Money Disasters: Fraud, Scams & Other Financial Dilemmas
You may have heard the claim that money is one of the most common causes of discord, stress and tension in a family or among couples. Most people want more of it but not very many know what to do with it once they’ve got it. When we are bombarded by messages that encourage us to consume, borrow, mortgage and spend, we become vulnerable to the twin forces of greed and fear. The world of money can be fraught with potholes and wrong turns. We’ve created this section to discuss the common problems that come up when we are dealing with money and our assets. We discuss some of the more insidious ways that money affects our relationships and our lives.
Managing our finances is not just about “knowing”, but also about “doing” (or avoiding). There are many potholes and pitfalls that may greet you in life, as you try to grow your net worth and seek financial independence. We discuss some of those negative aspects of money here, as a way to help deter you from problematic situations; we hope that some of our own mistakes and errors in judgment can help you sidestep these types of scenarios.
How does one deal with financial scams, fraud, identity theft and other money problems? We discuss various dilemmas that beset our finances and our lives, how we can protect ourselves from these risks and how these problems may be resolved.
Be aware of the possible dangers and risks that are associated with the holiday season. We discuss those things to watch out for so we can be safe during the holidays. The yuletide season is a time devoted to family reunions, merry-making and giving back. But it’s also a time that can be stressful. But [...]
What happens when you mix anonymity and emotions with money? Be careful when you make financial or romantic connections through the Internet. Sometimes, it does not pay to go online, especially if you have money! Sometimes the price is just too high, such as when people forgo their relationships by spending too much time on [...]
It’s as old as dirt and has been going on throughout history, ruining lives across the world. What is this, you may ask? Well, it’s the Ponzi scheme. My Brush With The Ponzi Scheme I actually know quite a number of people who’ve been affected by this particular form of fraud (unfortunately, from both sides [...]
Don’t mean to be a downer, but it’s been a tough week. Everyone has been following the events unfolding in Japan over the last week and we’re all praying that this will somehow resolve positively and avoid a catastrophic conclusion. I haven’t really expressed this before, but I have the greatest admiration for the Japanese, [...]
Apparently, there’s treasure in my trash. No, it’s not what you think, though I wish this were a true story of how I stumbled upon a hidden valuable painting in the deep recesses of my attic. Instead, it’s about how my trash was suddenly considered monetarily attractive and became the target of interest for other [...]
Recently a friend confessed she had been caught driving under the influence of alcohol for the second time. I expressed safety concerns about her driving while intoxicated. She burst into tears, letting me know that these experiences were the most embarrassing and costly ones of her life. How Smart Are You? A lot of us [...]
When should you transfer your brokerage account? As a risk analyst, I suppose it’s not too far off to say that I’m also a paranoid individual. No, I’m not looking over my shoulder, waiting for the bogeyman to get me — rather, I now rarely take anything anyone says to me at face value. I [...]
This makes me angry. How could this happen? I’ve known quite a number of people who’ve ended up with upside down mortgage loans and who’ve lost their homes to foreclosure. In some of these cases, we can blame mortgage fraud and subprime borrowing for these unfortunate events. In some others, we can point the finger [...]
I’m preempting our regularly scheduled personal finance piece to talk about something that preoccupied me most of last night and will probably be in my mind for a while. Today is when we see the aftermath of what happened in a Northern California neighborhood that is not too far from where I live. In fact, [...]