Dr Who door I made

Game shelf in game room

Custom game table with drink holders and hardwood top- with castle game master screen

Board game mode

Poker table mode with casino speed cloth

Strategy game mode (leaves expand to 4×6 feet for warhammer type games)

Minis – Dungeons & Dragons etc.

More minis- display case

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Remington wall with train

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Celtics room section

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Celtics old stock certificate from when they were a public company next to Ray Allen

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Boxing & MMA

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The Champ

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There is no Fight Club

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Helmets & stuff

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V for Vendetta

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Fake brick wall leads to secret room

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Cave within a man-cave

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Guns

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Fake fireplace — the walls are soundproof

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My Freemasons degree

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Flag

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And if all this wasn’t enough geek cred, here is an original monopoly next to a Gen Con 17 program — the signature reads “For Bruce, Happy Magic. Gary Gygax”.

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Not pictured- I forgot to take photos of the theater – its on the other side of the game room, it’s cool- there’s also an Xbox, connect section with a mat on the floor shaped like Xbox

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Hope you like my man cave!

These are just notes, a live interview would have been more fluid and I could have gone in to more detail – for example I could have asked for more specifics on exactly how he thought the financial system would have collapsed had Congress not undertaken the heist of the century by stealing billions from the taxpayer and giving it to Wall Street bonus pools.

I got the idea for the interview when I heard Congressman Frank state that he had not heard from any financial professionals in his state regarding financial reform. This surprised me as I had sent letters to his office.

I contacted the Congressman’s office and explained that I had employees and clients in his district, used to be headquartered in his district and was a member of a network with over 100 more employees and thousands of clients in his district. I also explained that the far-reaching nature of his legislating is national in scope.

His office played nicely and said they would do an interview, however they refused to ever actually schedule it.

So, here are some notes I had on what I might have asked.

Interview Questions:

Congressman Frank, chairman Bernanke and others have used words like “angry” to describe their feelings about AIG – does this mean that you will stop giving them our money or is it just talk?

Do you know of any economic example in history when printing new money and a bailout of this type has worked?

You’ve spoken out against no-bid military related contracts, which is great.
We are paying the lending servicing companies essentially a $4 billion to $20 billion bonus – do you call this a no-bid contract? If not, what was the bidding process?

Merrill Lynch paid hundreds of millions in bonuses and we gave them over $20 billion of TARP money – was this what Congress intended would happen with TARP funds? If so, how is it fair to take tax money from Americans who are hurting and pay bonuses with it? If not, how could you take $700 billion in taxpayer money without understanding where it would go?

Essentially, an investment firm executive who had been stupid enough to invest in ridiculously over-priced, over-leveraged subprime debt would have been eligible for a bailout bonus and could have perhaps bought a fleet of Ferraris for its executives. While a firm smart enough to see the over-leverage and avoid it now not only has to contend with a down market but with competitors who have free money from the taxpayer. Is this how you intended the system to work?

Nowhere in a definition of capitalism does it talk about massive government spending of this type – so how do you define our current system?

You’ve said the goal of taking hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money was to increase liquidity in the marketplace and get banks lending to consumers again. As many suspected, this has not occurred at all and it has simply served as a profit center for banks. If the goal really was to have the money lent to the people why didn’t the government simply lend the $700 billion directly and hire an administrator? If the United States can build space shuttles and nuclear submarines, surely we could get a government contractor to administer loans — even if the contractor was paid $50 billion – the equivalent of Microsoft’s annual revenue, then we still would have seen $650 billion placed into the market in loans. Why was this not done?

You’ve said repeatedly that TARP was needed because the financial system would have been destroyed if not for the bailout bonuses. Can you explain how?

You’ve stated that the state state securities divisions are necessary in addition to the SEC and not redundant. Can you name any case in the last decade that the state has brought which was not already a violation of existing SEC law or other regulations?

The financial regulatory environment has made communication and disclosure to clients challenging. For example, registered financial professionals are prohibited from hiring another person to write an article or speech in their name and prohibited from directing advertisements to senior citizens. Congressman, have you targeted senior citizens in campaigns and have you personally written every word of your speeches, letters, articles and bills? If not, are Members of Congress held to a lesser standard than financial professionals?

“I would like to address the concerns raised by members of Congress in the joint resolution that recommended attaching conditions to a proposed sale of critical military hardware to the Kingdom of Bahrain. The arms and technology in question would be dedicated to safeguarding Bahrain from external threats. This arms sale, like others before, will go to maintain security in the Arabian Gulf for the U.S. and its regional allies.

“While we recognize the concerns of our friends in Congress, this resolution is based on fundamental misconceptions about the unrest in Bahrain. Earlier this year, the Kingdom of Bahrain faced unrest unprecedented in our history. While many Bahrainis took to the streets to express legitimate demands, radical factions hijacked these protests and resorted to violence. These stories are well documented: the houses of government officials were marked for attack by armed mobs; hundreds of expatriate workers were attacked and several were killed; and, of course, several unarmed police officers were attacked and killed. Evidence suggests that these radical elements were inflamed by foreign actors seeking to undermine Bahrain’s sovereignty. As evidenced by the recent plot against the Saudi Ambassador to Washington, this foreign threat is very credible for the United States and its regional allies.

“Following actions to restore basic law and order, my government undertook meaningful steps to address the legitimate aspirations of the Bahraini people. From the start of the unrest until now our government has repeatedly offered to engage with the opposition to start a dialogue that would bring about the very reforms that have been pressed in the protests, including reforming voting districts and giving more power to Parliament. Each time, my government has been rebuffed, most recently during the National Dialogue. It is telling that members of the opposition are currently calling for dialogue based on the conditions it rejected in previous negotiations.

“Bahrain is a young democracy and is committed to continuing our legacy of reform. Like all young democracies, we have made mistakes and we are committed to learning from them. To do so, His Majesty the King called for the creation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) to determine the truth about the events that occurred in Bahrain since February 2011. The Commission is comprised of five eminent international lawyers including the world’s foremost authorities in human rights and international criminal law. This is an unprecedented step; no other country has ever invited foreign experts to its shores to assess its actions in accordance with international law.

“We are committed to living with and learning from the report’s findings. My government is prepared to accept the report’s conclusions and we will redress grievances. The Commission’s report will be released on November 23 and my government will establish a committee to ensure the report’s recommendations are implemented promptly.

“It is important to stress that, alongside the BICI report, my government has not stopped reflecting on what happened during the unrest and has endeavored to begin the healing process through a series of initiatives that directly address many popular concerns. Our attorney general ordered a new civilian trial for medical professionals accused of significant wrongdoing during the unrest. Despite a deliberate campaign of misinformation alleging the contrary, these individuals are not being prosecuted for treating protestors; the charges against them make that clear.

“Additionally, we have established a compensation fund for victims and their dependents. We have instituted a comprehensive review of all job dismissals that has already resulted in the reinstatement of over 800 workers. We have recently proposed amendments to our freedom of expression laws (currently awaiting approval from Parliament) that would modify and delete provisions of criminal law that were the foundation of many of the arrests during the unrest. These actions are representative of our commitment to address popular concerns and unify our people.

“Bahrain is sincere in its desire to heal its divisions, but this Joint Resolution strikes at the very foundation of the partnership between our two countries. The strength of this bond, which is evidenced by our historic strategic relationship, has developed over the decades into one which has a deep rooted intrinsic value of friendship, shared moral conviction and mutual concern. The Arabian Gulf needs a credible defense against clear and ongoing external threats and Bahrain is proud to partner with the United States in safeguarding regional security. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if you would like any further information about developments in my country.”

SOURCE Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain

The decision mentions the word “money” once:

“All speakers, including individuals and the media, use money amassed from the economic marketplace to fund their speech, and the First Amendment protects the resulting speech.”

Citizens United Infographic Free Speech

Opponents describe the case as a decision to grant corporations status as a “person” and open flood gates to corporate money in politics. David Kairys of Slate summed up opposition: “Money Isn’t Speech and Corporations Aren’t People”. Documentaries and blog posts eloquently speak about corruption and demand an Amendment to the Constitution to reverse the decision.

Like many well-meaning but ill-conceived laws, this all sounds sensible. However, a more careful review of the actual case is in order.

Citizens United is a Supreme Court decision made on appeal of a case in which the Federal Election Commission banned Citizens United from broadcasting a program called Hillary: The Movie critical of then candidate, Hillary Clinton.

Facts should be noted:
- The subject of the Citizens United case was not ‘money in politics’ but was directly related to the rights of a group (in this case Citizens United) to speak about politics.

- McCain Feingold / Bipartisan Campaign Reform law sought to censor political statements, the manner and time in which they could be made.

- McCain/ Feingold limited what independent groups could say about politicians n the time leading up to an election.

- The US Government used McCain / Feingold as justification and BANNED the film and related advertisements.

- The Supreme Court ruled censorship was a violation of the First Amendment and stated that individuals should be allowed to form groups to speak their political views.

- The definition of “corporations” includes for-profit and non-profits, unions and virtually all other groups.

- Citizens United is a 501(c)4 Not for Profit – a corporation exactly like Greenpeace, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), National Right to Life Committee, Human Rights Campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), MoveOn.org and thousands of others.

- The decision did NOT say “corporations are people”.

- The decision stated that people have the right to form groups and have the right to political speech without government censorship and that Americans have the right to hear that message.

- The court did NOT say that “foreign corporations can spend to influence elections” it was ALREADY illegal for foreign corporations to spend on US elections and the Supreme Court specifically said that it was not changing or addressing this in the decision.

- Disclosure of political advertisement spending is required by law and this did not change with the decision, one justice noted that this enables Americans to judge for themselves the nature of a message based on its funding.

Those against the decision are saying that US Government authorities should indeed ban books, websites and films. If a group of Occupiers or other Americans produce a film critical of a radical Presidential candidate before the election it would be banned if not for this decision. Put partisan rhetoric aside and boil it down to the root facts in case documents: a political film that was BANNED by authorities, our highest court ruled that this was a violation of our rights. Period.
Do we really want to go down a road, anything approaching a road, where any type of film, blog or other form of speech is blocked on threat of imprisonment? The next censored film, book or website could be by Occupiers, by Michael Moore or you or me. Getting “evil corporations” (or “good” corporations, or non-profits, or advocacy groups or unions) out of politics might be great but limiting speech is not the answer. Like Rev, Phelps, racists and bigots, it is a price we pay for freedom of speech.

In 2004 MoveOn.org invited me to appear on a nationally televised ad campaign in which I said that it was hard to admit when our President does wrong but Iraq was wrong and I do not support President Bush. Now whether you love or hate President Bush: should I have been allowed to speak my mind? What if my speech was banned by the authorities and I chose to violate their order and publish it on my blog anyway. Would they send a SWAT team to my home to drag me away? Would I be in Federal prison today because I spoke against the actions of our President?

Fears of unlimited free speech include fear that companies will buy elections or rush in at the last minute to swing an election with a spending spree. Keep in mind: currently most of the biggest corporate spenders are groups like unions and MoveOn.org, which rely on individual donations. Do unions, advocacy groups and others influence elections? Sure. But by censoring what they say we are essentially saying “we don’t trust the people to make a decision, correctly, we’d rather trust the Government to decide who can say what and who can listen”. A new Constitutional Amendment would do just that, it would amend the First Amendment. We would essentially say “freedom of speech….except for groups and certain times and places.”

The problem with giving more power to Government is that, while CEOs of Fortune 100 companies or MoveOn or Unions could perhaps be evil, so could politicians. The difference is that the politicians have an army of Lt John Pikes to mace us, imprison us and take our property and freedom. Free speech is our First Amendment for a reason. It has its drawbacks but they are far outweighed by the benefits. Let’s have faith in Americans to decide what they want to say and hear. We can never, ever back-pedal from this right. Those who seek to overturn Citizens seek to limit our speech and allow Govt authorities to ban books, websites and films.

That’s not freedom, that’s not American, that’s not democracy and that is not even close to the type of action we need to repair our broken system. Want corporations to stop using money to influence politics? Reduce government size to the point that politicians have nothing to offer that corporations would want.

By Bruce Fenton

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#occupywallst 99 percent one percent

Recently we’ve seen significant volatility in the markets. In my opinion, this is a reflection of more people becoming aware of and concerned with our enormous national debts and the very shaky economy we have had for some time now. The downgrade of US bonds was the catalyst this time. Continued borrowing in an effort to solve the problems created by excessive borrowing is absurd. It cannot continue without creating more fundamental weakness in the economy. While the economy of the US and much of the world is being harmed – this actually does not necessarily mean that the Dow will continue downward.

If I’m correct the economy will be in an even worse mess than it already is in a short time. However, due to the overzealous printing of new money and spiraling spending and borrowing, we could very easily see high inflation, as well as continued economic turmoil. Inflation and prices could become so high that virtually everything goes up in price (even the Dow). How would this look? Increased unemployment and sluggish business growth, combined with much higher prices for food and other basic items. This would then lead to increased crime and even less ability for municipalities to keep basic infrastructure intact.

Not sure if inflation is higher? Have you seen the price of a gallon of milk lately? Stamps? Not sure infrastructure is a problem? Go visit Detroit, or Springfield MA, or Bakersfield CA or Fresno. The state of America’s economy reminds me of the classic cars that con artists sometimes try to sell: a fresh, cheap paintjob over a shell that is being eaten from within by rust and an engine once capable of speed now weak. Like those cars, America is in serious trouble in many areas, unemployment and declining competitiveness in huge areas of the nation while isolated pockets such as Washington DC are shiny and thriving.

If we look at the overall economy and the Dow over the last two years we have a good example of how the market and the economy do not necessarily move in tandem. Over these two years the Dow went up 15%. Now some (typically government) statisticians will point to various numbers to claim that the economy is better. Is it really? Who do you know who is doing much better than a couple years ago? Do you know of people or businesses who are struggling? How about in general around your community? Do you see the signs in businesses that you know that all is rosy and things are back to the “good ole days”? Unlikely. In general, most Americans, and many outside the US, are feeling the pinch of a weak economy: jobs are still scarce for many and business is struggling in many areas. Unemployment remains very high – even the meager numbers handed out by government often only show the number of people actually receiving unemployment benefits – they do not typically reflect the astronomical number of people who have simply given up and stopped searching for a job and do not reflect the baffling number of new government jobs. These government jobs of course count as employment but are not only not an economic help at all to the producers/ taxpayers but a drain as they take an average of three Americans to pay the salary of one government worker.

Sadly, government has ballooned in size over the last many years, increasing the burden on the producing citizens who must pay for the (now millions of) non-producing government workers. With this explosion in government also comes an eruption in regulations: hundreds of various government entities controlling larger parts of our lives and the way businesses are run. Ask your doctor, your roofer, landscaper, lawyer, mechanic or techie if business is easier or harder today than five or ten or twenty years ago. Across the board, regardless of industry, you can find stories of those who are now less free and more burdened by regulation, making them less efficient, less profitable and less able to employ staff. Massive government also increases corruption: more business becomes driven by who one knows or how well one knows how to navigate the regulations rather than the quality of one’s work, product or service.
What is the bright side? By understanding these types of issues we can plan for various economic and market conditions. Big-picture, we can work to improve the economy and tell our elected representatives to what is needed to improve the economy (hint, it’s not making more laws and regulations or printing and borrowing more money).

The good news is also that there are many hard working, adaptable and able people. Many people who were harmed by the financial turmoil of the last few years have emerged stronger, with new careers, new innovations and new knowledge. America as a nation has been beat up economically and our politicians continue to make terrible economic moves, but Americans as a people are still some of the brightest, most adaptable and efficient people in the world. Great businesses can exist in any environment. During the great depression some great innovations, companies and fortunes were built. Now more than ever it is key to invest in companies with sound management and ownership structure. There are also opportunities in certain investments which could perform well if inflation increases dramatically. For example, businesses related to hard goods, metals and other commodities and certain other categories could benefit from high inflation. Most of all, there is amazing opportunity globally. Our world is changing rapidly and, like all times of great change, there will be remarkable fortunes made and lost – there will be those who are harmed and those who come out ahead. I for one will work as hard as possible to help as many people as possible come out in the later category.

Bruce Fenton started in the investment business in 1992 with a major Wall Street firm and founded Atlantic Financial Inc. in 1994, one of the first full service investment companies to use the Internet, a company which focuses on helping investors in a changing global economy.

This was prepared for informational purposes only. It is not an official confirmation of terms. It is based on information generally available to the public from sources believed to be reliable but there is no guarantee that the facts cited in the foregoing material are accurate or complete. Changes to assumptions may have a material impact on returns. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The views and opinions expressed in an article or column are the author’s own and not necessarily those of Cantella & Co., Inc.
Securities offered through Cantella & Co. Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC

In 1995, when Windows 95 launched, one of Microsoft’s biggest customers, Staples, had a drawing for people to have breakfast with the head of global sales, Steve Ballmer.

Still with Microsoft and now CEO of one of the most important companies in the world, at the time Steve Ballmer was known to few outside of Redmond Washington, various tech circles or those who memorize the Forbes 400 list (which indicated that Mr. Ballmer, at the time, had a net worth of $3 billion or so).

I eagerly filled out my drawing forms –  about 300 of them, while watching Seinfeld.  The event was small in scale and when they called to tell me I had won I could hear a little hesitation in the voice of the caller….surely they were wondering who would enter a contest 300 times to meet a Microsoft executive.

My future wife and I woke up early to drive to the private club that Ballmer was speaking at…he arrived exactly on time, but was a little flustered that he wasn’t 15 minutes early as he had planned.  “I couldn’t get a cab”, he said as he carried his laptop bag and coat like any normal mortal.  I had assumed that billionaires did not need to worry about little things like taxi cabs -  but I’ve learned over the years that the ultra rich are a lot more like everyone else, just with different sets of problems and opportunities.

Ballmer gave a great speech to the 10 or so of us who gathered and even gave us his email address.  He walked up and shook my hand and I was a little dumbfounded, one of the rare times I’ve ever been speechless…so many things I wanted to learn and ask him but I just smiled and said hello.

Back then email was much different: almost a badge of geek cred.  Remember, even AOL, was once for ‘geeks only’.  I eagerly jotted down the email address he gave me and sent him a nice thank you note.  I even sent him one of those “10 signs you know you’ve been at a computer too long”, joke emails.  I cringe at the thought now, but in 1995 these things hadn’t been circulated five billion times, they were actually new and funny, and most people only got 3-5 emails a day – junk email was unheard of.  A busy and connected tech guy like Ballmer probably was one of the first to be in the 100 email a day club, what a status symbol.  I would guess he now needs a dedicated server at Microsoft just to sort his junk mail and has a small army of assistants to filter them further, none of whom would find the slightest amusement in a last-decade joke email.

I asked Mr. Ballmer what advice he had for a small business owner.

About two hours later came the reply, he thanked me for the note and the joke and then the best part, the advice.  Obviously not a canned response, written in lowercase with dashes were the words I’ve remembered ever since then.

“bruce-  some advice for best help for small businesses and other businesses — we’ve worked hard on some great tools.  excel has some new capabilities and can make your spreadsheets improve –manage your business better–   also, powerpoint more advanced, ability to provide high quality presentations- have you tried newest version?  will make easier to preset –  and access database-   also, we will have many marketing tools and internet development so customers can interact with you on internet, keep an eye out on the internet development for online store and development.”

My first reaction was “THATs the business advice?”  This great business leader takes time from his day, time that’s worth about $3000 a minute and he uses this valuable time to email little ole me and tell me to buy his product?  That’s the advice?  IS THAT ALL HE THINKS ABOUT IS CUSTOMERS AND HIS PRODUCT? ……

Ah ha.

Thank you Steve Ballmer.

The letter was signed by advisers to Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton; by former presidential candidates of the Libertarian, Socialist and Green Parties as well as independent Ralph Nader, and by representatives of think tanks including the Institute for Policy Studies, The Independent Institute, The Future of Freedom Foundation, Hoover Institution, Ludwig von Mises Institute and Just Foreign Policy, and a wide range of publications including The American Conservative, Antiwar.com, Black Agenda Report, Black Commentator, FireDogLake.com, Liberty for All, Liberty for America, OpEdNews.com, The Progressive, Progressive Review, Raw Story, OpEdNews.com and Reason.

Among the signers are:
•Doug Bandow, Former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan
•Robert Dickson Crane, Richard Nixon’s principal foreign policy adviser, 1963-68, Deputy Director for Planning, National Security Council, 1969
•Daniel Ellsberg, Pentagon Papers whistleblower
•Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary, National Council of Churches
•Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor, Tikkun Magazine, Chair, The Network of Spiritual Progressives
•Tom Maertens, Former Director, National Security Council under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush
•Daniel McCarthy, Editor, American Conservative
•Coleen Rowley, Former FBI Agent and one of TIME’s 2002 Persons of the Year
•Ann Wright, US Army Colonel (ret.) and former US diplomat

The letter emphasizes how U.S. militarism undermines the rule of law, weakens the economy, makes Americans less safe and brings widespread and pointless suffering around the world. The letter concludes, citing our founding president:

George Washington urged Americans to “cultivate peace and harmony with all” and to “avoid overgrown military establishments,” which are “hostile to republican liberty.” It is time for Americans to reject fear and militarism and embrace the highest, noblest aspirations of our heritage. It is time to come home, America.

SOURCE Come Home America

Junior Achievement and Capital One Launch JA Finance Park Virtual, an Online Educational Game that Helps Kids Learn Personal Finance Skills

McLean, Va. (August 8, 2011) /PRNewswire/ — School is out for the summer and for many teens playing video or online games is high on their activity list. According to a new survey from Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF), 56 percent of teens say they spend 30 minutes or more playing video or online games on average each day, with 18 percent spending over two hours gaming. The good news is that over half (58 percent) of teens say that the games they play are at least sometimes educational, and 76 percent of the young people polled believe that educational gaming is a great way for them to learn.

In an effort to help young people learn about money management and financial decision-making through this effective method, Capital One and Junior Achievement launched today a new innovative online financial literacy simulation that introduces young people to personal financial planning and career exploration. Based on Junior Achievement’s nationally recognized financial education curriculum for middle and high-school students, JA Finance Park Virtual gives students a glimpse of what it takes to be successful in the 21st century global marketplace.

Through JA Finance Park Virtual, students design personalized avatars and are assigned a randomly-generated life-scenario, including a fictional job, age, income, educational background and family. Based on that scenario, students are then tasked with meeting real-life needs such as successfully developing a budget, maintaining a household and pursuing a career. There are two versions of JA Finance Park Virtual, one that students can experience on any computer with Internet access and another version that schools can provide through the classroom in conjunction with Junior Achievement’s four-week money-management curriculum.

“Financial literacy is a critical life skill for everyone, with something to learn at every age, but research shows that many students don’t understand the basic principles of personal finance, and this can impact their future success,” said Jack E. Kosakowski, president and chief executive officer of Junior Achievement USA. “The hands-on practical money-management skills provided through JA Finance Park Virtual are applicable to real life situations and help students set and reach financial goals both now and as adults.”

Capital One’s survey findings suggest that American families regularly play games together and educational games can be a great way for parents to start important conversations about topics like financial planning and budgeting with their children.

• Almost two-thirds (63 percent) of parents of teens report playing online, video or board games with their teens at least once a month with one-quarter (26 percent) playing games together at least weekly.
• Half (49 percent) of parents surveyed say that they play video and online games with their teens.
• Over half (55 percent) of teens surveyed say that they would like to learn more about how to manage their money, but 50 percent of teens say that their parents talk to them about money once a month or less.

“JA Finance Park Virtual will help bring Junior Achievement’s nationally recognized personal finance curriculum to more young people across the country in a way that’s fun and inviting for them to learn,” said Carolyn Berkowitz, vice president of Community Affairs at Capital One. “Capital One is proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Junior Achievement to help young people learn important financial skills critical for their economic success.”

Teachers who have piloted JA Finance Park Virtual in the classroom have found the online channel particularly effective in teaching their students.

“Finance Park has really changed the way my students think about creating budgets and savings plans,” said Lawrence Cousin, a teacher at Edison Middle School in Houston. “Understanding and using basic personal financial planning tools is so critical to the lifelong success and financial self-sufficiency of my students, and JA Finance Park Virtual has made those tools accessible and digestible for my students.”

JA Finance Park Virtual is the latest innovation to stem from a six-year partnership between Junior Achievement and Capital One. Since 2006, Capital One has contributed more than $13 million to Junior Achievement to help thousands of students across the U.S. gain the money-management and life skills needed to compete effectively in the global economy. Together, Capital One and Junior Achievement created an innovative mobile financial education program, launched in 2006, called Capital One/Junior Achievement Finance Park. As of summer 2011, Capital One/Junior Achievement Finance Park has impacted more than 80,000 students.

To experience JA Finance Park Virtual, please visit http://financepark.ja.org.

Survey Methodology

Braun Research was engaged to conduct 1163 interviews in 653 households with 653 parents of teenagers ages 11 through 17 years old and 510 teenagers ages 11-17 years old across the United States. Surveys were conducted by telephone from June 18-30, 2011. The margin of error for the interviewing is +/- 3.8 percentage points. Interviews were monitored at random. Sampling for this study was conducted across the United States using a national probability sample of all exchanges and area codes of households with someone between the ages of 11-17 living there. All interviews were conducted using a computer assisted telephone interviewing system. Statistical weights were designed from United States Census Bureau statistics.

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 124 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional 6 million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

About Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation (http://www.capitalone.com/) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., had $126.1 billion in deposits and $199.8 billion in total assets outstanding as of June 30, 2011. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Capital One, N.A. has approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “COF” and is included in the S&P 100 index.