• About
  • Mortgage Basics
  • $40K Challenge
  • Aunt Doris
  • Grandfather Says
  • Privacy
  • Archives

Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

Fake News: Can You Spot the Error In This Article?

By Antonio Fortunato

It was recently confirmed as fact, via the hacking of emails from a national Presidential candidate’s campaign manager and the hacking of emails from the leadership of a national political party committees emails, that news has been fabricated quite regularly by our heretofore trusted national media and others.

Since this revelation, we’ve been bombarded with repetitive stories from the national media about “fake news” and how destructive fake news can be.

Perhaps the reason for this bombardment about fake news is to get our minds off of the recently-confirmed fact that our national news media regularly trades in fake news. I believe we all need to work to verify — not just to discern — whether news is true or untrue.

There’s an old saying that’s funny, but also full of wisdom: “Don’t believe everything you think.”

The lesson in all this is that we need to verify — not just to “discern” — whether the news we’re reading is real or fake, whether we agree with it or not.

So, in the spirit of fake news, facts, falsehoods, mathematics and random thoughts I’d like to share the following six general news and personal finance factoids. Can you can identify the error?

  • For the same amount of money used to purchase a “tall” Starbucks latte five days per week during each week in 2016, one could have purchased an economy roundtrip flight from the continental US to London, England or to continental Europe.
  • The percentage of today’s Americans whose families immigrated to the US after 1870 is more than 50%. In other words, less than one-half of today’s US population can trace its family in America back to the civil war.
  • Sixty-nine percent of Americans last year had less than $1000 in savings.
  • The number of people murdered in Chicago during the nine years that ended December 31, 2016: 4486. That’s 11 fewer than the number of US service personnel killed in Iraq during the nine years of the Iraq war.
  • The English like to say: “We pay attention to our pennies because they add up to pounds.”

Okay … after reading this article, did you spot the problem?

Photo Credit: weekly world news

January 25, 2017

Comments

  1. 1

    Vic says

    I’m pretty sure the 69% with less than $1000 in savings is an old wife tale.

  2. 2

    akaGaGa says

    The British say “pence” not pennies.

    • 3

      Antonio Fortunato says

      Sandy, the British say: that costs 75 pence” or may say: “that costs 75 P” however they would say: “there are 100 pennies in a pound”.

      • 4

        akaGaGa says

        But George, the article speaks of what the British “like” to say.

        P.S. My name’s not Sandy.

  3. 5

    Dustin Michael Wax says

    Only 5 factoids…

    • 6

      Sandy says

      ^^^^^ What he said.

      • 7

        Antonio Fortunato says

        Sandy and Dustin, you have both correctly identified the error in the article. Well done.

  4. 8

    Kathy says

    Probably not what you are asking, but is it really hacking when the campaign manager willingly gives out his password to person or persons unknown to him. That’s called successful phishing, I think.

  5. 9

    Gruber says

    Trick question. All of those facts are true!

  6. 10

    Paul says

    Bits of my “family” (ancestors) came post 1870, but other branches were here long before that (and presumably gave the newcomers a very warm welcome). Mixing with the indigenous population surely has made the “less than one-half” part of that fact wrong.

    (Sidebar – pence and pennies are both acceptable plurals for penny, methinks.)

  7. 11

    otto says

    Iraq war lasted 8 yrs

The Question of the Week:

Will you be taking a summer road trip of 500 miles or more this year?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Recent Posts

  • Black Coffee: The Sky’s the Limit
  • The Difference Between Real Wealth and Paper Wealth
  • Savings Tips for High School Grads: 6 Ways to Kick-Start Your Savings
  • Shopping In the Modern Age: Does the Internet Encourage Overspending?
  • 9 Ways to Ensure Your Road Trip Sucks
  • Black Coffee: Tick Tock Goes the Debt Clock
  • Grandfather Says: The Continuing Chronicles of Elaine, Part 15
  • How to Determine If Your Artwork Is Valuable
  • 6 Ways to Clean Out Your House for Cash This Spring
  • 12 Good Reasons Why You Should (and Shouldn’t) Pay Off Your Mortgage Early

Disclaimer

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and the content herein should not be mistaken for professional financial advice. In fact, making investment decisions based on information published here, or any other website for that matter, is more than unwise; it is folly. This website accepts advertising in the form of monetary and other compensation; as such, topics of discussion are occasionally influenced by these advertisers. Sometimes, an article may also include affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, this blog earns a commission if you click through and make a purchase (for example, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases). Remember, you and you alone are responsible for the decisions you make in life, so please contact an independent financial professional for advice regarding your unique personal situation.

Sign up for the weekly Len Penzo dot Com newsletter
Len Penzo dot Com Delivered Weekly
Join more than 40,000 readers and fans who enjoy personal finance and macroeconomics with an offbeat twist!
Invalid email address
Thanks for subscribing!

Popular Now:

  1. 1. How to Fix Your Finances Without More Money
  2. 2. 34 Financial Tricks to Help You Retire Early
  3. 3. Why Coffee Drinkers Waste More Than Money at Starbucks
  4. 4. How Smart Couples Save Money by Gaming the System
  5. 5. Effective Negotiating Tactics Everyone Should Know
  6. 6. Credit or Debit: Which One Is Actually Better?
  7. 7. Is the Payback Period on Energy Efficient Lights Too Long?
  8. 8. Why Paying Off the Mortgage Early May Be a Big Mistake
  9. 9. Historical Gold & Silver Benchmarks for Wages and Commodities
  10. 10. 4 Good Reasons Why Some Quarters Are Painted Red

All-Time Most Popular:

  1. 1. 19 Things Your Millionaire Neighbor Won’t Tell You
  2. 2. Dear Friend: Here Are 41 Reasons Why I’m NOT Lending the Money
  3. 3. Why Your Expensive Luxury Car Doesn’t Impress Smart People
  4. 4. If You Can’t Live on $40,000 Annually It’s Your Own Fault
  5. 5. 21 Reasons Why Corner Lots Are for Suckers
  6. 6. 4 Smart Reasons Why College Isn’t for Everyone
  7. 7. 18 Fast Facts About Social Security Numbers
  8. 8. My Ketchup Taste Test: Upset! Guess Which Brand Topped Heinz
  9. 9. Why I Prefer a Spreadsheet to Track Expenses and Manage My Finances
  10. 10. Here’s a Simple Trick for Getting Credit Card Interest Charges Waived

Copyright © 2023 Len Penzo dot Com · All Rights Reserved · Designed by Nuts and Bolts Media

© Len Penzo dot Com 2008–2023

x
x