FREEMAN-SPICER FINANCIAL SERVICES

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316 South Eddy Street South Bend, IN 46617

574.234.0069 (V) • 574.234.6414 (F) • surekey@aol.com

Vol. 26, No. 2 • February, 2008

You can find this newsletter and some past issues on the web @ www.Freeman-Spicer.com

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education........................ He argued, “What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.”

To stress his point he said to another guest; “You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?” Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, “You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...) Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental. You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.) I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English and the United States, while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America. Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.' (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.) 'Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make, Mr. CEO?” His jaw dropped, he went silent. (Fournier)

Have Someone Going To College . . . . . . . . . A recent law makes the long climb to a college degree a little bit less expensive. It cuts loan rates for current and future students, forgives debt for some grads and clarifies the rules for 529 savers:

•          Rates on Stafford loans will drop from 6.8% to 3.3% over 5 years.

•          Withdrawals from 529 accounts held by grandparents and other third parties will no longer be taken into account in federal aid decisions.

•          Students who work in public service for 10 years can have debt forgiven.

•          An new income-based repayment program will cap how much student debtors have to repay annually. (Money)

When Insults Had Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.” Clarence Darrow “His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.” Mae West “I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening But this wasn’t it.” Groucho Marx

Spending The Extra Time . . . . . . . . Earl Nightingale stated, “If you spend one extra hour each day in the study of your chosen field, you’ll be a national expert in 5 years or less.” His promise calls for an extra hour per day. It begins when you invest an hour beyond what it takes to be simply adequate. The extra hour does make a difference. Why? Because it’s so rare to find anyone who puts in much extra effort for an extended period of time at anything. Most people, most of the time, do just enough to get by. While top people are often just a bit better than their peers, they’ve been just a little bit better year after year for quite a while. (Time Tactics of Very Successful People)

Here’s Someone That Needs A Tax Break . . . . . . . . . . Shaq deserves a new moniker: Big Spender! It takes a big man with deep pockets to spend $1.3 million a month - on expenses so extravagant they’d make Paris Hilton jealous. Heat center Shaquille O’Neal is that man. Consider some of his monthly expenditures:

●          $156,116 on mortgages.

●          $110,505 on vacations.

●          $60,417 on gifts.

●          $26,560 on baby sitters.

●          $24,300 on gasoline.

●          $22,190 on maids.

●          $17,220 on clothes.

●          $12,775 on food.

On top of that, the tax man gets his share: O’Neal, 35, pays about $500,000 a month in income taxes. The details of O’Neals checkbook were revealed this month as part of his ongoing divorce from Shaunie O’Neal. (Miami Herald)

Digital TV Coming To Your Home Soon . . . . . . . . Actually it’s here now - but will all your TVs accept digital signals? The easiest way to figure everything out is to go to http://dtv.gov! It will explain everything you need to know about the coming transition - Feb. 17, 2009 [see countdown clock] and you can apply for your Discount Coupons to purchase Analog to Digital Converters. Don’t let your kids talk you into purchasing all new TVs telling you that your old TVs won’t work. Save some money, but eventually, you’ll want that HDTV. It is nicer . . . . . . !

Bright Idea? [Compact fluorescent light bulbs] ........ pose a nightmare if they break and require special disposal procedures. Consider the procedure offered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s Web page entitled, “What if I accidentally break a fluorescent bulb in my home?” Don’t vacuum bulb debris because a standard vacuum will spread mercury-containing dust throughout the area and contaminate the vacuum. Ventilate the area and reduce the temperature. Wear protective equipment like goggles, coveralls and dust mask. Collect the waste material into an airtight container. Pat the area with the sticky side of tape. Wipe with a damp cloth. Finally, check with local authorities to see where hazardous waste may be properly disposed. The only step the Maine DEP left off was the final one -- hope you did a good enough clean-up so that you, your family and pets aren’t poisoned by any mercury inadvertently dispersed or missed. This, of course, assumes that people are even aware that breaking CFLs entail special clean-up procedures in the first place. (Steven Milloy, Washington Times)

Names . . . . . . . . What happened with baby names in 2007? Emma has been knocked off it’s number one popularity perch for the first time since 2004. In boys’ names, Aiden reigns for a third straight year:

                                                Girls                            Boys

                                                1. Sophia                     Aiden

                                                2. Isabella                   Ethan

                                                3. Emma                     Jacob

                                                4. Madison                  Jayden

                                                5. Ava                         Caden

                                                6. Addison                  Noah

                                                7. Hailey                     Jackson

                                                8. Emily                      Jack

                                                9. Kaitlyn                    Logan

                                                10. Olivia                    Matthew (BabyCenter)

Cash Flow . . . . . . . . When cash flow is strong, it’s easy to let your accounts receivable aging slip. And it sometimes slips when cash flow is poor. Here are two common mistakes to avoid if you are out chasing cash:

□          When you need cash, it’s natural to go to the customers most likely to pay you quickly - your best accounts. This is not the way to sustain good relationships.

□          It’s common to have accounting people do the collecting. But they often don’t have personal customer relationships to use to avoid antagonizing people who should be allies. Someone else at your company who interacts regularly with the customer may know a better way. (Inc.)

Depressed . . . . . . I was depressed last night so I called a Suicide Prevention Lifeline. I got a call center in Pakistan. I told them I was suicidal. They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck! (LaFree)

Campbell’s . . . . . . . . Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup has 260 noodles in each can. If you put the noodles together end to end they would stretch 32 feet. (Food Channel)

Tiffany Store . . . . . . A lady walks into Tiffany’s. She browses around, spots a beautiful diamond bracelet and walks over to inspect it. As she bends over to look more closely she inadvertently breaks wind. Very embarrassed, she looks around nervously to see if anyone has noticed her little accident and prays that a sales person doesn’t pop up right now. As she turns around, her worst nightmare materializes in the form of a salesman standing right behind her. Cool as a cucumber and displaying complete professionalism, the salesman greets the lady with, “Good Day, Madam. How may we help you today?” Very uncomfortable, but hoping  that the salesman may just not have been there at the time of her little ‘accident’, she asks, “Sir, what is the price of this lovely bracelet?” He answers, “Madam, if you farted just looking at it, you’re going to  Sh...... when I tell you the price.” (B. Levy)

Sincerely,

Edward C. Levy

President

Freeman-Spicer Financial Services

316 South Eddy Street, P.O. Box 1238, South Bend, IN 46624

(V) 574.234.0069 or 800.526.6753 / (F) 574.234.6414 / surekey@aol.com

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Ryan McDaniel at: 317.896.1393 office / 317.490.4657 cell

Home Technology, Simplified: One-Touch is a full service home technology company. Simplify your daily routines with an automation system. Imagine your security, lighting, heating/air conditioning working together to save you both time and money. No more setting back the thermostat at night and running around turning off all of your lights before bed. Simply push a button labeled "Goodnight" and let your home automation system do the work. By simply arming your security system "Away", have all of your lights turn off and your heating/air conditioning set back. With One-Touch of a button called "Entertain", have all your lights go to a preset level while your favorite music turns on at a soft level throughout your home. Don't forget, you can control your home from anywhere in the world via the internet. The possibilities are endless!