James L. Paris's Blog, page 199

Credit Card Add-Ons that Can Really Add Up

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Whenever we at Christian Money.com talk about credit cards, it���s typically in terms of the basics: what���s the interest rate, what are the fees, that kind of stuff. Also, we will often discuss credit cards as lines of credit that may or may not help your credit score, depending on how you���re using them.

All of that said, there���s a good reminder out from Consumer Reports that using credit cards for retail purchases, as a matter of course, can provide you with extra benefits, in the form of various purchase protections not typically available from the retailer. They include:

Extended warranties: While they���re typically a bad idea to pay for, all of the major card issuers make them automatically available, as long as what you���re buying already comes with a manufacturer���s warranty.

Cell phone replacement insurance: If you pay your monthly cell bill through your credit card, the issuer will help pay the cost associated with replacing your phone if it���s damaged or stolen (but not if you simply lose it ��� sorry).

Extended return period: While many retailers have generous return policies, lots of others can be rather stingy that way. American Express and Discover cards automatically offer extended return periods on goods purchased with their cards, subject to some restrictions.

There���s a lot more in consumer benefit ���extras��� that many cards make available, as well, including missed-connection insurance, which covers the costs associated with getting a hotel room and paying for meals when you miss a connecting flight.

I have a relative who basically pays for everything each month with a credit card, and then pays it all off when he receives the bill. He does this for two reasons: first, he likes the convenience of having to write only one check per month, and also, he likes receiving additional protections for his retail purchases beyond those offered at the store level; in one case, he purchased a big-screen TV that went bad just after the manufacturer���s warranty expired, but was still able to get a replacement because he���d purchased it with his particular credit card.

You might want to take a few minutes to contact your card issuer to see all of what is available in the way of add-ons. If you like what you have, great, but if you think you can do better, check around to see what���s offered from other issuers. Again, don���t lose sight of the forest for the trees here when it comes to what���s really important with respect to credit cards, but, that said, neither should you be oblivious to the extra-special retail benefits offered by so many issuers.    

How To Stop An Attacker In 4 to 7 Seconds

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

I���ve been around combat fitness and self-defense a long time, on both personal and professional levels ��� I have trained a lot of people through the years in my capacity as both an I.S.S.A. Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Martial Arts Conditioning, and I���m always on the lookout for any kind of instruction that I think might be of particular value to folks who don���t have either the time or interest to devote themselves to more intensive, ongoing training (which I do recommend pursuing if you seek to become a complete self-defense ���fighter���) . On that note, I wanted to mention a video program that I think has value at two levels ��� first, in terms of the techniques and quality of instruction demonstrated���as well as with respect to the cost of the materials: all they want you to pay is the shipping - $7.95 (you may also pay tax on the shipping charge, depending on your state)���which makes this a terrific deal. 

The product is called 15 Brutal Fight Enders, and the title very accurately describes what it���s all about ��� learning simple moves that are designed to quickly and effectively end a street conflict. A wide variety of techniques are demonstrated by a host of quality instructors, including former U.S., Israeli, and Russian military special operators, hall of fame martial artists, even a one-time federal prison inmate (there���s a total of 18 different instructors who teach on behalf of this product). There are so many scenarios and defenses covered that it���s not possible to describe them all in this space, but they include techniques to defend against punches, bear hugs, headlocks���how to respond to an attack using head butts and bites (that���s right, I said bites)���even how to effectively use improvised weapons, including a comb, to defend yourself.

What���s more, the total length of the video trainings is a little over an hour and a half; in other words, this is not some cheesy promotion wherein you pay only a little, but end up receiving very little - there���s a lot of good information on here dispensed by true professionals in the field of close-quarter, hand-to-hand combat.

Some techniques are very simple, others slightly more involved, but nothing complicated���and for the price, this is a deal: again, just $7.95 for shipping, plus tax (if it applies in your state). You will receive the trainings as a physical DVD package, but you���ll also be able to access the information immediately as a video download. For what you receive, the $7.95 price tag makes this a real bargain, especially because in addition to the 15 videos, there are four bonus video trainings, as well as both an audio���and transcript of the audio���of Alpha Signals, which is all about how to effectively apply non-verbal communication cues on behalf of your physical safety ��� good stuff!

I almost forgot to mention this, because the cost of the materials is already so low: the product comes with a money-back guarantee, so if you feel the need to ask for a refund, you can have it���but I doubt you���ll ask ��� there���s just too much great information here, and even if you don���t find yourself using it, it would be worth keeping just to give to a friend or family member to have.

Now, while some of the techniques are very simple, I do suggest finding a partner and practicing these, when you can. Even moves that are comprised of just a couple of steps can come to be expertly learned when you have a live, human partner with whom to train. This is not to say that practicing the techniques in a solo, ���shadow box��� type of fashion is without value; there is value to meaningful practice of just about anything, in any way possible. However, when it comes to self-defense moves like those demonstrated in Fight Enders, you will always be better served by having a training companion, and you don���t need a fancy setup; some clear space in the garage, or the backyard, or even the living room���will do.

Something else ��� you should know that there are various ���upsells��� of even more elaborate training videos that will be visited upon you if you choose to buy Fight Enders. Buy those or don���t buy those���that���s up to you. I have yet to purchase any at this point, although I may, in the future. I will say that, from what I can tell, they certainly look very good, and are suggestive of the professional quality exhibited in Fight Enders.

This will not likely be the last time I mention a self-defense product in this space ��� like I said, I usually keep my eyes open for good products that are characterized by great value, and with only the shipping to pay for 15 Brutal Fight Enders, this package undeniably meets the definition of ���great value.��� I wish you well in your training! Grab Your Free Video Click Here

Verizon Dumps Annual Cell Phone Contracts

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

As of Thursday, Verizon has left annual cell phone contracts in the dust, and has fully embraced pay-as-you-go monthly plans that offer rates varying on the amount of data purchased each month.

The cell phone industry is just the latest to see a significant change in its pricing models out of deference to increased ���consumerism,��� but it���s a welcome development for so many who found themselves paying exorbitant fees over periods of several years for cell phone access. The dominos begin falling as soon as one major player in an industry makes the change to a more competitive structure, and that was the case here, when T-Mobile dumped annual contracts two years ago.

In Verizon���s case, the data can be shared by up to ten devices���so, for example, if 3GB of data per month at $45/month works for you and another family member, then that���s all the data will cost, but there is also a monthly fee (flat) that applies for each device associated with the plan. So, excluding other fees and taxes, two people, each with a smartphone ($20 per month for each smartphone connected), on a 6GB/month plan ($45), would pay $85 per month in total.

One popular feature of the contract model is that you are typically able to get a pretty great phone with your plan for relatively little, precisely because you���re agreeing to remain with the carrier for at least two years, and so that has gone away at Verizon. This means that, under the new arrangement, you���ll also pay for a phone outright, either up front or over two years. However, the new model is clearly superior, overall, and Verizon has some great deals on smartphones that start at around $120, which means that if you and a spouse need new phones to get the plans started, you can each buy them for only a handful of additional dollars each month (and fully pay for them in two years at 0% interest).  

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NFL Player Lives On Just $60,000 Per Year

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Fair is fair. Recently, I discussed the tough times of two different professional athletes who found themselves starting from scratch after having earned millions upon millions over the course of their playing careers. They are stories with which we are all too familiar, but when we come across one, it does present another opportunity to ���spread the word��� about the dangers of being careless with one���s money; you never know what cautionary tale might resonate with someone who is himself headed down a path characterized by financial wrongheadedness.

Well, it���s important to note that there are other pro athletes out there who are behaving quite differently when it comes to money, and they should be recognized, as well, in this space. One is NFL player Ryan Broyles, a receiver for the Detroit Lions, who, it has been revealed, allows his family���which includes his wife and new baby���to live on only $60,000 per year of his multi-million dollar contract.

As soon as Broyles was drafted, he sat down with a financial adviser to work out a plan that would allow him to live reasonably, but would also permit him to save the majority of what he receives in compensation, to include putting aside a bunch into the NFL���s matching 401K plan.

Here���s what���s important to note about Broyles and his foresight; he is not a star���he is in the final year of a $3.6 million deal (as a rookie), in which was packaged about $1.4 million in guarantees. He is, even now, having to duke it out in training camp for a spot on the Lions. The point is that the few millions he���s earned as an NFL player may be all he earns as a pro athlete, and he had the wherewithal to recognize that going in.

I hope that Ryan Broyles has a long, healthy, prosperous career in the NFL, but if he does find himself away from the game sooner than he would like, it���s nice to know that he will not become another of its sorry financial statistics.  

Sanders Leading Clinton In New Hampshire

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

Hillary Clinton may well be the presumptive nominee of the Democrats in their effort to keep the White House, but it���s becoming clear that she may not secure that exalted position without a bit of a fight.

According to a just-released Franklin Pierce University/Boston Herald poll of likely Democratic primary voters, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is trouncing Clinton in New Hampshire by a margin of 44% to 37%. Sanders has come to be seen as a breath of fresh air, of sorts, for many Democrats who are weary over a Hillary Clinton they���ve come to regard as just another typical politician.

Greatly complicating matters for Clinton would be a decision by Vice President Joe Biden to throw his hat into the ring, and there are indications he is now seriously considering a run. Biden has long-sought the nation���s highest office, and although he���s not done particularly well in previous attempts, the growing perception among party faithful that the 2016 nomination is genuinely up for grabs may prompt Biden to make another go of it.

While Republicans remain focused on the Trump-oriented drama currently playing out within their own party, it���s worth casting an eye to the growing troubles brewing for Hillary Clinton right now; although it is most important for Republicans to focus on their own candidate-selection process, it may be of some inspiration to watch Democrats engage in a bit of their own ���cannibalizing��� on the way to 2016.

New Honeymoon Idea: Join ISIS

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

A young, college-educated Mississippi couple���including the daughter of a Vicksburg police officer���were arrested over the weekend at a Columbus, Mississippi airport on charges of ���conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS.���

According to communications made on social media to undercover FBI operatives, 20-year-old Jaelyn Young and 22-year-old Muhammad Dakhlalla, evidenced significant enthusiasm in their efforts to join ISIS. The couple reached out to ISIS���or what they thought was ISIS���to convey their plans to travel to Syria under the guise of taking a honeymoon trip to Europe, to describe their various qualifications as educated students, as well as to praise the recent attacks on U.S. military personnel at a Chattanooga, Tennessee recruiting center.

Tellingly, the couple, in their communications, also made it a point to tell ���ISIS��� representatives that they would be flying direct from a small U.S. airport because those were poorly-staffed, from a security standpoint. This has been one of the great fears among U.S. officials, that smaller, more regional airports would come to be seen as useful linchpins to terrorists, precisely because of their much-lower profiles.

While it may strike almost all observers as nothing short of stunning that there is this kind of effort on the part of Americans to join ISIS, the fact is that it���s happening, and it is more important than ever that each of us get into the habit of looking over our shoulders, so to speak, at people and events around us that seem even a little curious, as we face the realization that the enemy is, indeed, all around us.  

Thirty Days To The Shemitah Collapse?

The next thirty days may be the most exciting and eventful in our lifetime, if you buy into what prophecy experts across the board have been saying. September 13th is the last day of the Shemitah cycle, and the final of the four blood moons comes on September 28th. 

For those of you that are members of ChristianMoneyPlus, you are well aware of my very popular video titled, Blood Moons On Wall Street. This is a 75 minute video that I released earlier this year (for members only). In the video, I share 7 alternatives to the stock market for your money - IF you believe that a financial collapse is coming this fall. I also mentioned this in another recent article - Six Weeks To The Financial Collapse. 

If you have not been closely following the stock market, the chart below illustrates that the financial meltdown appears to have already begun. 

What Is The Shemitah?

What is this all about? It is about the coming seventh cycle of the Shemitah. If you want a primer on what this is, and why everyone is talking about it, here is my interview with author Jonathon Cahn. According to Bible scholars, the Shemitah is a seven year biblical (agricultural) cycle that ends with  a blessing or a curse, depending on whether the people were right with God at the time. This particular Shemitah  is the seventh cycle of seven years (49 years) and according to Cahn holds a special significance. 

���Six years you may sow your land and gather in its produce. But in the seventh [year] you shall release it and abandon it; the poor of your people shall eat [it], and what they leave over, the beasts of the field shall eat. So shall you do to your vineyard [and] to your olive tree[s].��� (Exodus 23:10-11)

A Message From God

I am not one to often share what I hear God telling me, but I will make an exception today. I was listening to an extended interview with Jonathon Cahn last night on national radio. We are now within 30 days of the end of the Shemitah. While listening, God impressed upon my heart that I need to get ready. Get ready for what? I instinctively knew what I was being told to do. Months ago, I moved all of our money out of the stock market. Today, however, I moved our investments into bear funds. These are special mutual funds that go up when the stock market goes down (this is discussed in detail in my Blood Moons On Wall St. Video).

In addition to repositioning my investments, I am also taking an inventory of my emergency supplies. I have no idea what is going to happen, and maybe nothing will, but I have this overwhelming feeling that dark days are ahead. 

Three Events And God's Final Judgment

Like many, I was horrified to see the recent videos showing Planned Parenthood selling baby parts. It is bad enough that more than 54 million babies have been aborted in the U.S. since the Roe v. Wade decision. We are now allowing this evil to deteriorate into the sale of the pieces and parts of these beautiful gifts from God. When the recent vote to defund Planned Parenthood failed in Congress, I had a sickening feeling. I thought to myself, if God does not bring judgment on America after this, He will owe an apology to Sodom and Gomorrah.  

We can also add to the list the recent 'deal' with Iran, which clearly puts us on the wrong side of the battle lines in the Middle East. We are siding with the enemy of Israel. Lastly, the recent Supreme Court decision affirming the abomination of gay marriage. 

How Can America Continue On This Path Without Facing A Judgment From God?

What Should You Do Now?

1. Get right with God. 

2. Get Prepared. This is why we have been recommending these books:

Conquering The Coming Collapse
Disaster Preparedness On A Budget
Darkest Days
Alive After The Fall

 3. Share the Lord with anyone you know that is not a believer. 

I hope I am wrong! If I am not, life is about to change in a major way for all of us. 

Helping you make the most of God���s money!  

James L. Paris 
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com 
Follow Me on Twitter Twitter.com/jameslparis
Christian Financial Advice 
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The Coming Collapse Of America's Pension System

In his book, California Dreaming, Dr. Lawrence McQuillan outlines the problem and potential solutions to America's burgeoning pension crisis. Nationwide, there is almost a $5 trillion dollar shortfall in funding of government pensions. Although his book focuses primarily on California, he also makes the point that this same crisis is about to happen in multiple other states. This is not a distant problem, but is a present day crisis as cities like Chicago are already facing a collapse of their pension system. Much of the problem stems from a lack of honest accounting on the part of politicians, but bloated benefits are equally to blame. In California alone, more than 100,000 individuals receive government pensions of greater than $100,000.

One Year After The Death Of Michael Brown

On this episode Jim discusses the reality that little or no progress has been made in race relations or how the public views the police, one year after the death of Michael Brown. Should Michael Brown be given the same tribute as slain civil rights leaders? Does he deserve a memorial plaque and marker on the sidewalk where he was shot? The life and death of sportscaster and NFL star Frank Gifford. How to get the maximum from Social Security. Houston nearing bankruptcy, and Netflix to give new parents one year of paid leave.