How to Cope and Save Money During These Tough Economic Times

The Great Recession of 2007-2009 was one of the most economically disastrous events in American history. The housing market took a significant downturn during this period. People were not cautious when it came to their money and loans. Larger loans were given out to people, even to those with bad credit and low incomes. These large loans caused many homes to go through foreclosure since people were unable to pay off their mortgage debts. These debts were created by banks increasing the interest rates on the loans significantly in a short period. In 2008, foreclosures were up by eighty-two percent. This increase is significant because the previous percentage of foreclosures was at fifty-one percent from 2007. Unemployment skyrocketed, and people

According to CareerBuilder.com, a whopping 61% of American households lived paycheck to paycheck in 2009. That number is huge, especially since only 49% lived that way in 2008, and only 41% in 2007. Whether it is due to losing one or both household incomes or simply a reduction in the household incomes, the statistic is staggering. With families not able to adequately save for any unexpected expense that may arise, they are finding that more often than not there is more month than money. So what happens when the rent/mortgage payment is due, groceries need to be purchased, and then the car breaks down? For some, a small personal loan at a local bank is all it takes to get back on track. For many though, this isn’t an option, and they

First, I want to give you a little background on the Financial Crisis of 2008/2009. The Financial Crisis began in December of 2007, and by the fall of 2008 the economy was in a huge downfall. This all began in August of 2007 because of defaults in the subprime mortgage market, which sent a shudder through the financial markets. The former chairman of the Federal Reserve described the crisis of 2008/2009 as a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami”. Many firms, including commercial banks, Wall Street firms, investment banks, all suffered significant losses and eventually went bankrupt. This caused households and smaller businesses to have to pay higher rates on the money that they borrowed. This downfall wasn’t just

The foreclosure crisis that devastated our economy several years ago not only impacted the middle class wealth but also the upper class wealth. The upper class families who were not prepared for this crisishad to downsize their primary homes or utilize their investments and savings to keep their properties. The middle class families were hit the hardest during this crisis with losing there homes, depleting their life savings and investments. The middle class families who were forced to foreclose on their homes due to their loss of income and financial security moved into rental apartments or moved to a family members home to regroup from this crisis. Areas that may have added to foreclosures or short sales were the lost of many jobs due to a corporation downsizing of their employees, or the over appraising of a property if the property was appraised higher than the true value or what a buyer was willing to pay for the property. Homeowners were forced to sale their property at a lower price if the homeowner was in the process of a divorce, relocating for a job or foreclosing because they had fallen behind on their mortgage payments.I have seen circumstances where certain peoplelived above their means by spending more for a home or nonessential items like luxury vehicles they couldnot actually afford to pay.

On account of the Wallstreet stock market crash which took place in 1929, the nation was put in a huge financial stress. Many people rushed to banks to take out their savings but once they got there, there was no money left. About eight-hundred banks closed and nine million bank accounts crashed (ABC News). Every cent that a family ever

There are still people facing financial crisis in America. The U.S. always had a huge amount of money in the past and yet they still do but that does not change the fact that America still borrows money from others. People still struggle in making money through their jobs. In the past

The goal of this course is to get you thinking about personal finance issues at a point in your life when you still have time to benefit from the power of time in generating wealth to accomplish your other life goals. The financial decisions you make early in life with determine in great extent the quality of life you will enjoy later, especially given the turbulent and uncertain economic conditions. Money isn’t everything, but a lack of it will impact almost every aspect of your life and those who surround you.

Economic knowledge is very important to have, especially in modern America. Dave Ramsey, a speaker, and guide for the public helps better educate on the importance of money and how it works. From a series of videos by Dave Ramsey, he brought to my attention a few important parts of saving. One of them is to always pay with cash. Another being avoiding acceptance of loans. Lastly, Ramsey hammered in the idea of always looking for opportunities to save money. These three points stood out to be most important to me.

1. Describe a few of the reasons why money is a leading source of stress for Americans. There are lots of different reason money can cause stress in one’s life, some of them being, paying for unexpected expenses, building savings, paying bills, paying college tuition, debt, saving for retirement, and even be able to have money for pay for basic needs.

The foreclosure/housing market crash several years ago affected a vast amount of families across the country. Unfortunately, my family was also affected. Thankfully, my parents have not gone through foreclosure yet, but we are all stuck in a house because we are “underwater” (owe more than it is worth). This crisis directly and indirectly affected so many, but thankfully we are all starting to bounce back.

The Great Recession of 2008-9 was the deepest and longest capitalist economic slump since the Great Depression of 1929-32. The recent financial crisis is known as the “Great Recession” of 2008-9. Its downturn was sparked by the collapse of the US housing market. In 2006, the prices of home began to rise and the banks began to encourage potential homebuyers to take out larger loans. There were lower interest rates at the time, and this seemed like a good idea for most individuals who were searching for a new home. Then, in mid-2007, the interest rates began to rise. The values of the homes decreased and the amount of money a house was worth declined significantly. Many homeowners were stuck with large loans, increasingly high interest rates, and a decreased price of their home. Many homeowners went into foreclosure or were evicted. This eventually led to large financial institutions and banks to become bankrupt, which lead to an overall fall in the US economy. Stocks dropped, consumer spending declined significantly, and companies began to go out of business (Athanasiu, 43).

Do not live a life that you cannot handle, spend within your means. Be honest with yourself, if you can’t afford something, don’t buy it! Affordability is much more than the amount of money in your bank account, it also is how long it will take for the money you spent to be back in your account. Think of your finances as a long term process, not a short term fix. This is also why you should limit your credit card usage. If you rack up your credit card and lose your sole source of income,

In the book “Money can buy Happiness” tells about spending money on important and substantial things that bring us long lasting happiness. It provide some helpful information and tips which can be applied in our daily living. If you want to find out how to put together the most of your money in order to get a good and happy life (good return on investment). This book also creates awareness of how we spend our money, investments and savings wisely. For those who wants to analyze whether their spending habits align with their values, this book can be an eye opener for them.

Economists as many business people are hoping for the best in 2014 to 2016. After the worst recession of 2008 to 2009, many companies have learned the best lessons because during that time they fought not to be out of business, some merged , others companies barely survived. Most companies are left with recession scars and the fear that it can happen again. From that worse recession companies have learned to be prepared. As new laws and regulations are passed by the congress, companies, (Geico included ) analyse the impact those policies would have in the company in case of a new recession.

Money is a precious thing and it can become challenging to not spend it immediately after getting it. It is crucial that this does not happen. There is no denying that money is an important part of society. The world revolves around money and without it, one? would not be able to function. In everyday life the average household will spend one hundred and sixty dollars daily. It is safe to say that money is an resource used daily. It is a tool that can be used to connect with other people or buy anything a person could want or need. Yet it is easy to spend money without realizing how much is really being spent. With only a few simple tips it will become much easier to save money instead of spending it on frivolous things. One’s hard-earned dollar should be saved, and simple tips such as using cash instead of cards, saving small change and only purchasing what one really needs are a few of many ways of doing this. The power of money can easily be abused and it is very important to make sure that a person is well informed on ways to save and spend money wisely.