I'm Shocked!!! (not)

Well here it is--another darling ginormous Wall Street firm often referred to as the expert and implied that they know something "we" (the regular folks) don't. Oh--JP Morgan is the bank to which I am referring of course.

We run a small business here in OKC and sometimes things don't go as planned and also some things go on that I did not fully understand at the time but am fully responsible for. It is totally believable that this could happen on a monster scale at a company like JP Morgan. It also points out a few issues worth noting:

1) Large banks have massive product manufacturing facilities that require significant profits from transactions
generated to slice up the economic carrot.
2) Government will use any error in judgement as an example as to how they (the government) can do it better.
3) Small firms and banks are risking their clients and their own money where Large Banks are risking "OTHER
PEOPLES MONEY" (namely yours and mine as shareholders and taxpayers)
4) If you take a carrot--slice it into as many pieces as you want it is STILL no bigger than you started with
only much harder to put back together if need be.

It blows me away that there is even an argument in Washington about whether people who say they are financial advisors or financial planners should be held to a higher standard than a "buyer beware" one that the brokerage and banking industry is subject to. Oh well--there goes some of that money we keep sending to these giant financial services companies back in to the pockets of the regulators (generous label) and politicians.

How can we get alignment between the needs of the people, the financial system, and government?

Won't Be As Bad As It Looks

On a call this week with a friend and expert on what is referred to as "Peak Oil", he slid in a comment that made me chuckle.  "It looks bleak right now based on everything we can know but it likely won't be as bad as it looks."  I guess after seeing much of the information put out on this topic you could classify my chuckle as nervous relief. (see picture insert) 
Oh yeah--did I mention Chesapeake Energy also announced today an SEC investigation and several shareholder lawsuits?  Yuck. 

Brilliant Exclamations

Driving to work this morning, I said hello to the first Bald Eagle I have ever seen in the wild.  The magnificent raptor was flying low headed south along the North Canadian River near Lake Overholser.  It looked just like the picture with the sun shining on its' white head and tail just after sunrise.

You know of course my brilliant exclamation was something like--"WOW!! look at that!"  

Solar Future is Sunny

Recently we decided to check into the rumors that solar panels had gone down in price significantly.  We had a company come out and give us a quote for a grid tied solar array.  I am sure of two things--

1)  Sales tactics are rampant.  2) The story is compelling and worth looking into.  

Below are my notes from a class I attended last Thursday at OSU OKC.  Solar panels are in my future.  Could they be in yours? 

Have I Got a Deal for You?

Below is a copy of a solicitation we are prone to get from product vendors marketing to "financial planners."  This is just one of many we receive everyday trying to get us to SELL products to our clients.  Annuities, mutual funds, viatical settlements, retirement plans and insurance are the most common "...hottest but less known investments..."  we see.  Most often these "hottest ...investments..." are based upon concepts that we use, but have been turned into something iffy. 

This "...savvy Financial Planner..." thought people with whom he works would like to see WHY some people who call themselves financial planners might recommend a product like this.  Consumers come across these ads in newspapers, internet, radio and TV.  Like Paul Harvey used to say here is "The rest of the story."