If you are considering moving your money, there are ways you can make the transition easier.

As much as I would like to take up the battle cry and say ‘do it now!’, I realise that – in this day and age – it’s not as easy to transfer bank accounts as it used to be.

I do a lot of bill paying online – though none of it automated – so transferring would involve making sure I had enough money at the right time to make all my payments on time.

But, I am already at a credit union, so I’m not concerned.

But if you’re sick of fees, I highly enourage you to at least look at your options.

November 5th is bank transfer day, and people are switching out of banks and into credit unions for the reasons stated in this video.

Why pay to have access to your own money? Credit unions don’t believe that, and neither should you.

I have been a very happy member of a credit union since I was twelve years old and even moving to a different country has only seen me more impressed with their level of service.

I know that just switching your account isn’t easy.

But if you can’t switch to a credit union, perhaps try to switch to a different type of account that involves fewer fees.

So El Pope wants a system where ‘principles’ trump ‘profit’. But only Catholic principles, I’m guessing.

Ever heard of separation of church and state? That’s what’s also known as ‘a good thing’.

This whole thing gives me a big headache.

It’s all nice and everything to say you’re for redistribution of wealth, but there is a reason church and government should be separate.

But, as pointed out elsewhere, the pope isn’t saying that the Catholic Church should run the global bank, just that there should be one.

Yeah, not so much on that side of things either. Given what converting to the euro did to many countries, a global bank will just make things worse – worldwide.

Headache, headache…

President Obama has outlined a plan to speed up the plans to provide relief for the millions of Americans struggling with the cost of higher education.

With the burden of student loans now surpassing credit card debt, it is no wonder that the president is trying to address this situation.

“Gwen Ifill discusses the president’s effort to ease the burden of student loans with “Generation Debt” author Anya Kamenetz and Jeff Selingo of the Chronicle of Higher Education.” – YT

Being under a massive student loan debt myself – and with no degree to show for it because I was refused loans to finance my third year – I am eager to see what comes of this.

Bank of America looks to be heading down a toilet that not even the government can fish them out of.

BoA customers are angry – and why shouldn’t they be? – with the new fee that comes to using debit cards for purchases.

No longer are there late night runs to the store for toilet paper or ice cream. At least, not unless you find an ATM to draw out the cash for it first.

If you aren’t shaking your head and rolling your eyes yet, then why not?

Maybe if those big bank CEOs actually, you know, lived on the wages the masses live on, the money could cover the bank’s screw ups.

Bank FAIL.

“What happens when 620,000 lenders fund 615,000 entrepreneurs, students, and other microfinance borrowers around the world?

Five+ years of Kiva loan activity, in full color. Thanks to all the lenders, borrowers, partners, and team members who brightened this map – and helped to change lives in the process.” – Vimeo

I have been a member of Kiva for something like five years now, and I am so happy to see it have expanded the way it has.

It is so easy to be cynical about the way the world is working these days, but Kiva.org is a great way to kill that cynicism.

I am proud to be a member there, knowing even my small contribution can help.

From YT: “In which John discusses the U.S. public debt, our dangerously high debt to GDP ratio, the S&P’s downgrade of America’s credit rating, and why our debt may not be as unmanageable as it seems.

There’s also some general discussion of economics, currency, the gold standard, and the worldwide financial system’s dependence of the American dollar.”

I have seen quite a few ‘how to understand the US debt videos, and this is definitely one of the better ones.

He still doesn’t seem to give a very firm answer one way or another about whether the world has screwed itself, but I think he’s in the ‘wait and see’ camp like most people.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has plunged over 500 points with major selling off as worries over the US economy is left on even shakier ground.

I suppose it was just a matter of time with the world holding its breath to see how the US would settle its debt ceiling debate.

Unfortunately, I don’t think Obama or the US was going to win either way.

Of course, now the Republicans are eagerly slinging mud at Obama and the Democrats.

With another recession looming, I think the ‘Yes, we can’ campaign will become the ‘No, we couldn’t’ come 2012.

If the US lasts that long.

Just hours ago it was reported that Mark Madoff hung himself in his apartment while his 2 year-old was in it. He was, as most people know, the son of the billion-dollar Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but there were a lot of people who wanted him dead.

“The pressure was mounting. The Picard suit, the anniversary. He’s been upset for two years,” said a source from the NY Daily News. And even though the police have said he hung himself, I still think there is more to the story not yet released.

Before this incident, Mark was being sued by a handful of people for hundreds of millions and even received frequent death threats.

Directed by Charles Ferguson and narrated by Matt Damon, Inside Job is a documentary film that takes a closer look at what – and who – brought about the financial crisis. And how it could have been avoided.

Inside Job seeks to provide what many people are still searching for: a real and comprehensive look at all the causes surrounding the global financial crisis.

From politicians to academics, this film begins to paint a picture of corruption, gambling and plain greed.

No doubt, many of the main players were hoping that everything would be swept under the carpet along with a mass of stock market gibberish.

Tough luck.

The Canadian financial system has much more regulation than the US system, proving the many ways the US could have survived the financial crisis much better then it did.

So why isn’t the US checking out the awesome example their neighbors are setting?

“The banks are running this joint” is so far from a joke that it makes me sad.

Canada isn’t exactly half a world away from the US, so there is absolutely no excuse for a major reform of the system modeled on Canada’s system to take place.

I hate that the banks have so much control over everything. They like ruining lives.

Apple company stock owners are cheering today as Apple earnings soar beyond expectation – largely due to an even bigger iPhone trend than they anticipated.

I almost hate to see Apple do so well on the market just because they are often so hoity toity about their products and how good they are.

Is the iPhone impressive? Yes. Would I rather have something else? Definitely.

But, as usual, Apple depends on becoming a trend and using that popularity. And this time, it would appear that they have won in that department.

I think I’ll stick to what I have. I don’t need all those time-wasting apps, thanks.

The video above is from last year where Suze Orman explained the new credit card laws. She called them “too little, too late” and encouraged people to write their congressmen to speed up the date in which it would take effect.

As it turns out, a lot of people actually did, and the new laws go into effect 5 months ahead of schedule- today!

Unlike Suze, I had hope for these new laws when I first heard about them passing. The average credit card company is expected to cut their profit in half because of this and I’m all for lessening corporate greed. Besides the 4 laws explained in the video some other important laws that go into effect are:

- Anyone under 21 must have a co-signer to activate a credit card or at least prove financial stability.
- Interest rates can’t rise within the first year.
- Credit card companies must notify you 3 weeks in advance before a payment is due.

Finally, the emerging generation has hope for financial security. The average college student graduates with $10,000 in credit card debt today, but this will obviously have a positive effect on that number. This is why I voted for Obama.

This deal has been in talks for almost a year now, but today it was made official in the US. Ticketmaster and Live Nation, the two largest concert ticket retailers, are now merging.

I can’t even begin to explain how bad of a deal this is. Sure, the stock prices will probably rise, but musicians and fans are going to get severely screwed when it comes to buying concert tickets now.

Now that one company is in charge of most of the touring industry, this only means that it’ll be harder for independent musicians to get their foot in the door. And as for the days of $10-$20 tickets, you can kiss those goodbye.

Obviously the Chairman of Ticketmaster is going to defend a deal that will make him a ton of money; so when he says that the deal “won’t lead to higher prices” I find it extremely hard to believe.

JAK bank in Sweden has devised a system of savings and low interest loans that supports members, not the accounts of the people who work for the bank.

While it isn’t a perfect system (because of the inflation mentioned in the video) it is a huge step in a positive direction for people who would not otherwise be able to afford a loan.

Where can we get one of these groups in Australia?

While you might wonder what the point of having your money in a bank is if there is no interest to gain, but wouldn’t you feel good putting at least some of your money towards the community without actually spending a dime?

Unknown to most of the US public, the United States military is using tax dollars to pay the Taliban for safe transport of goods.

Of course, it’s a bit more complicated than that, as you’ll see in the video.

Is this really surprising news? Is anyone truly surprised by this?

Wars are about making a profit, and that is exactly what various companies and governments are doing in the current war.

This has happened plenty of times in past wars, some people/companies/entities going so far as to fund both sides. Why is it a big shock that it’s happening now?

If you are interested in reading the article referred to, you can click on How the US Funds the Taliban

Despite having earned $40 million in just one year, star Nicolas Cage is selling his homes and assets to break even. He is crying foul, claiming his business manager is to blame for his debts.

Well, if Cage wins his lawsuit against Sam Levin, then he will be able to pay his back taxes and have $14 million left to live on.

It seems awfully convenient to foist off all the blame on to his business manager, but then again, do you really pay attention to all your money when you are living the high life?

I guess the courts will decide who is at fault.

Early this year, Michael Moore warned Wall Street that they “better watch out” and a just few weeks ago he teased bank CEOs- now his new movie about the United States’ financial crisis finally has an official trailer.

“This is about the thing that dominates all our lives — the economy. I made this movie as if it was going to be the last movie I was allowed to make.”

Moore described this movie as a sort of romantic comedy- an abusive one at that. To rub it in, he even sets the release date of the documentary at the one year anniversary of the $700 billion bailout. As expected, Wall Street and the major media just can’t help but respond…

MSNBC Talks About ‘Capitalism’

According to this 7 minute segment, Dylan Ratigan from MSNBC happens to think that “Corruption” rather than “Capitalism” should be the name of the film. What else would you expect from the former Fast Money host?

This is a great clip from financial expert Suze Orman’s chat to ‘Generation Broke’ and their parents. This video focuses on how much to give to charities.

Suze Orman is an excellent speaker. She makes the whole prospect of getting out of debt and setting up a secure financial future sound quite within everyone’s abilities.

While I imagine some people may not like her, I am a fan of her people skills if nothing else.

I have heard her talk to audiences like this as well as financial sector experts, and she has the ability to adjust her language for whoever she talks to.

The news has been a bit of a downer lately, so I thought I’d share this more lighthearted clip of Will Ferrell being his goofy self on live news. You don’t have to be a fan of Anchorman or know who Ron Burgandy is to enjoy this breath of fresh air.

I challenge you to find a more interesting clip of CNBC’s Power Lunch.

In a way, this segment is probably funnier than any scripted skit I’ve seen of Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live. It seems as if he’ll stop an nothing to heat up the news room and even has the guts to kiss Sue Herera!

John Mcenroe and Bill Griffeth don’t look pleased, but Will just keeps on messing around. Why the station never cut to a commercial sooner is pretty obvious to me- the man’s just too damn funny!