Prepaid Legal Services

Which bail-out program would you rather bet your mortgage on? Ours or theirs?

2009-02-09T20:38:00.000-08:00

by Matt Layton

The Kick-off to the Pre-Paid Legal North American Bailout tours begins this weekend, February 7, 2009. Through the marketing of our membership, we are making available our own version of an economic stimulus package to anyone interested and willing to work for it.

But what is most interesting about our kick-off event is that the Obama administration has requested volunteers to hold house meetings all across North America on the very same day. The goal being to raise awareness and push for passage of the US Government’s bailout plan.

While the similarities of the meetings themselves are strikingly similar, the anticipated results for the individuals participating are that much more contradictory.

In essence, the Obama administration is employing the Private Business Reception marketing technique to achieve their desired result. This is perfect timing, the government is asking citizens to host meetings to increase awareness of the government bailout plan. While Pre-Paid Legal Services is having its own meeting offering those same citizens its own bailout plan.

We must understand the importance of the confluence of these two events and draw comparisons between our meeting this weekend in Dallas with the corresponding meetings asked to be held all around North America at the behest of the President.

At least two similarities come to mind that should be exploited for our benefit.

We should be validated in the fact that the administration of the President of the United States is employing the same marketing techniques that we have, for years, proven to be effective, the Private Business Reception.

And the most obvious comparison, on the same weekend that we are rolling out our bail-out program to the people, the US government is lobbying for passage of its own bail-out. The main difference being is that our bail-out has passed the congress so to speak, it is in practice, it is available now! While the government bailout is struggling to gain the needed support to even begin to be implemented.

Which bail-out program would you rather bet your mortgage on? Ours or theirs?

What Are We Waiting For?

2009-01-28T00:26:00.000-08:00

Hawaii statewide unemployment jumped to 5.5 percent in December — the highest in a decade — as an economic downturn took its toll on jobs.

December's 5.5 percent is the highest since June 1999, when unemployment hit 5.8 percent.

Still, Hawaii was doing better than most of the nation. The national unemployment rate last month was 7.2 percent, up from 6.8 percent in November.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported the rise of Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment from November to December was ninth highest in the country.

It said the number of jobs here also shrunk compared to a month earlier.

Hawaii unemployment has been rising as the state's economy sinks into a recession, though its rate remains lower than the national average of 7.2 percent. The seasonally adjusted U.S. unemployment December rate rose from 6.8 percent in November.

Hawaii had the 14th lowest rate in the country. Wyoming was lowest at 3.4 percent. The highest was in Michigan at 10.6 percent.

7 Steps to Discovering Your Passion

2009-01-25T19:51:00.000-08:00

By Julie Jordan Scott

Even before the first tip, you simply must get out a notebook, journal, piece of paper, napkin...SOMETHING to write on to save your discoveries! These tips will only help if you pursue them, so please either take a moment to find writing tools NOW or print this out and promise yourself to complete this exercise later. It may take you some thinking time to get it done......and now....here are your tips.....

1. Find Your Joy Factor Look at the whole of your life history. When did you experience the most sustained period of Joy? What were you doing then? Where were you? Who were you with? How did it feel?

2. What Are Your 3 Most Favorite things to do? If you had a free day with NO commitments, where would you be found? What would you be doing with whom?

3. In what area do you excel? (NO MODESTY ALLOWED HERE!)Truly, what are you complimented on a lot? This could be ANYTHING.

4. What do you most want to be remembered for? If you were designing your epitaph, what would you want it to say? (NOT what your Mom wants, or your SPOUSE wants or your third cousin twice removed, but what do YOU want your headstone to say?)

5. If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your life TODAY? How would it look compared to how it looks now? Which aspects of your life ARE changeable, both short term and long term?

6. How does your Joy factor overlap with your favorite things and the areas in which you excel? Do the areas in which you excel bring YOU joy, or are they really for someone else.....do you see which are obvious matches, and which do not fit? Those that overlap, that bring YOU the most Joy, are most likely the things that would bring you into Passionate Living.

7. What is the first even teeny tiny step you can take to living out your Passion as you have defined in #6? Take some time to really think this one through... concentrate and focus, and then you will be able to start the next step...BUILDING YOUR ROADMAP.

Job Losses Continue

2009-01-22T23:24:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2009
By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer

Matson's 60 job cuts could include some Hawaii workers

Hawai'i's largest ocean transportation firm, Matson Navigation Co., yesterday said it plans to cut 10 percent of its nonunion workforce, or about 60 people, to align expenses with declining business.

The company, a unit of Honolulu-based Alexander & Baldwin Inc., employs about 845 people, though only about 600 are in nonunion positions affected by the reduction effort.

Matson's move comes after the company instituted hiring freezes over the past two years, and follows other large Hawai'i companies that began major layoffs last year as the local economy began to contract.

The job losses at Matson are the latest in a string of layoffs locally over the past year, including 1,900 people at Aloha Airlines; 274 at Maui Land & Pineapple; 169 at Hawaii Medical Center; 130 at DFS Group; 120 at Molokai Ranch; 118 at Servco Pacific; 91 at The Honolulu Advertiser; 85 at Weyerhaeuser Co.; 70 at Hawaiian Dredging; and 38 at Palama Meat Co.

W. Allen Doane, chairman and CEO of A&B, said in a statement that Matson's parent company plans to implement other cost-reduction measures that include eliminating salary increases and adjusting profit-sharing targets and incentive-award targets.

Besides Matson, A&B operates real estate division A&B Properties, which is largely engaged in development, and agricultural businesses Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. and Kaua'i Coffee Co. Another affiliate, Matson Integrated Logistics, which in part coordinates land-based cargo transportation, also is excluded from the 10 percent workforce reduction plan but may be affected by other cost-reduction efforts.

Doane said A&B expects to announce "good" profits on Feb. 4 for the fourth quarter of last year, but that proactive measures are necessary in view of the present economic climate.

"Measures involving employees are difficult; however, it is important that Matson realign its cost structure to current demand," Matthew Cox, Matson Navigation president, said in a statement.

In October, A&B reported a $36.8 million profit for the third quarter, a 25 percent decline from $49.1 million a year earlier in large part because of lower real estate sales and a drag on Matson's operating profit from higher expenses and a 5 percent decline in container volume.

Hawai'i container volume was down 7 percent, while Hawai'i automobile shipments were down 29 percent in the third quarter over a year earlier.
The 10 percent job cuts will be focused on Matson Navigation and affiliate Matson Terminals, which employ people in Hawai'i, Matson's Oakland, Calif., headquarters, Guam, Phoenix and some smaller West Coast offices.
Jeff Hull, Matson's spokesman, said it's not possible to estimate how many Hawai'i employees will be affected.

The Matson job cuts will be carried out in two phases, the first of which will be a voluntary severance option followed by layoffs if necessary.

10 Reasons Why Pre-Paid Legal is a Necessity in Tough Times

2009-01-21T23:11:00.000-08:00

For over 35 years, Pre-Paid Legal has proven to be a strong company with a valuable product. Today, it is a fact that as our economy falters and our nation experiences tough economic times, the need for, “Justice for All” is more prevalent now than ever before. Here are 10 reasons why Pre-Paid Legal is no luxury; it is a fundamental product that people need right now:

1. You may want to contact your Provider Attorney about severance packages, whether you've experienced a job loss or not. As layoffs abound and businesses are desperate to cut-back, ensure your rights are protected by consulting your PPL Provider Attorney about such issues.

2. In tough times, don’t be intimidated by scare tactics. Know your rights, if you are being harassed by debt collectors, or any other business or person. If you get a letter full of intimidating legal jargon, or someone threatens legal action, call your Provider Attorney.

3. Big deals may be big rip-offs in a tough economy. If you buy faulty merchandise you could be the victim of a scam. Do you know what your rights are if you get stuck with a lemon? Did you know there are lemon laws that vary from state to state? Your Provider Attorney can let you know what these laws are, and help you outline a course of action.

4. Many face foreclosure in tough times. Even people in dire financial straights can benefit from a Pre-Paid Legal Membership. When times get tough and people need to know what options are available, the Pre-Paid Legal Provider Attorney is there to carefully and considerately walk a member through all the options.

5. Speeding tickets surge in tough economic times. The weakening economy has affected not just individuals, but entire communities as well. In need of money, these places are cracking down on speeders in an effort to generate revenue. Pre-Paid Legal Members can call their Provider Attorney and get advice on any matter, including traffic-related issues.

6. The Pre-Paid Legal Membership is ideal for military families. In tough times more and more people are finding job stability in the military. With Provider Law firms covering all 48 states and Hawaii, as soldiers move from one place to another, the membership moves with them. When soldiers ship out overseas, they take with them the peace of mind in knowing their family is covered by the membership should any legal issues arise.

7. Tough economic times = scammers paradise. Advanced free loans, debt repair, counterfeit checks, mortgage foreclosure “rescue,” are some of the biggest scams going around. Have your Pre-Paid Legal Attorney review your contracts before you sign your name to them. Legal review is a good way to detect potential scams.

8. Tough economic times have seen a surge in legal issues. making it harder to get an attorney, and harder to afford one. There is no struggling to find an available attorney, or getting stuck with a huge bill. Your monthly fee covers all your listed benefits, and you get the 25% discount on anything not otherwise listed.

9. Can you afford the unexpected? With a Pre-Paid Legal Membership, you have a low monthly fee. When you face an emergency, your membership provides trial time, consultation, contract reviews, and more at no additional charge. If an emergency arises and you don’t have a membership, you might find yourself doing without due to the high costs of legal counsel.

10. Coverage includes you, your spouse, and your kids! Wherever you go, whatever issues you encounter in these tough times, you are covered. So is your spouse, and so are your dependent children. Knowing if your teenager gets a speeding ticket, you have a number to call, and with Legal Shield, if any member of your family is detained by police or involved in a traffic accident and need assistance. Your attorney is there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

REMINDER FOR GROUP AND SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING

2009-01-20T20:48:00.001-08:00

FINAL DAYS TO PRE-REGISTER

There's STILL TIME to get in for these special certification classes coming up quickly. Time is running out, so DO IT NOW! It’s an investment you won’t regret.

GROUP CERTIFICATION TRAINING:
Learn how to make an effective presentation and market our product to companies as an employee benefit! Taking this class affords you the special designation of “Group Benefits Specialist”.

When: Fri & Sat, January 23 & 24 , 2009

Where: Denny’s Banquet Room, 98-151 Pali Momi, Aiea, HI 96701

Times: Friday 9:00AM-5:30PM and Saturday 9:00AM–NOON (Register 15 min before)

Park: FREE in Mall

Cost: $99 if pre-registered & pre-paid, otherwise $125 at the door. (Retakes $75) VISA, MC, DC, & AMEX accepted

Dress: Business Casual

Instructor: Eileen Hines, Sr. V.P., Group Marketing Hawaii

-----------------------------

BUSINESS CERTIFICATION TRAINING:

Learn how to expand your selling techniques to not only individuals, but to small business owners! Get the skills on selling all three of the Business Plans we offer.

AND… fatten your wallet at the same time since these plans pay the highest commissions in Pre-Paid Letal! And… taking this class affords you the special designation of “Small Business Specialist”.

When: Saturday, January 24, 2009

Where: Denny’s Banquet Room, 98-151 Pali Momi, Aiea, HI 96701

Time: 1:00PM - 5:30PM (Register 15 min before class)

Park: FREE in Mall

Cost: $99, Retakes $59 (VISA, MC, DC,AMEX)

Dress: Business Casual

Instructor: Eileen Hines, Sr. V.P., Group Marketing Hawaii

Register for EITHER or BOTH classes online at "Associates Only", left side under "Training" or call 580-421-6326 between 3AM - 3PM Hawaii Time and register with corporate.

For more information, you may call Eileen at 808 732-7000 for more information.

SIGN UP NOW AS THERE'S LIMITED SEATING...

And DON'T FORGET TO BRING A JACKET OR SWEATER, AS IT SOMETIMES GES COOL!

Aloha and see you there!

YOU DO NOT EXIST FOR YOURSELF

2009-01-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

Your success depends on the support of other people.The only hurdle between you and what you want to be,is the support of others.

Put yourself in another's place,and you'll know why they think and do certain things.You can succeed fastest by helping others to succeed.

Always think in terms of what the other person wants.You'll get everything in life that you wantif you'll help enough other people get what they want.Doing things for others always pays dividends.

You're not an isolated island.You're a piece of the planet, a piece of the universe.Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement,all success, all achievement in real life grows.

When you help someone's boat across a river,you'll find your own boat has reached the shore too.

Invitation Cards

2009-01-14T23:49:00.000-08:00

Introduced on Monday's Leadership Call, the new Invitation Cards are the tool that will take you and your team to the next level.

To make your business grow, you need to invite as many people as possible to events. These business card invitations are designed to get attention. You can download the do-it-yourself version from the Associates Only Section or save time, money and frustration with the professionally personalized options from the PPL Store.

As a registered member of the PPL Store, you're receiving this advanced notice before the official announcement at this weekend's big events.

Log-in at http://www.thePPLstore.com before the big rush and you'll be one step ahead of everyone else!

Cordially,
The PPL Store Team
at JFAonline.com

-----------------------------------------------------------

Protect your business by using only Officially Licensed Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. Sales Tools!

(c) 2009 jfaonline.com llc. JFAonline.com and PPLdresscode.com and the associated logos are trademarks of jfaonline.com llc.
All rights reserved.

Speeding Tickets Surge in the Midst of Tough Economic Times

2009-01-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

It’s a terrible feeling to glance in the rear-view mirror and see the flashing lights of a police car beckoning you to pull over. Just about everyone gets a ticket at some point. Get into a hurry or get distracted, and the next thing you know, you’re being pulled over. A traffic ticket can be a major inconvenience, too. Besides parting with your hard-earned money, you have to take off work to attend court and it could also spell disaster for your car insurance rates!

I recently read an article about how our dwindling economy has impacted some towns and communities to the point where they are turning to speeding tickets as a major source of income. The article cited a study, which found evidence that more speeding tickets are issued in the year following a decline in revenue. In tough economic times, some small towns and communities are growing more and more dependent on your traffic violations to supplement their income.

Pre-Paid Legal Members can always be assured that whenever they hit the highway, they have the peace of mind their membership gives them. Memberships in some states offer attorney assistance for moving traffic violations, and benefits for other vehicle-related matters as defined in the Membership contract. All Pre-Paid Legal Members can call in and get attorney advice on any matter, including traffic-related issues. This is just another reason why your Pre-Paid Legal Membership is a necessity, especially in the midst of tough economic times.

Below are a few notes we've received from our members. You can select from hundreds of real-life membership stories by visiting our website. Please remember that individual results may vary depending on your legal issue, schedule of benefits and any applicable state laws.

"I wish to thank you both on helping me with this traffic ticket. You and your law firm representing me took the terrible anxiety I had about this issue away. I hope you realize that your knowledge and talents give Pre-Paid Legal members like myself, such a sense of security and peace of mind."

"I just wanted to drop you a short note to thank you personally and [our provider firm] for the outcome of my case. Needless to say I am thrilled with the ticket being dismissed."

SUPER SATURDAY THIS WEEK!

2009-01-08T22:24:00.000-08:00

Date: 01/17/2009

Time: 10:00 AM

Location: Chiropractic USA

Street Address: 1347 Kapiolani Blvd 3rd Flr
Honolulu, HI

Description: It is with much honor that Hawaii is launching 2009 with a Super Surday event hosting two distinct gentlemen!First, a man of character, a seasoned associate of over 25 years, and therefore rightfully so named "legend" of Pre-Paid Legal, PPL´s National Marketing Director, Mr. Wilburn Smith!!

And, second, a young super star from California, 6-figure income earner, Gold Executive Director, Mr. Hunter Gray!Get your guests in front of these individuals for a powerful presentation they´ll never forget!Per Associate $20Guest are FREE for Briefing portion only.

Contact Name: FITA NISA

Contact Phone: 808.389.0624

e-mail address: starfita3@aol.com

YOU MAKE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES

2009-01-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Your destiny isn't a matter of chance, it's a matter of the choices you'll make in the coming year.

Success isn't something you wait for, it's something you must pursuein the months ahead.

Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities to be successful. Seize common occasions and turn them into great ones.

Opportunities sometimes come disguised in the form of misfortune,or temporary defeat.

Start where you are. You're at this moment, standing right in the middle of opportunity.

If you act on your dreams you can live them. You have a lot to look forward to.

GROUP AND SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING

2009-01-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

ALOHA PREPAID LEGAL HAWAII!

2009 is going to be Pre-Paid Legal's Best Year Ever and that means YOU need to equipped with every advantage.

***Company Statistics have proven that associates who become Group Certified SELL 30x MORE MEMBERSHIPS and RECRUIT 10x MORE ASSOCIATES!

Our next GROUP CERTIFICATION & BUSINESS CERTIFICATION CLASSES will be held in Honolulu 01/23 and 01/24, 2009.

*** Learn how to make one presentation and get paid for multiple sales!!!

*** Business Training includes ALL THREE Business Legal Plans now available in Hawaii

SO GET GROUP CERTIFIED and BUSINESS CERTIFIED and WATCH YOUR BUSINESS EXPLODE!!!

Becoming CERTIFIED will also earn you the distinct titles of “Group Specialist” and “Small Business Specialist”. Details follow, so get signed up now and add, not only to your Pre-Paid Legal CREDIBILITY, but to your WALLET!

GROUP CERTIFICATION CLASS is 1-1/2 days: DAY 1 class will be held Friday, January 23rd from 9:00AM to 5:30PM and DAY 2 on Saturday, January 24th from 9:00AM to NOON BUSINESS CERTIFICATION CLASS is on Saturday, January 24th from 1:00PM – 5:30PM.

Check-in is 30min prior to each class.

BOTH CLASSES AT SAME LOCATION: Banquet/Training Room at Denny’s Pearlridge, 98-151 Pali Momi in Aiea, next to the big American Savings Bank on Kam Hwy. (across from Chili’s, next to Banditos Restaurants)

INSTRUCTOR: Eileen Hines, Senior Vice President, Group Marketing Hawaii

ATTIRE: Hawaii Business
PARKING: Free
NOTE: Bring a sweater or jacket, pen & paper. Workbooks will be given.

Each certification costs $99 if pre-registered (credit cards accepted) Group retake $75 Business retake $59 Sign up online at prepaidlegal.com, associates only, lower left area of page, click on “training”, OR call corporate at 580-421-6326 from 3AM to 3PM HAWAII TIME!

For More Information, call Eileen at 808 732-7000. LIMITED SEATING - SIGN UP NOW!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

Exciting announcements regarding 2009 are being rolled out at this very moment in southern California. The announcements are being made in conjunction with Pre-Paid Legal's Founder & CEO Harland Stonecipher's scheduled visit there for a Super Saturday.

Because not everyone can be in southern California for the event, we want to make sure you get the information as quickly as possible. Please follow the directions below sources:

1) Beginning Friday night (Jan. 2) you can go to http://www.pplmediaroom.com/ and check out the webinar available there. This presentation will walk you through the enhancements of the PPL compensation plan;

2) Make sure that you and your organization are on Monday morning's Leadership Call. The focus of the call will be the new announcements; and

3) Stay connected. Check your email and televox frequently as we make additional calls and information available!

PPL Webinar Available

2009-01-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. Founder & CEO Harland Stonecipher was joined by a cast of several dozen key leaders from all across North America, and literally thousands of sales associates from the southern California market, during a special event in Anaheim on Friday - Saturday, Jan. 2-3, 2009.

View a special webinar prepared for ALL Pre-Paid Legal Associates featuring the exciting announcements unveiled at this '09 Launch event!

Summarized: there is more money to be made. Watch and listen closely and make sure your organization is aware of the new program!
This webinar is exclusively for Pre-Paid Legal Associates and may be viewed by going to the corporate website and logging in to "Associates Only" tonight!

YOU MAKE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES

2008-12-29T23:55:00.000-08:00

Your destiny isn't a matter of chance, it's a matter of the choices you'll make in the coming year.

Success isn't something you wait for, it's something you must pursue in the months ahead.

Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities to be successful. Seize common occasions and turn them into great ones. Opportunities sometimes come disguised in the form of misfortune,or temporary defeat.

Start where you are. You're at this moment, standing right in the middle of opportunity. If you act on your dreams you can live them. You have a lot to look forward to.

Hawaii layoffs touch every industry, income level

2008-12-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 19, 2008 Modified: Tuesday, December 23, 2008, 12:00am

Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - by Linda Chiem Pacific Business News
Media

On a recent Monday, Paula Hudnall strolled through the aisles of Macy’s in downtown Honolulu eyeing the neatly laid racks of clothing and accessories and enjoying the Christmas music and the chattering of holiday shoppers.

It was something she could rarely do working in mortgage banking, where there was always more to be done in the office.

Hudnall was the lead underwriting manager for the Honolulu office of Ohio-based mortgage lender National City Mortgage. When the company announced in 2007 it was cutting thousands of jobs, Hudnall, 55, oversaw the closure of the Honolulu branch and by March of this year, she was out of a job and a six-figure salary.

Today, she is working as a part-time sales associate at Macy’s for the holidays and has just finished her second semester at Hawaii Pacific University, where she plans to earn a master’s degree in communications.

“I always wanted to go to graduate school and nothing was blocking me anymore,” she said. “I learned quickly not to be afraid because fear just shuts you down. It’s been good actually and I was really happy for the time to rest even though closing that branch was really difficult for me.”
Hudnall is among the nearly 2 million workers who have lost their jobs in the U.S. this year, including 6,200 in Hawaii. There are now 30,000 jobless in the state, up from about 19,000 last year.

The layoffs and shutdowns of businesses have been widespread and have touched employees ranging from entry-level clerks to senior managers in virtually every industry.

The state’s unemployment rate hit a seven-year high of 4.5 percent in October.

“This was probably one of the most dismal periods in Hawaii’s economic history,” said Lawrence Boyd Jr., a labor economist with the Center for Labor Education and Research at the University of Hawaii West Oahu.

“Our unemployment figures are a bit disguised because so much of it is in these service industries where you don’t have big cuts, but drips and drabs.”

Unemployment claims are up 83 percent this year, rising from 7,478 in January to 13,693 in October, the latest period for which figures are available.

The largest monthly spike occurred in April — immediately after the shutdowns of Aloha Airlines, ATA Airlines and Molokai Ranch — with a 23 percent jump in unemployment claims.

A review of data from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations shows that the hardest-hit industries have been construction, which on average had more than 3,000 workers a month collecting unemployment for most of the year, and accommodations and food services, which had more than 2,000 workers collecting unemployment by October.

Administrative services, which includes office support staff, had 1,545 workers collecting unemployment by October. That’s nearly double the 807 administrative services workers who were collecting unemployment at the beginning of the year.

Sixty-three percent of workers collecting unemployment are men and 37 percent are women.

And most of the jobless are between the ages of 45 and 54, a group that accounts for 25 percent of all people collecting unemployment in Hawaii.
Earlier this month, the state extended unemployment benefits by another seven weeks for people who already have used up their allotted 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits and 13 weeks of emergency compensation after that.

They can collect a maximum of $523 a week in unemployment but that will increase to $545 a week next year. The increased benefits will help, but the unemployed have to comply with a multitude of guidelines to continue receiving benefits such as showing that they are making at least three potential job contacts a week by sending out resumes or going on interviews.

Public relations accounts supervisor Carissa Tourtelot closed on a new condominium in Kailua only two weeks before she was laid off from Communications Pacific last month.

She was most worried about covering her $2,750 mortgage and the $600 she spends on day care for her 2-year-old daughter. She spent three weeks on unemployment, a process she described as demoralizing, and recently secured a new job as a communications and marketing consultant for the California Milk Advisory Board in San Francisco, the institution behind the popular “happy cows” television commercials.

“It was scary at first and I think that after the initial sadness you just focus on what’s next ... but thank God I had savings and a rainy day fund,” she said. “It’s worked out really well and people always say things happen for a reason. Even though I still don’t know the reason, I’m kind of okay and there’s really never a good time to lose your job but that’s the kicker, you figure it all out.”

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME?

2008-12-27T09:26:00.000-08:00

U.S. Loses 533,000 Jobs in Biggest Drop Since 1974

The New York Times
December 6, 2008

This article was reported by Louis Uchitelle, Edmund L. Andrews and Stephen Labaton and written by Mr. Uchitelle.

The government’s report of a giant job loss in November, the biggest monthly decline in a generation, puts more pressure on Congress and the administration to move quickly on a stimulus package, mortgage relief and perhaps financial aid for Detroit’s big automakers.

The nation’s employers cut 533,000 jobs in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

Not since December 1974, toward the end of a severe recession, have so many jobs disappeared in a single month — and the current recession, far from ending, appears to be just gathering steam.

“We are caught in a downward spiral in which employment, incomes and spending are collapsing together,” said Nigel Gault, chief domestic economist for IHS Global Insight. “With private spending frozen, we have no choice but to rely on a stimulus package to revive the economy.”

The unemployment rate rose to 6.7 percent, up just two-tenths of a percentage point from October, but up six-tenths over the last three months. More than 420,000 men and women who had been working or seeking work in October left the labor force in November.

More significantly, the unemployment rate does not include those too discouraged to look for work any longer or those working fewer hours than they would like. Add those people to the roster of the unemployed, and the rate hit a record 12.5 percent in November, up 1.5 percentage points since September.

Noting that 1.9 million jobs have been lost since the start of the recession a year ago — two-thirds of them since September — President-elect Barack Obama invoked public spending as the best way to get a dead-in-the-water economy moving again. “This painful crisis,” he said in a statement, is an opportunity “to improve the lives of ordinary people by rebuilding roads and modernizing schools for our children,” and by investing in clean energy projects.

A goal of all this spending is to generate 2.5 million jobs over the next two years, he said, repeating an earlier pledge. Given the accelerating job losses, hitting that target would barely recover the jobs that have disappeared over the last year.

As part of Friday’s announcement, the government revised higher its estimates of jobs lost in September and October. Instead of 524,000 jobs disappearing in those months, 723,000 were lost, or a total of 1.2 million jobs in just three months. In all, jobs have been lost in each of the last 11 months.

“Obama is being deliberately unclear about those 2.5 million jobs,” said Robert Pollin, a University of Massachusetts economist. “He is not going to add 2.5 million on top of recovering the 1.9 million that have been lost so far this year.”

Despite the deterioration of the labor market, Democrats in Congress and a lame-duck president remain in a standoff over rescue measures.

At its core, the stalemate between the Republicans and the Democrats springs from fundamentally different views about the nature of the crisis and the role of government in resolving it. The White House contends that it has rightly focused on the credit and housing markets, while the Democrats see economic problems that can be resolved only through broader intervention.

New efforts to adopt a broad economic package are likely to wait until the new president takes office and Democrats have bigger majorities in Congress. That delay poses the possibility of a deeper recession, according to some experts.

President Bush, appearing in front of cameras on Friday morning at the White House, said he was “concerned about our workers who have lost jobs.” But he offered no hint of softening his opposition to either a stimulus package or a bailout of the automobile industry, saying that the measures already put in place by the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to ease credit problems would take time to work.

Shortly after his appearance, a White House spokesman, Scott Stanzel, dashed any expectation of a change in policy when he said that officials expected a stimulus package would “happen in the next administration.”

Support is building for a significant stimulus package as the economy slips into a deep recession. Most forecasters expect the gross domestic product to contract in the current fourth quarter at an annual rate of 4 or 5 percent, and continue to contract through most of next year, shrinking by 2 percent for all of 2009 — a contraction that has occurred only once since World War II: in 1982, a year of severe recession.

“If there was any doubt that a very large fiscal stimulus is required, then the numbers we have been getting recently should dispel that doubt,” said Jan Hatzius, chief domestic economist for Goldman Sachs. To offset the private sector retrenchment, he added, “we will need a stimulus package of $600 billion at an annual rate, or $1.2 trillion over two years.”

Economists and policy makers increasingly share his estimate of what it will take to revive America’s $14 trillion economy, with Democratic leaders talking recently about a stimulus package of $400 billion or more.

Though any broad economic package seems to be delayed, Democrats still had faint hopes of approving next week a rescue package for the car companies. Their goal would be to prevent far more rapid deterioration in the job market.

The latest job numbers were stark evidence of a breakdown in consumer spending and business investment since mid-September, when the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve decided to let Lehman Brothers fail, delivering a shock to the financial sector. Almost simultaneously, stock prices began a free fall, undermining the wealth and the retirement accounts of millions of Americans.

“We have recorded the largest decline in consumer confidence in our history,” said Richard T. Curtin, director of the Reuters/University of Michigan Survey of Consumers, which started its polling in the 1950s.

Job loss has played a big role in this erosion, he acknowledged. But so have fewer hours of work, smaller bonuses, less overtime, falling home prices, falling stock prices and a drumbeat of job cut announcements — the most recent, this week, from big names like AT&T, Viacom, CVS, DuPont and the Avis Budget Group.

The Dow Jones industrial average, down more than 20 percent since mid-September, fell Friday morning in response to the November jobs report, but recovered later and gained 259.18 points, or 3 percent, by the end of trading, to close at 8,635.42.

With home prices still in decline, one in 10 mortgage holders was either delinquent on loans in September or in foreclosure, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Friday. That was up from 9.2 percent in June and the highest percentage since the association began to collect this data 30 years ago.

The mortgage crisis makes lenders ever more reluctant to lend for the purchase of homes, autos and other big consumer items. In more normal times, lenders bundle these loans into securities and sell them. The buyers of these securities have disappeared in the current credit crisis, however, and the Federal Reserve is considering ways for lenders to borrow from the Fed, using the securities as collateral.

Jobs disappeared last month from every sector of the economy except health care and state government, which mainly added educators. The biggest losses were in manufacturing, construction, retailing — despite the first month of Christmas shopping — financial services, hotel and restaurant work and temporary workers. Over the course of the recession, 604,000 jobs — nearly one-third of the total — have been eliminated in manufacturing, and the Big Three automakers promise more layoffs to qualify for a federal bailout.

“Business shut down in November,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com. “Businesses are in survival mode and are slashing jobs and investment to conserve cash. Unless credit starts flowing soon, big job losses will continue well into next year.”

The administration says its recent actions are beginning to make credit flow more easily. “We are pulling some very significant levers on the economy right now, through what we’re doing with Treasury and what we’re doing with the Fed,” said Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman.

Jack Healy contributed reporting.

“How Could This Happen to Me?”

2008-12-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

by Stacy Whelchel
PPL Corporate Writer

It’s heartbreaking to hear those words coming from homeowners on the brink of losing their property through foreclosure proceedings. Unfortunately, it seems like it’s a daily story in the news.

I recently read a story about a Jacksonville, Fla. woman describing her desperation as foreclosure proceedings closed in on a small home she had faithfully made payments on from 1999 to 2004. Then sickness and loss of a job left her unable to keep up with soaring mortgage payments and the many fees that were quickly tacked on by the loan holder. The more she tried to make smaller payments, the more the bank demanded full payment or nothing.

Can you imagine being in the midst of this frightening situation without legal counsel to guide you through the maze of court papers and overwhelming proceedings? Retaining fees can add up to hundreds of dollars. There is incredible value offered by a Pre-Paid Legal membership. Our members can depend on the sound advice of experienced dedicated attorneys.

Foreclosure can happen to anyone in the tough economic times that continue to ravage our nation. Pre-Paid Legal plans and our provider attorneys can offer answers to the tough legal questions from foreclosure to personal injury issues. Try it. The power of Pre-Paid Legal is ready to work for you today.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

2008-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

From the Rapozo household, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. Take care and God bless.

Holidays are a time of giving and sharing. Why not share the biggest opportunity of your life with your family and friends?

2008-12-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

by Adam Huckeby, Creative Director

Many of us are going to be around family and friends (who we rarely see) in the next few days. Conversations about the economy, a new president, and many other topics will be thick in the air. Why not take advantage of the casual atmosphere to talk about your Pre-Paid Legal business and how you expect the next months/year to be the best you’ve ever seen?

There has never been a better time in our history than right now to share the opportunity with family and friends. While the economy is going down, we're providing a solution. While people experience layoffs, we heard on the leadership call just this morning that one of our Associates brought 18 new people into the business last week. That's 18 people in ONE WEEK! Pre-Paid Legal is the place to be – right now.

To help you out, several of our leaders are hosting calls every day through the end of 2008. These are calls the reveal their philosophy and techniques of working with Pre-Paid Legal. To tap in to this incredible resource, call 712-432-8995 (then press 1#, and 1# again).

If you find someone with interest in the business, but they’re just not convinced yet, you have at your disposal many tools, but for an easy and convenient tool, simply program the following number into your cell phone. Encourage anyone who is even a little bit interested to listen to this short call. Simply dial this number, and hand the phone to your prospective Associate. The number to program into your cell phone is: Recruiting Call: 712-432-7545 (then press 1#, and 1# again).

Again, both of these numbers will be available through the end of this year (2008).

Wouldn't You Say That Hawaii is an Opportunity for Preraid Legal Services?

2008-12-20T07:25:00.000-08:00

Hawaii Jobless Rate Highest in 9 Years; Hawaii's Weakening Economy Pushes Figure in November to 4.9%

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

The state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in November reached a nine-year high of 4.9 percent as employers continue to struggle in a weakening economy.The jobless rate was 2 percentage points higher than in the same month last year and a 0.3 percentage point increase from October. Unemployment has climbed steadily since late last year and has been fueled by dozens of companies laying off thousands of workers.

The number of unemployed last month was 32,650, compared with 30,400 in October and 18,850 a year ago, according to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. The number of seasonally adjusted nonagricultural jobs grew by 1,200 from 620,300 in October, but there were job losses in nearly every private-sector industry, the state reported.

Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 6.7 percent last month, the highest since October 1993, when it stood at 6.8 percent. Michigan had the country's highest rate at 9.6 percent, followed by Rhode Island at 9.3 percent, while Wyoming had the lowest rate at 3.2 percent.

Hawai'i's rising jobless rate comes as no surprise as economists have predicted that the economy will continue to slow and unemployment will continue to climb through 2009.

In his economic forecast for First Hawaiian Bank, Hawai'i Pacific University professor Leroy Laney last month projected an average 5.5 percent unemployment rate next year. But, he said yesterday, that "might even be a little low at this point."

"It's just a reflection in economy and it's not surprising to me to see it at that level and I do think that it will continue to rise," Laney said. "Tourism has been very weak and that's reflected in various things, not just the visitor industry itself, but in retailing and in jobs that are directly and indirectly related to tourism."

Just how bad the job market has become was evident Thursday and yesterday, when thousands of people showed up at the Target Corp. job fair at the Hawai'i Convention Center. The retail giant is holding a four-day job fair to fill 1,200 jobs at stores in Salt Lake and Kapolei, which will open in March.

During the first two days of the fair, Target officials have turned away applicants before the official start of the event because so many hopefuls had showed up.

Yesterday, people were allowed to start lining up at 4 a.m. and the doors to the convention center opened an hour later. By 7 a.m., about 1,000 people had entered the center and Target told applicants outside that they can return today or tomorrow when the fair resumed.

Rob Parke, Target district team leader, said about 25 percent of the 1,200 positions were filled Thursday and he expected the same amount of jobs to be claimed yesterday.

"So going into (this) morning, we'll still have approximately half of our jobs open," Parke said.
He said Target officials were pleasantly surprised with the turnout.

"Today was an unusually large second-day turnout," he said. "It's very exciting. It confirms that this is the right place for us to be, and it appears the community is as excited to have us here as we are to be here."

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Your Custom Brochures are in Good Hands

2008-12-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

By Jamie Pittman
PPL Project Manager

Recently, I took a road trip to tour the production facility of Pre-Paid Legal’s custom brochure program (http://www.amacustom.com/). I was excited, and jumped at the chance to view a large print production facility in action. Walking in their office, you could tell this was a quality operation. The receptionist was friendly and we were greeted with smiles from every employee we encountered.

After spending a little time in the operations room (where the orders are taken from the website and processed), we finally made our way to the production equipment. After six hours in the car I was a little tired and wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. After turning the corner in the press room, I was immediately impressed. The equipment is amazing. The sheer size of the operation is a bit overwhelming. The machines rumbled as the print pieces made their way through each step of production; printing, folding, bundling, wrapping, and packaging…and ultimately mailing/delivery.

What impressed me most was the attention to detail, and the amount of care the employees took with each order. The custom brochure process is very fluid; from the Associate clicking to submit an order to stacking the items in a shipping box and sending them on their way. If you are a PPL Independent Associate, I encourage you to take a few minutes to visit the custom brochure site at http://www.amacustom.com/.

End of Year Deadlines

2008-12-18T06:54:00.001-08:00

As the holidays grow closer, the hope here is that all of our associates, members, provider law firms and home office staff enjoy time with their family and friends and celebrate the season.

>From an operational standpoint, please be aware of the
two points below:

1) Deadline for applications to be at the home office
(and processible) is 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31.
As you will recall, a one-time exception was made for
EDs at the end of November.There will be NO EXCEPTIONS
made for Executive Director or Player's Club qualification.
You should strive to get business submitted before the last
day of the month;

2) Pre-Paid Legal's home office will be closed on
Tuesday, December 23 through Thursday, December 25.
We will be open on Friday, December 26. While we will
be closed on New Year's Day, we will be open on
Wednesday, December 31.

A Thought for Us!

2008-12-17T07:28:00.001-08:00

“The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication.”

—Cecil B. DeMille (1881-1959); film producer and director

Hilo Hattie will lay off 31 amid tourism slump

2008-12-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

By Robbie Dingeman and Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writers

In a further sign of the troubled economy, three Hawai'i companies have announced they will lay off a total of 123 employees over the next few weeks.

Hilo Hattie yesterday said it will let go 31 members of its Honolulu staff. The company blamed the slump in tourism and difficult economic climate for the move.

Acutron Co. Inc., a thermal insulation company, said it will shut down its operations by Feb. 13 and lay off 59 workers. Also, Unitek Technical Services LLC, an affiliate of Pacific Marine & Supply Co., notified the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations that it also will close down by Feb. 13 and lay off 33 employees.

Officials at Acutron and Unitek could not be reached for comment yesterday.

John Scott, president of Hilo Hattie The Store of Hawaii, said in a statement that the decision to lay off the workers was a difficult one to make, especially during the holiday season.

"Regrettably, we have today laid off 31 staff at our Hilo Hattie headquarters office on Nimitz Highway as a result of a precipitous drop in sales due to the increasingly harsh recession and in particular the decline in visitors to Hawai'i," Scott said. "Hawai'i is hard hit by the global economic meltdown and the consequences of that are especially tough on the retail sector," he said.

On Oct. 2, the company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Scott said the company still employs 227 people at seven stores in Hawai'i and one in California and plans to open a new flagship Hilo Hattie store at the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki in July 2009.

Scott added, "The people that are leaving us are terrific employees and we will support them in their quest to find other positions.

Hilo Hattie is one of Hawai'i's most well-known retailers. Established in 1963 by Jim Romig, the company grew and largely did well over its first few decades under Romig's leadership, but got into major trouble following an aggressive Mainland expansion in the last decade.

Of seven Mainland stores, all but one were closed, and at significant cost.

Sales fell from $69 million in the 2006 fiscal year to $56 million last year and about $42 million in the most recent fiscal year ended Oct. 1.

The company earned a $500,000 profit in 2006, lost $4.6 million in 2007, and recorded an unspecified "large" loss in the most recent fiscal year.

Romig in July sold the ailing company for an undisclosed price to a California investor group led by Ted Nelson, who through another company owns franchise rights to Fantastic Sams salons in Hawai'i and California.

Nelson's group brought in Mark Storfer, a former Liberty House executive, and appointed Scott, a former Hilo Hattie official, as company president.

************************
The economy may be heading south and companies may be laying off employees but Prepaid Legal Services, Inc. is alive and well. Let's make sure we let everyone know about our opportunity. Give them the choice to say yes or no. Now is not the time to prejudge anyone.

Mel

Welcome to PPL Hawaii

2008-12-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

Aloha everyone. This blog is for PPL Associates. Please use this blog to share stories, strategies, tips, motivations, etc. This is a great tool so please take advantage. I look forward to moderating a lively and informative blog. Take care.