Critical Thinking

The Best Video You Will Watch This Year

For the last two weeks, I’ve been looking for a proper way to end the year on a positive note and send the readers of this blog into 2012 with momentum. As if by chance this week, the way to do it dropped directly into my lap. Long-time readers know that I’m a huge fan [...]

iMania Makes Me Nauseous

Unless you consciously shun contact with the outside world, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the latest craze in the world of tech–the new Apple iPhone. The untimely death of Steve Jobs only amplified this effect, with a bright spotlight on Apple and their place in technological history. However, I reject the notion that iMania, the craze that surrounds [...]

Is The World Designed for 4 People?

A colleague of mine mentioned something recently that I thought was fascinating: Along with his wife, they are only planning to have two kids, partly because the world is “designed” for 4-member families. What an interesting way to look at how we design things, I thought, and what “normal” means in the world today. Have [...]

The Intimate Details of My Financial Life

…will probably never be revealed, but the fact that you clicked on this post probably means you’re interested. Such is human nature and curiosity, particularly when it comes to a social taboo like money. As a “public figure” in the world of money, I’m often asked and expected to talk about concrete details of my [...]

Repackaging the Product Works: Pollo Tropical Case Study

On a recent visit to a local restaurant chain, I was thrilled to discover a complete makeover that made the experience much different than lunches past.

The Financial Benefits of Disconnecting

How taking a digital sabbatical can help you deal with some of the aspects of financial management, like thinking of the long-term, or avoiding the desire to spend on impulse.

Who Should Bear the Cost of Public Education?

A reader recently remarked that it’s unfair for her, a single woman with no kids, to be paying for other people’s public education. What’s your take?

Unintentional Product Placement and Brilliant Marketing

Companies are becoming increasingly more clever about their product placement strategies. Where else have you seen some examples?

The Hierarchy of Financial Needs

Something in a recent book made me think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which in turn got me to think about the hierarchies present in personal finance. Do you like my pyramid or would you like to suggest another angle?

Don’t Lock Yourself into an Expert’s Advice

Following personal finance experts isn’t always the best ideas. Here are a few reasons why you should think twice.

60 Reasons Why Personal Finance is So Damn Hard

One of the things that always amazes me is just how much information is written, spoken, taped, or talked about when it comes to personal finance. But it’s really no surprise because it’s one of the hardest things we have to deal with as grown-ups. Here are 60 reasons why.

Should Millionaires Apply for Unemployment?

3,000 millionaires claimed unemployment benefits in 2008. They have a right to do so, but is it the RIGHT thing to do when millions of others are struggling?

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Critical Thinking

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