Ilyce Glink Show Notes – June 13, 2010
Today’s News:
**Economic Fallout of BP Oil Spill
There was a great story on CNN Money about how a 134-year old oyster-shucking business collapsed and laid off 11 workers because of the BP oil spill. So far, BP has received more than 40,000 claims from small business owners and individuals. As of last week, about 18,000 claims had been fully or partially paid, for about $50 million.
Imagine how much damage this oil spill will cause to the economically fragile Gulf Coast region. New Orleans has hardly (barely) recovered from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Now, tar balls are washing up all over the Gulf Shore. BP says it will hire 4,500 (unemployed) workers to help clean up the spill, paying them $18 to $34 per hour.
That’s pretty good hazard pay, and the job will probably last for years – and that’s the part I’m most concerned about. On today’s show we heard from a bunch of folks who are property owners or small business owners who are wondering how to file a claim (see below for numbers and the web address), whether they need attorneys (not yet – try filing your claim solo first, is my advice), and whether a boycott of BP would send the right message, but hurt the company just as it is being asked to put up billions of dollars in an escrow account to pay claims.
I’m all for BP staying strong and paying claims. Not everyone agrees with me.
If you want to file a claim with BP:
**Claims Hotline: +1 800 440 0858
BP Wants To Hear Your Ideas For Stopping The Spill
If you have an idea for technology or an invention that you’ve created that you think will help stop the spill, BP is open to all suggestions.
For general assistance and to submit alternative response technology, services or products, call +1 281 366 5511
Supposedly there are 70+ BP employees staffing this phone number. But note that it is the same number to register your boat and professional services.
Other BP Spill Contact Numbers:
U.S. Coast Guard Joint Information Center: +1 985 902 5231
Environmental hotline and community information: +1 866 448 5816
Wildlife distress hotline: +1 866 557 1401
Volunteers: +1 866 448 5816
Register your professional services: +1 281 366 5511
Vessels of Opportunity – register boats to assist with response: +1 281 366 5511
Do you have ideas to help us?: +1 281 366 5511
To report oiled or injured wildlife, call +1 866 557 1401
To discuss spill related damage, call +1 800 440 0858
To report oiled shoreline or request volunteer information, call +1 866 448 5816
Deepwater Horizon Medical Support Line – if you feel ill due to the oil spill in the GoM or have oil spill health related questions: 1-888-623-0287
Additional BP contact information
Investor Relations, call 281-366-4937
Claims, call +1 800 440 0858
Transocean hotline, call, +1 832 587 8554
MI Swaco hotline, call +1 888 318 6765
BP family and third-party contractor hotline, call +1 281 366 5578
BP on Twitter and Facebook
Facebook: Deepwater Horizon Response
Joint Incident Command website: Deepwater Horizon Response
This week on the Equifax Personal Finance Blog
Credit: Four Things College Kids Need to Know About Credit
Investing/Retirement: Creating Your Own Best Retirement Plan
Tax: Tax Paperwork – What Can You Toss And What Can You Keep?
Insurance: Flood Insurance – What To Do Before, During and After a Flood?
Real Estate: How to Find a Great Real Estate Agent
This Week on MoneyWatch.com
Another Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension?
Housing Market Predictions: 4 Myths Of Today’s Housing Market
How to Find a GREAT Financial Planner
Check out the financial planners who spoke at our recent HOW TO INVEST YOUR MONEY IN 2010 event last March. They’re all excellent, and won’t try to sell you anything. They’ve all agreed to do a free one-hour consultation and you should take them up on it.
Here’s the link to our list of speakers from HOW TO INVEST YOUR MONEY IN 2010.
We’re planning our next event for October 2. Sign up for my free weekly newsletter, to get the early information on the event and the best ticket prices!
Thinking About Converting Your IRA to a Roth IRA? Check out what my friend Dan Solin has to say
Dan Solin is a Senior Investment Advisor with Index Fund Advisors. He also has written several bestselling books about 401(k)s and retirement. He is now writing about retirement and investment issues with me at the new Equifax Personal Finance Blog.
Check out Dan’s take on the IRA to ROTH IRA conversion issue.
Dan has written fantastic books about 401(k)s, investing and retirement. **Check out Dan and his books on his web site.
And while we’re at it ….
Introducing the Equifax Personal Finance Blog
On the blog, you’ll find great information about the five pillars of personal finance:
Tax (written by Eva Rosenberg, an enrolled agent)
Insurance (written by Linda Rey, who is president of her family’s insurance company)
Retirement/Investing (written by Dan Solin, see above)
Credit (written by Equifax’s own credit experts)
Real Estate (written by yours truly)
The blog is a great resource of information and ideas on how to save money, better manage your credit and make smarter decisions with your money. Check it out, RSS it, bookmark the page, and follow all of us on Twitter.com/EquifaxPFB.
Tune in to hear all of these questions and my complete answers. We should have the show podcasted later this week.
FREE BOOKS AND EBOOKS FOR SALE AT THINKGLINK.COM
If you haven’t checked out the ThinkGlink.com Store, go there and order your free copy of my book, 50 Simple Steps You Can Take to Disaster-Proof Your Finances.
You can order as many copies as you like of my 50 Simple Steps You Can Take to Disaster-Proof Your Finances or The REALLY Useful Guide To Working Smarter Not Harder.
Our PODCAST is up from our recent HOW TO INVEST YOUR MONEY IN 2010 event in Atlanta. Our attendees told us the content was amazing and they think everyone should hear this information. Order your podcast today!
Our 5-pack of EBOOKS on How To Invest Your Money is up and ready for you to buy. Check it out!
Don’t Forget to Pick Up Your Copy of My New Book, BUY CLOSE MOVE IN!.
Our next event will be on OCTOBER 2, 2010. Go to REALWORLDSEMINARS.COM for details as they are announced!
SPECIAL OFFER FOR REAL ESTATE AGENTS AND BROKERS
If you buy 300 copies of my new book, Buy, Close, Move In!, I will come and do a free half-day training sessions for your agents or a book talk and signing for your clients.
Giving away this book to your customers not only will be one of the best lead generation tools you can use, it tells your buyers you’re interested in educating them so they have an exceptional experience buying their next property.
I recently gave a very successful speech entitled “Reinventing Yourself” at a high-level conference full of Realtors and they felt it was full of Ah-Ha moments. Would your agents benefit from learning how to reinvent themselves in this new age of real estate?
Ask yourself: How can ILYCE GLINK and THINKGLINK help you today?
Are you interested in having Ilyce Glink appear or speak at your next event? Want her to moderate a panel at a conference? Are you interested in having terrific, relevant content on your website or to give away to your customers and clients that will help differentiate you from your competitors?
Email me at ilyce@thinkglink.com for details or email sam@thinkglink.com.
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