Gen Plus

This just out from the Bureau of Consumer Protection/Division of Consumer and Business Education, The Federal Trade Commission (and if you do nothing else, watch the two videos  — a good one on debt collection, and an excellent one on scams/cons):
The FTC recently concluded the case that drew the largest ever imposed on a debt collection [...]

Oprah’s done it again.  A few months ago, through Oprah power, Suze Orman gave away free downloads of her new book.  Well, tomorrow, Friday, March 13, 2009 will NOT be bad luck if you happen to take your opportunity to download your FREE (yes, FREE) copy of “The Difference” by Jean Chatsky on Oprah’s website.  [...]

If you haven’t visited the White House website lately, it is a must-see at www.whitehouse.gov  Not only are there daily updates, but they are exciting. 
No way to segue gracioiusly here, but if you have a kid and have been to Disneyland in the past few years, then you might have enjoyed the Buzz Lightyear show [...]

The California budget and economy is falling apart. 21,000 state employees are getting layoff notices in about a minute.  Those remaining will be forced to take 2 day furloughs per month — but at least they’ll still have their work.  The federal stimulus package was just signed by Obama, so over time, some lost ground will [...]

Globally, many countries are having to take stake in life-blood companies — in the US, banks like Bank of America, Citibank; in the auto industry, Chrysler and GM — and, well, you’ve read the news.  The more money that gets infused into the failing businesses, the  more nationalization will be taking place.  As an ex-pat [...]

The hurt keeps on coming.  This morning Microsoft announced their 2nd quarter results and with the global economy still limping along, put plans in place to lay off 5,000 staff over the next 18 months, included 1400 who got their pink slips today.
Always go to the source:  http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/jan09/01-22fy09Q2earnings.mspx
In light of the further deterioration of global [...]

In case you haven’t yet heard, Circuit City is officially bankrupt and all 567 stores are being prepped for liquidation.  That’s about another 34,000 employees who have been given the pink slip.  Some staff will be asked to stay on as the stores shut down and most associates will be given a small cushion to [...]

I read Ronni Bennet’s post today with great interest:  http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/2008/12/the-real-economic-story.html  Like many of us, she wonders what it happening to the many, many middle class, working poor, and poor who have been hit (and will continue to be hit) hardest by the economic meltdown.  On my group at Eons, I ask the question, how has [...]

I’ve been reading up on Bernard Madoff, because, like you, I can’t believe that a Ponzi scheme of this magnitude…i.e. $50 Billion magnitude, has been perpetrated, yet again, on investors (BIG investors) around the world.  In case you aren’t up to speed, Madoff (former NASDAQ chairman and owner of his securities firm) has been arrested [...]

If you are a male reader, don’t be squeamish. Read on. For my female readers, especially those of you enduring never-ending hot flashes, you’ll totally get it.
For some strange reason, I haven’t found the stock market crash or the ensuing ups and downs of the exchanges, or even the imploding world economy, all that hard [...]