On Take it to the Bank, 00:00:01.36\00:00:02.73 you'll find ways to get out of debt, 00:00:02.76\00:00:09.67 solve your credit card problems, 00:00:09.70\00:00:14.74 how to make and stick with the budget, 00:00:14.78\00:00:19.91 simple ways to save, 00:00:19.95\00:00:24.95 buying or selling a home, 00:00:24.99\00:00:27.09 and many more financial matters on Take it to the Bank. 00:00:27.12\00:00:32.19 Hi, welcome back to Take it to the Bank. 00:00:32.23\00:00:34.40 I'm so happy you're here with us. 00:00:34.43\00:00:36.06 It's just exciting to talk to you about some issues 00:00:36.10\00:00:39.00 that we all should be aware of as we look at our finances, 00:00:39.03\00:00:44.31 as we look at our finances. 00:00:44.34\00:00:45.67 We've talked about many different things 00:00:45.71\00:00:48.08 and I think that you should be aware of that stress 00:00:48.11\00:00:50.71 is a major result of financial concerns. 00:00:50.75\00:00:54.78 We know that research shows that single most stressor 00:00:54.82\00:00:58.25 in all of our lives is stress. 00:00:58.29\00:01:01.16 Let's go to some video footage of questions we asked 00:01:01.19\00:01:04.33 at Venice Beach of what they consider 00:01:04.36\00:01:06.39 the top three stressors in their life. 00:01:06.43\00:01:09.33 Here we are. Hi. 00:01:09.36\00:01:11.23 What would you consider the biggest stress 00:01:11.27\00:01:12.63 in your life today? 00:01:12.67\00:01:14.14 I think money will be the biggest stress. 00:01:14.17\00:01:17.07 Why? Because you need money. 00:01:17.11\00:01:18.77 I mean, people say money is not everything, 00:01:18.81\00:01:20.44 but it is everything you need to move around 00:01:20.48\00:01:22.84 and stuff, so. 00:01:22.88\00:01:24.21 What would you consider the biggest stress in your life 00:01:26.92\00:01:28.72 right now and why? 00:01:28.75\00:01:30.09 Financial. 00:01:30.12\00:01:31.62 Because I don't have enough of it. 00:01:31.65\00:01:33.46 Yeah. 00:01:33.49\00:01:34.82 The biggest stress in my life I say is money right now 00:01:36.12\00:01:38.49 because there is lot of great depression 00:01:38.53\00:01:40.36 stuff like that's going on, 00:01:40.40\00:01:42.00 so money is a big issue in my life. 00:01:42.03\00:01:43.83 All right. 00:01:43.87\00:01:45.20 Thank you. 00:01:45.23\00:01:47.84 It's interesting when you take a look at what people have 00:01:47.87\00:01:50.91 and people don't have. 00:01:50.94\00:01:52.87 It's interesting how they respond 00:01:52.91\00:01:54.68 to these type of questions. 00:01:54.71\00:01:56.34 The top response, bar none, in everyone I talked to, 00:01:56.38\00:02:00.52 either the top one or two had to do with money, 00:02:00.55\00:02:03.28 what stresses people. 00:02:03.32\00:02:04.85 Now, I must say this: 00:02:04.89\00:02:07.49 It's not the stress that hurts or kills you, 00:02:07.52\00:02:10.96 it's how you respond to the stress, 00:02:10.99\00:02:13.09 how your body responds to it, 00:02:13.13\00:02:14.46 what you allow your body to respond to. 00:02:14.50\00:02:17.30 So I can say that even with the statistics 00:02:17.33\00:02:19.80 of heart attacks happening 00:02:19.83\00:02:21.17 because of financial stress during Christmas, 00:02:21.20\00:02:24.74 it's how they're choosing to respond 00:02:24.77\00:02:27.11 to a stressor in their lives. 00:02:27.14\00:02:29.01 And there are many stressors that we have to deal with 00:02:29.04\00:02:31.25 especially when you are living in the community 00:02:31.28\00:02:33.98 that has a lack of income. 00:02:34.02\00:02:36.52 Many of us are down in the amount of money 00:02:36.55\00:02:39.42 they were taking home on a paycheck. 00:02:39.45\00:02:41.59 We are seeing a lot of individuals, 00:02:41.62\00:02:42.96 a dwindling middleclass, 00:02:42.99\00:02:44.33 you hear a lot of these topics in the news 00:02:44.36\00:02:47.10 and we as individuals begin to live the life 00:02:47.13\00:02:50.97 that we hear that's out there. 00:02:51.00\00:02:53.03 And one of the major issues is this lack of income. 00:02:53.07\00:02:58.07 Families who fall below the level of income 00:02:58.11\00:03:01.81 or basically their budget is telling us 00:03:01.84\00:03:04.35 they're spending more than they bring in, 00:03:04.38\00:03:07.35 it means a couple of things. 00:03:07.38\00:03:09.28 One is they are not tracking what their expenses are. 00:03:09.32\00:03:11.92 They are not budgeting. They're spending. 00:03:11.95\00:03:14.42 They are bringing a paycheck and they don't have enough 00:03:14.46\00:03:16.26 to cover the paycheck, but they don't know 00:03:16.29\00:03:18.09 where they are at on their map of life towards success. 00:03:18.13\00:03:22.36 So if you don't plan, if you fail to plan, 00:03:22.40\00:03:27.64 you will then plan to fail. 00:03:27.67\00:03:29.30 Those are the basic issues I'd like to get across now. 00:03:29.34\00:03:32.41 Now, the fact that there may be a lack of income 00:03:32.44\00:03:34.28 doesn't mean there is something you cannot do about it. 00:03:34.31\00:03:36.88 Many of us live in settings, in situations 00:03:36.91\00:03:39.68 that cause us to have to use a credit card 00:03:39.71\00:03:42.82 to put gas in the car, 00:03:42.85\00:03:44.19 or use that credit card to purchase clothing, 00:03:44.22\00:03:46.69 and to keep us sheltered. 00:03:46.72\00:03:48.79 Eventually, debt though accumulates to a point 00:03:48.82\00:03:51.43 that the family cannot afford to make minimum payments 00:03:51.46\00:03:53.96 on their credit card 00:03:54.00\00:03:55.33 and they then have to choose some alternatives. 00:03:55.36\00:03:59.00 Now there is a couple of things I would ask you to do 00:03:59.03\00:04:01.27 if there is a credit card debt 00:04:01.30\00:04:02.90 that you have to begin the process of paying off, 00:04:02.94\00:04:05.07 there are ways to work 00:04:05.11\00:04:06.44 with your credit card agency, the bank. 00:04:06.47\00:04:08.58 Call them up, talk to them, 00:04:08.61\00:04:09.94 tell them about your extenuating circumstance 00:04:09.98\00:04:11.88 and they are more likely than not to work with you, 00:04:11.91\00:04:15.05 lower your payments short term and give you the opportunity 00:04:15.08\00:04:17.99 to get back in a good standing with them. 00:04:18.02\00:04:21.82 That is key. Call them up. Just don't let it go. 00:04:21.86\00:04:25.26 There is a couple of things. 00:04:25.29\00:04:26.63 Instead of budgeting for that $120 per month 00:04:26.66\00:04:29.16 that you have to pay them each month, 00:04:29.20\00:04:31.70 maybe they'll lower it with lower the interest rate 00:04:31.73\00:04:34.67 and lower the amount 00:04:34.70\00:04:36.04 that you have to pay on a monthly basis. 00:04:36.07\00:04:37.41 So if they lower it to like $45 a month 00:04:37.44\00:04:40.51 and lower the interest rate to like 1% 00:04:40.54\00:04:42.41 as you take care of this debt, that puts what? 00:04:42.44\00:04:45.91 From 120 to 40 is $80 or $85 into your pocket 00:04:45.95\00:04:51.09 that you can now use for other items. 00:04:51.12\00:04:54.42 There are many other things you can do, 00:04:54.46\00:04:56.22 which I would suggest you do 00:04:56.26\00:04:57.69 in reference to the items that you have. 00:04:57.73\00:05:00.00 Many homes have cable, many homes have landlines, 00:05:00.03\00:05:05.03 and cell phones. 00:05:05.07\00:05:06.40 Many homes have things 00:05:06.43\00:05:08.17 that they don't necessarily have to use. 00:05:08.20\00:05:11.47 They are not necessarily needs but they are wants. 00:05:11.51\00:05:14.71 Many maybe could cut back on from watering our lawn 00:05:14.74\00:05:18.21 four times a week to maybe watering 00:05:18.25\00:05:19.91 our lawn two times a week. 00:05:19.95\00:05:23.22 The importance of what I'm telling you right now 00:05:23.25\00:05:25.19 is the fact that once you have a mark in the road, 00:05:25.22\00:05:29.02 some kind of place to start, 00:05:29.06\00:05:31.76 then we know what we need to do. 00:05:31.79\00:05:33.46 So the first thing I would ask you to do 00:05:33.50\00:05:36.10 is once you've assessed your debt 00:05:36.13\00:05:37.97 and know that you are spending more than you are bringing in, 00:05:38.00\00:05:41.27 you know you are in a dangerous position. 00:05:41.30\00:05:43.00 If you are putting things on credit card for things 00:05:43.04\00:05:45.77 that you would typically have to use on a monthly basis, 00:05:45.81\00:05:48.48 there is a danger sign, it's a warning sign. 00:05:48.51\00:05:50.55 It's telling you that there is a concern. 00:05:50.58\00:05:54.28 Secondarily is once you get into a life of debt, 00:05:54.32\00:05:58.62 you lose a lot of credit, 00:05:58.65\00:05:59.99 and you lose a lot of things in your life. 00:06:00.02\00:06:01.92 It puts you into a place that people consider 00:06:01.96\00:06:06.06 or our government could consider 00:06:06.09\00:06:08.40 you being working poor. 00:06:08.43\00:06:10.23 Working just to make ends meet and not being able to save 00:06:10.27\00:06:17.01 and plan for those expenses and those emergencies 00:06:17.04\00:06:19.44 that will come up, 00:06:19.47\00:06:20.81 and they do come up all the time. 00:06:20.84\00:06:22.54 That's what hurts a lot of families 00:06:22.58\00:06:24.15 is being unprepared 00:06:24.18\00:06:25.68 for the emergencies in their life, 00:06:25.71\00:06:27.92 that lack of income can cause that to happen. 00:06:27.95\00:06:31.05 One of the things I do as an individual 00:06:31.09\00:06:34.82 outside of the work environment is, 00:06:34.86\00:06:37.26 I choose to work with at-risk youth, 00:06:37.29\00:06:39.89 foster care youth. 00:06:39.93\00:06:41.26 As a fact, I'm chairing a committee right now 00:06:41.30\00:06:43.90 with a major organization on the west coast to talk about 00:06:43.93\00:06:46.47 what we can do to help our young people 00:06:46.50\00:06:49.34 and our foster care youth 00:06:49.37\00:06:51.17 get an adequate training in financial literacy. 00:06:51.21\00:06:54.28 Literacy is key. 00:06:54.31\00:06:55.71 If we plan to provide our young people 00:06:55.74\00:06:59.68 as they are coming out of these foster care systems, 00:06:59.71\00:07:02.42 the right type of understanding on how they manage their money. 00:07:02.45\00:07:05.62 In the United States today 00:07:05.65\00:07:07.56 there are half a million foster care young people. 00:07:07.59\00:07:09.92 In California alone we have 20% of the total number 00:07:09.96\00:07:13.56 of foster care youth in the United States. 00:07:13.60\00:07:15.70 We have 100,000 young people in foster care system. 00:07:15.73\00:07:18.50 And of that we know that 5,000 plus 00:07:18.53\00:07:21.10 are emancipating every year into society 00:07:21.14\00:07:24.51 and they are not prepared to do so. 00:07:24.54\00:07:26.07 In a foster care, a young person 00:07:26.11\00:07:27.64 has a lot of things on his plate to deal with 00:07:27.68\00:07:29.81 that we wouldn't be familiar with. 00:07:29.84\00:07:31.88 I grew up with a mother and a father. 00:07:31.91\00:07:33.95 My kids are growing up with a mom and a dad 00:07:33.98\00:07:36.02 and they have someone to identify with, 00:07:36.05\00:07:37.42 someone that hugs them 00:07:37.45\00:07:38.79 and tells them that they are loved 00:07:38.82\00:07:40.26 and gives them motivation and teaches them 00:07:40.29\00:07:42.39 and puts them in time-out 00:07:42.42\00:07:43.76 and provides an environment that they can grow 00:07:43.79\00:07:46.29 and become the type of young adults 00:07:46.33\00:07:48.06 and adults that we would like them to be, 00:07:48.10\00:07:49.96 managing their money well, 00:07:50.00\00:07:51.37 managing certain things in their lives 00:07:51.40\00:07:53.67 that they wouldn't have the understanding to deal with 00:07:53.70\00:07:58.37 if they don't grow up with a family. 00:07:58.41\00:08:00.71 So the foster care system 00:08:00.74\00:08:02.51 is one that is supposed to supplement 00:08:02.54\00:08:06.45 and provide them some type of controlled environment 00:08:06.48\00:08:10.99 that they can grow 00:08:11.02\00:08:12.95 and hopefully become positive adults 00:08:12.99\00:08:17.13 in the communities that they live. 00:08:17.16\00:08:19.59 But the statistics are stark with these young people 00:08:19.63\00:08:22.93 in reference to how they handle money. 00:08:22.96\00:08:25.10 The fact that when they emancipate out of the system 00:08:25.13\00:08:28.64 or they graduate from the programs, 00:08:28.67\00:08:31.57 they go out into public life at age 18, 00:08:31.61\00:08:34.84 and what happens is within 18 months 00:08:34.88\00:08:38.75 many of these kids are homeless, 00:08:38.78\00:08:40.28 they are on the streets. 00:08:40.32\00:08:41.65 They don't have anywhere to go. 00:08:41.68\00:08:43.02 They haven't been taught how to manage money, 00:08:43.05\00:08:44.52 how to keep a job, how to interview for a job, 00:08:44.55\00:08:46.49 they are lacking in life skills 00:08:46.52\00:08:48.52 and those are the things that are concerning for me 00:08:48.56\00:08:50.73 as we look at these young people 00:08:50.76\00:08:52.49 as a target market to go after to teach them 00:08:52.53\00:08:55.46 about how, why, and what of money. 00:08:55.50\00:08:59.93 We also find that, you know, young women 00:08:59.97\00:09:01.94 that emancipate from the system 00:09:01.97\00:09:03.41 within two-and-a-half years are pregnant 00:09:03.44\00:09:06.98 and become single moms and what happens 00:09:07.01\00:09:09.68 from there is the cycle repeats itself, 00:09:09.71\00:09:11.81 because that same child that that mom has goes right back 00:09:11.85\00:09:14.42 into the same foster care system 00:09:14.45\00:09:16.05 that the mom came out of. 00:09:16.08\00:09:17.59 It repeats itself and the cycle happens 00:09:17.62\00:09:19.65 over and over again 00:09:19.69\00:09:22.16 and we believe that several things 00:09:22.19\00:09:23.69 that have happened recently within California 00:09:23.73\00:09:26.29 where there are several decisions 00:09:26.33\00:09:29.83 made to provide some of these foster care young people, 00:09:29.86\00:09:32.97 additional time in foster care from age 18 to age 22. 00:09:33.00\00:09:36.74 They can request to extend their stay in foster care 00:09:36.77\00:09:40.58 so they can get the right type of training, 00:09:40.61\00:09:42.61 that they can start saving some money 00:09:42.64\00:09:44.35 and there is some programs that actually match the monies 00:09:44.38\00:09:47.62 that they save so that once they get out 00:09:47.65\00:09:49.68 at age 21-22 they have money to go to school, 00:09:49.72\00:09:53.52 they have money to maybe put a down payment on a car, 00:09:53.56\00:09:55.56 they have money to actually 00:09:55.59\00:09:56.93 even put a down payment on a home if so, 00:09:56.96\00:09:59.46 if they choose to work that hard 00:09:59.49\00:10:01.16 and put themselves in that position 00:10:01.20\00:10:03.33 but the key is this: 00:10:03.37\00:10:04.70 That these foster care young people 00:10:04.73\00:10:07.34 are desiring to know more about how finance is 00:10:07.37\00:10:11.61 and that literacy about how to manage money. 00:10:11.64\00:10:15.78 Those kids though are at a great risk. 00:10:15.81\00:10:18.65 They are called an at-risk group 00:10:18.68\00:10:20.42 because we find a lot of them becoming homeless, 00:10:20.45\00:10:23.59 a lot of them dropping out of school, 00:10:23.62\00:10:25.55 they don't graduate, they don't finish school, 00:10:25.59\00:10:27.92 and of the ones that graduate from school, 00:10:27.96\00:10:30.79 if they do, do you know how many of them 00:10:30.83\00:10:33.73 actually graduate from college? 00:10:33.76\00:10:36.30 The actual percentage of those that enter college 00:10:36.33\00:10:39.03 and actually finish college 00:10:39.07\00:10:40.47 from the foster care system is 1%, 1%. 00:10:40.50\00:10:44.27 I've watched a young person get up. 00:10:44.31\00:10:46.88 Things in their lives are so controlled, 00:10:46.91\00:10:48.54 they don't have any control 00:10:48.58\00:10:50.08 and what they can control they do. 00:10:50.11\00:10:52.15 So it may be their shoe. 00:10:52.18\00:10:54.22 And I saw this young person wake up in the morning, 00:10:54.25\00:10:56.25 and he went to the kitchen, 00:10:56.28\00:10:59.09 and he filled a soap water consistency, 00:10:59.12\00:11:04.09 and he took it with a toothbrush 00:11:04.13\00:11:05.46 and he went to the living room, 00:11:05.49\00:11:06.83 and I saw him scrub and clean his Vans shoes. 00:11:06.86\00:11:11.63 And as he finished cleaning those Vans shoes 00:11:11.67\00:11:13.84 after spending about 15-20 minutes, 00:11:13.87\00:11:15.90 that's the control he had in his life, 00:11:15.94\00:11:17.91 and he measured that control by taking care 00:11:17.94\00:11:21.44 of what was in his control. 00:11:21.48\00:11:24.41 And it was interesting he finished what he had to do, 00:11:24.45\00:11:26.72 took care of the soap water solution, 00:11:26.75\00:11:28.75 and then he put the shoes on and as he walked around, 00:11:28.78\00:11:31.95 he walked like, little like a duck 00:11:31.99\00:11:33.32 because he didn't want to put the crease in the shoe 00:11:33.36\00:11:35.62 and mess up the shoe that he takes so much time 00:11:35.66\00:11:37.66 to take care of and clean. 00:11:37.69\00:11:39.23 What they are doing is showing that they are interested 00:11:39.26\00:11:43.03 in taking care of things, but those things 00:11:43.06\00:11:45.43 that are within the confines of their control. 00:11:45.47\00:11:47.54 So I was brought in 00:11:47.57\00:11:48.90 as a consultant to talk to them about 00:11:48.94\00:11:50.27 how do you teach these young people 00:11:50.31\00:11:52.24 about finance? 00:11:52.27\00:11:53.61 How do you talk to them about managing money 00:11:53.64\00:11:56.08 and financial literacy? 00:11:56.11\00:11:57.58 And a lot of these kids will not engage with you, 00:11:57.61\00:12:00.32 because you talk down to them or talk to them 00:12:00.35\00:12:03.49 and tell them what they need to do. 00:12:03.52\00:12:05.12 They have been told what to do all their lives, 00:12:05.15\00:12:07.12 that's why they are where they are, 00:12:07.16\00:12:09.22 and they figure, 00:12:09.26\00:12:10.59 I don't want to finish school now or college 00:12:10.63\00:12:12.63 because as soon as I finish this degree, 00:12:12.66\00:12:15.76 they're going to take it away from me. 00:12:15.80\00:12:17.20 That's the mentality of these young people 00:12:17.23\00:12:18.80 and we have to change 00:12:18.83\00:12:20.24 and shift that mindset to make them feel more secure 00:12:20.27\00:12:24.14 and confident in themselves. 00:12:24.17\00:12:26.84 And it's these young people that are the ones 00:12:26.88\00:12:29.98 that fall off the map 00:12:30.01\00:12:31.71 and we don't even see them anymore 00:12:31.75\00:12:33.08 because they're homeless and they are, again, 00:12:33.11\00:12:37.09 being a part of a system 00:12:37.12\00:12:39.05 that actually destroys them in the long haul 00:12:39.09\00:12:42.52 because they're discouraged and they lose the hope 00:12:42.56\00:12:46.96 that the foster could have 00:12:47.00\00:12:48.36 if they are put through the right type of program 00:12:48.40\00:12:50.90 that could enhance 00:12:50.93\00:12:52.27 and elevate their sense of security 00:12:52.30\00:12:55.20 and their sense of accomplishment. 00:12:55.24\00:13:00.48 Now, I shared that with you 00:13:00.51\00:13:03.78 because we are in the same place. 00:13:03.81\00:13:08.28 We are looking at the same type of setting. 00:13:08.32\00:13:12.69 These kids that drop out of school 00:13:12.72\00:13:16.19 are then driven 00:13:16.22\00:13:17.93 towards this thing called a "poverty industry". 00:13:17.96\00:13:21.90 What's the poverty industry? 00:13:21.93\00:13:23.77 What does it entail when you take a look at 00:13:23.80\00:13:28.07 what the poverty industry is? 00:13:28.10\00:13:29.44 We have a slide that I would like to show you 00:13:29.47\00:13:30.81 and talks to you a little bit about the poverty industry, 00:13:30.84\00:13:33.27 and it's very interesting as you look at it. 00:13:33.31\00:13:37.45 You look at this and you find that the payday loan centers 00:13:37.48\00:13:40.78 as the top targeter of our working poor. 00:13:40.82\00:13:44.99 You get a kind of an understanding 00:13:45.02\00:13:48.32 of what these industries do to the poor. 00:13:48.36\00:13:51.83 Did you know the size of the poverty industry? 00:13:51.86\00:13:54.53 I will label it as the poverty industry for you. 00:13:54.56\00:13:56.73 The size of the industry is $33 billion. 00:13:56.77\00:14:01.00 33 billion with the B money is the revenue comes 00:14:01.04\00:14:05.47 from this industry of working poor. 00:14:05.51\00:14:07.61 And you have to understand that these companies target the poor 00:14:07.64\00:14:12.38 because they know they need help 00:14:12.41\00:14:14.58 in getting assistance in cashing a check 00:14:14.62\00:14:18.09 and doing a variety of things 00:14:18.12\00:14:19.65 and they may need a loan on a future check to pay 00:14:19.69\00:14:23.96 for certain things that they have, 00:14:23.99\00:14:25.53 and they charge exorbitant amounts of interest 00:14:25.56\00:14:28.30 on that specific service. 00:14:28.33\00:14:30.03 When you'll take a look again at the list, 00:14:30.07\00:14:32.43 you have payday loan centers, pawnshops, casinos, people 00:14:32.47\00:14:37.04 and the working poor think that they possibly 00:14:37.07\00:14:39.44 can get out of poverty 00:14:39.47\00:14:42.11 by winning something big in a casino. 00:14:42.14\00:14:44.35 We have liquor stores that pop up in intercity areas, 00:14:44.38\00:14:47.18 instead of having a health food store, 00:14:47.22\00:14:49.12 you have liquor stores. 00:14:49.15\00:14:50.72 You have to pay a little bit more for the product 00:14:50.75\00:14:53.15 and then, of course, they are not selling 00:14:53.19\00:14:54.86 the quality type of fruits 00:14:54.89\00:14:56.66 and vegetables that we should all be eating. 00:14:56.69\00:14:58.99 Of course, tobacco stores target the poverty industry, 00:14:59.03\00:15:02.56 and guess who is another targeter of our working poor, 00:15:02.60\00:15:07.57 credit card companies. 00:15:07.60\00:15:08.94 Do you know that they are extending credit 00:15:08.97\00:15:10.81 now to individuals who are more risky? 00:15:10.84\00:15:14.34 Our banks are saying, let's expand our market share 00:15:14.38\00:15:17.31 and let's provide credit to individuals 00:15:17.35\00:15:19.31 that may not necessarily fit our perfect profile of those 00:15:19.35\00:15:23.89 that have the three 'Cs' of credit: 00:15:23.92\00:15:25.89 Character, excuse me, character, capacity, 00:15:25.92\00:15:28.92 and capital. 00:15:28.96\00:15:30.29 Those are the things that they are looking at now 00:15:30.33\00:15:31.86 and targeting you as an individual 00:15:31.89\00:15:34.00 who is considered someone 00:15:34.03\00:15:35.40 in the working poor communities. 00:15:35.43\00:15:38.90 But are you really a working poor? 00:15:38.93\00:15:41.10 Or you are work in progress? 00:15:41.14\00:15:43.34 And that's probably what I would like to do 00:15:43.37\00:15:45.14 is to take it from these labels 00:15:45.17\00:15:47.74 that probably people provide you 00:15:47.78\00:15:49.74 and take you to another step 00:15:49.78\00:15:51.85 because you are a work in progress. 00:15:51.88\00:15:54.32 God is working in your lives and He has something for you. 00:15:54.35\00:15:58.25 There is something that He is going 00:15:58.29\00:15:59.62 to accomplish in your lives if we can take hold of 00:15:59.65\00:16:02.92 and take a look at our road map 00:16:02.96\00:16:05.39 and say, let me assess 00:16:05.43\00:16:07.00 where I'm at and create a budget. 00:16:07.03\00:16:09.16 I want you to do that. 00:16:09.20\00:16:10.53 If anything that you do right now, 00:16:10.57\00:16:12.53 take a piece of paper out 00:16:12.57\00:16:13.90 and say this is the day I create my first budget. 00:16:13.94\00:16:18.14 Write down budget, write down paycheck 00:16:18.17\00:16:21.44 and how much you bring in per month. 00:16:21.48\00:16:23.08 Write down expenses and go and calculate approximately 00:16:23.11\00:16:26.65 how much you spend per month in expenses. 00:16:26.68\00:16:29.62 Come up with a number and then subtract your expenses 00:16:29.65\00:16:32.22 from your paycheck 00:16:32.25\00:16:34.36 and do you have a positive or negative number. 00:16:34.39\00:16:36.93 That will give you a place to start in understanding that, 00:16:36.96\00:16:41.56 "Yes, I know where I'm at now. 00:16:41.60\00:16:43.87 I've assessed my debt, I've created a budget 00:16:43.90\00:16:47.04 and I know what I gotta do now, where I can cut expenses?" 00:16:47.07\00:16:51.37 Where those expenses are that you cut 00:16:51.41\00:16:53.48 is completely up to you based on what that budget is. 00:16:53.51\00:16:56.95 Cell phone, landline, cable, water, 00:16:56.98\00:17:02.28 whatever the case may be, take a look at those things 00:17:02.32\00:17:06.42 from direct costs to your livelihood 00:17:06.45\00:17:10.26 as well as indirect costs such as things 00:17:10.29\00:17:12.63 that are variable throughout the course 00:17:12.66\00:17:14.30 of the month and or year. 00:17:14.33\00:17:16.70 Once you do that, you can then take a look 00:17:16.73\00:17:18.83 at those expenses you cut 00:17:18.87\00:17:20.97 will then lead to providing possibly a gap 00:17:21.00\00:17:25.54 between your expenses and your revenue 00:17:25.57\00:17:28.71 that you have some money now you can save 00:17:28.74\00:17:30.85 and therein is where is you've the first win 00:17:30.88\00:17:33.85 of the season for you is knowing now 00:17:33.88\00:17:36.15 that you can get into a profitable situation 00:17:36.18\00:17:38.85 and start putting money away. 00:17:38.89\00:17:41.19 Now, in this industry also, 00:17:41.22\00:17:43.29 in this work in progress industry, 00:17:43.32\00:17:44.86 not poverty, I'm not going to label it that way anymore, 00:17:44.89\00:17:47.56 but we're going to take it now to the work in progress. 00:17:47.60\00:17:50.10 You are work in progress. 00:17:50.13\00:17:51.53 I want you to write down questions that you have 00:17:51.57\00:17:53.34 if you can email me, text me, or whatever the case may be, 00:17:53.37\00:17:55.97 we will put that information up at the end of the program. 00:17:56.00\00:17:58.64 But I ask you to take an active approach 00:17:58.67\00:18:01.38 and what I would like you to also do 00:18:01.41\00:18:03.55 is also videotape yourself, say, "Hey, Cordell, 00:18:03.58\00:18:07.52 this is what I'm doing to save money. 00:18:07.55\00:18:09.68 This is what I'm doing to cut my expenses." 00:18:09.72\00:18:12.55 I want to hear your 15 seconds and it could be something 00:18:12.59\00:18:16.93 we can incorporate on a future program, 00:18:16.96\00:18:19.43 but I need to hear it from you. 00:18:19.46\00:18:20.96 I wanna hear what you are doing, 00:18:21.00\00:18:22.40 and I want you to take an aggressive approach 00:18:22.43\00:18:24.27 at going after your debt, going after 00:18:24.30\00:18:27.90 creation of this budget, 00:18:27.94\00:18:29.27 and going after the ability to save money. 00:18:29.30\00:18:33.07 Now, there are some other statistics. 00:18:33.11\00:18:34.64 Oftentimes, the... 00:18:34.68\00:18:36.91 I'm calling you the work in progress, 00:18:36.95\00:18:38.88 they call the working poor, 00:18:38.91\00:18:40.45 are families headed by single parents, 00:18:40.48\00:18:42.78 young workers, new immigrants or workers with less than 00:18:42.82\00:18:45.52 a high school degree, 00:18:45.55\00:18:46.89 they are more likely to struggle to make ends meet. 00:18:46.92\00:18:49.66 Now, when we talk about single families, 00:18:49.69\00:18:53.19 what do you think of? 00:18:53.23\00:18:54.96 And many of us the first thing that came to mind 00:18:55.00\00:18:56.80 when I was talking about this with several people 00:18:56.83\00:18:58.50 was is single parents are typically single moms. 00:18:58.53\00:19:02.70 Well, to make sure I was giving the right information, 00:19:02.74\00:19:04.84 I just did a quick search on my cell phone 00:19:04.87\00:19:07.14 and it says, a typical single parent is a mother. 00:19:07.18\00:19:09.78 Approximately 84% of custodial parents are moms 00:19:09.81\00:19:13.58 and 16% of custodial parents are fathers. 00:19:13.62\00:19:16.62 So single parents are part of the work in progress 00:19:16.65\00:19:20.02 and you should know who they are. 00:19:20.06\00:19:21.99 But then we think of them as working poor, 00:19:22.02\00:19:24.33 they are not really working poor, 00:19:24.36\00:19:26.19 they are work in progress. 00:19:26.23\00:19:28.06 Did you know that she is... 00:19:28.10\00:19:31.03 A he or she, the majority of single parents are women, 00:19:31.07\00:19:33.97 so let's talk about her. 00:19:34.00\00:19:36.04 She is employed, 80% of custodial single moms 00:19:36.07\00:19:40.98 are gainfully employed. 00:19:41.01\00:19:43.58 She and her children do not live in poverty. 00:19:43.61\00:19:47.45 Hey, what did I just say, you are work in progress, 00:19:47.48\00:19:50.05 that's what I've been trying to tell you. 00:19:50.09\00:19:51.95 You can be single, you can have things 00:19:51.99\00:19:54.22 that seem to be working against you 00:19:54.26\00:19:55.82 but you know what is creative? 00:19:55.86\00:19:57.79 Is I look at my wife, I look at the moms out there 00:19:57.83\00:20:01.93 and understand there is a wisdom 00:20:01.96\00:20:04.83 that we can gain from each one of them. 00:20:04.87\00:20:06.84 They know how to budget. 00:20:06.87\00:20:08.20 They know how to work with money. 00:20:08.24\00:20:09.70 They know how to work with limited amounts. 00:20:09.74\00:20:11.81 They know how to make it expand. 00:20:11.84\00:20:13.38 And if you are in Christ 00:20:13.41\00:20:14.91 and you know what His leading is doing in your life, 00:20:14.94\00:20:18.11 you will see the blessings that happen in your life 00:20:18.15\00:20:21.15 on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. 00:20:21.18\00:20:23.95 So don't take it for a fact what everyone is telling you. 00:20:23.99\00:20:28.72 The fact is these typical 40-year-old individuals 00:20:28.76\00:20:33.36 who are custodial parents 00:20:33.40\00:20:34.73 who are raising typically one child 00:20:34.76\00:20:36.87 are not living in poverty 00:20:36.90\00:20:38.43 and they are gainfully employed. 00:20:38.47\00:20:40.80 So what is that telling you? 00:20:40.84\00:20:42.44 Many of the individuals that are labeled are labeled wrongly 00:20:42.47\00:20:46.41 because they are not giving you credit for the wisdom 00:20:46.44\00:20:49.61 and the creativity that you have. 00:20:49.64\00:20:51.68 The creativity is there in the communities 00:20:51.71\00:20:54.12 because we know statistically that young people 00:20:54.15\00:20:57.95 who take a risk and try to start a business 00:20:57.99\00:21:01.12 in those communities are typically successful. 00:21:01.16\00:21:06.49 They go against the grain of what typically happens 00:21:06.53\00:21:09.70 with new business startups that fail. 00:21:09.73\00:21:13.60 What I would like to tell you right now 00:21:13.64\00:21:15.30 is there are a lot of options for you 00:21:15.34\00:21:19.37 as you take a step in changing the label 00:21:19.41\00:21:24.15 that people have put on you. 00:21:24.18\00:21:25.58 I want you to change that label. 00:21:25.61\00:21:27.38 Use Christ's label in your life. 00:21:27.42\00:21:29.58 You're now a work in progress. 00:21:29.62\00:21:32.52 Write these things down. 00:21:32.55\00:21:34.32 Make sure you have the budget in place. 00:21:34.36\00:21:36.39 Connect with me. 00:21:36.42\00:21:37.76 Let's talk about how we can even take it to another step 00:21:37.79\00:21:41.53 and what could that step be? 00:21:41.56\00:21:43.40 There are a variety of things. 00:21:43.43\00:21:45.50 And I'll do that by telling you this story. 00:21:45.53\00:21:48.40 We went to on a trip. 00:21:48.44\00:21:49.80 My wife and I went to Guatemala 00:21:49.84\00:21:51.17 and we traveled around for a little bit 00:21:51.21\00:21:53.14 and we had an enjoyable time with our kids 00:21:53.17\00:21:56.75 and traveling around the country 00:21:56.78\00:21:58.25 where she grew up. 00:21:58.28\00:22:00.18 One of the things we did notice 00:22:00.22\00:22:01.55 as we were traveling through the markets 00:22:01.58\00:22:02.92 where some unique little items that girls wear, 00:22:02.95\00:22:08.19 and it was interesting that I could see 00:22:08.22\00:22:10.93 that my daughter had this fantastic interest in design 00:22:10.96\00:22:15.30 and she loves the color pink. 00:22:15.33\00:22:18.13 And so she decided to ask questions. 00:22:18.17\00:22:20.37 Now she was really young at that time. 00:22:20.40\00:22:22.40 But you could see she gravitated to it. 00:22:22.44\00:22:25.47 My daughter is now five years of age 00:22:25.51\00:22:28.74 and somehow she is picking up on this business idea 00:22:28.78\00:22:31.75 and she loves these items that are pink 00:22:31.78\00:22:34.12 and she has designed a unique design 00:22:34.15\00:22:36.45 that she would like to put on them. 00:22:36.48\00:22:38.02 So I'm working seriously with her to find suppliers 00:22:38.05\00:22:41.72 of this item that she can take 00:22:41.76\00:22:44.09 and then she can begin her own little online business 00:22:44.13\00:22:47.53 and now there are things I'm going to have to do, 00:22:47.56\00:22:50.27 because as I'm teaching her about business, 00:22:50.30\00:22:52.47 I teach her about, "Don't talk to the baker 00:22:52.50\00:22:55.37 if you need to talk to a builder." 00:22:55.40\00:22:57.44 I'm not all-encompassing when it comes to finance 00:22:57.47\00:23:01.91 so I go to the expert in the area about finding out 00:23:01.94\00:23:04.91 what business she can incorporate, 00:23:04.95\00:23:06.51 what type of business it would be, 00:23:06.55\00:23:08.58 and how we can work it through that 00:23:08.62\00:23:09.95 she does not have to spend that much in taxes 00:23:09.98\00:23:12.95 and that she can put more time 00:23:12.99\00:23:14.79 and emphasis into driving people to her website 00:23:14.82\00:23:18.03 which takes money, 00:23:18.06\00:23:19.39 and it will take her beginning the process 00:23:19.43\00:23:21.06 of saving and doing, 00:23:21.10\00:23:22.43 so that is going to have to help out quite a bit 00:23:22.46\00:23:24.53 as she starts with the process. 00:23:24.57\00:23:26.70 My son has an interest also, 00:23:26.74\00:23:29.30 and then I have an interest as an adult. 00:23:29.34\00:23:32.14 I have many interests that I would like to take on, 00:23:32.17\00:23:34.81 and I hear it the same way 00:23:34.84\00:23:37.25 all across the spectrum of individuals 00:23:37.28\00:23:39.25 who have business ideas and concepts. 00:23:39.28\00:23:42.65 When you lose a job 00:23:42.68\00:23:44.12 or there is this lack of income, 00:23:44.15\00:23:46.82 let's look at it as an opportunity, 00:23:46.86\00:23:50.73 to go to a local Adventist church 00:23:50.76\00:23:52.63 in your community, 00:23:52.66\00:23:54.00 because it's a microcosm of the big population 00:23:54.03\00:23:56.46 and in those communities you can find 00:23:56.50\00:23:58.13 professional tax consultants, you can find physicians 00:23:58.17\00:24:01.87 who need people to work with them, 00:24:01.90\00:24:04.11 you can find a variety 00:24:04.14\00:24:05.61 of different type of professionals 00:24:05.64\00:24:07.34 that can probably help you and there are those 00:24:07.38\00:24:09.94 that understand how to build an online business 00:24:09.98\00:24:13.31 or build a physical business. 00:24:13.35\00:24:15.38 Do you cook well? 00:24:15.42\00:24:16.75 Do you have a talent than most people, 00:24:16.79\00:24:18.89 other don't have and can't equate with you. 00:24:18.92\00:24:21.72 And I think those are the kinds of things 00:24:21.76\00:24:23.12 we need to consider as we move forward 00:24:23.16\00:24:25.13 because no one can be confident 00:24:25.16\00:24:28.06 in keeping a job for 40 years anymore. 00:24:28.10\00:24:30.73 You're going to see mass layoffs, 00:24:30.77\00:24:32.87 you're seeing a squeeze on the middleclass, 00:24:32.90\00:24:35.30 and what it will take is the creativity 00:24:35.34\00:24:36.91 that you have, 00:24:36.94\00:24:38.27 that you can take on by yourself 00:24:38.31\00:24:40.74 and drive a business that generates revenue. 00:24:40.78\00:24:43.41 Do you play the piano? Do you play the guitar? 00:24:43.45\00:24:45.61 Do you play the saxophone? 00:24:45.65\00:24:46.98 Do you know how much you can ask for lessons 00:24:47.02\00:24:51.12 that you teach other people on an hourly basis? 00:24:51.15\00:24:53.52 Do you know what you can get from baking your goods 00:24:53.56\00:24:57.43 and selling them? 00:24:57.46\00:24:58.79 How do you start that business? 00:24:58.83\00:25:00.23 How do you get a setup in a big store 00:25:00.26\00:25:04.77 where people can come and taste, test your products? 00:25:04.80\00:25:07.40 How do you do those things? 00:25:07.44\00:25:08.77 And you can only get it from the experts. 00:25:08.80\00:25:10.24 The first thing I tell you is talk to the experts. 00:25:10.27\00:25:13.21 The second thing is talk through your idea. 00:25:13.24\00:25:15.68 The only way you'll know if it's a viable idea 00:25:15.71\00:25:18.41 is if you work through it and talk to those that know. 00:25:18.45\00:25:23.18 And then third is don't be afraid to try. 00:25:23.22\00:25:27.06 There are things you can do to bring in income 00:25:27.09\00:25:30.13 while you are dealing 00:25:30.16\00:25:31.49 with the job search and developing 00:25:31.53\00:25:33.19 and moving forward in your life. 00:25:33.23\00:25:35.66 But it all takes planning 00:25:35.70\00:25:38.00 and I need you to plan your road map. 00:25:38.03\00:25:41.64 So lack of income, is it a problem? 00:25:41.67\00:25:47.64 Yes. 00:25:47.68\00:25:49.18 But is it an opportunity? 00:25:51.25\00:25:53.42 Yes, it is. 00:25:53.45\00:25:54.78 It gives you an opportunity to change things 00:25:54.82\00:25:56.35 because people who have labeled you working poor are wrong 00:25:56.38\00:26:00.36 because we are now a work in progress. 00:26:00.39\00:26:03.83 And we are going to work together. 00:26:03.86\00:26:05.53 Together we are going to see 00:26:05.56\00:26:06.90 some substantive change in our communities 00:26:06.93\00:26:08.90 because we are going to talk, discuss, grab a hold 00:26:08.93\00:26:12.23 of what those finance we have, 00:26:12.27\00:26:14.30 and we're gonna make it work on our behalf. 00:26:14.34\00:26:17.04 I know we can. 00:26:17.07\00:26:18.41 It takes assessment and development of a budget. 00:26:18.44\00:26:21.58 And I ask you to do that for us. 00:26:21.61\00:26:23.65 Now, what I would like to do is throw up a quick slide 00:26:23.68\00:26:25.58 to tell you or show you those that are worst hit by poverty. 00:26:25.61\00:26:30.79 It's top nine that are worst hit by poverty. 00:26:30.82\00:26:33.46 Those that are living in developing countries, 00:26:33.49\00:26:36.76 the elderly, those that are unemployed, 00:26:36.79\00:26:40.13 number four ethnic minorities, number five single parents, 00:26:40.16\00:26:45.63 number six would be those 00:26:45.67\00:26:47.30 that are low paid with children, 00:26:47.34\00:26:49.50 people with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers, 00:26:49.54\00:26:53.17 and number nine, the homeless. 00:26:53.21\00:26:55.64 Those are the nine that are worst hit by poverty. 00:26:55.68\00:27:00.42 Can we do something about that? 00:27:00.45\00:27:03.89 There are things we can do. 00:27:03.92\00:27:05.85 The first thing is know where you are at, 00:27:05.89\00:27:07.52 because if you don't know where you are at, 00:27:07.56\00:27:09.42 how do you know where you are going to go? 00:27:09.46\00:27:11.59 Secondarily, it takes commitment. 00:27:11.63\00:27:15.43 It takes commitment. 00:27:15.46\00:27:17.63 If someone dropped you from a plane 00:27:17.67\00:27:21.10 and you landed on the I75 00:27:21.14\00:27:23.64 and I94 quarters where would you be? 00:27:23.67\00:27:27.68 If you understand maps, you know that 00:27:27.71\00:27:30.21 94 is the East West highway because it's an even highway, 00:27:30.25\00:27:33.72 and interstate highway. 00:27:33.75\00:27:35.32 The same with the 75 is the North South highway 00:27:35.35\00:27:37.69 because it's an odd highway. 00:27:37.72\00:27:39.55 The crossroads are right where? 00:27:39.59\00:27:42.52 In Michigan, near Battle Creek. 00:27:42.56\00:27:44.86 So now I know where I'm at. 00:27:44.89\00:27:46.59 If I need to get to 3ABN, 00:27:46.63\00:27:50.07 now I can figure out how to get here. 00:27:50.10\00:27:51.57 The same with your financial mapping is key. 00:27:51.60\00:27:54.44 Lack of income, I don't see it as such, 00:27:54.47\00:27:56.94 because when we plan, 00:27:56.97\00:27:58.57 you can then take it to the bank and save. 00:27:58.61\00:28:01.14 God bless you. 00:28:01.18\00:28:02.68