Scott's Dollars and Sense

I was told yesterday, that I am different than most Loan Officers, by a Realtor I have done business with in the past. I was at a local restaurant and walked over to say hello to some old restaurant customers I used to work at in the 90's. We were exchanging events of our past, and remembering the good ol times.

They then informed me they have sold their home, and were looking for a new one in the Goshen area of CT.

I informed them that I would love the opportunity to assist them financially and they called me a week later. I took the application, and called them back 15 minutes later as they were driving home to inform them they had been approved. They were so impressed they called their Realtor who then called me. I was shocked, the Realtor was also someone I knew but had lost contact with sometime in 2000.  

The Realtor and I set an appointment for yesterday to have lunch at which point I referred 10 people to her. The look on her face was priceless. Shocked and grateful all in one. She had 2 referrals for me also, but was shocked that I actually had that many people that wanted to buy or sell in what the media has presented as a BAD Market.

We made plans to meet next week and are talking over several ideas of advertising together as a Team. I'll let you all know how it goes, and what we decided to do for our marketing campaign.

Date

Attorney

Address

City, State Zip

Dear     :

As an attorney, your clients have come to rely on your guidance on issues that affect their daily lives and long-term goals.  As they prepare for retirement, many clients have concerns that often include the added stress of meeting financial obligations.

Reverse mortgage products are for homeowners who are at least 62 years of age, enabling them to access the equity in their homes.  They may use the loan proceeds however they would like; such as for medical expenses, home modifications, or to increase monthly cash flow.  Reverse mortgages are non-recourse loans which means neither the borrowers nor their heirs will owe more than the appraised value of the home at the time the loan matures.  The loan does not become due until the last borrower no longer occupies the home as their primary residence for a consecutive twelve month period.

A reverse mortgage provides a source of funds for financial obligations and opportunities such as:

Long Term Care Expense        Supplemental Monthly Income                        Estate Expenses

Medical Expenses                    Travel                                                  Line of Credit

Insurance Products                  Funding Trusts                                     Home Modifications

Since there are misconceptions amongst customers regarding reverse mortgages, Countrywide is working with attorneys to help them understand the facts about this innovative financial product and how it may benefit seniors.

As a Reverse Mortgage Loan Consultant, my expertise and experience is specific to the senior community and I look forward to helping you assist your clients in determining if a reverse mortgage could help them achieve their retirement goals.  Please feel free to contact me at (203) 270 6252or by email at Scott_Blanchard@sbcglobal.net I look forward to sharing this valuable information with you and your colleagues.

Sincerely,

Scott Blanchard

Loan Officer

December 12, 2007

Paul Doe

1 Square Dr Suite 110

Stamford, CT 06901

Dear Paul,

As a financial professional, your clients have come to rely on your guidance regarding financial issues that affect their daily lives and long-term goals.  As they prepare for retirement, many clients have concerns regarding the availability of funds for daily expenses, medical expenses and many other concerns related to their long term planning goals. 

Reverse mortgage products are for homeowners who are at least 62 years of age, enabling them to access the equity in their homes.  They may use the loan proceeds however they would like; such as for medical expenses, home modifications, or to increase monthly cash flow.  Reverse mortgages are non-recourse loans which means neither the borrowers nor their heirs will owe more than the appraised value of the home at the time the loan matures.  The loan does not become due until the last borrower no longer occupies the home as their primary residence for a consecutive twelve month period.

A reverse mortgage provides a source of funds for financial obligations and opportunities such as:

Long Term Care Expense        Supplemental Monthly Income                        Estate Expenses

Medical Expenses                    Travel                                                  Line of Credit

Insurance Products                  Funding Trusts                                     Home Modifications

Since there are misconceptions amongst customers regarding reverse mortgages, Countrywide is working with financial professionals to help them understand the facts about this innovative financial product and how it may benefit seniors.

As a Reverse Mortgage Loan Consultant, my expertise and experience is specific to the senior community and I look forward to helping you assist your clients in determining if a reverse mortgage could help them achieve their retirement goals.  Please feel free to contact me at (203) 270 6252 or by email at Scott_Blanchard@sbcglobal.net

I look forward to sharing this valuable information with you and your colleagues.

Sincerely,

Scott Blanchard

Loan Officer

Reverse Mortgage Specialist

Dear     :

As a healthcare professional, your clients have come to rely on your guidance regarding personal issues that affect their daily lives and long term goals.  As they prepare for retirement, many seniors have additional concerns regarding their ability to meet healthcare expenses.  With the increasing costs of healthcare and prescription medication, they may not seek the medical care they need in order to maintain their health due to financial limitations or concerns.

Reverse mortgage products are for homeowners who are at least 62 years of age, enabling them to access the equity in their homes.  They may use the loan proceeds however they would like; such as for medical expenses, home modifications, or to increase monthly cash flow.  Reverse mortgages are non-recourse loans which means neither the borrowers nor their heirs will owe more than the appraised value of the home at the time the loan matures.  The loan does not become due until the last borrower no longer occupies the home as their primary residence for a consecutive twelve month period.

As a Reverse Mortgage Loan Consultant, my expertise and experience is specific to the senior community.  I look forward to helping you assist your clients in determining if a reverse mortgage could help them with a source of funds for accessing the quality healthcare services they deserve.

Please feel free to contact me at 203 270 6252 or by email at Scott_Blanchard@sbcglobal.net.  I look forward to sharing this valuable information with you and your colleagues.

Sincerely,

Scott Blanchard

Loan Officer

Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rate Three-Quarters of a Point to Try to Head Off Recession

This was a big surprise when I came into work this morning. The next few days will be crazy for the stock market. I am taking the article I was emailed and copying it for all to see, it is from the AP.

From what I understand this may not be the only cut this month or in the future. The Fed reserve board meets on Jan. 29th, so we shall see what happens. I was told by friends in the business that another .25 drop may be possible.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve, confronted with a global stock sell-off fanned by increased fears of a recession, slashed a key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point on Tuesday and indicated further rate cuts were likely.

The surprise reduction in the federal funds rate from 4.25 down to 3.5 percent marked the biggest one-day rate move by the central bank since it cuts its discount rate by a full percentage point in December 1991, a period when the country was struggling to get out of a recession.

Analysts said the Fed will likely delay cutting rates further at its Jan. 29-30 meeting but will probably keep moving rates down aggressively as the economy continues to weaken.

"This move is not an instant fix," said Ian Shepherdson, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. "The economy is still staring recession in the face, but at least the Fed now gets it."

In addition to cutting the funds rate, the Fed said it was reducing its discount rate, the interest it charges to make direct loans to banks, by a similar three-quarters of a percentage point, pushing this rate down to 4 percent.

Commercial banks responded to the Fed's action on the funds rate by announcing similar cuts of three-quarter of a percent on its prime lending rate, the benchmark for millions of business and consumer loans. The action will mean the prime lending rate will drop from 7.25 percent down to 6.50 percent.

The Fed action was the most dramatic signal it can send that it is concerned about a potential recession in the United States.

The Fed decision was taken during an emergency telephone conference with Fed officials on Monday night. Those discussions occurred after global financial markets had plunged Monday as investors grew more concerned about the possibility that the United States, the world's largest economy, could be headed into a recession.

In a brief statement, the Fed said it had decided to cut the federal funds rate "in view of a weakening of the economic outlook and increasing downside risks to growth."

The central bank said that the strains in short-term funding markets have eased a bit, but "broader financial market conditions have continued to deteriorate and credit has tightened further for some businesses and households. Moreover, incoming information indicates a deepening of the housing contraction as well as some softening in labor markets."

The move caught financial markets by surprise. Many had expected the central bank would wait until its meeting next week to make any move in interest rates. The Fed made the move before markets had opened in the United States, hoping that the bold move would limit the decline in U.S. stocks.

Before Tuesday's move, the Fed had cut interest rates three times, beginning in September, the month after a severe credit crunch had roiled Wall Street and global financial markets. The Fed cut the funds rate by a half-point in September and then by smaller quarter-point moves in October and December.

In its statement, the Fed said, that "appreciable downside risks to growth remain" and held out the prospect of further rate cuts.

"The committee will continue to assess the effects of financial and other developments on economic prospects and will act in a timely manner as needed to address those risk," the Fed statement said.

The Fed's action was approved on an 8-1 vote with William Poole, president the Fed's regional bank, dissenting. The statement said that Poole objected because he did not believe current conditions justified a rate move before the Fed's meeting next week.

 It is a matter of history that when Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight Eisenhower, found the victims of the death camps he ordered all possible photographs to be taken, and for the German people from surrounding villages to be ushered through the camps and even made to bury the dead. > He did this because he said in words to this effect: "Get it all on record now - get the films - get the witnesses - because somewhere down the track of history some bastard will get up and say that this never happened" 
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." 

 Edmund Burke 
In Memorial

This week, the UK removed The Holocaust from its school curriculum because it "offended" the Muslim population which claims it never occurred. This is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and how easily each country is giving into it. 
 
It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended. 
This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the 

 Six million Jews, 
20 million Russians, 
10 million Christians 
And 1,900 Catholic priests 
 
Who were murdered, massacred, raped, burned, starved and humiliated while the German and Russian peoples looked the other way! 
 
Now, more than ever, with Iran, among others, claiming the Holocaust to be "a myth," it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets. 
This e-mail is intended to reach 40 million people worldwide! 
 
Be a link in the memorial chain and help distribute this around the world. 
 
How many years will it be before the attack on the World Trade Center "never happened" because it offends some Muslim in the U.S.?

All too rarely, airline attendants make an effort to make the in flight "safety lecture" and announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:

1. On a Southwest flight 245 (SW has no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"

2. On a Continental Flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."
 
3. On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have.

4. "There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane"

5. "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

6. As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Ronald Reagan, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella, WHOA!"

7. After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."

8. From a Southwest Airlines employee: "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight 245 to Tampa .. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."

9. "In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."

10. "Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines."
11. "Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; and, in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."

12. "As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."

13. And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Delta Airlines is pleased to have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

14. Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very hard landing in Salt Lake City the flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

15. Overheard on an American Airlines flight into Amarillo , Texas , on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo . Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate! 

16. Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

17. An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline." He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment.
Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?" "Why, no, Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"

18. After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix , the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we'll open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."

19. Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of US Airways."

20. Heard on a Southwest Airline flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing and if you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."

21. A plane was taking off from Kennedy Airport . After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from New York to Los Angeles . The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax.. OH, MY GOD!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!" A passenger in Coach yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!"

This is interesting. .

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people ! to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings.

DO YOU KNOW.. the difference between margarine and butter?

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few
only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine..

Very high in trans fatty acids.

Triple risk of coronary heart disease
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.

Lowers quality of breast milk.

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC..

This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic Would you! melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?