Ok, so back in 2007 I was told about this company called Prosper that would REVOLUTIONIZE the way we do banking. It would be the eBay for loans. I signed up and took out a $1000 loan. I also loaned money to two different people.
One of the main ideas of this site was that people would be less likely to default on loans made to them by other "real people" instead of an insured bank. Guess what... that did not pan out. I had one guy not pay quite a few time but he is back up. The one that bugs me is the professional looking ad that had all the right credentials and was supposed to just be a "bridge loan" and then they pay for part of a year and bam, bankruptcy!
Ok, so... I have religiously made payments, Even through their "quiet period" (check the internet for the full story on that but it was scary). I have delayed making the payoff just so it shows on my credit that I have made the payments, I have very little left on the loan. I applied for another Prosper loan and they say I dropped too many points from my last loan to give me a new one. So I call up and am told that my credit is excellent except I have not paid off the last loan... WHAT!!!!! So now if I pay off this current Prosper loan I still would have to wait 30 days to even apply for another one... Guess what moron Prosper, I need the money to buy a car and the car will not be there a month from now.
This is my LAST loan through Prosper and I am going to make sure and tell EVERYONE to avoid this place like the plague. If you loan out money to Prosper expect to get screwed out of half of it, if you borrow, expect Prosper to screw up your credit.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, March 08, 2010
ANOTHER letter to Mike Rogers - Health care reform
Mike
I read your latest information pack on Health Care reform and I was disappointed to see a couple things missing. One would be opening up Health care to Co-Op type companies. This worked great for banks and it has worked for certain colleges that have tried it (Check with Northwood University). This would be a great tie in with Health Care Savings Accounts. Speaking of which the current Health Care Spending accounts the government sponsors is ridiculous. You can put money into this account tax free but if you do not spend it all you lose it??? Why is the insurance companies being blamed for blowing money when this program penalizes you for not spending all your savings. Shouldn't someone be rewarded for not blowing all their money on this? My suggestion is to expand the Health Care Savings program to encompass the Health Care Spending Account and allow people to keep their money year after year.
I read your latest information pack on Health Care reform and I was disappointed to see a couple things missing. One would be opening up Health care to Co-Op type companies. This worked great for banks and it has worked for certain colleges that have tried it (Check with Northwood University). This would be a great tie in with Health Care Savings Accounts. Speaking of which the current Health Care Spending accounts the government sponsors is ridiculous. You can put money into this account tax free but if you do not spend it all you lose it??? Why is the insurance companies being blamed for blowing money when this program penalizes you for not spending all your savings. Shouldn't someone be rewarded for not blowing all their money on this? My suggestion is to expand the Health Care Savings program to encompass the Health Care Spending Account and allow people to keep their money year after year.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
What is Happening to Windows 7? - my reponse
Please read the Article named "What is Happening to Windows 7?" at PC Mag. What follows here is my response. I would have responded there but hey, 8 pages of other peoples responses AND I would have had to register at one more website that could send me spam... In the middle of his article he mentions "If programs were self contained within a single folder that could be transported from machine to machine without the need to re-install the entire program, none of this upgrade malaise would be a problem." and that caught my attention and prompted this response..
My Response...
Hmmm, an OS that you can carry from computer to computer and have all your needed programs and no worries about a registry???? Sounds like PUPPY LINUX to me. Super fast and runs on anything from a USB stick. Wonder why a big company like MS cannot make an OS that runs as fast as Puppy? Why must I use over 5 gigabytes just for the "base" that programs are supposed to run in? Puppy runs in the RAM!!! Yes, the RAM, not the hard drive. So, wise readers of this article, if Puppy can do that and it ships with web browser, email clients, and a whole office suite PLUS cd/dvd/blueray burners, games, networking, etc... in just over 100 meg, why does Win7 need 6 gig to do the same thing... Oh wait, it does not do the same thing does it? I still have to buy Office to make it do the same thing. Did I mention Puppy is free??? With all the stuff in it. Ubuntu,,, is Free!! with the same stuff. Why are people spending all this money in a recession for something that is designed worse then the free stuff???
Take off the blinders people... Linux works and works FREE. AND you can add programs that allow you to still use your old Windows programs inside Linux. MS would not do that for you, it makes you use Win stuff or nothing else.
p.s. There ARE programs out there that can be taken from computer to computer without the registry issues. Check out PortableApps.com for more free programs that do NOT post to the registry. It is not all a Windows problem, it looks to be a programming problem and more people need to think small instead of bloat, thin portable instead of fixed, and think multi platform instead of monopoly.
My Response...
Hmmm, an OS that you can carry from computer to computer and have all your needed programs and no worries about a registry???? Sounds like PUPPY LINUX to me. Super fast and runs on anything from a USB stick. Wonder why a big company like MS cannot make an OS that runs as fast as Puppy? Why must I use over 5 gigabytes just for the "base" that programs are supposed to run in? Puppy runs in the RAM!!! Yes, the RAM, not the hard drive. So, wise readers of this article, if Puppy can do that and it ships with web browser, email clients, and a whole office suite PLUS cd/dvd/blueray burners, games, networking, etc... in just over 100 meg, why does Win7 need 6 gig to do the same thing... Oh wait, it does not do the same thing does it? I still have to buy Office to make it do the same thing. Did I mention Puppy is free??? With all the stuff in it. Ubuntu,,, is Free!! with the same stuff. Why are people spending all this money in a recession for something that is designed worse then the free stuff???
Take off the blinders people... Linux works and works FREE. AND you can add programs that allow you to still use your old Windows programs inside Linux. MS would not do that for you, it makes you use Win stuff or nothing else.
p.s. There ARE programs out there that can be taken from computer to computer without the registry issues. Check out PortableApps.com for more free programs that do NOT post to the registry. It is not all a Windows problem, it looks to be a programming problem and more people need to think small instead of bloat, thin portable instead of fixed, and think multi platform instead of monopoly.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
College Book Scam - ongoing
The internet is a great place to find just about anything. Even what you are NOT looking for. I happened across a page that talked about the College book scam that every text book publisher pulls and dramatically increases college costs. When you hear about tuitions going up and the rising costs of higher learning, think about the simple things... BOOKS. It was not so bad when I was going after my associates degree but when I was studying for my MBA I had a very hard time buying used books because they kept changing the revision and you HAD to buy the new one. I was working during the day, going to school at night, trying to support my wife and child on anything that was left after college costs and then these yahoos want me to buy all new books at $100 a pop???? I actually almost failed one course as I could not afford the book so I tried to get by on my notes. That would have worked IF the instructor had actually showed up once in awhile. Stupid law class instructor kept going to court during class periods - nice ethics study there... get paid for teaching and do not show up. I digress....
I am NOT a minority, I am NOT "poor", I am NOT going to get any help with my tuition or books. I had to pay for the whole shot out of my pocket and yet this seems fair to the college that I cannot buy used books to help take the edge off my costs. I really wonder what other places colleges are not helping to cut corners...
The very very sad part of my poor little tale is that I went to Northwood University and I know for a fact that Northwood does everything it can to keep expenses down unlike Government funded Universities that cost 4 times more (MSU, UofM, etc...). Northwood even uses a co-op health insurance program that it designed itself that saves the instructors on health care. Wish I could buy into it... :'(
Anyway, I wish I could do more but I did what every college student does,,, pay the fees and complain about it later... College students, complain NOW. It is your money, and technically the college is selling a service NOT doing you a favor. The government and the colleges have forgotten this but COLLEGE IS A BUSINESS and is SELLING education. That is the way it should be, they just need to be reminded of it.
Ed
I am NOT a minority, I am NOT "poor", I am NOT going to get any help with my tuition or books. I had to pay for the whole shot out of my pocket and yet this seems fair to the college that I cannot buy used books to help take the edge off my costs. I really wonder what other places colleges are not helping to cut corners...
The very very sad part of my poor little tale is that I went to Northwood University and I know for a fact that Northwood does everything it can to keep expenses down unlike Government funded Universities that cost 4 times more (MSU, UofM, etc...). Northwood even uses a co-op health insurance program that it designed itself that saves the instructors on health care. Wish I could buy into it... :'(
Anyway, I wish I could do more but I did what every college student does,,, pay the fees and complain about it later... College students, complain NOW. It is your money, and technically the college is selling a service NOT doing you a favor. The government and the colleges have forgotten this but COLLEGE IS A BUSINESS and is SELLING education. That is the way it should be, they just need to be reminded of it.
Ed
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
SAVE OUR HSA's (and our health care)-various ramblings
Once again I am writing to you about Mike Rogers...
This time he has taken up the Health Care Reform mantra and he has some good points.
The bill as approved Friday night by the Energy and Commerce Committee will almost surely eliminate our private health care system as we know it. We will be forced to accept government run health care and any benefits from our HSA (Health care Savings Account) will be thrown out the window. In other words if you have been RESPONSIBLE with your health care programs. Paid all your bills and worked hard to put your families well being first, the YOU are screwed. Now if you have not gone out and supported your family by working hard then hey, this program is for you. Of course all the hype is that "Oh My... There are people without INSURANCE !!!"... I say "SO WHAT" I have been in jobs with no health care but I was 18 and in college. That is part of growing up. Since I have gotten out of college I have worked hard and have either had a job with insurance provided or I found a way to get it. Funny how the State mandates that you "have auto insurance or you don't drive", why don't they just say you must have health insurance too and be done with it. Then people could pick and choose the right programs for themselves (Geico, Progressive, State Farm...) AND save money. Instead the Government screwed it all up by making it only tax deductible if you get it through your employer. Hey, If I am self employed or a student or working at a low end job I do not have that luxury. If the government wanted to do it right they would give tax breaks on ALL health care related expenses and drop the whole employer provided model that exists. For that matter, open up the whole 401K program too and drop Social Security !!!! If I had the 14% the Government is taking out of my pay (7% out of me and 7% from the employer which is basically out of my paycheck) I could have a whole lot more in my mutual funds then they are gonna pay me when I retire!!!
The whole thing is about RESPONSIBILITY!! The government (Democrats/Liberals) feels that you the people should not have to worry about responsibility and they will gladly do everything for you. They know that if they do, then they can control you and they have the power. If this bill passes you will now be going to work and laboring for less then half of your paycheck.
You went to school (government run) and to college (government funded), and worked hard for your grades. You went out and got a low end job and worked hard to work your way up and along the way you started a family. Now all that work, studying, labor and stress is going to pay the government to tell you what you can do with your money. After all you are NOT taking it home, you are giving over half of it (or will soon) to other people who did not go to school, did not work hard, and did not show responsibility to their nation or family. Oh BTW,,, some of those that DID go to school did not pay much for their education (I bet you did) as the money came from the government. They are also the ones who got the job you really wanted because the employer needed to be "diverse" so they could get the government off their backs. Of course you worked hard to pay for your education and you worked hard to get good grades and learn something... Too bad you did not get the job.
NOW comes the time to make yourself heard. NOW is the time to stand up and say, my money is my money, quit giving it to other people. Government is for the people by the people. "The people" is YOU, why are you getting screwed by the government.
Governments role is to protect me and my stuff, not to take my money and give it to other people. Education is nice, but I want to pay for my education, not someone else's. Health care is nice, but I want to be rewarded for keeping myself healthy not penalized by paying for some slob who has to be rescued by Jerry Springer by knocking a hole in his house to get him out. Car insurance is nice, I want to pay for MY insurance and not for someone who is driving illegally without insurance (Michigan charges 100 bucks of a $200 policy for uninsured motorists that motorcycles can not apply for...).
I was once thanked by a business for "complaining" about the service at a store/restaurant because if I had not, they would not know there is a problem. Let your reps know there is a problem, a very big problem, called government spending. Tell them to "Get out of my wallet", and start cutting into the budget. In a recession, cutting spending is the only way to go. Makes sense doesn't it??? If the country does not have money, don't spend more....
This time he has taken up the Health Care Reform mantra and he has some good points.
The bill as approved Friday night by the Energy and Commerce Committee will almost surely eliminate our private health care system as we know it. We will be forced to accept government run health care and any benefits from our HSA (Health care Savings Account) will be thrown out the window. In other words if you have been RESPONSIBLE with your health care programs. Paid all your bills and worked hard to put your families well being first, the YOU are screwed. Now if you have not gone out and supported your family by working hard then hey, this program is for you. Of course all the hype is that "Oh My... There are people without INSURANCE !!!"... I say "SO WHAT" I have been in jobs with no health care but I was 18 and in college. That is part of growing up. Since I have gotten out of college I have worked hard and have either had a job with insurance provided or I found a way to get it. Funny how the State mandates that you "have auto insurance or you don't drive", why don't they just say you must have health insurance too and be done with it. Then people could pick and choose the right programs for themselves (Geico, Progressive, State Farm...) AND save money. Instead the Government screwed it all up by making it only tax deductible if you get it through your employer. Hey, If I am self employed or a student or working at a low end job I do not have that luxury. If the government wanted to do it right they would give tax breaks on ALL health care related expenses and drop the whole employer provided model that exists. For that matter, open up the whole 401K program too and drop Social Security !!!! If I had the 14% the Government is taking out of my pay (7% out of me and 7% from the employer which is basically out of my paycheck) I could have a whole lot more in my mutual funds then they are gonna pay me when I retire!!!
The whole thing is about RESPONSIBILITY!! The government (Democrats/Liberals) feels that you the people should not have to worry about responsibility and they will gladly do everything for you. They know that if they do, then they can control you and they have the power. If this bill passes you will now be going to work and laboring for less then half of your paycheck.
You went to school (government run) and to college (government funded), and worked hard for your grades. You went out and got a low end job and worked hard to work your way up and along the way you started a family. Now all that work, studying, labor and stress is going to pay the government to tell you what you can do with your money. After all you are NOT taking it home, you are giving over half of it (or will soon) to other people who did not go to school, did not work hard, and did not show responsibility to their nation or family. Oh BTW,,, some of those that DID go to school did not pay much for their education (I bet you did) as the money came from the government. They are also the ones who got the job you really wanted because the employer needed to be "diverse" so they could get the government off their backs. Of course you worked hard to pay for your education and you worked hard to get good grades and learn something... Too bad you did not get the job.
NOW comes the time to make yourself heard. NOW is the time to stand up and say, my money is my money, quit giving it to other people. Government is for the people by the people. "The people" is YOU, why are you getting screwed by the government.
Governments role is to protect me and my stuff, not to take my money and give it to other people. Education is nice, but I want to pay for my education, not someone else's. Health care is nice, but I want to be rewarded for keeping myself healthy not penalized by paying for some slob who has to be rescued by Jerry Springer by knocking a hole in his house to get him out. Car insurance is nice, I want to pay for MY insurance and not for someone who is driving illegally without insurance (Michigan charges 100 bucks of a $200 policy for uninsured motorists that motorcycles can not apply for...).
I was once thanked by a business for "complaining" about the service at a store/restaurant because if I had not, they would not know there is a problem. Let your reps know there is a problem, a very big problem, called government spending. Tell them to "Get out of my wallet", and start cutting into the budget. In a recession, cutting spending is the only way to go. Makes sense doesn't it??? If the country does not have money, don't spend more....
Monday, June 29, 2009
Cash for Clunkers - My note to cashforclunkersfacts.com
I have been reading the comments left on here regarding the Clunker Bill... Why did the complainers NOT contact their representatives BEFORE this got passed? I know I did! There are a couple of inconsistencies in the complaints.
One is people complaining about sub 18 mpg in cars that classically have done better then 27 mpg. Quit complaining and get your foot off the gas. Even the best cars get bad mileage at 80 mph.
Two is, what happened to Toyota being so great on fuel mileage and quality? I have never seen so many people whine about poor economy on Toyota cars. Check out any number of mid 90's Gm cars and find 27+ mpg even on big daddy's like Old Delta 88 and Pontiac Bonneville (30+ if driven below 70 not 80+mph)with the 3800 V6. Even the Dustbuster (Pontiac Transport) gets 24 mpg (mine has 250,000 miles and gets 24 mpg) which is great for a van. Stick to US built/ US owned companies to support the US economy.
In closing, from what I am reading on these postings is that America does not need government to buy them cars, America needs the government to teach them how to drive. Accelerate slowly, drive at a reasonable speed (sub 70), and take your foot off the gas wayyy before the stop signs and lights. Any time you use the brake you are wasting fuel.
p.s. I don't think the Gov should be buying anybody anything with my money. Make your voice heard before the votes to stop goof ball bills like this from occurring.
One is people complaining about sub 18 mpg in cars that classically have done better then 27 mpg. Quit complaining and get your foot off the gas. Even the best cars get bad mileage at 80 mph.
Two is, what happened to Toyota being so great on fuel mileage and quality? I have never seen so many people whine about poor economy on Toyota cars. Check out any number of mid 90's Gm cars and find 27+ mpg even on big daddy's like Old Delta 88 and Pontiac Bonneville (30+ if driven below 70 not 80+mph)with the 3800 V6. Even the Dustbuster (Pontiac Transport) gets 24 mpg (mine has 250,000 miles and gets 24 mpg) which is great for a van. Stick to US built/ US owned companies to support the US economy.
In closing, from what I am reading on these postings is that America does not need government to buy them cars, America needs the government to teach them how to drive. Accelerate slowly, drive at a reasonable speed (sub 70), and take your foot off the gas wayyy before the stop signs and lights. Any time you use the brake you are wasting fuel.
p.s. I don't think the Gov should be buying anybody anything with my money. Make your voice heard before the votes to stop goof ball bills like this from occurring.
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