I said that I would add my rules for a credit card company and so I shall.
1. I will pay my balance in full each month. This is the standard that you set for yourself, and the most important one at that. There should never be any reason whatsoever to carry a balance on a credit card and incur the high interest rate charges that come with it. The only reason to carry a credit card is as a measure of convenience. If you do not have the money to make the purchase, you do not make the purchase. It is that simple. You must commit to yourself that you will not spend money you do not have. If you have to finance something there are better and cheaper ways to go about it, but saving for the price in full first is the best option you can make. The credit card is only to be used in place of carrying cash or writing lots of checks or other matters of transaction convenience. It is only used to consolidate purchases so that you are writing one sum total payment check, when due, on time, in full, each month always. No Exceptions.
2. Thou shalt incur no Annual Fees. First and foremost that means no annual fee, period, exclamation point and end of discussion. The very first thing I look at for any credit card offer is disclosure on annual fee. If there is one, I don’t need to read any further for it is off to the shredder. Beware of those that claim no annual fee but adds in small print ‘for the first year’ and then they charge an annual fee after that. Only be willing to take the bite on that one if it is your fully committed intention to cancel before the year is up and then follow through. By the way, they are counting on you to forget about it so if there is the slightest chance you will, don’t take their offer. Actually even your intention isn't enough, no annual fees period.
3. Thou shalt have no charge if paid in full during the grace period. This one should be standard by now but double check to make sure that it is. If you pay the bill in full by the due date of the bill there should be no charges what so ever. If there is no grace period or there is any way to assess fees that shouldn’t be there, then drop them like a hot potato.
4. Thou shalt not pay an excessive interest rate. Even though we said that we are going to pay off our balance in full each and every month so as to incur no fees and no interest charges, you don’t want to accept a card that has a 21% or higher interest rate just on the off chance that something should go wrong. Stuff happens and when it does you want to minimize the consequences as much as possible.
5. Thou shalt pay no excess fees. This goes along with rule four. If the offer made it this far without causing you to throw it away then look at the fees and see if they look excessive. Don’t compare them to other fees in the industry to decide if they are normal charges but compare them to your own standard of what seems reasonable. If a fee seems high by your standard it probably is. Fees everywhere have been inching up on all financial services to the point that they have lost their sense of perspective and proportion. It is time to use the power of the consumer and decide not to accept unreasonableness.
6. Thou shalt ask “What’s in it for me?” Lastly and I do mean last, what perks does the card offer? My first credit card was a Discover Card back when they first came out, for one reason, they met my criteria of no fees and they paid cashback. I liked that. I no longer like the Discover Card and I will report on it in another entry. I still like to get a kickback on my purchases. There are a myriad of perks being offered these days, some are better than others so compare carefully. Many of the perk cards come with a hefty annual fee, don’t bother with them, you can do better. Some provide airline miles, some simply provide points, I still prefer cash back as it can be used on anything at any time.
7. Thou shalt not change thy spending habits. Now that you have your credit card you must not change your spending habits, only your payment habits. This is especially important if you happen to have a card that has perks. Just because the government thinks it can spend its way into prosperity does not mean you should. There is no way you can create an income for yourself by spending $100 for a $1 return, so please don’t try. You can however look for ways to use your card in places that you used to use only cash as long as there is no added fee to do so. The daily lunch run can be handled by your card rather than cash at many places fast food joints included. Grocery stores almost expect you to use a card now. I will pull mine out even if all I am getting is a pack of gum. Again, you must remember that you are not changing your spending habit to earn perks; you are only changing your paying habit to earn perks. Big difference.
8. No matter what the available credit balance is thou shalt not try to use it all. The Credit balance that is issued on a credit card is an interesting side note and nothing more. It is a ceiling amount that can easily be raised and lowered but it is inconsequential if you are in charge of your account because you will never come anywhere close to using all of it. There is usually no need. It is an artificial measuring device that the card companies use; it is not a measuring device that you use on yourself. You set your limits. Remember that you have higher standards. Just because they say you can doesn’t mean you say you can.
If you have any self control issues at all then forgo all the above and use strictly cash. Give yourself an allowance that you carry in your wallet or an envelope or whatever system you choose and live from that knowing that once that money is gone, it is gone and will not be replaced until the next allowance cycle. Until you master yourself you will not master your money but that is a whole other set of standards and tools.
One side benefit of the above, I have a monthly balance that is paid in full each and every month which reflects nicely on my credit score. The monthly balance is far less than the available credit which also helps the credit score. Do I care what my credit score is? Not really since it should be perfect but isn’t. It is the most abusive and highly inaccurate financial tool used today which makes me wonder why it is given so much power with so little oversight or liability on its part. My credit score is fairly high I am told. I know that it is just a measuring device that has become an industry unto itself. I want to live my life and have my finances such that having a credit score or not will make no difference whatsoever in my life. Contrary to popular belief debt is not the natural order of life. If you think that it is then it is time for a change of mind. You will find that life gets easier if you avoid debt.
Well there you have it. This pretty well sums up my take on credit cards. By the way, I do not have a pocket full of them. Two is usually plenty, three tops, from different companies or banks. That way you have a back up if one becomes unusable for any reason such as a computer failure on their end. It’s rare but does happen.
Just remember that this is you we are talking about. You matter. You come first. You decide the rules you are willing to play by and you decide which ones you will have nothing to do with. You are the consumer, you have the say. You live with the consequences either way.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
13 January 2010
10 January 2010
Beware credit companies, the consumer is coming
You may have noticed an increase in credit and credit card offers lately. Don’t be drawn in. The rules are about to change and the increase in offers is an attempt to lock in the old rules on those willing to play by the old rules.
So what are the old rules vs. the new rules? I am not sure, but I do know this, they involve high fees and high rates with harsh penalties, new or old. Like so many things coming out of Congress these days in the way of financial regulation, the details somehow get lost in the delivery to the public. I do know that there are rules trying to reign in the current almost obscene method credit card companies are using to adjust rates and charge fees.
In fact if you have listened to Clark Howard, Suze Orman or Dave Ramsey you have probably heard at least one call from a listener telling their story of how the credit card company was changing the rules on them mid stream and wondering what they could do about it seeing how they had been a long time good customer with that company. If they do not have any free cash available to close out their account then most times the answer seems to be try to negotiate with the company or try to live with the new terms. (Wherever possible provide yourself some options.)
Trouble is many people have been living on the edge for so long that there is no room for new terms. All of their spending money is pre committed and they are stretched to pay the minimum balance on these credit cards as it is. Sad to say but many people had a very hard time making their new minimum payment the last time Congress got involved and raised the required minimum payment on outstanding balances as the Congress’ way of trying to help (by force) people to lower their debt levels.
The latest round of increased minimum payment is coming about because of changes in the interest rates charged to the card holders by the card companies. The higher the rate, the higher the interest charges and the higher the minimum payment based on that higher charge. These rate changes come about because of changing terms that made your fixed card now a variable card or even worse. Some card companies have added clauses that state if you are late or default not only on their account but that of anybody else’s account they will raise your rate to loan shark levels, and they are doing it.
“But I had an agreement with them” you say “they shouldn’t be able to change the rules mid stream.” They shouldn’t but they do and it comes in the form of a little tiny printed piece of paper that comes with your statement every so often. Do you take the time to read all of them all the way through? Buried in the legalize is the change and if you aren’t paying attention they have you because it usually comes with a phrase or two that indicates your options are two, either continue to use the card and by default accept the new terms, or notify us now and we will cancel your account and your bill is now due in full for the outstanding balance.
If you are able then my suggestion is to pay off the amount in full and close out the account. Let’s put the power of the consumer back in our pocket. There are still lots of competition for credit cards out there if the number of offers I get is any indication which means there are still many companies that should be competing for my business. I as the consumer have the power to pick and choose who has the best deal to meet my best interest. I get to decide which if any is right for me, and I will vote with my hard earned dollars who I will work with, even if that means none at all.
After the new rules go into effect we should begin to see a new set of offers from companies that are trying to decide how best to play the new game in town. If you can hold off till then I think you will be better off for it. When it comes, I think it will be in all of our best interest to take a close look at what the new offers are and compare them to what we have now and actively switch to a better provider if one is found. Credit Card Companies you have officially been put on notice. If you don’t treat me better, and with the respect I deserve then You Are Fired.
The new rules Congress is laying down should make it harder for the companies to change your rules mid stream like they are doing in abundance now, but to get the new rules to apply to you it sounds like you will need to create a new account where the new rules will apply. I hope that is not the case but if it is I see it as an opportunity for those willing to spend the time and effort to search out better and more trustworthy companies to work with in the future. I will share with you my ideals of standards for a credit card in a later entry.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
So what are the old rules vs. the new rules? I am not sure, but I do know this, they involve high fees and high rates with harsh penalties, new or old. Like so many things coming out of Congress these days in the way of financial regulation, the details somehow get lost in the delivery to the public. I do know that there are rules trying to reign in the current almost obscene method credit card companies are using to adjust rates and charge fees.
In fact if you have listened to Clark Howard, Suze Orman or Dave Ramsey you have probably heard at least one call from a listener telling their story of how the credit card company was changing the rules on them mid stream and wondering what they could do about it seeing how they had been a long time good customer with that company. If they do not have any free cash available to close out their account then most times the answer seems to be try to negotiate with the company or try to live with the new terms. (Wherever possible provide yourself some options.)
Trouble is many people have been living on the edge for so long that there is no room for new terms. All of their spending money is pre committed and they are stretched to pay the minimum balance on these credit cards as it is. Sad to say but many people had a very hard time making their new minimum payment the last time Congress got involved and raised the required minimum payment on outstanding balances as the Congress’ way of trying to help (by force) people to lower their debt levels.
The latest round of increased minimum payment is coming about because of changes in the interest rates charged to the card holders by the card companies. The higher the rate, the higher the interest charges and the higher the minimum payment based on that higher charge. These rate changes come about because of changing terms that made your fixed card now a variable card or even worse. Some card companies have added clauses that state if you are late or default not only on their account but that of anybody else’s account they will raise your rate to loan shark levels, and they are doing it.
“But I had an agreement with them” you say “they shouldn’t be able to change the rules mid stream.” They shouldn’t but they do and it comes in the form of a little tiny printed piece of paper that comes with your statement every so often. Do you take the time to read all of them all the way through? Buried in the legalize is the change and if you aren’t paying attention they have you because it usually comes with a phrase or two that indicates your options are two, either continue to use the card and by default accept the new terms, or notify us now and we will cancel your account and your bill is now due in full for the outstanding balance.
If you are able then my suggestion is to pay off the amount in full and close out the account. Let’s put the power of the consumer back in our pocket. There are still lots of competition for credit cards out there if the number of offers I get is any indication which means there are still many companies that should be competing for my business. I as the consumer have the power to pick and choose who has the best deal to meet my best interest. I get to decide which if any is right for me, and I will vote with my hard earned dollars who I will work with, even if that means none at all.
After the new rules go into effect we should begin to see a new set of offers from companies that are trying to decide how best to play the new game in town. If you can hold off till then I think you will be better off for it. When it comes, I think it will be in all of our best interest to take a close look at what the new offers are and compare them to what we have now and actively switch to a better provider if one is found. Credit Card Companies you have officially been put on notice. If you don’t treat me better, and with the respect I deserve then You Are Fired.
The new rules Congress is laying down should make it harder for the companies to change your rules mid stream like they are doing in abundance now, but to get the new rules to apply to you it sounds like you will need to create a new account where the new rules will apply. I hope that is not the case but if it is I see it as an opportunity for those willing to spend the time and effort to search out better and more trustworthy companies to work with in the future. I will share with you my ideals of standards for a credit card in a later entry.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
09 January 2010
Julie & Julia – Movie Review
First off let me state that this is a chick flick. I knew I was in trouble when the first thing you see after slipping the disc in the machine is 8 previews for upcoming chick flicks. My wife wanted to see it so I went ahead and brought it home (with another movie that we both could watch together).
Now I will qualify my review by stating that I didn’t watch it completely in real time, that is to say, I speed things up a bit. If you turn on the captions and do a little speed reading you can play the movie at the next higher speed and catch most of it in a greatly shortened time. You don’t always get the same dramatic effect because you are changing the pacing and the background music and some of the delivery of the dialogue but it is amazing what you do get. It is kind of like speed reading through a dime store novel that you just don’t have to hang on to every word.
I also need to state that I am not a fall over myself Meryl Streep fan. She is a very good actress and has portrayed some very strong roles but I have never become infatuated with her the way many critics have. That said she does a fine job of creating an affectionate and loveable Julia Child that melds well with the subject of the film, namely Julie Powell’s adventures with Child’s book and subsequent fascination with the author herself.
Amy Adams who portrays Julie Powell is a remarkable actress, one I am sure we well be seeing more of in the future. The range of her talent is the fact that we had just watched two movies back to back (the other being Night at the Museum 2 where she plays Amelia Earhart) and didn’t even realize it until the ending credits of the second movie.
The movie has its moments some of which you can really relate with the characters but I think that there was a lot of plot lines and story definition that was probably left on the cutting room floor. There were interjections of detail that I was unaware of concerning the character’s lives that added significance to the movie. There were also some self interpretations and philosophies added that seemed out of place and more of the director and writer’s fancy than actual events from real life. That of course is expected to some extent (literary license is the common phrase I believe) and therefore didn’t become too preachy as the film went along.
With all that said I give the film a solid 5 as it delivered pretty much as promised being well laid out and well presented. The story was captivating if not riveting and the characterizations were fairly entertaining. I am sure that women will find this vastly more entertaining than the men will but that is what chick flicks are about anyway. This one won’t have you rolling in the aisles but it won’t have you weeping in them either. By the way, they didn’t take the easy but cheesy Hollywood way out for the ending and I applaud them for that. You’ll know what I mean if you see it.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Now I will qualify my review by stating that I didn’t watch it completely in real time, that is to say, I speed things up a bit. If you turn on the captions and do a little speed reading you can play the movie at the next higher speed and catch most of it in a greatly shortened time. You don’t always get the same dramatic effect because you are changing the pacing and the background music and some of the delivery of the dialogue but it is amazing what you do get. It is kind of like speed reading through a dime store novel that you just don’t have to hang on to every word.
I also need to state that I am not a fall over myself Meryl Streep fan. She is a very good actress and has portrayed some very strong roles but I have never become infatuated with her the way many critics have. That said she does a fine job of creating an affectionate and loveable Julia Child that melds well with the subject of the film, namely Julie Powell’s adventures with Child’s book and subsequent fascination with the author herself.
Amy Adams who portrays Julie Powell is a remarkable actress, one I am sure we well be seeing more of in the future. The range of her talent is the fact that we had just watched two movies back to back (the other being Night at the Museum 2 where she plays Amelia Earhart) and didn’t even realize it until the ending credits of the second movie.
The movie has its moments some of which you can really relate with the characters but I think that there was a lot of plot lines and story definition that was probably left on the cutting room floor. There were interjections of detail that I was unaware of concerning the character’s lives that added significance to the movie. There were also some self interpretations and philosophies added that seemed out of place and more of the director and writer’s fancy than actual events from real life. That of course is expected to some extent (literary license is the common phrase I believe) and therefore didn’t become too preachy as the film went along.
With all that said I give the film a solid 5 as it delivered pretty much as promised being well laid out and well presented. The story was captivating if not riveting and the characterizations were fairly entertaining. I am sure that women will find this vastly more entertaining than the men will but that is what chick flicks are about anyway. This one won’t have you rolling in the aisles but it won’t have you weeping in them either. By the way, they didn’t take the easy but cheesy Hollywood way out for the ending and I applaud them for that. You’ll know what I mean if you see it.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Night at the Museum 2 – Movie Review
I finally got a copy of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian to watch. If you watched the first one and liked it you will probably like this one as well. Just be aware that this one didn’t have quite the depth that the first one had. No synopsis here because you should already have some idea of what kind of movie it is and what it is about, more so if you’ve seen the first one, so really there is no need. There are some really good performances made by some of the cast and that makes this one worth watching.
Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart did a delightful job and was one of the characters that actually pulled of the period she was portraying with energy, spunk, and vigor. It helped to drive the show forward and added that memorable touch we love so well.
The multi talented Hank Azaria delivers yet again by working with the director to come up with just the right comedic touch of voice and character for Kahmunrah. Be sure to catch the extra “Phinding Pharaoh” to see a behind the scenes look at what might have been. By the way, Hank is also the voice for Abraham Lincoln and the Thinker.
Jonah Hill is surprisingly left off the credits as Brundon the Security Guard (thank you IMDB.com). His scene with the main character Larry Daley is delightful. I honestly thought they were going to include him later in the movie as part of the plot but he only got the one scene. It was a keeper. If you have ever heard the phrase “United States of don’t touch that” and wondered where it came from, wonder no longer.
As I said before there wasn’t a lot of depth to this one, there could have been more cameos though the ones they had were pretty cool. Some of the cameos were pretty quick and short lived which was probably done deliberately to give those that like to watch a film over and over again to see what they missed something to look forward too. That is alright if there is enough reason to watch the film a second time. This one doesn’t.
But it is worth watching once, especially if you liked the first. Also a reason to look for the alternate ending in the extras. Overall I give it a 7 because even if it could have been better, I was still able to sit back and just enjoy and that is what these movies are all about.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart did a delightful job and was one of the characters that actually pulled of the period she was portraying with energy, spunk, and vigor. It helped to drive the show forward and added that memorable touch we love so well.
The multi talented Hank Azaria delivers yet again by working with the director to come up with just the right comedic touch of voice and character for Kahmunrah. Be sure to catch the extra “Phinding Pharaoh” to see a behind the scenes look at what might have been. By the way, Hank is also the voice for Abraham Lincoln and the Thinker.
Jonah Hill is surprisingly left off the credits as Brundon the Security Guard (thank you IMDB.com). His scene with the main character Larry Daley is delightful. I honestly thought they were going to include him later in the movie as part of the plot but he only got the one scene. It was a keeper. If you have ever heard the phrase “United States of don’t touch that” and wondered where it came from, wonder no longer.
As I said before there wasn’t a lot of depth to this one, there could have been more cameos though the ones they had were pretty cool. Some of the cameos were pretty quick and short lived which was probably done deliberately to give those that like to watch a film over and over again to see what they missed something to look forward too. That is alright if there is enough reason to watch the film a second time. This one doesn’t.
But it is worth watching once, especially if you liked the first. Also a reason to look for the alternate ending in the extras. Overall I give it a 7 because even if it could have been better, I was still able to sit back and just enjoy and that is what these movies are all about.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
02 January 2010
New Vision - a follow up to ForteBuilder
This is a quick follow up to my look at ForteBuilder and Cyber Incomes Inc. and the MLM company they are associated with New Vision International. If you read the last entry you will remember that ForteBuilder and Cyber Incomes Inc. were merely a sponsor and recruiting system for the real company of New Vision International, even if they didn’t tell as much in all the computer generated e-mail traffic they sent me. In fact, I am not sure when in the process they would get around to telling me that since it seemed they were more interested in getting you on their roles and collecting their $19.95 a month fee for their assistance in your having a successful business. Since I couldn’t tell if that meant recruiting for you or just sending you more computer generated e-mail traffic telling you to do what they did I decided to forgo forming an alliance with them.
I did become interested in New Vision International however and decided to take a look. The Google search that lead me too their web site was really where I should have started looking in the first place. Here is where I found out information about the product, or should I say products. Where the best I could get out of ForteBuilder and Cyber Incomes was that the product was an Acai juice, the New Vision International web site showed that they did more. The main product seems more like diet systems that are centered on the use of Forte juice (the Acai juice spoken of), Mangosteen juice and OrganicGreens®. You can of course buy the stuff outside of the diet packages, as well as other vitamin and mineral supplement products.
Now the amazing thing is I could find out about the products content, size and price with very little effort on this web site. Well done. I was even able to find out that the company was founded in 1995 by the President and CEO BK Boreyko, is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is family owned and operated, and is raking in many dollars for their efforts. In other words they appear to be a successful organization though since they are privately held I cannot see the financial statements that would tell the real amount of their profitability.
The web site goes on to tell BK Borelyko’s story of how he was living in Canada working in another unnamed MLM that went under that was the driving force behind starting the new company.
Now the really, really amazing thing about the web site is they are recruiting new members directly and explain all the things that didn’t seem to be too important to ForteBuilder Cyber people that were trying to recruit me. They even have a page or two (several in fact) dedicated to the Compensation Plan. Amazing, simply amazing.
Did I sign up immediately with my new found information, and did I sign up directly with the company figuring that if ForteBuilder and Cyber Incomes couldn’t even tell me what the product was how could I trust them to relay any relevant information on the MLM building side of things, and was I all jazzed up about starting another new venture into the world of nutrition?...Nah.
Although the product sounds good it is still $36.95 retail for a 32 ounce bottle with no extraordinary claims that go with it. There are really quite a lot of this types of products on the market today as I said before and many sell for as little as an eight the price. The member price is only $32.95 which is not a very big margin for a retail business meaning the real program is again a friends and family signup MLM kind of business.
So on the MLM side is it worth it? There is an annual fee to be a member is called a Content Management Fee and is a lot more reasonable at $5.95 but what does it do exactly, I am not sure, but they say it is to help them cover content cost and that it is not a franchise fee I am guessing there are legal issues there. There is an order form that had my number pre filled in; the same number issued to me by ForteBuilder/Cyber Inc., how convenient for them. There is also information on where you can and can’t sell the product, which seemed kind of limiting.
But what about the compensation plan? It is there, listed as well as short video synopsis staring the company president and CEO BK Borelyko. Does it make sense? Not to me. I am beginning to think it might just be me. I have run across a couple of these things now and there are many similarities but it is still in a completely new language, one that I am not yet familiar with. There are many different levels, up lines and down lines, team building, and more, some of which make some sense or at least there is something there enough for me to make assumptions on however they could be all wrong.
It is all the other talk that gets my head spinning. Talk of QV (qualifying volume) or CV (commissionable volume), dynamic levels, directors, and about a dozen bonuses that you may or may not qualify for depending on your group and QV/CV for a given volume period. You become one of these if this happens and you get this if that happens and you become one of those if two of them are under you which means…ugh stop already, my head is hurting. Not really, but come on. Why be upfront with as much as you have to this point only to lose me in this game called compensation plan. You even tell me not to get too concerned if I don’t understand it now because I will in time. Hooey. Hogwash.
I think it was Warren Buffet that said (and I am paraphrasing here) that if it can’t be explained simply on a paper napkin over lunch then it is too complicated and he would not invest in it. That might have kept him out of a lot of good high tech companies but it also kept him out of a lot of nonsense as well. There is no reason to make the rules of the game so hard to understand. On the other hand, those that get to know the rules and understand them are in a much better position to win that game and in the world of MLM that is why there is a small group of people in each company that win and win big. They understand the rules, play the right game and take home all the bonuses, the same bonuses that they brag about to get you interested in playing the game in the first place.
So until I understand the language (and I am beginning to think there are common threads throughout the MLM world) I will not understand the rules, and until I understand the rules I will not have much chance at winning the game, and until I have a reasonable chance at winning at the game I will not play that game but will instead look for another better game to play. One I can understand and one I have an honest shot at winning.
O.K. so I wasn’t very quick in my feedback, but doing your homework does take a little time and look at how much more I was exposed to MLM wise. I think I am a little wiser for the effort. I am a numbers guy and if I can’t see through the numbers or crunch them to the point they work then I know it is time to start looking elsewhere. After I had looked at the product and its pricing I knew this was not for me but I dug deeper and came away with a little better insight on the business side of things.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
I did become interested in New Vision International however and decided to take a look. The Google search that lead me too their web site was really where I should have started looking in the first place. Here is where I found out information about the product, or should I say products. Where the best I could get out of ForteBuilder and Cyber Incomes was that the product was an Acai juice, the New Vision International web site showed that they did more. The main product seems more like diet systems that are centered on the use of Forte juice (the Acai juice spoken of), Mangosteen juice and OrganicGreens®. You can of course buy the stuff outside of the diet packages, as well as other vitamin and mineral supplement products.
Now the amazing thing is I could find out about the products content, size and price with very little effort on this web site. Well done. I was even able to find out that the company was founded in 1995 by the President and CEO BK Boreyko, is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is family owned and operated, and is raking in many dollars for their efforts. In other words they appear to be a successful organization though since they are privately held I cannot see the financial statements that would tell the real amount of their profitability.
The web site goes on to tell BK Borelyko’s story of how he was living in Canada working in another unnamed MLM that went under that was the driving force behind starting the new company.
Now the really, really amazing thing about the web site is they are recruiting new members directly and explain all the things that didn’t seem to be too important to ForteBuilder Cyber people that were trying to recruit me. They even have a page or two (several in fact) dedicated to the Compensation Plan. Amazing, simply amazing.
Did I sign up immediately with my new found information, and did I sign up directly with the company figuring that if ForteBuilder and Cyber Incomes couldn’t even tell me what the product was how could I trust them to relay any relevant information on the MLM building side of things, and was I all jazzed up about starting another new venture into the world of nutrition?...Nah.
Although the product sounds good it is still $36.95 retail for a 32 ounce bottle with no extraordinary claims that go with it. There are really quite a lot of this types of products on the market today as I said before and many sell for as little as an eight the price. The member price is only $32.95 which is not a very big margin for a retail business meaning the real program is again a friends and family signup MLM kind of business.
So on the MLM side is it worth it? There is an annual fee to be a member is called a Content Management Fee and is a lot more reasonable at $5.95 but what does it do exactly, I am not sure, but they say it is to help them cover content cost and that it is not a franchise fee I am guessing there are legal issues there. There is an order form that had my number pre filled in; the same number issued to me by ForteBuilder/Cyber Inc., how convenient for them. There is also information on where you can and can’t sell the product, which seemed kind of limiting.
But what about the compensation plan? It is there, listed as well as short video synopsis staring the company president and CEO BK Borelyko. Does it make sense? Not to me. I am beginning to think it might just be me. I have run across a couple of these things now and there are many similarities but it is still in a completely new language, one that I am not yet familiar with. There are many different levels, up lines and down lines, team building, and more, some of which make some sense or at least there is something there enough for me to make assumptions on however they could be all wrong.
It is all the other talk that gets my head spinning. Talk of QV (qualifying volume) or CV (commissionable volume), dynamic levels, directors, and about a dozen bonuses that you may or may not qualify for depending on your group and QV/CV for a given volume period. You become one of these if this happens and you get this if that happens and you become one of those if two of them are under you which means…ugh stop already, my head is hurting. Not really, but come on. Why be upfront with as much as you have to this point only to lose me in this game called compensation plan. You even tell me not to get too concerned if I don’t understand it now because I will in time. Hooey. Hogwash.
I think it was Warren Buffet that said (and I am paraphrasing here) that if it can’t be explained simply on a paper napkin over lunch then it is too complicated and he would not invest in it. That might have kept him out of a lot of good high tech companies but it also kept him out of a lot of nonsense as well. There is no reason to make the rules of the game so hard to understand. On the other hand, those that get to know the rules and understand them are in a much better position to win that game and in the world of MLM that is why there is a small group of people in each company that win and win big. They understand the rules, play the right game and take home all the bonuses, the same bonuses that they brag about to get you interested in playing the game in the first place.
So until I understand the language (and I am beginning to think there are common threads throughout the MLM world) I will not understand the rules, and until I understand the rules I will not have much chance at winning the game, and until I have a reasonable chance at winning at the game I will not play that game but will instead look for another better game to play. One I can understand and one I have an honest shot at winning.
O.K. so I wasn’t very quick in my feedback, but doing your homework does take a little time and look at how much more I was exposed to MLM wise. I think I am a little wiser for the effort. I am a numbers guy and if I can’t see through the numbers or crunch them to the point they work then I know it is time to start looking elsewhere. After I had looked at the product and its pricing I knew this was not for me but I dug deeper and came away with a little better insight on the business side of things.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
01 January 2010
Happy New Year 2010
Happy New Year and thanks for all the cookies.
Well we just closed out another year and aren’t you glad we did? (Did you close it out…did you really?)
I have to admit right up front that I am not one of those guys that goes in for all those New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t believe in them and I don’t buy into it. It seems so phony and unproductive to get all hyped up and committed to something that will wash away before the month is over, some not lasting a whole week.
And what about the rest of the year? What if you have a really good idea for a resolution but you refuse to make it because you don’t want to waste it on a silly little month like July so you think you will save it until January 1 when all good resolutions are made. Yea makes sense to me.
That is why I am all for making resolutions for the betterment of self and mankind at whatever time of the year they appear because chances are that is the exact time when they are needed most. Of course this is the time of year when they are “expected” and the media likes to play into those generated expectations. That is why the front page story in our local paper covered the expectation that gyms will see an increase in activity this month. Well DUH. (I had almost given up on journalisms ability to state the overly obvious but once again they pulled through.)
Anyway, while I was relaxing this fine day and thinking about not much in particular it occurred to me that I wasn’t as tense as I normally am on a regular work day. I then realized that I hadn’t tuned into the news, I hadn’t been hanging out in my cubicle, I hadn’t driven anywhere involving insane traffic, and I hadn’t turned on any talk radio for background chatter. Mmm, do you suppose there is any correlation?
Now normally I don’t make resolutions on this day (you could almost say I am anti-resolution on this day), but I got to thinking that this is probably a good day to make a sort of commitment to myself in the form of a goal of awareness and action and to start it on this day as it is as good as any other.
I can’t shut out all the influences of day to day living, but I do need to offset them with counter balancing influences. I have an idea. For every minute I expose myself to the highly charged Medias of the day I need to expose myself to an equal minute of spiritually uplifting, self improving, or advancing educational moment of a worthwhile nature.
This sounded easy the first time I thought of it but as I further reflect, maybe half a minute would be better. Though really a half minute added up is still a lot of time compared to total minutes in a day and how many of them are already exposed to the harmful rays of radio and TV. I bet a ten minutes to one minute ratio would be enough to offset the stress inducing effects of today’s world. Of course if I forget and miss a day I’m sure I could catch up easier if it was a ten to one trade off. Besides that way I just need one chunk of good to offset all those chunks of bad which are scattered on and off throughout the whole day. Kind of like going to church, you only have to go one day out of seven to get all the spiritual benefit you need and even then it isn’t like you have to go for the whole day. Hey, wait a minute, isn’t going to church once a week enough to offset all that non spiritual junk I get exposed to the other six days of the week? Maybe I don’t need to have this resolution; oops sorry; awareness commitment after all.
Or do I? Do I really get enough in one short session, one day a week to feed me spiritually for the whole week? What happens if I start running low and need a booster shot, so to speak, do I just have to tough it out until the next scheduled session?
Of course not, and that is why I got myself going down this path to begin with. As the days get heavier with the amount of stuff I allow myself to be exposed to, I need to remind myself that I need to get a balancing dose of offsetting medicines to maintain a grounded balance of my own spiritual self. Like a good vitamin can supplement the body’s physical needs, a daily feeding of uplifting material can supplement the spiritual needs we have.
So what is the perfect ratio? I don’t know, but it is different for each and every person and everyone’s needs change constantly as time passes from moment to moment. I only want to be more aware of what that need is when it hits and spend more time giving it the attention it deserves. Not only would I like to be more aware of the what and when of my needs, but it would be nice to see the what and when of others needs as well and then be inspired enough to do something about it. I’m sure I would be much better off for it.
If you are the kind of person that likes to make resolutions then I wish you well in your endeavors. Write them down and make a real effort to have them make a difference for you. You are worth it. And if you wake up tomorrow or the next day or even sometime in July and realize that you forgot one, don’t sweat it, add it to the list and start right in on it. That way everyday can be a Happy New Year, even those in July.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Well we just closed out another year and aren’t you glad we did? (Did you close it out…did you really?)
I have to admit right up front that I am not one of those guys that goes in for all those New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t believe in them and I don’t buy into it. It seems so phony and unproductive to get all hyped up and committed to something that will wash away before the month is over, some not lasting a whole week.
And what about the rest of the year? What if you have a really good idea for a resolution but you refuse to make it because you don’t want to waste it on a silly little month like July so you think you will save it until January 1 when all good resolutions are made. Yea makes sense to me.
That is why I am all for making resolutions for the betterment of self and mankind at whatever time of the year they appear because chances are that is the exact time when they are needed most. Of course this is the time of year when they are “expected” and the media likes to play into those generated expectations. That is why the front page story in our local paper covered the expectation that gyms will see an increase in activity this month. Well DUH. (I had almost given up on journalisms ability to state the overly obvious but once again they pulled through.)
Anyway, while I was relaxing this fine day and thinking about not much in particular it occurred to me that I wasn’t as tense as I normally am on a regular work day. I then realized that I hadn’t tuned into the news, I hadn’t been hanging out in my cubicle, I hadn’t driven anywhere involving insane traffic, and I hadn’t turned on any talk radio for background chatter. Mmm, do you suppose there is any correlation?
Now normally I don’t make resolutions on this day (you could almost say I am anti-resolution on this day), but I got to thinking that this is probably a good day to make a sort of commitment to myself in the form of a goal of awareness and action and to start it on this day as it is as good as any other.
I can’t shut out all the influences of day to day living, but I do need to offset them with counter balancing influences. I have an idea. For every minute I expose myself to the highly charged Medias of the day I need to expose myself to an equal minute of spiritually uplifting, self improving, or advancing educational moment of a worthwhile nature.
This sounded easy the first time I thought of it but as I further reflect, maybe half a minute would be better. Though really a half minute added up is still a lot of time compared to total minutes in a day and how many of them are already exposed to the harmful rays of radio and TV. I bet a ten minutes to one minute ratio would be enough to offset the stress inducing effects of today’s world. Of course if I forget and miss a day I’m sure I could catch up easier if it was a ten to one trade off. Besides that way I just need one chunk of good to offset all those chunks of bad which are scattered on and off throughout the whole day. Kind of like going to church, you only have to go one day out of seven to get all the spiritual benefit you need and even then it isn’t like you have to go for the whole day. Hey, wait a minute, isn’t going to church once a week enough to offset all that non spiritual junk I get exposed to the other six days of the week? Maybe I don’t need to have this resolution; oops sorry; awareness commitment after all.
Or do I? Do I really get enough in one short session, one day a week to feed me spiritually for the whole week? What happens if I start running low and need a booster shot, so to speak, do I just have to tough it out until the next scheduled session?
Of course not, and that is why I got myself going down this path to begin with. As the days get heavier with the amount of stuff I allow myself to be exposed to, I need to remind myself that I need to get a balancing dose of offsetting medicines to maintain a grounded balance of my own spiritual self. Like a good vitamin can supplement the body’s physical needs, a daily feeding of uplifting material can supplement the spiritual needs we have.
So what is the perfect ratio? I don’t know, but it is different for each and every person and everyone’s needs change constantly as time passes from moment to moment. I only want to be more aware of what that need is when it hits and spend more time giving it the attention it deserves. Not only would I like to be more aware of the what and when of my needs, but it would be nice to see the what and when of others needs as well and then be inspired enough to do something about it. I’m sure I would be much better off for it.
If you are the kind of person that likes to make resolutions then I wish you well in your endeavors. Write them down and make a real effort to have them make a difference for you. You are worth it. And if you wake up tomorrow or the next day or even sometime in July and realize that you forgot one, don’t sweat it, add it to the list and start right in on it. That way everyday can be a Happy New Year, even those in July.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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