Obamacare
Subsidy Trap for the Poor
How do you
avoid this trap? If you do not apply for a subsidy, you can easily avoid it
altogether. That is because if you need to buy insurance but are not eligible
for a subsidy, you can do so without going anywhere near Healthcare.gov.3
(For various reasons you should avoid that website at all costs.)
Most people with even fairly meager incomes
will not qualify for subsidies; the subsidy eligibility is phased out entirely
once your household income exceeds 400% of the poverty level.4 This
means that singles with annual income over $45,960, couples with income over
$62,040 and families of four with income over $94,200 (2013 levels) get no
subsidy.5
If your
household income is over these modest levels, the good news -- no, the hidden
great news -- is that you are not forced to use Healthcare.gov. In fact, you
should avoid it at all costs!
I am not
talking about the fake strutting of the wannabe peacock with the inflated ego
and everything else embellished. I refer to the quiet confidence of the man (or
woman) who has confronted the toughest adversity one can endure, overcome it
and survived to tell the story.
There is
truth in the saying, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."
The confidence of knowing one's ability to fight, to withstand pressure,
and to win, is a confidence hard to replicate without being in genuine battle
(or danger) and virtually impossible to bluff.
This is what
it means to be "battle-tested." And men and women with this
confidence are often the quietest in the room yet their words, few in number,
carry the most impact. You see, those who have walked the walk, rarely
feel the urge to talk the talk.
Whatever
happened to Integrity?
In the first place ... What does integrity really mean?
Without looking in a dictionary, but just going on my own experience . . .
Integrity means a person is honest and honorable, keeps his promises, tells the truth, and can be counted on to do the right thing, even when it is hard or uncomfortable. Such a person does not betray friends or let down people.... But it's about more than just telling the truth.
Integrity is about keeping promises and doing what you tell others you're going to do, as well as what you tell yourself you're going to do.
People with integrity show up and follow through. Their word is good.
Without looking in a dictionary, but just going on my own experience . . .
Integrity means a person is honest and honorable, keeps his promises, tells the truth, and can be counted on to do the right thing, even when it is hard or uncomfortable. Such a person does not betray friends or let down people.... But it's about more than just telling the truth.
Integrity is about keeping promises and doing what you tell others you're going to do, as well as what you tell yourself you're going to do.
People with integrity show up and follow through. Their word is good.
The
Federal Reserve - Destroying the Middle Class
The Federal
Reserve was formed to promote sustainable economic growth by: stability of
prices to help preserve the purchasing power of the dollar, moderate long-term
interest rates, ensure high levels of employment, and overall, make sure the
U.S. has a sound banking system and healthy economy.
It is clear that the Fed is not delivering on
these objectives today.
Although there
have been small signs of improvement since 2008, the U.S. economy is far from
achieving a level of sustainable growth, and is being held back by a number of
concerns. The dollar has been on a downward trajectory for years;
The discouraging
effect this has on entrepreneurs and business owners -- people whose
investments and effort are at risk of total loss -- is obvious.
An unpredictable
legal system presents participants in today’s American economy with a tough
choice between two undesirable options: Either step on the playing field and
learn what the laws are, changing on the fly, and assume the risk that
yesterday's business practices are today's crimes,(4)
Or totally withdraw from the playing field, drop out
of the economy and cease all economic activity as the only guaranteed means of
avoiding the risk of criminal prosecution.
However, the HSBC
slap on the wrist indicates that the legal system is worse than unpredictable;
it may have become irretrievably, predictably rigged against the law-abiding.
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