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VIDEO A lot of people are amazed at the story of New York Magazine financial advice columnist Charlotte Cowles who claims she was scammed out of $50,000 by someone supposedly from Amazon who called her up about unusual activity in her account and then turned her over to an FTC official who finally put her in touch with a CIA guy. Who knew that the CIA is involved in domestic activities down to the level of Amazon account activity. To make a long story short she was convinced by the wild stories concocted by this group to go to her...

Whenever elite media folks act as if they are smarter than the yahoos in the sticks, please keep the sad yet hilarious story of Charlotte Cowles in mind. She is the financial advice columnist of the New York magazine The Cut section and previously a weekly columnist in the Business section of the New York Times. She revealed on Thursday how, with a incredible level of gullibility, she handed a box containing $50,000 of most of her savings to a scammer in "The Day I Put $50,000 in a Shoe Box and Handed It to a Stranger."

Are you ready to see how the media works? Warning: extreme sarcasm ahead! Remember, these journalists are brave firefighters. Reporters don't root for either side. Journalism is one of the noblest professions that exists. So, let's check out how our moral betters cover the hard-hitting news of the day. Ah yes! VP Candidate Kamala Harris wore her Timberland boots and it is very much the greatest fashion choice ever made in the history of the United States. She's ready to "get s*** done." What a brave and incredible woman! Her wearing the shoes has on its own redeemed the entire...

For a man facing daily attacks for his activism and liberal vision of the world, George Soros was in a curiously buoyant mood on a sunswept afternoon in Marrakesh. He had just visited South Africa, home to his first philanthropic foray in the late 1970s, when he funded black students under apartheid. This time he learnt that Soros-backed investigative media and civil society groups had helped thwart an allegedly corrupt nuclear power plant contract with Russia. “It was a tremendous boost to reinforce my belief that we are doing something right,” says Mr Soros. “We haven’t stopped having a beneficial...

The Financial Guys (Where Money Meets Politics) – Listen Live Saturdays 1 - 3 PM ESTUnapologetically conservative. Where money meets politics. The Financial Guys is a talk radio program in western New York. They discuss personal finances (you can call and ask questions about your personal finances) but they largely focus on politics. They generally ridicule corrupt New York and US politics. Topics and guest vary each week. They despise subsidies to wind and solar (a reoccurring theme). If you want to get a sense of their politics and humor you can visit their Twitter page: The Financial Guys -...

There is a Tsunami about to hit the financial services world next week. It could threaten companies and thousands if not tens of thousands of jobs. Not to mention it could and will have a major impact on how people will get advice on their retirement savings. What is it? A DOL ruling expected next week. As usual, after a dozen debates even by "business" newsmen, not a single question of the candidates on what they would do about Obama's DOL run amuck? Typical media, chasing shadows and non events and avoiding any serious journalism. Perhaps one journalist might ask...

I noticed that your Baby Steps list puts saving for retirement before saving for your kid’s college fund. Sending your kids to college would come first on the timeline, so what is your reasoning behind this?Jen Dear Jen, I advise this approach because everyone is going to retire someday, unless, of course, they happen to die before reaching retirement age. Retiring and eating are necessities. College is a luxury. Lots of people succeed in life without going to college, and thousands have worked their way through college. I worked 40 to 60 hours a week in college, and I still...

Dear Dave, How do you feel about gambling at a casino, as long as you limit your spending and don’t expect to win big money? Brian Dear Brian, I don’t really have a moral problem with it, but I don’t understand the concept. Call me crazy, but I do not get a thrill from losing money I’ve worked hard to earn. That’s not my idea of entertainment. When someone tells me they gamble for fun or recreation, my first thought is they’re delusional enough to believe that they’ll actually win—that they think they’re the exception to the rule. Otherwise,...

Dear Dave, Recently, my husband had to quit his job due to an old back injury. We have $25,000 in debt, but I’ll be receiving a $38,000 inheritance in a couple of weeks. Should we use the money to pay off our debt, or hold on to it in case he needs surgery?KristenDear Kristen,Now is the time to keep the cash piled high. You’re in the middle of an emergency, and that means you push the pause button on your Total Money Makeover and stop paying extra on debt. Surgery is a possibility at this point, plus you may need...

I know that there are several knowledgeable people on this board, so I'm coming to you with a decision that I've been wrestling with for weeks. Conventional wisdom dictates that, unless absolutely necessary, you should leave your 401K/IRA alone. In normal times, I understand the reasons why that is wise, and agree whole-heartedly. But does that apply to our current economic environment? I have an IRA and a 401K. The IRA is in an index 500 account (closely tied to the S&P) and I have not paid anything into it for over 10 years. I still pay enough into the...

Yesterday, I discussed how anyone can turn their financial life around if they just take that first step - the first step is always the hardest one. After that, you start taking more and more little steps and before you know it, your financial life is getting better and better. What follows is a list of 100 more steps to take. Each of these tactics are simple little moves you can make to improve your financial situation. Some of them take just a few minutes, others might take an hour or two, some of them require a bit of regular...

Michael Jackson says in a court deposition that the Rev. Jesse Jackson and billionaire Ron Burkle gave him advice to help save him from financial disaster when he was fighting child molestation charges. The Daily News said in Sunday editions it reviewed seven hours of transcripts, finding that the singer believed disloyal advisers took advantage of him financially before a Santa Maria, Calif., jury acquitted him of child molestation in June 2005. Michael Jackson said in a deposition taken last summer in Paris that the entertainment industry was "full of sharks, charlatans and impostors." "Because there's a lot of money...

My wife and I have been looking at the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace program. Anyone here tried it? If so, what were your sucesses and what were the difficulties you had in doing it. We did some traveling over the holidays and listened to one of his books on tape and found it interesting.....but words are always easier than actions. We're ready for some pain to make some gain......but are also looking out for problems we can eitehr avoid or use someone elses wisdom when we encounter them.