The actual value of the U.S. Dollar is shrinking. When the value of your asset is shrinking ... change it for an asset that isn't ... insofar as is possible. Five years or so ago, you could have bought CA$1.00 for 65 - 69 US cents. Now it'll cost you 98 US cents - US$1.02. Check the exchange rates of several basic world currencies in relation to the U.S. Dollar in recent years. That should tell you something. How about buying shares of strong, quality companies, abroad, in stable, growing markets? Had you bought some of those (cheap) Canadian dollars back a few years ago ... and used them to buy some oil and gas shares, you'd be smiling now. I think it's true that more of Alberta oil and gas goes over the border than stays in Canada. There's talk of the Chinese gov't.-related agencies using some of their U.S. dollar bonds (the value of each of which has been suffering annual shrinkage on the world markets) to buy Canadian oil and gas producers and build pipelines to Pacific tidewater. Paid for, originally, by some of the cheap Chinese-made products that you've been buying in the "Dollar" stores. In fact, if you had enough for a down payment on your house in a year or so large enough to avoid buying mortgage insurance, you might well decide that it would be wise to just let those oil and gas shares (or other resource-based shares) just sit there and keep earning ... and growing. In fact, if you had the certificates issued, and used them as additional collateral to back your house loan, you might get by without mortgage insurance on an even smaller down payment than is usually required. My daughter, currently buying a house, is leaving some of her assets inherited from her mother to keep on running rather than liquidating to reduce her mortgage (the mortgage interest being deductible in the U.S., as it is not here). Go to Yahoo or another financial agent and ask for ECA.TO (large natural gas producer), SU.TO (oil, involved with the tar sands), IMO.TO (major shareholder is Exxon), POT.TO (produces potash fertilizer), etc. (interlisted on NYSE, IMO on AMEX - but apparent growth won't be as large, there, due to exchange losses) as some examples, then check their 1-year, 5-year, etc. increases in share prices ... and factor in the exchange rate to find what your gross rate of return would have been. Then you figure your tax load, and the effect of inflation to calculate your real rate of return ... that is, current rate of return. To figure your actual result, figure in the rate of growth, if any, of the asset for that year, as well ... and if you want to be more accurate, reduce that amount by the reduction that you would have suffered due to tax, had you cashed the asset now. Sometimes an additional, e.g. 3% gross rate of return will double your real rate of return, for the amount of tax will usually be a percentage of it - but the rate of inflation is a direct deduction, and is the same for each asset in any year as you go, but does not vary depending on the type of asset. Good wishes for managing your money wisely - in a worldwide market. ole joyful

About today's uptick in the markets: it's too soon to tell if the wide fluctuations we've been having are coming to an end. There may be some more big jolts to the markets: hedge funds collapsing when they have to sell good stocks at a loss to pay for redemptions; credit default swaps ("toxic" holdings); GM bankruptcy; continuing downslide in real estate values; prolonged unemployment of up to 8%; loss of consumer confidence. There is therefore every reason to believe that this recession will not be similar to recent ones, but will be longer and deeper. That said, the markets will begin a sustained climb when they "anticipate" a recovery within a few months or a year. I do not think we are there yet. But I'm sitting on a pile of cash because I sold half of our stocks about 4 months ago, and I'm gradually putting money back in stocks, a little bit every 3 months or so.

Hi everyone. This is the original Dalda nearly 7 years later. Amazing things happen when you have an excellent lawyer who puts things in motion and types up divorce papers under 48 hours. I was finally able to get a divorce. I sent my stepbrother, his wife and nibling on a 6 months full paid vacation. He's too busy, so he took one month off each year to visit each continent except the two poles. LoL. I have set up a educational trust fund for nibling. So nibling can study whatever and wherever nibling wants. Stepbrother is extremely well off on his own, and did not want or need it. But he took care of my lovely mother and wonderful stepfather for years. My stepfathers best friend was my lawyer, stepfather was the man who got down on one knee at 60 years to me and my sister and asked our consent to become family. He knew everything about the inheritance even about the extra millions and kept mumm and guided me, mentored me. Bless him. As for my divorce, ex-H contested it, it dragged on for 8 months, he had a grandchild. Without him being in contact with me or dear daughter for 4 months, we were invited to the birth of the child via a call and text. I promptly congratulated and sent a gift. Then continuously for 2 months me and daughter were bombarded with a few hundred photos of the child. Daughter was completely abandoned by him, distraught and blocked him on all media. Step kids did not remove their possessions even after written notice, I had to pack all their stuff and delivered it to their respective residents via courier service. With proof of delivery and acceptance. I must mention here that ex-h in the end was physically abusive to me. For years I was told I'm too dumb to do a PhD, I wouldn't be able to cope with the family and studies and work. I did not know that he had been funneling money from my account to his for 16 years. He was mentally abusive, which I didn't understand then. But during my daughters therapy sessions I broke down and discussed myself with the therapist and they pointed out exactly how I was being manipulated and brainwashed for 16 years into being under his thumb. They sued me for financial support, mental torture abuse, they WANTED 1 million of the 2 my parents left me, my family heirlooms, access to my house and lost spectacularly. I must write one line from the judges verdict, it went somewhat like this, it seems unfortunate that Mr. X and two of your children have been consumed by greed. You have failed to show one valid reason why you should be granted one cent. As for Mr. X, you should be ashamed as you have forgotten that you have another 15 year old daughter. Daughter and I faced a lot of vile words, threats from ex. He went to her school and tried to force her to sign papers. Tried to make her understand how and why she should share her good windfall. On my 40th birthday, I had a call and had to urgently visit my father's lawyer, telling a shocked and crying me that Instead of 2 million, my inheritance came up to 18 million in total. As my father bless him, left everything he had to me and my sister a few years later, which unknown to us was left to us to be given when we reach 40. I heard from ex-in laws that they flipped. In anger stepdaughter screamed, and broke stuff, ex ranted for days how he should have just sucked up and left his adult kids be, his life would be so much better. Ex got married twice. Him and his son sued me again, and lost, Spectacularly again. At 16 daughter won a full scholarship (she has mama's brains) and went on to an ivy league college with 4 GPA. She's 20 and blooming. With my consent she has set up a trust fund for anonymous merit scholarships for underprivileged students, we also support a local women's shelter for abused women and children. I rented out my house, which was too huge for only two people and moved to a town near her college, was a able to get a much better job in my field, which I did not know I was capable of, went on to do my PhD and Post Doctorate on full merit scholarship, I'm still doing it, it is extremely hard work. And two years later of my divorce I met a wonderful man through my work, my daughter and his daughter. Yes, it's weird. We took it slow, we have been married for two years now. Smooth sailing so far. We both have similar experience with exs and near same financial backgrounds, education. I must mention my amazing stepdaughter gave near same amount to the scholarship fund for underprivileged children from her own business. She has been a positive influence on daughter and guide her like my brother did me and my sister, like a protective wing. We agreed on an airtight prenup. Life is and can be bliss if you have the guts to leave your abusive and greedy mooching partner.

Tulsa Rose that is so cute. I am determined to try to keep my sense of humor. If that's gone I am going to be much more of a detriment to myself and my husband. Now for the next chapter of the never ending horror story Days of our lives after the flood. . Remember that the night of the flood storm we were also hit by lightning which knocked down the entire tops of 2 of my big oak trees. We had our garden guy come cut those big limbs up and hauled away. Apparently unknown to anyone one of the biggest branches actually plunged into the ground and penetrated the ground several inches. Don't you know with our luck it penetrated the ground directly into one of our septic systems lines! Since no one has been using the bathrooms in the house it was not noticeable. However yesterday my husband did have to use the back bathroom that is still functioning. Shortly after that he had to go around the back of the house to the electric panel and he sees water shooting out of the ground. We have a pump in the septic tank that pumps out the liquid when it gets to a certain level to trip the pump. Normally this pushes the liquid out to the lateral lines. (tmi I know the solids sink and are taken care of by the bacteria in the tank). That's how it's supposed to work. But now there's a big hole in the pipe leading from the tank to the lateral lines. They are coming today to dig up the back yard and replace pipes. Lord only knows what this is going to cost. I swear before this is over with we will be living under a bridge in the rv if we can keep it and the truck. You think you have planned for your retirement then a disaster like this hits you and you realize you are seriously at risk. How could anyone anticipate these kinds of things. I think of people who have lost everything in a fire, or their home exploded due to a gas leak. I don't know that everyone can recover from them. I am hoping and praying that we can but every time another big hit happens the bank account takes a hit too. So many people have set up go fund me accounts and I see why especially those with children. Donations have been made by the thousands but we never see a dime of it. At least those that set up the accounts are actually getting the help directly. There's a big concert happening to benefit the people affected by the flood, how much do you think I will get? ZERO. Anyone affected? Zero. I am not laughing about that that's seriously wrong. But the fact that in our entire big yard which is around an acre that dang tree limb hit a bullseye on the septic line that's pretty funny, I mean what are the odds. I know it could have been much worse it could have fallen on the bedroom and killed us, so thank you Lord for that. By the way it's raining and the weather man promised sunshine today! I am hopeful the sun shows up. Thanks you all for your continued support! Personally if I was following this ongoing saga of someone I would find it hard to believe. I truly wish I was just making it up lol!