MTE Members Blog

Social Media Setup and Training

2010-12-06T11:18:00.000-05:00

Snoozzy Inc, creator of http://www.meettheelite.net/ now offers weekly training webinars & tips on how to utilize social media to grow your agency.

For $9.99 a month we offer one training webinar a week, as well as (1) hour a month of free phone consulting time.

For more information go to http://www.benefitstore.net/Broker/About-Social-Networking.aspx

Or feel free to contact us with questions.

Ken French
Snoozzy CEO
(973) 607-1916
Ken@snoozzy.com

New Site For Insurance Professionals

2010-07-17T10:34:00.001-04:00

Snoozzy, the creator of MeetTheElite is proud to announce a brand new website specifically for Insurance professionals. It’s a customizable on-line store that can act as your website or be linked to your current one! The Website: http://www.benefitstore.net/

The entire insurance & financial industry is evolving at an incredibly rapid rate. Everyday a new product is designed to be sold to consumers exclusively on-line. It's cheaper, more efficient and the modern day consumer demands this shopping method.

Our "MyBenefitStore" will show you how to receive on-line enrollment capabilities from each insurance company. Then it allows you to house all of these products in one organized customizable website. You will be able to refer your clients to your own on-line store. There they will be able to quote, review benefits and purchase on-line with their credit card. You will receive the standard commission for any of their purchases.’

To view sample: www.benefitstore.net/store/sample

Special Offer For MeetTheElite Members
Receive a complementary 30 minute consultation on how to setup, market and optimize your MyBenefitstore.

How: Just enter your MeetTheElite.net username in the “Referral Code” box when you sign-up.

Note: There is currently a 30 day free trial. So give it a try now!

Join Us On LinkedIn

2010-03-23T08:43:00.002-04:00

Please join us on LinkedIn, where you will learn about Snoozzy, our parent company. Plus get the latest updates on new web applications we are currently developing!

Click To View Our LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/in/snoozzyinc

StateLawyers.com Partnership

2009-09-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

MTE Members get a special 2 month free trial!
Try it out
Test their leads
Just cancel before you have to pay - if you don’t like it!

About The Site
It is similar to MTE except it’s a pay site.
$25 a month for a profile
$25 a month for your own website (Optional)
70,000 Lawyers Listed
(Click) To Learn About All Listing Options

How to Get 2 Months Free
Enter Promo Code MTE09 when you register
Click To Register

Questions
Just call Steve @ StateLawyers.com
1-800-734-4260

MTE Fantasy Football

2009-08-17T09:17:00.002-04:00

MTE is proud to announce that it is offering its members a free fantasy football survival league via Yahoo Fantasy Football. The winner of the survival pool will win a $250 American Express gift card.

Entry is free for all MTE Members

Please make your team name your MTE Username

To Join
Go To: http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/survival
Click on: “Join A Group”
Enter Group ID: 7058
Enter Password: mte2009

Save 10% on Office Supplies

2009-08-04T11:29:00.005-04:00

MTE Members Save

10% at Office Depot

Step 1 – Click on the Below Link To Go To Office Depot Website

Step 2- On right side of site click on “Add Coupon”

Step 3- Enter Coupon # 86500296(10% off)

Step 4- Purchase your supplies and save 10%

(Click) To View Office Depot Products

2009-07-21T09:49:00.003-04:00

MeetTheelite.net is proud to offer its members various discounts on lead programs and On-line CLE/CPE/CE courses!

Available Discounts For Attorneys
Save $100 on CLE Credits
Get a 2 month free trial with a top (new client) lead generation company

Available Discounts For Financial Professionals
Get a complimentary $100 Gift From InsuranceLeads.com

(Just email us TimS@meettheelite.net to request)
Get $200 worth of free leads
Save 20% on CPE Credits
Save 10% on CE Courses

For details on all available discounts visit the MTE Marketplace
(Click To Enter) MeetTheElite.Net - Market Place

Networking For Legal Professionals

2009-05-06T10:16:00.000-04:00

MeetTheElite.net is very close to releasing a brand new “Networking” feature to the site. The feature will allow current members various ways to connect with other members.

We would like to pose an open ended question to Legal Professionals.

Question: What type of networking situations do Legal Professionals look for?

- Are you looking for other professionals to trade referrals with?
- Do you look to form alliances with out of area legal professionals?

Please share your thoughts by clicking on the “Comments” button below.

MTE Members - Discounts On CLE Courses

2009-04-28T10:00:00.003-04:00

MTE has partnered with Lawline.com in an effort to offer MTE legal professional members On-Line CLE classes. MTE members receive a special discount offer of unlimited On-Line CLE classes for only $299.

(Click) For More Information or To Register

MTE FAQ's + Answers

2009-03-08T11:17:00.002-04:00

Over the last few weeks Meet The Elite has received questions regarding our member profiles. The basic theme has been “How Do I Improve My Profile?” or “How Do I Attract Clients?”. Below you will find some insight on how the site works and some basic tips to improve your profile.

Search Engines - Your Profile Gets Indexed
Many MTE members don’t realize that 50% of the traffic that visits their profile comes via search engines (Yahoo, Google, MSN, etc). Every few days the search engines scan your profile indexing its data. When a potential client uses the search engine, it is possible your profile could come up as a search result, depending on the search “words’ they use. It takes roughly 2 to 4 weeks for your profile to get indexed once it’s created.

Example: Go to http://www.google.com/ and type in the name “Devin Whitt” you will see Devin’s MTE profile is one of the top search results.

Profile Tips

Create an article

Articles are also indexed with the search engines. With articles you can either upload a PDF or type text. The best articles are written by you about something you are in expert in or include marketing material you have uploaded that promotes your firm. Either way it makes your profile look a lot more impressive and alive.

Biography Section
Many members do not take advantage of the Biography Area. It makes your profile look complete plus gives some insight on you and your firm. If you want you can copy and paste pictures or detailed information from your firms website into this section.

A Call to Action
If you want to convert potential clients who view your profile to actual interested calls or emails. Then you need to have a call to action on your profile. In a simple way you have to tell them how to get started. Some of the best profiles use the “Articles” or the “Biography” area to maximize this. A simple phone # in your slogan can make all the difference.

How do I become the “Daily Featured Profile?”
Only profiles with a picture, complete basic data and biography will be selected as the featured daily profile.

(Click) To View Our Features Page For More Info

MTE Member Thoughts On The Economy

2009-02-28T12:17:00.004-05:00

Meet The Elite polled some of its members from around the United States to find out how the economic crisis is affecting their business. Feel free to click on “Comments” below to share your story.

Attorney
Roger Upstein
North Carolina

“I'm used to a serious increase in divorce in the beginning of the year after the holidays. Unfortunately I haven't seen it at all this year. I have a smaller practice, but this seems to be reflected in conversations I have with other colleagues. I don't recall anything like this in family law practice, and I've been doing this for [18] years.”

Health Insurance Producer
Kimberly Menton
New York

“Over the last few months a lot of my “Mom and Pop” clients have terminated their health insurance policies because they couldn’t afford to pay their monthly premium. My larger clients have been deleting employees off their plan for various reasons. This has lead to a 30% cut in my commissions.

Financial Planner
Roger Aniston
California

“Basically the last year has been a complete disaster. The day to day customer service I provide has increased by 500%. However the amount of actual transactions and investments made is down 50%. There have been a lot of somber phone calls”

(Click Comments) To Share Your Story

"Steroid Era" Worthy of The Hall?

2009-02-21T14:00:00.002-05:00

In this week’s blog entry, I would like to take a break from discussing the economy and talk about baseball. With the opening of spring training only a few days away I think it’s a great time to generate some sports discussion. I am sure everyone is now aware of the current A-Rod steroid saga. This brings up a few big questions, are these “cheaters” worthy of the Hall of Fame? Should their records count? Or be wiped away?

Below is a list of some of the top “Steroid Era” players. Do you think they are worthy of the hall of fame? Keep in mind, history has told us (3,000 Hits) or (500 Home Runs) or (300 Wins) have always guaranteed a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Barry Bonds (Career Stats)
2,935 Hits / 762 HR / 1996 RBI / 298 BA

Mark McGwire
583 HR / 1414 RBI

Sammy Sosa
609 HR / 1667 RBI

Rafael Palmeiro
569 HR / 1835 RBI

Roger Clemens
354 Wins / 4672 K’s / 7 CY Young’s

Click "Comments" To Read My Opinion or To Share Your Own

Mediation vs Litigation

2009-02-16T05:05:00.002-05:00

There will always be a great debate between “Mediation” and “Litigation” especially when it involves divorce. Meet The Elite polled some of our top Mediators and Attorneys to find out their pros and cons on the subject. Feel free to comment and share your thoughts below.

Mediation Pro’s

1. Overall Better Family Outcomes
Parties who can work out their differences often find better solutions than a court. The court doesn’t understand the dynamics of the family in question etc.

2. Better for the Children
By avoiding a nasty trial, it can lesson the traumatic effect on your children. The bitterness that results from a contested hearing can last for years, and affect the relationship with your former partner adversely.

3. Overall Cost
Mediation is usually a great deal less expensive than litigating issues in court.

Mediation Cons:

1. Likely Won’t Get Along
Because the decision of the mediator is not binding, the parties must be committed to reaching an agreement. If one or more parties are not ready to agree, the mediation process is frustrating and waste of time.

2. Long Term Pitfalls
Mediators are usually not lawyers, and some agreements drafted by mediators are poorly drafted and cause problems later when a court has to interpret the agreement.

3. Not As Cheap As You Think
Sometimes, attorneys must still be involved, which increases the cost of the mediation.

(Click Comments) To Share Your Thoughts

On-Line Training

2009-02-15T08:36:00.000-05:00

With each passing moment professionals are becoming more dependent then ever on On-Line training. It’s more time efficient, you don’t have to pay for gas and it can be completed in the comfort of your own home.

Over the last few months many MTE members have suggested MeetTheElite.net offer On-line training for its members. Do to our rapid growth the below companies are offering our members special pricing and discounts.

On-Line CLE Classes for Attorneys
Lawline.com
MTE Discount: $299 for 1 year of unlimited CLE (Regular Price $399)

On-Line CPE Classes for Accountants
CPEThink.com
MTE Discount: 20% off on pricing : Must enter coupon code MTE20

On-Line CE Classes for Insurance Agents
360Training.com
MTE Discount: Preferred Pricing

If you have any questions or comments on the above On-Line training email Tim and TimS@MeetTheElite.net

For other product discount please check out our MeetTheElite.Net - Market Place

MTE Members - Entrepreneurial Mistakes

2009-02-09T06:00:00.005-05:00

Over the last few weeks MeetTheElite polled some of its members. The goal was to find out some mistakes they made when starting their companies. Feel free to comment and share your experiences.

1. Doing Business with Family - I made the mistake of partnering with a member of my family. Not always a good idea! And being a newbie at business, I didn’t understand the value of outlining roles and responsibilities to the tee, to make sure if someone’s not pulling their weight, there’s something to refer to IN WRITING. I have since learned the error of my ways and found a different partner, and we’ve documented everything in detail!
-Sarah Blenston, Blenston Law

2. A Direct Mail Blunder - I bought a direct mail list for $5k without doing major research on the company, also purchased 10,000 postcards, and paid for bulk mail postage. Mailed out the first 5000 postcards and did not receive any inquiries, ouch.
-David L Wright, President, Benefits For You

3. No Separation Agreement - Three of us went into business together and formed an LLC. However, when creative differences caused us to go our separate ways the lawyers made out to the tune of over six figures between us. And, friendships were ruined! Always have a prenuptial for the unexpected.
-Larry Girardi, Founder, Girardi Benefits

4. Trying To Do Everything - I tried to do everything myself instead of hiring help. For example: I wrote features, did the sales, updated the mailing list, did the bookkeeping, updated the website, etc. I was spread too thin and wasn’t doing any of it well. It would have been worth the money it cost to hire help in order to have the extra time to meet my publishing deadlines.
-Roger Martin, Martin Insurance

5. Too Much Office Space - I made the mistake of getting more office space than I really needed.It cost me too much money, which of course came from my pocket. I was way too caught up in the ego of having a nice space. These days, I am into virtual businesses and telecommuting–why waste money on rent?
-Kathryn Weston, President, Weston Financial

(Click "Comments" to share your experiences)

Improve Your Law Firms Website

2009-01-29T09:53:00.003-05:00

DESIGN - The design of your website must be simple, elegant and user-friendly, not to mention it must cater to your target audience. If for example you are a patent attorney your site must appeal to engineers, inventors etc. not a suspect in a murder case.

COMPETITION - Your site must set your firm apart from competing firms. The best way to accomplish this is to provide better content. Consider writing a few articles and posting them on your site. Provide free information or answer most commonly asked questions your potential or current clients are likely to have.

INTRODUCTION - Use your website to introduce other attorneys and associates in your firm. Potential clients like knowing who you are. Be sure to describe your academic and professional qualifications. You might also provide a strategic (likable) personal characteristic or hobby that will humanize you in the eyes of your potential client.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION - Consider hiring a SEO (Search Engine Optimization) consultant. Search engine optimization is the process of improving ranking in search engine results. Submit your site to search engines and legal directories. Submission is usually free and relatively easy.
(All Meet The Elite Profiles are Optimized)

NETWORK - Search for quality reciprocal links. Reciprocal links will increase your website traffic and boost your ranking in search engines. Again exchanging links is free and can’t hurt.
(Take advantage of the Meet The Elite Link Exchange.)

No Website
Realize that in the digital age not having a business website is practically taboo and could hurt your bottom line.

Share Your Thoughts
Feel free to let other MTE Members know what things have made your firm’s website successful. Just click below on the “Comments” button. You can post anonymously.

How Do You Grow Your Legal Practice

2009-01-15T19:27:00.001-05:00

A longstanding myth about growth is that it is defined in terms of quantity — number of lawyers and staff, number of offices, number of clients; but growth also comes through quality and maturity of practice – more sophisticated systems and specialty expertise, increased complexity of work and greater depth of client relationships.

I like to think of law firm growth in terms of three key ingredients or modes:

(i) talent, both capacity as well as range of expertise;

(ii) clients, be it serving specific needs or overall market share; and

(iii) the firm’s reputation, within and outside of the profession.

While they feed on and into each other, each mode presents distinct opportunities and risks and has its own drivers. The focus of today’s column is on the “talent growth” mode.

(Karen Bell The Lawyers Weekly, a senior practice management counsel, advises law firms on risk management, practice efficiency, knowledge sharing and client service.)

MTE Legal Professionals- What steps are you taking to grow your firm in these tough times?

MTE Opens Its Blog To Members

2009-01-13T08:17:00.002-05:00

List Your Blog For Free
If you have your own blog and would like it listed on the right side of this blog. “MTE Member Blogs” Please feel free to email me the link (TimS@meettheelite.net). I would appreciate if you could list http://www.meettheelite.net/ in your links section of your blog or website.

Submit Articles Or Thoughts To The MTE Blog
With many of the top professionals in the nation now listed on MTE. I would like to allow our members the ability to submit an article or thoughts on a topic to this blog. Just email the submission to TimS@meettheelite.net. I will review it quickly and then post it.

Stats Just an FYI, this blog is getting around 450 different views a day, and its growing quickly.

Has The US Financial Crisis Affected Your Business?

2009-01-08T12:35:00.000-05:00

"The recent intensification of the financial crisis has augmented the downside risks to growth and thus has diminished further the upside risks to price stability," the Fed said. The rate cuts are the latest in a series of groundbreaking moves by the world's top central banks to try to breathe life into embattled financial markets. And it's a sign that the problems in the U.S. economy are spreading.

MTE Members: I don’t need to go into every depressing detail on how the US economy is currently doing. What I would like is some feedback how its affecting everyone firm, and private business. Please feel free to share your opinion in this forum.

Just click “comments” and type your thoughts.

Disability Insurance

2008-12-30T08:23:00.000-05:00

Tom Carolan
(Click) To View MTE Profile
Director of Client Services
phone: 1-877-812-5111
website:www.besthealthcarerates.com

BestHealthcareRates.com Announces the Addition of Disability Insurance to Meet Consumer Needs

As healthcare costs are at an all time high, consumers are searching for more affordable plans. BestHealthcareRates.com recently added disability insurance products to its line-up, providing a solution to consumers who desire high quality disability and healthcare coverage at lower prices.

Arroyo Grande, CA November 12, 2008 – While many employees are covered by health insurance plans through their employers, studies show three in 10 workers entering the workforce today will experience disability before retirement. Couple that statistic with increasing healthcare costs and it seems like the perfect recipe for financial disaster. BestHealthcareRates.com provides a solution to this problem with its new disability insurance products.

UnionCentral Insurance Company is now offering its line of disability and life insurance products through BestHealthcareRates.com. With these products in its arsenal, BestHealthcareRates.com is able to offer a comprehensive combination of insurance products to customers that can significantly impact deductibles and premiums, making coverage more useful and budget-friendly for consumers.

According to Tom Carolan, director of client services at BestHealthcareRates.com, the disability insurance products pay up to $3,000 in medical bills each year, meaning consumers can take higher deductible health insurance plans in order to lower premiums. The disability plan will then pay toward the higher deductible.

“We are excited about these new disability products because they allow our clients to obtain extremely important disability coverage plus health coverage for about the same cost as a fully comprehensive HMO health insurance plan,” said Carolan. “It’s our goal to provide the right combination of products to give each client the coverage needed to protect him or her and the family in even the most difficult situations, and our newly added UnionCentral products allow us to do this.”

About BestHealthcareRates.com
Since 2001 BestHealthcareRates.com has helped thousands of families and businesses to find the most benefits for their insurance budget. The company is committed to exceptional service and strives to achieve 100% customer satisfaction and Affordable Health Insurance for all. For more information visit www.BestHealthcareRates.com (http://www.BestHealthcareRates.com) or call Tom Carolan Director of Client Services 1-877-812-5111.

Coverdell’s and 529 Plans, Saving for your child’s education!

2008-12-14T08:44:00.001-05:00

By: Corrin Trowbridge (LUTC)

(Click) To View Corrin's Profile

The possibility that our children will turn out to be as entrepreneurially brilliant as Bill Gates is over 6 Billion to 1. So, for the rest of us, we had better start planning on how we can help our child achieve success in whatever endeavor they choose to pursue. A good start is universally recognized as having them graduate from College. College graduates generally make more, and have more opportunities available to them than those who just finish high school. But, the cost of sending you child to college has been growing rapidly! If parents want to assist their children with this goal they must start planning for it today, or risk limiting the opportunities for their children.

Paying for a child’s education will be a considerable burden for most families. Luckily, the government has recognized the importance of this goal, and has provided us with several tools to assist in that effort. You can now put up to $2000 away, every year, in a Coverdell Educational Savings Account. While not tax deductible, the earnings accumulate tax free when used for educational expenses, including grade school and high school, as well as College. Their eligibility is phased out for single taxpayers making between $95,000 to $110,000, and married taxpayers (filing jointly) from $190,000 to $220,000. Contributions must be made before April 15th of 2008, for the 2007 contribution.

In addition, an even more attractive savings vehicle is the 529 College Savings Plan (named after the IRS section in the code that establishes it). There are two types of 529 Plans available in many states, including California:
1) Prepaid tuition plans - allow an individual to prepay a student’s future tuition and fees at today’s rates, and
2) College savings plans - allow individuals to contribute to an account established to pay a student’s qualified higher education expenses at any eligible educational institution. Mutual Funds are the most commonly used investment vehicle for these plans

529 Plans have several key features that you should be aware of:

First, while contributions to 529 plans are not tax deductible in California, some states do allow tax deductions. However, in every state, the earnings from 529 plans accumulate, and can be used, tax-free at the federal level, to pay for qualified higher education expenses and programs of any eligible higher education institution.

Second, anyone can contribute to your child’s 529 Plan. So, Grandparents or any well off family member can contribute. This can be very helpful as they have more disposable income! They can take advantage of up to $12,000 in annual gifting limits without any tax consequences to them.

Third, you can put away up to $320,000 per child here in California, which is good considering that some colleges/universities are charging close to that today for a four year ride, and those born today will face even higher costs for their College education.

And fourth, the Donor maintains control over how the funds are spent. If for some reason the child ends up not going to college, the funds can be spent on someone else’s education, or even withdrawn by the Donor themselves (subject to income tax and a 10% penalty fee on earnings)

Additional considerations in whether to take advantage of a 529 Plan include the possibility that they also may not be the best use of your resources at this moment in time. While everyone is eligible to invest in a 529 Plan, an argument can be made that you should save for retirement first. You do not want to support your children through college only to become a burden to them in your later years. Your children may be able to get loans, grants or some other kind of student aid to assist them, whereas your retirement will not have that luxury when it comes time. If your child applies for financial aid, the 529 Plan can be used to calculate eligibility, but you can also use Roth, and Traditional IRA’s, to fund college education (income taxes may apply). And finally, there is a school of thought that some children will not appreciate the money spent on an education unless they are required to contribute to it also, by working their way through college.

But, all that being said, if your retirement plan is in place, this could be an important and efficient use of your investment capital in meeting this goal for your children. And remember, generally, something is better than nothing. Some plans can be started with as little as $50 a month. Planning for this expense, will benefit your children, and subsequently your grandchildren.

Use of an Insurance Trust in Estate Planning

2008-12-09T09:08:00.000-05:00

Article Author

MTE Member

Steven E. Eisenberg

(Click) Steven's MTE Profile

(Click) Steven's Website

For those of you who want to provide for a spouse or other beneficiaries, Life Insurance held in an irrevocable trust ("ILIT") is the way to go. An ILIT can shelter the insurance proceeds from estate taxes, provide a "creditor free" asset and cash flow base for your spouse and other beneficiaries . In addition, you can specify the terms and conditions of how a beneficiary can enjoy the use of the ILIT's assets. Plain and simple, as a general rule, the insurance policy and their proceeds held in an ILIT are not a part of your taxable estate, if the policy is originally owned by the ILIT. The exception to this rule applies if you transfer a pre-existing rather than a newly purchased policy into an ILIT. If this is the case, you must survive for 3 years after the transfer or the policy proceeds are taxed in your estate.

The full benefit of an ILIT is enjoyed by those individuals who have a taxable estate. For 2008, you have a taxable estate if your assets exceed $2 million dollars. This amount rises to $3.5 million dollars in 2009. If you are married and your assets are properly divided, these amounts are doubled. While you are alive, the sole asset of the Trust is the insurance policy. The policy premiums are paid by gifting the premium amount to the ILIT's Trustee. You can not be the Trustee of your own ILIT. However, a spouse, financial institution or just about anyone you designate can be a Trustee.

The Trustee's duty while you are alive, is to pay the premium once received from you, file tax returns if required, and make sure that the selected policy and insurance company are sound and will have the ability to satisfy its intended purpose. After your death, your selected trustee, must carry out your wishes as set forth in the Trust document. Since the Trust is irrevocable, no one can change your instructions and the trustee is bound to follow them. So, make sure the Trust reflects your wishes before you sign it. Please keep in mind that the TRUST not you owns the policy. You will not receive a benefit from it during your lifetime, the policy proceeds are for your beneficiaries.

After your death, the assets of the Trust(insurance proceeds) are available for investment. Such investments can include the purchase of assets from your estate. This will assist the estate to meet it's tax obligations, prevent a forced sale of family assets to third parties and preserve the asset mix for your family. It will also reflect your wishes in the management and control of the assets and how they are disbursed to family members.

In summary, the ILIT is a great estate planning tool when you want to increase the assets and income available to a surviving spouse, take care of your children, grandchildren, or a charity, because the policy proceeds which are immediately available to the beneficiaries in a properly drafted and managed ILIT are not a part of your taxable estate.

If you would like to discuss this estate planning tool in further detail, please feel free to contact this office.

Steven E. Eisenberg,

3109 Stirling Rd., Ste. 101

Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33312

954-981-6533(Office)

954-989-8068(Fax)

Taxmaven@aol.com

Website: http://www.seisenberg.com/

Take a Deep Breath

2008-12-02T09:31:00.000-05:00

Written By

MTE Elite Member: Gerri Harrison CFP EA
(Click) Gerri's Website
(Click) Gerri's Blog

If you are a news junkie times are looking really scary right now. With the Dow dropping over 2000 points in one week, a 700 billion bail-out, global markets closing due to record drops, England bailing-out its banks, a large company in Japan going under, credit markets remain frozen and on and on.

You need to remember though that it is big headlines that sell. I am not going to say that we are not in for some rough times. I certainly believe we are either in or headed for a recession. When your head starts spinning because of all of the national and international news, take a step back and look at your own personal economy. That is what really counts.

Is your job safe? Although no one can guarantee a lay-off might not be in their future, how safe is your job? If it is not, then you need to start preparing. Improve your skills by taking classes or maybe training for a whole new career. Join networking organizations to establish contacts that may be valuable later. Make sure your resume is up-to-date and accurate. Make yourself invaluable at your current job by taking on special projects, coming up with cost saving measures, being flexible and available.

Is your personal financial situation in good shape? Do you have an emergency fund of at least six months expenses, maybe even twelve? Have you gotten rid of all debt – other than that mortgage? If not, you need to go into expense cutting mode and work to get that emergency fund in place and get out of debt.

Expense cutting mode means nothing is sacred other than the roof over your head, food on the table, and health care costs. The time is to get extreme. Get rid of cell phones, cable, and Internet. No more eating out. No new clothes or household items. Every expense must be questioned. Even as far as taking the car of the road and using public transportation. Consider a second job, starting a small business, or taking in a roommate to raise income.

Review your credit report for free at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/. If there are errors get them corrected. The lower your credit score, the harder and more costly it will be to obtain credit. Work hard to make debt payments on time. Get the percentage of debt that you are using down to less than 30% of the total available.

Credit scores not only affect your interest rates on debts. Insurance premiums paid are affected by credit scores. Many potential employers and landlords are looking at credit reports.

Yes, your 401(k) or other retirement plan and the value of your house may be deceasing. If you do not sell these assets and give them time to recover it is only a paper loss. It is hard to swallow, but it will get better. Probably not tomorrow, probably not even next month, but it will happen.

What counts more is your cash flow today – the ability to pay your bills, to survive a job loss, to get your kids through college in the next couple of years. This is where you need to spend your time and energy right now. This is what will reduce the fear and out-of-control feelings.

Football Friday

2008-11-14T14:28:00.002-05:00

As many of you don’t know Mr. Elite is a very big football fan. I think this rainy New York afternoon is a perfect time to talk a little football. I have decided to share my end of the season predictions. Please feel free to comment and express your different ideas.

NFC Playoff Teams

#1 Giants (14-2) (East Champ)
#2 Cardinals (11-5) (West Champ)

#3 Carolina (10-6) (South Champ)
#6 Atlanta (10-6) (Wild Card)

#4 Green Bay (9-7) (North Champ)
#5 Washington (10-6) (Wild Card)

NFC Championship Game (Giants Defeat Carolina)

AFC Playoff Teams

#1 Titans (14-2) (South Champ)
#2 Steelers (12-4) (North Champ)

#3 Jets (11-5) (East Champ)
#6 Patriots (10-6) (Wild Card)

#4 Chargers (9-7) (West Champ)
#5 Colts (10-6) (Wild Card)

AFC Championship Game (Jets Defeat Titans)

Giants vs Jets Super Bowl

The thought of a Giants vs Jets Super Bowl is so overwhelming I cannot predict who will win!

Growing Your Business With Your Website (Getting More Traffic)

2008-10-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

Create Links To Your Firms Site On Other Sites

Good times with inbound links
Inbound links are links from pages on external sites linking back to your site. Inbound links can bring new users to your site, and when the links are merit-based and freely-volunteered as an editorial choice, they're also one of the positive signals to Google about your site's importance. Other signals include things like our analysis of your site's content, its relevance to a geographic location, etc. As many of you know, relevant, quality inbound links can affect your PageRank (one of many factors in our ranking algorithm). And quality links often come naturally to sites with compelling content or offering a unique service. (Google)

MTE Members: Do you have any tips on how to get potential clients to your website?

Which Candidate Is Best For Your Business?

2008-10-09T06:16:00.005-04:00

With the US Presidential election growing closer by the minute, does everyone know who they are going to vote for?

(Click) To View How They Stand on Key Issues

MTE Members: Which presidential candidate do you feel is going to be best for your industry, or for your private business or firm?

Please share your thoughts by clicking on “comments”.

401K Support

2008-01-08T11:34:00.001-05:00

I would like to pose a common question that many Americans now face. With so many financial members on Meet The Elite, I expect some excellent feedback.

Scenario
You are currently 40 years old with a 401K (invested semi aggressively) that you contribute to. However over the last 8 months you have lost as much as 35% of your savings. You are now very worried and feel like you must make a change.

Do you…..
-Stop contributing money to the 401K and increase your pay check slightly?
-Try to re-invest the 401K in a guaranteed 3% conservative plan?
-Do nothing and wait it out?
-Liquidate your 401K and invest in something else?

What should these Americans do?