Question:

Hi, Can anyone suggest the most user friendly accounting software that fits a Real Estate Broker firm?  Has anyone found MYOB to be acceptable? Thanks jude

Response:

Quickbooks is used in many real estate offices. — Jack Hatfield Quickbooks, MAS90 & BusinessWorks Tech Support by phone without the waits and hassles of big call centers Affordable rates call or write for a pleasant surprise. Marana AZ  85653 520 682-2060

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, Can anyone suggest the most user friendly accounting software that fits a Real Estate Broker firm?  Has anyone found MYOB to be acceptable? Thanks jude

Response:

Thanks, Jack.   I’ll take a look at Quickbooks. judy

Response:

Question:

Bill Stewart said, on the dbs mailing list, The price of goods for which credit card payments are common adjusts to a level that reflects the cost of the payment system. For the most part, the credit card companies require the merchant to hide the credit card charges in the purchase price, so buyers pay part of it whether they’re using the card or not, though sometimes merchants make the fee explicit and charge less for paying in cash.

There should be a big RICO prosecution, or class action lawsuit, to recapture all that money that has been ripped off from non- credit-card users, and return it to them.   Or at least, stop the current system from continuing. Todd

Response:

Bill Stewart said, on the dbs mailing list, The price of goods for which credit card payments are common adjusts to a level that reflects the cost of the payment system. For the most part, the credit card companies require the merchant to hide the credit card charges in the purchase price, so buyers pay part of it whether they’re using the card or not, though sometimes merchants make the fee explicit and charge less for paying in cash. There should be a big RICO prosecution, or class action lawsuit, to recapture all that money that has been ripped off from non- credit-card users, and return it to them. Or at least, stop the current system from continuing.

And those costs include billion$ due to theft. Credit card companies do everything possible to cover up those losses. I guess it is easier to just add the costs onto next month’s bills and forget about them, than it would be to admit there is a problem, that it’s their fault, and to build some real security or means of enforcement into the system. Regards, Irv

Response:

Bill Stewart said, on the dbs mailing list, The price of goods for which credit card payments are common adjusts to a level that reflects the cost of the payment system. For the most part, the credit card companies require the merchant to hide the credit card charges in the purchase price, so buyers pay part of it whether they’re using the card or not, though sometimes merchants make the fee explicit and charge less for paying in cash. There should be a big RICO prosecution, or class action lawsuit, to recapture all that money that has been ripped off from non- credit-card users, and return it to them. Or at least, stop the current system from continuing.

I have built into my pricing schedule, the cost of the water bill, which for all purposes is one toilet and one sink.  This fee structure extends to all who enter my premises (and some that never do) and use my services even if they don’t use the bathroom.  I also provide coffee, cokes and bottled water to my clients if they so desire, which said costs to provide are built into the fee structure of every client, even those that do not drink coffee, cokes or water.  I even have to build in to my fee structure the cost of liability insurance, even though no one (knocking on wood) has filed a claim against me.  I too accept payment by charge card, and those fees are, once again, built into the fee structure, even for those paying by check. Gosh, I hope the RICO folks don’t come after me. — Paul A. Thomas, CPA Athens,  Georgia http://www.pat-cpa.com

Response:

Or at least, stop the current system from continuing. And those costs include billion$ due to theft. Credit card companies do everything possible to cover up those losses. I guess it is easier to just add the costs onto next month’s bills and forget about them, than it would be to admit there is a problem, that it’s their fault, and to build some real security or means of enforcement into the system. Regards, Irv

Many of us who don’t borrow, and never intend to borrow in the future, applaud this phenomenon, mislabeled "Identity Theft" by the banks.  I think it is GREAT if lots of fraudsters load down the banks with lots of false credit applications.   Serves them right. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/132/business/Large_scale_identity_t… "Large-scale identity theft is painful reminder of risk" Heh heh!  Whose risk?  The bank’s risk!   To quote Bill Stewart’s post earlier today on this list, The price of goods for which credit card payments are common adjusts to a level that reflects the cost of the payment system. For the most part, the credit card companies require the merchant to hide the credit card charges in the purchase price, so buyers pay part of it whether they’re using the card or not, though sometimes merchants make the fee explicit and charge less for paying in cash.

There should be a big RICO prosecution, or class action lawsuit, to recapture all that money that has been ripped off from non- credit-card users, and return it to them.   Nothin’ personal.  Just business. Todd

Response:

Non credit card users get the shaft

How?  Vendors pay about 2% for Telecheck, 2% for credit cards.  How are non credit card users getting the shaft?  For cash is this figuring in the cost of added security, conterfeit currency, etc.?   —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

Remember even if you borrow nothing you could still be a vicitim of identity theft.     Fraud is not limited to those who borrow.   Anyone and everyone could be a victim of identity theft.   A long time ago in a galaxy far far way Many of us who don’t borrow, and never intend to borrow in the future, applaud this phenomenon, mislabeled "Identity Theft" by the banks.  I think it is GREAT if lots of fraudsters load down the banks with lots of false credit applications.   Serves them right.

—–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

A long time ago in a galaxy far far way  "Paul A. Thomas" I have built into my pricing schedule, the cost of the water bill, which for all purposes is one toilet and one sink.  

When you look at the water are you including the water for your sprinkler system?    Our city charges for that too. —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

Remember even if you borrow nothing you could still be a vicitim of identity theft.     Fraud is not limited to those who borrow.   Anyone and everyone could be a victim of identity theft.  

Bwa ha ha!  Tell me why I should care, if somebody fills out bank loan applications with my name and address and rips off the bank? You have fallen victim to fear-and-FUD from the banking industry, which is seeking nothing but its own benefit.  The squeals of pain by the individuals whose names and credit were used, only exist because they borrow and rely on credit cards. BTW: when my debit card stops getting accepted at motels, I will just stop traveling. And when I can’t buy stuff on websites with my debit card I will just stop buying on websites.  No skin off my nose, whatsoever. Todd

Response:

Non credit card users get the shaft How?  Vendors pay about 2% for Telecheck, 2% for credit cards.  How are non credit card users getting the shaft?  For cash is this figuring in the cost of added security, conterfeit currency, etc.?  

Nobody I know incurs anything like 2% of the gross for their handling of cash.  Sheesh.  That’s a ridiculous figure for small business.  Maybe it applies for giant corps. who pay $60,000 a year salaries to people who fondle their piles of cash. And the costs of banking are FAR more than 2% http://www.gldialtone.com/transaction04.htm http://globalresearch.ca/articles/PET108A.html etc Anyway, when I pay cash at the grocers, I have a much greater hassle of cash than the cashier. Probably 20 seconds, on my side vs. 5 seconds for them, because they’re already setup with a cash drawer and coin dispenser.  When the STORE pays me a 2% discount for MY LABOR then I will listen to their complaint about THEIR labor.   So, what are you saying?  That non-credit card users should rightfully, continue to share in the costs of credit card discounts imposed on retailers? Ridiculous. Todd Boyle CPA  9745-128th Ave NE  Kirkland WA International Accounting Services, LLC  www.gldialtone.com 425-827-3107  AR/AP everywhere  www.arapxml.net

Response:

Because if your identity is stolen it will take you many years to straighten it out. If someone fills out an application with your name you will still be fighting this many years from now.   Ultimately it is your name they have stolen, the entity in question will go after you not the perp. A long time ago in a galaxy far far way Bwa ha ha!  Tell me why I should care, if somebody fills out bank loan applications with my name and address and rips off the bank?

—–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

A long time ago in a galaxy far far way You have fallen victim to fear-and-FUD from the banking industry, which is seeking nothing but its own benefit.  The squeals of pain by the individuals whose names and credit were used, only exist because they borrow and rely on credit cards.

The point you are missing is even if you never borrow anything someone else can do this in your name.   The one that will be chased is you not them.   BTW: when my debit card stops getting accepted at motels, I will just stop traveling. And when I can’t buy stuff on websites with my debit card I will just stop buying on websites.  No skin off my nose, whatsoever.

And when you get summonses for stuff that is not yours….. —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

A long time ago in a galaxy far far way Nobody I know incurs anything like 2% of the gross for their handling of cash.

You don’t live in a city where you need security do you? You don’t work at a place that has been a victim of roberry?   —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

  – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have built into my pricing schedule, the cost of the water bill, which for all purposes is one toilet and one sink.  This fee structure extends to all who enter my premises (and some that never do) and use my services even if they don’t use the bathroom.  I also provide coffee, cokes and bottled water to my clients if they so desire, which said costs to provide are built into the fee structure of every client, even those that do not drink coffee, cokes or water.  I even have to build in to my fee structure the cost of liability insurance, even though no one (knocking on wood) has filed a claim against me.  I too accept payment by charge card, and those fees are, once again, built into the fee structure, even for those paying by check. Gosh, I hope the RICO folks don’t come after me.

Paul, agreed not everybody wants to use your bathroom, but it is there in case of emergency need. However, every client has to pay somehow, so why not charge those who choose the more expensive – for you – route? Often the card % can absorb a major part of the profit on a  sale. In Europe a supplier often makes a surcharge on credit card payment, doesn’t that happen in the US? In the distant past restaurant diners who paid by card were in the minority, and any restaurant owner with a bit of would have realized that card users were much less profitable than non-users. These days, with the majority of diners using cards, the result is that prices have been upped to cover card usage costs. Roger

Response:

A long time ago in a galaxy far far way  "Paul A. Thomas" I have built into my pricing schedule, the cost of the water bill, which for all purposes is one toilet and one sink. When you look at the water are you including the water for your sprinkler system?    Our city charges for that too.

No sprinklers in my building.  The water bill is based on volume used, and unless/until there is a fire, no water flows through a sprinkler. — Paul A. Thomas, CPA Athens,  Georgia http://www.pat-cpa.com

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have built into my pricing schedule, the cost of the water bill, which for all purposes is one toilet and one sink.  This fee structure extends to all who enter my premises (and some that never do) and use my services even if they don’t use the bathroom.  I also provide coffee, cokes and bottled water to my clients if they so desire, which said costs to provide are built into the fee structure of every client, even those that do not drink coffee, cokes or water.  I even have to build in to my fee structure the cost of liability insurance, even though no one (knocking on wood) has filed a claim against me.  I too accept payment by charge card, and those fees are, once again, built into the fee structure, even for those paying by check. Gosh, I hope the RICO folks don’t come after me. Paul, agreed not everybody wants to use your bathroom, but it is there in case of emergency need.

And, if I were to put a coin opperated stall in there I’d lose more business than I’d make from the additional revenues. However, every client has to pay somehow, so why not charge those who choose the more expensive – for you – route? Often the card % can absorb a major part of the profit on a  sale. In Europe a supplier often makes a surcharge on credit card payment, doesn’t that happen in the US?

No, it doesn’t, and I believe in most states it’s prohibited now.  A merchant can offer a cash discount, but not add to the cost for charge card use.  Merchants can, however, limit charge card purchases to amounts above certain limits, like no charge card sales less than $10. In the distant past restaurant diners who paid by card were in the minority, and any restaurant owner with a bit of would have realized that card users were much less profitable than non-users. These days, with the majority of diners using cards, the result is that prices have been upped to cover card usage costs.

And that’s fine as far as I see it. There is a fundamental difference between Europe and the US in restaurants (and maybe lots of other establishments), one that I noticed when stationed over there awhile back.  McDonalds charged me for a catsup packet in Amsterdam, in the US that would be treasonous, and would cost the company billions in sales as consumers flock to Burger King, who, no doubt, has the catsup price built in to their cost of a Whopper. Perception is everything.  The perception of a bargain needs to be there, the reality of an "ala cart" pricing structure isn’t well accepted here. — Paul A. Thomas, CPA Athens,  Georgia http://www.pat-cpa.com

Response:

However, every client has to pay somehow, so why not charge those who choose the more expensive – for you – route? Often the card % can absorb a major part of the profit on a  sale. In Europe a supplier often makes a surcharge on credit card payment, doesn’t that happen in the US? No, it doesn’t, and I believe in most states it’s prohibited now.  A merchant can offer a cash discount, but not add to the cost for charge card use.  Merchants can, however, limit charge card purchases to amounts above certain limits, like no charge card sales less than $10.

So a person who does not pay by credit card can avoid the credit card charge built into prices by getting a discount. Fine. In the distant past restaurant diners who paid by card were in the minority, and any restaurant owner with a bit of would have realized that card users were much less profitable than non-users. These days, with the majority of diners using cards, the result is that prices have been upped to cover card usage costs. And that’s fine as far as I see it.

And which why I prefer restaurants which do not accept credit cards. They can give better value. There is a fundamental difference between Europe and the US in restaurants (and maybe lots of other establishments), one that I noticed when stationed over there awhile back.  McDonalds charged me for a catsup packet in Amsterdam, in the US that would be treasonous, and would cost the company billions in sales as consumers flock to Burger King, who, no doubt, has the catsup price built in to their cost of a Whopper.

Are US customers that dumb, or just the burger eaters? Perception is everything.  The perception of a bargain needs to be there, the reality of an "ala cart" pricing structure isn’t well accepted here.

That’s odd. I always thought that in your barber shops or whatever you call them, there was a separate charge for everything, left side, right side, top, back, fringe, eyebrows, hairspray etc. Roger

Response:

Hi Paul Interesting that you bring up the ketchup packets. When I explicitly ask for TWO packets of ketchup, at most places they give me in excess of 6 packets, except McDonalds, where even if you ask twice, you still don’t get it, and no napkins either. I knew the manager of one store and mentioned to him the number of packs of ketchup I normally get when I ask for only TWO packets. Interestingly enough, less than one week later, and every visit since, I get the exact amount I ask for, PLUS a napkin, even if I don’t ask for one. TTUL Gary

Response:

Hi Paul Interesting that you bring up the ketchup packets.

Can’t keep them down?

Response:

Because if your identity is stolen it will take you many years to straighten it out. If someone fills out an application with your name you will still be fighting this many years from now. Ultimately it is your name they have stolen, the entity in question will go after you not the perp.

Absolutely. And guess who gets to pay the lawyers’ fees to get you out of trouble? You do. The banks pay *their* lawyers by reducing the amount of interest they pay on your savings. So you wind up paying that as well. Regards, Irv – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A long time ago in a galaxy far far way Bwa ha ha!  Tell me why I should care, if somebody fills out bank loan applications with my name and address and rips off the bank?

Response:

A long time ago in a galaxy far far way You have fallen victim to fear-and-FUD from the banking industry, which is seeking nothing but its own benefit.  The squeals of pain by the individuals whose names and credit were used, only exist because they borrow and rely on credit cards. The point you are missing is even if you never borrow anything someone else can do this in your name.   The one that will be chased is you not them.  

Yes — I would not be surprised. Whenever the banks’ easy mailbox money stops coming in the mail (interest and fees levies on everybody elses’ transactions), the ruling Kleptocracy first instinct is coercion — send out the police with truncheons. Good thing I’m not black.  The police kill blacks about every other month here in the Seattle area.  Whew. Since I’m not black, they probably would not mistake my wallet for a gun, when I try to show my drivers license… BTW: when my debit card stops getting accepted at motels, I will just stop traveling. And when I can’t buy stuff on websites with my debit card I will just stop buying on websites.  No skin off my nose, whatsoever. And when you get summonses for stuff that is not yours…..

Now to answer your question directly, the Bank will have a hell of a time proving that I ever applied for or received some loan that I did not actually receive.  What you are saying is just nonsense.  It won’t happen. The bank would burn up a lot of my time but it will burn up a lot MORE of their own time.  They would find their pursuit of foreclosure or repossessions perfectly futile since I would never have possessed the goods in the first place. I have plenty of time on my hands and will love making a huge, public spectacle of this kind of unjust filing. Writing satire, lampooning public companies and officials, is a hobby of mine. After winning whatever lawsuit the bank brought against me for their losses in this "Identity Theft" case, I might obtain damages, in a countersuit. Once you have tasted freedom, Janette, you would never accept those chains you’re bound up in, those chains of fear, TOdd Todd Boyle CPA  9745-128th Ave NE  Kirkland WA International Accounting Services, LLC  www.gldialtone.com 425-827-3107  AR/AP everywhere  www.arapxml.net

Response:

I have built into my pricing schedule, the cost of the water bill, which for all purposes is one toilet and one sink.  This fee structure extends to all who enter my premises (and some that never do) and use my services even if they don’t use the bathroom.  I also provide coffee, cokes and bottled water… Gosh, I hope the RICO folks don’t come after me.

The difference is that since the earliest days of the credit card scam, the contract between merchant and card issuers prohibits the merchant (you) from charging the costs of the credit card back to the user of the credit card. http://www.tradeshop.com/master/surcharges.shtml Does your coffee vendor, or any other vendor have the chutzpah to impose such a provision??   The BANKS have actually got the chutzpah to make it ILLEGAL to charge back the fee to the credit card user!  Hummmphh!   how ridiculous.  No wonder so many kids have no respect for the law. Paul you are a CPA, you should understand the basic economics of this monstrosity which steals money from everybody, and gives it to the card industry and banks without choice. This industry primarily exists on its winnings from ignorant debtors, but like the gambling industry it has roared along at such stupendous amounts of money, it’s more or less accepted as part of the GNP.  But IMO, the fundamental ethics of the credit card mechanism are just this side of drug dealers, the gambling industry, alcohol, or other addictive entrapments, (taxes on stupidity) TOdd

Response:

Paul you are a CPA, you should understand the basic economics of this monstrosity which steals money from everybody, and gives it to the card industry and banks without choice.

The choice is with the merchants, that can either offer to accept payment for goods and services via charge cards, or run the risk of losing some business by mot offering to accept plastic.  The merchants are driven by their own "cost/benefit" analysis on the cost to accept charge cards over the addditional sales or the potential lost sales.  Arguably in many businesses they aren’t needed, in others it is essential. — Paul A. Thomas, CPA Athens,  Georgia http://www.pat-cpa.com

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have built into my pricing schedule, the cost of the water bill, which for all purposes is one toilet and one sink.  This fee structure extends to all who enter my premises (and some that never do) and use my services even if they don’t use the bathroom.  I also provide coffee, cokes and bottled water… Gosh, I hope the RICO folks don’t come after me. The difference is that since the earliest days of the credit card scam, the contract between merchant and card issuers prohibits the merchant (you) from charging the costs of the credit card back to the user of the credit card. http://www.tradeshop.com/master/surcharges.shtml Does your coffee vendor, or any other vendor have the chutzpah to impose such a provision??

Sure, they do.  Coffee machine vendors doubtless have provisions that forbid you to buy supplies from other vendors.  Probably only observed in extreme breaches, but that sort of thing exists. The BANKS have actually got the chutzpah to make it ILLEGAL to charge back the fee to the credit card user!  Hummmphh!  how ridiculous.  No wonder so many kids have no respect for the law.

You get to charge back the fee in the cost structure of your goods; that’s always obviously the case.  If there’s no way to charge the fees on to customers, then it’s a dead loss, and the retailer would be stupid to get into the game in the first place. Maybe the latter is the case; it may be stupid to get into the game. — http://www3.sympatico.ca/cbbrowne/multiplexor.html The shortest distance between two puns is a straight line.

Response:

The difference is that since the earliest days of the credit card scam, the contract between merchant and card issuers prohibits the merchant (you) from charging the costs of the credit card back to the user of the credit card. http://www.tradeshop.com/master/surcharges.shtml Does your coffee vendor, or any other vendor have the chutzpah to impose such a provision?? Sure, they do.  Coffee machine vendors doubtless have provisions that forbid you to buy supplies from other vendors.  Probably only observed in extreme breaches, but that sort of thing exists.

No, you’re addressing a different question. You still have not shown me a vendor who FORCES you to absorb the cost of a particular product rather than charging the customer for it. Now can you see how vulnerable our society is, to these kinds of pernicious scams?   The best and brightest on the accounting lists can’t even follow the pea, under the shell, Todd

Response:

The choice is with the merchants, that can either offer to accept payment for goods and services via charge cards, or run the risk of losing some business by mot offering to accept plastic.  The merchants are driven by their own "cost/benefit" analysis on the cost to accept charge cards over the addditional sales or the potential lost sales.

Right.  Now our observactions of the facts are perfectly synchronized. Do you still think this is freedom?  Do you think the free market system is supposed to work this way?  I think the credit card system is a rotten phenomenon that has gotten itself insinuated into the economy to the point no retailer can fight back. Let’s discuss the actual issue. Please justify for me, why a retailer should be prohibited by the police powers of the state, from charging users of American Express or VISA or other plastic, with a surcharge to recover the 3% to 5% cost born by the retailer? Please advise me why *non-credit card users* are not entitled to recover the costs of credit cards that have been unjustly charged to us in the form of higher prices. Todd

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Question:

I’ve always dealt with financial issues on my own, so of course anyone I deal with can’t try to deal with "the man of the house". Friends of mine Whenever someone asks me if I’m the man of the house, I say "well, yeah, one of them anyway". — Victor M. Martinez, Jr.            |   The University of Texas at Austin http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv  |                    Austin, TX 78712 If we knew what we were doing it would not be called research, would it?

Hehehe.   Not long after i’d moved to my new apartment, i got a damn telemarketer asking to speak with the ‘man of the house,’   i quickly scanned around for Pepper, then answered: ‘i’m sorry, he’s kinda busy sitting on the dining room table licking his bum.’  They promptly hung up

– Lynda K. & Pepperoni & New addition yet to be named the reply-to is valid, but you’ll get a faster response at this address:  zgmek   at   stargate  dot   net

Response:

ROFL! — Polonca & Soncek – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Whenever someone asks me if I’m the man of the house, I say "well, yeah, one of them anyway". I’ve always dealt with financial issues on my own, so of course anyone I deal with can’t try to deal with "the man of the house". Friends of mine

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m a CPA.  Before we bought our house, I was the internal auditor for a mortgage company.  When we were at the bank finalizing the mortgage on our house, the idiot behind the desk was computing the impound payment wrong. (The amount you pay every month to cover insurance and property taxes.)  By a lot. He had like tripled the property taxes.  I tried to point it out to him, and he turned to my husband and said "she obviously doesn’t understand this" and proceeded to ignore me the rest of the time we were there.  We needed the loan right then and I was too floored to say anything not obscene anyway.  We got to skip two house payments when they corrected it several months later. However, while we were new in town then, I soon had my own accounting practice and a working relationship with the idiots boss….. Jo

JO!!! Don’t leave us hanging. Please tell me you at least did something uncomfortable to him.  Please. Hazel Az

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m a CPA.  Before we bought our house, I was the internal auditor for a mortgage company.  When we were at the bank finalizing the mortgage on our house, the idiot behind the desk was computing the impound payment wrong. (The amount you pay every month to cover insurance and property taxes.)  By a lot. He had like tripled the property taxes.  I tried to point it out to him, and he turned to my husband and said "she obviously doesn’t understand this" and proceeded to ignore me the rest of the time we were there.  We needed the loan right then and I was too floored to say anything not obscene anyway.  We got to skip two house payments when they corrected it several months later. However, while we were new in town then, I soon had my own accounting practice and a working relationship with the idiots boss….. Jo JO!!! Don’t leave us hanging. Please tell me you at least did something uncomfortable to him.  Please. Hazel Az

I can’t say that "I" got him fired, but I did relate my experience to the bank manager over lunch one day.  And the loan officer wasn’t there very long.  But that much of an idiot could have been sent packing for any number of reasons. Jo

Response:

At least tell us you gave him a wedgie! JO!!! Don’t leave us hanging. Please tell me you at least did something uncomfortable to him.  Please. Hazel Az

– Percussive Maintenance – The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – JO!!! Don’t leave us hanging. Please tell me you at least did something uncomfortable to him.  Please. Hazel Az I can’t say that "I" got him fired, but I did relate my experience to the bank manager over lunch one day.  And the loan officer wasn’t there very long. But that much of an idiot could have been sent packing for any number of reasons. Jo

Whew!  Thank you.  I feel much better now. Hazel Az

Response:

Whenever someone asks me if I’m the man of the house, I say "well, yeah, one of them anyway".

 LOL!!   I have a slightly similar retort.  I’m a widow, own the house, pay the bills, and make the major decisions, BUT my two adult sons live with me.  Salesmen and whatever will call and ask to speak to Mr Hajos, to which I reply "Which one?" I receive a wide variety of reactions. Jeanne

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Primary elections are coming up in California, thus a lot of political junk mail lately. One we got today ticked me off. It was addressed specifically to my husband, and we got ONE copy [the one addressed to Bob]. BOTH of us are registered voters who vote in every election. I already sent a rather snippy e-mail to that candidate [for a county office] explaining that since he apparently did not desire the votes of married women, I would oblige him by giving my vote [which counts as much as my husband's does at the ballot box] to someone who wants it. A militant feminist I’m not [I tend to find the militant types annoying at best], but I insist on being treated with at least some respect by someone who wants something from me. LOL! I can relate. For this modern age, you’d think it was normal for a woman to buy a house, and it would be no-one g*dd*amn business if she was singe or married or kept a harem even. Unless stated, all documentation would be addressed to "Ms" just to be safe. But on all my mortgage documents and related work I am listed as "Mrs" Chapman. I have tried to correct this for ages, but no-one wants to know. So every time I get a call for a "Mrs Chapman" I know where it came from. Even better are the calls and junk mail for "Mr Chapman". What makes them assume that even if I am a Mrs that there is a Mr that lives here with me? The *rsehole real estate agent even felt it necessary to tell all my neighbours that a single woman "who must be real smart" was moving into this house. Thankfully I have decent neighbours, but *sheesh*, is actually making life decisions for yourself if you are "only" a woman still so unbelievable? I still get told that Joel is "only using me" because I am the main brain winner, but no-one says that about my mother who was supported 100% by my father every day so far of their married life. And its "such a shame" that Joel won’t be able to support a me & kid if we had any, its so *sad* that I’ll have to go back to work, and childcare is *so* expensive these days. Um, Hello? one of my parents went to work full time for all of my childhood, while the other stayed at home (on their own volition) and it seemed to work out just fine. It just happened to be my mother who stayed at home and my father who went out to work. Why do people assume it couldn’t work just as well the other way around? Why do people assume at all? Stepping off the soapbox before this gets into a really big rant. Yowie

Are you ladies sure you’re not living in a small town in the state of Virginia?  You wouldn’t believe the time warp there is here!  Here are just a couple of the things that have happened to me. Having not seen my father since the age on 16, and being still single at 23, I wondered why I was always asked who my father was every time I went to the local general practitioner doctor.  Well, I found out! The files at the doctor’s offices were kept oddly at that time and they might still be, I don’t go to the local doctor anymore so I don’t know.  Anyway at the time, if you were female your file was kept inside your father’s file until you got married, when it moved from there to inside your husband’s file.  There were no files filed under any woman’s own name!  I asked politely to have my file put only in my name and the clerk refused saying she could not do that.  Well, I threw a fit right there at the front desk and told them I paid my own bills, and that just because I was female that did not mean I was "owned" by any man like some cow or slave, and if my file could not be put in the file cabinet solely under my name that I would definitely go find another doctor right then.  Don’t you know they made a new file for me right then and there!   I went back there once or twice before I found a new doctor in the nearest city. I still have to straighten out the town personal property tax snafu. The town cleric says they send out the tax bills according to the list made by the county.  I have to say it’s really odd that the county tax bill came to us with both hubby’s name and mine, but the town bill doesn’t even make to our mailbox because it is addressed only to my father, who hasn’t been listed on the deed since the house was awarded to my mom in the late ‘ 70s.  Mom always got the county bill with her name on it, so why wasn’t it on the town one then?  I feel sure the town isn’t getting a list made by the county.  The county records are correct but the town records are more than 25 years out of date.  Mom had tried many times to get it changed, without any luck.  Now it’s our turn.  At least we got the name of the person  who supposedly sends the town it’s address list for the taxes.  That is more than mom could get out of the town cleric.  And yep, you know I threw a fit at the town office to get that name.  Amazing how ranting and raving gets results.  I’m going to go to that person’s office and throw a fit there too.  There is no reason for tax records to be that out dated, and I plan to demand an answer for why they are.  :-)   Can you tell I’m kind of looking forward to it?  Ain’t I a devil?   Debra in VA

Response:

I read an article not long ago on this very subject and it is actually more and more common to see "house husbands" as they were called. To me, if the couple likes it that way what’s the big deal??? Some people would go nuts at home and others wouldn’t gender doesn’t matter.

Also, FWIW, with computers and the internet, a lot more people are working at home (NOT "spamming"!) because they can, and for many of them it is more convenient than having to go OUT to work!

Response:

One time I needed to withdraw a large sum of money we had in a money market for a real estate deal.  I called up the investment firm and told them I needed a check ASAP and to fed-ex it.  Now both of our names are on this account.  They said they needed to speak with my DH before they could do that.  He gets on the phone and says "yep".  Now how the hell did they know it was him?  It could have been my hot young boy toy and me emptying all the "marital" accounts.  What a stupid way to verify anything.  The last time DH called to get a large check cut they didn’t ask to speak to me first!!!

And of course, the reason for having two people able to sign on the same account is so that EITHER of them can use the money.  Hopefully you trust each other, or you wouldn’t make the arrangement in the first place, but theoretically any signator on an account can withdraw the total balance, and the bank is perfectly in the clear, legally.  (Which is all they’re worried about – covering their own butts!)

Response:

there too.  There is no reason for tax records to be that out dated, and I plan to demand an answer for why they are.  :-)  

I’ll bet the tax RATES are "up to date", though!  No tax bills at the same rates they billed twenty-five years ago, are there?  Can you tell – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m kind of looking forward to it?  Ain’t I a devil? Debra in VA

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So every time I get a call for a "Mrs Chapman" I know where it came from. Even better are the calls and junk mail for "Mr Chapman". What makes them assume that even if I am a Mrs that there is a Mr that lives here with me? The *rsehole real estate agent even felt it necessary to tell all my neighbours that a single woman "who must be real smart" was moving into this house. Thankfully I have decent neighbours, but *sheesh*, is actually making life decisions for yourself if you are "only" a woman still so unbelievable? I still get told that Joel is "only using me" because I am the main brain winner, but no-one says that about my mother who was supported 100% by my father every day so far of their married life. And its "such a shame" that Joel won’t be able to support a me & kid if we had any, its so *sad* that I’ll have to go back to work, and childcare is *so* expensive these days. Um, Hello? one of my parents went to work full time for all of my childhood, while the other stayed at home (on their own volition) and it seemed to work out just fine. It just happened to be my mother who stayed at home and my father who went out to work. Why do people assume it couldn’t work just as well the other way around? Why do people assume at all?

Well, our brilliant president is now into promoting marriage as a way of ultimately reducing welfare payments!  (The assumption apparently being that most welfare recipients are "single mothers" who only need it because they’ve no man to support them.) ….But don’t get me started – bad enough we got stuck with a cretin who doesn’t seem to realize that all the world is not part of the United States, subject to our laws, without September 11 precipitating him into a situation where he’s utterly out of his depth, and making up the rules as he goes along.  (And no one seems to have the courage to point out to him that we DO have a Constitution, and some of what he SAYS he’s going to do differs somewhat from what that document says he has the power to do!) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Stepping off the soapbox before this gets into a really big rant. Yowie

Response:

I’ve always dealt with financial issues on my own, so of course anyone I deal with can’t try to deal with "the man of the house".

Me too, and still do!  We own a bunch of rental properties and have another business and I am in charge of them.  I do all of the paperwork for the loans, , the banking, I establish all the utilities, manage them, do the insurance… everything.  However everything has to be put in my DH’s name because he is the principle in the corporation.  The other day I needed to add 2 units to our landlord/tenant agreement with the gas company and they said they would need to get an okay from my DH in order to change anything on the account.  I pondered for a second and said "hold on he is right here", handed him the phone, he said "yes it’s okay", gave the phone back to me and I proceeded.  Thing is it wasn’t my DH that I gave the phone too, it was the dryer repair man!  LOL.  I don’t know how many times the bank, investment firm or my cell phone company has asked me to put DH on the phone to okay something, that just irks me to no end. One time I needed to withdraw a large sum of money we had in a money market for a real estate deal.  I called up the investment firm and told them I needed a check ASAP and to fed-ex it.  Now both of our names are on this account.  They said they needed to speak with my DH before they could do that.  He gets on the phone and says "yep".  Now how the hell did they know it was him?  It could have been my hot young boy toy and me emptying all the "marital" accounts.  What a stupid way to verify anything.  The last time DH called to get a large check cut they didn’t ask to speak to me first!!! TJ

Response:

You’d always be in a dither in Texas. Hun is a common form of address among friendly strangers, especially waitresses. Another is darlin’, spoken in a slow, patronizing drawl such as one uses with wimmenfolk and small, idiot children, as in, "Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it none, Darlin’, I’ll send a man over right now to take care of it fur ya." Cheers, Dave I don’t really care what anyone calls me except for when I am referred to as "hun" by an adult man or when referred to as Mrs. (DH’s name) Gwozdz, now that chaps me, I have a name after all! TJ (see, my very own name)

– Percussive Maintenance – The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

Response:

I’ve always dealt with financial issues on my own, so of course anyone I deal with can’t try to deal with "the man of the house". Friends of mine Whenever someone asks me if I’m the man of the house, I say "well, yeah, one of them anyway". — Victor M. Martinez, Jr.            |   The University of Texas at Austin http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv  |                    Austin, TX 78712 If we knew what we were doing it would not be called research, would it?

I love it!!!  tehe.. that’s priceless. Grace

Response:

Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it none, Darlin. That’s what men are for. The last time DH called to get a large check cut they didn’t ask to speak to me first!!! TJ

– Percussive Maintenance – The fine art of whacking the crap out of an electronic device to get it to work again.

Response:

I’m a CPA.  Before we bought our house, I was the internal auditor for a mortgage company.  When we were at the bank finalizing the mortgage on our house, the idiot behind the desk was computing the impound payment wrong.  (The amount you pay every month to cover insurance and property taxes.)  By a lot. He had like tripled the property taxes.  I tried to point it out to him, and he turned to my husband and said "she obviously doesn’t understand this" and proceeded to ignore me the rest of the time we were there.  We needed the loan right then and I was too floored to say anything not obscene anyway.  We got to skip two house payments when they corrected it several months later. However, while we were new in town then, I soon had my own accounting practice and a working relationship with the idiots boss….. Jo – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve always dealt with financial issues on my own, so of course anyone I deal with can’t try to deal with "the man of the house". Me too, and still do!  We own a bunch of rental properties and have another business and I am in charge of them.  I do all of the paperwork for the loans, , the banking, I establish all the utilities, manage them, do the insurance… everything.  However everything has to be put in my DH’s name because he is the principle in the corporation.  The other day I needed to add 2 units to our landlord/tenant agreement with the gas company and they said they would need to get an okay from my DH in order to change anything on the account.  I pondered for a second and said "hold on he is right here", handed him the phone, he said "yes it’s okay", gave the phone back to me and I proceeded.  Thing is it wasn’t my DH that I gave the phone too, it was the dryer repair man!  LOL.  I don’t know how many times the bank, investment firm or my cell phone company has asked me to put DH on the phone to okay something, that just irks me to no end. One time I needed to withdraw a large sum of money we had in a money market for a real estate deal.  I called up the investment firm and told them I needed a check ASAP and to fed-ex it.  Now both of our names are on this account.  They said they needed to speak with my DH before they could do that.  He gets on the phone and says "yep".  Now how the hell did they know it was him?  It could have been my hot young boy toy and me emptying all the "marital" accounts.  What a stupid way to verify anything.  The last time DH called to get a large check cut they didn’t ask to speak to me first!!! TJ

Response:

Primary elections are coming up in California, thus a lot of political junk mail lately. One we got today ticked me off. It was addressed specifically to my husband, and we got ONE copy [the one addressed to Bob]. BOTH of us are registered voters who vote in every election. I already sent a rather snippy e-mail to that candidate [for a county office] explaining that since he apparently did not desire the votes of married women, I would oblige him by giving my vote [which counts as much as my husband's does at the ballot box] to someone who wants it. A militant feminist I’m not [I tend to find the militant types annoying at best], but I insist on being treated with at least some respect by someone who wants something from me. — Seanette Blaylock [make obvious address correction for e-mail] "Either you’re being sarcastic, or your post leaked over to me from a parallel universe, or one or both of us is insane and/or stupid and/or not paying attention and/or lying." Ben, ATSR

Response:

Primary elections are coming up in California, thus a lot of political junk mail lately. One we got today ticked me off. It was addressed specifically to my husband, and we got ONE copy [the one addressed to Bob]. BOTH of us are registered voters who vote in every election. I already sent a rather snippy e-mail to that candidate [for a county office] explaining that since he apparently did not desire the votes of married women, I would oblige him by giving my vote [which counts as much as my husband's does at the ballot box] to someone who wants it. A militant feminist I’m not [I tend to find the militant types annoying at best], but I insist on being treated with at least some respect by someone who wants something from me.

LOL! I can relate. For this modern age, you’d think it was normal for a woman to buy a house, and it would be no-one g*dd*amn business if she was singe or married or kept a harem even. Unless stated, all documentation would be addressed to "Ms" just to be safe. But on all my mortgage documents and related work I am listed as "Mrs" Chapman. I have tried to correct this for ages, but no-one wants to know. So every time I get a call for a "Mrs Chapman" I know where it came from. Even better are the calls and junk mail for "Mr Chapman". What makes them assume that even if I am a Mrs that there is a Mr that lives here with me? The *rsehole real estate agent even felt it necessary to tell all my neighbours that a single woman "who must be real smart" was moving into this house. Thankfully I have decent neighbours, but *sheesh*, is actually making life decisions for yourself if you are "only" a woman still so unbelievable? I still get told that Joel is "only using me" because I am the main brain winner, but no-one says that about my mother who was supported 100% by my father every day so far of their married life. And its "such a shame" that Joel won’t be able to support a me & kid if we had any, its so *sad* that I’ll have to go back to work, and childcare is *so* expensive these days. Um, Hello? one of my parents went to work full time for all of my childhood, while the other stayed at home (on their own volition) and it seemed to work out just fine. It just happened to be my mother who stayed at home and my father who went out to work. Why do people assume it couldn’t work just as well the other way around? Why do people assume at all? Stepping off the soapbox before this gets into a really big rant. Yowie

Response:

about Re: Gotta Gripe: LOL! I can relate. For this modern age, you’d think it was normal for a woman to buy a house, and it would be no-one g*dd*amn business if she was singe or married or kept a harem even. Unless stated, all documentation would be addressed to "Ms" just to be safe. But on all my mortgage documents and related work I am listed as "Mrs" Chapman. I have tried to correct this for ages, but no-one wants to know. I actually prefer Mrs. if someone must address me formally.

I don’t really care what anyone calls me except for when I am referred to as "hun" by an adult man or when referred to as Mrs. (DH’s name) Gwozdz, now that chaps me, I have a name after all! TJ (see, my very own name)

Response:

I’ve always dealt with financial issues on my own, so of course anyone I deal with can’t try to deal with "the man of the house". Friends of mine Whenever someone asks me if I’m the man of the house, I say "well, yeah, one of them anyway".

LOL Victor! TJ

Response:

I’ve always dealt with financial issues on my own, so of course anyone I deal with can’t try to deal with "the man of the house". Friends of mine

Whenever someone asks me if I’m the man of the house, I say "well, yeah, one of them anyway". — Victor M. Martinez, Jr.            |   The University of Texas at Austin http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv  |                    Austin, TX 78712 If we knew what we were doing it would not be called research, would it?  

Response:

about Re: Gotta Gripe: LOL! I can relate. For this modern age, you’d think it was normal for a woman to buy a house, and it would be no-one g*dd*amn business if she was singe or married or kept a harem even. Unless stated, all documentation would be addressed to "Ms" just to be safe. But on all my mortgage documents and related work I am listed as "Mrs" Chapman. I have tried to correct this for ages, but no-one wants to know.

I actually prefer Mrs. if someone must address me formally. I still get told that Joel is "only using me" because I am the main brain winner, but no-one says that about my mother who was supported 100% by my father every day so far of their married life. And its "such a shame" that Joel won’t be able to support a me & kid if we had any, its so *sad* that I’ll have to go back to work, and childcare is *so* expensive these days. Um, Hello? one of my parents went to work full time for all of my childhood, while the other stayed at home (on their own volition) and it seemed to work out just fine. It just happened to be my mother who stayed at home and my father who went out to work. Why do people assume it couldn’t work just as well the other way around? Why do people assume at all?

[shrug] Bob and I think children are better off with a full-time parent if possible, but I see no reason it can’t be Dad if that’s what works for that family. In ours, I’d be the stay-at-home parent, because Bob can bring in a higher income than I can. YMMV. — Seanette Blaylock [make obvious address correction for e-mail] "Either you’re being sarcastic, or your post leaked over to me from a parallel universe, or one or both of us is insane and/or stupid and/or not paying attention and/or lying." Ben, ATSR

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Primary elections are coming up in California, thus a lot of political junk mail lately. One we got today ticked me off. It was addressed specifically to my husband, and we got ONE copy [the one addressed to Bob]. BOTH of us are registered voters who vote in every election. I already sent a rather snippy e-mail to that candidate [for a county office] explaining that since he apparently did not desire the votes of married women, I would oblige him by giving my vote [which counts as much as my husband's does at the ballot box] to someone who wants it. A militant feminist I’m not [I tend to find the militant types annoying at best], but I insist on being treated with at least some respect by someone who wants something from me. LOL! I can relate. For this modern age, you’d think it was normal for a woman to buy a house, and it would be no-one g*dd*amn business if she was singe or married or kept a harem even. Unless stated, all documentation would be addressed to "Ms" just to be safe. But on all my mortgage documents and related work I am listed as "Mrs" Chapman. I have tried to correct this for ages, but no-one wants to know. So every time I get a call for a "Mrs Chapman" I know where it came from. Even better are the calls and junk mail for "Mr Chapman". What makes them assume that even if I am a Mrs that there is a Mr that lives here with me? The *rsehole real estate agent even felt it necessary to tell all my neighbours that a single woman "who must be real smart" was moving into this house. Thankfully I have decent neighbours, but *sheesh*, is actually making life decisions for yourself if you are "only" a woman still so unbelievable? I still get told that Joel is "only using me" because I am the main brain winner, but no-one says that about my mother who was supported 100% by my father every day so far of their married life. And its "such a shame" that Joel won’t be able to support a me & kid if we had any, its so *sad* that I’ll have to go back to work, and childcare is *so* expensive these days. Um, Hello? one of my parents went to work full time for all of my childhood, while the other stayed at home (on their own volition) and it seemed to work out just fine. It just happened to be my mother who stayed at home and my father who went out to work. Why do people assume it couldn’t work just as well the other way around? Why do people assume at all? Stepping off the soapbox before this gets into a really big rant. Yowie

I read an article not long ago on this very subject and it is actually more and more common to see "house husbands" as they were called. To me, if the couple likes it that way what’s the big deal??? Some people would go nuts at home and others wouldn’t gender doesn’t matter. Karen

Response:

Question:

SAP is an ERP system that handles logistics, accounting, production and hr for very large companies. There is no single person that knows all of SAP. The relevant areas for accountants are FI – Financial Accounting (GL, AP, AR, F/A, and Treasury) and CO – Controling (Costs, Overhead Allocations, Profitability). It’s an engineering marvel, but also very complex and demanding. Some 2-3 years ago you could demand high 6 figures as a consultant. Today only real experts are in demand as ERP is not so popular any more (similar to the rest of IT). It may or may not come back as the computing models change (internet, ubiquitous computing, etc.) greg

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – SAP and Oracle are competitors. SAP is a huge program and you need good consultants to help you determine if it is right for you.  A good SAP consultant should also be able to provide you with references from other users. *** post for FREE via your newsreader at post.newsfeeds.com *** IS THER ANYBODY THAT KNOWS A PROGRAM CALLED SAP ??  IF YES,  CAN HE TELL ME WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT IT ? THE SAP IS AN ORACLE’S PROGRAM.  AS FAR AS I KNOW. THANKS —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 90,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

SAP and Oracle are competitors. SAP is a huge program and you need good consultants to help you determine if it is right for you.  A good SAP consultant should also be able to provide you with references from other users.

Try www.rwd.com for SAP consultants.  They have been implementing for SAP for quite a while and can provide references in Europe as well as the US and Asia. Mara

Response:

SAP and Oracle are competitors. SAP is a huge program and you need good consultants to help you determine if it is right for you.  A good SAP consultant should also be able to provide you with references from other users.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – *** post for FREE via your newsreader at post.newsfeeds.com *** IS THER ANYBODY THAT KNOWS A PROGRAM CALLED SAP ??  IF YES,  CAN HE TELL ME WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT IT ? THE SAP IS AN ORACLE’S PROGRAM.  AS FAR AS I KNOW. THANKS —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 90,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

SAP is a very large German software company. You can find information about it on http://www.sap-consulting.it/ Roger — ‘AROC Financial Performance Measurement’ http://www.mightywords.com/browse/details_bc05.jsp?sku=MW25KV&private… alse

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – *** post for FREE via your newsreader at post.newsfeeds.com *** IS THER ANYBODY THAT KNOWS A PROGRAM CALLED SAP ??  IF YES,  CAN HE TELL ME WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT IT ? THE SAP IS AN ORACLE’S PROGRAM.  AS FAR AS I KNOW. THANKS —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 90,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

*** post for FREE via your newsreader at post.newsfeeds.com *** IS THER ANYBODY THAT KNOWS A PROGRAM CALLED SAP ??  IF YES,  CAN HE TELL ME WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT IT ? THE SAP IS AN ORACLE’S PROGRAM.  AS FAR AS I KNOW. THANKS —–= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =—– http://www.newsfeeds.com – The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! —–==  Over 90,000 Newsgroups – 16 Different Servers! =—–

Response:

Question:

You should only need to install the last "full version" you have.  Then reinstall the upgrade from there – no need to reinstall every version. Good luck.

Sadly QB sells upgrades, though I never saw one. These will not work unless the prior version installs first.      Mike Block – Tax Cut CPA      #1 QuickBooks Top Tester Lowest QB Price, Free 462p QB book, error codes, shortcuts, 120 Add-ons  http://blocktax.com/ 954-566-7540

Response:

I need to reformat and reinstall Quickbooks. Of course the latest install was an upgrade. What problems am I going to have reinstalling the same ‘upgrade’ on the newly formatted drive? I assume we still have all the old programs install disks, but do I need to go back and start with the original install? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Bob

Response:

You should only need to install the last "full version" you have.  Then reinstall the upgrade from there – no need to reinstall every version. Good luck. — Lisa Peterson Streamline Consulting, Inc. Making Accounting Work For You Minneapolis, MN – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I need to reformat and reinstall Quickbooks. Of course the latest install was an upgrade. What problems am I going to have reinstalling the same ‘upgrade’ on the newly formatted drive? I assume we still have all the old programs install disks, but do I need to go back and start with the original install? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Bob

Response:

Question:

… or nothing to do with accounting.  I would be delighted if these folks were to decide to go off and call themselves Cognitors, leaving us "bean counters" with the title CPA.

… Agree. — *             Ronald Lee Todd M.B.A., C.P.A.                  * *                                                             * *  Unemployed five years, and really beginning to enjoy it.   * *                                                             * *                   Ayn Rand was right                        *

Response:

… With regards to undergraduate marketing classes – yes, I took them too.

… I thought everyone was required to.  (I’m not that familiar with other state programs, or current "trends".) Yet, in my experience I have only met one practicing accountant who, IMHO, understood marketing. Come to think about it I’ve met very few who appeared to understand management, maybe its that two percent thing.  (In any group only two percent of the people actually know what they are doing.) — *             Ronald Lee Todd M.B.A., C.P.A.                  * *                                                             * *  Unemployed five years, and really beginning to enjoy it.   * *                                                             * *                   Ayn Rand was right                        *

Response:

… I largely agree with him.  I would rather RISK doing something wrong than to do nothing at all, and I suspect that is what he actually means.

… It is just my two cents.  I think it is rather silly to run off into this concept area of cognitor, when any degree of market research would almost assuredly lead to the rational conclusion that it is a bum concept.  Just like Web Trust, no market research, someone up top had this great idea, lemmings form up, march to the cliff. There are a few (probably very very few) people out there who understand what a practice is and how it should be marketed.  Those people are talking about marketing existing (proven) services that you are delivering now.  I would think it would prove far more benefit to existing practitioners if they started listening to those people instead of looking for the newest, latest, shiniest, hot thing.  What my school the only one that required accounting majors to take a marketing class as part of the undergraduate core? — *             Ronald Lee Todd M.B.A., C.P.A.                  * *                                                             * *  Unemployed five years, and really beginning to enjoy it.   * *                                                             * *                   Ayn Rand was right                        *

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – … I largely agree with him.  I would rather RISK doing something wrong than to do nothing at all, and I suspect that is what he actually means. … It is just my two cents.  I think it is rather silly to run off into this concept area of cognitor, when any degree of market research would almost assuredly lead to the rational conclusion that it is a bum concept.  Just like Web Trust, no market research, someone up top had this great idea, lemmings form up, march to the cliff. There are a few (probably very very few) people out there who understand what a practice is and how it should be marketed.  Those people are talking about marketing existing (proven) services that you are delivering now.  I would think it would prove far more benefit to existing practitioners if they started listening to those people instead of looking for the newest, latest, shiniest, hot thing.  What my school the only one that required accounting majors to take a marketing class as part of the undergraduate core?

Ron, Your two cents is just a valid as mine, Ed’s, or anyone elses. I do not necessarily disagree with you, however I also recognize that no one approach will work for everyone. One of the points I’m trying to make is that there are a lot of people using the letters CPA as a credibility enhancer with regards to enterprises that have little or nothing to do with accounting.  I would be delighted if these folks were to decide to go off and call themselves Cognitors, leaving us "bean counters" with the title CPA. With regards to undergraduate marketing classes – yes, I took them too. — Jim Hudspeth, CPA – http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html – Washington, USA Associate Member, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Response:

I largely agree with him.  I would rather RISK doing something wrong than to do nothing at all, and I suspect that is what he actually means.

I would agree that far–accountants generally suffer from the mistaken belief that postponing a decision is somehow different from making a decision.  If you aren’t willing to make a mistake, you’ll rarely achieve much. Now, whether Cognitor is what should be done is another issue entirely.  But if the alternative was doing absolutely nothing but sitting around and griping about how unfair the world is, then I’d be an enthusiastic supporter of the Cognitor program (as you might suspect, I think there are other options <grin). But, to quote the old slogan, it’s time to lead, follow or get out of the way.

Response:

But, to quote the old slogan, it’s time to lead, follow or get out of the way.

Ed, Good to hear from you on this item. In my opinion, Joe’s commentary contained a much larger truth. I do remember when the profession’s approach to fraud was to "reduce the expectation gap".  Now we are being told that "periodic financial statement audits have lost their inherent usefulness".  Might it be that the AICPA did in fact succeed in reducing the expectation gap, and that reduced expectations have resulted in less demand? If that is true, and I believe it is, would not some genuine acceptance of a professional responsibility for fraud detection work toward increasing demand? I realize SAS 82 is on the books, however I have seen nothing that leads me to believe it has been genuinely or broadly accepted by "The Profession".  What I see is more in the nature of balking indulgence by "The Industry". — Jim Hudspeth, CPA – http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html – Washington, USA Associate Member, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – An interesting, cogent, and thought provoking short commentary by Joseph T. Wells, chairman and founder, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. http://accounting.pro2net.com/x27568.xml As I read it, Wells is taking a sideways slap. "I would rather do something wrong than nothing at all."  No sir, waste is not a noble endeavor. Why not just come out and say it, "cognitor" is a bad idea and a waste of resources.  As far as the decline of the profession, (this is a rhetorical questions – )wouldn’t it be better to try and make what you have left work better rather than trying to re invent the wheel.  An example. Horses were replaced as the major motive force in the U.S.A. in the 1920’s (appx.), there are still farriers making a living. — *             Ronald Lee Todd M.B.A., C.P.A.                  * *                                                             * *  Unemployed five years, and really beginning to enjoy it.   * *                                                             * *                   Ayn Rand was right                        *

Wells entire statement was, "Still, I commend them for trying to do something. That’s my philosophy: unless it’s dangerous or illegal, I would rather do something wrong than nothing at all." Wells is a high energy guy.  The statement is just what he says it is – his philosophy. I largely agree with him.  I would rather RISK doing something wrong than to do nothing at all, and I suspect that is what he actually means. The man is very accomplished.  We can all learn from him. — Jim Hudspeth, CPA – http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html – Washington, USA Associate Member, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

Response:

An interesting, cogent, and thought provoking short commentary by Joseph T. Wells, chairman and founder, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. http://accounting.pro2net.com/x27568.xml

As I read it, Wells is taking a sideways slap. "I would rather do something wrong than nothing at all."  No sir, waste is not a noble endeavor. Why not just come out and say it, "cognitor" is a bad idea and a waste of resources.  As far as the decline of the profession, (this is a rhetorical questions – )wouldn’t it be better to try and make what you have left work better rather than trying to re invent the wheel.  An example. Horses were replaced as the major motive force in the U.S.A. in the 1920’s (appx.), there are still farriers making a living. — *             Ronald Lee Todd M.B.A., C.P.A.                  * *                                                             * *  Unemployed five years, and really beginning to enjoy it.   * *                                                             * *                   Ayn Rand was right                        *

Response:

An interesting, cogent, and thought provoking short commentary by Joseph T. Wells, chairman and founder, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. http://accounting.pro2net.com/x27568.xml — Jim Hudspeth, CPA – http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html – Washington, USA Associate Member, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners

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Question:

 i live on disability,have for the last 4 years..past experience in retail mgmnt.,and law enforcement.both jobs involved extensive use of computers,PRIOR TO 1995..my 1st computer was a commodore 128…i am not afraid of computers,but do consider myself computer illiterate by todays standards.i was hospitalized about the time windows 95 became the rage…then the standard…the revolution passed me by as i tried to get my mind,body,and life back in order..i have now enrolled in a local business college that offers 2 year and 4 year acct’ing degrees.i have chosen acct’ing1,and basic computing as my beginning classes.i will only be a part time student.for the next 3-4 years untill i get my assoc.degree,i then plan to work days,and continue to work nights towards my 4 year degree.i am 38.i feel i am to young to be disabled,i want to retrain.stress is an issue with me(my disability)i intend to get of disability with this course of action-i cant sit around and listen to my arteries harden…what can i expect for work potential with a 2 year degree?what can i expect at least initially as an entry level income?what can i expect later,say at the age of 45,with a 4 year degree?suburban detroit is my location.any input is greatly appreciated..j.j.m. D.A.V.

Response:

Hi John, I live in Perth, Western Australia We share a slightly similar story I managed meat departmants for a supermarket chain and basically wore out my back through hard work come age 44 I was history, bent down and all the strings in my back snapper or whatever. It took me years of trying for other alternative work, none of much use, help from Rehab agencies was also not much use, I left them and started my own course of searching. I ended up at a local College, did a Certificate3, a Diploma, and an Advanced Diploma (same as the associate degree) and then onto a Commerce Degree all were in Business Accounting and the Uni – Commerce, acctg and econs. Here the Associate Degree is ok for working in accounting and tax at the lower levels, management may come in small offices etc However!!!! you need the Degree at Uni in the required structure to get a CPA qualification. There is a lot of rejection of the lower level associate by the higher qualified ones. Pay starts very low, mainly due to your complete lack of real world experience.  You will probably be amazed hot the theory is fine BUT real world id so different but very much the same.  Make sense of that.!!!! Good luck Peter

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i live on disability,have for the last 4 years..past experience in retail mgmnt.,and law enforcement.both jobs involved extensive use of computers,PRIOR TO 1995..my 1st computer was a commodore 128…i am not afraid of computers,but do consider myself computer illiterate by todays standards.i was hospitalized about the time windows 95 became the rage…then the standard…the revolution passed me by as i tried to get my mind,body,and life back in order..i have now enrolled in a local business college that offers 2 year and 4 year acct’ing degrees.i have chosen acct’ing1,and basic computing as my beginning classes.i will only be a part time student.for the next 3-4 years untill i get my assoc.degree,i then plan to work days,and continue to work nights towards my 4 year degree.i am 38.i feel i am to young to be disabled,i want to retrain.stress is an issue with me(my disability)i intend to get of disability with this course of action-i cant sit around and listen to my arteries harden…what can i expect for work potential with a 2 year degree?what can i expect at least initially as an entry level income?what can i expect later,say at the age of 45,with a 4 year degree?suburban detroit is my location.any input is greatly appreciated..j.j.m. D.A.V.

Response:

Assuming that your disability does not require major modifications, I’d hire you in a flash. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – of disability with this course of action-i cant sit around and listen to my arteries harden… D.A.V.

Response:

Question:

Accounting Industry Consolidator Centerprise Withdraws IPO Chicago (Nov. 10, 1999) — Accounting industry consolidator Centerprise withdrew its long-awaited initial public offering shortly after the IPO received regulatory approval. http://www.electronicaccountant.com/news/111099_1.htm Public may be smarter than some folks think they are. — Jim Hudspeth, CPA – http://jim.hudspeth.com

Response:

Public may be smarter than some folks think they are.

What I think it shows right now is that the investment community isn’t real sure this whole consolidation idea is going to be the wave of the future.  And, frankly, based on what’s been released about performance of the various consolidators, it still seems the jury is out on how well the concept really works. Now we can’t put too much faith in the judgement of the investor community–this is the same group that rewards Internet start-ups for losing money (the more they lose, the higher the stock price goes) <grin.

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Question:

Yes I agree. MW is selling JUNK. I can’t even build a computer for their prices. I was trying to save a Non-profit group a couple of dollars. After 6 weeks of there BS I ended up building them myself. I used a debit card and now I wish I put them on an American Express card. Then I could have them charge back MW. I have filled A complaint with the AG office in Wa. I waiting for them to call me back. I filled out paperwork a couple of weeks ago, that they now have on record. Depending on what they have to say my next step will be to hire a Lawyer. At that point I’ll be asking for 10 times the amount of what they owe me If I can do it here, if I have to go to Wa. I will ask for 25 time the amount. Bob AKA blsri www.bobcomp.com – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It appears that Microworkz is making its money by selling low-grade junk and extended warranties and then ignoring complaints when the computers that they sell don’t work.

Response:

Contact the Attorney General’s office in Washington state.  Microworkz just worked out a settlement with the state for back taxes owed. Perhaps the Consumer Affairs division of the Atty Gen’s ofc has something in the works, or can refer you to a group or others similarly situated.    You can track down the Atty Gen on the state’s pages.  I think you can start from http://www.access.wa.gov BTW, there has been press on this in the Seattle papers. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It appears that Microworkz is making its money by selling low-grade junk and extended warranties and then ignoring complaints when the computers that they sell don’t work. Here’s a copy of an e-mail that I sent to of news releases, etc.: Just a note that I am in the process of gathering many, many MW customers who have been gypped by your company, as I have. I paid an extra $75 for an on-site 3-year warranty.  After experiencing intermittent problems over the past several months and completely being ignored in my attempts to get help from MW, my computer has completely crashed (not even one year old).  I can’t even get into Windows.  I finally reached MW and was told: 1.)  They have no record of my purchase.  A customer support person actually told me that the system for keeping records has changed since the time last year when I made my purchase and the old records are no longer in the system and that no one in the entire company has access to the old records.  His reasoning was that since he claims that your company lost the records, that all responsibility to me has ceased to exist. 2.)  My on-site warranty, which I paid extra for, will not be honored. He actually expects me to pack up my computer and ship it to your company!  I’m supposed to just say, "Thank you for ripping me off; here, take my computer too."  In other words, I don’t trust MW.  I’m sure that I would never see the computer again or ever hear from MW again if I ship the computer to you. I am putting together a class-action suit.  People who have been gypped by Microworkz are all over the internet, ripe for the picking. Additionally, I am contacting the press.  It seems that Microworkz is newsworthy these days with your low-priced computers.  Wait till the press realizes what a story they have with headlines similar to: "iToaster makes Toast out of its Customers." I demand a complete refund. Please e-mail me if you are interested in pursuing some type of action against this rip-off company or if you have any ideas.  We can get more accomplished together than individually in a situation like this. One idea that I have is that several of us who have had problems with their computers not working and then not having those problems resolved satisfactorily could compile our stories and then put out a press release. Anybody interested? In article it seems the computer from Microworkz does not workz Before you buy.

Response:

Long time no been here. Well I have been neglecting my computer…. BAD Bob. I know this has nothing to do with the site but I want to make all aware if they intend to buy a computer online. A few months age I got 2 computers from microworkz.com. First the shipment did not come in complete UPS dropped a monitor and a PC that was returned back to MIcroworkz. the one PC had nothing but trouble. So they replaced them both. After sending me this part and that part the end result was the new systems that had no operating system on them. I wanted Win95 and not 98. Both systems would not even Fdisk. after spending many hours on the phone with their tech support. I ended sending the systems back for a refund. The CSR told me 10 days after they receive the systems. 2 weeks later the story changed to 30 days. After 6 weeks sorry we are restructuring our accounting dept. possible in another month. a month later the 800 number no longer works and now is a long-distance call average wait is 20 minuets. and they do not respond to email. DO not buy from MICROWORKZ.COM Bob AKA blsri www.bobcomp.com

Response:

Sorry to hear about you getting ripped off !, but thanks for letting us know about Mlcroworkz.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Long time no been here. Well I have been neglecting my computer…. BAD Bob. I know this has nothing to do with the site but I want to make all aware if they intend to buy a computer online. A few months age I got 2 computers from microworkz.com. First the shipment did not come in complete UPS dropped a monitor and a PC that was returned back to MIcroworkz. the one PC had nothing but trouble. So they replaced them both. After sending me this part and that part the end result was the new systems that had no operating system on them. I wanted Win95 and not 98. Both systems would not even Fdisk. after spending many hours on the phone with their tech support. I ended sending the systems back for a refund. The CSR told me 10 days after they receive the systems. 2 weeks later the story changed to 30 days. After 6 weeks sorry we are restructuring our accounting dept. possible in another month. a month later the 800 number no longer works and now is a long-distance call average wait is 20 minuets. and they do not respond to email. DO not buy from MICROWORKZ.COM Bob AKA blsri www.bobcomp.com

Response:

it seems the computer from Microworkz does not workz

Response:

Welcome back Bob! I sure hope the before mentioned stress didn’t do *too* much damage to your IBD. Hope you are ok! Rebecca who will NOT buy from MICROWORKZ. . . . – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Long time no been here. Well I have been neglecting my computer…. BAD Bob. I know this has nothing to do with the site but I want to make all aware if they intend to buy a computer online. A few months age I got 2 computers from microworkz.com. First the shipment did not come in complete UPS dropped a monitor and a PC that was returned back to MIcroworkz. the one PC had nothing but trouble. So they replaced them both. After sending me this part and that part the end result was the new systems that had no operating system on them. I wanted Win95 and not 98. Both systems would not even Fdisk. after spending many hours on the phone with their tech support. I ended sending the systems back for a refund. The CSR told me 10 days after they receive the systems. 2 weeks later the story changed to 30 days. After 6 weeks sorry we are restructuring our accounting dept. possible in another month. a month later the 800 number no longer works and now is a long-distance call average wait is 20 minuets. and they do not respond to email. DO not buy from MICROWORKZ.COM Bob AKA blsri www.bobcomp.com

Response:

Thanks Rebecca,     I have been neglecting the computer. I guess I needed a long time away from it. Though I had a short term job that I worked many hours at installing software and operating systems on laptops. I really did not get away to far. So I am back for now. Kinda glad t o be back among FRIENDS. Bob AKA blsri www.bobcomp.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Welcome back Bob! I sure hope the before mentioned stress didn’t do *too* much damage to your IBD. Hope you are ok!

Response:

Welcome Back, Bob. Long time, no see. Howard – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Long time no been here. Well I have been neglecting my computer…. BAD Bob. I know this has nothing to do with the site but I want to make all aware if they intend to buy a computer online. A few months age I got 2 computers from microworkz.com. First the shipment did not come in complete UPS dropped a monitor and a PC that was returned back to MIcroworkz. the one PC had nothing but trouble. So they replaced them both. After sending me this part and that part the end result was the new systems that had no operating system on them. I wanted Win95 and not 98. Both systems would not even Fdisk. after spending many hours on the phone with their tech support. I ended sending the systems back for a refund. The CSR told me 10 days after they receive the systems. 2 weeks later the story changed to 30 days. After 6 weeks sorry we are restructuring our accounting dept. possible in another month. a month later the 800 number no longer works and now is a long-distance call average wait is 20 minuets. and they do not respond to email. DO not buy from MICROWORKZ.COM Bob AKA blsri www.bobcomp.com

Response:

It appears that Microworkz is making its money by selling low-grade junk and extended warranties and then ignoring complaints when the computers that they sell don’t work. Here’s a copy of an e-mail that I sent to of news releases, etc.: Just a note that I am in the process of gathering

many, many MW customers who have been gypped by your company, as I have. I paid an extra $75 for an on-site 3-year warranty.  After experiencing intermittent problems over the past several months and completely being ignored in my attempts to get help from MW, my computer has completely crashed (not even one year old).  I can’t even get into Windows.  I finally reached MW and was told: 1.)  They have no record of my purchase.  A customer support person actually told me that the system for keeping records has changed since the time last year when I made my purchase and the old records are no longer in the system and that no one in the entire company has access to the old records.  His reasoning was that since he claims that your company lost the records, that all responsibility to me has ceased to exist. 2.)  My on-site warranty, which I paid extra for, will not be honored. He actually expects me to pack up my computer and ship it to your company!  I’m supposed to just say, "Thank you for ripping me off; here, take my computer too."  In other words, I don’t trust MW.  I’m sure that I would never see the computer again or ever hear from MW again if I ship the computer to you. I am putting together a class-action suit.  People who have been gypped by Microworkz are all over the internet, ripe for the picking. Additionally, I am contacting the press.  It seems that Microworkz is newsworthy these days with your low-priced computers.  Wait till the press realizes what a story they have with headlines similar to: "iToaster makes Toast out of its Customers." I demand a complete refund.

Please e-mail me if you are interested in pursuing some type of action against this rip-off company or if you have any ideas.  We can get more accomplished together than individually in a situation like this. One idea that I have is that several of us who have had problems with their computers not working and then not having those problems resolved satisfactorily could compile our stories and then put out a press release. Anybody interested? In article it seems the computer from Microworkz does not workz

Before you buy.

Response:

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Help, ex is supposed to pay half of our 17 yr old’s car insurance until he is out of college. Well, this was the first year of this arrangement and its been 10 mos and my ex still won’t pay up his half ($1100). He also refused to pay half of the school clothes bills for both our children (the other is 13). He just shrugs and says no. He’s currently not paying child support bec I stupidly had a lawyer who let him slide as long as he was paying half the mortgage on a house we are selling. The house has been on the market for over 18 mos now and he hasn’t had to pay *any* child support! I can’t understand why he won’t at least pay for their clothes. He makes nearly 15K more than I do. He’s showing up with Oakley sunglasses (two pairs at over $150 each),  a whole new wardrobe, bought himself a digital camara and a laptop this year—he’s giving to himself while he doesn’t have to pay child support! Oh yeah, he just bought himself playoff tickets for football. Nice to have all that extra expendible income, isn’t it? I feel he’s laughing all the way to the bank. Do I have to take him to court to make him pay the car insurance and clothes bills? I’m barely making ends meet and he’s living the high life. I can’t really afford another lawyer’s fees! HELP!

It isn’t fair that he pays nothing, that’s for sure.  Maybe he’s angry, though, and thinking that what you are buying for the kids is unnecessary.  No 17 year old needs to drive his own car – especially when his insurance is $2200/year. That’s insane!  How on earth did he get such a ridiculous insurance rate?  Get rid of the car and have him take the bus until he’s finished school and can afford to pay for his own auto expenses.  As for the clothes – where are you shopping?  If you are expecting Dad to pay for Gap and Club Monaco, I don’t blame him for copping out. Are you budgeting fairly?  Buying only necessary clothes, on sale?  Is Dad allowed any say in the matter?  Can he take the kids clothes shopping or do you just do it all and then present him with a bill that he might not agree with?  Maybe if you ASK Dad to take the kids shopping and tell him what they need (jeans, sweat shirts, etc. etc.) he might be more willing to do it.   Many dads who aren’t paying child support would be more than willing to pay a reasonable amount to support their kids IF the expenses were reasonable and fair and if they are involved in the decisions made. Instead of demanding that dad hand over cash for already-purchased clothes, ask him to take the boys out shopping.  If HE is allowed to make some choices in what the kids wear he might be more willing to pay for it. As for the car, I can’t say it enough. A 17 year old paying $2200/year in insurance rates is just beyond belief.  The boy can take the bus for two more years until he can pay for his own car.  If I was Dad I wouldn’t be paying for this expense either.  It’s way beyond what is fair and reasonable.

Response:

buses in rural NJ? nope…he needs the car to get back and forth to work, and next yr to commute to college. Its a 10 yr old car, by the way. NJ has the *highest* car insurance in the nation. We have high deductibles but he’s a boy and considered high risk. as for the other aspects, I only bought essentials for the kids this year, 4 jeans each, several tops, each a pair of sneakers and bookbags and I went to outlets.. I don’t consider this extravagent. Their dad never took them shopping while we were married, and he’s certainly not going to start now. A nonhands-on father doesn’t change simply bec he is now a divorced father. Anyway, child support is supposed to help with these expenses. If I had chosen to buy them expensive, designer clothes, I would have paid my share above the c.s. a number of my friends have exs who contribute to the support of their children and don’t monitor purchases such as you’ve suggested, but it was an interesting suggestion nonetheless.

Response:

Do I have to take him to court to make him pay the car insurance and clothes bills? I’m barely making ends meet and he’s living the high life. I can’t really afford another lawyer’s fees! HELP!

You definitely need to get legal assistance.  There aren’t any courts I know of that will waive child support.  Complaining about it won’t do any good, you need to take action. "We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it…"

Response:

Take a look at your divorce judgment and make sure that you have done what you are supposed to do to get him to pay his share or to reimburse you for his share if you have paid the full amount. Then put together an accounting of all the things he has not complied with. For example, if he was supposed to pay for 1/2 the car insurance. Get copies of the insurance bill, a copy of your canceled check for what you paid (if you didn’t pay for the entire bill, get a statement showing what has been paid and what is still owed) and a copy of any correspondence you have sent to your ex requesting payment of the bill or reimbursement for his share that you paid. Include any correspondence that he has sent to you. Do the same thing for each thing he hasn’t complied with or refuses to pay. The divorce judgment is your baseline guide. By the way, save all records about payments you make and receive per the divorce decree. And, if you have to do something in cash, get a receipt. If he was supposed to pay you a certain amount of child support each month, but, per the divorce decree, it was abated or suspended during the time that he was making a share of the mortgage payment, put together an accounting of the mortgage payments so that you know where you stand. If he was not given an abatement, credit or suspension then put together an accounting of each payment of support you are owed. (Who gets to claim the mortgage interest and tax deduction on the income tax returns?) Once you have everything put together, prepare a cover sheet that is a summary of all your "exhibits". Then try sending your ex a copy of everything with a pleasant, nonaccusatory letter asking for the money you believe you are owed and telling him, that if he disagrees with any of your claims, to let you know what items he specifically does not agree upon. Then ask him to pay or reimburse you for the items that are not in disagreement and try to work on the items that are still at issue. If he ignores you or tells you to forget it, then you may not have any other choice except to take him back to court and probably hire a lawyer. If you do, your exhibits will make good evidence to attach to any initial pleading that the lawyer files with the court or during a hearing. Laura Johnson Author, Divorce Strategy: Tactics for a Civil Financial Divorce http://www.bookzone.com/feature/divorce.html

Response:

Help, ex is supposed to pay half of our 17 yr old’s car insurance until he is out of college. Well, this was the first year of this arrangement and its been 10 mos and my ex still won’t pay up his half ($1100). He also refused to pay half of the school clothes bills for both our children (the other is 13). He just shrugs and says no. He’s currently not paying child support bec I stupidly had a lawyer who let him slide as long as he was paying half the mortgage on a house we are selling. The house has been on the market for over 18 mos now and he hasn’t had to pay *any* child support! I can’t understand why he won’t at least pay for their clothes. He makes nearly 15K more than I do. He’s showing up with Oakley sunglasses (two pairs at over $150 each),  a whole new wardrobe, bought himself a digital camara and a laptop this year—he’s giving to himself while he doesn’t have to pay child support! Oh yeah, he just bought himself playoff tickets for football. Nice to have all that extra expendible income, isn’t it? I feel he’s laughing all the way to the bank. Do I have to take him to court to make him pay the car insurance and clothes bills? I’m barely making ends meet and he’s living the high life. I can’t really afford another lawyer’s fees! HELP!

Response: