Debt Reduction- Advice On Credit Card Debt Reduction, Debt Reduction Services, And Debt Reduction Plans

Cutie Pie asked:


“Obama issued a statement Tuesday on the new data, promising that he’d “bring real change by cutting taxes for middle-class families and small businesses, paying for all his proposals to reduce the deficit” and working toward fiscal responsibility. He’d let tax cuts for the wealthiest earners expire and would impose higher taxes on certain corporations.

However, the Brookings Institution-Urban Institute Tax Policy Center has found that Obama’s tax-reduction plan would increase the national debt by $3.5 trillion by 2018. McCain wants to leave existing tax cuts in place rather than let them expire, which the center said would add $5 trillion to the debt.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20080909/pl_mcclatchy/3040652

James Donaghey

asked:


Questions:
2. Evaluate the asset, debt, and equity structure of Lucent Technologies, as well as trends and changes found on the common-size balance sheet.
3. What concerns would investors and creditors have based on only this information?
4. What additional financial and nonfinancial information would investors and creditors need to make investing and lending decisions for Lucent Technologies?
Reading:
Executive Summary We design and deliver the systems, software and services that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, we use our strengths in mobility, optical, access, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for our customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Our customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. We have three segments organized around the products and services we sell. The reportable segments are Integrated Network Solutions (“INS”), Mobility Solutions (“Mobility”) and Lucent Worldwide Services (“Services”). INS provides a broad range of software and wireline equipment related to voice networking (primarily consisting of switching products, which we sometimes refer to as convergence solutions, and voice messaging products), data and network management (primarily consisting of access and related data networking equipment and operating support software) and optical networking. Mobility provides software and wireless equipment to support radio access and core networks. Services provides deployment, maintenance, professional and managed services in support of both our product offerings as well as multi-vendor networks. Beginning in fiscal 2001, the global telecommunications market deteriorated, resulting from a decrease in the competitive local exchange carrier market and a significant reduction in capital spending by established service providers.This trend intensified during fiscal 2002 and continued into fiscal 2003. Reasons for the market deterioration included general economic slowdown, network overcapacity, customer bankruptcies, network build-out delays and limited availability of capital. We believe that the market for telecommunications equipment has stabilized and is starting to grow in certain areas. The growing demands of enterprises and consumers for additional services tailored to their needs is creating the need for a new convergence of networks, technologies and applications.

LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in Millions, Except per Share Amounts) September 30, September 30, 2004 2003 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 3,379 $ 3,821 Marketable securities 858 686 Receivables 1,359 1,511 Inventories 822 632 Other current assets 1,813 1,213 Total current assets 8,231 7,863 Marketable securities 636 — Property, plant, and equipment, net 1,376 1,593 Prepaid pension costs 5,358 4,659 Goodwill and other acquired intangibles, net 434 188 Other assets 928 1,608 Total assets $ 16,963 $ 15,911 Liabilities Accounts payable $ 872 $ 1,072 Payroll and benefit-related liabilities 1,232 1,080 Debt maturing within one year 1 389 Other current liabilities 2,361 2,393 Total current liabilities 4,466 4,934 Postretirement and postemployment benefit liabilities 4,881 4,669 Pension liabilities 1,874 2,494 Long-term debt 4,837 4,439 Liability to subsidiary trust issuing preferred securities 1,152 1,152 Other liabilities 1,132 1,594 Total liabilities 18,342 19,282 Commitments and contingencies 8.00% redeemable convertible preferred stock — 868 Shareowners’ Deficit Preferred stock—par value $1.00 per share; authorized shares: 250; issued and outstanding: none — — Common stock—par value $.01 per share;Authorized shares: 10,000; 4,396 issued and 4,395 outstanding shares as of September 30, 2004,and 4,170 issued and 4,169 outstanding shares as of September 30, 2003 44 42 Additional paid-in capital 23,005 22,252 Accumulated deficit (20,793) (22,795) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (3,635) (3,738) Total shareowners’ deficit (1,379) (4,239) Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and shareowners’ deficit $ 16,963 $ 15911

Justin Gate

asked:


Questions:
2. Evaluate the asset, debt, and equity structure of Lucent Technologies, as well as trends and changes found on the common-size balance sheet.
3. What concerns would investors and creditors have based on only this information?
4. What additional financial and nonfinancial information would investors and creditors need to make investing and lending decisions for Lucent Technologies?
Reading:
Executive Summary We design and deliver the systems, software and services that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, we use our strengths in mobility, optical, access, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for our customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Our customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. We have three segments organized around the products and services we sell. The reportable segments are Integrated Network Solutions (“INS”), Mobility Solutions (“Mobility”) and Lucent Worldwide Services (“Services”). INS provides a broad range of software and wireline equipment related to voice networking (primarily consisting of switching products, which we sometimes refer to as convergence solutions, and voice messaging products), data and network management (primarily consisting of access and related data networking equipment and operating support software) and optical networking. Mobility provides software and wireless equipment to support radio access and core networks. Services provides deployment, maintenance, professional and managed services in support of both our product offerings as well as multi-vendor networks. Beginning in fiscal 2001, the global telecommunications market deteriorated, resulting from a decrease in the competitive local exchange carrier market and a significant reduction in capital spending by established service providers.This trend intensified during fiscal 2002 and continued into fiscal 2003. Reasons for the market deterioration included general economic slowdown, network overcapacity, customer bankruptcies, network build-out delays and limited availability of capital. We believe that the market for telecommunications equipment has stabilized and is starting to grow in certain areas. The growing demands of enterprises and consumers for additional services tailored to their needs is creating the need for a new convergence of networks, technologies and applications.

LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in Millions, Except per Share Amounts) September 30, September 30, 2004 2003 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 3,379 $ 3,821 Marketable securities 858 686 Receivables 1,359 1,511 Inventories 822 632 Other current assets 1,813 1,213 Total current assets 8,231 7,863 Marketable securities 636 — Property, plant, and equipment, net 1,376 1,593 Prepaid pension costs 5,358 4,659 Goodwill and other acquired intangibles, net 434 188 Other assets 928 1,608 Total assets $ 16,963 $ 15,911 Liabilities Accounts payable $ 872 $ 1,072 Payroll and benefit-related liabilities 1,232 1,080 Debt maturing within one year 1 389 Other current liabilities 2,361 2,393 Total current liabilities 4,466 4,934 Postretirement and postemployment benefit liabilities 4,881 4,669 Pension liabilities 1,874 2,494 Long-term debt 4,837 4,439 Liability to subsidiary trust issuing preferred securities 1,152 1,152 Other liabilities 1,132 1,594 Total liabilities 18,342 19,282 Commitments and contingencies 8.00% redeemable convertible preferred stock — 868 Shareowners’ Deficit Preferred stock—par value $1.00 per share; authorized shares: 250; issued and outstanding: none — — Common stock—par value $.01 per share;Authorized shares: 10,000; 4,396 issued and 4,395 outstanding shares as of September 30, 2004,and 4,170 issued and 4,169 outstanding shares as of September 30, 2003 44 42 Additional paid-in capital 23,005 22,252 Accumulated deficit (20,793) (22,795) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (3,635) (3,738) Total shareowners’ deficit (1,379) (4,239) Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and shareowners’ deficit $ 16,963 $ 15911

Marvin Forte

Veronica S asked:


I need advice. I have been working for the same company for almost 10 years.Great benefits, amazing pay. It has been great up until a year ago. I applied for a new job within the company and it has been pure hell. 3 months ago I got a new boss and they are very difficult to work with. I am very very stressed out, my hair is falling out and I have a knot in my stomach every day. I cry often and am having some anxiety issues over this. I am a very happy person normally and feel like I am no longer myself. The problem is that I make a lot of money and am paying off old school debt. If I get a new job I will most likely make half of what I make now and be barely able to survive. So I have two sides to this, get a new job and barelyy survive every month, but reduction in stress wou;ld be nice or continue in my awful job and have sever anxiety and sometimes depression. Any advice would be great..thank you!

Frances

sw??tÿ™ asked:


i asked this 3 times got three answers and all different answers,,,so please help me out iv been on this question for over half an hour!!!

A company can secure additional capital without going into debt by doing which of the following?

A. Taking a business loan
B. Buying out another company
C. Bargaining for wage reductions
D. Going public

im stuck!! : (

Carly Breed

fengshui asked:


Back in dec. 06, I didn’t have any medical insurance but needed emergency care. So I went to the drs. Now over a year later, I Get this bill from a collection agency for $1300.
So, today I call to see if I could get a discount and that resulted in a %20 reduction.
I just wanted to know,
1. should I get the collection agency to validate debt before I pay them. I know that I owe the bill BUT sometimes Collection agencies like to collect on bills that are NOT reall owed.

2. would it be a negative on my credit report if I pay settle or set up payment plans? I ask this because I feel like the operatoer kept changing the story.
She told me that if I settled, it will show up as a “trade” on my credit report. Honestly, I don’t know what a trade is. Idealy, I would like to set up payment plans but the lady was making me feel like no matter what, they will report to it to the credit reporting agency. So, I don’t know if should just pay it off or set a payment plan. any answers?
well, i just wanted to add that I now have insurance and can afford to pay off the $1300, I just don’t want to get it to a garbage collector. And it is not on my credit report as of yet….

Nicolas Scholler

Judicator asked:


http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE5AH1RY20091118?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FPoliticsNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Politics+News%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

“Obama: Too much debt could fuel double-dip recession

BEIJING (Reuters) – President Barack Obama gave his sternest warning yet about the need to contain rising U.S. deficits, saying on Wednesday that if government debt were to pile up too much, it could lead to a double-dip recession.

With the U.S. unemployment rate at 10.2 percent, Obama told Fox News his administration faces a delicate balance of trying to boost the economy and spur job creation while putting the economy on a path toward long-term deficit reduction.

His administration was considering ways to accelerate economic growth, with tax measures among the options to give companies incentives to hire, Obama said in the interview with Fox conducted in Beijing during his nine-day trip to Asia.

“It is important though to recognize if we keep on adding to the debt, even in the midst of this recovery, that at some point, people could lose confidence in the U.S. economy in a way that could actually lead to a double-dip recession,” he said.

Fox News, which released a transcript of the interview, showed that comment by Obama on Wednesday morning and said the full discussion would be broadcast later in the day.

JOBS FORUM

Obama is scheduled to hold a forum with U.S. business leaders and financial experts on December 3 to discuss ways to lift the economy.

He said he had not decided yet whether any measures to boost the economy should be deficit neutral, with that being one of the things to be examined at the forum.

“Our first job was to get the economy to recover. And we’re now seeing that,” Obama said.

“We’ve seen economic growth (in the third quarter). We anticipate economic growth next quarter as well. I always said the job growth would lag behind economic growth. The question now is how can we accelerate it.”

In an interview with NBC News, Obama said “there are a whole range of ideas out there” about how to kick-start hiring by businesses starting to invest and show profits again.

“We’ve examined a lot of them but one of the benefits of convening this group is it gives us a chance to talk directly to small businesses, medium-size businesses, the main drivers of employment to find out what exactly is going on.”

Asked whether the jobs forum should have been held sooner, Obama said the focus after he took office in January was “to make sure we didn’t slip into a Great Depression.”

“We’ve gotten that job done,” he told NBC. “Our next job is to make sure that we can accelerate the job growth because I recognize that people are really hurting right now.”

Obama told Fox that one of his messages on his trip was that the United States should look for further export opportunities, especially in fast-growing areas of the world like the Asia-Pacific region.

“If we just boosted our share of exports by 1 percent, that might be 250,000 well-paying jobs in the United States. So export promotion would be an example of something we could do without spending money,” he said.

“There may be some tax provisions that can encourage businesses to hire sooner rather than sitting on the sidelines. So we’re taking a look at those.”

What are your thoughts on the article?

Does Cap and trade and environmental restrictions comprimise his goal on business recovery?

Does the lack of info on stimulus money or the current and continual use of it partly comprimise such as well?

Again, what are your overall thoughts on the article?

Blake Dominquez

owaowa asked:


Hello,

I have a huge problem with my ex and our house that we share. To sum up the story, we were never married just engaged when we bought the house in 2006. We broke up 1.5 year ago and I moved out since he wanted to stay and make payments. We had a huge fight when we broke up. He tried to have me sign the deed of our house over to him and still keep my name on the mortgage. In addition to closing and taking our savings that we had. This was all after, I agreed to take half of his credit card debt (all in his name) since it was our debt technicaly and I felt quilty of him just paying back for it. This was all before the deed scenario.

We sort of had a falling out and things just remianded where he stayed there and was making payments. Now, he started to email me again regarding the house, I received 20 emails in about a week from him. I’m just scared that he will take advantage of me, he is foreclosure/real estate attorney and I’m having a hard time believing him especially after the break up. He’s deceived me so many times in the 6 years we were together in every way possible.

He is telling me the new options that are available and that we could finally resloved this situation. Here is a snap shot of the email that I got from him

“1. Prevent damage to either of our credits.
2. Ideally, get rid of the house either via short sale, deed in lieu (which
means give the house directly back to the bank), or principle reduction and
then sell. I don’t need a 3bd house at $2k/mo. This depends on what the
bank will agree to. It’s not in my control, but I will pursue and argue for
this as much as possible.
3. If getting rid of the house is not possible and we are stuck with it for
now, then I would at least like to reduce the payment via an interest rate
deduction.”

This was all after he told me how he was doing very well with his law firm in the inital email and that his accounting (he’s a cpa as well) contact expired and he can be considered unemployed giving us a golden ticket out of this mess. I just don’t know what to think, he wants me to send my documents to our mortgage bank so they can look at the options. I told him I would do this monday after he kept emailing me non stop. Do you guys this I need to get a lawyer and if so what kind rela estate/family. I’m so scarred of him and I don’t know what to do nor do I have any $ to do anything. I work and go to school and I’cant afford any extra attorney expenses. Can someone please give me any sort of advise, I have no family/friends to turn to. I’m scarred for my life and I don’t want to have anxiety attacks like I used to.

To emails that he sent were vague and he initially wanted to do a modification option but now he is saying he’s ok financially but wants the option #1 in the email. He is always vague and always has a alternative motive with everything. To make things weirder, he emails this to me after he breaks of with his gf (who’s company is moving into my office bulding, on the same floor on monday). He sent me an email the next day after they break off. I also know some people at his gf compnay since my ex used to work there (he got her a job there) and I’m freaking out even more.

I don’t know what to do. I feel so scarred and I was on medication for a year due to our break up and the aftermath that occured. All of ‘our friends’ stopped talking to me since I met them through him (incuding the one’s that are moving in next door), At one point I even tried to kill myself by overdosing on my medication. I thought I was ok since I’ve been seing a therapist but him emailing me has brought everything back.

Sorry for the long question. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks

I also tried to call the free government number they have available, but they don’t seem helfpul.

Noelia Boehning

Jerome Watson asked:


MY 12 STEP PROGRAM FOR AMERICA!
1. Add a sales tax on luxury items and revise the tax code exempting people making less than $200,000.
2. Double the size of the Small Business Administration. Create regional small business centers that give start ups 6 months of no operating costs.
3. Create a free national service college for veterans and people who plan to enter needed fields.
4. Create a federal insurance agency to investigate insurance abuse and regulate insurance operations.
5. Close all non-essential bases and missions over seas.
6. Stop all foreign borrowing and cut all outstand bonds to 0% interest!
7. End all imports of steel, plastic, and oil.
8. Begin to explore the 15 trillion barrels of oil off shore.
9. Build 120 nuclear power plants and sell power to all of North America.
10. Build a space based missile shield to end the threat of nuclear war and start arms reduction.
11. Create a new division of the Department of Labor to help place people in work.
12. Create 10 year tax amnesty program for foreign investors in America to allow trillions in new capital.

___________________Results__________
1. No taxes on low and middle income tax payers.
2. Allow anyone to start a business with no cost for 6 months creating millions of jobs.
3. Insure we our heroes get free education and provide all needed professionals.
4. End to all insurance abuse and fraud.
5. Stop playing Army for countries that have no gratitude.
6. Putting a stop to all new debt and reduce the payments by two thirds.
7. Bring back more than 50 million jobs!
8. Be producing our own oil in 6 months the same Valenzuela did, and export enough oil bankrupt OPEC.
9. Drop energy costs by 400% and export power to all of the America’s.
10. Force the world to stop the threat of force and instead use a common ideal.
11. Centralize all employment reducing decrimination and reducing unemployment by 2%.
12. Make America a international business tax shelter creating millions of jobs!

Over all a 0.5% unemployment rate, 24% GDP growth, house hold income increase of 20%, and a 40% cost of living reduction!

Robert

starrburst2100 asked:


You and me the American taxpayer. What’s it going to take to stop all this ridiculous spending by Congress? Who is in favor of this besides Obama?Are you?

The Global Poverty Act:

* Declares it official U.S. policy to promote the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme global poverty in half by 2015.
* Requires the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to carry out that policy.
* Includes guidelines for what the strategy should include – from aid, trade, and debt relief, to working with the international community, businesses and NGOs, to ensuring environmental sustainability.
* Requires that the President’s strategy include specific and measurable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks, and timetables.

* Requires the President to report back to Congress on progress made in the implementation of the global poverty strategy.

But the Obama bill does more than allow the U.N. to tax American citizens. It is more than a matter of legality or illegality. For all practical purposes, it surrenders U.S. political sovereignty and independence to the U.N., an organization most of whose members are actively hostile to the U.S. Has the U.S. ever approved a tax on its citizens imposed by the U.N.? If it has, by what authority? Note that the wording of the Obama bill would require “the president to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy” — which assumes that the office of president is just another mode of tyranny or arbitrary power, no different from the “presidency” of any random tin pot dictatorship or regime.http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=5152

Obama’s costly, dangerous and altogether bad bill (S. 2433), which could come up in the Senate any day, is called the Global Poverty Act. It would commit U.S. taxpayers to spend 0.7 percent of our Gross Domestic Product on foreign handouts, which is at least $30 billion over and above the exorbitant and wasted sums we already give away overseas. http://townhall.com/Columnists/PhyllisSchlafly/2008/02/25/congress_contemplates_giving_cash_to_foreigners

In the days ahead, the Global Candidate will cite multinational corporations as the leading exploiters of the world’s poor, with Wall Street’s favorites leading the pack. He’ll call for America to spread its wealth abroad, rather than its weaponry. He’ll summon us to dispatch across the globe the young workers of the Peace Corps, instead of the young warriors of the Marine Corps, as lions lay with lambs, and we beat our swords into plowshares.

All the while, the adoring crowds will grow larger, and more will cry.
For those of you who are posting about the USA spending money on a senseless war in Iraq need to read this because looks to me like You all are spreading Obamas useless talking points instead of looking into whats really going!

KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 34 minutes ago

BAGHDAD – American troops acting on a tip killed the No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq — a Moroccan known for his ability to recruit and motivate foreign fighters — in a raid in the northern city of Mosul, the U.S. military said Wednesday.

The military statement described the man, known as Abu Qaswarah, as a charismatic leader who had trained in Afghanistan and managed to rally al-Qaida followers in Iraq despite U.S. and Iraqi security gains.

WHAT??????????
American troops acting on a tip killed the No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq! IN IRAQ…WHAT IS HE DOING THERE? SHUTUP OBAMA! YOU CAN OPEN YOUR MOUTH AGAIN WHEN YOU WANT TO SHOW SOME SUPPORT TO OUR TROOPS!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081015/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

Casimira Viator