As featured in The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, and more!

August 2005

Carnival of Personal Finance #8

by Luke Landes

Welcome to this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance (basic introduction, schedule) and welcome to Consumerism Commentary (about, best of) to any new readers! This is the eighth installment of the Carnival. In this issue: Designer Pets. Free Money Finance discovers the latest craze for dog owners, crossing poodles with other breeds, giving us wonderful breednames ... Continue reading this article…

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Money Spent Yesterday

by Luke Landes

One of the things I enjoy doing every summer is attending and volunteering for drum and bugle corps shows. Yesterday, I drove to Allentown, Pennsylvania for part one of the Eastern Championships, and tonight, I’ll be taking my girlfriend to part two. One ticket to the last night’s show is $25. I opted for two ... Continue reading this article…

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Carnival Submissions

by Luke Landes

Reminder for those who blog: It’s time to submit your articles to the Carnival of Personal Finance #8, hosted here at Consumerism Commentary. Send an email to carnival[at]consumerismcommentary[dot]com (or fill out this form and select “Carnival of Personal Finance”) with the required information in order to be included.

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Flirtation at the Office

by Luke Landes

USA Today is revealing some bad news for office flirts: those who flirt are less likely to see career advancement. In the first study to make plain the negative consequences of such behavior, 49 percent of 164 female MBA graduates said in a survey that they have tried to advance in their careers by sometimes engaging ... Continue reading this article…

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Business Lexicon of Evil

by Luke Landes

I couldn’t agree more with the Anne Fisher. According to her article in Fortune, she despises business buzzwords. I’m all for the malleability and transformation of the English language, but for some reason I cringe when I hear certain phrases. I understand that with the use of any jargon, it’s just a case of individuals ... Continue reading this article…

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Ride of the Valkyries

by Luke Landes

Jonathan compiled a list of cars owned by personal finance and money-related bloggers. It’s a neat list. He doesn’t say whether the cars are bought with cash, financed, or leased, but I’m sure not everyone shares that information. I’m probably one of the few people on the list who bought a new car, against most ... Continue reading this article…

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Balance Sheet, July, 2005

by Luke Landes

I apologize for the lack of updates today. I’ve been completely swamped at work, as things tend to be at the beginning and the end of the month. There’s a new supervisor in my department, and I’ve been showing him the ropes. The table that follows is my latest personal balance sheet, as of July ... Continue reading this article…

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Tuesday’s Article of Interest – Fewer Pay Freezes

by Luke Landes

Good news for working stiffs: pay freezes have declined sharply. In 2002, the percentage of companies experiencing salary freezes was 16 percent, an all time high. This year that number has dropped to 2 percent. In 2005 and 2006, there should be an average salary increase of 3.6 percent, up from last year’s 3.5 percent. Companies have also increased ... Continue reading this article…

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Bill Frist and Me?

by Luke Landes

I know I’ve arrived in Bizarro World when Bill Frist and I agree on something: The introduction of a moratorium on drug ads to consumers. Frist, a Republican from Tennessee and a heart-lung replacement surgeon, on July 1 asked drug makers for a voluntary, two-year moratorium on direct-to-consumer advertising, the type that consumers see on ... Continue reading this article…

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Unexpected Gift and Contest

by Luke Landes

Apparently, when I opened a savings account with Emigrant Direct in March, they were offering a free logo baseball cap. I didn’t realize this until a package was waiting on my welcome mat as I arrived home (late) from work last night. I like surprise gifts, but I’m not a baseball cap-wearing person. Do you ... Continue reading this article…

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The Golden Ratio and the Market

by Luke Landes

There are a lot of crazy theories about movements of the stock market. Take a look at Elliott Waves for instance. Supporters believe the tenets of Elliott Wave Analysis like a religion, while those who disagree believe the theory is bunk. Have you ever heard of the golden ratio? It is related to the Fibonacci ... Continue reading this article…

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Monday’s Articles – New GM Deal

by Luke Landes

GM shifts from rebates to price cuts. Remember when GM began offering their Employee Discount for Everyone deal? More car makers followed suit soon after. Now GM is forced to change its strategy by cutting prices and offering improved warranties. These deals will affect the 2006 models; details about another program for moving 2005 inventory ... Continue reading this article…

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Monday’s Articles of Interest – Easy Loans

by Luke Landes

I’ll update this list of articles throughout the day with added commentary as I find time. Easy loans mean a hard landing later. There’s some talk in the article about the real estate bubble, but more importantly, the way banks are giving loans out to people is likely to create some problems when rates eventually ... Continue reading this article…

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7 Reasons to Fire Your Advisor

by Luke Landes

Liz Pulliam Weston gives us seven reasons to fire your financial advisor. If you hear these phrases or witness these attitudes, the MSN Money Queen’s advice to dump your advisor and find someone new. 1. Who cares what you think? 2. Don’t worry your little head. 3. It’s not my fault… and if it is, ... Continue reading this article…

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Carnival #7

by Luke Landes

The Carnival of Personal Finance #7 is up at In Cash Flow We Trust. Some notable posts: About Jonathan of MyMoneyBlog, Ways to Burst the Real Estate Bubble from My Open Wallet, Brown-Bag it to Half a Million on Hello, Dollar! (a site for which I can picture Carol Channing belting out the title song), ... Continue reading this article…

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