When Is Debt OK? 4 Times It’s OK to Take on Debt

  Creative Commons The worst four-letter word in finance, especially since, let’s say, 2008 is “debt.”Personal debt.National debt.Sovereign debt.They all have nasty connotations.But, is debt always bad, without exception?I think there are a few wise ways to use debt as a tool, not as a weapon of mass self-destruction. Here are four reasons not to be afraid of debt.Use Debt for Things That Increase in ValueOne use for debt is to purchase major items that have a better chance to go up in value. For instance, technically a home will go up in value, so taking a mortgage out for a house is a good idea.Now, a car probably isn’t a good idea for debt. The second you drive the car off the lot, you’re losing money. But, an $18,000 or so price tag...

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Posted in: Times

Top 5 Kindle Steals: Great eBooks for Business and Self-Improvement

Each month, you can get deals on Kindle books at Amazon.Typically, Amazon prices the books at around $3.99, but some are a lot less. The books cover a range of subjects and topics, but usually they have a few titles in the business and self-improvement section, two subjects that this blog is concerned with.Here are some good ones that I discovered in the list.Check them out.Make a Real Living as a Freelance WriterBy Jenna Glatzer“Step-by-step instructions on how writers can earn top dollar writing for magazines are provided in this book. Secrets are revealed about what the high-paying magazines really want, how to build relationships with editors, how to ascertain which sections of a magazine are open to freelancers, what kinds of stories are...

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Posted in: Business,eBooks,Great,Kindle,SelfImprovement,Steals

Weekend Wisdom: Signs of Hope?

  CC Credit - Atilla1000What’s this?Good economic news?Come on. That can’t be right.Well, the U.S. unemployment rate has taken some steps in the right direction and economic growth appears to be creeping back.I wouldn’t say that the road to economic recovery is paved for us, but any signs of improvement are appreciated. It could be that irrational optimism that led to irrational pessimism is now on its inexorable pendulum swing back to the other side.It may be that bloggers and writers are more hopeful in the new year, but hopeful writers have made it into my regular reading.Here are a few of my faves for this week:Forbes — MIT Gamechanger: Free Online Education for AllInvestor Junkie — What Makes Debt Socially AcceptableThe Digerati Life...

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Posted in: Signs,Weekend,Wisdom

Weekend Wisdom–The Revolution Will Be Wikied

  Creative Commons: rui guerraIt only took Wikipedia one day to teach the world that it will take a lot more than government bureaucrats to stop information and knowledge from circulating on the web.The act of protest–shutting down the site–chilled the forces who were trying to push the anti-piracy legislation. Several other sites joined in.Is there a compromise position? I think everyone’s entitled to the rights of their works. But this didn’t appear to be the right legislation.What I think this week taught us — or maybe just me, I can’t speak for everyone — is that the real government is truly outside of the bureaucracy now. If we can influence decisions this way, could we begin to grab other powers away from the government, back...

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Posted in: Revolution,Weekend,Wikied,WisdomThe