cash

How to spot counterfeit money

Posted September 20, 2007 - 14:02 by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance

$10 and $20 bank notes

It used to be that spotting a "good" counterfeit bill was impossible for ordinary people. If it was good enough to pass the "look and feel" test, then it was going to take an ultra-violet light or a magnetic ink detector. But for the past ten years, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has been making bills that are easy to check.

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Carry some cash

Posted September 19, 2007 - 06:34 by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance

I recommend carrying some actual cash money. When I do that, a lot of people say, "Why? Everyplace I go takes credit and debit cards." In fact, I know people who brag about spending no cash at all for weeks or months at a time. A no-cash life may be good for bragging points, but I suggest you carry some cash anyway.

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Credit squeeze (formerly know as a panic)

Posted August 9, 2007 - 20:17 by Philip Brewer

Personal Finance

New York Stock Exchange
There used to be a particular financial event called a panic. There were two famous ones around the turn of the last century: the panic of 1893 and the panic of 1907. A panic worked like this: Everything would be going along fine until something produced a lack of confidence, at which point people would take their paper money to the bank to exchange for gold. The banks, after paying out large amounts of gold, would be unable to make ordinary loans. With credit restricted, business began to grind to a halt--manufacturers couldn't borrow to buy raw materials, retailers couldn't borrow to take delivery of goods for sale, farmers couldn't borrow to buy seed, etc.

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3-6 months of living expenses?

Posted July 5, 2007 - 11:08 by Julie Rains

Personal Finance

wad of cash

Personal-finance experts often recommend having 3-6 months' worth of living expenses saved and easily accessible. In his July 1, 2007 Getting Going column ("Popular Advice You Shouldn't Take"), Wall Street Journal columnist Jonathan Clements offers alternatives to a cash account (e.g., savings account or CD). He's got practical ideas that relate to how people really think, live, save, and invest.

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When greed backfires - an iPhone story.

Posted 2 years ago by Paul Michael

Filed Under: Consumer Affairs

 

iphone store

As you all know, the iPhone launched recently to a flurry of press and TV news coverage. Eager geeks (sorry, but it seems applicable here) sat outside stores for hours and hours to buy the new phone, happy in the knowledge that they were about to get something that will help them feel a little bit cooler. Just a little.

Far, far worse than these iPhone nuts, though, are the vultures. The folks with enough money to swoop down on a store and buy up a whole bunch of product, only to recycle them on eBay for double the price. Hey, that's good ol' healthy capitalism at work, right?

Continue reading "When greed backfires - an iPhone story."

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The Magic Marker Money Safe

Posted 2 years ago by Paul Michael

Filed Under: DIY

pensafe

I've never tried a money-belt. I've nevr had enough cash to put in one to be honest. But when I lived in London I was mugged three times, and this little beauty would have saved me a stack of cash.

It's a great idea. The video shows you everything you need to do, and trust me, it's not a lot. All you need is...

Continue reading "The Magic Marker Money Safe "

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