As we enter the holiday season, there are three steps consumers need to take right now to begin the big job of digging out of the massive economic hole our country is in.
Tag Archives | Banking
We the People
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.”
Would you believe that Thomas Jefferson said that in 1802? How crazy is that?? How absolutely brilliant must this man have been to have this much wisdom and insight more than 200 years ago?
What happened to a penny saved?
The iconic Alan Greenspan once said to the American people, “tap your home equity.” What he was really saying was to borrow against your home because your home is your personal bank. So use your ‘bank’ to get more money. Refinance! Consolidate your bills! The problem, of course, was all of the hidden clauses that allowed the real banks to raise your interest rate later and basically steal your home from you.
It might not come as a shock to know that Alan Greenspan changed his stance on the housing market after the bubble burst. If you guessed that the largest category of real estate loan loss for U.S. banks is mortgage loans, you’d be wrong. Lenders wrote off $31 billion in home equity loans and home equity lines of credit last year. That’s more than the losses on primary mortgage loans!
askJZ: The Chinese Bubble
Thanks to Jim Maxfield and @HarilaosMichael for providing two of last week’s top questions. Remember, get your questions about advertising, business, the economy and more answered every Wednesday by posting comments to blog posts or, better yet, on Twitter via #askjz.
“Jordon, give us your business perspective on the U.S. debt issue.”
“I’ve been following what people like Robert Prechter and Marc Faber have been saying about the world economy. What’s your take?”
Bank on a Retailer
“Why does it take a catastrophe to start a revolution?”
Jonathan Larson
Why did it take a crisis for banks to start thinking like consumers? In addition to taking the time to build a trust-based brand, banks need to drive consumer relationships every single day. In other words, they need to start thinking and acting like retailers.
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