Congress’s Budget Proposal to Slash Student Aid

By Allen Kors

The recent Republican budget proposal to slash student aid by $150 billion represents an egregious elimination of vital support for our higher education system.  The United States faces $1.3 trillion in outstanding student debt, a three-fold increase in tuition cost over the past 30 years, and an increasingly competitive labor market for college graduates.  These variables have created an environment in which a college education is increasingly necessary in order to achieve the "American Dream," now that a college education is becoming less accessible than ever before.

The higher education system is evolving, yes, but cutting off access to the lifeblood of our economy and workforce at this pivotal inflection point may cause irreparable harm to our rising generation of producers and creators.  The recent proposal in Congress includes cutting Pell Grants by $90 billion, slashing in-school interest subsidies by $34 billion, and eliminating benefits and safety net programs for borrowers by $27 billion.  To establish the severity of these proposed cuts, the Pell Grant used to cover 80% of college costs in 1975, and is projected to cover only 20% by 2025.  It helps put 9 million students through school each year.  That means that while the purchasing power of the Pell Grant is already organically deteriorating based on inflation and rising tuition costs, the government is accelerating its extinction by actually reducing the size of the Pell Grant fund itself.  That alone is like a double whammy hit to college accessibility.

We cannot sit back and allow this to happen.  These programs are integral to the success of our nation.  Education is a portal to achievement and fundamental to our people’s evolution.  We must put an end to these proposals and unite in support, not abandonment, of our nation’s students.  If you agree, please show your support by signing the Student PIRGs petition: bitly.com/helpsavestudentaid. [more...]

The Fed Just Made a Big Move That's Great for Big Business, But Awful for You

By Lowell Ponte

How did political appointees take control of our economy? Can we ever find our way back to free markets and honest money? Would the Federal Reserve keep a key interest rate at or near zero, continuing to give free money to the biggest corporations and banks, the casino known as Wall Street, and the growing federal government? Business networks counted down to the economy-shaking Fed announcement: the easy cash will keep coming until at least June – and perhaps until 2017. [more...]

In the End, the Government Wins Again... if You Let Them

By Bill Tatro

When it comes to wills, most people procrastinate.  They say, "I’ll get to that later," "I don’t have enough money to worry about," or "It’s way too expensive."  Most recently a colleague of mine quoted an appalling statistic - appalling because for over 30 years I have been calling out to America through radio, television, newspapers, seminars and the Internet, to get their legal/financial affairs in order. The statistic he quoted was that in 2014, 72% of all the deceased in America passed away without so much as a simple will.  Was he accurate?  I have no reason to believe he wasn’t but if even only half of his statistic was true, the number is stunning. The reality is that procrastination is a decision - to allow the government, the courts and attorneys to determine the what, who and how of the distribution of your assets and even the guardianship of your children. [more...]