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$35 Billion Missing Money Sitting In State Treasuries

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:22:51 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: Roughly $35 billion worth of state unclaimed funds are sitting in the different State Treasuries waiting for unclaimed property owners to come get their missing money from abandoned financial assets. The lost money piling-up because most people are unaware about being owed unclaimed money.

Clip Source: hubpages.com

You would think that in this time of almost $5 a gallon gas and rising food prices that people would be aware of lost money and most certainly come to claim it, but the missing money found by the individual state Treasury Departments still amount to millions. In Lousiana recently, almost $80,000 was returned to mall-goers after doing a free search for missing money in a booth set-up by the state government. And that was only in one day! According to State Treasurer John Kennedy, $20-$30 million in unclaimed funds are returned each year.

Scores of Americans are having serious financial trouble right now and have been forced to make lifestyle changes- moving closer to work, eating-out less, even trying to sell belongings. An unclaimed money search might just spell extra cash for unclaimed property owners who might not know that their missing money.

Tags: missing money, missingmoney, unclaimed money, state unclaimed property

Florida Unclaimed Money @ Bloglines

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:01:57 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: Over a billion dollars worth of state unclaimed funds owed to 8 million Floridians. The Florida unclaimed money comes from financial assets that people lose track of.

Clip Source: www.bloglines.com

Throughout the Sunshine panhandle, residents are finding-out there's more to be cheerful about than just the weather. The State of Florida Unclaimed Property Division led by Chief Finance Officer Alex Sink are giving away money to ecstatic residents, but it's not what you think. The money being given away is Florida unclaimed money and it is just being returned to its rightful owners.

According to the Chief Finance Officer, "We are holding more than $1 billion worth of unclaimed property accounts for Floridians who have lost track of it." Sink facilitates the return of Florida unclaimed property and according to her, almost 8 million Floridians are still owed unclaimed funds. This comes from financial assets that residents lose track of such as forgotten bank accounts, stocks and bonds, insurance benefits, salary and pension checks, etc. The total unclaimed pensions in Florida right now totals over $7 million belonging to 1,600 residents,- according to a report

Tags: florida unclaimed money, unclaimed money in florida, florida unclaimed funds, fl unclaimed funds, missing money

Happy 4th of July?

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:29:57 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: It's hard to celebrate when one's out of a job.

Clip Source: biz.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation lost jobs for a sixth month in a row in June, a storm of pink slips drenching this year's July Fourth holiday for more than 60,000 Americans and leaving thousands more worried about the future.

Weighed down by energy prices and the housing crisis, employers laid off workers in stores, factories and forsaken building sites.

With more job cuts expected in coming months, there's growing concern that many people will pull back on their spending later this year when the bracing effect of the tax rebates fades, dealing a dangerous setback to the shaky economy. These worries are rekindling recession fears.

"The deteriorating jobs climate will dampen many a barbecue this weekend. It's hard to celebrate when you are out of a job," said Richard Yamarone, economist at Argus Research.

Tags: us recession, us economy, fuel crisis, us unemployment, fourth of july '08

Unclaimed Money

Tue, 13 May 2008 05:14:50 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: Over $30 billion worth of state unclaimed property sitting in the various Treasury Departments in the US. The money piling-up because most owners of unclaimed funds aren't aware they have money waiting for them.

Clip Source: ww3.yuwie.com

It’s easy for people to lose track of their financial assets in today’s fast-paced lifestyle. We might think that people would be keeping a close watch on their finances, but you’d be surprised at the size of the national unclaimed property fund currently. Experts approximate it to be over $35 billion! When people get new jobs, move to a different address, or get married, they tend to overlook getting the final paycheck, forget to leave a forwarding address or inform the IRS or other institutions about changing their last name. This results in lost mail that can contain checks from tax refunds or financial notices from banks and insurance companies. With no recipient, the lost checks stay with the establishments who hold on to them for 3-5 years after which they are deemed ‘unclaimed property‘ and are turned-over to the state.

Everyone should try to find out if they are on their state’s unclaimed property list- you might actually find unclaimed money checks in your name.

Tags: unclaimed money, unclaimed funds, unclaimed cash, unclaimed property, lost assets

Rural gas stations not prepared for high gas prices

Tue, 13 May 2008 02:36:42 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: the dials on some old school gas pumps can't display the high price of today's fuel. Just shows how bad things are.

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

REARDAN, Wash. - Mom-and-pop service stations are running into a problem as gasoline marches toward $4 a gallon: Thousands of old-fashioned pumps can't register more than $3.99 on their spinning mechanical dials.

The pumps, throwbacks to a bygone era on the American road, are difficult and expensive to upgrade, and replacing them is often out of the question for station owners who are still just scraping by.

Many of the same pumps can only count up to $99.99 for the total sale, preventing owners of some SUVs, vans, trucks and tractor-trailers to fill their tanks all the way.

To deal with the problem, some state regulators are allowing half-pricing — displaying the price for a half-gallon of gas, then doubling the price shown on the meter.

"If you're just that kind of image of the '50s gas station where you have a conversation, fill up and have a cup of coffee, that's in the movies."

Tags: us economy, fossil fuel, recession, petroleum

Gas prices to stop rising?

Tue, 06 May 2008 02:41:02 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: Yay! I can drive my SUV now!

Clip Source: usnews.rankingsandreviews.com

Late last week, the average price of a gallon of gas dropped for the first time in nearly a month. The AP explains, "The national average price of a gallon of regular gas fell 0.1 cent," to an average of $3.62, according to an AAA survey of gas stations, released Saturday. The drop ended 18 straight days of record price increases. The price drop has a few analysts saying that the price of gas may have peaked. Fred Rozell, retail pricing director for the Oil Price Information Service, told the AP, "It could go up just a little bit more…but I think it's running out of steam." Rozell predicted that the nationwide average could reach $3.70/gallon "at the most." What's behind the sudden decline in prices? According to the AP, "Soaring gas prices are cutting demand for gasoline, and analysts have long theorized that falling demand will eventually force prices lower."

Tags: recession, us economy, gas prices

US tax rebates in today

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:32:39 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: Yipee! I can buy beer now! = )

Clip Source: biz.yahoo.com

As first tax rebates show up in checking accounts, many Americans eye groceries, not fancy TVs

EW YORK (AP) -- Tax rebates have begun dropping into bank accounts, but in this economy, gas and groceries may trump a high-end TV, a fancy dress or a new sofa -- making the checks less of an economic jump-start than the government hoped for.

The IRS aims to make 800,000 payments every day for the first three days of this week. No deposits will be made Thursday, and about 5 million on Friday.

How you receive the rebate depends on how you filed your taxes. Paper checks will go out beginning May 9. The exact timing for both direct deposit and paper checks depends on the last two digits of your Social Security number.

"Consumers are so feeling the pinch that ... they are really being forced to step away from luxury or discretionary purchases," said Janet Hoffman, managing partner of the North American retail division of Accenture.

Tags: tax refunds, tax rebates, income tax, irs money

Worst Cities for troubled homeowners

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:14:47 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: Uh-oh

Clip Source: promo.realestate.yahoo.com

It's no secret that homeowners with subprime mortgages have taken a beating.

Next up: those who have combined their mortgages with home equity loans, second loans or both.

These combinations spell especially bad news for homeowners in Sacramento, Calif., San Diego, Washington, D.C., and Colorado Springs, Colo., markets with some of the nation's highest concentrations of homeowner debt. In these spots, prices are dropping, making it very difficult for homeowners to refinance as lenders are reluctant to take on risk.

Denver, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Boise, Idaho, Las Vegas, and Madison, Wis. round out the top 10.

"In these communities it's going to be much harder to keep people from losing their house to foreclosure," says John Vogel, an Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business.

Tags: us mortgage, real-estate, home equity loan

Unclaimed Money

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:42:38 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: Some states doing a half-assed job in returning unclaimed funds from citizens' lost assets.

Clip Source: ww3.yuwie.com

With no recipient, the lost checks stay with the establishments who hold on to them for 3-5 years after which they are deemed ‘unclaimed property‘ and are turned-over to the state.

The government is required to show ‘diligence’ in contacting the owners and returning the unclaimed money, but the tens of billions worth of national unclaimed property is evidence that some states are dragging their feet in returning the unclaimed funds with their owners. Some states have even been caught dipping their hands in the unclaimed property fund and using the public’s money in balancing their budgets.

Tags: unclaimed money, unclaimed property, lost money, unclaimed money search

Huge Oil Find In Brazil

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:20:58 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: If it's as big as they say, this can be a huge setback for environmentalists and biofuel advocates.

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

SAO PAULO, Brazil - A deep-water exploration area could contain as much as 33 billion barrels of oil, an amount that would nearly triple Brazil's reserves and make the offshore bloc the world's third-largest known oil reserve, a top energy official said Monday.

National Petroleum Agency President Haroldo Lima cautioned that his information on the field off the coast of Rio de Janeiro is unofficial and needs to be confirmed — but his comments sent shares of state-run oil company Petrobras soaring in New York and Sao Paulo.

Petrobras said in a statement that more studies are needed to determine the potential of what could be the planet's largest oil find in decades. Analysts said the magnitude of the find, if confirmed, could have far-reaching global energy ramifications.

Tags: world oil, crude oil, brazilian oil, fossil fuels, environment

America's Riskiest Real Estate Markets

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:56:16 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: East coast cities have it bad again.

Clip Source: promo.realestate.yahoo.com

America's Riskiest Real Estate Markets

There's roulette and there's skydiving. Then there's investing in Detroit and Cleveland real estate.

That's especially risky because those markets are in freefall. Lenders have fled, foreclosures are on the rise, homes aren't selling and local economies have stalled

The riskiest were those that had the highest foreclosure rates, slow job growth (or job loss) and a rash of listed homes. By these measures, Orlando has everything working against it. Other spots, Denver, for example, exhibit negative characteristics like foreclosures, lending problems and vacancies, but are adding jobs, a sign that the local economy can better handle these difficulties.

The availability of jobs gets at the critical question of how much money is available within a market. A market with money on the sidelines has better recovery prospects because it means potential buyers are out there. A market without economic activity to generate buyers is simply sinking.

Tags: recession, real estate, us economy

Florida

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:23:44 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: Not very comforting knowing the smog goes somewhere else.

Clip Source: www.forbes.com

America's Cleanest Cities

Want to live where the air is sweet, the water is pure and the streets are clean? Try the country. But what if you don't like the sticks? Then try Florida.

With the built-in advantage of weather patterns that blow out smog, these large metropolitan areas, together with No. 2-ranked Seattle and No. 5 Portland, Ore., top our 2008 list. But it's more than just sea breezes pushing these metros up the list. These big cities are also reaping the rewards of investing in efforts to keep clean, even as their populations boom.

In recent years, Florida's Department of Environmental Protection has launched programs aimed at providing power plants with the equipment needed to scrub out harmful emissions before they're discharged. The agency has singled out the Tampa Electric Co. (other-otc: TAECM - news - people ) for going beyond federal and state requirements on emission reductions.

Tags: cleanest city in us, flordia, cleanest us cities

Goodbye McLaren!

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:33:45 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: I've always been a fan of Bugatti- mostly because it was the lesser-known among the super cars. I like subtle beauty. This changes that- sure as hell still love it though.

Clip Source: www.edmunds.com

Which just goes to show that predictions are for idiots. I've just driven a 2006 Bugatti Veyron and, once you have initiated launch control, you need do nothing more than straighten your right foot to see it pass 60 mph in 2.46 seconds. That's as fast as a Formula One car and, conceptually, in as different a league to the McLaren as the McLaren was to, say, a Porsche 911 Turbo.

Too Cool to be Forgotten
But I'm still glad the Veyron exists and am truly in awe of its abilities. Any car that does things no other car has ever done is intrinsically interesting but there's more to the Veyron even than this. It's not just an unbelievably fast and powerful car, it is also an exquisitely engineered car. If you had told me when I was road testing the McLaren F1 that one day someone would create an entirely usable, docile street car with 1,000 hp, I'd have laughed in your face. But they have, it's here, it's called the Bugatti Veyron and I, for one, will never forget it.

Tags: super cars, exotic cars, bugatti, new sports cars

09 Lambo' for your Mojo

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:19:30 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: I bet this'll look even more menacing in black. = )

Clip Source: autos.yahoo.com

Presented in Geneva, the refreshed Gallardo will come with the designation LP560/4, which describes its beefed-up V-10 (now at 5204 cc) that delivers 560 horsepower (an increase of 40) and its all-wheel drive. Lamborghini claims it will run to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, while its top speed will be 6 mph higher, at 202.

The first LP560/4s will arrive in the U.S. in August, alongside the current Superleggera version, which is sold out until spring of 2009. Lambo’s top model—the Murciélago—will remain largely unchanged for the next two years, although a Superveloce version (to be unveiled at the Paris show in October) is expected next year.

Tags: lamborghini, exotic cars, new cars

08 Pininfarina

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:48:10 GMT

clipped by: danny-esque
clipper's remarks: Woot!

Clip Source: www.topspeed.com

2008 Pininfarina Sintesi

The Sintesi is a sports car with four doors and four seats, developed by a highly innovative approach: it does not consider the car as a shape that covers the mechanicals, but one that gives a shape to the mechanicals around the passengers, starting from the latter. This approach, which is known as “Liquid” Packaging, has overturned traditional volumetric balances, improving weight distribution and lowering the centre of gravity, which are important elements for driving dynamics.

This was made possible by close collaboration with Nuvera, which developed the Quadrivium Fuel Cells system, the various components of which were distributed around the car, with four fuel cells positioned near to the wheels.

Tags: italian concept cars, pininfarina, sintesi