For older Americans, it’s a hard-knock life – By Lisa Shidler – … According to Golden Gateway Financial’s online survey of 300 people 62 or older, 30% of respondents said they have sold personal items to make extra money, while 25% said they have postponed trips to the dentist or optometrist to save money. Some 27% said they haven’t been able to pay their bills due to unexpected medical expenses – Investment News
————
Most finance job-seekers open to pay cuts: survey – Nick Zieminski – A majority of job-seekers in the finance sector would consider taking a pay cut since their job searches are taking longer than initially expected, according to a survey by an online career management company. – Reuters
————
Potential Energy revolution – Nick Gogerty – … Here is perhaps the most interesting video on energy I have seen in the last 5 years. If you are interested at all about energy it is worth the 20 minutes. Here is the company Sun Catalytix that has been formed to commercialize the technology from Dan Nocera. Warning this is subtle and the impact won’t register with most. ht Paul Kedrosky. – Designing Better Futures
————
Bank robber: ‘I need to pay my mortgage’ – By Marcus K. Garner – The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution (Bet you hope your company does not hold his mortgage!)
————
Luxury-Home Owners in U.S. Use ‘Short Sales’ as Defaults Rise – By Kathleen M. Howley and Dan Levy – Homeowners with mortgages of more than $1 million are defaulting at almost twice the U.S. rate and some are turning to so-called short sales to unload properties as stock-market losses and pay cuts squeeze wealthy borrowers. – Bloomberg
————
Ben refis into a fixed rate – Looking a Little Deeper at Bernanke’s Floating Rate Mortgage – By Jon Hilsenrath and Mark Whitehouse – … Locking into a fixed rate mortgage looks like a sensible thing for any homeowner to do with long rates at historic lows now. Of course, Mr. Bernanke isn’t any homeowner. One has to wonder what the decision to refinance implies about his beliefs about where rates are going in the future. … – Wall Street Journal Blogs
(Do you remember a few years ago when Greenspan was touting ARMs?)
————
4.22 CITI SHARES FOR EACH PERSON IN THE WORLD – A comment on Zero Hedge today offered up an interesting stat — that there are 4 shares of Citigroup for each person on the planet. Wow. – Bespoke Investment Group