Lara News Link 1/13/2012

NIRVA:WELCOME TO THE LARA NEWS LINK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING & REGULATORY AFFAIRS. WHERE WE ARE ALWAYS CUSTOMER DRIVEN AND BUSINESS MINDED. I'M NIRVA CIVILUS, YOUR HOST FOR THIS EDITION. IN ITS ANNUAL REPORT ISSUED LAST NOVEMBER, THE MICHIGAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SHOWED THAT IN 2010, SAVINGS ACHIEVED FOR ELECTRIC UTILITIES WAS 148 PERCENT OF THE TARGET, AND SAVINGS FOR NATURAL GAS UTILITIES WAS 143 PERCENT OF THE TARGET. TARGETS WERE ESTABLISHED IN PUBLIC ACT 295 OF 2008, WHICH REQUIRES ALL ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS UTILITIES IN MICHIGAN TO ESTABLISH ENERGY OPTIMIZATION PROGRAMS THAT SAVE RATE PAYERS MONEY AND REDUCE THE FUTURE COSTS OF PROVIDING ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS TO CUSTOMERS. THE REPORT SHOWS THAT EVERY DOLLAR SPENT ON ENERGY OPTIMIZATION PROGRAMS YIELDS OVER FOUR DOLLARS IN COST SAVINGS TO RATE PAYERS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MICHIGAN'S ENERGY OPTIMIZATION PROGRAMS, VISIT THE MPSC'S WEBSITE AT MICHIGAN.GOV/MPSC. BEING ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME SWEET DEALS IS COMMON AFTER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. BUT BEWARE WHEN IT COMES TO INVESTMENTS, WARNS LARA'S OFFICE OF FINANCIAL & INSURANCE REGULATION; OR OFIR AS IT'S' COMMONLY KNOWN, BECAUSE IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. ACCORDING TO OFIR, THERE ARE TEN INVESTOR TRAPS CONSUMERS SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR IN THE NEW YEAR BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO JUMPSTART THEIR INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS. WHILE SCAMS AFFECTING SENIOR CITIZENS, PONZI SCHEMES, REAL ESTATE, AND COMMODITIES FRAUD TOP THE ANNUAL LIST RECENTLY RELEASED BY OFIR. OFFICIALS WARN THAT INVESTMENT TRAPS INVOLVING FRAUDULENT PROMISSORY NOTES AND CLEAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT, OR GREEN SCHEMES ARE ON THE RISE. IN ADDITION, TARGETS NO LONGER JUST INCLUDE SINGLE HOME OR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, BUT RELIGIOUS, ETHNIC, AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AS WELL. JASON: MOST OF OUR INVESTMENT SCAMS EITHER INVOLVE UNREGISTERED INDIVIDUALS OR UNREGISTERED PRODUCTS. SO CONSUMERS CAN SAVE THEMSELVES ALL OF THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY BY GIVING US ONE QUICK CALL AND THAT'S 877-999-6442, AND WE CAN RUN A CHECK ON ANY BROKER, ANY PRODUCT, ANY INDIVIDUAL MAKE SURE THEY'RE DEALING WITH SOMEONE WHO IS ON THE UP AND UP. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS FOR CONSUMERS. WE HOLD FREE SEMINARS AND TRAININGS AT LOCAL LIBRARIES AND OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND THE STATE. WE CAN COME SPEAK AT YOUR ORGAINIZATION OR AT AN EVENT YOU WANT TO HOLD. YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, MICHIGAN.GOV/OFIR, OR GIVE US A CALL TOLL-FREE ON OUR CONSUMER HOTLINE, 877-999-6442. NIRVA: FOR MORE INFORMATION ON INVESTMENT FRAUD AND OFIR'S ANNUAL LIST OF INVESTOR TRAPS, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT MICHIGAN.GOV/OFIR. RECENTLY, CONGRESS APPROVED A TWO-MONTH EXTENSION FOR FEDERALLY-FUNDED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. AS A RESULT OF THE LEGISLATION, THE EXTENDED BENEFIT PROGRAM IN MICHIGAN WILL EXPIRE THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 12, 2012, INSTEAD OF JANUARY 7, 2012. ADDITIONALLY, THE FEDERALLY-FUNDED EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS UP UNTIL THAT SAME DATE. THE EXPIRATION OF THE FEDERALLY-FUNDED PROGRAMS WILL NOT AFFECT THE STATE'S UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PROGRAM. THOSE WHO ARE NEWLY UNEMPLOYED AS OF JANUARY 15, 2012, AND MEET THE PROGRAM'S ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO 20 WEEKS OF STATE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FEDERALLY FUNDED EXTENSION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING HOW TO CHECK THE BALANCE ON YOUR UI CLAIM, CALL THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE AGENCY'S TOLL FREE NUMBER, 1-866-MI-HELPS. THE UIA AND MOST STATE OF MICHIGAN OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY, JANUARY 16TH , TO OBSERVE THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY. HOWEVER, UNEMPLOYED WORKERS WILL STILL BE ABLE TO CLAIM THEIR BENEFITS BY TELEPHONE OR ONLINE THROUGH THE AGENCY'S AUTOMATED SYSTEM - MARVIN. AND THAT CONCLUDES THIS EDITION OF THE LARA NEWS LINK. TO STAY CONNECTED WITH ALL THE LATEST INFORMATION, BE SURE TO LIKE US ON FACEBOOK AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER. AND AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE TO THE LARA YOUTUBE PAGE. SO UNTIL NEXT TIME, THANKS FOR WATCHING AND TAKE CARE.