Alternatives to the $700 billion financial bailout

Despite all the politicking this week, it looks like a bipartisan deal on the $700 billion bailout package (now titled the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008) has been reached. In the revised approach the government immediately provides $250 billion to start buying the MBS and CDO clogging up the …

Read more

Leverage 101 – The Real Cause of Financial Crisis

Much of the past and current financial market crisis is blamed on two main factors – poor risk management by company executives and the ultra-depressed housing market. Company management is paying the penalty with most failed CEO’s fired and years of lawsuits and regulatory probes ahead for implicated senior executives. …

Read more

Bailout Nation and Future Impacts

To save our economy and the financial future of America, the US government is taking over our financial system by changing the rules and becoming the backstop for all the junk in the current financial system. While this may save our skins in the near term I think it is …

Read more

Can women get a better deal on cars?

In a follow up email discussion with Tony, on his post 10 tips on getting a good deal when buying a car, an interesting point came up as to whether gender makes a difference in getting a good/better deal. Tony, argued that his wife actually went for the final negotiations …

Read more

Employee Impacts from the Financial Meltdown

A number of employees in the financial services industry have even more reason to be concerned about their jobs after the collapse of storied financial institutions Lehman Brothers (LEH) and Merrill Lynch (MER). This follows on the heels of the Treasury Department’s seizure last week of the nation’s two mortgage …

Read more

Freeze Foreclosures! What’s next – Freeze credit card debt?

Bloomberg reports that US banking committee senators have asked regulatory bodies (FHFA) now controlling mortgage giants Freddie and Fannie to freeze foreclosures for 90 days in order to “provide immediate relief to many homeowners” and let the companies “turn these non-performing loans into performing assets to minimize losses”. Lawmakers and …

Read more

Five Positive Economic Signs to Cheer

With all the doom and gloom headlines splashed across the financial media it is no wonder that everyone thinks we are headed for the next great depression with little hope of a recovery. Yet there are definitely some positive economic signs out there amid all the negative press – you …

Read more

10 Car Buying Tips to Getting a Great Deal

After driving the same family car for the last 7 years, my wife and I decided it was time to get a new car that provided better fuel efficiency and some of the nice to have modern features. Not having bought a car for quite some time meant that I …

Read more