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Personal finance editor Amanda Morrall exposes financial vampires in our midst, asks for your stories for publication

Posted in Personal Finance February 16, 2012 – 01:45pm

Source: Interest.co.nz

By Amanda Morrall (email)

Some of you might know I’m writing a book. It’s a layman’s guide to personal finance. It’s the anti-thesis of the how to-get-rich quick genre of books. My thesis is that in addition to being mindful, smart, and sensible with your money, you need build up your inner bank account.

What does that mean? Lots of things but it starts with taking stock of your non-financial assets, what you really want out of life and how you can make a difference. My thinking is that it’s not going to do you much good having a million bucks in the bank, if the means by which you achieved it makes you miserable, sick, divorced, or perhaps morally bankrupt. (more…)

The Relationship Between Tattoos And Income

Posted by  in Wednesday, October 7th 2009

My job function has changed recently and while I’m still not yet in a position to talk about it, I can tell that my new role allows me to meet people from all walks of life.  Not since high school have I been exposed to a wealth of diversity as I have in the last few months.  Only in high school I wasn’t analyzing every single person I see and trying to break them down on a financial level.

My prejudice is both a gift and a curse.  For most instances it is a curse though.  Though I’m not proud of the hypothesis of my observations, I am scientific enough to know what I’m seeing may not be accurate, and to know late these observations take root in my conscience. (more…)

Retirement Reality: 5 Charts You Need to See

March 26, 2014

The time has come for Americans to face the reality of retirement planning. Considering that defined benefit plans are moving closer to full extinction each year, it’s now more important than ever for individuals to save for retirement. This is not an easy process for the majority of the workforce. However, you can improve your odds of an ideal retirement by educating yourself and planning for it as soon as possible. (more…)

Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy Report

Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States  4th edition

 

About The Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization
that works on federal, state, and local tax policy issues. ITEP’s mission is to ensure that elected officials, the
media, and the general public have access to accurate, timely, and straightforward information that allows
them to understand the effects of current and proposed tax policies. ITEP’s work focuses particularly on
issues of tax fairness and sustainability.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (more…)

The 10 most oil-rich states

Paul Ausick, Michael B. Sauter, 24/7 Wall St.8:03 a.m. EDT August 3, 2013

Source: USA Today

Ten states accounted for roughly 94% of all onshore U.S. reserves as of the end of 2011, with roughly a third of this in Texas alone — just over 7 billion barrels. In many of these states, the oil industry is a major part of their economies. Based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s data on proved oil reserves by states, these are the most oil-rich states in the country.

These states process the vast majority of the oil refined in the U.S. each year. Of the nation’s 139 operating refineries, 89 are located in these states. The national refinery capacity is roughly 16.7 million barrels per day. Texas, California, Oklahoma, and Louisiana alone have a capacity of more than 10 million barrels per day. (more…)

Eagle Ford Exports Spurs Corpus Christi Port Construction Boom

By Dan Murtaugh April 10, 2014

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek

America’s newest energy hub just got a little busier.

NuStar Energy LP (NS:US) officially opened its third petroleum dock at the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, as Chairman Bill Greehey smashed a bottle of champagne against a loading arm that was filling a barge with crude.

NuStar and other companies are building docks, storage tanks and other facilities in Corpus Christi to take advantage of the oil boom in the Eagle Ford shale formation 100 miles away. The port shipped out 350,000 barrels of crude a day in November, up from under 10,000 at the start of 2012, according to port data. (more…)

FBI Said to Probe High-Speed Traders Over Abuse of Information

By Keri Geiger and Patricia Hurtado
March 31 (Bloomberg) — Federal agents are investigating
whether high-frequency trading firms violate U.S. laws by acting
on nonpublic information to gain an edge over competitors,
according to a person with knowledge with the probe. (more…)

Motor Vehicle Accident Deaths as Proportion of All Deaths Within Age Groups

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1traffic-deaths-by-age(1)

Understanding Statistics

Forget Phones Or Fast Food, More Drivers Cause Their Own Distractions In Crashes

Source: Forbes

By: Jim Gorzelany

Talk about being your own worst enemy. Becoming “lost in thought” is actually far more dangerous than talking on the phone or texting while behind the wheel, with 62 percent of all distracted driving-related traffic fatalities caused by simple daydreaming. (more…)

45 Ultimate Tips For Men. Number 40 Will Help You Go Far In Life.

Click on the link to read the article.

Source

Americans Can’t Retire When Bill Gross Sees Repression

By Jeff Kearns, Steve Matthews and Katherine Peralta  Mar 25, 2014 6:42 AM PT

Source: Bloomberg 

Twelve years after retiring as a telephone repairman, Roger Wood clocks 12 to 15 hours a week at a Lowe’s Cos. hardware store near Glen Allen, Virginia.

“About the same amount I made 30 years ago,” Wood, 69, says of his $12 hourly wage. “I’m worried about my portfolio because of low interest rates, even to the point of considering full-time again.” (more…)

Mercedes or Ford, It Costs a Lot More Than You Think

Your Car Could Be Driving Your Budget Into the Ground

By

ANDREA COOMBES
March 15, 2014 8:26 p.m. ET
Ever wonder where your money disappears every month? Take a look in your garage.Your car could be driving your budget into the ground.If you’re driving 15,000 miles a year—not uncommon for an American worker—in a midsize sedan such as a Toyota 7203.TO -2.95% Camry or Ford Fusion, you’ll spend more than $760 a month on average, or $9,150 a year, on gas, maintenance, tires, full-coverage insurance, license and registration costs, depreciation and finance charges. (more…)

The Relative Safety of Large and Small Passenger Vehicles

NHTSA Mass-Size Safety Symposium

Washington, DC ●February 25, 2011

Adrian Lund, Ph.D.

OVERVIEW

What is the history of motor vehicle crash safety by size and mass? Historical trends

•Can down-weighting of vehicles occur without safety consequences if size is held constant? Physics of injury

•What does the future hold?

Big Vehicles are a lot Safer!

Stress hormones in financial traders may trigger ‘risk aversion’ and contribute to market crises

Published: 18 Feb 2014

Source: University of Cambridge 

Related Article: “A ‘Frightening’ New Study Shows Traders Seize Up Just When Markets Need Them To Make Big Calls”

New study’s findings overturn theory of personal risk preference as a ‘stable trait’, and show that real source of instability in risk behaviour “lurks deep in the physiology of traders and investors”. (more…)

Frozen East Coast Pays as Law Blocks Cheaper Fuel Flows

By Natasha Doff and Naomi Christie 

Feb 28, 2014 12:38 PM CT

Source: Bloomberg

As freezing weather drained stockpiles ofpropane to their lowest seasonal level in two decades on the U.S. East Coast this month, shivering New Englanders couldn’t tap abundant supplies sailing out of Texas. They had to look 4,000 miles away to more-expensive heating fuel from Europe. (more…)