mortgage adjust & auto-payment rant

just got a note from my bank that my mortgage is adjusting DOWN. Yay. My payment is going down about $50/month.

thing is, this is wells fargo and the way they set up their automatic payments is they automatically take the minimum. they've been doing the same with a credit card balance of mine. with my mortgage and home equity loans and my credit cards, I ALWAYS pay more than the minimum. that's how my original mortgage is down to $55,000. for the credit card, i was happy it was getting paid on time, but after a year, it looks like I pretty much just paid interest for a year.

UGH! i know better than this, but i'm really not looking forward to the bank calls.

encouragement appreciated.

banks! i need a bailout

here's the thing, my last refinance was based on "no income" because i didn't have any steady income. why do banks think that every single person has a series of 9 to 5 jobs, especially when most people don't these days? so, to make themselves feel better about me having no income, they took into account all my retirement savings, which was about $250,000 at the time. of course, now it's more like $150,000 thanks to the stock market. all my debt, including mortgage, home eq & credit cards is just under $200,000 for an apt that was last appraised for $550,000.

On paper I should be in good shape, but i doubt that's what the banks will think. UGH! i want to combine everything and get a low interest rate, but i'm dreading the banks making me feel like a big, broke loooser.

i've been watching the media industry a bit and it's a mess. everyone's getting laid off and whoever is working is too freaked out to make a decision, so consultants are left waiting and waiting and then expected to perform miracles for nothing. it's very much like when i first moved to nyc in 1989.

right now, what i'm most worried about is worry. it's not helping, but at the same time, would i be insane if i didn't let this bother me?

health insurance round 2

i finally got my paperwork in for healthy ny. it's health insurance for individuals, sole proprietors (like me) and families under a certain income level. since i haven't been earning much and have the tax records to prove it, it was time to stop paying $650/mos for the privilege of paying for everything.

i met their fax deadline, so i should be covered june 1. yes, i am currently not covered. i just couldn't justify the premium this month. i wonder how many others have said that? and how many will have to.

i've chosen their plan without rx coverage because i called to check and they do not cover EVEN ONE of the medications i take regularly.

i'll be paying $270/mos. i found out i can buy prescriptions without any insurance for what i was paying iwth the evil ghi/medco. hopefully i won't be ranting about my new health plan soon. it's a blue cross hmo. fingers crossed. having this one thing done is a big weight off my mind.

next: credit cards and stupid broken headphones.

headphones died, again

i'm on my 4th pair of v-moda headphones. i love them when they work, for about 2 months. i need stereo headphones for listening to music with a mouthpiece for when i make phone calls and moderate webcasts. they're a tool for my business. i need them!

i live in nyc and need to listen to music on the subway, in the grocery store, walking the streets, where i'd have to listen to inane conversations and cell phone calls and eventually loose my mind. plus my music helps me think and focus.

i bought the best at the time, about a year or two ago, for $100. i've gone through v-moda's warranty process 4 times. the last time they agreed to send me a new pair before i sent back my faulty ones so i'd have something to use, and then lost the order. sigh.

anyway, i love these headphones. when they work they're great! they just can't handle my new york lifestyle, apparently. they break in the same way every time. i need the toughskins version.

suggestions for headphones that can take a beating appreciated.

dear mayor bloomberg and pres obama

hey guys, i'm a talented, professional, articulate, thinking person who hasn't been able to find work and would like to help in these difficult times. i imagine you'll need good managers to run projects that will make a difference, find people good jobs and help save money. here i am. use me.

at least it's not bad news

in my seemingly never-ending quest to find affordable health insurance, i went to my foot doctor before i stop my insurance. good news is my feet look good. i have bursitis in my toe joints. she prescribed orthotics two years ago which i've been wearing diligently. she sent them back to be refurbished, which is definitely cheaper than a new pair. once i get them back in about two weeks, i can start running again. yay!!

now i just have to keep hoping for an eye doctor appt before fri, so i don't have to pay $300 or more out of pocket. wish me luck.

healthcare blues

i'm trying to spend less on healthcare, but it's not easy.

i'm also trying not to worry about money so much. it's hard since i feel like money is being spent every second and i'm not making any money.

sending out resumes and replying to postings on craigslist, linked in and whatever else comes my way.

when i see homeless people on the street, i feel horrible, and frightened that might be me if i can't get any work. i realized recently that i can dip into my retirement savings to keep my apartment. it makes me feel both better and worse.

one day at a time.