How To Protect Your Job

We're told the tender "Green Sprouts" of economic recovery are starting to appear and the worst is over. As for doubters, since March stock markets have risen. Is the economy about to bounce back from the brink of collapse?

The answer is: The economy may bounce back briefly, but it will collapse. What I'm about to tell you is very strong and crucial for you to know.

Why believe me instead of the "experts?" Because since 2007, when I published "How To Protect Yourself From The Coming Financial Crisis," I've been right. Most experts saw no problems and when they finally did see them, they greatly underestimated their impact. They will again.

What you're seeing is not a recovery but massive spending on wars, weapons, bailouts and "stimulus" programs. It's taxpayer money and is not productive nor sustainable and the borrowings are the biggest in U.S. history. So large that to cover them, the Fed is now printing money out of thin air, which in itself will set the stage for hyper-inflation in the next few years.

Why is this happening? We live in what's become a bubble economy. Because most of our manufacturing base is gone, we make money from stock market run-ups, real estate run-ups and services such as selling other nations' goods to ourselves.

We depend on China, India and other nations to produce for us. And because we have no energy policy, we depend on fossil fuels and for much of our gasoline, we depend on OPEC nations such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela.

Because our government can no longer pay its bills and we can't afford foreign made products, we borrow heavily. This too is unsustainable and we are deeply in debt with no idea how we will ever repay our creditors. They know this and are "worried" to quote our biggest creditor, China.

Yet President Bush and now President Obama want to "stimulate" the economy meaning to elevate our confidence and get us to start spending again. But on what? Stocks? Real estate? Goods made elsewhere? This just leads us back into the bubble.

What can you do?

To protect your job, you must either become a specialist whose services are essential such as a medical professional or an accountant or become a jack of all trades. To firms laying off employees, those employees most likely to be retained are those who perform a vital function or those who can do many different jobs.

Slash your overhead. Sell off non essential items such as extra cars, boats and off road vehicles to get out from under their costs and use the money to pay down your credit cards.

If your credit card debt is out of control, tear up the cards and renegotiate your balances and your interest rate with the credit card companies. You'll save a lot of money and feel much better getting rid of the stress of heavy debt.

Donate. However bad you may have it, there are others that have it worse. Donate your old clothing and donate food or some money to food banks. A dirty little secret in America is that 1 in 9 people depend on food banks for some or all of their food and that number is growing. Whatever you can spare can make a difference to those in dire circumstances. Together we'll get through this financial mess.

Be happy with what matters. Spend time with your loved ones and friends and take time to smell the roses, to enjoy a good book and to do something else that gives your life greater meaning.

Life isn't about possessions and material wealth but about personal growth and about helping others as together we build a better world for all of its inhabitants.

Dick