Alison's Econ page

Taxes - How do the Government Spends Money?

2007-06-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

The tax forms that we all fill out and send out to the government tax returns that we all get back after sending in our The government spends most of the money now on the war in Iraq and supplying the military. Some of the money goes to help rebuild from Hurricane Katrina. I think that most of the money gets spent on other countries to get supplied and not that much helps the county. There's a lot of people homeless and people who are hungry. Most of the money is spent on federal stuff. The government rarely spends money on Americans to help them out. Also the money is also for taxtax forms. Also hardly any tax money gets spent on the public school system to help teachers to purchase books or even regular supplies that also falls in to the catorgary of the states as well.

Savings and Debt

2007-05-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

That was really wrong of Sears making the percent so high which made their bill over $5,000 and that's out rageouse!! They only make $66,000 a year not a month a year. Most
Americans that get paid they don't even spend their checks on themselves they are paying their bills and none of it really to save it. Yes the Moellerings did run up their bill but how can they really expect them to pay that, that's hard! Now their in debt and it's going to be hard to get out of debt. Also their interest rates are really high if they were lower them they may be will be able to manage. Their really going to have to try to lower their monthly payments. These companies are charging these people for stupid senseless things oh and why their charging them for such things. Their mortgage is almost a $100,000 if you were to probably calculate their debt it's probably at least $150,000 more or less. I think the finance charges can really make your bill sky rocket threw the roof.
I think if Americans will save a little of their pay check each month and when a bill comes and it's a little too much you can dip into your savings and pay it off quickly so the bill doesn't grow. Also one thing you should never ever do is to pay off a credit card with another credit card. That's how you get into debt by thinking you can use other cards to pay off other bills but latter it bites you in the butt because that card you used to pay off the other card with that bill will be very high!!!

Critique of GDP Podcast

2007-05-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

The podcast that I'll be looking at is Jelani and Hope's podcast. First I wanna say that it was very natural and it didn't seem like it was plan at the last minute and it seem like they knew what their talking about. The only thing is that Jelani voice would be loud when he first talked then later on it would slowly become lower and lower than later it'll be hard to hear him speak. Though Hope's voice was consistent. Another thing in the beginning the pictures would move too fast for you to get a good look ans them and the picture of the belt that said some guys name and US on it I really didn't understand why it was up there it had nothing to do with the GDP. But towards the end it became easier to see the pictures.
The way they decide to do their podcast was great it made you interested into it. The whole question and answer thing was nice. From what I could see of the pictures I think the picture went together nicely! Overall it was very creative and fun. I feel like if I didn't know anything about GDP I think I would learn something from this podcast and would remain interested in the podcast, I wouldn't think it was boring or anything. Their podcast seem like the type of podcast Mr. Moloney would show off or type of video he would show the class.

US Trade Deficit: getting better ?

2007-05-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

This article is discussing about the trade deficit with America and now that America is making more money from American companies that sell over seas is helping to increae the value of the American dollar. Previously the cost of oil was so much that it increased the deficit that were in and now like companies KFC and General Motors are selling a lot. $765.3 billion last year was our trade deficit, could gradually decrease. Trade deficit can help to tell how much a country is worth.
I think if more countries that are from America and were to sell more abord the country would have the American dollar increase and the country wouldn't be in so much debt. Also like KFC and General Motors these companies are helping out the country. If more car compaines were from American and were able to sell more abord they would not only make money from other counties and the American country. Also it would also to help more Americans to get jobs for those that don't have jobs. I think the counrty needs more jobs and that's what many Americans been arguing about keeping the jobs in the country. America would be keeping more money in the country than spiting it out to other countires to make money.

Taxes - How do the Government Get Money?

2007-05-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

Taxes are taken out of peoples pay and when we buy stuff as well. When we get payed the government takes out for federal state tax and social sercurity and other things as well. These taxes are taken out to help run the country. For example when the President ask for monney from Congress thats taxes payers money. Taxes also pay state workers as well.

Student Loans- Beware!!!

2007-05-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

First I wanna say that I feel so bad for him and for him sharing his mistake others can learn from it, like me since I'm getting ready to go off to college it makes me think that now before I sign for my loans I am going to read every page of it and understand it.
I feel that many culinary students have to take out so much in loans because that culinary school probably don't get that much funding with it. Also that the schools can not meet the need for the students who want to attend and the school can't meet all their students finical needs.
Even thought that his loans turn tragic I still think student loans are necessary because who in normal society can afford to pay for a school that's $20,000 plus normal people make that in a year or make more. So when u take out student loans your just taking money from the bank that you later just have to pay back with interest it's like buying a new car or a house. Except you'll get more out of an education that a car or an house because you won't have to fix it every time something breaks.
I do plane to take out student loans my school cost $38,000 a year ( University of Hartford). It's a lot and I really think that it's worth it. I'm going into Marketing and my minor will be Advertising. I think that maybe that I'll be $20,000 in debt when I graduate but again once I have my degree no body can take that away from me.

Critique of Federal Reserve Podcast

2007-03-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

I will critique Sharina and Jared podcast it discusses all the facts of the Federal Reserve. The facts they had were very informative and it had lots of pictures that can keep you interested. They talk about what dose it do, and how it work also what dose it do for the American community, and how money in banks get distributed. Their voices were echoing from the room that they were in, and it didn't sound all that natural. They sounded more like when they do the announcements or the educational video's teachers put on and the kids are pleasant and have good morals. On the other hand they did speak clearly enough that you are able to hear and understand them clearly.
Sharina and Jareds images are all good and none of them are fuzzy. The pictures went along with what they was talking about. The pictures were there long enough to have a good look at them they weren't moving to quick that you had to pause it to go back to the picture. Also when they had their name slide up it was up there long enough that you were able to tell who was doing it.
In the beginning it seem quite interesting but towards the edge it lost the whole it factor that they had in the beginning that made it interesting for you to listing to it. I didn't really learn anything because the information that I looked up in my podcast. On the other hand it had good information that if I didn't know any content about the subject that I would have learned a lot about it.

Compound Interest and the Rule of 72!

2007-03-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Compound Interest is when they calculate how much you'll make off your money in one year, then two, etc. but it depends on the interest rate you have on your money. How ever how much you have on your interest the amount of money may not grow as fast as you think or wish. It may take a lot of time for it to grow. The rule of 72 helps you to figure out on your own how much you'll make on your money for leaving it in the bank. It'll let you know how long it'll take for you to double your money or even just to make a little bit off of it. The picture to your left is the basic formula of the rule of 72!

Insider Trading Scandal - What Happened?

2007-03-02T07:44:00.000-08:00

Two old friends meet in an bar and started talking about $25,000 debit. Thirteen people were acused for the insider trading which one was a Stanly Morgan compliance offical, and three Bear Sterns and a Bank of America employee. Many Wall street officals gave hints to traders that upgrades or downgrades were going to happen in the stocks. The gave information to make sure tha move of a sock's price, the information came out by a little bird on the stoop about merges and acquisitions, and getting hot deals on the stocks.

Dow down 416pts!- Why?

2007-02-28T08:03:00.000-08:00

In China their stock markets went up so high it was unbelievable! Later the market dropped so much that it effected the US stock market and made all the stocks go down a lot and many people lost money! We lost money because we invest in their stocks and they invest in our stocks. So many people began to sell their stocks and from everyone selling at the same time it made the sock market go down from the over whelming amount. All of this leads to a 9% drop in the stock market. This caused so many people to lose money and made so many people upset and nervous from the big drop.

Opportunity Costs

2007-02-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

When economists talk about opportunity costs they are looking at two situations and their trying to decide which one to choose and if they pick one what will be the result of not picking the other one. Would they lose money because they didn't pick the other one or would they gain money with the option they picked? They are talking about the "what ifs"! What if ..... this happened?

Opportunity cost is the cost we pay when we give up something to get something else! Choosing one over something else.

Some examples of opportunity cost will be if a major company is deciding to pick to have paper towels in their bathrooms or blow dryers. If they pick the paper towels they have to pay to have the towel dispenser put in, and pay to add on two more janitors to make sure the bathrooms stay clean, and giving the janitors benefits the total cost of this installment is $150,000. But if they install the hand dryers they don't have to higher more janitors and just have the regular janitors install the hand dryers and the total cost of this is $100,000 . You save $50,000 and the blow dryers save you money each year and you can use it for something else.

Some modern day examples that we could relate to is your sister asked you to babysit your two nephews and she'll pay you $20 an hour and she'll be gone for 4 hours. On the other hand your boyfriend want to take you out on a date to see the latest movie and you really want to go and you guys decide that he'll get the tickets and snacks if you pay for the dinner, and the food came out to be came out to be $45. Now you can go with him and spend $45 or babysit and earn $80. You can reschedule but he'll be upset. Which one would you pick?

Or even a company wants to advertise they could sign up for myspace and advertise threw there or pay to make a commerical on NBC. Which one would you pick?

Types of Economic Systems

2007-02-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

Traditional Economies
Traditional Economies are found in rural and no develop countries like Africa, Asia, South Africa, and the Middle East. Technology is not used for traditional economies, the economic activities are mostly towards family or a specific ethnic group.
Centrally Planned (Command) Economy
An economy that is planned and controlled by a central administration, as in the former Soviet Union.
Market Economy
Also known as a free market economy. It is an economic system that produces and distributed of their goods and their services. It occurs threw mechanism of free markets it's a free system.
The customers decide what they will produces and buy instead of the government planning it.
Mixed Economy
A mixed economy is an economy that has a mix of economic systems. It is usually defined as an economy that contains both private-owned and state-owned enterprises.

What is the difference between communism and socialism?

Communism is the idea that society should not have classes and socialism is the idea that the working class produces the profits, the wealth, the cars, houses, planes, steel, should take over and run things collectively, democratically, for the benefit of the nation.

Investments in Companies

2007-02-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

$50, 000 will be invested and I thought about it over the weekend which companies I would like to invest in well a couple of them are Target, Apple, Corinthian Colleges, Coca Cola, Pepsi soft drinks, and an oil company or that company that teacher invested into that made him so much money. The companies that i am thinking of the most they cost is like $60 -$65. The reason that I picked Pepsi because I remember that Pepsi is on a lot of college campuses and they make tons of money off of college students. Also if the companies I choose wont make a lot of money than I'll trade it. Also my sisters job company Price Water House Coopers.

Test

2007-02-02T07:51:00.000-08:00

Test