Hotel Terrorism – Hotel Security: How to Keep Your Family Safe

Hotel security: Is your family safe? Here’s what you need to know.

The recent terrorist attack on the Inter-Continental hotel in the Afghanistan is another reminder that hotels must be secure. You’re probably thinking that US hotels are quite safe. Don’t be so certain. While it’s unlikely that a group of terrorists will land on the roof of your hotel, what if they did? What plans, precautions has management taken to deal with hotel security emergencies of all kinds. Terrorist attacks? Fire? Evacuations?

I did an interview on this very topic with David Benton, Vice President and General Manager of the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, following the terrorist attack on a hotel in India. Little has changed. The tips and insights that David provides should be filed under: Travel Safe!

Listen and learn.

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Visit the prior hotel security post:

Travel wisely and well,

Dr. Joyce Starr

Fed Prints Profits – USG Faces Insolvency – Homeowner Mortgages Under Water

Rights Radio: Printing Money to Ease Their Pain w/ Dr. Joyce Starr. News that the Federal Reserve Bank turned an $82 billion profit by investing money it prints – and then claiming pure profit on such investments – made Wall Street giddy. Show Date: March 31, 2011.

To be accurate, the Fed doesn’t physically print the money. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 authorizes the Fed to direct the Treasury to print money. The Treasury charges the Fed 2.3 cents for each note it prints. The Fed then lends their $100 unit Federal Reserve Notes (FRN) back to the government at face value plus interest.

Listen to the show below. Click the arrow to play.

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According to a long-standing petition to dissolve the Fed, the tax payment checks you send to the IRS  are endorsed on the back as “Pay Any F.R.B. Branch or Gen. Depository for Credit U.S. Treas. This is in Payment of U.S. Oblig.” The petition contends that every dime we pay in income taxes is given to the private banking families that own the FED, tax free.

The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 created a private, for profit, central Banking Corporation owned by a cartel of private banks, including the former Lehman Brothers, Goldman, Sachs and the Rockefeller families of New York. The Federal Reserve is not a federal agency, has no reserves and doesn’t pay taxes.

In fact, the FED is the only for-profit corporation that is exempt from both federal and state taxes. The FED takes in about one trillion dollars per year tax free. According to the petition, banking families that own the Fed above receive all that money. “To add insult to injury, the government has to create a bond for $1 million as security for the loan. And the rich get richer. The above was just an example, because in reality the FED does not even print the money; it’s just a computer entry in their accounting system. To put this on a more personal level, let’s use another example.”

The US Government is on the verge of insolvency – Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher.

Despite the money printing machine – or because of it – one candid Fed president admitted on March 22, 2011 that the US Government is on the verge of insolvency. What does insolvency mean? “If nobody will take your checks any more, you’re insolvent.”

The United States is on a fiscal path towards insolvency and policymakers are at a “tipping point,” a Federal Reserve official said on Tuesday. “If we continue down on the path on which the fiscal authorities put us, we will become insolvent, the question is when,” Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher said in a question and answer session after delivering a speech at the University of Frankfurt. “The short-term negotiations are very important, I look at this as a tipping point.” But he added he was confident in the Americans’ ability to take the right decisions and said the country would avoid insolvency.”I think we are at the beginning of the process and it’s going to be very painful,” he added. ~ NYT

Talk about double-speak. Fisher also said the US economic recovery is gathering momentum.  Tell that to struggling homeowners.

A trillion dollars of mortgage debt is under water, but homeowners can’t print money to erase their pain – and they’re definitely not giddy.

All 50 state attorneys general are pushing for a foreclosure abuse settlement that could cost mortgage servicing banks $20 billion or more, (the Fed will probably “re-fund” their money). A substantial amount will be earmarked to reduce principal owed by homeowners facing foreclosure. The question is: Which category of borrowers?

What about underwater borrowers who have a job, paid on time and honored their obligations? Tough luck. The criteria for proving that you deserve a reduction in principle is nearly impossible to meet. One married couple that applied has a combined income of roughly $60k, both have stable jobs, have no other debt to speak of, but are underwater on their mortgage. Their bank has subjected them to paper submission torture several times over. Depending on the submission, either they earned too much or too little, owed too much or not enough. They’ve given up and hope for a short sale.

Your chances for a principle or interest reduction are relatively bleak if you continue to pay the mortgage you can’t afford. However, if you jumped at a Bank of America or Wells Fargo offer to stop paying your mortgage in order to qualify for the reduction – and then they reject you – you’ll lose your home even faster.

Bank of America states that more than 800,000 mortgages were modified in the last three years. And what about the millions of underwater mortgages that were not modified?

The modification program created by the Obama administration (HAMP), helped far fewer borrowers than planned. Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to kill the program in mid-March.

Meanwhile – Back at the Bank: Bank of America is getting richer by billions. “As the huge volume of loan losses recedes and the economy improves, Mr. Moynihan (Bank of America) said his company had the power to earn $35 billion to $40 billion a year. Bank of America lost $2.2 billion in 2010, weighed down by special charges and the lingering effects of the housing bust and the recession on consumers.”

What a surprise. The NYT revealed on March 31, 2011 that:

The Federal Reserve recently gave the all-clear for several banks to increase dividends and expand share buybacks, among them JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. That’s good news, at least in the short run for bank investors, but it is a dubious development for everyone else.

The dividend-boosting banks that were too big to fail before the crisis are even bigger now, while reforms to rein them in are under political attack even before they have been implemented. Sheer size and inadequate regulation — the combination that led to the crisis — argue for banks to use their earnings to build bigger capital cushions, not to pay dividends and repurchase shares.

Yet Fed officials have concluded that many banks are safe and sound enough to pay out cash and still withstand a severe shock should one occur again. It’s hard to share their confidence. Before it approved new dividends, the Fed required banks to test their crisis-readiness against several criteria, like elevated unemployment, but it did not release detailed results of the tests. Public data do not inspire confidence either. There is much debate over whether banks are valuing their mortgage assets correctly, and, by extension, whether they are adequately capitalized.

Do you think homeowners with underwater mortgages should receive more help from the banks – even if they can continue to pay?  What should be the cut-off? We welcome your thoughts.

To your next tax-free trillion!

Dr. Joyce Starr

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Foreclosure & Mortgage Crisis: How to Stop the foreclosure process

Topic: How to stop the foreclosure process. How to obtain a new mortgage at the best price. There are over 2100 foreclosures daily across America. Who is responsible for this crisis? What if you’re unable to make your mortgage payments on time? What if you can’t pay your condo or HOA fees …

Mortgage Modification – How Banks Take Homeowners for a Ride

Mortgage Modification. More like Mortgage Mortification. Here’s a true story. My friend Sue lost her primary source of income in early 2009 with one day’s notice. That’s when she decided to apply for mortgage modification assistance through her bank – Wells Fargo/Wachovia. Show Date: June 17, 2010 w/ . .

Seeking Safe Harbor – Your Life’s Journey, Life Quest by V. Hector Rodriguez

Safe Harbor echoes the values of a vanishing generation – an era when cause and purpose were more important than money. An inspirational poem by Victor Hector Rodriguez (Washington, D.C.) on the universal quest for heroic challenges, feats, answers and…love. Show Date: March 17, 2011.

“A great poem [poet] can move you, shake you and remind you what
it is to be human.” ~ Oprah

Victor Hector Rodriguez, an institution builder, dedicated his life to the empowerment of Latinos in the United States by developing participatory organizations and leadership projects. He also ran for  the D.C. City Council three times – unsuccessful, but unbowed. An astute businessman, entrepreneur and person of immense heart, he’s written hundreds of poems for loved ones and friends over the years. We urge him to bring his words to the world at large.

You may hear your own inner voice through his art – and perhaps return home from a long journey.

I found his poem tucked between treasured papers, along with handwritten notes from my mom. When I reread it, I felt a positive arrow piercing my heart, one that carried the message: This poem can bring comfort in our challenging and troubled times.

“Swept away was my soul
on this voyage across time,
to strange and fascinating places
I would roam;
in search of life’s true meaning
so far away from home…”

I hope you will enjoy our YouTube Video. Readers and listeners can contact the author: rcomnet1 at aol.com

Are you a gifted writer/author? Please visit StarrPublishing.com for more about our book coaching services. Or phone 786.693.4223 to speak with me directly.

~ To your spiritual journey!

Dr. Joyce Starr

Credit Report “How to” + Backstory: Explaining Your Negative Credit Score

RightsRadio.com: Credit Report + How to + Your Backstory: Most people assume that banks and auto lenders don’t care about your credit report “backstory” – reason(s) for your low score. My guest, credit report expert Joe Stallard, explains why and when they do. Show Date: February 17, 2011.

Joe shares a story about a client who lost several rental homes and cars due to a case of mistaken identity – but it’s definitely not what you think. Listen and enjoy.

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Interview highlights: How a good financial manager can use your credit history backstory to reverse an initial credit rejection.

“A really good financial manager – whether auto or mortgage  – will typically be the person who pulls your credit file and examines it. The job of a good credit manager is to explore those issues with you.

“A young man visited us at the car dealership. He had filed for bankruptcy, but we noticed that he had good credit two years prior to filing. He lost a couple of mortgages/houses to foreclosure and 3 vehicles were repossessed. We realized that there must have been an event. We told him that the banks need to know what happened to you – your story.

He said it was a case of mistaken identity.

“That piqued our interest. We said, ‘What do you mean by mistaken identity?’ He responded: ‘I was mistaken for someone else and shot 5 times. While  in the hospital, I lost my homes and my vehicles.’

“This was  confirmed by over 100k in medical bills. The bank said it didn’t want anything to do with him. We replied, ‘You need to hear his story.’

“The bank finally said, OK, we will do the deal with at least 5k down. It wasn’t a problem. He was a tradesman in the construction industry and was good at what he did. He was able to get his new truck, his credit on track, bought another house and wiped out the issues that plagued his credit history.

“Most people think that the banks don’t care about your backstory. They do, but someone must advocate on your behalf and tell them what happened. Unless they know there is a backstory, they will look at a deficient credit report and reject it out of hand.

“Here’s the key: We waited for the bank’s turn-down. At that point, we knew which credit analyst was looking at the submission, contacted him, explained the backstory, and the decision was turned around.

“If you’re applying for credit, particularly with car dealerships, your initial contact will be the financial manager at the car dealership. While some are lazy and will drop it from the start, others  will go the extra step and try to convince the bank that this is a contract worth considering. Finding yourself a good dealership who is ready to be your advocate is an important issue.

“It’s based on relationships – do I want to do business with these people? In the mortgage industry, you’re still dealing with a point person. It may be the loan person at the bank or at the mortgage company. There should be one person you can talk to directly. They want to put the deal together and are looking for reasons. You need to have a good backstory.

To your credit!

Dr. Joyce Starr

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Bank Overdrafts: Outrageous Bank Overdraft Fees & Practices – How to Prevent Excessive Overdraft Fees

The Rights Radio Self Help Hour features outrageous bank overdraft fees. Consumers are being raked over the coals by overdraft rates and by the reordering of debits to increase fees. Show Date: April 9, 2009 Rights Radio financial guru Joe Stallard joins me in identifying ways to prevent or reduce exorbitant …

Credit Guru Joe Stallard: How to Repair Your Credit

Rights Radio.com features credit guru Joe Stallard: Lifting the shroud of secrecy on credit issues, credit repair, credit bureaus and how you can raise your credit score. Following a career spanning some 15 years in financial services, Joe Stallard has gained valuable insights into the inner workings of the credit …

Condo Mold – Condo Boards – Condo Neighbors – Condo Insurance

Dr. Joyce Starr on Mold in Your Condo Kitchen, Bathroom  & Unit. Condo boards, condo managers, condo neighbors, condo insurance. Show Date: December 9, 2010.

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Condo Shower: I turned off the shower, but the water kept dripping. How could that be? It was a new shower head, tightly installed. I looked up. To my horror, the ceiling looked like a cow’s udder – a big sack of water threatening to explode. I envisioned sackfuls of water pouring into my bathroom and possibly to the units below.

Although this happened on a Sunday, I called the building engineer, who, to his great credit, arrived within 45 minutes. He pricked the sack and out flowed a bucket of water. I asked him to cut away the sack – a thin layer of paint – so that we could determine the cause. To my shock and horror, a circular area was covered with black mold. He soon learned that the upstairs neighbor had cracks in her shower pan, which damaged a pipe underneath the pan and thus resulted in leaks and mold.

According to our Continental property manager, the 5-foot vertical pipe underneath the pan is the owner’s responsibility – which makes it an owner-to-owner dispute.

The property manager refused to visit my unit to assess the damage first hand – perhaps fearing exposure to the mold – although she did urge the owner to fix it. She also refused to provide the last name of the owner (who resides in New York), stating that the owner did not want her contact details revealed. It’s fairly difficult to contact an owner without a name, let alone an address. The owner has a tenant, who might decide to use the leaking shower. If so, further damage to my unit is guaranteed.

My ceiling cannot be repaired until she fixes the problem at her end. Therefore, it’s obvious that the two parties must be in touch. Can a property manager protect the interests of one owner (literally) above another? And to what purpose?

Lesson 1: Check your shower pan for cracks – before you destroy you neighbor’s unit below. Lesson 2: If your condo bathroom ceiling is leaking – even tiny drops of water – don’t ignore it. Lesson 3: Check your documents regarding vertical and horizontal pipes. Lesson 5: If the property manager refuses to visit a damaged unit and/or refuses to provide the last name of the owner to the victim, this may be a sign of much bigger problems ahead – with your property management company.

It wasn’t the first time we discovered mold in my unit. Three years earlier, a pipe burst in behind one kitchen wall and on another occasion, the boiler backed up on the roof. Water sprayed from my kitchen ceiling, showering the walls.

The cracked shower pan and mold were my neighbor’s responsibility, and she quickly agreed to pay for remediation (or so I thought). The first week dragged into a second, then a third…while she dragged her feet. She didn’t have home insurance and wasn’t eager to spend the money – including the required city permit to make alternations in her bathroom.

I understood her financial dilemma, but meanwhile the mold continues threatening my health/life and unit.  My insurance company stepped in months earlier. A second claim in one year could result in cancellation of my policy.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? A burst vertical pipe or backed up boiler is the condo’s responsibility. Here’s the rub. The condo is only responsible for outer dry-walls, which they eventually replaced. But inside walls – those pesky walls holding up your kitchen cabinets, are your responsibility if you live in a condo.

Condo Insurance Companies: The condo insurance representatives assured me that my kitchen walls were dry, and there was no mold. I insisted they were wrong. I could smell and sense the mold. It was a stand-off. My insurance company also sent an adjuster, who determined that there was no lasting water damage and thus no mold.

The only way to get to the truth was to remove the cabinets. But it was physically impossible to remove just one cabinet. All had to be replaced – or none. Who wants to launch a kitchen remodeling project during a recession? It was a difficult decision – and process.

I finally removed the cabinets at my own expense.

How do I describe the wall to wall canvas of black mold that emerged? The engineer and property manager were shocked. Consider: The mold wasn’t sticking around my apartment. It also threatened units above and below. Within two days, the same condo insurance fellow returned. He was visibly embarrassed, but said little. So much for those humidity testers insurance adjusters carry around in their pockets. After several calls and emails, my insurance company agreed to reopen my case. They sent a new adjuster, and he too was taken aback by the mold.

I’m convinced that my health was protected by four dollar tree plants that remained in the kitchen throughout this 3-year period. Whenever I tried to move them to a sunnier area in the living room, they looked sad and wilted. Why would plants prefer a windowless kitchen? It was beyond me, but that’s where they remained. While they hardly grew, once the mold was removed, the plants sprouted to twice their size. If only plants could speak. Were they shielding me?

Lesson 6: Don’t believe what insurance adjusters tell you. If you think you might have mold behind your kitchen walls, remove a cabinet or two to find out – if possible. Your health and life could depend on it. Lesson 4: Be prepared for a very long and trying ordeal. I suffered from mold in the kitchen for 3 years because the adjusters didn’t do their job – or perhaps they did their job, meaning found a way not to pay.

Lesson 7: If you’re suffering from mold, surround yourself with plants. Lesson 8: Listen to your plants when condo insurance experts insist that there’s no mold.

Please add your stories and comments.

Dr. Joyce Starr

American Eagle with Injured Left & Right Wings: A Parable w/ Russell Crowe

American Eagle with Injured Left & Right Wings by Dr. Joyce Starr. Show Date: October 28, 2010. “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary.” — Isaiah, 40:31

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Poor American Eagle. He flew over a US military base and was caught in a hail of friendly fire.

A farmer in Kansas found the Eagle in his barn, struggling with horrific wounds to his left wing. The right wing was in better shape, but growing weaker by the day from internal injuries.

Amazingly, it was the same Kansas farm – foreclosed, bought, then foreclosed again (and again) – where Superman grew up and where Dorothy flew off to the Land of Oz.

How the Eagle arrived in Kansas was a mystery. Most had long forgotten about Kansas, once the heartland of the nation.

Now the nation no longer required a heart. Wall Street Titans had the best hearts that money could buy, while the middle class and poor had lost heart – along with their homes, jobs and economic security.

The farmer was dirt poor, yet tenderly transported the injured bird to the Eagle emergency ward in his 1998 Ford Pick Up Truck – purchased long before cars became trucks and trucks morphed into tanks catering to teenage girls and young moms with cell phone earrings.

Unfortunately, the farmer’s insurance company had recently raised his rates by 38 percent, and he couldn’t afford to pay.

He would gladly have put the Eagle’s medical bill on his small business credit card – the one he never left home without – but American Express had jacked up interest rates on all small business owners across the board. When the farmer couldn’t handle the exorbitant increase, American Express froze his card.

Sadly, if American Express hadn’t clipped his credit wings and/or the government hadn’t turned a blind eye while US health insurance companies increased their rates, the Eagle might have flown again.

But the Eagle was left limping for the rest of his life – certainly no match for a Chinese Dragon.

The farmer returned home with the injured Eagle, built him a box in a corner of the barn and shared the morsels of food he could still afford to grow.

All the while, Russell Crowe, alias The Gladiator, was bent on saving everything he cared about in 3 days. If only the American President had been able to save the American people in 730 days – his first two years in office! (Where where was Russell when we needed him most?)

Truth be told, the President didn’t notice that the Eagle was missing. He was too busy rebuilding the Land of Oz in Washington, D.C., a triumph of human ingenuity if ever there was one, where the other crow – not the Eagle – would prevail. Washington crows were growing stronger and more aggressive every day. They’d taken over the skies, had their own rules and special laws for the neighborhoods they controlled – building their nests deep in the roofs of the nicest homes and condos in the city. Indeed, the crows were settling in, growing comfortable. They didn’t have to go far for food or water.

As for the Eagle, he was a very sad bird indeed. While he deeply appreciated the farmer’s kindness, now he had no job, no reputation to uphold, and would never soar again. Much as he prayed nightly, the Eagle knew that he was no longer who he was. A proud national bird that put the rest of the world in awe. Instead, he would be forever dependent on others for shelter, protection and food in his dark little corner of the barn.

Fleeting moments of joy would come from a rare glimpse of the sky, only to shatter his heart when an arrogant (crowing) crow flew by.

An Eagle that loses its past will never regain its future.

“I want to fly like an eagle til I’m free. Fly like an eagle, let my spirit carry me.” — Steve Miller Band, 1976

“And I will raise you up on eagle’s wings” — Old Hymn

Don’t let them clip your wings!

Dr. Joyce Starr

Wall Street vs Main Street: Greatest Wealth Heist in US History

The stock market was on an upward trajectory from the end of August through mid-October, 2010, with nary a breather. In good times, the rocket ascent might have raised a few eyebrows. In bad economic times – and in advance of the November elections – it’s downright suspicious. Join Dr. Joyce Starr on Wall Street vs Main Street. Show Date: October 14, 2010.

Listen to the show – read the full post below:

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The market may have hit a high point on October 13, 2010 – only time will tell.

Yet, we know that 70 billion dollars was drawn out of US mutual funds in September, 2010 – further proof that Wall Street no longer needs investors to push the market higher. We also know that nearly 70 percent of trading is now done by high-speed computers relying on complex algorithms.

So-called “surprise” news of a sharp rise in food and energy prices (what a shock), plus a  20.6 percent rise over the past year in the US trade deficit with China, gives Wall Street players an excellent entry point to short the market. Never mind those enticed to buy in at the top.

Just as major US companies no longer need US workers to sustain and increase their profits (40 percent of their profits come from overseas markets), Wall Street has freed itself of “little guy” investors. Market players can force the market higher with a mere touch of a button – while pulling out their cash and forcing shorts to cover – which pushes it up even further. We’ve all seen this picture before.

For those who still have retirement savings in the market, the upward momentum of the past few months was a big relief. But don’t get too comfy…or grateful.

Wall Street players received 144 billion in bonuses for the greatest con in American history – “convincing” Main Street to bail out their companies. Now they’re playing the market like their own private pin ball machine – perhaps even assisted or directed by the highly secretive US Government Plunge Protection Team. We’ll never know.

Wall Street pundits also insist that US corporations are sitting on “trillions” in cash, just waiting to reinvest in research and jobs. Oh really?

The lure of “trillions of dollars” has a familiar echo. Pundits insisted that there were trillions of dollars in investor cash waiting on the sidelines only days before the market crash of 2000. Using numbers so large, who can contest it? How does anyone know precisely how much cash is hidden in corporate coffers – or how they plan to spend it? Which corporations exactly?

While the Wall Street cup runneth over, a portion of the long-term and under-reported unemployed may never work at “real” jobs again – and don’t have sufficient resources to start their own businesses or go back to school.

Approximately 48 million Americans depend on food stamps, the number of homeless in many cities has doubled in the past year and 1 in 5 Americans are facing foreclosure or are upside down in their mortgages. Yet, 72,000 stimulus checks worth $18 million dollars were sent to deceased individuals.

Wall Street received mega-billions for pulling off the greatest economic heist in American history – obliterating the wealth of Main Street – with the complicity of two presidents and the US Congress.

Now think about that 144 billion dollars in Wall Street bailout bonuses and the shibboleth that if talented types didn’t get their fat raises, they would exit for another Wall Street firm. Or the 183 billion in our money to save insurance giant AIG. Yet, who is saving one American after another from economic ruin?

When President Obama declared on October 12, 2010 that he would not support a moratorium on foreclosures – thus trapping a greater number of homeowners in a downward spiral – Wall Street sent the market higher.

Compare that to Chile’s expenditure of $30 million to rescue the miners trapped beneath the earth – one million per miner. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera put his presidency on the line, proof that the lives of his citizens mattered more to him than money. Wish it were so here. God Bless the President of Chile for reminding us that true leaders protect their people.

When President Pinara thanked numerous presidents and prime ministers for phoning him during the crisis, one name was unmistakeably absent.  Need I say?

To the American people…

Dr. Joyce Starr

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