britain's-busiest-motorway

http://sockshare.net/watch/qvoLZexl-britain-s-busiest-motorway-season-1.html

World's biggest hedge fund is building a robot based on its founder's brain that will tell its employees what to do

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4061258/Is-future-business-World-s-biggest-hedge-fund-building-robot-tell-employees-do.html

Energy-crisis-facing-Britain

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3912386/Energy-crisis-facing-Britain-Government-needs-soon-lights-prices-roof.html

Big Money Intersection: BDI

https://linksingeneral.blogspot.ca/2016/12/big-data-intersection-bdi.html

how-i-made-60000k-in-investment-returns

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/savingandinvesting/how-i-made-dollar60000-in-investment-returns/ar-BBiuHg8

Jodie-Foster-directed-movie-Money-Monster

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2974921/George-Clooney-arrives-set-Jodie-Foster-directed-movie-Money-Monster-day-filming.html

a 25 year-old-with a good budget

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/heres-budget-25-old-whos-160000449.html

X22Report

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqH-D7Cgcas

a manitoba-couple-pays-steep-price

Debbie McKercher said she didn't realize how much the small biweekly payments were adding up to.
"It seemed little when you're only paying payments every two weeks." she said.

The company declined an interview but in an email, easyhome said while the total cost to a customer over the life of their agreements is greater than retail but their pricing includes many services.

These include no credit check, no down payment, delivery, installation set-up, full warranty, optional upgrades, no hassle returns, loaner merchandise and pick at the end of the lease.
"Of course it should be regulated," said Debbie McKercher. "Because like us, you don't realize what you're getting yourself into."
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/manitoba-couple-pays-steep-price-101500775.html ,

http://www.easyhome.ca/how-it-works ,

http://www.easyhome.ca/electronics ,

http://www.visa.ca/en/personal/prepaidcards/reloadable.jsp
People are much better off to just gradually save up the necessary funds for each product of interest.
http://www.mastercard.ca/prepaid-card.html
Then once they have the acquired funds, just get a prepaidcard.
Of course, if a person has a good credit rating they can simply obtain a standard credit card.

Credit Cards

Everyone would like to have the best card possible.
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/russian-man-got-bank-sign-144810926.html

http://www.affinityfcu.org/connections/think_smart_when_choosing_a_credit_card.html,
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/17/best-travel-credit-card-2013_n_3443873.html,
http://www.ratesupermarket.ca/credit_cards

But in reality there can be a lot of tricks & traps.
http://credit.about.com/od/creditcardbasics/qt/worstcreditcard.htm

https://www.ctfs.com

Economy

http://business.inquirer.net/134151/money-matters-for-richer-for-poorer

http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2013/01/weodata/index.aspx

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/canadian-press-newsalert-unemployment-rate-rises-7-2-123357916.html
Some countries continue to do better than others.
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/canada-economy-loses-39-400-jobs-july-123040966.html
But there are also regional variations.
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/loonie-falls-disappointing-canadian-jobs-data-flat-housing-125108705.html

http://www.gfmag.com/tools/global-database/economic-data/12069-global-economic-indicators-key-sources-and-links.html#axzz2bVVid67q

Trump Tower, Vancouver

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/06/19/bc-vancouver-trump-tower-deal.html
After all the hub-bub it seems to be a go.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/donald-trump-announces-360m-hotel-condo-tower-in-vancouver-1.1333342

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/06/trump-tower-vancouver-official-announcement-next-week

Savings and Loans, the Bank vs the CU

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/03/04/most-americans-have-more-savings-than-credit-card-debt/?utm_source=crowdignite.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=crowdignite.com
Usually, a low wage means very little savings, but one can be frugal in choosing to buy 2nd hand items.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/11/27/the-downside-of-credit-unions/?utm_source=crowdignite.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=crowdignite.com

1 to $5 stores have become the new 5&Dime stores. Its tough to imagine a time when several things could be purchased in the 5 to 10 cent range.

Whether one earns 25K, 50K or 100K per year, a person has to try to live within their means after taxes.

b

a

Les Leopold

Les has been able to observe & perceive what goes on behind the scenes.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/les-leopold

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/leopold-les

Data Mining

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_mining
The business of gathering & forming info.
http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/jason.frand/teacher/technologies/palace/datamining.htm

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/solutions-technologies/business-intelligence/predictive-analytics.aspx

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/options/advanced-analytics/odm/index.html

http://www.laits.utexas.edu/~anorman/BUS.FOR/course.mat/Alex/#9

http://rt.com/usa/cia-data-mining-loophole-599

Facebook and the power of Information

Data-mining has been the way to go for quite a long time.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2013/04/08/dont-cry-for-zuckerbergs-1b-tax-bill-facebook-deducted-it

http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/04/disrupt-video-archives-zuckerberg-says-building-a-facebook-phone-is-the-wrong-strategy-for-us

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2012/02/05/top-tax-tips-from-zuckerbergs-facebook-bonanza

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/513306/facebook-home-a-social-smartphone-makeover

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2013/04/facebookqa

http://www.gogobot.com

Odeon Tower of Monaco

http://www.groupemarzocco.mc/index_en.html#/en/nos-projets-futurs/monaco/futurrealisation2,
http://www.odeon.mc/#/home, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odeon_Tower_(Monaco)

http://www.emporis.com/building/tourodeon-monaco-monaco
As the land value increases, a taller tower was eventually approved.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco#Economy

http://www.destinationeuropa.info/monaco.html
Monaco has been a playground for the rich for quite a while & remains one of the worlds most exclusive areas.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/31/travel/monaco-yacht-show

http://www.city-break-savvy.co.uk/monaco/monaco-for-mega-rich.html

http://www.gourmetvoyageurs.com/country-pages/pages-monaco/index.html

http://news.sky.com/story/1069663/monaco-penthouse-worlds-most-expensive

http://gizmodo.com/5992409/we-all-want-to-live-in-monacos-odeon-tower-but-were-all-too-poor

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/worlds-priciest-penthouse-may-hit-market-250m-151500620.html

Big money & urban pressers might eventually allow for a 60 & even a 70 story project. Despite the wealth in this area, there hasn't been much interest in allowing that many tall buildings. Perhaps that will gradually change over the next decade or so.

http://moneytowers.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-towers-of-benidorm.html

BITCOIN or $HITCOIN?

It would be nice if there really could be an alternate & safe currency.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin#As_a_currency

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-10/meet-the-bitcoin-millionaires

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/apr/11/bitcoin-exchange-halts-trade-value

http://go.bloomberg.com/market-now/2013/04/11/bitcoin-still-not-a-currency-and-now-crashing

http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/11/bitcoin-price-drop-caused-by-rush-of-interest-not-ddos-says-mt-gox-exchange-newcomers-now-opening-20k-accounts-per-day

There still seem to be some bugs that need to be worked out.

Central_banks are great for those fully immersed or at the top of the $Y$TEM, but for average people, things can be a lot tougher to become financial comfortable.
http://www.bis.org/cbanks.htm, http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/centralbank.asp

Sometimes if you are confident & big enough, you can afford to take a chance & let it ride.

{"The 6-foot-5 Winklevoss brothers were unfazed. The brothers said they took advantage of the low prices to buy more.
“It has been four years and it has yet to be discredited as a viable alternative to fiat currency,” Tyler Winklevoss said. “We could be totally wrong, but we are curious to see this play out a lot more.”}

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/big-investors-emerge-bitcoin-gets-191114595.html

How Safe Are Australian Banks?

Wow, just seeing all that blue on a national flag gives me confidence.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/48603806
Unlike Canada, its not illegal to have the colour blue on the Australian & NZ national flags.
http://www.canstar.com.au/term-deposits/government-deposit-guarantee

http://australia.gov.au/topics/economy-money-and-tax/banking-and-money

http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/why-australian-banks-will-no-longer-be-a-defensive-play/2012/06/29

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2011/12/5/interest-rates/wake-call-australian-banks

http://barnabyisright.com/resources-articles/tick-tick-tick-aussie-banks-15-trillion-time-bomb

http://www.ultimatemoney.com/4-reasons-australian-banks-cant-protect-your-nest-egg

http://cij.inspiriting.com/?p=495#

Although Canada is a derivative of the UK & France, Canada made it illegal or simply unnecessary to have blue on its national flag. Even when the American colonies decided to form their own independent republic & received a big statue gift from France, the USA still retained the red, white & blue colors of the UK & France. Australia & NZ have made a big bold iconic statement by featuring plenty of blue in their flags. For some reason Canada ended up with the simple red & white, like the national flag of Switzerland & Japan. Those flags seemed to have worked well for them, but without blue on the Canadian flag, it will never be as nice as the flags of the UK, France, Australia, NZ & the US.


http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2013/03/to-big-to-fail.html

To Big to Fail?

http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/canadas-big-6-banks-are-too-big-to-fail-regulator-says-2
Canada seems to have a good history of banking safety.
http://business.financialpost.com/2013/02/01/is-it-time-to-buy-canadian-banks

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/04/11/moodys-canada-banks.html

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/canadian-banking-is-not-the-answer

http://baselinescenario.com/2010/03/25/the-canadian-banking-fallacy

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investment-ideas/strategy-lab/value-investing/big-us-banks-on-3-for-1-sale-buy-now/article9317732

"Canada is one of the safest banking countries in the world, according to Global Finance Magazine. Royal Bank of Canada was declared as the 10th safest bank in the world in 2012, followed by Toronto-Dominion Bank in 11th place, Scotiabank in 14nd place, Bank of Montreal in 23rd place, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce as the 24th safest bank in the world." 
http://www.livingin-canada.com/canadian-bank-account.html   


http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2013/03/how-safe-are-australian-banks.html

The Global Financial Pyramid Scheme

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/why-is-the-world-economy-doomed-the-global-financial-pyramid-scheme-by-the-numbers
The global money system needs to become more fair, but those in control of it will never allow such a thing.
http://www.investmentcontrarians.com/stock-market/why-america-will-be-the-next-japan-2/1541/?subid=taboola

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2298729/The-view-TOP-Great-Pyramid-Tourists-secretly-climb-Egyptian-landmark-amazing-photos.html

$$$ Park Avenue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/666_Park_Avenue
An interesting premise for a TV series, but apparently it didn't catch on & was eventually cancelled.

http://www.examiner.com/article/666-park-avenue-ending-episodes-and-promised-closure-may-never-happen

https://www.facebook.com/666ParkAve, http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/666-park-avenue

Terry O'Quinn has become known for playing sinister & monstrous characters.

http://666parkavenue.alloyentertainment.com/terry-oquinn-lost-smoke-monster

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/John_Locke, http://lost.about.com/u/ua/lostfanquestions/smoke_monster.htm

http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Man_in_Black

http://observer.com/2012/10/the-rich-the-poor-740-park-avenue-and-the-bronx

http://www.businessinsider.com/park-ave-manhattan-and-park-ave-bronx-2012-11

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/sisterrosemovies/2012/11/park-avenue-money-power-and-the-american-dream-november-12-pbs-check-local-listings

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9707133/Park-Avenue-Money-Power-and-the-American-Dream-BBC-Four-review.html

http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/park_avenue_money_power_and_the_american_dream_2012

People that have to work for a living & some of the working poor, can achieve & maintain a good credit rating.
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/worried-credit-report-inquiries-110049444.html
However, the $Y$TEM is set up for the rich to flourish & that's by design.

Credit Cards, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card
Weather a person only has around a $1000 per month or a 100K each month, one has to try to spend less than what their income is.
http://money.ca.msn.com/creditcard/how-to-benefit-from-your-credit-card#page=0

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/worried-credit-report-inquiries-110049444.html

Unfortunately, for most people the $Y$TEM is set up for the very rich to flourish.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/park-avenue/film.html

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/park-avenue-money-power-american-dream

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/realestate/residential/who_afraid_of_the_park_4J4qFChQG5CTwUljidq1pN

http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2013/03/park-avenue.html

Jacque Fresco 1916

Jacque_Fresco was eventually drawn to the Technocracy movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacque_Fresco#Aircraft_industry.2C_South_Seas_hiatus

Jacque was at the Wright-Patterson_Air_Force_Base for a while. Later, he worked on 3D_technology.

There is always a potential for too much corporate or Communist control over various parts of the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacque_Fresco#Form_of_Governance.2C_Human_Nature.2C_Scientism.2C_Calculation_Problem

Crony_capitalism & Communism can result in Fascism.  http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cronycapitalism.asp#axzz2NWrhOC9c

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Venus_Project#Zeitgeist_movies
JF & Co have a lot of intriguing ideas, but...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zeitgeist_Movement

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism#Totalitarianism
China has been a technological Fascist-Communist state for several decades now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technocracy_movement#China

Cases of Economic Collapse

http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/how-us-spending-cuts-can-hurt-canada
An economic collapse can happen whenever a combination of certain factors occurs.
http://www.moneynews.com/Archives/Obama-Chart-end-presidency/2012/09/20/id/456981?PROMO_CODE=103FC-1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_collapse#Cases_of_economic_collapse
Although there are suppose to be security measures, banks might be bailed by taking money from the peoples pension funds.
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/20-signs-that-the-next-great-economic-depression-has-already-started-in-europe,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jerry-nelson/largest-financial-collapse-in-history_b_3180138.html

Liquid Assets

http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/financial-planning/liquid-asset.htm
So it could be some money in a mattress, a bank or a series of investments in+the+black.
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/liquidasset.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_liquidity
Unless a person is earning well above their monthly expenses, its extremely difficult to have enough adequate reserve funds for various kinds of emergencies.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/new-york-state-residents-liquid-asset-poor-3-months-savings-report-article-1.1250716

Cash and Credit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payment_card#Types
Its always a good idea to have enough cash in the bank, or somewhere else in the form of safe assets to cover all foreseeable monthly & annual expenses.
http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/cash-users.html,
http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2012/03/digital-currency.html
Perhaps unless someone is among the very top wealthy people on the planet, its a good idea to spend less than what you have in total liquid assets.
http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2013/01/the-frugal-way-way-of-big-money.html

There is an unsettling trend that has been unfolding over the past few decades. Eventually, almost every person & form of currency will be tracked in real time. Although there is an up side to this plan, there are also some eventual disturbing implications.
http://www.infowars.com/mccain-and-schumer-move-to-force-americans-to-use-biometric-id-for-employment

Misha Glenny

Misha Glenny has researched & reported about many things that are out of this world, because there is a big area of money that never is officially visible or traceable in the day to day global cash flow. 
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/glenny-misha/7212

The Frugal Way vs the Way of BIG Money

Some people get to a level of wealth where they hardly need to be frugal, but still live very comfortably.
http://money.ca.msn.com/savings-debt/gallery/15-billionaires-who-live-frugally
It all seems to be relative thing, once again.
http://www.investopedia.com/slide-show/frugal-billionaires
If one has a billion dollars or more in net worth, but lives in the 100 million annual budget dollar range, they have a reasonable probability of never spending more than what they have coming in.
http://www.eventualmillionaire.com/blog/millionaire-case-studies
Whether a persons annual income is 100, 10 or 1 million, as long as they don't spend more than their income, they should be OK.
http://www.thefrugalmillionaires.com, http://www.ehow.com/how_5053247_live-like-frugal-millionaire.html
Whether is owing & managing a company or being in the entertainment business or practically anything, there are always annual operating & living costs.
http://www.finance-lib.com/financial-term-negative-cash-flow.html,
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2012/01/10/frugal-advice-from-millionaires
Some people feel that if they live in the lime light or are just popular persona, they have to live LARGE, but that's not always the case.
http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/frugal-tips-millionaires-billionaires.html
Plus, there is also the possibility of unexpected costs that can pull a person or a company down.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224209


Occasionally, Marriage & Divorce can financially & emotionally ruin people. Sometimes people want to be with someone, but not officially married. Oprah_Winfrey & Stedman_Graham are an example.

"Oprah Winfrey has a net worth of $2.7 billion and salary $315 million per year." 
http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/oprah-net-worth

http://www.forbes.com/profile/oprah-winfrey,
http://www.therichest.org/celebnetworth/celeb/media-mogul/oprah-winfrey-net-worth,
http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2013/01/oprah-in-vancouver-bc.html

http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2013/02/cash-and-credit.html

The Casino Dilemma

Although BC can never compete with Nevada or New_Jersey, local gambling establishments are convenient for those that just have a few hours to spare. Of course, for those that have the extra time & money, they can travel elsewhere for a few days or a few weeks.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/01/26/christy-clark-rich-coleman-surrey-casino_n_2555959.html?ref=topbar

Metro Vancouver Property

http://www.40listings.com/most-expensive/listings/greater-vancouver
People will move to wherever they want to, provided they have enough money to do so.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/west-side-vancouver-sellers-holding-out-for-deep-pocketed-buyers/article7381772/
Affordable housing can be very profitable, because there is the potential for many more customers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Rennie#Projects
A mixed level vibrant market is ideal for people throughout the economic spectrum.
http://vancouverpricedrop.wordpress.com/2013/01/24/the-weekly-drop-metro-vancouver-attached-january-23-2012
Although hi-end customers can pay a lot more, there is a lot less of them.
http://www.vancouverreflections.com/which-are-vancouvers-ten-most-expensive-condo-sales-in-2012
If developers really want a lot more customers then more affordable 1,2 & 3br units have to be built in BC.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/01/02/bc-property-assessments.html

http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2011/06/real-land-problem-in-vancouver.html

Jamie Dimon

Money & power seem to feed each other at a certain point.
http://www.againstcronycapitalism.org/2013/01/ceo-of-jpmorgan-says-you-dont-need-to-know-how-banking-works-its-like-an-airliner-engine-just-shut-up-and-pay-us,
http://www.zerohedge.com/taxonomy_vtn/term/11906
First you get into the big money & then you get the big power.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/13/business/la-fi-mo-dimon-testimony-begins-20120613 
While its nice to become financially comfortable, some really have a drive for money.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/14/news/la-mo-dimon-sunday-20120512
The regulation or manipulation of money is certainly a form of power & control.
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/mark-zandi-says-jamie-dimon-would-be-fabulous-replacement-geithner-unclear-madoff-succession?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29

Oprah In Vancouver, BC

As the city & Metro region is gradually allowed to mature, more big names will arrive in Vancouver & other parts of BC.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/01/24/oprah-vancouver-bc-inspiration_n_2547756.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Alberta especially Calgary, has been building with some kind of urban energy since the 1970s.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/01/23/oprah-in-calgary-inspirational-message_n_2533299.html
Its interesting that she visited Alberta just before BC. In Calgary, they think & build things on a grand scale that BC hasn't been able to catch up with.
http://moneytowers.blogspot.ca/2013/01/calgary-and-vancouver-alberta-and-bc.html

Of course, Alberta was able to get the Olympic_thing happening in time for 1988, but it took BC until 2010.

Trump outlook for 2013

http://www.moneynews.com/Archives/Trump-Aftershock-American-Economy/2012/11/06/id/462985?PROMO_CODE=103FC-1

Vancouver Real Estate

Whenever you build a good product people will buy it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Wall_(property_developer)#Vancouver_real_estate
However, affordability is another issue.
http://blogs.ubc.ca/vancouverhousingdensification/history,
http://thethirtiesgrind.com/2012/04/02/absurd-vancouver-property-of-the-week-2,
http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/06/01/the-real-problem-with-vancouvers-outrageous-house-prices

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=163994
If a person has the sufficient funds, they can afford to live practically anywhere on the planet.
http://vreaa.wordpress.com/tag/foreign-buyers

http://www.vancouverreflections.com/how-much-have-greater-vancouver-real-estate-prices-risen-since-1977

http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2011/06/real-land-problem-in-vancouver.html

THE CONUMDRUM

At a certain point money will intersect with many things.
http://www.davidowen.net/david_owen/the-conundrum.html,

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/book-review-the-conundrum-by-david-owen-02092012.html,
http://boingboing.net/2012/04/18/the-conundrum-a-thought-provo.html

Rajat Gupta

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajat_Gupta

Digital Currency vs Physical Cash

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Notes#Series_1928.E2.80.931995

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Certificate#End_of_the_Silver_Certificates

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_currency#Banknotes_in_Europe
http://sovereign-investor.com/2012/03/19/digital-currency-use-on-the-rise-in-sweden

The Swedish_krona & The-Riksbank,

http://cryptogon.com/?p=28130,

http://www.greenewave.com/sweden-proving-grounds-for-global-cashless-society,

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/17/sweden-cashless-money-paper-coin_n_1355255.html

Understandably, its just not practical to print up enough physical cash for all transactions big & small. The Global Central_banks can efficiently transfer billions of dollars electronically in seconds. However, no one has even been able to establish an impartial & independent overseer, so many people see a conflict of interest. At leas the illusion of accountability was established. Officially, the global financial system isn't suppose to be a pyramid scheme, but eventually the U$ Federal_Reserve System provided a fascinating clue in the 1935_Dollar_Bill.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_the_United_States#1935_dollar_bill
Apparently before the big crash of 1929, it wasn't necessary to reveal the pyramid symbol yet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_one-dollar_bill#Reverse_of_current_.241_bill,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_of_Providence#United_States

http://americankabuki.blogspot.ca/p/131-resignations-from-world-banks.html,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_Federal_Reserve#Creation,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Notes#Fiat_currency

Electronic_money_systems are so dam convenient, but its always good to have some physical cash available.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer_banknote,
http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2013/02/cash-and-credit.html

Google and Microsoft Play Banker

http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/10/24/who-needs-banks-in-yahoo-takeover-google-and-microsoft-play-banker/

The Real Land Problem in Vancouver

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Vancouver

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/The-real-problem-Vancouver-yahoofinanceca-3647520808.html?x=0
Limited land area & poor planing always pushes up the perceived value of land.
http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2012/10/vancouver-real-estate.html
If ever a proper BIG regional planing approach is taken, Metro Vancouver could become a substantial & efficient region.
http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.ca/2013/01/metro-vancouver-property.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_100_largest_metropolitan_areas_in_Canada

"The official land area of the district is 2,877.36 square kilometres (1,111 sq mi)."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Vancouver#Members

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Mainland

10-signs-that-wall-street-is-about-to-go-into-panic-mode

http://www.infowars.com/10-signs-that-wall-street-is-about-to-go-into-panic-mode/
The Bilderberg meetings are among the most secretive on the planet. The global corporate structure is maintained by a relatively small group of people, like puppeteers at the top of the pinnacle. The global elite can make a good argument that they are best suited to run intercontinental, trans global issues & operations. However, such a global agenda leaves out the input of the masses, by design. Is it a mystery as to why only a small percentage at the top continually set things according to their hierarchy-design? By the nature of their structure, private organizations, kingdoms & the largest corporations along with central banks, don't require the input of the masses, yet so many decisions are made on their behalf. Thus the masses are continually subjected to various policies that they may not have wanted to be subject to. Many still argue that true representative governments & organizations should also be allowed to provide their input on behalf of the masses at these secret meetings. However, unless the elite can ever allow for a true spectrum of ideas, objective & opinions, a tremendous imbalance remains. Secret high level meetings by design, aren't intended for the general public to be aware of. Several decisions are made behind closed doors all the time.
-
St._Moritz , http://www.bilderbergmeetings.org/ http://www.kempinski.com/en/stmoritz/Pages/Welcome.aspx http://www.stmoritz.ch/sommer/village/unterkunft/hotels.html
http://www.swissinfo.ch/, http://www.about.ch/, http://www.switzerland.com/en.cfm/home
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3431.htm, http://www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerland
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sz.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN#Computer_science
-
AlpTransit
Cities_of_Switzerland
-
http://www.cfr.org/about/history/
http://www.cfr.org/economics/more-money-than-god/p21933?co=C011803
http://www.cfr.org/technology-and-foreign-policy/exponentially-expanding-future-exponentially-shrinking-technology-audio/p9431
-
Fortunately, several people aren't just interested in acquiring Money & seeking global control power strategies. They are also interested in exploring various mysteries of the world & universe. Some even want to question the fringe of reality from various perspectives. Fringe_(TV_series)#Premise
Steve Volk
http://stevevolk.com/fringeology
http://stevevolk.com/archives/600
http://stevevolk.com/fringeology/excerpt-2

GOP Wants To Strip Fed Of Power To Combat Joblessness

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/16/gop-wants-to-strip-fed-of_n_784225.html
According to some, The Fed has too much power & should be replaced by a genuine fair & balanced system. Perhaps a better version of half government & half corporate structure. There are several claims that the Fed is outside the realm of the US Government. The US Gov should always retain the right to print & control the flow of its money.
-
"Is the Federal Reserve a privately owned corporation?
Yes and no. The Federal Reserve (the Fed) enjoys a unique public/private structure that operates within the government, but is still relatively independent of government to isolate the Fed from day-to-day political pressures in fulfilling its varying roles."
http://www.frbsf.org/education/activities/drecon/2003/0309.html
-
http://www.publiceye.org/conspire/flaherty/flaherty4.html
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8518
http://www.treas.gov/organization/
http://www.frbsf.org/federalreserve/system/districts/index.html
http://www.truthcontrol.com/banking-economics?page=2
http://www.healthfreedom.info/Federal_Reserve_Fraud.htm
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10489
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_System#Federal_Reserve_Act
http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_05/milhouse041007.html
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/fed_reserve.htm
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/reserve.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Edward_Griffin#The_Creature_from_Jekyll_Island
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=6507136891691870450
http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/freedomcontent.cfm?fuseaction=meetflaherty
http://www.bigeye.com/griffin.htm
http://www.realityzone.com/creature.html
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_fed09.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jekyll_Island#Planning_of_the_Federal_Reserve_System
http://www.businessian.com/since-the-federal-reserve-is-privately-owned-and-operated-can-the-irs-audit-the-bank-50618.html
-
The Money Masters - How International Bankers Gained Control of America
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936#
http://www.larouchepac.com/firewall
-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elitism
http://www.secretsocieties.net/index.htm
http://www.secretsocieties.net/whoswho.htm
http://www.redicecreations.com/specialreports/2005/08aug/redshield.html

Was a Houston energy trader a one-woman Enron?

http://ca.news.finance.yahoo.com/s/15112010/6/finance-special-report-houston-energy-trader-woman-enron.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/15/houston-energy-trade-scam_n_783543.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AE1VX20101115 http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=3830108&sponsor=

Richard E. Rupert

Windsor native Richard Earl Rupert to be featured on America's Most Wanted
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/24092010/79/central-windsor-native-richard-earl-rupert-featured-america-s-most.html

Kirkland broker Rhonda Breard to spend nearly seven years in prison for fraud

http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/424976_sound100477719.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011306692_breard11m.html
http://www.kirotv.com/news/22798858/detail.html
http://www.komonews.com/news/86690142.html
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Local-money-personality-charged-with-mail-fraud-87253367.html
http://seattle.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/se031010.htm

NYC executive gives panhandler a lot of credit

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100813/world/us_homeless_amex_card

Woman charged with faking cancer to get money

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100807/national/fake_cancer_arrest
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/844614--woman-faked-cancer-to-raise-money?bn=1
http://law.rightpundits.com/?p=2072
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/845093--woman-who-faked-cancer-will-spend-the-weekend-in-jail-police-say?bn=1

6 new credit scams to watch out for

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/article/forbes/1751/6-new-credit-scams-to-watch-out-for

Colton Harris-Moore

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colton_Harris-Moore
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=barefoot+bandit&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=barefoot+ba&gs_rfai=

Bernie Madoff: F*** My Victims

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/article/yfinance/1644/bernie-madoff-f-my-victims

Financial Depression 2010?

http://www.disclose.tv/frameset.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fuk.finance.yahoo.com%2Fnews%2Fcity-fears-of-great-depression-mark-ii-tele-12d592c21529.html

Strategic Default: Walking Away from Mortgages

60 Minutes: A Million Have Walked Away; Trend Could Undermine the Fragile Economic Recovery
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/06/60minutes/main6466484.shtml?tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel

The most expensive credit cards

by Liz Moyer, Forbes.com
Wednesday, April 28, 2010

{"Thanks to high unemployment and rising personal bankruptcies, banks in the credit card business suffered their first losses in decades last year. But bankers need not fret. The rich still love their plastic, and banks are ready to soak them for all they're worth with an array of elite cards - keys to exclusive and expensive privileges most working stiffs can only dream about.

Appealing to James Bond wannabes, they come with high annual fees and minimum spending requirements north of US$250,000. They can be used to secure a private jet, rent a yacht at a moment’s notice or drop in the VIP tent at the Monaco Grand Prix. Even the cards themselves are different, made with titanium or carbon or embedded with diamond chips.

It isn't that the rich are spending that much more than the rest of us. The top 1% of wealthy Americans account for just 4% of all card spending, according to Tower Group research. This group includes 2 million households with more than US$1 million. But they stand a much better chance of being profitable for banks and card companies compared with the mass market. Super elite cards go only to borrowers with stellar credit, easing capital requirements and fear of losses. “It’s the only segment banks have the nerve to market to this year,” says Dennis Moroney, a Tower Group consultant.

Because high-end card holders have to have top credit scores, banks charge them relatively lower annual interest rates on revolving balances, in the range of 12% to 13%, compared with the trend toward higher rates for mass-market cards, which for many has jumped from the mid-teens to over 20%, says Moroney.

The most recognized super elite brand: American Express and its Centurion Card, aka The Black Card. The company won’t reveal many details about the invitation-only program, giving rise to websites like luxuryplastic.com that have an almost slavish devotion to Black Card lore. The annual spending minimum is said to be US$250,000. Amex will only say the annual fee is US$2,500 and the fee to open the account is $5,000.

Rivals have tried with varying degrees of success to compete with the Centurion card. Coutts & Co., a private bank division of Royal Bank of Scotland that only bothers with the crustiest of the upper crust, has a few hundred invitation only purple card customers, said to include Queen Elizabeth II. A Santa Barbara, Calif., company called Stratus has an invitation-only White Card program it is getting ready to introduce in Europe through a major Swiss bank.

Citigroup and Bank of America offer high-end cards through their private banking and private client businesses, offering perks for international travel, full-time concierge service, and rewards for purchases. Citi’s Ultima card, which is only offered in Asia, advertises perks like exclusive one-day use of a 80-foot luxury Ferretti yacht; 48-hour use of a Maserati 4200 Spyder; and access to a chauffer-driven Bentley limousine throughout the day. The Citibank Chairman’s Card currently offers reduced fees and flight time credits for Marquis Jet/Luxury Private Jet Services and complimentary breakfast for two and room upgrades at Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, Fairmont Hotels and others

The Visa Infinite is issued outside the U.S. - including in Canada - and offers a variety of concierge and travel insurance, assistance perks, shopping and cultural event discounts. South African cardholders currently are being offered a trip through wine country with a noted wine maker. U.K. cardholders are being offered 20% off the penthouse at a boutique Covent Garden hotel.

The Black Visa card, offered though Barclays, is available to just 1% of U.S. residents “to ensure the highest caliber of personal service is provided to every cardmember,” according to its website. The fee, US$495, is comparably lower than Centurion. Barclays boasts the card is made with carbon and is “guaranteed to get you noticed.” Or mugged, maybe.

The trend will likely grow as banks continue to feel pressure from card lending. Average outstanding balances overall are down 12% in December alone, Tower Group says. Delinquencies are rising, up to 6% of loans, while charge-off rates are approaching 10%. An estimated $3.6 trillion worth of credit will sit unused this year. Banks are raising rates and pulling in credit lines, in some cases canceling cards for borrowers who fall behind. For the first time since the 1980s banks lost money last year on credit cards. In 2009 return on assets for the 23 largest card issuers was a negative 0.29%.

Beyond that, new accounting rules changed the way banks package and sell credit card loans in bundles called securitizations, an activity that has been slow to restart since the depths of the financial crisis. Banks now have to hold more capital against credit card loans and have to retain more loans on their books, a risky business considering delinquency trends. That makes prime borrowers all the more attractive."}
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/article/forbes/1549/the-most-expensive-credit-cards

http://video.forbes.com/fvn/business/ultra-elite-credit-cards

http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/26/most-expensive-credit-cards-business-wall-street-cards_slide_2.html?partner=yahooca

"60 Minutes" Cameras Expose Medical Con Men Who Prey on Dying Victims

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/16/60minutes/main6402854.shtml

Calgary police charge four after $60-million Ponzi scheme investigation

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100329/business/crime_ponzi_charges_2
-
http://www.macleans.ca/science/wire/article.jsp?content=n293058125
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/headline_news/article.jsp?content=b293058125
http://www.investmentexecutive.com/client/en/News/DetailNews.asp?Id=52997&IdSection=8&cat=8
http://finance.sympatico.ca/Home/ContentPosting?newsitemid=293058125&feedname=CP-BUSINESS&show=False&number=0&showbyline=False&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=False

Mikhail Prokhorov

Russian Billionaire Plans To Buy New Jersey Nets, Vows To Turn Around Team's Fortunes
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/25/60minutes/main6333015.shtml?tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel
-
http://mprokhorov.com/business/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Prokhorov#Career
http://moscowmaximum.blogspot.com/2007/12/review-soho-rooms.html
http://www.astrotheme.com/portraits/5yj77uJ34VkW.htm
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3671900.ece
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/billionaires-2009-richest-people_Mikhail-Prokhorov_JW8Z.html
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/JW8Z.htmlpassListId=10&passYear=2004&passListType=Person&uniqueId=JW8Z&datatype=Person
-
http://moneytowers.blogspot.com/2010/03/skyscrapers-of-russia.html

Wall Street: Inside the Collapse

Author Tells "60 Minutes" What Led to Wall Street Collapse and Who Predicted It
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/12/60minutes/main6292458.shtml?tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel
-
http://moneytowers.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-post_14.html

A foolish blackmail attempt

Joe_Halderman was unable to intimidate & Blackmail David_Letterman. http://wcbstv.com/breakingnewsalerts/letterman.extortion.case.2.1547848.html

Ian Thow pleads guilty but offers no apology

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Thow+pleads+guilty+offers+apology/2629379/story.html
http://www.vancouversun.com/Victims+fraud+seek+closure+Thow+trial/2631289/story.html

http://www.timescolonist.com/Former+Berkshire+Investment+vice+president+Thow+pleads+guilty+fraud+charges/2627883/story.html

Ian Thow's deceit and decadence leads to prison term

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/thewest/Thow+deceit+decadence+leads+prison+term/2629261/story.html http://www.timescolonist.com/Former+Berkshire+Investment+vice+president+Thow+pleads+guilty+fraud+charges/2627883/story.html http://www.globaltvbc.com/Thow+expected+plead+guilty+today/2627167/story.html
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=ian+thow+2010&meta=&aq=4&oq=Ian+Thow

What's in a Bank Run?

Bank_run anyone?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_of_1907
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OneWest_Bank#IndyMac:_Collapse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Rock#Subprime_mortgage_crisis_and_nationalisation
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704511304575075950889213516.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html
-
http://www.businessinsider.com/citigroup-warns-customers-it-may-refuse-to-allow-withdrawals-2010-2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_four_banks#United_States
-
http://moneytowers.blogspot.com/2010/02/citibank.html

Bloom Energy

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/18/60minutes/main6221135.shtml?tag=currentVideoInfo;segmentUtilities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Doerr
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6228923n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel
http://www.bloomenergy.com/
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/02/is-bloom-energy%E2%80%99s-secret-ingredient-zirconia/
http://consumerist.com/2010/02/bloom-box-can-supposedly-power-a-small-home-but-you-cant-afford-it.html

New Credit Card Laws

http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-022110-newcreditcardrules,0,1535059.story
New Credit Card Rules No Cure-All
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/22/earlyshow/living/money/main6231470.shtml?tag=strip
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_CARD_Act_of_2009
-
http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2010/02/citi-warns-of-withdrawal-gate

The Canadian century?

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/article/forbes/1427/the-canadian-century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/36th_G8_summit#Canada_2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G8+5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-20_major_economies
-
http://moneytowers.blogspot.com/2010/02/towers-of-canada.html

Earl Jones gets 11-years for orchestrating Ponzi scheme

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/765820
"Judge Hélène Morin handed down her sentence a month after both the Crown and the defence recommended 11 years for Jones. With good behaviour he could be out by autumn of 2011."
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Earl+Jones+gets+years+Ponzi+scheme/2567329/story.html

How to retire early with no money

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/how-to-retire-early-with-no-money/article1444363/
-
http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.com/2009/08/blog-post_29.html

Accused swindler IAN THOW likely to plead guilty...

Ex-adviser's court date on 25 counts of fraud moved up to March 1, 2010.
http://www.vancouversun.com/Accused+swindler+Thow+likely+plead+guilty+witnesses/2506225/story.html http://www.investorvoice.ca/Scandals/Thow/Thow_Index.htm
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/stocks/article.jsp?content=20060109_111851_2516
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Disgraced+investment+adviser+Thow+forced+fine/1956478/story.html http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/index.html?subject=Ian+Thow&type=Person
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=816a0fde-ff13-4d45-88f6-050ea4168d46&k=19221
http://www.6717000.com/newsArticle-4808.html
http://www2.macleans.ca/tag/ian-thow/
http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&resnum=0&q=ian+thow&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=XF1mS43eFJP-tQOaqMydAw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CCEQsAQwBA
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/stocks/article.jsp?content=20060109_111851_2516

A Crack In The Swiss Vault

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6050245n&tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel
"Switzerland's largest bank has given authorities formerly sacrosanct info on its U.S. customers because of tips provided by a whistleblower, who tells Steve Kroft the secrets Swiss bankers never tell."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/30/60minutes/main6038169.shtml?tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel
-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Banks_in_Switzerland#Family_Owned_Swiss_Banks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_franc#Circulation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_currency
http://www.snb.ch/en/iabout/cash
http://www.six-swiss-exchange.com/index_en.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Switzerland

Treasury BILL$

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasury_bills#Treasury_bill
http://www.financialdictionary.net/define/Treasury+Bill/
http://www.tdcanadatrust.com/invest/moneymkt/icrcipct.jsp
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/tbs-sct/index-eng.asp
http://www.lchclearnet.com/risk_management/ltd/acceptable_collateral.asp
http://www.ubs.com/1/e/about/bterms/content_t.html#treasurybill
http://www.hsbc.ca/1/2/en/business/investing-and-retiring/treasury-market-products/government-of-canada-t-bills

Charlotte's Web of Commerce

Charlotte_center_city

Downtown & the Charlotte_metropolitan_area

List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Charlotte

Charlotte's_Web of Commerce

Held hostage by your credit scores?

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/weston-held-hostage-by-your-credit-scores.aspx

Raise your credit score to 740
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/how-to-win-the-credit-score-game.aspx

Q&A: Should I Consider Debt Settlement to Pay Down My Credit Card Debt?
http://www.cnbc.com/id/32494675

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1349614047&play=1
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1223717052&play=1

Bay Street suffers a talent deficit

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/article/canadianbusiness/1350/bay-street-suffers-a-talent-deficit

Five bankruptcy myths

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/article/bankratecanada/1344/five-bankruptcy-myths

Magazine releases ranking of Canada's wealthiest people...

http://ca.news.finance.yahoo.com/s/19112009/2/biz-finance-magazine-releases-ranking-canada-s-wealthiest-people-thomson.html
A person should be able to legally make, earn, acquire or build up as much A$$ET$ as they want. However, as the top 10 to 1% keep getting richer, so much of the general population is getting poorer. Whether by chance or design, at a certain point a tremendous amount of people will no longer be able to afford to live on earth.

Nicolas Cage Loses Homes To Foreclosure Auction

{Fri Nov 13, 8:47 PM
The latest blow in Nicolas Cage's financial battles was dealt on Thursday when two of his New Orleans homes were sold at auction.
The star of films including "Leaving Las Vegas," and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" owes over $6 million in back taxes according to the IRS, and the New Orleans homes - located in the historic French Quarter - were sold at auction on Thursday.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Latest Star Sightings
The two properties were bought by Regions Bank, the only bidder. People reported the bank was Cage's lender.
Regions Bank reportedly bought the properties for $4.5 million, a bargain on the estates, which were appraised for more than $6.8 million in total, according to CNN.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Tax Troubled Celebs
On Friday, photos surfaced online showing workers removing Cage's remaining belongings from at least one of the properties.
Last month, Cage filed suit against what he called an allegedly "incompetent business manager" for a string of financial troubles.
In the court papers, obtained by Access Hollywood, the box office star alleged that his former business manager, Samuel J. Levin, has been responsible for "sending Cage down a path toward financial ruin."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Big Screen Gentlemen: Hollywood's Leading Men
Cage, who has put a number of properties on the market in recent months, alleged that he is "now forced to sell major assets and investments at a significant loss and is faced with huge tax liabilities because of Levin's incompetence, misrepresentations and recklessness."
The actor claimed that Levin paid himself "millions of dollars" while putting Cage's money into "risky" and "highly speculative" investments, also allegedly failing to "timely pay taxes."
Cage claims Levin is responsible for more than $20 million in damages and that he and other parties are "guilty of malice, oppression and/or fraud and [Cage] is entitled to recover an award of exemplary and/or punitive damages."
Levin did not respond to a previous request for comment from Access.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: Nicolas Cage Talks 'G-Force'PLAY IT NOW: Nicolas Cage On 'Knowing'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Nicolas Cage - Lawsuits - Celebrities}
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/accesshollywood/091113/entertainment/nicolas_cage_loses_homes_to_foreclosure_auction
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IRS papers say Zsa Zsa Gabor has $118,321 tax bill
Nov. 14, 2009, 2:41 AM EST
http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=441810&GT1=28101

Bill Gates

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/default.aspx?tab=biography

Madoff friend drowned due to heart attack

Mon Oct 26, 2009
{MIAMI (Reuters) - Billionaire philanthropist Jeffry Picower accidentally drowned in his Florida swimming pool after suffering a heart attack, police investigating the death of the prominent Bernard Madoff investor said on Monday.
Picower, 67, was pulled unconscious from the pool of his multimillion-dollar oceanside home in Palm Beach on Sunday and was pronounced dead at a hospital.
An autopsy was completed on Monday and found that "Mr. Picower suffered a heart attack while in the swimming pool resulting in accidental drowning," police said in a statement.
Picower and his wife, Barbara, were described in court documents as among the biggest beneficiaries of Madoff's $65 billion Ponzi scheme. Madoff is serving a 150-year prison sentence after pleading guilty.
The trustee handling the Madoff fraud case, Irving Picard, said in court documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York last month that Picower, listed as one of the 400 wealthiest Americans by Forbes magazine, was complicit in the fraud. The trustee had sued Picower to collect $7.2 billion.
On Monday, Picard said through his spokesman: "The litigation will continue. We have previously met and talked with Picower's counsel."
Picower's lawyer, William Zabel, called the accusations false and outrageous and said Picower was one of Madoff's victims. Picower suffered from Parkinson's disease and had heart-related illness, Zabel's spokeswoman said.
Picower was listed 371st and worth $1 billion on the latest published Forbes list. He and his wife headed a philanthropy, the Picower Foundation, which closed when the Madoff fraud unraveled last December.}
(Reporting by Jane Sutton; Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Richard Chang)
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/091026/us/usreport_us_madoff_picower

The initial crash occurred on Thursday,

{October 24, 1929, but the catastrophic downturn of Monday, October 28 and Tuesday, October 29 precipitated widespread alarm and the onset of an unprecedented and long-lasting economic depression for the United States and the world. This stock market collapse continued for a month.} http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Crash_of_1929

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http://www.pbs.org/fmc/timeline/estockmktcrash.htm

http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/Bierman.crash

http://www.canadianeconomy.gc.ca/english/economy/1929stock.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/566754/stock-market-crash-of-1929

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http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post_20.html

PBS:The Warning

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/view/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/?utm_campaign=Warning&utm_medium=NewsSiteTarget&utm_source=Image#pressrelease

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/?utm_campaign=Warning&utm_medium=NewsSiteTarget&utm_source=Image
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http://jfmoneymatters.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post_25.html

Marc Dreier's $400M Scam, The Inside Story

Prominent Lawyer Explains To 60 Minutes How He Pulled Off The Giant Scam And Why He Did It
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/02/60minutes/main5358948.shtml?tag=cbsContent;cbsCarousel
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/nyregion/14dreier.html?_r=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Stuart_Dreier

World stocks slip as G20, Fed loom

By Natsuko Waki

{LONDON (Reuters) - World stocks retreated further from last week's 11-month high on Monday as lower commodity prices and caution ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting and G20 summit prompted investors to trim risky trades.
Leaders of the Group of 20 meet on Thursday and Friday in Pittsburgh and U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday he would push world leaders for a reshaping of the global economy in response to the crisis.
World stocks have risen over 26 percent this year, recouping more than half of last year's losses, underpinned by repeated pledges by G20 leaders and finance chiefs to keep emergency support for the economy in place.
"We are still quite bullish," said Nick Nelson, European equity strategist at UBS.
"The market might look slightly overbought near term, but the economy is definitely improving, corporate profits are definitely improving, interest rates are staying low, valuations aren't expensive." MSCI world equity index fell 0.5 percent, while the FTSEurofirst 300 index lost 0.6 percent.
Emerging stocks dropped more than 0.5 percent.
STIMULUS
The Fed on Wednesday is expected to keep its benchmark Fed Funds rate unchanged at 0.25 percent, and investors are looking for signs of how quickly it might remove its extraordinary programmes to revive lending and hiring.
While any signal that the Fed might start unwinding its loose monetary policy shows the central bank is acknowledging the recovery, it could be negative for risky assets as it could fan speculation of an interest rate hike.
The Fed has pledged to buy up to $1.45 trillion of mortgage-backed securities and debt issued by government sponsored Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by end-2009.
U.S. crude oil lost more than 1 percent to $71.25 a barrel after Asia's No.1 refiner Sinopec that diesel China continued to lag economic recovery with fuel sales so far this year still below the rates seen a year ago.
The September bund future fell 15 ticks.
The dollar rose 0.5 percent against a basket of major currencies, after hitting a one-year low last week.
"We could see some consolidation after the recent fall in the U.S. dollar," said Patrick Bennett, Asian FX and rates strategist at Societe Generale in Hong Kong.
"But this is unlikely to lead to a reversal in the broad weakness we have seen in the U.S. dollar as this is a liquidity driven rally and investors are taking on more risks."
Sterling fell to a five-month low of 90.79 pence per euro after the Bank of England said the British currency's long-run sustainable exchange rate may have fallen due to an increased focus on Britain's economic imbalances following the global credit crisis.
(Additional reporting by Dominic Lau; editing by Patrick Graham)}
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/090921/business/cbusiness_us_markets_global