[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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