Commze

With foreclosures headlining the news, most people feel the urge to stuff the mattress with cash and save, save, save. There’s nothing wrong with saving (we’ll leave the discussion about stuffing mattresses with money at a later date), but it’s important to realize that with prices at all-time lows, now is also the best time to invest - if you have the money.

If you install a pool in your backyard or put marble in the kitchens, then you’re sure to increase the value of your home. (My recent upgrade was wooden cornices that I had installed from Next Day Blinds. They are beautifully hand crafted.) You’re adding custom features that make the inside more valuable to potential purchasers. But if you’re not looking to sell your home at the moment, then those would definitely fall under the long-term investment category.

Investing in your home can have both short term, and a long term benefits. By taking a look at where you spend the most energy in your home, remodeling can not only improve the aesthetics of your living space, but also help save some money in the short term. Check your appliances - are any of them over 10 years old and do they not carry an Energy Star symbol for energy efficiency? Every time you run the dishwasher or the dryer, these appliances may be sucking up unnecessary electricity or water. A really simple way to save on electricity is to just use more natural light. If you find curtains too cumbersome, blinds and shades make adjusting the light in the room much easier. If you need quick service, Next Day Blinds can get your new window coverings to you by the next day.

Maintaining motivation can be difficult when it feels like the world is against you. Positivity seems like a far-fetched idea when the struggle of day to day pressures drag you down. Liberty League International is a company dedicated to helping individuals find success in their personal and business lives. The key to their message is that change is possible and that personal wealth can be achieved with simply adjusting your outlook on life.

To encourage the ambition that resides in all of us, be it dormant or defeated, Liberty League designed  Beyond Freedom. The at-home, self-improvement program provides you with the tools to take hold of your dreams and gain supreme wealth in all areas of life. Beyond Freedom keeps you on track to achieve your goals, and helps correct the behaviors and habits that hinder your ability to make the most of everyday.

Drive and motivation may be hard to incorporate into everyday life, but only if you allow life’s stresses to control your outlook. Setting a goal for yourself, staying focused and working hard to achieve your dreams is the ultimate key to unlocking the freedom within.

U.S. stocks fell, capping a second monthly drop for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, after economic growth trailed forecasts, jobless claims rose to a five-year high and Exxon Mobil Corp.’s profit missed analysts’ estimates.

“The data put the market on notice that the economy is slowing,” said Quincy Krosby, who helps manage $380 billion as chief investment strategist at the Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut. “It’s not equity friendly.”

Caterpillar Inc., Boeing Co. and Walt Disney Co. led the retreat after the Commerce Department said the economy grew at a 1.9 percent rate last quarter and contracted at the end of 2007. Exxon Mobil fell, extending the worst monthly slump for S&P 500 energy companies since at least 1989, after declining production slowed earnings growth. Benchmark indexes extended their tumble late in the day as former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the housing slump will worsen.  Read more…

In the midst of recession speculations on Wall Street, US Commerce Secretary, Carlos Guierrez stays optimistic of the country’s overall economic health. This claim is hard to believe considering all the contradictory evidence and rumblings of a recession.

Gutierrez pointed to rising wages, an increase in the total amount of hours worked, growing exports and unemployment that remains below the 30-year average as all signs the economy is still strong.

“I look at the facts,” he said in an interview Friday with CNNMoney.com. “There are some very positive sides to the U.S. economy, the challenge is to keep it going.”

Despite all of the economic problems, venture capital companies, like Arthur Trueger’s BerkeleyVC, seem to be finding plenty of start up tech companies in which to invest. That could be because of the always growing technology capabilities and the companies that provide and develop them. To read more on this story go to CNN, to read more about Arthur Trueger and venture capital news visit Arthur Trueger’s blog.