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Hillary Clinton has a new plan out to give a $1000 tax to every household making under $60k/yr. This is a dollar for dollar tax credit that would go to anyone contributing to a universal “American Retirement Account”, which would be sometype of 401(k). The credit would range from $500-$1000 depending on household income upto $100k. If you make more than that…I guess you get no love.

The idea to pay for the plan is to raise taxes on estates over $7 million.

Instead, she said, her plan for what she called “American Retirement Accounts” will provide “universal access to a generous 401(k) for all Americans.”

She outlined a program in which the government would provide a “matching refundable tax credit — dollar for dollar — for the first $1,000 of savings done by every married couple making up to $60,000 a year.”

Families with incomes of up to $100,000 would receive a smaller tax break to spur them to contribute to a personal 401(k).

“This means tens of millions of middle-class families will get matching tax cuts of up to $500 and $1,000 to help them build a nest egg for retirement,” said a fact sheet distributed by the campaign.

OK. Cool. I’ll take a tax credit…except what about the folks who make over $100k/yr. I’m not saying where I fall (less than 60, 60-100, or more than 100) but that is a pretty low cutoff. $100k is not rich by any means anymore, in fact that is just middle class.

When I first read the headline I thought this was a good idea but now I’m not feeling it at all because you are cutting out so many folks who could actually use the tax credit. My thing is just make sure when I’m 59 1/2 I can get this social security that comes out of my check every other week. Republican or Democrat…I just want to know that will be there because I could be putting that in my own stock account (FYI…if you don’t know about GNK you better learn baby!!! I got in 11/16/06 and I’m up over 140%)

At a cost of $20 billion-$25 billion a year, the plan is Clinton’s largest domestic proposal other than her plan for universal health insurance. The Republican National Committee criticized her level of spending

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I don’t know what the instant effect is for you but my stock account just went up 5% today on news of the rate cut. I saw the news and made that same face TD Jakes did when I heard about it…

Fed cuts short term rates by half a point…

The central bank’s rate-setting committee lowered the target for the federal funds rate by half a percentage point, to 4.75 percent. The prime rate will fall to 7.75 percent. Consumer interest rates based on the prime rate — mainly home equity lines of credit and most variable-rate credit cards — will fall a half-point in coming weeks.

Bloomberg - Fed Lowers Rate to 4.75 Percent, First Cut Since 2003

“Today’s action is intended to help forestall some of the adverse effects on the broader economy that might otherwise arise from the disruptions in financial markets,” the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement after meeting today in Washington. The central bank will “act as needed to foster price stability and sustainable economic growth.”

Your affiliate marketing business is just that … a business. To be successful, you need to treat your business like a business and focus on growth. Your affiliate links are your business; you are the owner of a marketing company, and it is an asset you can grow into more and more assets. Here are three strategies to build your marketing business.

1. Get your own website and domain name.

It looks cheap and marks you as a “newbie” when you post a long affiliate link in your ads. With domain names as inexpensive as they are now you can purchase your own domain name. You can then either forward your URL to your affiliate link or set yourself up with some free hosting and establish more of a web presence. Your best bet is to write a benefit-full description of your affiliate program and link to your program via an HTML link that is part of your description.

2. Build your own list.

Stop relying on one-shot ads to make you money. Real businesses have repeat customers that they cultivate in order to make more profits. You must do the same. Make a commitment to establish relationships with your customers and especially with visitors to your site. Create an email list to keep in touch. Send out periodic tips or articles and focus on helping your customers. Only promote your affiliate links in unobtrusive ways; don’t make your emails one big ad.

One of the best ways to build traffic to your list is to write a short report that describes the benefits of your affiliate program. Make this report available only by email. When someone sends for your report, they are added to your list and you can continue to communicate with them.

3. Build traffic to your own site and list.

This is where you really make your affiliate links your own business. By having your own site and building your own list you are building your own business and brand, not just marketing someone else’s. By doing this, you can market to your own customers over and over again. Do not overlook this point: When your ad redirects a customer to your affiliate link, you have lost that person as your own customer because you lost the ability to communicate with them on a repeat basis. When you direct customers to your own site and list, they build a relationship with you.

There are many ways to build traffic: write articles, post in forums, market in safelists, advertise offline, etc. My advice is to pick one traffic-building method, work on it for awhile, and master it before moving on to something else. If you focus on offline advertising, write and rewrite your ads until you determine how to get the best response. If you market on safelists, make a list of the top 50, and send your ad to 10 each day. Keep testing to make sure your safelists are responsive.

These three strategies will help you build and grow your affiliate marketing business.