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Your comprehensive resource for all of your financial needs! We offer a complete range of services and support to help you pay your bills and reduce and get out of debt, including debt consolidation, bad credit loans, and personal loans.

Almost everyone shoulders some amount of debt. If you own a home, if you’ve bought a car, or if you’ve gone to college, chances are you’ve taken out a loan and make monthly payments. Millions of people make their debt payment regularly and on time, helping to establish sound credit histories. It is easy to lose control of your debt situation, though. Job loss, overspending, and irresponsibility can lead to a disastrous situation: foreclosure, repossession, and a credit nightmare.

Your credit rating is a magic number that can either help you make major purchases, or keep you from your dreams. Having too much debt and falling behind on your regular payments can have a long-term negative impact on your credit rating. If you have accumulated a lot of debt in the form of student loans, credit cards, or personal loans, you don’t have to keep making several small payments each month, or neglecting to make payments because you can’t afford the high minimum charges. Loan consolidation is an easy way to pay your debt on time and more quickly. Essentially, all of your loan and credit debt is combined into one lump sum, and you make one monthly payment on the amount. LoansandCredit.com can help you reduce your debt more quickly with debt consolidation services!

If you’ve lost your job and gotten behind on your bills, it can be frightening to think of losing your home and possessions because you are having trouble meeting your expenses each month. Sometimes, the only solution is a loan in order to temporarily make ends meet. LoansandCredit.com offers a full range of loan services to help you get your finances under control in a responsible way, including bad credit loans, auto loans, personal loans, and more. We can counsel you, and get you on the right financial track – fast!

Even if you suffer from bad credit, there is help available for you. You need all of the information and support you can get in order to make the right financial decisions. We offer a range of loans, information, and support for everyone, good credit and bad. Enjoy online application, no credit check, and immediate approval of your loan. Get on the road to good credit and less debt today! Let LoansandCredit.com help you pay your bills and get on the road to financial freedom today!

Comparision of private industry and Government in respect to medical and retirement benefits, life insurance and paid leave.

Employment Benefits of Government and Industrial Employees

As this chart illustrates, the benefits offered to employees of state and local government organizations greatly exceed benefits offered to employees in the private industry. Employee participation in the benefits offered is also much higher in the public sector. In every benefit category with the exception of paid leave, which is likely categorized differently in each industry, the public sector offers more benefits and sees greater participation among its employees than in the private sector.

Types of Benefits

The first chart covers four benefit categories, including medical and retirement benefits, life insurance, and paid leave. Other than paid holiday and paid vacation, the state and local government institutions offer benefits to employees at a much larger percentage than their private industry counterparts.

Medical benefits are offered to 88% of government employees with 73% participation. In the private industry, 71% of employees are offered medical benefits and only 52% participate. Government workers are offered retirement benefits in 90% of the cases with participation at 86%. That compares to 67% and 51% in the private industry, respectively.

The greatest disparity in both benefits offered and participation occurs in the retirement benefits category. State and local governments offer retirement benefits to 90% of employees with an 86% participation rate. That compares to the 67% of private companies that offer retirement benefits and 51% participation rate by the segment’s employees.

Paid leave is the only category in which private industry employees appear to be competitive with government employees. Although 89% of government employees are offered paid sick leave versus only 61% of private industry workers, some of the difference is made up in paid vacations and paid holidays. Private industry employees receive paid vacation in 77% of the cases and paid holiday in 78%. That compares to government employees who receive paid vacation 60% of the time and paid holiday 68%.

Benefits by Worker Category

The trend of government employees being offered more benefits than their private industry equivalents is continued when viewed by job category. Most categories favor the public sector by an overwhelming margin.

In the professional and related category, which includes careers such as teachers and nurses, 89% of government employees were offered benefits versus 82% in the private industry.

Protective services saw the largest discrepancy between public and private benefit offerings with 89% of public sector employees being offered benefits with only 56% in the private sector receiving the same offer.

Sales and office workers in private industry were offered benefits 72% of the time while state and local workers in the same field received benefit offers in 88% of instances.

Nearly all employees (95%) involved in the fields of natural resources, construction, and repair are offered benefits. However, just 77% of employees in private industry can make the same claim.

It’s somewhat more balanced in the production, transportation, and moving business where 83% of state and local government employees are offered benefits compared to 77% in private industry.

The private industry’s strongest segment is management, business, and financial in which 94% of employees are offered benefits. However, there is no relevant field to which it can be compared in state and local government.

Take-up Rates

As you might expect, the percentage of employees who accepted the benefit plans offered to them is greater in the public sector. 84% of government employees accept the medical benefits they are offered versus 74% in the private sector. Retirement benefits are accepted by 95% of state and local government workers compared to just 77% of private industry employees. However, nearly everybody accepted the life insurance benefit offered to them with 97% in the public sector and 96% in the private industry accepting the benefit.

As the data presented by the Labor Department so clearly illustrates, employees in state and local governments are offered benefits at a much larger rate than those employed in the private industry. Public sector employees also accept the benefits offered in larger percentages than individuals employed by private sector businesses.

The American Time Use Survey collects information about the activities people do during the day and how much time they spend doing them.

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American Time Use

Americans claim to be busier than ever and invest a plethora of money in technology to make their lives more efficient. However, according to the data illustrated in these charts, the majority of Americans appear to be spending sufficient time sleeping and enjoying leisure activities. Additionally, those technological advances are utilized for socializing as often as for improving efficiencies.

The Average Employed American’s Weekday

The first chart illustrates how the average employed American spends a weekday. At just under nine hours, the majority of the day is spent sleeping and attending to personal care. Surprisingly, work accounts for just 5.75 hours of the average workday. Slightly more than 3.6 hours are spent on leisure and sports with television watching accounting for two of those hours. Time devoted to caring for household members, primarily children, totals just under 1.7 hours. Other household activities, including food preparation and lawn care consume nearly 1.5 hours. Enjoying that food requires almost 1.2 hours each day. A variety of other activities, including shopping and attending religious activities occupy the remainder of the day.

Women Aged 35-44

At nearly 9.5 hours, the vast majority of women’s time is devoted to beauty sleep. Women spend 4 hours on average participating in leisure and sports activities. Nearly 3.8 hours are spent working outside of the home while approximately 2.8 hours are devoted to working on household activities.

Men Aged 35-44

Apparently, men need almost as much beauty sleep as their female counterparts, getting 8.9 hours of shuteye each night. On average, men spend slightly more than 6.1 hours each day working. At more than 4.3 hours each day, men spend more time on leisure and sports than women do. Men devote just 1.3 hours each day to household activities.

Teenagers 15-19 Years Old

Unsurprisingly, teenagers spend the overwhelming majority of their time getting shuteye. At just under 10.4 hours, teenagers spend nearly half their days in dreamland. That’s understandable, considering the 5.7 hours they spend on educational activities each day. Another 3.1 hours are devoted to sports and leisure. In addition to their schooling, teenagers spend nearly 1.4 hours working. To the chagrin of parents everywhere, a mere 0.67 hours are devoted to household activities.

Contrary to popular belief, the data presented by the Labor Department illustrates the average American is getting sufficient rest. Nearly 12.5 hours each day are devoted to sleep and leisure activities, though the average is skewed by teenagers who need extra sleep for their growing bodies. Also somewhat surprising is the fact that adults spend fewer than 8 hours a day working.

Are you unsure if you should declare bankruptcy or go the debt consolidation route? Follow these easy steps to see which option works best for you.

First, give yourself a reality check:

• Have your credit cards reached their credit limit?
• Do you pay only the minimum or less on any of your credit cards each month?
• Do you juggle other bills to make the minimum payment on credit cards?
• In the last year, have you gotten a payday loan?
• Have you been paying late fees on overdue credit or store card bills?
• Do you use cash advances from one credit card to make payments on another?
• Has a collection agency contacted you about an unpaid debt?
• Have you recently received a court notice, or a letter about bailiffs or a sheriff coming to your home?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to proceed to:

Step One: Considering Debt Consolidation

What Is Debt Consolidation?

Debt consolidation is getting a single loan to replace many unsecured debts, such as credit card balances. For example, if you owe money on a line of credit, four credit cards, and a finance company loan, you can get a debt consolidation loan to repay all of your debts, so that you only have one payment instead of six payments each month.

Do I Qualify for a Debt Consolidation Loan?

In order to qualify, you must:

• Give the bank a copy of your monthly budget. This is to prove that you have the ability to make payments;
• You must have a stable source of income, such as employment wages;
• You may require a co-signer or collateral;
• If you have poor credit, a co-signer will probably be required. Asking someone to co-sign for you is a difficult decision and should not be taken lightly, as any non-payment by you will directly affect your co-signer’s credit score.

As a general rule, if you can afford to repay all of your debts over a three to five year period or less, then a debt consolidation loan is probably the correct option for you. If you don’t qualify for a debt consolidation loan, then you should proceed to:

Step Two: Credit Counseling

What Is Credit Counseling?

Credit counseling is a professional service from a credit counseling agency. They provide two main services:

• Education on personal management of finances and credit, including credit cards;
• Debt management plans, in which an arrangement is made by a credit counselor between you and your creditors. You make a single monthly payment and the counselor makes payments to the creditors.

For example, if you owe $20,000 to five different credit card companies, the credit counselor would create a debt management program for you where you pay the credit counselor, say, $500 per month. The money is distributed to your creditors and over a 40 month period all of your debts are paid off.

If you don’t qualify for credit counseling, you should proceed to:

Step Three: Bankruptcy

What Is Bankruptcy?

Bankruptcy is a way for people who have more debts than they can handle, either to work out a plan to repay the money they owe over time, or to eliminate their debts entirely.

A plan to repay some or all of the money owed over a period of time is called a Chapter 13 plan.

If payments cannot be paid over time, an individual can file a bankruptcy under Chapter 7, where assets are liquidated and most debts are discharged.

Whichever chapter you choose, note these key facts:

• Bankruptcy is complicated, with local variations in the laws. It is important to consult a bankruptcy lawyer before you file;
• Before you file for bankruptcy, and again before your Chapter 13 bankruptcy is finally discharged, you much obtain credit counseling from a non-profit credit counseling agency.

All Infographics – If you know how manage your credit score, the yielded crop will be plentiful.

All Infographics – There are 576 million credit cards in circulation in the U.S. today. What’s in your wallet?

All Infographics – Ever wonder how debit cards and credit cards stack up against each other? Here’s a bit of insight to both.

All Infographics – We always hear about how trade imbalance between nations is becoming more and more of a problem. Now you can see for yourself just how bad the situation has become.

All Infographics – Loudoun County, Va. Population: 277,433 Median Household Income: $110,643.00 Percent of Residents 25 or Older with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: . . .

All Infographics – Though it kind of feels the same… In both time periods banks closed, recovery seemed long and painful, and the . . .

All Infographics – A breakdown of the pros and cons of all 3 options; charge card, credit card, and debit card, as well as a winner of which should be your go to choice.

All Infographics – 2009 was an AWFUL year to be a newspaper. “40.7: average number of newspaper layoffs per day, including weekends and holidays” That’s only the beginning…

All Infographics – A look at the top imports and exports for 2008 & 2009. Fluctuations in the American economy between 2008 and . . .

How They Hook You,  Screw You, & How The Credit Card Accountability and Responsibility Disclosure Act will protect you.

How Credit Card Companies Have Been Screwing People for Decades

For decades, credit card issuers have found new and conniving ways to screw their customers with deceptive offers and changing rules. Finally, though, Uncle Sam is intervening in an effort to level the playing field and eliminate the corporations’ misleading tactics.

The recent passage of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act renders many of the profiteering exploits of banks illegal. Credit card companies will no longer be able to distribute their confusing agreements full of ways to make money off their unsuspecting cardholders.

How They Hook You

The marketers at credit card companies are very persuasive when it comes to attracting new customers. We’ve all received the letters in the mail highlighting all the benefits we’ll receive by switching to their card. They point out all the features they offer with the amount of credit you receive always emphasized above almost all else. Teaser interest rates are offered for a few months in order to entice potential cardholders. Readers are drawn right to the teaser rate, which is in much larger font than the rest of the text on the page. It’s nearly impossible to find the regular rate. They make it very convenient to sign up. The application and approval take only a few minutes online and the card arrives immediately. Getting money was never easier.

How They Screw You

Credit card companies are armed with a plethora of methods to screw you, many of which you are unaware of until it’s too late.

• They take advantage of universal default, which means if you are late on a payment for something else – however unrelated – they raise the rate on your card.
• If you go over your limit when you buy something, your card still gets approved at the register. Only later you find out that you just incurred some big fees and they hiked your interest rate from then on.
• They can hike your interest rate to however high they want as long as they give you 15 days notice. (And they admit that it can take 10 days for their letter informing you of the new rate to get to you.)
• Rate increases are retroactive. If you have $1,000 on your card already, and your interest rate goes up, you now owe the higher rate on that previously accrued  $1,000 too.
• Your bill can be mailed to you up to 14 days before it’s due and it often takes 10 days to get to you. Plus, they can decide your bill is due at any time of day they want, ensuring the greatest possibility of you being late and owing big time.
• If you have money on your card with different rates (say from a balance transfer and also from purchases), when you pay your bill, they can apply your payment to the lower interest balance first. That way they can charge you extra interest.

How the Act Protects You

The government passed the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act to make many of the schemes employed by credit card companies illegal.

• The Act eliminates the retroactive rate hikes and universal default tactics.
• The teaser rates the banks use to lure you in must be offered for at least six months.
• Rate penalties go away after six months of on-time payments.
• Cardholders now must opt in to have their purchases get approved if they are over the limit – thereby eliminating unintentional over-limit transactions and the accompanying penalties.
• Due dates must be mailed 21 days in advance and all payments are due by 5pm.
• Payment allocation is applied to the highest interest balances first, so it works in the cardholder’s favor.

The Act is a tremendous benefit for cardholders and should eliminate most of the hidden fees they’ve endured for decades. However, you can fully expect credit card companies to work hard at identifying loopholes and new ways to screw their customers. Be sure to check your statements carefully to limit the likelihood of getting caught in their trap.

Commodity price fluctuations, along with the globalisation of the world economy have led to profound changes that seriously affect the weaker economies of the developing world.

Commodity Price Fluctuation by Industry Since 1985

In 1985 the price of bananas was about $350 per metric ton. The price rose slightly to about $400 per metric ton in 1986. The price of bananas in 1987 was approximately $450 per metric ton and rose again to nearly $600 in 1989. The price of bananas dipped slightly to about $590 in 1990.

Banana prices rose slightly to just over $600 per metric ton in 1991. The price of bananas dipped in 1992 to about 550 per metric ton and continued to taper off to around $500 in 1993, $475 in 1994, and $450 in 1995.

Banana prices rose in 1996 to about $475 per metric ton and again in 1997 to about $550. The price fell slightly to around $525 in 1998. The price of bananas plunged to the lowest in the last two decades in 1999 when it fell to $374 per metric ton.

The price of bananas immediately began rising to around $450 in 2000 and reached almost $600 per metric ton in 2001. The price of bananas dropped in 2002 to about $575 per metric ton and plunged again in 2003 to about $400. Banana prices rose steeply in 2004 back up to about $575 per metric ton.

Banana prices in 2005 rose back up to about $600 per metric ton and rose again in 2006 to about $700. The price of bananas fell in 2007 but remained over $650 per metric ton, then rose sharply to over $850 in 2008. Prices rose again to reach $859 in 2009.

Rice Prices (In US Dollars per Metric Ton)

The price of rice in 1985 was about $250 per metric ton. The price dipped to about $150 in 1986. Rice rose rapidly, and in 1989 the price was more than $300. The price of rice in 1987 was above $250. The price of rice in 1988 was about $300. The price of rice in 1989 rose to more than $300.

The price of rice in 1990 was about $275 per metric ton. The price rose to about $300 in 1991. Rice fell steadily in 1992 and 1993 to just over $200. The price of rice in 1994 was a little under $300. The price of rice in 1995 was about $400. The price of rice in 1996 fell to about $340. The price fell again to about $300 in 1997 and rose to about $325 for rice in 1998. In 1999 and 2000, the price of rice plunged to below $200 and fell again in 2001 to the low of $173.

Rice prices rose steadily through 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 until the price reached about $375. Prices skyrocketed in 2008 to a peak of $722, after which the price of rice fell to about $625 in 2009.

Soybeans Prices (In US Dollars per Metric Ton)

In 1985 soybeans sold for just under $200 per metric ton. That price fell to about $175 in 1986, and the price of soybeans rose in 1987 and 1988 to about $300. The price of soybeans fell in 1989 and ended up at about $225 in 1990.

The price of soybeans remained between about $200 and $225 for the years of 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995. The price of soybeans rose sharply to about $300 per metric ton in 1986. Soybeans’ price fell through 1987, 1988, and 1989, then remained steady through 2000 at about $210 per metric ton.

The price of soybeans plunged to its low of $173 per metric ton in 2001, and then rose to over $250 in 2002. The price of soybeans downtrended through 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 back to about $200 per metric ton. In 2007 the price of soybeans skyrocketed again to almost $350 per metric ton and continued to rise in 2008 to its peak of over $450. The price of soybeans fell in 2009 to just offer $350 per metric ton.

Tea Prices in US Dollars per Metric Ton

The price of tea in 1985 was just over $150 per metric ton. The price rose then fell to its two-decade low of $160.21 in1987. Tea prices fluctuated with a slight rise until 1995 when the price was about $200. The price of tea rose significantly in 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2000 when the price of tea was about $250 per metric ton. In 1998 the price had fallen slightly but not enough to upset the uptrend at about $230 per metric ton. In 2001 the price of tea fell to about $200 per metric ton, and then had a rising trend through 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, when it was over $250 per metric ton. The price of tea rose sharply in 2008 and again in 2009, ending at a high of $374.41 per metric ton.

Wheat Prices in US Dollars per Metric Ton

The price of wheat in 1985 was about $125. The price of wheat hit a two-decade low in 1986 at $103.62. The price of wheat had sharp ups and downs, peaking at $326.54 in 2007 and fell again to about $200 in 2009.

Corn Prices in US Dollars per Metric Ton

Corn hit its low in 1986 at $66.14. The high price for corn occurred in 2008 at $233.91.

Olive Oil Prices in US Dollars per Metric Ton

Olive Oil was at its low in 1985 at $1963.39. The high price for olive oil occurred in 1996 at $5925.11.

Oranges Prices in US Dollars per Metric Ton

Oranges hit their low in 2000 at $364.71. The high price for oranges occurred in 2007 at $1033.48.

Peanuts Prices in US Dollars per metric Ton

Peanuts hit their low in 1987 at $580. The high price for peanuts occurred in 2008 at $1572.73.

Beef Prices in US Cents per Pound

Beef hit its low in 1998 at $0.7505. The high price for beef occurred in 2008 at $1.2940 cents per pound.

Chicken Prices in US Cents per Pound

Chicken hit its low in 1985 at about $0.38. The high price for chicken occurred in 2008 at just over $0.90 cents per pound.

Lamb Prices in US Cents per Pound

Lamb hit its low in 1986 at $0.8362. The high price for lamb occurred in 2008 at $1.70 cents per pound.

Pork Prices in US Cents per Pound

Pork hit its low in 2002 at $0.3666. The high price for pork occurred in 1987 at $1.3907 cents per pound.

Coffee Prices in US Cents per Pound

Coffee hit its low in 2001 at $0.2376. The high price for coffee occurred in 1994 at $1.8295 cents per pound.

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Nutritional facts, trends and prevalence of food insecurity in the United States.

Food [In]Security in America

What is food insecurity? Households who are uncertain of having or are unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food are experiencing food insecurity.

Nutrition Facts: Food Security in America

14.6% (17.1 million) of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2008. This is an increase from 11.1% in 2007.  Concurrently, 100 million U.S. households were food secure in 2008, which is a decrease from 109 million in 2007.  Another way of looking at this statistic is that in 2008, 85.4% of U.S. households were food secure while 5.7% had very low food security and another 8.9% had low food security.

The prevalence of food insecurity varied considerably among household types in 2008. Some groups with rates of food insecurity that were much higher than the national average (14.6%) were households with incomes below the official poverty line ($21,834 for a family of four), of whom the 42.2% had food insecurity. Among households with children, headed by a single woman, 37.2% experienced food insecurity in 2008. 25.7% of black households suffered from food insecurity in 2008 while 26.9% of Latino households the same issue.

The trends in prevalence rates of food insecurity in U.S. households from 1995 to 2008 have been calculated by USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) from data in the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement.

After the numbers were adjusted for comparability for the years1995 to 2000, the number of households experiencing food insecurity in 1995 was 10.3%, and the number with very low food security was 3.9%. In 1996, 10.40% of U.S. Households had food insecurity while 4.10% were experiencing very low food security. The number of households experiencing food insecurity in 1997 was 8.70%, and the number with very low food security was 3.10%. In 1998, 10.10% of U.S. households had food insecurity while 3.51% were experiencing very low food security.

The same data set was analyzed without adjustment for the years 1998 through 2008 and indicated these findings: The number of households experiencing food insecurity in 1998 was 11.79%, and the number with very low food security was 3.71%. In 1999, 10.06% of U.S. households had food insecurity while 2.97 were experiencing very low food security. The number of households experiencing food insecurity in 2000 was 10.47%, and the number with very low food security was 3.13%. In 2001, 10.69% of U.S. households had food insecurity while 3.26% were experiencing very low food security.

The number of households experiencing food insecurity in 2002 was 11.10%, and the number with very low food security was 3.50%. In 2003, 11.21% of U.S. households had food insecurity while 3.49 were experiencing very low food security. The number of households experiencing food insecurity in 2004 was 11.95%, and the number with very low food security was 3.94%. In 2005, 11.00% of U.S. households had food insecurity while 3.87% were experiencing very low food security. In 2006 the numbers remained very similar with 10.94 percent of U.S. households having food insecurity while the number of households with very low food security was 3.99%. In 2007, 11.10% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity, and the number of households with very low food security increased to 4.10%. 2008 brought the worst levels yet with 14.60% of U.S. households experiencing food insecurity, and 5.7% of all U.S. households at a very low food security level.

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Percentage of people living at or below the poverty line in each state.

Poverty in America

As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, we often forget how many Americans are struggling financially. However, this graphic illustrates just how many people are living below the poverty level. The image shows the states with the largest number of people in poverty and the percentage change for several states. Additionally, it includes some disappointing facts about poverty statistics in America.

First, there are details of how the Census Bureau determines who is in poverty. The Census Bureau uses a set of income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. If a family’s total income is less than the poverty threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered to be in poverty.

Next, the image shows a chart of the states with the largest number of people in poverty by state on average for 2007 and 2008. Not surprisingly based on its enormous population, California leads the way with nearly 5 million citizens in poverty, followed by Texas with nearly 3.9 million, New York with more than 2.7 million, Florida with just over 2.3 million, and Ohio with 1.5 million. The second half includes Illinois with 1.4 million, Georgia with nearly 1.4 million, North Carolina with more than 1.3 million, Pennsylvania with 1.3 million, and Michigan with almost 1.2 million.

There is also a map with each state shaded differently, depicting the percentage of people living at or below the poverty level. The states with the highest poverty levels, those 16% and higher, are Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and New Mexico.

The image also includes the states with the largest percentage increase in poverty levels from 2006 to 2008. Arizona and Indiana suffered the biggest increases with a 1.8% gain. Georgia, South Carolina, and Idaho follow at 1.5%, 1.4%, and 1.3% respectively. Next, are South Dakota, Washington, New Mexico, and California with 1.2% growth each. Rhode Island saw poverty levels increase by 1.1%.

The state with the biggest decrease in poverty levels was Mississippi with a 1.3% drop. Arizona was close behind with a decrease of 1.2%. Utah had a 0.8% decrease. Next, were Oregon, West Virginia, and Texas with decreases of 0.8%, 0.6%, and 0.4%, respectively. D.C., Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Iowa each had a decrease of less than 0.1%.

Finally, the image includes some facts about poverty in America. The total percentage of Americans living in poverty in 2008 was 13.2%. The poverty rate for children is higher than for any other age group with 19% of all children in this country living in poverty. Over 35 million Americans experience food insecurity each year, which means they do not have enough food due to a lack of financial resources. In 2007, the poverty rate was 24.5% for blacks, 21.5% for Hispanics, 10.2% for Asians, and 8.2% for whites.