Wisdom from The Action Wisdom In Action

Welcome to the Cavalcade of Risk--the "It's My Party, and I'll Blog if I Want To!" Edition

Today's my birthday, and yep--I'm now a certified Old Bat (thanks for the certificate, Mom), and I'm not telling how many candles are on top of the cake. Grab a hat, a noisemaker, some cake and ice cream, and join my party!

On to my favorite part: opening the presents.

This box is marked "home", and inside is--

Do You Have Enough Insurance on Your Home? from Tom at Canadian finance blog. The card says "When you first bought your house, you most likely got insurance to cover against disasters like fires and storms. Since that time, has the value of your home stayed the same?"

Thank you, Tom, for the lovely present.

The next box is marked "auto", and inside is--

Just What Drivers Need--More Distractions! a limerick from Mad Kane's Humor Blog. This particular subject bugs me too, so Maddy gets extra cake. My hubby and I both cursed up a blue storm when Ford announced its "better idea" of turning the dashboard into a giant video game, i-Pod, and smart phone all in one. We've got ENOUGH problems around here with just texting, or just talking, on a cell phone. Hell, some people can't talk unless they're behind the wheel first, which isn't bad until they put the car in gear.

Thank you, Mad Kane. Don't forget your extra cake. :)

To counter-balance, we have Hank Stern's gift Hang Up That Cell Phone? Fuggetdabout it! Apparently, rats have less amyloid plaques after exposure to electromagnetic waves from a cell phone...but can they DRIVE any better? Extra cake for Hank, and thank you.

Six Tips for Lowering Your Auto Insurance Premiums from Jeff Rose and Good Financial Cents. I'd like to add a 7th--join the military or civil service, and that gets you a ticket into GEICO land (the cheapest insurance around).

Thank you, Jeff.

LATE BREAKING ADDITION: Auto Insurance Rates Collide with Credit from Bankrate.com.

This next box is marked "life", and it contains--

Life Insurance Reality Check--Do You Have Enough? from Free Money Finance.

Thank you, Free Money. An especially appropriate gift.

Is a Variable Life Insurance Policy the Right One for You? from Consumer Boomer. I, too, listened to Suze Orman, but now I figure if you have a variable life, why not insure it properly? :)

This next box is marked "health", and it contains--

A lovely handmade (no links) gift from Stephen Ambrose. I'll hold it up so everyone can see...oh wait. It's a stinky ad for subrogation software disguised as a lovely gift. No more cake for YOU, Stephen! Your gift is going in the trash.

Do Higher Co-Payments Decrease Health Care Costs? From Jason Shafrin at Health Care Economist. The card reads "The trend towards more patient cost sharing has not stemmed the tide of rising health care costs. Do higher copayments decrease patient demand for medical services? The Healthcare Economist argues that the answer is still 'Yes'."


I've always found that to decrease medical costs, you must decrease NEED for medical care in the first place...by taking better care of yourself. More cake for Jason!

Speaking of medical and health, we have Night Shift/Calls May Lead to Increased Risk for Cardiovascular Disease from Dr. Ves Dimov. Good thing this party's happening in the daylight hours! It's always wise to invite a doctor to your gatherings. :) Thanks, Doc!

Next, we have a box marked "personal", and it contains--

Buy Insurance From an Insurance Guy; Buy Your Tax Advice From a Tax Advisor from Joe Kristan of Roth & Co. I couldn't agree with you more, Joe--would you call a plumber for an electrical problem? More cake for Joe, and thank you.

Portfolio Insurance: Designing an Ethical Asset Protection Plan from Nate Kragness at My Free Cash. The card reads "Designing a solid yet ethical asset protection plan is one of the most important ways to protect your portfolio from the unforeseen, and can be even more important than carrying a general insurance policy. By creating redundant layers of separation between your assets, you can insulate and protect yourself from judgments, and even avoid lawsuits altogether."

We all want to avoid the dreaded "L" word--more cake for Nate, and thank you.

Why You Should Check Your Credit Report Regularly from Jeff Rose and Good Financial Cents. I would think this is Step #1 of identity theft protection. Two gifts? More cake and ice cream!

Message is "Adventures are Cool" as Brazier Stokes Risk Debate from the UK's Health & Safety News. The card reads "With his proposals, announced today, to encourage more adventure training and sports activities, Julian Brazier MP has helped fuel a much needed debate on the causes of risk and liability aversion and the need to create a more ‘risk intelligent’ society."

Good luck with THAT one--we've got people about to drive around in an X-box on wheels, courtesy of Ford. Any chance we can put an age limit on these cars--say, anyone over 25 allowed to buy and drive them, or anyone who can afford bubble-wrap-style insurance protection to go along with the car? It's been scientifically proven that people cannot make sound risk assessments until they're at least 25, but I guess the UK can try with lectures and adventure classes.

No cake for them--they've probably outlawed it anyway.

The last box is marked "business" and it contains--

Older Workers and Comp: Low Risk and a Few Surprises from John Coppelman at Workers Comp Insider. The card reads "In 1988, 11% of those who were 65 years old or older were working, and now 17% of that age group work. Jon Coppelman of Workers Comp Insider posts about a recent report that looks at workers' comp, safety, and the relative risks of the older worker."

Having worked alongside older people, I find them to be more reliable than younger workers. At least they CALL when they can't show up for work, and they dress appropriately when they DO come to work--no tattoos, no piercings, and no bright red hair. More cake for John, and thank you.

Incivility Costs Business Millions from Nancy Germond. The card reads "Germond's rant on incivility borders on incivility. Read it yourself and see. Thanks!"

I see something similar going on with E-Harmony's dating service--they don't serve anyone who isn't Christian. At least J-date tells you up front that they specialize in pairing up Jews.

Extra cake and ice cream (more "holiday" pounds for you) Nancy, and enjoy! I don't care how much you weigh. :)

And last, but not least, a present to myself.

The Permanent Temporary Work Force (an MSN article along with my snide comments). The great risk shift has begun--it's now up to us to secure our own benefits with whatever meager salary we can pull down form our own efforts.

Okay--all the presents are opened. Call the cleanup crew!

More cake and ice cream for everyone...what the hell. Blow your horns and noisemakers as we begin moving the party over to the next host (sorry--it isn't listed in the Blog Carnival, so no link). Grab some balloons and streamers, and let's go!

Hank--where are we going? :)

Posted by Cute at 8:24 PM

Labels: carnivals I hosted