Personal Finance and Investing

The other day a friend of mine came over to have dinner. While she was here, she commented on my DVD collection. “What a waste of money,” she said. “You can rent from Netflix for much less. Besides, DVD’s will be obsolete one day and then where will you be?” She didn’t say anything I hadn’t heard before. However, I don’t consider my collection a waste of money. We watch everything we have. We don’t have cable, so the DVD’s are our entertainment. Plus, we’re both huge movie buffs so we really do enjoy the bonus features on the DVD’s. Are there other things we could do with our money? Absolutely. But is it a waste? Not to us. We get full value out o

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Let’s face it, debt has managed to earn itself a pretty bad name in most circles, but in many cases, this stigma is undeserved. Debt, when used properly, can help you secure your financial future. While no one is arguing that improperly used debt is a bad thing, good debt is possible. Commonly, good debt is synonymous with leveraged debt. This refers to the process of using debt in order to create multiple streams of income. Y

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Have you ever wondered what inspired certain people to become jewelry makers for an avocation or career instead of more common hobbies like woodwork or painting, or more common careers like engineering, teaching, or the law? Or have you admired a jewelry display and wondered what techniques the artists liked best and what they liked the least? Or have you ever thought about what jewelry of the past has influenced the jewelry you admire today? A Lapidary Journal survey reveals the answers to these puzzles and more.

We compiled a random sample of jewelry makers among our subscribers and sent them surveys ruthlessly interrogating them as to their experience, their preferences, and how they learned their craft.

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Identity theft is getting more and more rampant in these times. And it is also getting easier for the criminals to get away scot free. With the computerization of almost all transactions, it becomes very easy for someone to imitate another person. But all it takes from you is a little common sense and a sharp mind to get one step ahead of the criminals.

So what are the warning signs of identity theft?

If you look at your bank statements frequently, you will be able to keep track of your expenditure. Any unwarranted expense on your statement should immediately ring a warning bell. Double check with your accounts and then file a complaint immediately.

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