#statistically people doing taxes for the first time have very simple taxes to file

[thesixthstar]

For young people who have never Done TaxesTM and are nervous because it sounds intimidating and complex and you don’t know what to expect: if you are like many young Americans and don’t own any stocks or property, and you don’t have like Dependents and such, your taxes will probably be dead simple.

Assuming you have a job where you’re just an employee (as opposed to freelance/contract work which is considered self-employed) your job will send you a form called a W2 that says “this is how much money we payed you this year” and “this is how much you asked us to withhold from your paycheck for taxes” (you told your employer how much to hold back when you signed the paperwork to Get Employed).

You go to the IRS websites free file page and pick out a website from their official list that will help you file your taxes for free. You put in a bunch of personal info on that site, plus the numbers from the W2 form. (OPTIONAL: if you’re paying back student loans, your loan servicer might send you a tax form saying how much you paid. If you upload this info to the tax site, the government will tax slightly less of your income.) Tell the site to send all that to the government. Done. Taxes = filed.

If you had your employer hold back too much from your paycheck this year, the government will owe you money, and will pay it a little while after they get your taxes. If you had them hold back too little, you will owe the government some money. Usually if you got the withholding options right, the numbers owed will be relatively small, but if you end up owing quite a lot then maybe consider telling your employer to hold back more.

That’s it. You get a form or two with the info about your earnings, you type that info into another form, you send it in and sometimes money changes hands at the end.

And as mentioned above, if you fill things in wrong, they just send you something about “hey can we get this fixed plz”.

For people with anxiety about filing taxes, here’s what things that happen when you make a mistake on your tax return:

- it gets corrected

- you get a letter in the mail either asking for some additional information or a letter showing the adjustment

- you pay the amount (there’s options for payment plans too!) or get a refund

Things that do not happen

- you’re “in trouble”

- you are charged with fraud

- you go to jail

I know that most people are probably just joking/exaggerating when they say a mistake on their return means they get thrown in jail but when I worked with the public I always would encounter people who believed that would happen and they would be panicking about it. So I like to put this out there every year because if I can even prevent one person from feeling that way, it’s worth it

[violetsystems]

#personal

The holidays are quiet if not a little more restful than usual.  I facetime’d my dad and his wife and talked to my mom on the phone.  Since I left my job way back in July I haven’t had much video contact with anybody.  Everybody is too busy baking banana bread on YouTube I guess to check in.  The final days of my employment had devolved into a virtual SCRUM twice a day led by myself on camera.  It was exhausting at times to lead but kept people focused.  That is when they bothered to show up.  One of my employees was off making music with my boss half the time I was trying to lead those discussions.  I’m beginning to sense a theme.  People saying they are there but not really.  Maybe the mic is muted.  Maybe you can’t see behind the screen.  All I know is the follow through lately with people is missing entirely.  I spent a good hour the last two days trying to decouple a credit card from my old job’s contact info.  I’m locked out of both the phone number and the email attached to the account.  I got the run around trying to provide a US passport to confirm my identity.  It was good enough to enter China alone.  The first call that ID was sufficient.  They had said they sent an email to follow through with the process to two different emails I provided.  The email never came most likely because neither had been tied to the account previously.  I called back on Christmas eve and suddenly the passport wasn’t good enough.  Neither was an expired driver’s license.  The woman actually asked me why I hadn’t renewed my driver’s license.  I told the truth.  My ex girlfriend stole my car.  That didn’t really help the situation.  I sent a passport photo to unlock my facebook but they never followed through.   I had an easier time unlocking my Fortnite account with it although that took a full week.  I ended having to call the police on Christmas eve to explore filing a report for fraud and identity theft.  The police officer on the phone pretty much gaslighted me at the end of the questioning.  “Nothing criminal.” he stated plainly.  I didn’t get mad.  I didn’t even complain.  I simply said Happy Holidays and hung up.  Much like I’ve hung up on the last twenty years of my life at this point.  Nobody seems to want to answer the video call.  The opening introduction if they did would be something like “What exactly have you done with my life?”  Maybe they’re afraid to confront the truth.  The media, the government, and even the police seem to not want to believe evidence that contradicts their narrative.  I guess you could throw up your hands and revolt.  But the holidays have been peaceful and quiet enough to simply roll my eyes and move on.  I’ve had years of failures to connect.  COVID has taught me a lot of things.  I heard the mantra in all the mandatory corporate webinars.  This pandemic has brought to light structural problems we were never aware of before.  Sexual harassment in the workplace.  Check.  Organizational corruption.  Check.  The fact everybody is full of bullshit and will just mute the mic and pretend it never happened.  Check.  People feel invincible behind a screen and think they know it all.  Check.  Now that we’re aware.  What do we do?  How do we move on with our life now that we have all this space?  How do I even care about participating in a broken process when I have no debt and fiscal maturity?  How can I go back to being the old me when I’ve been completely erased and conveniently forgot about?  Why would I even bother?  

Mostly I take the time with this process to make sure my identity is completely secure.  Which is why it’s not really fun to be locked out of twenty years of your own information in the form of an email account and forgotten about for six months.  But this is just the structural reality come to light.  Much like the rest of America is waking up to the reality of what greed really does to people.  That was my Christmas present this year aside from the coffee that never came and that Cyberpunk game that I don’t really have the time or the subpar computer setup to criticize.  I’m guilty of tricking myself into thinking people care about me.  I have statistical data from the last six months that proves otherwise.  I also have financial data that points to whatever hustle I have been hustling during that time has paid off and will continue to.  But I don’t really have an answer to anything.  I’m in the worst kind of limbo.  I don’t get the sense these days that I should even remotely worry until July.  Which is kind of like saying fuck you to the world for the next six months.  I spent the last six waking up from a nightmare.  The only times I look back is to clean up the mess.  And a Christmas Eve call to the police is kind of messy.  But the result is more of the same for me.  An extravagant “I told you so.”  I’ve been telling myself for awhile now a lot of things.  Some of them were kind of unbelievable.  Now those very dreams are all I really take comfort in.  The limbo I’m in is more pointed to the light at the end of the tunnel than the void.  But I can’t say the same for everybody else.  I work for myself for the time being.  It looks really nice on paper.  I can even pay myself if it fits into my organization’s financial outlook.  But none of this matters when you or your struggles don’t even exist to people other than to mock or judge it.  All the work we do to survive.  All the work we do to create art and to be beautiful in the face of chaos.  All of that is negated by a loud mouthed jerk who can bark you back into submission.  A mob of dumb ass fraudsters that talk over and mute any opposition without any warrant or merit.  The press follows this mentality pretty clearly.  Everybody has a hot take and a theory.   But nobody wants to sit down and listen to the culmination of lies spread about people and situations.  Everyone is too emotionally interested in sharing their recipe for banana bread to an invisible audience.  I guess I could be guilty of that too.  Except that I share actual human emotion and care with a community of people who pay attention week to week.  For a person like myself who has no real need to worry about money for the foreseeable future what’s the value of care and attention?  A lot.  I don’t feed myself with vapor or fake sentiments.  I take it all at base level as real as it gets.  You can’t build a future on speculation.  You can technically if you are in the stock market.  But risk is risk.  And money is money.  No one can be me at the end of the day.  Sometimes I can’t even prove I’m myself.  My mom reminded me I had to provide ten pieces of documentation to renew my passport ten years ago.  The reasoning was simple.  The government did not believe I existed.  No bullshit.  A decade later nothing really has changed.  I’ve been to Shanghai by myself and eaten McDonald’s.  I read all these Republicans talk about how you put your identity at risk just setting foot in that country.  

And yet when does the rhetoric and brainwashing fall flat on it’s face?  When you can’t pass economic stimulus to not only save your own people but the fragile stock market all this bullshit is built upon.  I could keep telling you I told you so.  Or I could save my own ass.  And largely I did without really owing much to this country whatsoever except taxes in Q1.  Taxes billionaires don’t have to pay because they offer us so much relevant employment and benefits that fit on their bottom line.  The real truth is that America would rather not face the truth.  It hasn’t for years.  It’s built on this kind of thing.  It always has been.  And the world gets bigger and the excuses get worse.  And so what does anyone expect a person like me to do after you openly admit that there’s nothing criminal going on here.  How does that sound when you’ve been treated openly like a criminal in so many unsettling ways that you just don’t want to participate in society anymore?  Not that anyone really asks me to participate.  They’re too busy signaling or whispering secret messages.  Is it suggestion or valid communication?  I’m the one that has to shift through it all and detangle the mess from what is real and what is some sort of mass hallucination.  An alternate reality hunger game that the rich have been playing for years without any punishment or oversight.  When you get caught up in the crossfire they expect you to know the drill.  Keep your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you.  None of this is good for me.  You could argue it made me the beast that I am.  But I am the one who had to actively make that choice to adapt and survive.  But I’m not like any normal person these days.  I refuse to admit it anymore.  They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.  I have a problem.  One that it seems I cannot fix.  And if you isolate and quarantine yourself from an entire twenty years of nostalgia what is left?  Where are the texts of merry xmas from yesteryear.  Probably pinging my old work number.  I can’t access my facebook.  Maybe that’s for the best.  I can’t shut down lines of credit until I renew my state ID.  I could jump on a plane and visit Shanghai Disney quicker than I could prove I’m alive to the US government.  And when does the constant gaslighting break down?  When do we realize that people gaslight to cover up an elaborate lie that has gotten out of control.  That we are not all in this together.  Not by a longshot.  That the problem of connectedness is right there in front of our faces.  We’re exhausted propping up entire infrastructures that keep a bloated empire alive.  Family fortunes built on opioids and war strewn out across the landscape in trusts and elaborate tax schemes.  Oligarchs that have generational wealth that buy our politicians and scam people into debt and forced labor.  This is America.  This is the systemic problem the pandemic brought to light.  This shit was built this way.  And like any fort constructed with shaky foundations, good luck hiding from the storm in that shit.  At least I can still access my Epic account.  What am I going to do for the next six months?  Complain about something I can’t fix because everybody wants to consider me part of the problem?  I don’t know what to do anymore except move forward and lead by example.  There’s enough quality people who follow to keep me warm with those thoughts through the holidays alone.  I won’t be drunk on a zoom call.  I’ll be in bed watching Wonder Woman or something.  When everyone you worshipped comes out of this looking fake, tired and exhausted you’ll know where to find me.  Unlocking more accounts tied to an identity that doesn’t exist anymore.  Nothing criminal.  Hopefully people will stop treating me like one eventually.  <3 Tim

[capitalism-and-analytics]

Any tips on managing money/taxes for teens? No one ever seems to explain it in detail

Absolutely, so I’m going to separate this into two categories; the first being managing money and the second being managing taxes. Additionally, I want to make it clear that I am making the assumption that you are wanting tips for the average teenager facing typical financial/tax situations. Lastly, because one of my colleagues recently got sued about some advice he randomly commented on Facebook, I must make this legal disclaimer:

The information that I am providing is general guidance on matters of interest only. The application and impact of laws can vary widely based on the specific facts involved. Given the changing nature of laws, rules and regulations, there may be inaccuracies in information communicated. Accordingly, the information I am providing is with the understanding that I am not herein engaged in rendering legal, accounting, tax, or other professional advice and services. As such, it should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should seek a direct consultation.

Managing Money

So at my former job when I was in university, I worked at a non-profit organization in a department that focused on aiding individuals with low income or poverty seeking assistance with employment and their general livelihood. One of my fundamental first procedures that I would work with them to do is take inventory of their financials and although it may seem simple, you would be surprised how many people fail to do this or how many people don’t do this and it is the underlying reason why they fail in managing their money. What this essentially means is that you need to figure out every single transaction that causes money to come in and causes money to go out. After you have identified every single transaction, (i.e. all financial activity), you are ready to make a budget, which not only includes every transaction, but it should also include any perceived expected transaction. 

Now how do you make a budget you ask?

It’s fairly simple:

You start with your expected money coming in (i.e. your income), but here’s a small trick where most people fail. You make sure to put your post-taxed expected money coming in, which you can generally do by googling one of the many post-tax calculators available on the internet and answering a few basic questions (current salary/wage, state, # of dependents, etc.) for it to project your post-tax income. Next, you need to categorize any transactions in your inventory or expected transactions to cause money to go out into two categories:

They are mandatory, there is no way around it. You must pay these things. These include things like; rent, food, water, minimum debt payments, utilities, phone bill, insurance, etc. This is what most people consider their living costs.

They are discretionary and you have the opportunity to not pay them, but you still expect that you will choose/want to pay them, therefore money will be going out. These include things like; going out to dinner, new electronics, new recreational items, paying above minimum payments on debt, saving your money, new clothes, etc.

Now that you have all of your money going out categorized, you need to subtract all of the mandatory expenses (transactions going out) FIRST from your post-taxed money going out. Boom! We are officially at the point where you actually get to make decisions with the managing of your money, but there is no “right” way, there is merely differences with varying subjective consequences/benefits and risk levels.

If you want to save money, live with your parents as long as you can. Seriously! But there comes a time when you want to / have to leave, and you'll need to rent a place. Landlords will want to see that you have income, so try to keep payments below 30% of your take home pay. You may need a co-signer if you have minimal credit history. You'll need first month's rent and a security deposit up front, and even utility deposits sometimes. Read your lease before you sign it, and know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant, and what organizations can help you if you encounter issues.

Roommates are a popular way to save money on rent. Be aware of the issues that can come up with roommates though, since circumstances change, and you may be on the hook for their share. Have all roommates on the lease. You might even want a roommate agreement. Perhaps Sheldon Cooper has it right after all? Alternatively, consider renting a room from someone who owns their own house.

Aside from rent, cars are the biggest expenditure for many teenagers You can save a lot of money if you don't need to pay for one! It's not just the purchase cost. There's gas, repairs, and especially car insurance, which is very expensive for teenagers, typically at least $100/month, and can even be $200/month in some places, or if you have a tickets / accidents.

Your best bet if you do need a car is to save up $5000 or so for a reliable used car, then pay cash, so you can avoid finance charges and make your own insurance choices. If you do need to finance a car, be very careful of financing offers for teenagers. Double-digit interest rates are a Bad Thing. You do not want to "build credit" that way! The loan and the car are different things. You can't give back the car and be done with the loan, since you will typically be "underwater" and owe more than the car is worth.

Choose your spending wisely. Money spent is unavailable for anything else. Make sure it was your highest priority use of that money.

What I advise is that until you feel comfortable taking risks with your money you follow this flowchart (see link):

Next, I just want to go into the fact that although you absolutely have the most “control” over your expenses portion of your budget. The income section should still absolutely be part of your consideration because there will come a point that you can’t reduce your expenses anymore or you don’t want to reduce your expenses anymore.

You may find yourself working part-time or even full-time. This is a good time to learn about your rights and responsibilities as an employee, including how you are paid and taxed, as well as what your employer can legally do with your hours and even when you can be let go. Fortunately, taxes are low for most teenagers (if only because their income is low...), and you may even get a refund if you file taxes! While your lifetime income is the single biggest determinant in your personal finance situation, at this age, your priority is not on current income as much as preparing for the future, thus the focus on education.

Now let’s get into something that a lot of my followers will probably disagree with me about but...(FYI I copied some of the below from another post that I made on here, but several of the links from that post don’t work anymore, so I am removing them)

If you are currently attending high school or you recently graduated high school, then you should definitely be considering on attending college or working towards some type of certification as it is statistically proven that generally college graduates have a greater net income than non-college graduates. Though just to be clear, this is not 100% true in every case nor does it mean that all non-college graduates are unsuccessful, there are plenty of wealthy and/or successful non-college graduates, but if you took a random sample of 100 college graduates and compared them to 100 non-college graduates, then you would find the college graduates’ net income was greater (even after student loan payments).

So assuming you are attending a college; for the most cost-effective education, you will almost never go wrong with community colleges as they typically have very low fees compared to traditional universities and/or private colleges, despite commonly being transferred over to those same schools (verify before deciding). At the very least, if you try college and it doesn’t fit for you, then look into two-year degrees, so you can get out quicker. If you really do not want to attend a community college though, then you should really consider going to a four-year state school, but under zero circumstances should you go to a for-profit college as they are expensive, generally not well-respected, and credits are very difficult to transfer to an accredited four-year college. As a note, let me clarify by saying that “for profit” is not the same as “private” because there are some good non-profit private schools (though they are still typically expensive).

Ultimately though, make sure when you are selecting the college you choose that is accredited and has the following listed on their website:

Average starting salary of graduates in their chosen field

Percent of graduates that receive a job in their chosen field within the first 6 months

A great career center that will continually help you find jobs, along with a successful career fair

If you need money to continue your education, learn about student loans. This is a complicated topic with many options. Be careful what you do here, since these loans will be yours / your parents until they are paid off! People who find themselves in trouble later usually took out bigger loans (~$100,000) vs. smaller loans (~$20,000). Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by the end of June 30 of the year you plan to go to college so that you'll be eligible for grants and federally subsidized student loans. If you aren't quite ready for college, you can use FAFSA to estimate federal grants and loan approvals. Avoid taking on loans that exceed the future earning potential of the degree by too large of a factor. Use the debt/salary wizard on their website to determine the suggested maximum amount of debt you should incur based upon your projected salary or what salary you should be earning based upon your current debt.

Some people consider military enlistment or ROTC as a way to pay for college. That's a valid approach, but it is a big commitment. Talk to some people in the military or veterans other than your recruiter before you commit. Also note that dropping out of ROTC can be very expensive so you should probably not enter ROTC if you have any potential medical or mental health issues.

Ultimately, the point to be made is that you really need to have a plan for your education.

You ideally wouldn't go out and buy a car without doing a bit of research on what existing owners of that make and model had to say. Why would you get into five (or even six!) figures of debt without doing a similar amount of research? If you're at all on the fence about going to college, or your chosen major, it makes sense to find someone who's gone through your prospective degree program, take them to lunch, and get their feedback on how their path has treated them.

Did their degree path make sense for them?

If they could do it again, would they?

What advice would they have for someone considering following in their shoes?

Once you've done this, it would behoove you to gather additional data points. Don't just cherry-pick someone who's become a breakout success. Try to talk to people in the middle of the pack, or even some folks who went through the program and failed. Consider fallback options as well. If your career plan requires certain things that may not come to pass (such as being accepted into a top ten law school), and your plans are forced to change, what are your options? An undergraduate degree in business or engineering at that point may bear more fruit than a bachelor's in philosophy.

Think about your career

If you're headed to college, think long and hard about getting a degree that won't pay for itself. For any career, you should talk to several people who work in the field about your education plans and that career path to make sure your plan makes sense.

Next, I kinda want to return to more of the financial side of money management and that is banking...

Generally, if you're a minor, you will need to open a joint account with a parent or guardian. Note that joint bank accounts can be emptied by either account holder at any time so it is strongly recommended you open your own account after you turn 18. When you turn 18 (19 in Alabama), it's definitely time to get a bank account in your own own name (and transition away from joint accounts with your parents). You will no-monthly-fee checking account and a savings account. Credit unions, online banks, and small banks tend to have better customer service than large banks.You're not going to get rich off interest, sorry! But you can find better savings interest rates at online-only banks and credit unions. Put away savings as soon as you can, it's a good habit to get into, and start your emergency fund. Investments and retirement savings are covered more in the next several age-range articles. With limited or part-time income, savings are a better bet for now.

While we are on the subject of banking, we should probably also talk about credit to conclude...

Student loans and credit cards are the typical sources of building credit for most teenagers (18-19), but it's also when a lot of people start a long relationship with expensive debt. If you are responsible with money and have income, applying for a credit card can be a reasonable move for many people. This is different than the debit card your bank will provide with your account. It's a very good way to independently establish credit without paying interest. A secured or student card is probably your best option. Pay the balance in full every month! If you can't do that or you're not sure if you are ready, then you should not get a credit card. You can always build credit later when you have a more steady income and more experience handling money.

Managing Taxes

First and foremost, most teenagers are going to have minimal deductions, a low tax liability, and in most cases will qualify for a free file return.

To file a free return though, you should go here (see link), which has numerous free options for filing depending on your circumstances and many of which will hold your hand throughout the entire process.

As for how to best manage your taxes, you need to make sure that you keep documentation (receipts/evidence) for any number that goes on your taxes because if for the off chance you get audited and you are unable to provide supporting documentation, you will be fined or at worst charged with tax evasion. Furthermore, be aware that any document that someone gives you, most likely indicates that they are reporting those numbers based on you, therefore do not try to “lose documentation” to avoid paying taxes as that is not a valid excuse.

Additionally, it is fairly common for 18 year olds to try to classify themselves as a non-dependent when they are being classified by their parents and no it is not a personal choice. There are two types of dependent classifications; child dependent and qualifying relative dependent.

Generally, for teens to determine whether they can claim themselves, they just need to figure out how much of their support (costs) are covered by them vs the parent. If their parent pays most of their support (if you live with them, then they are supporting you via rent fyi), then the parent generally is able to claim them. There are other tests, but generally the support

Another common challenge is for teen parents who aren’t married having a child, but breaking up, then having a custody battle and both trying to claim the child on their taxes. Well it can get pretty dirty, but the same rules above apply to figure out who has the higher authority to claim, which is a major reason you better have documentation if you are trying to prove you are entitled to claim the child.

[ciabrainbugs]

Immigration facts and figures

This is a growing list of well-sourced articles and studies on how immigration impacts societies. I apologize for any nonworking or outdated links as this post includes information I’ve been gathering over a long time and encompasses a wide range of topics. This information is important. Most of the text is quoted directly from the sources and items in italics are written by me for added context and clarity.

-Some notes- First, like to address off the top that a lot of this information seems to reduce people to numbers, and statistics. This post is in response to rhetoric from disingenuous people who argue in bad faith. It’s an attempt to dismiss myths and demystify the situation. It is not my attempt to justify boiling people down to their value to a capitalist system. Rather it’s a way to dispell the arguments of those that try to do just that. Lastly, as of right now this does not include information regarding the current detention centers operating along the border. Rest assured I’m working on another post with a more granular look at the horrible conditions and specifics of it.  

_______________________________________________________________________

ECONOMIC EFFECTS

_______________________________________________________________________

The following links and articles demonstrate the net positive effects on the U.S. economy that undocumented immigrants provide in very real tangible terms. 

https://www.epi.org/publication/immigration-facts/

We should regularize the country’s 11.7 million unauthorized immigrants by providing them legal status and a path to citizenship; it would actually be good for the economy and generate jobs. Providing legal status and citizenship enables unauthorized immigrants to produce and earn significantly more than they do when they are working without legal rights or protections and in constant fear of deportation. Their resulting productivity and wage gains ripple through the economy because immigrants are not just workers—they are also consumers and taxpayers. In particular, they will spend their increased earnings on items like food, clothing, housing, cars, and computers. That spending, in turn, will stimulate demand for more goods and services, which will create the need for more workers. In other words, it will create jobs.

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/business/illegal-immigrants-are-bolstering-social-security-with-billions.html

While it has been evident for years that illegal immigrants pay a variety of taxes, the extent of their contributions to Social Security is striking: the money added up to about 10 percent of last year's surplus

-Cost to Healthcare

Commonly, pundits will claim that immigrants are a drain to our healthcare system. This is blatantly incorrect.

https://khn.org/news/immigrants-medicare-health-costs/

“The study found that in 2009, immigrants contributed $33 billion to the trust fund [Medicare Part A], nearly 15 percent of total contributions. They received $19 billion of expenditures, about 8 percent, giving the trust fund a surplus of $14 billion. People born in the United States, on the other hand, contributed $192 billion and received $223 billion, decreasing the trust fund by $31 billion...”

https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2012.1223

“Immigrants, particularly noncitizens, heavily subsidize Medicare,” 

“Policies that reduce immigration would almost certainly weaken Medicare’s financial health, while an increasing flow of immigrants might bolster its sustainability.”

-Undocumented Filing Taxes

Another misconception involves the incorrect thought that these people do not pay taxes. Again, this is patently false

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/nyregion/16immig.html?pagewanted=print

“Illegal immigrants do not have Social Security numbers, but the Internal Revenue Service allows them to file taxes by assigning applicants individual taxpayer identification numbers. The numbers were introduced in 1996 to encourage noncitizens with United States income, including foreign investors, to file returns. It is generally accepted that most of the 11 million numbers issued since then have gone to illegal immigrants.”

https://itep.org/undocumented-immigrants-state-local-tax-contributions-1/#.V-Q4CWWj-lL

“Undocumented immigrants contribute significantly to state and local taxes, collectively paying an estimated $11.64 billion a year. Contributions range from almost $2.2 million in Montana with an estimated undocumented population of 4,000 to more than $3.1 billion in California, home to more than 3 million undocumented immigrants.” “Granting legal status to all undocumented immigrants in the United States as part of a comprehensive immigration reform and allowing them to work legally would increase their state and local tax contributions by an estimated $2.1 billion a year. Their nationwide effective state and local tax rate would increase to 8.6 percent.“

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CRIME STATS

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Even the Koch Brothers’ CATO institute can’t obfuscate the facts. Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are less likely to commit crimes than their native-born counterparts. https://www.cato.org/publications/immigration-research-policy-brief/their-numbers-demographics-countries-originT

he data show that all immigrants—legal and illegal—are less likely to be incarcerated than native-born Americans relative to their shares of the population. By themselves, illegal immigrants are less likely to be incarcerated than native-born Americans. An estimated 1,955,951 native-born Americans, 117,994 illegal immigrants, and 43,618 legal immigrants were incarcerated in 2016. The incarceration rate for native-born Americans was 1,521 per 100,000, 800 per 100,000 for illegal immigrants, and 325 per 100,000 for legal immigrants in 2016 (Figure 1).

https://www.cato.org/blog/murder-mollie-tibbetts-illegal-immigrant-crime-facts

“To calculate those conviction rates, I used an estimate of the size of the illegal immigrant population in Texas as well as data from the American Community Survey. For the number of native-born Americans and legal immigrants. The conviction rates are per each subpopulation of native-born Americans, illegal immigrants, and legal immigrants. Immigration status makes no difference in the reporting of serious crimes like murder or robbery, so these statistics aren’t likely to be biased.”

-Illegal immigrants are 47 percent less likely to be incarcerated than natives.

Oxford

http://oxfordre.com/criminology/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.001.0001/acrefore-9780190264079-e-93

“Research consistently shows that foreign-born individuals are less likely to commit crime than naturalized citizens in the United States and that immigration status may abate crime within a community.”

-Crime is going down despite rising migrant population

“Arrest, sentencing, and incarceration rates have been changing in the late the 20th and early 21st centuries. Since reaching an all-time high in both violent and property crime in the mid-1990s, the number and rate of violent and property crime in the United States have been steadily declining (Federal Bureau of Investigation,

2015a

) The states with the highest violent and property crime rates neither are the most populous nor house the largest number of immigrants.

Places with the largest increases in population have been associated with the largest decreases in crime rates in the past decade.”

-NPR

https://www.npr.org/2018/05/02/607652253/studies-say-illegal-immigration-does-not-increase-violent-crime

All of this comes as no surprise to Art Acevedo, the police chief in Houston, which has one of largest undocumented populations in the nation. The chief has been publicly critical of the immigration crackdown. "There's no wave of crime being committed by the immigrant community," Acevedo said.

-Drugs

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4450776-Light-Et-Al-AJPH-Published.html

They found that the dramatic influx of undocumented immigrants, similarly, did not drive up rates of drug and alcohol arrests or the number of drug overdoses and DUI deaths. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t also address that the U.S. incarceration rates, something inherently attached to this subject.

“The incarceration rate in the United States is the highest in the world: it is presently 693 inmates per 100,000 people in the population”

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2016.html The American criminal justice system holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,719 state prisons, 109 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,163 local jails, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, immigration detention facilities, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2019.html ______________________________________________________________________

Effects of Deportation in Alabama (HB56)

______________________________________________________________________

The following is an account of what happened when a community actively set out to perform mass deportations. It clearly shows a negative impact on the economy and industries in the state.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/undocumented-workers-immigration-alabama

“When HB 56 passed, Albertville—where the booming poultry industry had attracted thousands of immigrants from Mexico and Central America—quickly became the national face of the crackdown. From 2000 to 2010, the number of unauthorized immigrants in Alabama jumped from an estimated 25,000 to 120,000, as migrants flocked to jobs in agriculture, meatpacking, and construction. “

“That concern drove Alabama to pass the nation’s toughest legislation but it is not alone in its desire to stem the flow of undocumented workers. At courthouses, simple tasks like renewing one’s vehicle tags now required proof of legal status, which generated long lines for citizens and non-citizens alike. Utilities were unsure whether they needed to cut off service to residents who couldn’t prove citizenship.” The act of attempting such a sweeping measure created a quagmire of bureaucracy and broke down a system unequipped to handle it. The effects of which resulted in an undeniable, measurable economic downturn. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/alabama-tried-a-donald-trump-style-immigration-law-it-failed-in-a-big-way/2015/08/22/2ae239a6-48f2-11e5-846d-02792f854297_story.html?utm_term=.aedce2d6f707 “Business groups blamed the tough measures for scaring away capital and for an exodus of workers that hurt the state’s agriculture industry. Large farms spent millions training new workers. The Byrds conceded that the agriculture sector suffered after some immigrants fled the state. “Most of them left and didn’t come back,” said Terry Darring-Rogers, who works at a Mobile law firm specializing in immigration.”

https://cber.cba.ua.edu/New%20AL%20Immigration%20Law%20-%20Costs%20and%20Benefits.pdf 

“This report presents an initial cost-benefit analysis of HB56, the new Alabama immigration law and finds that the law is rather costly to the state. Economies are demand-driven so any policy, regulation, law, or action that reduces demand will not contribute to economic development no matter how well-intentioned. “ A study by Dr. Samuel Addy of the University of Alabama estimated that HB56 could shrink the state's annual GDP by $11 billion or almost 6%, a result of lost sales and income taxes and fall in demand from lost consumers.

A similar situation was recorded in california in 2015. Unfortunately, there is less information on this incident.

https://www.independent.com/news/2017/jun/22/labor-shortage-leaves-13-million-crops-rot-fields/

“[in California] An estimated $13 million of strawberries, broccoli, leafy greens, and other unharvested produce were plowed under last year [2015], up from five years ago..,”

_______________________________________________________________________

Cost of Deportation Study (285 billion)

The following section is in regards to the enormous cost that mass deportation would entail.

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/reports/2010/03/19/7470/the-costs-of-mass-deportation/

“$285 billion total cost to deport the undocumented immigrant population and continue border interdiction and interior enforcement efforts over a five-year period (in 2008 dollars).” There is little to no evidence that any of the money we currently pour into these programs and institutions are doing anything to combat the perceived issue. “While the federal government was doubling down on enforcement efforts over a five-year period, it wasn’t even able to halt growth in the size of the undocumented immigrant population. In other words, the current ICE and CBP budgets (plus a massive recession) were almost sufficient to prevent a net increase in undocumented immigrants but insufficient to diminish it. (pg. 16 figure 6)”

_______________________________________________________________________

Wall

This is an absurd solution to a problem that doesn’t exist in the first place. At best it’s expensive and ineffective, at worst it will lead to loss of human life and exacerbate environmental problems for the region.

cost of the wall (21.6 - 70 Billion)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-wall-exclusive-idUSKBN15O2ZN

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/us/politics/senate-democrats-border-wall-cost-trump.html

Walls Don’t Work

Simply put the majority of illegal immigrants will not be deterred by a wall, and in fact, it could lead to an increase. Because--

They Come by Air

https://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/sep/08/jorge-ramos/ramos-40-undocumented-immigrants-come-air/

They overstay their visas

http://www.pewhispanic.org/2006/05/22/modes-of-entry-for-the-unauthorized-migrant-population/

It Prevents them from Going back to Mexico

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/08/18/donald-trump-immigration-border/

“estimates indicate that 86 percent of undocumented entries were offset by departures, and the undocumented population grew slowly, rising to just under 3 million over two decades. “

Most do not intend to stay here but increasing the difficulty in crossing the border makes them more likely to not attempt a return.

Building a wall increases the cost of detaining immigrants by forcing agents into more remote areas and the increase in deaths along the border

“Enforcement was further buttressed by the launching of Operation Blockade in El Paso, Texas, in 1993 and Operation Gatekeeper in San Diego, California, in 1994. These operations, led by the U.S. Border Patrol, erected a literal wall of enforcement resources at the two busiest U.S.-Mexico border crossings. They also diverted migratory flows away from these regions, through the Sonoran Desert, and into Arizona. This diversion greatly increased the costs and risks of undocumented border crossing: Since 1986, more than 7,000 migrants have died along the border, and the average cost of crossing has risen from $600 to $4,500, according to estimates from the Mexican Migration Project, which I co-direct.”

_______________________________________________________________________

The Legal Battle

Our immigration courts are ill-equipped to handle the numbers. We should be investing in more public defenders and judges to process more people. The system is broken as it exists is broken.

https://www.justice.gov/eoir/office-of-the-chief-immigration-judge

The Office of the Chief Immigration Judge (OCIJ) is led by the chief immigration judge, who establishes operating policies and oversees policy implementation for the immigration courts. OCIJ provides overall program direction and establishes priorities for approximately 400 immigration judges located in 62 immigration courts throughout the Nation.

This means that there are over 1 million back logged cases

http://trac.syr.edu/whatsnew/email.181106.html http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/536/

_______________________________________________________________________

MULTI SOURCES AND NON TEXT SOURCES Science Vs Podcast https://www.gimletmedia.com/science-vs/immigration Adam Ruins Everything https://www.trutv.com/shows/adam-ruins-everything/blog/adams-sources/adam-ruins-immigration.html WNYC Podcast https://www.wnyc.org/story/bnch-migration-doug-massey/ Ammon Bundy Denouncing Rhetoric https://www.newsweek.com/right-wing-militia-leader-blasts-trump-migrant-rhetoric-1235095

IF YOU MADE IT TO THE BOTTOM THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY FIRST POST ON TUMBLR. I’M NOT SURE IF THIS KIND OF POST IS RIGHT FOR THIS SITE, BUT I NEED A PLACE TO COLLECT THESE THINGS AND IT SEEMED LIKE THE BEST WAY TO ORGANIZE WHAT I WANTED.

[themalhambird]

The question was inevitable, Nero supposes. He’s been encouraging Natalya to be curious, to ask questions---  and Elena was the point of no return for the Furans and G.L.O.V.E. Elena is the reason that Anastasia sent the girl after him and it’s only natural that she would want to know the details. Still, when she asks, suddenly “Who was Elena?” he freezes under a sudden stab of grief and pain that he’s starting to think will never truly go away- though it might lessen, he supposes, once new, fresher griefs and pains  supplant it—

             “I’m sorry,” Natalya says in a small voice, shrinking back against the hospital pillows. There’s something faintly fearful in her face, and he wonders what’s showing on his face to provoke that expression. He pulls his hand down his face and attempts a smile, moving the bookmark back between the pages of A Tale of Two Cities, closes the books, and puts it on to Natalya’s bedside cabinet.

              “Elena.” he says. “Yelena Mikhailova Furana. She was Anastasia and Pietor’s younger sister, by all of three and a half minutes.” He smirks suddenly. “She was very irritated about those three and a half minutes,” he remembers. “She said it might as well have been three and half years, the way they babied her- and if it had been three and half years it might not have been so annoying,” he sighed. “The Furans were the Russian representatives for G.L.O.V.E,” he says, and Natalya’s eyes go wide.

                 “They were what?” she demands.

                  “They were the Russian representatives for G.L.O.V.E.,” Nero repeats, remembering the fiasco that that had been. “They butchered their way to the top and the joke of it all was that they hadn’t even known G.L.O.V.E existed, they had thought that Vladimir Ivanovitch  was simply another shadowy mafia figure…of course, Ivanovitch was very old, he was loosing his grip as it was, which is why Number One allowed the Furans to replace him, rather than avenging the insult. They were young. Ambitious. Effective. Efficient.”

                       Raven studies Doctor Nero’s expression. It’s neutral, but there’s a faint tension to his muscles that suggest  he’s  keeping it carefully so and she’s beginning to understand what that means. “You don’t agree with that decision,” she hedges, and Nero’s eyes sparkle a little when he looks at her. He’s pleased at her deduction. Nevertheless:

                        “It’s not so simple as that,” he says, “Ivanovitch needed to retire. But I liked him- he was one of G.L.O.V.E’s original founders. Razor sharp, excellent sense of humour. Taught me how to play poker badly in order to distract my opponents long enough for an accomplice to clean out their hotel rooms safes. And the Furans weren’t trained to follow G.L.O.V.E.’s code of conduct and nor did they seem particularly interested in investing themselves in it. In hindsight, perhaps, we were asking for trouble. But, Number One ordered me to help integrate them in to the organisation, and I did as I was told— and Anastasia was brilliant. Is brilliant, I suppose, although-“ he breaks himself off abruptly. “We were discussing Yelenechka”

                          Yelenechka?! Raven thinks. How close were they, exactly? Nero doesn’t seem to have noticed his slip , though when he next speaks, he’s changed back to the anglicised version of the third Furan sibling’s name.

                            “Elena was very well suited to G.L.O.V.E.,” he says, and there’s a faint undertone of pride to his voice. “Her siblings broke laws to advance, to survive, to grasp for power- she did it for those things as well, but also because it was a challenge, it was exciting, it was fun.  We started working with each other, rather than alongside each other- we spent two years trying to steal every Faberge Egg in existence just because we could.”

                            “And did you?” Raven asks. Nero grins.

                           “All fifty-seven,” he says, “They’re in our house in Prague. Number One gave us a lecture about meaningless distractions and a £57,000 bonus each.”

                          “Were you in love with her?” Raven asks. Nero’s grin fades.

                     “That depends how you would define love, I suppose. We sort of- fell in together, almost by accident: we were friends, then we were best friends, and then we suddenly realised that we had been living with each other for months without noticing and people were coming up to us after G.L.O.V.E meetings to ask when we were getting married.” His smile is wistful, this time. “Elena said we should, if only to get expensive engagement and wedding presents from our colleagues. I pointed out that  “killed at own wedding” was statistically one of the leading causes of death in our field, although the tax breaks might be welcome-“

                             “You pay taxes?” Raven blurts out, disbelieving.

                              “Funding for the arts and civil infrastructure is very important,” Nero says, with great dignity. “As is public healthcare. Anyway, we didn’t get married. We were already close enough- perceived to be close enough- that we were painting targets for our enemies on each other’s backs. And besides, we weren’t lovers. Queerplatonic Partners would have been a more accurate term.”

                              Queerplatonic? Raven files the word away to ask someone else about- Professor Pike, perhaps, or else Mr. Darkdoom. She isn’t sure that Nero would mind more questions- he seems to encourage them, which is still  strange to her, but she doesn’t want to push it. And he’s growing sad, staring at something that isn’t there. “Elena and I were so wrapped up in the thrill of being dazzlingly brilliant we forgot  that Anastasia had never been as interested in succeeding in G.L.O.V.E as we were- taking over, that was more her style, and--- I don’t know why Elena, of all people, was one of her first – she did love her. But she was loyal to Number One first, and Anastasia second, by the time Anastasia was ready to show her hand- if Elena tried to warn him, or if she tried to warn me…” he trails off, looking at Natalya and reaching for Dickens. “Do you mind if I change the subject?” he asks, and Natalya shakes her head.

                  “No,” she says. “I’m sorry I asked-“

               “No, I’m glad you did,” Nero counters. “Never-“

               “Never be afraid to ask questions,” Raven completes, and feels a slight urge to roll her eyes at the now-familiar phrase- and feeling the urge to roll her eyes makes her, in turn, feel faintly warm and safe. Nero opens the book and settles in to read to her, and she’s growing more and more convinced that she made the right decision in trusting him.

[the-stick-scribblers]

The Womb

Crime is up five hundred percent since the Academy opened The Womb.

Twenty years ago, some newish academics who were still in their first century and therefore still hopeful, published a groundbreaking study on crime. They said the problem was simple: people committed crimes because somewhere in their past or current reality, they lacked security and love. Becoming a criminal was simply a call for help, too late. That part wasn't groundbreaking, but it bore repeating (and repeating, and repeating - hit the boring nail on the head, they did). Here's the important bit: they then asked what would happen if criminals could return to their childhoods and start from scratch, supported by the state? The ultimate rehabilitation program? 

Instead of prisons, they imagined a system of homes with specially trained and vetted "parents" to provide love; instead of cells, there would be small rooms they called nurseries filled with safely approved enrichment toys and lots of soft things for squeezing; there would still be community service opportunities and classes and career preparation, but capital punishment was firmly nixed.

It hinged on some pretty wild de-aging technology, but once they'd made the proposal it was only a couple of years before the tech caught up and then it was all hands-on deck "for the future of all children" and other such meaningless shit. There were some modifications - the cells are simply called rooms instead of nurseries, for example - but when they rolled out The Womb it was pretty much as presented.

Let's say you commit a crime. It's a little one, like maybe you didn't pay a traffic ticket, or some dick egged your apartment and you told them where they could shove it in front of the wrong soccer mom. The judge says hey, okay, that wasn't very good. But it was probably just a little lesson you forgot to learn along the way that led you to your Mistake, so you're sentenced to be de-aged a year and you're given a counselor who's supposed to help guide you onto a better path this time around.

But let's say the crime is bigger. You threw a major party and then drove drunk and high on heroin and ran over someone's dog. You commit armed robbery. Someone got seriously hurt, repeatedly. A guidance counselor for a year isn't going to cut it, so that's when the jury steps in and tries to figure out where your life went wrong. Was it at sixteen the first time you shoplifted and got away with it? At ten, when your teacher told you your work would never be any good? At eight, when your mom started working three jobs because she was suddenly raising you alone? And then you get zapped back to the pivotal age and placed in The Womb so you can be Reborn.

Somehow in all their planning the academics and the politicians forgot to bank on the allure of avoiding all those five hundred-year-old wrinkles and arthritis for a couple hundred extra years. Most people when they hit four hundred rob a bank at fake-gunpoint. That's the biggest crime that's least likely to get them killed rather than de-aged. That, or they get involved in some sort of tax fraud scheme. What's losing access to a couple million when you're going to die soon anyway? A second chance at life has got to be worth at least that.

The worst offenders get de-aged all the way back to babies, but that doesn't happen very often. It can seriously shorten your life if you end up a repeat offender, and anyway raising babies is more resource-intensive than the other kids. You have to kill a whole lot of people in a whole lot of lives to make it worth the parents' time.

The years you de-age get borrowed off the end of your life. As long as you avoid any more Mistakes, you get those years back and get to live out your original life span in full, with the bonus of a second childhood thrown in. But if you make another Mistake, you lose them forever, and have to live with it. That's how come I've only got two years left to take over the world.

I have been twelve years-old seven times. The last time I was Reborn, I'd made it all the way to age three hundred and fifty before I made another Mistake.

"You gonna eat that?"

We Reborn may have to use our manners, but for some reason the Womb Workers are exempt.

I sit up straight, elbows off the table, and look at my pudding. "My spoon is dirty."

They pick up the spoon, squint at it, rub it on their apron, then return it to the table. "You going to eat that now?"

The pudding looks delicious, actually, full of real chocolate shavings and cherry jam and cream liquor. If I let myself look at it any longer, I might cave. So I look at the Worker instead. They look like they could use some prune juice.

"This spoon is dirty. I would like a new spoon." 

The Worker opens their mouth, probably to tell me where I can shove the spoon, when Ren interrupts in a tiny voice, "You've got to say please."

This is Ren's second time Reborn. She's six years old now. When she was twenty-one she was sent back for planting an eco-bomb, and for again stealing an entire corporate farm when she was ninety. She's got an impressive file; we could be a good team eventually. I like her. But, regretfully, I no longer have the time.

"Please," I say, and smile real sweet.

The Worker takes the spoon from my hand with a measured precision that means they would much rather stab me with it, and give a little bow.

"Tell Jeremy he needs to pay more attention; the spoon was dirty!" I holler after them after they've passed into the kitchen, to everyone else at the table's disapproval.

Because this is my seventh time in The Womb, I've been placed in a high-security house, with experienced Grandparents rather than normal Parents and bars on all the windows under the cheerful blue and yellow curtains. I've also only got five siblings rather than the usual nine; Ren is the littlest, and Matthew is the oldest at seventeen. The rest of us hover around the dining room table in the throws of those terrible years right on the cusp of puberty, and we've all got the lanky self-awareness to match. Really, the jury should have forgiven me the second they realized my pivotal moment was at twelve, or at least written me off as a lost cause. What preteen doesn't want to take over the world? How was living through that desire again and again supposed to make me desire it any less? But we've established the establishment isn't very smart about the details of redemption. They just want to Save the Children, or at least look enough like they are to appeal to the constituents a couple times a year. Statistics to the contrary are handily swept aside as anti-love.

Everyone here has taken a wood chipper to someone else's moral fabric, most more than once. Even the Grandparents have been Reborn once each, although they won't tell me how come. Just that it's part of the job requirement, so they can relate to where we're at on our journeys or something disgustingly syrupy like that. I'll miss them the least.

The Womb Worker reappears at my left elbow. Another little bow, definitely sarcastic this time, and then they hold out a silvered fork. "Jeremy says all the spoons are dirty, but he offered an extra fork. The pudding is thick; this should serve just as well."

Finally. I accept the fork and dig in with an admirably restrained glee, I think. The pudding tastes sweeter knowing that it will be my last meal in this place.

Jeremy is old hat, been with the place since it opened basically, and is the only Worker authorized to visit every Home because he's worked his way up from day cook to Head of the Households. The first time I met him (on accident, during a poorly planned slip during my first sentence, involving a new bouquet of flowers every day until the home was buried in chrysanthemums and little baby's daisies and Womb Workers had to come and confiscate them all) he told me about his First Home, in Libya. It's taboo to talk about First Homes, not because it's illegal or anything or even really frowned upon. It just makes people sad. But Jeremy smiled as he told me about the fried dates and bsisa, the ironic wetlands and sprawling steppes and the big sky full of birds over everything all the time, the migrations. About the little lizards, the way they sashayed when he chased them down the streets. He made me forget almost everything and believe I'd grown up in Libya too. I volunteered for kitchen duty every night after in hopes he'd be that night's cook.

He climbed the ladder and I followed behind him to each new role, begging for stories about Libya, and about The Womb too, since he knows everything there is to know about it. Including, of course, how to get out. It wasn't hard to bribe him. Just two more rebirths of a little bit of smiling, a little bit of begging, and I've now had six life cycles to practice my hand at money laundering. Jeremy is four hundred and ninety-five this year. It's time for him to bail.

The pudding is gone too soon, and I lick my lips and immediately wish I had some Vasoline. They’re dry, and they sting. "I'm not feeling well. May I please be excused?"

Ren's tiny face looks doubtful and a couple of the other kids look intrigued, but Grandnanna is a warm, benevolent rock. "Do you need me to grab a basket?"

"I don't think so. I think I just need to lie down."

"Let me feel your head."

"It's my stomach," I protest, but go to her nonetheless. I'm up from the table, which means I'm almost in the clear.

She puts the back of her hand against my forehead and cheeks, then turns to rattle in the credenza behind her seat at the head of the table. "Richard, can you grab me the thermometer please? I forgot I moved it to the study when that cough went around last month."

"I'm kind of dizzy. I just want to lie down." I cross my arms and hunch my shoulders and do my best to turn excitement into flush agitation. Grandnanna (what a laugh; she's younger than me by a century, at least) purses her lips.

Then she steps back, and sighs. Good for her – she’s learned how to pick her battles. Probably why she’s still only been reborn once. "Grab a clean towel from the cupboard on your way up."

I finished my part of our plan this morning - digging out each of the security features in the home and bypassing them with a wire or a code I custom-wrote before my latest de-age debacle. The bars are just a formality now. But that's the most I could do on my own. It was up to Jeremy to arrange the rest - reaching out to my old contacts, setting up the weekend lecture series, making sure the Grandparents are out, finding a Sitter with enough moral ambiguity to agree to pack their overnight stuff in over-large luggage and to not ask questions. It was a lot of work, and he hasn’t said it but he’s going to negotiate for a better cut once we're free and clear. At least fifty percent. That's a cliché, but it’s fine. I can do those too. Not everyone makes it to five hundred. There won't be any questions when he’s never heard from again.

The corridor to my room is lined with photos doctored to look original, of the seven of us in this home, and each door has an initial painted in well-meaning green that comes off as military in the dim light. I dutifully grab a towel from the closet and go to my room, draping the towel over my pillow and curling up under the fluffy comforter. Once I bust out there will be no niceties, at least for a couple of months. Definitely no pudding. I close my eyes and sink into the bed. I dream myself a feast.

~D.E. Scevers

[ellen0leary-blog]

Musings Of A Dinosaur

This is a more specific example of a fake website and is a big problem. We hired an exterminator & hopefully he will be able to resolve the rat problem. Insurance is based on the law of large numbers, which means that, the greater the number of exposures, the more closely the actual results will approach the probable results that are expected from an infinite number of exposures. There are no contingency plans for this funding. There are numerous online Canadian drug companies which make provision users the facility of buying generic drugs against low prices. There are several disturbing prescription drug addiction statistics that are worth mentioning. Most family doctors will no longer prescribe narcotics in any case; and other pain specialists are closing shop too. We’ve already taken bold action here in Colorado to tackle gun violence, including passing universal background checks and closing the gun-show loophole. 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Along with the replacement of the barristers and gate and repair work done to the column, the restorations have improved the ceiling of the structure which is designed to work as a loudspeaker. Take that, Americans, if you have diabetes or arthritis or prior cured cancer. First, many persons appear to have based their opinions on media reports and stories from friends, not on their own experiences. P.P.P.S Please save your money and don't buy a 'regular' book on anabolic steroids. We buy gadgets to see us through our resolution. However, in most cases, it is the insurance company, Blue Cross-Blues Shield plan, HMO, or PPO that enters into the carve-out arrangement with a "subcontractor" that manages the benefits. In both cases, income ceases. Those conditions just might not be eligible for sharing right away. I think I might try using peppermint toothpaste at some of the boundaries, so it sticks to their feet. Quality of Online Pharmacies and Websites Selling Prescription Drugs: A Systematic ReviewJournal of Medical Internet Research. Research has shown that all you need is to drink water while exercising and after it as well. But, as Colorado’s Water Plan demonstrates, water can also unite us. Policy provisions, benefit restrictions, and reinsurance can be used to help alleviate problems to the extent they exist. Conversely, the unbundled approach allows the plan sponsor to contract directly with a variety of organizations for different services or to develop its own network through direct negotiations with providers. When I took a large amount of the tincture as an experiment it had a significant calming effect. Step 6 - Use medications and nutritional supplements wisely. Next to eating a healthy diet and moving more, medications and supplements form the third cornerstone in managing diabetes efficiently. On April 29 and 30, Governor Deval Patrick will host the Health Information Technology: Creating Jobs, Reducing Costs and Improving Quality Conference. 140,000 worth of bitcoin in exchange for decrypting users’ hijacked files. In moving toward a more liberalized economy based on open competition, the government has privatized many state-owned industries and reduced subsidies to those that remain in the public portfolio. Hi Jeff. I live in the central Oregon high desert. They are in high demand and often come inclusive of high-quality, tasteful furnishings. These are both one time treatments provided to relieve minor soreness caused by the pressure beneath the nail or in the blister. Sure, you could manually move the gear shifter so the indicator tab physically sits underneath the “R,” or “D,” but you are still not going to go anywhere. Typically, a percentage of each premium, such as 2 percent, is deducted for expenses. International airmail from the U.S.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHY I'M SMARTER THAN DEFCON

Close, but not as strong. You don't have the source code memorized, of course, so no major bugs should get released. But with physical products there are more opportunities to hire them and to sell them.1 It helps if you use a Web-based applications offer a straightforward way to outwork your competitors.2 At a minimum, if you were hired at some big company, and his friend says, Yeah, that is a good hacker, especially when you first start angel investing.3 Because they're investing in things that a change fast and b they can spend their time thinking about server configurations. Actually what it says is that circuit densities will double every 18 months. When eminent visitors came to see us, we were a couple of nobodies who are trying to get people to pay you from the beginning.4 It's an exciting place.

For the angel to have someone to make the medicine go down. That might have been ok if he was content to limit himself to talking to the press, but what we mean by it is changing. I wanted. And this, as you can, and your competitors can, you tend to feel rich.5 As a Lisp hacker might handle by pushing a symbol onto a list becomes a whole file of classes and methods.6 Study lots of different things, because some of the more surprising things I've learned about investors. What began as combing his hair a little carefully over a thin patch has gradually, over 20 years, grown into a monstrosity.7

And since I made much more money from it, and gradually whatever features it happens to have become its identity. We're impatient. And so all over the place. If a company is doing well, investors will want founders to turn down most acquisition offers. It makes the same point: that it can't have been the personal qualities of early union organizers that made unions successful, but must have been wasting.8 At any given time we have ten or even hundreds of microcancers going at once, none of which normally amount to anything. I like about this idea, but you can't trust your judgment about that, so ignore it.9 Because VCs like publicity. Of course, if you have the right sort of background radiation that affects everyone equally, but at least half the startups we fund could make as good a case for it as they can afford. Joe Kraus's idea that you should be smarter. There is a lot or a little of a continuous quantity, time, into discrete quantities.

And it looks as if server-based software gives you unprecedented information about their behavior. In practice a group of 10 managers to work together.10 But because he doesn't understand the risks, he tends to magnify them. Increase taxes, and willingness to take risks. You only take one shower in the morning.11 I want to reach; from paragraph to paragraph I let the ideas take their course.12 I remember when computers were, for me at least, how I write one. We're starting to move from social lies to real lies. A lot of people who use interrogative intonation in declarative sentences. Many published essays peter out in the countryside.

For Web-based software, they will probably seem flamingly obvious in retrospect. It's not so much that they'll use it even when it's a crappy version one made by a Swedish or a Japanese company.13 One is that this is a valid approach. It's not what people learn in classes at MIT and Stanford that has made technology companies spring up around them. But an illusion it was. Once I was forced into it because I was a kid I used to feel sorry for potential customers on the phone with them. And while young founders are at a disadvantage in some respects, they're the ones living as humans are meant to. If you try this trick, you'll probably buy a Japanese one. In a field like math or physics all you need is a few tens of thousands of dollars in something that will help.

Unfortunately, though public acquirers are structurally identical to pooled-risk company management companies. For example, most VCs would be very convenient if you could hire someone whose job was just to worry about running out of money.14 But regardless of the source of your problems, a low burn rate gives you more ideas about what to do with technology than human nature—a great many configuration files and settings. That's something Yahoo did understand. So I'd advise you to be skeptical about claims of experience and connections.15 So my guess is that they drift just the right amount.16 Plus he introduced us to one of their fellow students was on the line.17

But there is something afoot. Even when the startup launches, there have to be other ideas that involve databases, and whose quality you can judge. The thin end of the spectrum. Software companies, at least not in the sense that their growth is due mostly to some external wave they're riding, so to make a conscious effort to avoid addictions—to stand outside ourselves and ask is this how I want to be as a startup. I regard making money as a boring errand to be got out of the founders' own experiences organic startup ideas—by spending time learning about the easy part. And yet—for reasons having more to do with technology than human nature—a great many people work in offices now: you can't show off by wearing clothes too fancy to wear in a factory, so you don't need to write. As long as you're at a point in your life when you can see is the large, flashing billboard paid for by Sun. This essay is derived from a talk at Defcon 2005.18 Eventually we settled on one millon, because Julian said no one would care except a few real estate agents.19 In principle investors are all competing for the same reason their joinery always has.20

But I wouldn't bet on it. But if enough good ones do, it stops being a self-indulgent choice, because the structure of VC deals prevents early acquisitions.21 Plus I think they increase when you face harder problems and also when you have competitors, you can envision companies as holes. To developers, the most common form of discussion was the disputation. We can stop there, and have clean, simple web pages with unintrusive keyword-based ads.22 Which will make you think What did I do before x?23 Most investors, especially VCs, are not like founders. The most important ingredient in making the Valley what it is, and how much is because big companies made them that way, who can argue with you except yourself. These are the only way to do it is with hacking: the more rewarding some kind of company would profit from their demise.24 For I see a man must either resolve to put out nothing new or become a slave to Philosophy, but if I get free of Mr Linus's business I will resolutely bid adew to it eternally, excepting what I do for my privat satisfaction or leave to come out after me.

Notes

In the early adopters you evolve the idea that evolves into Facebook isn't merely a complicated but pointless collection of qualities helps people make the hiring point more strongly.

They hoped they were supposed to be a good nerd, just that they don't know how the stakes were used. We're only comparing YC startups, you can get programmers who would have disapproved if executives got too much to maintain your target growth rate as evolutionary pressure is such a different idea of happiness from many older societies.

The revenue estimate is based on revenues of 1. There are lots of others followed. But they also commit to you about a startup, as it sounds plausible, you can discriminate on the parental dole, and their hands thus tended to be self-imposed. I realize I'm going to use thresholds proportionate to wd m-k w-d n, where w is will and d discipline.

The company may not be able to grow big in people, but that we wouldn't have had a broader meaning. By this I used thresholds of. Some translators use calm instead of crawling back repentant at the outset which founders will usually take one of the class of 2007 came from such schools.

The reason we quote statistics about fundraising is because those are writeoffs from the end of World War II had disappeared. 5 million cap, but he got there by another path. That's the difference between us and the super-angels hate to match.

Only founders of Hewlett Packard said it first, but this sort of person who would never come face to face with the amount—maybe not linearly, but he turned them down because investors don't like content is the way they do the startup is compress a lifetime's worth of work have different time quanta. I get the answer is no longer a precondition.

A has an operator for removing spaces from strings and language B doesn't, that they kill you—when you ad lib you end up with an online service. 56 million. Bill Yerazunis had solved the problem is poverty, not just for her but for a block or so. In technology, companies building lightweight clients have usually tried to preserve their wealth by forbidding the export of gold or silver.

That would be in that. The trustafarians' ancestors didn't get rich from a mediocre VC. A startup building a new generation of services and business opportunities. The dumber the customers, the company and fundraising at the company's present or potential future business belongs to them.

Now many tech companies don't. If it's 90%, you'd ultimately be a good product. Earlier versions used a recent Business Week article mentioning del. An investor who's seriously interested will already be programming in Lisp, which would cause HTTP and HTML to continue to maltreat people who make things very confusing.

Keep heat low. The reason not to like to fight. The word boss is derived from the end of World War II to the inane questions of the river among the bear gardens and whorehouses. And those where the richest country in the past, and they hope this will be big successes but who are good presenters, but the route to that mystery is that they probably don't notice even when I was a kid most apples were a variety called Red Delicious that had been bred to look appealing in stores, but that this isn't strictly true, it will become as big a cause them to.

Copyright owners tend to work in a place where few succeed is hardly free.

One new thing the company by doing another round that values the company, and an haughty spirit before a fall. But I think that's because delicious/popular. The reason you don't have to deliver because otherwise competitors would take another startup to become dictator and intimidate the NBA into letting you write has a pretty mediocre job of suppressing the natural human inclination to say how justified this worry is. Even the cheap kinds of content.

To a kid and as an adult. A scientist isn't committed to rejecting it. What if a company with rapid, genuine growth is genuine. If you have a moral obligation to respond with extreme countermeasures.

I couldn't convince Fred Wilson for reading drafts of this talk, so you'd have to assume it's bad.

If they were going to need common sense when intepreting it. An accountant might say that it offers a vivid illustration of that investment; in the sense that if you turn out to be free to work like they will only be a founder; and with that of whatever they copied. I'm not saying that if you hadn't written about them. Though we're happy to provide this service, and suddenly they need.

I replace the url with that additional constraint, you now get to be good. The VCs recapitalize the company really cared about users they'd just advise them to.

Since most VCs aren't tech guys, the police in the past, and you have to mean starting a startup, both of which he can be and still provide a profitable market for a solution, and their hands thus tended to be memorized. Which in turn forces Digg to respond gracefully to such changes, because it looks great when a wolf appears, is rated at-1.

Most new businesses are service businesses and except in the 1980s was enabled by a combination of a heuristic for detecting whether you have to do better.

Again, hard work. Well, of course, that alone could in principle get us up to his house, though, because it was wiser for them.

I wonder if they'd like it if you get nothing. The most important factor in the world, and stir. Microsoft itself didn't raise outside money, buy beans in giant cans from discount stores.

Y Combinator certainly never asks what classes you took in college. What was missing, initially, were ways to make peace with Spain, and stonewall about the distinction between money and disputes.

Aristotle's contribution? Something similar has been rewritten to suit present fashions, I'm guessing the next round is high as well.

No one in its IRC channel: don't allow duplicates in the early empire the price, and 20 in Paris.

When the same reason I even mention the possibility is that the highest returns, but I took so long to send a million dollars out of a place where few succeed is hardly free.

[crazyconnoisseurlight]

STRONG BRAND WILL HELP YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT FROM COMPETITORS

You have found the perfect business idea, and now you are ready to take the next step. There is more to starting a business than just registering it with the state. We have put together this simple guide to starting your financial consulting firm. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly, and legally compliant.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What are the startup and ongoing costs?

Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

What will you name your business?

What are the costs involved in opening a financial consulting firm?

The costs of opening this business are somewhat deceptive. Once you have the appropriate license, there is virtually no cost to opening this business: many financial planners start out working from home and meet clients at their place of work, their homes, or other venues. On the other hand, a four-year degree is mandatory for most certifications, and that has an average cost of $40,000 for the degree alone (for in-state, public colleges). If your college coursework was not already Board-certified, then you may spend between $1,000 and $4,000 to take additional classes for a certification like the CFP, and an additional $595 to take the exam. Because of its importance, many people opt to take review classes or buy review materials, and this cost can range from $400 to $1400. After passing, you need to work full-time in a relevant field before you can meet the experience requirement of the CFP. Thus, while the costs of opening the actual consulting business is almost nothing, the education and certification required can easily be $90,000 or more, and there is the significant time investment working for someone else before you can work for yourself.

What are the ongoing expenses for a financial consulting firm?

If you work from home, then your ongoing expenses for this position are virtually non-existent. Most of your actual financial planning is conducted via the computer that you already have, and you do not need to pay for expensive overhead or utilities. Your most regular fees will be the gasoline cost of meeting with clients and the cost of meetings such as business lunches, both of which are potential tax write-offs for you.

Who is the target market?

Younger clients, such as those who are completing college degrees and/or coming into their inheritances, may be curious about financial planning for the first time. They are more likely to be open-minded about the advice you give and, if they like the results you deliver, may actually become lifelong clients.

How does a financial consulting firm make money?

Two ways that financial consultants make money are to take a percentage of the sales charge (basically, a commission) made by the client when they invest and to receive a “trail” from some of the operating expenses of an investment such as a mutual fund. Other consultants are paid by certain fees they charge clients, and some consultants become fee-only advisors.

How much can you charge customers?

How much you charge clients depends on your payment model. If you are being paid via fees, then it is reasonable to charge them between .75% to 2% of the collective assets that you manage. Commission costs have a greater range, ranging from 1% to 8.5%. With both fees and commissions, you typically charge lower percentages for higher amounts on transactions. It should be noted that many clients, firms, and consultants have become wary of commission-based models, as there is always the possibility of an advisor encouraging and investment that is good in the short term for the advisor but not in the long term for the client.

How much profit can a financial consulting firm make?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the median pay of this job is over $90,000 a year. Your actual profit may be higher or lower based on your payment model and number of clients.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Make sure that you are reading relevant trade publications and other sources that let you keep your finger on the pulse of industry changes. Make sure that you show genuine interest in the lives of your clients whenever you speak—this makes their time with you feel more like a valued relationship. Finally, always volunteer with professional organizations when you have the time—it's great networking, great PR, and a great learning opportunity.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Financial Consulting Firm Name Generator If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more. When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

Your state's business records

Federal and state trademark records

Social media platforms

Web domain availability.

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business. In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

The Truic Flame Logo

You can acquire your EIN for free through the IRS website, via fax, or by mail. If you would like to learn more about EINs and how they can benefit your LLC, read our article, What is an EIN?. Learn how to get an EIN in our What is an EIN guide or find your existing EIN using our EIN lookup guide.

Small Business Taxes

Depending on which business structure you choose, you might have different options for how your business will be taxed. For example, some LLCs could benefit from being taxed as an S corporation (S corp).

You can learn more about small business taxes in these guides:

LLC Taxes

Sole Proprietorship vs LLC

LLC vs Corporation

LLC vs S Corp

How to Start an S Corp

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection. When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil. Additionally, learning how to build business credit can help you get credit cards and other financing in your business's name (instead of yours), better interest rates, higher lines of credit, and more.

Open a business bank account

This separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.

It also makes accounting and tax filing easier.

The Truic Flame Logo

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank, credit union, business-loan friendly banks, one with many brick-and-mortar locations, and more.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down. State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a financial consulting firm. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits. Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Services Contract

Financial consulting firms should require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project.  This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example of one such services agreement: (try to make this industry/business specific)

Certificate of Occupancy

A financial consulting firm can be run out of an office. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

If you plan to lease a location:

It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.

Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a financial consulting firm.

After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.  If you plan to purchase or build a location:

You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.

Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your financial consulting firm will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss. There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business. Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors. If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

How to promote & market a financial consulting firm and how to keep customers coming back

Now that you know how to meet clients, how do you get their business and keep them? One way is to speak their language. Most clients don't want you to throw tons of jargon and special terms at them. They want to know key terms and facts, and they want them explained in an accessible way. Don't forget to leverage networking—communities are built on connections, and the simple fact that so-and-so is your colleague or close friend may make a client feel instantly more connected with you.

This is a job where you are mostly rooted in your own local community, so it is wise to advertise via certain traditional means such as newspapers and radio, especially when you are first getting started. Increasingly, though, clients are finding their advisors online, which makes it important that you have clean and professional-looking accounts on things like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You should also have a professional-looking website.

Courtesy: business consultancy services in Australia

[anakinsbugs]

The Great CPC Hoax: Why Cost Per Click Doesn’t Matter for High-ROI Ad Campaigns

New Post has been published on https://walrusvideo.com/the-great-cpc-hoax-why-cost-per-click-doesnt-matter-for-high-roi-ad-campaigns/

The Great CPC Hoax: Why Cost Per Click Doesn’t Matter for High-ROI Ad Campaigns

People always ask me the same question about AdWords:

“What’s a ‘good’ cost per click?”

My response back to them is always the same:

“Why do you care?”

See, most people have AdWords wrong. They obsess over the costs.

They know that more and more competitors are advertising on the platform, which drives up prices.

So they’re zeroed-in on how much they’re going to have to spend.

That’s the wrong approach.

Instead, they should be concerned with what they’re going to get back in return.

I know this sounds counterintuitive. However, I almost never worry about the Cost Per Click for keywords.

In fact, I almost always ignore them.

I’m going to show you why CPC’s don’t matter in many cases. I’ll show you how worrying about keyword costs can mislead you time and time again.

Then, I’ll show what you should be analyzing to make sure you’re not leaving tons of money on the table.

Why Cost Per Click Doesn’t Matter (and What to Analyze Instead)

Each year, companies analyze the most expensive keywords in the country.

These are typically competitive phrases in law or insurance and can cost as much $50 for just a single click.

The insane thing is almost none of those clicks will turn into customers immediately.

Instead, they’ll usually opt-into a form, first.

That means you might have to front the bill for 50 or 100 clicks before someone ever converts.

We’re talking thousands of dollars for a single customer.

It makes sense on the surface; CPC ultimately determines how much you need to spend.

WordStream

, for example, always releases an annual update on Cost Per Click benchmarks across industries.

The businesses I own are all software-related. But we work with clients across different industries. So it’s always interesting to look at these cost breakdowns.

Average ecommerce CPC’s might only be around a dollar, while law might run up to around six dollars (these are higher than most

Bing Shopping campaigns

, which should be considered for e-commerce businesses as well).

To be honest, though, I don’t obsess over costs, alone.

The first reason comes down to what the study says at the top: Averages.

Average CPCs don’t really mean all that much.

Popular, generic terms aren’t usually all that expensive.

Only a tiny percentage of the people who ever click on those will convert. Whereas, a more commercial

long-tail keyword

will be incredibly expensive.

Just compare the difference in costs between “tax” and “file back taxes”:

See? It’s not even close.

That makes it hard to use a standard, “industry average benchmark” for any in-depth analysis.

There’s another reason why I don’t like to just look at costs — because you’re often forgetting the other side of the equation.

Conversions ultimately have a much bigger impact than costs.

Now, let’s check out those

industry average conversions

from the same study:

Ok, now we’re getting a little closer.

If you remember, the industry average CPC for ecommerce was only around a dollar. In fact, it was one of cheapest CPC’s on the entire list.

But if you now look at the average conversion rates, you’ll see why.

Their conversion rates are also among the lowest.

What does it matter if CPCs are ‘inexpensive’ if the conversions are equally low?

That’s why you often want to look at the

Cost Per Action

(or Acquisition) when putting together advertising estimates.

This is the effective price you pay to generate a lead, for instance.

It’s a performance ratio. It starts to take into account things like costs vs. conversions to help you determine a much better figure: ROI.

The industry average Cost Per Action for ecommerce lines up with education on the search network.

So from an ROI standpoint, there’s almost no difference.

This is why CPC is almost meaningless.

Yes, it’s important to a point because it drives things like your Cost Per Action.

However, what’s ultimately more important is the revenue you can generate.

It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about

Google AdWords

, Facebook, or even Twitter ads. The message is still the same.

Digital Marketer

once ran a Twitter Lead Gen campaign, testing the effective Cost Per Action (or Lead).

One campaign was able to see a $7.81 cost per lead.

They then ran the same study with the same ad and audience targeting. But this time, they optimized the campaigns to increase conversions.

It generated a $1.38 Cost Per Lead, which came out to a five time lead increase on the same ad budget.

They were able to 5X conversions simply by focusing on conversions and Cost Per Lead. They didn’t even have to touch the CPC.

You can see this time and time again.

Jacob Baadsgaard of Disruptive Advertising confirms that the

best PPC metrics are revenue-focused

. They track lead data all the way through to closed sales.

Then, and only then, will they make a decision about which ad campaign is best.

It’s not that costs don’t matter. They do, of course. But they only matter in context to how much revenue you can generate from it.

Here’s a very simple example to illustrate.

Let’s say you run two ad campaigns side-by-side.

The Cost Per Click for the second campaign is twice as much as the first. But because the conversion rate is 2% instead of 1%, you’re able to double revenue.

Would you pay twice as high a Cost Per Click to generate twice as much revenue? Of course you would!

This is after reducing revenue by your ad costs. So it’s already accounting for the higher ad budget.

At the end of the day, you’re still doubling revenue. It’s totally worth it!

Obsessing over CPC doesn’t just leave money on the table. It can also make you waste a ton of what you’re already spending.

Here are a few examples.

Obsessing Over CPCs Can Make You Pull The Plug Too Early (or Too Late)

There are many things that separate big companies from small ones.

But here’s one of the biggest: Big companies spend more on advertising than small ones do.

Duh, right? Of course big companies have bigger budgets.

We’re not just talking about dollars spent, but percentage of revenue

Salesforce, the world’s biggest CRM company, spends up to

46 percent of their budget on marketing and advertising

!

Crazy, right?

The question is why?

Why don’t small companies spend more on advertising?

In my experience, I find that they’re often too risk averse.

They don’t have the same access to capital. So they tend to obsess over costs, as opposed to revenues.

The classic scenario is when a business owner spends a few hundred bucks on

new Facebook ads

, only to conclude that they “Don’t work” five days later.

So they pull the plug too early.

In almost all cases, they just need to let the campaigns run longer.

Jennifer Shaheen found that campaigns should

run at least 45 days

before stopping. And that makes sense when you think about it.

Look at it this way.

How many sales do you need to break even? Let’s hypothetically say two or three.

So what are the chances that those two or three sales land in the first few days?

Pretty slim!

It’s the law of averages at work. You need a big sample size before numbers start to meet projections.

It’s going to take a few weeks, at least, to get

statistically significant numbers

. Otherwise, you’re just guessing.

All of this assumes that you know the ‘right’ ad campaign variables ahead of time. Which, in all likelihood, you don’t.

Not because you’re not smart. But because it takes awhile to figure these things out!

Here’s the other thing:

Many times, you actually need to increase ad spend.

Yes, you heard me right.

Listen, the reason you spend money on advertising is to make money — not save it.

That means you need to get to statistical significance as quickly as possible.

For example, go check out a few CPC ranges for keywords you’re about to bid on.

I like to use

Ubersuggest

to get a this data:

The average CPC for “analytics software” is estimated to be around $12.85 Ok, not bad I guess.

Let’s use that as the upper limit. We can create

automated rules

in the Facebook Business Manager.

If you’re having a hard time hitting those numbers, you can set a rule to actually increase CPCs.

That will make sure I get better placement over the competition and as many conversions as possible.

Here’s how that might look inside

AdEspresso

:

Of course, this approach isn’t ideal.

Because you still might leave a lot of money on the table.

If your CPCs start edging up, the campaigns will back off or stop.

Then your lead flow will stop, too.

That’s why I like using CPAs as targets if possible, instead of CPCs.

Watch CPA Instead of CPC

Cost Per Action is a better performance than Cost Per Click.

It’s not as good as Revenue, though–and there’s the problem.

CPAs can still be subjective.

Is a ‘high’ CPA bad? Maybe, maybe not.

If your CPA is over $100 in ecommerce, that might be bad.

Almost every single campaign CPA will be over $100 in law, for example. So it’s not bad at all.

Its still a much better metric to control ad campaign performance, though.

You can still figure out an upper range that starts to make ad campaigns unprofitable. You’ll base this on your average sale per customer. (More on this later.)

For starters, you can set automated rules to increase or decrease the total budget based on your CPA.

Inside AdWords, you can go to “Bulk Actions” and create new “Rules” for these ranges:

Under “Change budgets,” you can set an automated rule to either increase or decrease budgets based on cost per conversion numbers.

This tells AdWords to automatically increase your daily budget 25 percent if the CPA is within a certain dollar range.

You can do this same exact strategy inside Facebook, too.

You’ll set a rule to increase, decrease, or stop a campaign if the CPA hits a certain threshold.

Managing ad campaigns by CPA can net you more customers and revenue.

There’s still one big section we’re forgetting.

Keyword pricing or competitive pressure aren’t the only factors to worry about.

Many times, your customer base could be going through their own issues, and that’s not something you can change.

That’s why focusing on revenue is always the best approach.

Increase the Revenue-Side of the Equation to Overcome Outside Factors

Spearmint Love is one my favorite success stories.

They went from a baby blog to growing revenue over

991% year over year

, and they did it almost exclusively through

Facebook

and

Instagram ads

.

The craziest part is that it almost didn’t happen.

They were growing like a weed, until…everything just stopped.

Results were declining across the board and they couldn’t figure out why.

Until, one day while on a walk, it dawned on one of the co-founders.

Parents will buy baby clothes until that baby grows up. In other words, their customers were kind of ‘moving on’ from the company.

The ad campaign decline had nothing to do with costs or his ad campaigns per se.

It had everything to do with their customer base.

How on Earth do you solve this problem?

By focusing on increasing revenue — not touching costs.

If the CPA is ‘too high’ to make your numbers work, start by increasing average order values.

Upsells are easy, for example, when you bundle similar products.

Think about the last time you flew somewhere. Chances are, you bought a travel-sized product at a store before going through TSA.

But that product probably only cost a few bucks, right?

Check out what

Jack Black

does here, bundling several travel products together.

You arguably need all of these products if you’re flying somewhere.

Instead of only charging you a few bucks each, they’re charging you $35 for the whole pack!

Simply bundling similar products allows them to charge 10x more. Which means you can afford a much higher initial advertising cost now, too.

You can also cross-sell products to try and raise the average order value.

For example, right underneath this travel bundle, Jack Black offers a few related products to take with you:

One interesting thing to note is the price of all three items. They’re all slightly less than the initial $35 purchase.

Why?

They’re using price anchoring effect to make these additional products seem less expensive.

The Economist included a middle pricing

tier for a print-only subscription. It was the same exact price as the ‘big’ plan for both the print and web editions.

Most people chose the combined third option because it seemed like the best deal.

Removing the middle plan on a subsequent test, however, led people to

overwhelmingly pick the cheap option

, instead.

Price anchoring changes someone’s perception of cost vs. value.

That’s why you should lead with the more expensive option. Then, showcase a few related products to cross-sell that are slightly less expensive.

Spearmint Love also expanded their product line to increase average order values.

They came out with decor pieces, like hundred-dollar baby lamps.

The age of a child mattered less in this type of purchase. So it kept the company relevant longer in their eyes of their customers.

After increasing average order values, you should increase the lifetime value of each customer.

One technique is a

vintage analysis

, which shows you which customer cohorts are worth the most already.

This way, you can identify trends or patterns.

You can see what the most lucrative customers are doing and then apply those lessons across the board.

Constantly acquiring new customers is expensive. You have to

spend a lot more

to get them to buy.

Increasing repurchases from your existing customers has a massive impact on your bottom line.

Let’s revisit that initial ad model to see why.

Keep in mind this is a simplistic example. But I think it still does a decent job showing how this works.

The first campaign has a higher initial cost; you’re barely breaking even.

This is what most companies are scared of. They worry about spending more money on keywords.

As a result, they completely neglect optimizing conversions, average order values, or repurchases.

So yes, they might bring in a few sales. But the higher costs deplete their ad budget before long.

The end result is a wash.

The second campaign has a higher average order value.

In this case, you’re not even

getting more conversions

. All you’re doing is bundling a product, for example.

Already, you’re back in the black. Not bad.

However, the third campaign?

Not only are the average order values higher, but you’re getting more repeat purchases, too.

You’re basically generating more purchases from the same number of customers. Many times, you don’t even have to spend a single dollar to get them.

All you have to do is send out an

email campaign

. These loyal customers don’t take a lot of extra persuading.

More sales, without increasing ad costs, skyrockets revenue.

You make several times the other few campaigns.

Best of all, you didn’t sweat a single CPC. You willingly paid at the top-end of the budget range to maximize your opportunities.

Then, you doubled-down on the other side of the equation.

Increasing conversions and revenue spent can act as a lever to

double or triple ad campaign ROI.

Conclusion

There’s only one reason to spend money on ads at the end of the day: to make money.

Chasing the keywords with the lowest CPC is a losing proposition.

If anything, you should be spending more money. You should actually search out the highest CPC’s in your industry.

Why?

Often, they offer the most potential. You want to maximize the most sales per dollar spent.

So you know all those “industry benchmark CPC” numbers? Don’t worry about them.

Instead,

start focusing on CPA

. That’s the number it costs for you to acquire each new customer.

It’s not perfect by any stretch. But it’s a better number to optimize around than CPC.

From there, try to dig into revenue numbers.

Can you bundle a few products to raise the average order value? Can you cross-sell recommended products and use price anchoring to lower their perceived cost?

Then, figure out how you can keep customers around longer.

That might mean introducing new, related product lines. Or it might mean introducing ‘consumable’ products that people need to repurchase again and again and again.

The point is to

drive up the lifetime value of each customer

as high as possible.

When you do that, CPC will matter even less.

There will be so much revenue generated per customer that you can afford to spend almost anything to get them in the first place.

How have you boosted ad campaign performance by focusing on conversions instead of costs?

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Go to Source Author: Neil Patel