August 2008

Laissez- Faire vs Interventionism

August 31, 2008

There are at least two trends in economic thinking, those who advocate government intervention in markets and those who promote a hands off, laissez-faire approach. This video is an interview with Jim Rogers, who is a famous commodities trader. This interview is a good example of modern interventionist vs. lassie fare thinking. Check it out [...]

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Junk Out, Cash In

August 31, 2008

Hi All, Its a slow labor day weekend for us DINKs. So, today I summoned up some effort and marched out into DC’s muggy heat to make some extra money. I ended up selling about 15 dvds and a computer game for 30 bucks at a local record store. Thirty dollars is not a lot, [...]

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Yet Another Bank Bites The Dust…

August 29, 2008

This from the FDIC… On August 29, 2008, Integrity Bank, of Alpharetta, GA was closed by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was named Receiver. No advance notice is given to the public when a financial institution is closed. Click here for the skinny.

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More Bad Press for Prosper.com

August 29, 2008

Hi All, If you’ve got any money in peer to peer money lending outfits like prosper.com, you’ll definitely want to check out the latest piece from the MotleyFool. Among other points, the article outlines the companies deteriorating loan situation, “And far too many of those loans are going sour — fast. Fully 18.5% of all [...]

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Mandela on Optimism

August 28, 2008

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed towards the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to [...]

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IRA’s are Accounts, Not Investments

August 28, 2008

Hi All, This posting is to clear up a common misconception about Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). IRA’s are not investments, instead they are accounts. Essentially they are containers that can help you avoid income taxes on your investments until you begin to take your money out at retirement. In your IRA you can buy pretty [...]

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Are You Relying on Social Security?

August 28, 2008

To rely on Social Security or not, that is the question…. While news these days is all about the political conventions in Denver, Social Security will eventually come up as a political issue that needs to be handled. I came to thinking about this subject again when I did a couple of scenarios on a [...]

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Fraud Alert

August 27, 2008

When fraud hits, it is normally a bit surprising. I’ve just been hit with fraud, but it seems that I’ve gotten off rather lucky this time. A third party fraud alert company called James, since his number is listed as my primary contact point, and left an automated message that said fraud was suspected on [...]

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Zimbabwe: Still an Economic Trainwreck

August 26, 2008

Hi All, This from Bloomberg this morning: Zimbabwe is in its 10th year of economic recession and has the world’s highest inflation rate, 11.2 million percent, following a land-redistribution campaign begun by Mugabe in 2000. The program… slashed agricultural output and led to shortages of basic commodities. An estimated third of the population of 12 [...]

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Famous and Unique Houses

August 25, 2008

Hello All, If you’re looking for a break from the usual personal finance blog fare of checking accounts, mortgages and stock market investing, swing on over to the Zillow Blog and check out their listing of crazy and unique houses. They’ve got pictures of places shaped like guitars, shoes, etc… Click here for pics. Best, [...]

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