October 10, 2024 - Two men have been handed federal prison sentences for their involvement in a data-selling scheme that facilitated mass-mailing fraud targeting the elderly.

September 30, 2024 - We first published this guide in 2007. Over the years, it has been one of our most read articles so we regularly update it as natural disasters occur. The last time we published it was for the fires in Maui. This time it is for Hurricane Helene. If you know anyone who has been impacted by the fire, you may want to send them a link to this article. It could be a financial life saver. It is about protecting personal finances in the wake of natural disasters. At the end of the article you will find a resource guide that victims may find very beneficial.

September 27, 2024 - On the off chance that you hadn’t noticed, most things are a lot more expensive today that they were four years ago. Discounts matter, and there are a number of ways to get them. But even in this economy, a surprising percentage of people aren’t taking advantage of them. So we’re going to take a look at some of the types of discounts and how to qualify for them. In this article, we’re going to look at college students.

September 19, 2024 - You’re probably aware of the fact that the FED lowered interest rates yesterday by one half of one percent. It was a much bigger rate cut than most economists were anticipating and it was the focus of most of the news reporting on the announcement. But when the announcement was made, FED Chairman Jerome Powell delivered additional remarks on immigration and unemployment that have been ignored by most media coverage. And what he said was a remarkable admission that immigration is driving unemployment up.

September 16, 2024 - Two weeks ago, a system error at Chase Bank was allowing people to deposit checks and then immediately withdraw the money they deposited, regardless of the amount of the check. Not really a big deal if the checks being deposited were good. And even if they weren’t good, under normal circumstances, most people wouldn’t know about the error and wouldn’t be able to take advantage of it. But in this case someone with a large Tik-Tok following found out about the issue and decided to broadcast it. And that is when the chaos began.

September 13, 2024 - Credit card processing service Slim CD, a provider in the U.S. and Canada, has reported a major data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly 1.7 million customers. The breach went undetected for almost a year.

August 30, 2024 - The U.S. is experiencing a sharp rise in business bankruptcies, as economic pressures from sustained high inflation and elevated interest rates continue to challenge commercial enterprises. According to recent data from the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), the first half of 2024 saw a 34% increase in commercial Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings compared to the same period last year, totaling 3,016 cases. This surge is even more pronounced among small businesses, where filings have jumped by 61%. 

August 25, 2024 - It isn’t your imagination. The economy isn’t good regardless of what anyone wants you to think. Just this past week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics had to revise the number of jobs created last year. They reduced their previous number by a staggering 818,000. Over the past three years, food prices are up by approximately 37% and continuing to rise. And fuel prices are up 41% over the same time period. Rental and housing prices have followed similar trends. In the 1970’s, this sort of thing - a less-than-optimal job market and increasing cost of living - was called stagflation and it took years... and a change in administration to get it under control. And the FED didn’t get it under control by cutting interest rates quickly.