[permaculture] A Question about investments

Jim ashevillecurrencyproject at gmail.com
Sun Oct 7 12:58:35 EDT 2007


Hi- I imagine that your main concern is for the money to stay secure and 
not lose value, and less to grow; and that you might want to withdraw 
some of this money quickly in case of a medical/other emergency. My 
reading of the economic situation is that we are in early 1929. Yes, the 
stock market is at an all-time high, but the foundations just aren't 
there (and that's independent of peak oil). I would avoid things that 
are convoluted. It is precisely those things that have already started 
unraveling with the mortgage subprime crisis. Last night I learned that 
there is a rating of US banks, which should come in handy for 90% of us: 
http://www.thestreet.com/tsc/ratings/screener.html - click on the "banks 
and thrifts" button Here's a sample of the Alabama banks:
HOLD	C+
Alabama Bankers Bank		C
Alabama Exch Bank		B
Alabama Municipal Ins		C
Alabama Reassurance		C-
Alabama Trust Bank		C
Alamerica Bank		A-
Alfa General Ins		A
Alfa Ins		A

As you can see, they don't give everyone an A. Which of course raises a 
few questions: * Isn't the FDIC (US bank guaranty agency) worried about 
the banks that get a D? * On what criteria are these ratings based? A 
post at The Oil Drum blog by Gail the Actuary paints a pessimistic 
picture of what might lie ahead: http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2984 I 
hope this helps-- I'd be interested in hearing other folks' thoughts. -- 
Jim *************************** At 7:05 PM -0700 10/6/07, Udan Farm wrote:

> >Hello,
> >   My partner and I are considering investing in the Permaculture 
> >Credit Union as we are taking over finances for his ill father.  We 
> >have been talking to a local financial adviser, but we keep in mind 
> >that his and our values are very different, ours being straight 
> >along Permaculture Ethics lines and very simple.
> >
> >   My question is this:
> >   Does anyone have any input on investing in things from a Perm. 
> >Ethics point of view, but that would also save us from having to pay 
> >a lot of federal income tax (we are in the US)?
> >   Our financial adviser seems to think that his company is perfect 
> >for us, since they try to avoid for us to pay taxes (by finding tax 
> >deferred things to put our money in) and they invest in things other 
> >than the stock market. But a lot of what the co. invests in is not 
> >simple and is questionable ethically or at least convoluted.
> >
> >   We simply would rather put it in a PCU or a jar in the  ground, or buy land,
> >    or some other ethical investment but those things incur tax 
> >payments yearly....(except the jar)
> >
> >   Any thoughts?
> >
> >   We appreciate this input as we are wading into this unfamiliar territory.
> >   Thanks,
> >   Isabel Crabtree
>   



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