Happy (early) April Fools! I was reminded of an old survey showing that April Fools' pranks in the office are frowned upon by a high percentage of marketing executives. Granted the survey was conducted last year, it's still interesting to see the results. I mean things can't have changed that much in a year.
I work at a startup company in the San Francisco Bay Area where the culture is more T-shirt and jeans than suits and ties. Yes, there is a hierarchy, but it's not strict. Our day-to-day interactions are very friendly for the most part. My point is that jokes are well received in this environment. I guess I never really encountered a setting that disapproves of harmless jokes. In college, pranks or "hacks" were unofficially encouraged by the school. It was seen as a creative outlet. Once in a while, you'll see cars being stacked onto rooftops or an extra door added to a random part of the hall way. I once barricaded a friend's door by constructing a "brick" wall made of snack boxes.
They’re all in good fun, but if you're thinking of pulling a prank, there are some ground rules you should abide by to prevent bad blood between co-workers. Here are 10 commandments of playing April Fools' pranks everyone should consider:
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
CD Laddering
I wrote a post about certificate of deposit (CD) a few days ago and mentioned a strategy called “laddering.” It’s a common and effective strategy for maximizing your savings. Basically, it's splitting your money into a few groups and opening CDs with different term intervals.
Laddering is useful in two ways. For one, it's a good method to maximize interest. It also makes your assets more liquid because you have the maturity dates of the CDs staggered. The longest term CDs tend to have the best rates, but that also means your money is locked in for the longest. A 5 year CD, for example, may pay 3% in interest as oppose to 1.05% for an 18 month CD. However, interest rates could go up during that 60 month time period. By spreading your assets, you give yourself more flexibility.
Laddering is useful in two ways. For one, it's a good method to maximize interest. It also makes your assets more liquid because you have the maturity dates of the CDs staggered. The longest term CDs tend to have the best rates, but that also means your money is locked in for the longest. A 5 year CD, for example, may pay 3% in interest as oppose to 1.05% for an 18 month CD. However, interest rates could go up during that 60 month time period. By spreading your assets, you give yourself more flexibility.
Monday, March 28, 2011
$15 Amazon Gift Card Winner Revealed!
Finally, the time has come to reveal our winner. Thanks to everyone who subscribed to the blog and spread the word in the past two weeks.
Okay let's get to it. Drum roll please!
..............................
The winner is..........
Okay let's get to it. Drum roll please!
..............................
The winner is..........
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Millionaires and Reality TV
I have to admit, I get a kick out of watching reality TV. Shows like Survivor, Top Chef, or The Amazing Race bring out the competitive side of me. It's like watching a sports game where you find someone or some team to root for. You also get a "behind the scene" look at their processes and strategies for winning. Of course, I don't mind being able to laugh at terrible decisions or stupid remarks that are blurted out either.
That said, some reality shows really make me cringe. The Real House Wives series, Millionaire Match Maker, The Hills, etc. show case the excessive lifestyle of the rich while creating celebrities out of a bunch of none-deserving people. For some, the enticing part of watching the shows is their ability to ridicule the "celebrities" featured. Sadly, it seems like more viewers actually attempt to emulate the irresponsible behaviors displayed.
That said, some reality shows really make me cringe. The Real House Wives series, Millionaire Match Maker, The Hills, etc. show case the excessive lifestyle of the rich while creating celebrities out of a bunch of none-deserving people. For some, the enticing part of watching the shows is their ability to ridicule the "celebrities" featured. Sadly, it seems like more viewers actually attempt to emulate the irresponsible behaviors displayed.
Friday, March 25, 2011
How a Certificate of Deposit Works
This is the 5th post in the Bank Deposit Account 101 series.
When I first heard about "CDs" in the same sentence as banking in high school, I was super confused. Ummmm...what do compact disks have to do with saving money? If you're as puzzled as I was, don't worry, I'm pretty sure most people have the same reaction. The abbreviation actually stands for Certificate of Deposit.
A CD is a deposit account offered by banks or credit unions that usually pays out a decently good amount of interest compared to your average checking and savings account. Of course, a higher rate of return for your money comes with a catch. This kind of savings vehicle is called fixed term or time deposit, meaning that you have to keep your money in the bank for an agreed period of time. The term can range from 3 months to 5 years. In general, the longer you leave the money and the larger the principal, the higher your interest will be. Jumbo CDs, those with a minimum deposit of $100,000, receive some of the best rates out there.
When I first heard about "CDs" in the same sentence as banking in high school, I was super confused. Ummmm...what do compact disks have to do with saving money? If you're as puzzled as I was, don't worry, I'm pretty sure most people have the same reaction. The abbreviation actually stands for Certificate of Deposit.
A CD is a deposit account offered by banks or credit unions that usually pays out a decently good amount of interest compared to your average checking and savings account. Of course, a higher rate of return for your money comes with a catch. This kind of savings vehicle is called fixed term or time deposit, meaning that you have to keep your money in the bank for an agreed period of time. The term can range from 3 months to 5 years. In general, the longer you leave the money and the larger the principal, the higher your interest will be. Jumbo CDs, those with a minimum deposit of $100,000, receive some of the best rates out there.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Importance of Parental Influence
This is kind of weird to admit, but I didn't know that you can OWE money on your credit card for more than a month at a time until I was a teenager. Before that point, I always thought you spend what you can afford and pay it back in full at the end of the month (I guess you would call this a charge card). Okay, now that I've admitted that, you may think I'm not too bright. Or you may think that our educational system should focus more on personal finance. One of those statements is true. Yeah yeah, take it however you want, but I insist my thoughts were heavily influenced by my parental unit. So forget what it says about me. The real question should be what's that say about my parents? It could mean a few things:
- They're extremely responsible credit card users.
- They wanted me to understand the value of hard-earned money before I learn about debt.
- They didn't tell me the whole story by explaining to me more clearly the full purpose and intention of credit cards. (Euphemism for the lying, I suppose)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Is Fear Costing You?
Fear of Disaster
Earthquakes, tsunami, and a nuclear crisis. We've been hearing a lot about these catastrophic events in the news lately. While my thoughts go out to those affected by these terrible disasters, it makes me sad to see some media outlets playing up the fear of everyday folks. I agree that we should be prepared for emergencies, but at the same time, we shouldn't buy into sensationalist reporting.
Headlines like "Nuclear Fallout!" aimed to attract viewers/readers when the actual reporting is about how the nuclear particles won't have much of an effect on those living in the U.S. is just irresponsible. That's why it's important do our own research to be able to distinguish between real news and needless panic before jumping to conclusion. Be reasonably concerned, but check the facts. Rushing out to buy all of the potassium iodide pills on the shelves or hoarding canned foods in the grocery store is just irrational fear. Don't let the anxiety of there being a chance of something happening stop you from performing day-to-day activities. It's costly to each individual as well as our entire society. Instead, focus your energy on communicating with family and work to make sound emergency plans.
Earthquakes, tsunami, and a nuclear crisis. We've been hearing a lot about these catastrophic events in the news lately. While my thoughts go out to those affected by these terrible disasters, it makes me sad to see some media outlets playing up the fear of everyday folks. I agree that we should be prepared for emergencies, but at the same time, we shouldn't buy into sensationalist reporting.
Headlines like "Nuclear Fallout!" aimed to attract viewers/readers when the actual reporting is about how the nuclear particles won't have much of an effect on those living in the U.S. is just irresponsible. That's why it's important do our own research to be able to distinguish between real news and needless panic before jumping to conclusion. Be reasonably concerned, but check the facts. Rushing out to buy all of the potassium iodide pills on the shelves or hoarding canned foods in the grocery store is just irrational fear. Don't let the anxiety of there being a chance of something happening stop you from performing day-to-day activities. It's costly to each individual as well as our entire society. Instead, focus your energy on communicating with family and work to make sound emergency plans.
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