them
2. They have to meet a quota in order to maintain their job (at least 25 deals/month)
3. The monthly payment plan a representative puts you on directly affects the money in the representative’s pocket.  The firm has a fee structure for the representatives.  For example, if a representative brings in 22-25 deals, then he/she takes home 25% of client’s first month’s payment.  30 deals brings in 30%, so on and so forth.  Max payment is 40-42%.  Minimum payment to a representative is approximately $2,500.
4. I have even heard of a female representative flirt with a client by adding him to a myspace page in order to close the deal.  Dirty.
5. Urgency strategies that they utilize:

• only a limited number of people can sign up a month, therefore sign up today.
• they make an “exception” for you to make you feel important, but then put a time limit of “This is only good for the next 48 hours.”
• infuse fear that you could lose everything, the credit card companies are going to constantly harass you or even sue you, or the fear that you won’t be able to fund your children’s college, etc.
• convince you that the program empowers you by creating your own financial freedom
• use the total amount that you have paid the credit card company to overwhelm you with how these corporate giants are taking advantage of you.  The calculation is as follows:  the principal amount on your credit card, for x amount of years at a y interest rate, in reality you paid off z amount if you paid  the minimum payments that covered the interest.  Example is if you had $10,000 of unsecured debt, that you’ve had for 5 years, at an interest rate of 15%, then in reality you have paid $7,500 of interest only.  You have  really paid off 75% of your debt but it’s only interest.  So why don’t do a debt settlement plan and attack the principal only.
• the firm states that with this program, you will be debt free in less than 36 months.  The reason being is that they sometimes state federal law requires a person who enrolls in a Debt Settlement program to settle his/her debt  within 36 months.  This is BS.    In reality, the Firm and banks know that the longer a customer prolongs paying off  debt, the less likely he/she will be able to complete the program.  Also, credit card companies and banks want their money sooner rather than later.  Once you enter a program, it’s a “promise” to the bank that you will pay them in a certain amount of time.  If by chance you renege during the program (which you can, but not recommended), you will be penalized by the banks as they will charge you backed up interest and fees that you should have originally been paying them.

Talk about making a deposit in a third party bank.

Pros of working with a Debt Settlement Firm:

1)      You don’t deal with the credit card companies directly.  Basically you are paying a Debt Settlement firm to take care of it for you.  Usually they charge 2.5% (or whatever they charge these days) upfront that will be taken out of your first several months payment and then when you finish the program they take another haircut of approximately 30% (again whatever they charge these days) of your savings.  So for instance if you had $10,000 of debt, they negotiate it down to $4,000, there is a savings of $6,000 or 60%.  But then the firm takes a cut of 30% of your savings, so they will take another $1,800 (which is already included in our payment schedule so it’s not anything out-of-pocket).  In reality you save $4,200 or 42%.

2)      You are debt free within 36 months.

3)      You have empowered yourself and created your financial freedom – that’s what they like you to think.

Cons of working with a Debt Settlement Firm:

1)      More than likely your credit score will be negatively affected.  For instance if you have a 700 FICA score, it will drop into the high 500s.  If you already have a 500 credit score, then it really won’t change.  Reason being is that when you sign up for a program, you will stop paying the credit cards on the balances.  As a result, to the banks, you have defaulted on your unsecured debt.  They report this to the credit bureaus and there will be statement on it that you have defaulted with X Company.

2)      The customer service is sub par.  Once you have signed up, the representative throws you into “the dog pound” with all the other clients.  There will be another client service representative that will be corresponding with you afterwards.  Unfortunately, these companies are understaffed and do not get back with you in a timely manner.  The industry is changing and some companies have been touting that if you call, the client service rep has x amount of hours to call you back or they are disciplined/fired.  Do you think this really happens if they are already understaffed?

3)      You cannot participate in a program if you have some government jobs.  For instance if you have like a Top Secret clearance or have access to classified information, then this may be conflicting with your job agreement.  Also, once your credit score drops and you are applying for a job, employers frown upon you being financially irresponsible.

4)      The government will tax the savings that you have accumulated throughout the DS process.

5)      There is still the possibility of the Credit Card company suing you.  I have heard horror stories.  It’s a small percentage, but has become more widely adopted.

6)      The Better Business Bureau (who really doesn’t do anything) have negative ratings about Debt Settlement Firms.  The rumors are that the BBB was created by the giants that are collecting money from you, but who knows.

The reality of it all:

You have several different options that are pretty much similar.

1)      Debt Settlement.  Again DS firms negotiate on your behalf to reduce your total unsecured debt by approximately 50%.  You are only paying on the principal amount of your debt.  NOT paying any interest.

2)      Consumer Credit Counseling.  They help you lump your credit card payments into one (just like Debt Settlement), but reduce your interest rates.  For instance, CCC will lower your interest rates from 20% to 13% on a $10,000 debt.  You are paying both the principal amount of $10,000 AND interest.  There are instances where CCC can reduce your debt load.  In these instances your credit score will be negatively affected.

3)      Declare Bankruptcy.  If you can’t pay your bills, can’t live off the money you currently make/have, then you should declare bankruptcy.  There are two types for individuals.  Most people file Chapter 7: basic liquidation for individuals.  This is also known as straight bankruptcy; it is the simplest and quickest form of bankruptcy available.  This clears all of your debt, but a record of this stays on the individual’s credit report for up to 10 years.  If you do not qualify for this, you will be subject to Chapter 13: rehabilitation with a payment plan for individuals with a regular source of income.  Basically if you are above the income limits stipulated, then you are required by the courts to develop a plan to repay all of your debts with a 3-5 year time frame. This record stays on the individual’s credit report for up to 10 years.  It is important to note that when applying to jobs, employers usually ask if you have ever declared bankruptcy and usually check your credit report.  So depending on your situation, you really have to think about this option.

4)      DO IT YOURSELF.  This is by far the best choice, but requires YOU to change and become financially responsible.  Why pay a Middle Man when you can do it yourself.  I know, I know, you are going to say “It’s too much work”, which really means you are just lazy.  YOU are the one that overextended your credit. NOT ME! The best way to combat your unsecured debt is to first start saving $ in another bank account that is dedicated to pay off your debt.  In the meantime, call your credit card company and ask what they can do to help you.  More than likely, if you have been paying the minimum payments on your bills on time, they will tell you they can’t help you.  Why would they when you are constantly making the minimum payments, and thus more money in the bank’s pocket (interest upon interest upon interest).  In reality, you will have to stop paying the credit card bills for a couple of months, just like at a DS (Note that this will negatively affect your credit score).  Note, don’t stop paying all your credit cards at the same time because once you stop paying your bill, that credit card company will cut you off from using that credit card.  Other CCs will follow.  But this is a good thing, because credit cards are what got you into trouble in the first place).  I suggest you attack the credit card with the lowest principal, so that you can get that out of your way and feel like you accomplished something as it will be paid off sooner. Just like a TO DO LIST.  Once you stop paying your bills, the CC companies realize you have some kind of “hardship”, that you cannot afford to pay your bills.  After a couple of months of not paying your bills, call the CC company and let them know that you cannot pay the bill.  Threaten that you will declare bankruptcy (Then they will think you are serious that you can’t pay your bills, when you declare BK, a bank gets $0).  They will run around like chickens with their heads cut off.  Consequently, ask them to reduce your debt load.  If you owe $10,000 mention to them that you can come up with $2k in a month (don’t tell them that you have money saved).  They will counter your offer with $7,500.  This is the negotiating process, you have to low ball them at first.  In the back of your mind, since you have been saving over the past couple of months you know you have $5,000 saved.  When you think an amount is fair (30-50% is fair), then agree with the CC company that you will pay them x amount within y months.  GET THE AGREEMENT IN WRITING and make sure that you have them remove the default statement from your credit report.  Tell them to replace it with PAID IN FULL or something to that extent.  After about a year of  all your credit cards being paid off, your credit score will start to rebound and be back to where it used to be.

In  a truly shocking result yesterday, America has voted Donald Trump as the next President by a large margin. The overwhelming majority of polls predicted a clear Clinton victory but as it turned out, Trump dominated last night.

It looks like Trump will finish with close to 310 electoral college votes.

We cannot reiterate enough how large of a victory this is given how much people thought Trump had no chance to win.

The only polls that accurately predicted a Trump victory were the USC / LA Times Poll and Investors Business Daily. The LA Times / USC poll was run by USC economist and public opinion expert, Arie Kapteyn. He deserves credit for correctly predicting public sentiment.

America Spoke Loud and Clear

Last night’s result tells us that the pain American’s feel is very real. The dissatisfaction with the current government, direction of the country and Congress runs very deep.

Congress is viewed as a political machine that acts as a cog in politics and gets nothing done. During the Obama administration this was largely true.

Trump’s rhetoric of DRAIN THE SWAMP resonated with the people.

Those who voted for Trump were tired of the government getting bigger and bigger; and TELLING Americans what they can and cannot do.

Obamacare is one example but there are many more.

People have long felt that the Government is not good at efficiently allocating our hard earned tax dollars. We have been moving toward a more socialist society with more and more feelings of entitlement and handouts.

The people said NO MORE to this direction last night.

It was LOUD and CLEAR.

The Rust Belt States

Trump’s path to victory came through the important states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida. Previously, Barack Obama won these states easily and Clinton was projected to easily take them. She did not spend much time in the first three states and did not make one visit to Wisconsin. It could be said she took that state for granted.

Trump predicted early and often that he would get the votes of the Rust Belt as well as Florida but few believed him.

In the end, Donald Trump pulled off the greatest election feat in modern times and we must give him credit for running a tireless, dedicated and long campaign.

Solar energy is one of the most viable and cost effective renewable source of energy for residential and commercial buildings. Because of this, the Australian government is now offering generous solar grants to promote the use of solar energy in businesses and households.

The solar grant scheme provides landlords up to:

• $5000 for apartment solar upgrades
• $5000 for installing solar panels
• $5000 for installing energy storage
• $1000 for switching to LED downlights
• $1000 for a hot water system powered by solar power
• $500 for each electric car charging station

The solar grant totals $150,000 to Australian businesses equipped with solar energy panels and storage. With the Labour Government announcing a $1.1 million tender to install battery storage in several government buildings and businesses, South Australia has become the leading state in battery storage using solar energy. The storage batteries will store solar power during the day that could be used at night.

This initiative has been started in the city of Adelaide, which became the first in the nation to offer financial incentives to businesses and households to install battery storage systems. If the plan is successful we can count on it’s expansion to other cities.

The objective of this grant scheme is to encourage the community to invest in solar energy storage, in order to enhance energy efficiency. The initiative will augment the demand for renewable energy and encourage the growth of green industries. It also promotes cleaner modes of transport by adding $500 per electric automobile charging station.

Battery storage of renewable energy is growing at a fast pace all across the world, and according to Australian Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis, this solar grant will help in making Adelaide the world’s first carbon neutral city.

Bob Simon first joined CBS News in 1967 and has continued working as a reporter for the network for the next 48 years. Simon’s career covered many war zones including Vietnam, Ireland, Portugal, the Persian Gulf, Cyprus, Grenada, Haiti and Somalia.

Simon was well respected by his colleagues and appeared frequently on the Sunday night show “60 Minutes”.

The details of the crash are still sparse but early reports state that Simon was riding in a Lincoln Town Car that collided with a Mercedes and then lost control.

This occurred at 7pm EST and according to the driver of the Mercedes, the Lincoln Town Car driver appeared to drive erratically. Speculation is that the driver may have suffered a heart attack causing him to have lost control.

Story developing.

Now here are some general tips that may apply to you.

Use your Parent’s Plan

Many people do not realize they can still qualify to be a part of their parent’s healthcare plan even if they are an adult.  As long as you are under the age of 26, you can get insured under your parent’s plan.  This is even true if you are married, not living with your parents and not financially dependent on them.  While this is a temporary solution until you are over the age of 26, receiving coverage as a part of your parent’s health care plan is a great way to find affordable short term healthcare.

Understand the Different Plans

If you are unable to qualify for discount healthcare under your parent’s plan, you will need to understand the different plans that are available to truly determine which type of plan you need.  Knowing the difference between an HMO and PPO can help save you money as you will be able to select the plan that best fits your health care needs and is the cheapest option.

Emergency coverage is another option to consider when you are working with a small budget.  If you are a relatively healthy person who is simply looking for coverage in case of a serious medical emergency, then emergency coverage may be the perfect healthcare plan for you.  This type of plan will cover your emergency room visits but not allow for routine wellness checkups.  Because these plans do not offer comprehensive coverage, they are often much more affordable than other healthcare plans.

Another healthcare plan you will need to research when determining the type of coverage you should purchase is a high deductible, HSA-compatible health plan.  This type of plan often offers lower monthly payments because a high deductible, often thousands of dollars, needs to be met before the insurance coverage kicks in.  Once your deductible is met, your health insurance plan will start to cover your medical expenses.  Taking advantage of an HSA account to save pre-tax dollars is a good way to help cover those medical expenses you will need to pay out of pocket before your insurance starts to cover some of your medical costs.

Always Compare Rates

Once you determine the best type of healthcare plan for your current situation, you will need to shop around and compare rates.  Different insurance companies will offer different rates so it is important that you do not purchase the first healthcare plan you come across.  Thoroughly researching the different amounts and levels of coverage offered by specific healthcare providers will help you discover the cheapest plan possible that will meet all of your healthcare needs.

Finding affordable healthcare is often not an easy task.  Knowing how to go about your research will help you discover the right healthcare plan to meet your needs.  As long as you understand all of the different types of policies and compare the rates across several insurance companies, you should be able to find an affordable healthcare solution.

The 2012 online shopping season is already off to a good start as the first week and a half of November saw eCommerce shopping increase 16% to $10 billion.  Two reasons why 2012’s eCommerce shopping is on the upswing is higher consumer confidence and early retailer promotions.  In fact, consumer confidence is at a five-year high as shoppers start preparing for their holiday shopping needs.  According to Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan, the index of consumer confidence as increased to 84.9% from 82.6%.

Another contributing factor to the increased revenue projections for eCommerce shopping this holiday season is the fact that Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, was two days earlier than in 2011, providing an extended holiday shopping season.  With two additional shopping days on the calendar this year, it only makes sense that eCommerce shopping figures would increase.

While other eCommerce shopping forecasters agree with comScore’s forecast that eCommerce spending will increase in 2012, these forecasters do not agree that eCommerce shopping will increase as much as comScore suggests.  Shop.org is only projecting a 12% increase in eCommerce shopping based on data collected from the U.S. Department of Commerce while Gartner is also only projecting a 12% increase in online sales.

In their forecast, Gartner also projects 51% of consumers will shop online during the holiday season.  With the increased number of people shopping online and taking advantage of the deals being provided by online retailers, JPMorgan is predicting eCommerce sales to increase 19% in the fourth quarter across both desktop and mobile devices.  In addition to these increased eCommerce sales figures, JPMorgan expects “showrooming” – the process of going to the store to look at different products and then returning home to buy them online – to increase to its highest levels ever as 37% of consumers will browse products in the store.

This perfect storm of higher consumer confidence, more shopping days in the holiday season and increased number of consumers who will make a purchase online during the holiday season will see eCommerce shopping figures continue their upward trend in 2012.

Living in Los Angeles like I do, I also take extreme caution to this data in knowing that UCLA is not nearly as dangerous as many other colleges. The area UCLA is located in is called Westwood which happens to be a very nice, upscale part of the city. I have never felt frightened or in danger walking through the area and the UCLA campus feels extremely clean, friendly and safe.

Across town is USC which has had several high profile shootings recently yet was not named in the report as a dangerous school. This is because USC is a private institution and this study only addressed public colleges.

Evidently other readers of the study were outraged with comments like “The FBI List that you used is a joke. It’s lacking so much”, and “I have never felt my safety threatened when i was at ucla. Even at night i felt safe while walking around ucla.”