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A general guideline these days is that people are rewarded when they can do things that take trained judgment and skill — things, in other words, that can’t be done by computers or lower-wage workers in other countries. Money now flows around the world so quickly, and technology changes so fast, that people who thought they were in high demand find themselves uprooted. Many newspaper reporters have learned that their work was subsidized, in part, by classified ads and now can’t survive the rise of Craigslist; computer programmers have found out that some smart young guys in India will do their jobs for much less. Meanwhile, China lends so much money to the United States that mortgage brokers and bond traders can become richer than they ever imagined for a few years and then, just as quickly, become broke and unemployed.

One of the greatest changes is that a college degree is no longer the guarantor of a middle-class existence. U Read full post…

We lost track of a caribou heard, so since we cant find it, we will just tell the press it was destroyed by climate change.   (Happily the heard has been found, right where it always was, so we wont have to see caribou heads on our diet coke bottles).

I joke about this but it is really a serious statement about the quality of science and science journalism that there was really a big climate-related panic over the disappearing caribou a couple of years ago.   This is climate science in a nutshell make a measurement error, assume the faulty data is real, and then without evidence blame the changing data on climate change.

There are a few credit checks that can hurt your score, although it is not all the time obvious whether a credit pulls is this type of investigation. Submitting an application for an apartment or for a loan hurts your credit score, however checking your own personal score or approving to allow an employer see it does not. You ought to make the appeal for your free credit report to any of the credit reporting agencies which are Equifax, TransUnion and Experian prior to obtain free credit report. A three-in-one credit report is most often promoted as the finest way to get your score. Most vital for your score, the 3-in-1 report must have no consequence on it. It is vital that you analyse your credit report each year as there could be cases of fraud, theft and human error linked to your credit report that can lessen your credit score devoid of your familiarity.

The United States has 3 credit report bureaus one is Experian; the other one is Equifax and the third one is TransUnion. Read full post…

You know that friend constantly borrowing $5? Well, thanks to the ever-increasing invasiveness of modern technology that friend can now hit you up on Facebook next time he or she needs the extra cash.

Paypal announced the launch of their latest Facebook app, Send Money, allowing users to transfer money to Facebook friends.

This person-to-person payment app allows users to select one of two methods to send money; with an e-card or without — pretty simple. The card option allows you to choose a card, personalize it with a message, photo or video and enter the amount you want to give. On

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Notice that the jarring displays of Christmas items appeared in retail stores before Halloween this year? Americans love their stuff, but too much commercialism can sour the most ardent consumer. There is a growing sentiment that holidays (Christmas, in particular) have been usurped by business owners trying to make a buck off the public’s sentimentalism. Not only is this putting more Americans in debt, but the trend is undermining the very spirit of the holidays. More and more families are choosing to downsize their holidays in favor of experiences that produce lasting memories, instead of more commercial products that may end up in a landfill when all is said and done. Here are a few tips to help you downsize your holidays and save some cash too.

Secret Santas

Choosing a name out of a bag to give a present to is a very popular activity in the office where you don’t want to give a present to everyone. You

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We could soon see oil prices shoot to a high of $150 per barrel if there is not enough investment in production.

The Telegraph says we could see this occur if investments in the Middle East and North Africa fall even a third short of the $100 billion needed annually before 2015.

Fatih Birol, the IEA’s chief economist, says “Oil prices by 2015 may go to $150 in real terms and $176 in nominal terms [if investment is too low],” reports The Telegraph.

Oil prices, already at a high cost, are stifling the economic growth of the world.

“In 2011, $102 is the average price through to today, which means the global economic recovery is at risk,” said Birol according to The Telegraph. “We are in the danger zone for the global economy at current levels.”

As countries all over build more fossil-fuelled power stations it is becoming increasingly harder for global warming to stay at safe levels. Chances

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I recently received a newsletter from Joel S. Rothman, a well-known Chicago estate planning attorney who heads up the Rothman Law Group (their website is here). Joel’s newsletter is always informative, and I particularly liked this edition (covering recent changes in Illinois law). Joel had an interesting take on the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act (which I’ve previously posted about, here and here), and he was nice enough to allow me to present it here:

As previously noted, opposite-sex unmarried couples as well as same-sex couples, may enter into an Illinois civil union. Many elderly individuals whose spouses have predeceased them, but who have developed companionships later in life, are often reticent to marry due to the potential risk of losing survivor benefits they are receiving from Social Security. Entering into an Illinois civil union will not currently impact these federal benefits while providing the same rights, benefits and protections afforded to a married couple in Illinois.

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American consumer confidence exceeded expectations, sending stocks up. Another major factor was the approval of Italy’s budget austerity plan by the Italian Senate, paving the way for the EU bailout. Italian bond yields fell by almost half a percentage in response, demonstrating that investors feel the deal has lessened the risk of default. In corporate news, Starbucks (SBUX) bought juice maker Evolution Fresh for $30 million, sending their stock price slightly up. While Netlist (NLST) reported a loss for its third quarter, it was much narrower than expected, sending its stock up over 16 percent. Read full post…