May 2008
Getting out of a mess (financial or otherwise)
Posted by admin on May 14, 2008 in Misc.
To paraphrase Albert Einstein, the way to get out of a crisis is not to employ the same thinking that got you into the mess. Lawyers tend to be a sully lot because they help clients get out of messes, whether self-inflicted or not, so they spend their days in crisis management and problem solving; [...]
Why do companies split themselves up and is it good for the investor?
Posted by admin on May 13, 2008 in Investment Information
EnCana is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world which, at oil and gas prices being what they are, also makes it one of the largest companies in the world (Forbes Magazine ranks it as one of the 200 best companies in the world). On Sunday, EnCana announced it would split [...]
What’s Wrong with the Mutual Fund?
Posted by admin on May 12, 2008 in Investment Products
I ended up having some drinks with a friend of mine who has moved from the bank to an investment counsel firm. An investment counsel, in plain English, manages money for rich people (their legal standard of care is higher than an investment advisor and, with such higher exposure to liability, they charge higher fees; [...]
What happens when financial goals collide with bad economic times?
Posted by admin on May 8, 2008 in Misc.
I am on rather extensive business travel this week. It is one of those weeks where I have to remind myself where I am when I wake up in the morning (and, unfortunately, I am asking the question in a context different than the college days). Thus, this is the last post of the week. [...]
When should I see my advisor?
Posted by admin on May 6, 2008 in Resources
People hate lawyers for a billion reasons. Lawyers charge too much. Lawyers aren’t human. Lawyers don’t speak English. Lawyers only care about themselves and on and on it goes. But I have always suspected the real reason why people hate lawyers is that they related seeing a lawyer with bad times. Most people equate seeing [...]
The Personal Finance Check-Up
Posted by admin on May 5, 2008 in Misc.
When you get to a certain age, doctors recommend that you starting seeing them for an annual physical to assess your personal health. This is a very good suggestion but when was the last time you did a check-up on your personal finances? I am not talking about an annual visit with your investment advisor [...]
Odds and Ends
Posted by admin on May 2, 2008 in Misc.
Just an odds and ends Friday, where I clean out various items across my blogging desk: As pointed out by one of the commentators, question 7 in yesterday’s Debt Management and Savings Test, asked about the size of retirement contributions which did not consider that those in their 20′s and 30′s may not have worked [...]
The Debt Management and Savings Test
Posted by admin on May 1, 2008 in Misc.
Yep, I am giving all of you, dear readers, a quiz on your debt management and savings practices. The rules are easy; There’s 10 questions. For every question, you give yourself one point if you answer it “right.” A 10 is a perfect score. Some of the questions are based on conventional standards of debt [...]
