Embracing the March Madness Work Distraction

Today the games of March Madness® begin. Millions of rabid fans will be putting aside work to stream CBS game broadcasts to their desktops. Evil employers will try to prevent or discourage this, perhaps through clever site blocking strategies. Lunch “hours” will be stretched. Scores will be checked and re-checked.

Everyone needs to get over it and accept the distraction at hand.  Read more

Consumer Credit Usage: The Jury is Still Out

I admit it. Mr. ToughMoneyLove was encouraged by data suggesting that many consumer debt addicts were in recovery. Maybe, I thought, people had learned important debt management lessons from the events of 2008 and 2009. I think I was wrong. Read more

Las Vegas Interlude

I arrived in Las Vegas yesterday, accompanied by Mrs. ToughMoneyLove, our three sons, and one son’s significant other. We are here for four nights. It’s a combined celebration of family birthdays, particularly son number three who turned 21 last month. Read more

Say No to Yes Man Financial Advisers

Mr. ToughMoneyLove is a big believer in self-management of personal finance, if you are willing to study, learn, and then fearlessly apply what you have learned. Too many people turn their financial planning over to so-called professionals who are more interested in selling than in objectivity. Read more

My Life as a Volunteer Tax Preparer – Ch. 2.6

Wow – tax season is flying by. My weekly visits to the volunteer tax office seem to fall closer together. Today was unremarkable compared to other tax days except that one of the taxpayers I helped was male, the first I’ve had in a while. Read more

Hard Truth Weekly Reader- Misguided Protest Edition

Some weird stuff in the news this week, including more political corruption in New York, and misguided protests about spending cuts in California. It seems that for state economies, the larger they are the harder they fall. Read more

My Life as a Volunteer Tax Preparer – Ch. 2.5

Another week in the volunteer office, another five taxpayers helped, and once again all women. Lucky me – they were all in relatively good moods too! Read more

Tax Man Charlie Rangel – I Told You So

Charlie Rangel was forced by prevailing sentiment to today take leave from his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee.

It’s about time. Rangel can’t even spell the word “ethics” let alone understand its meaning.

I have been on Rangel’s case and ethical misdeeds since September 2008. The facts were there yet Rangel’s Congressional colleagues just sat there for months, ignoring them.

Even in his last words before stepping aside, Rangel’s dishonesty was on display. Catch this tidbit from the article:

Pushed on whether he would step aside temporarily, he replied, “No.”

He said he was headed back to his office to work on jobs legislation, and when a reporter asked if he would still be the committee chairman on Wednesday, Mr. Rangel said, “Yes, and I don’t lie to the press.”

Well, actually he did lie to the press because this is Wednesday and Rangel is no longer the Committee Chairman.

Everyone should be relieved that Rangel will no longer have the opportunity to direct his “mother of all tax bills” through the House. On the other hand, I have no doubt that the morons in his district will re-elect him.

We don’t need mere “change” in Washington. We need an earthquake – for Republicans and Democrats alike. Our collective financial future still hangs in the balance.

Consumer Spending Successes or Excesses?

Although it’s hard for Mr. Tough Money Love to concede that any spending is a financial “success”, I’ve decided to go for it regarding two events that occurred over the weekend. You can jump my case after you read if you think I deserve it. Read more

Stimulus Money and Academia

Our local paper published a long piece today about use of our tax dollars. The article is entitled “VU puts stimulus funds to work.” The writer and Vanderbilt University are boasting about Vanderbilt having snagged $87 million in stimulus dollars to fund 194 difference academic research grants. Read more

Next Page »