The Big Picture

The Trust Preferred CDO Market: From Start To (Expected) Finish
Spotlight on Men’s Health
10 EZ Financial New Year’s Resolutions
10 Sunday AM Reads
A Buzzing Beehive of Stars
Conan: Local Media Read Retail PR Releases

The Trust Preferred CDO Market: From Start To (Expected) Finish

Posted: 30 Dec 2013 02:00 AM PST

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 01:00 PM PST

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 07:00 AM PST

My Sunday Washington Post Business column is out. This morning, I discuss ten easy to follow New Year’s resolutions that will make your finances better.

The print version had the charming headline Get smart!: 10 financial resolutions you can actually keep.

Here’s an excerpt from the column:

“It's that time of year, when many people resolve to be better: Gotta lose 20 pounds, stop smoking, start exercising. Human nature is such that come January, there will be a 20-minute wait for the elliptical machines in the gym . . . and by mid-February, that wait will drop to zero minutes.

Resolutions are usually a terrible way to effect change. Changing habits involves changing your lifestyle, and that requires a deep commitment that most of us lack.

If you've resolved to get your financial life in order, I offer 10 important and easy-to-do steps. None is groundbreaking, but they are all too easily overlooked. If you do all 10, I guarantee that you will be better organized and more aware of your finances. That will lead to better decision-making and lower levels of economic stress.”

Following that are the 10 numbered resolutions, along with a brief explanation of each.

Note: I wrote this to be simple, accessible and easy to follow. I am sure there will be some exceptions to each of these points, so think of them as general principles.

Source:
10 financial resolutions you can actually keep
Barry Ritholtz
Washington Post, December 29 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/10-financial-resolutions-you-can-actually-keep/2013/12/27/8fb431d4-6c0f-11e3-a523-fe73f0ff6b8d_story.html

10 Sunday AM Reads

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 05:15 AM PST

Good Sunday morning. Here’s what I’m reading with my morning coffee:

• Money and Inflation (Economist’s View)
• Twitter's Ballooning Market Cap (WSJ) see also Twitter’s stock has nearly tripled since its IPO last month, making the IPO among the best-performing of 2013 (WSJ)
• Seven things you should know about the expiration of unemployment benefits (Washington Post)
• New York: A concrete legacy (FT) see also Signs of Change in News Mission at Bloomberg (NY Times)
• Does journalism have a future? (TLS)
• Be A Learning Machine (Seeking Wisdom) see also Investment: The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics (Library of Economics and Liberty)
• NCAA's Big Gay Choice: Chick-fil-A or Equality? (Daily Beast)
• Climate myths: Global warming stopped in 1998 (New Scientist) see also Utilities Feeling Rooftop Solar Heat Start Fighting Back (Bloomberg)
• Quotes Uncovered: How Lies Travel (Freakonomics)