Fiat-based paper currencies facilitate commerce by acting as a medium of exchange that's far preferable to bartering. Unfortunately, governments that wish to spend beyond their means can -- and do -- print fiat with impunity, thereby leading to ...
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100 Words On: How to Quit Dreaming and Start Doing
Robert Louis Stevenson said that there can be no fairer ambition than to excel in talk. And while that may be true for the dreamers in life, successful people know the world will always depend on doers -- folks who are motivated to follow through and ...
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100 Words On: Why It’s Time to Eliminate the Penny
It's been a decade since Canada announced it would no longer mint pennies. That makes a lot of sense; perhaps America should follow suit. In 1913 the once-proud penny had 23 times the purchasing power it does now. Today, the penny is essentially ...
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100 Words On: Runners and Pedestrians Who Refuse to Use Sidewalks
Go play on the freeway!
While nobody would ever take that suggestion seriously, there are plenty of irresponsible joggers and pedestrians who have no problem tempting fate by literally spending their leisure time on city thoroughfares despite the ...
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100 Words On: Why You Should be a Parent, Not a Best Friend
Whether they know it or not, children depend on their parents to say "no" and make tough or unpopular decisions for their benefit. Unfortunately, it's impossible to effectively enforce rules and boundaries without running your household like a ...
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100 Words On: Why Laziness Is Usually Someone Else’s Fault
A man had two dogs: a hound, to assist him in hunting, and a housedog, who simply laid around the house. After a good day's hunt, he always gave the housedog a large share of his spoil. One day, the hound, feeling much aggrieved at this, reproached ...
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100 Words On: Why It Pays to Sleep on It Prior to a Big Decision
When youre facing an important financial decision, theres something to be said about taking a night to think it over. That's because, when it comes right down to it, most financial decisions aren't emergencies -- although a lot of folks might think ...
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100 Words On: Why You’ll Never Get Rich Working for ‘the Man’
Many folks who work for others love to complain about the professionally unsatisfying nine-to-five grind of their daily job, yet refuse to change the status quo. That's because the perceived relative safety of their steady job -- and the guaranteed ...
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100 Words On: Why You Should Never Buy a Timeshare
No matter what that slick salesman tells you, vacation timeshares aren't a good deal. Surprised? Don't be. Many timeshares owners lose the freedom to vacation wherever and whenever they choose -- or even skip one, considering annual maintenance fees ...
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100 Words On: The (Second) Best Stock Market Investing Tip Ever
Buy low and sell high; it's the ultimate investing tip, although never easy to execute. That's where the second-best investing tip comes in: control the risk that comes with investing. One of the best ways to do that is to have an exit strategy when ...
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100 Words On: Why It Pays to Keep It Simple, Stupid
Keep it simple, Stupid. That's something we've all been told at one time or another, for any variety of reasons. That's usually sage advice -- especially when it comes to managing your personal finances. There's no need to make things complicated. ...
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100 Words On: Why Buying in Bulk Is Not Always a Smart Idea
Although it requires extra storage and higher upfront costs, many consumers buy their groceries and other products in bulk to save money. But that strategy can quickly backfire for those who indiscriminately buy massive quantities of ...
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100 Words On: The Dumbest Place Where People Use Credit Cards
Responsible folks love the plastic in their wallets because credit card benefits simply can't be matched by cash. However, there are several places where credit cards should never be used. Financially speaking, one of the most expensive mistakes any ...
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100 Words On: The Most Valuable Subject Taught In Grade School
If you're looking to earn the biggest annualized net return on your college investment, studies consistently show that your best bet is via a science- or math-based technical degree. With that in mind, one would assume science or math is the most ...
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100 Words On: The One-Armed Bandit’s Armless Cousin
Who hasn't been fleeced by a casino slot machine? Although only Keno offers worse odds of winning, slots are by far the most popular casino game, responsible for 70% of all gambling industry winnings -- so it's really no surprise they're derisively ...
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100 Words On: The Department of Redundancy Department
When it comes to the world of banking, nobody seems to have any problem with redundancy. How else can you explain the fact that people routinely use their PIN number at the ATM machine? If you ask a linguist, he'll boldly proclaim that redundancy ...
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100 Words On: Why Competition Is Good For Everyone
Human nature is such that, if given the chance, most folks would choose to take the path of least resistance by avoiding competition. However, those who lack challengers almost always miss the motivation required to innovate or otherwise stay at the ...
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100 Words On: How to Get an Instant Raise – Without Kissing Up!
The US inflation rate last year was "officially" 2.1% -- but arguably higher -- while the average pay hike was just 2.9%. Maybe that's why, when it comes to job complaints, surveys show that employees grouse about their paltry paychecks more than ...
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100 Words On: Why Folgers Coffee Is More Expensive Than You Think
All things considered, most coffee drinkers realize that brewing their java at home is significantly more cost effective than buying it from Starbucks. However, those who use a typical automatic drip coffee maker may not be saving quite as much as ...
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100 Words On: Confusing Equal Opportunity with Equal Outcome
Like it or not, some Americans will always have to work harder than others to succeed. The economist Milton Friedman noted that the word "fair" isn't in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, or the Bill of Rights; those documents do, ...
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