Wisdom from The Action Wisdom In Action

From Time.

"The quote, from a NY Times piece about cord cutters who are dropping cable TV, comes from the president of a company that expects to sell 500,000 digital antennas this year, up from 385,000 in 2009.

The obvious attraction of these antennas is that, once purchased, they bring totally free TV viewing into the household. That might seem miraculous to the average consumer, spending $2,000 a year on cable, Internet, and other services, but in ye olden times most people watched TV in their homes at no charge whatsoever.

With all the money the consumer is not spending on pay TV, he now has the freedom and some extra dollars to pick and choose to pay for other content he actually wants—not that just happens to be part of some bundle of channels decreed by a cable company. When you do the math, it's readily apparent that by dropping cable you can buy a lot of other content. If your monthly cable bill was $40, that's around $500 a year after taxes and fees. And that's $500 you might choose to spend (or save) in lots of different ways."

As I write this, it isn't even above freezing, and the weatherman tells me there is worse to come--and it isn't even officially winter yet! Good thing we have a monthly feast...

Let's start with the obvious: David at Money Ning--"Can We Agree that Money is Important?" He says "Money is not everything but important nonetheless. We often try to downplay its role but we should only go so far!"

True, but how to get that money?

Here's Randall of Transcription Blog, and his 277 Ways to Save Money. "The epitome of living frugally, here is a very comprehensive array of 277 ways to save money, spanning everything from how to save money on groceries to how to travel frugally."

John at Passive Family Income brings us Effective Ways to Save. "Saving money can be one of the hardest things to do, however there are some key ways to budget and save money that people fail to take advantage of."

Rick Shiano of Rick’s Victory Blog brings us Biblical Prosperity for the believer in the audience.

Now that we can get money, and may have gotten money, how do we hang onto it?

Jane Sanders of Debt Management warns us of Holiday Deals—Not as Great as You’ve Been Led to Believe. Don't I know it! Black Friday should be named Black-and-Blue Friday, because people practically kill themselves and each other fighting for deals that will get even better the closer to Christmas you get...or even AFTER. Can you say FALSE ECONOMY?

The Family CEO shows us how to Save Money on Christmas—Buying Holiday Food.

While we're still in holiday mode, Gary Demps at Get a Master’s Degree lists 50 Free & Frugal Ways for Holiday Family Bonding and says "The article has gathered a list of 50 free or cheap outings and activities that will bring your family closer together this holiday season. Whether it is creating a work of art, building something new, simply playing a game, or traveling the world, they will give your children something they will never forget."

After the holidays, you'll want to attend to other needs, such as:

Silicon Valley Blogger of Digerati Life's Frugal Health & Beauty Tips—Look Good and Save $800/Year.

Sun of Sun’s Financial Diary and Thrifty Fun at Home. I'm certainly having fun making this carnival, but I'm not sure how thrifty it is. I'll leave that to a more accomplished frugalista to decide.

Sarah Winfrey of Parenting Squad shows us how to Save Money on Healthy School Lunches.

Susan Howe of Insure brings us a two-fer (I guess we got one free here): 7 Ways to Reduce Your Auto Insurance Rates, and 7 Little-Known Facts About Auto Insurance. Don't get tripped up by unnecessary insurance, or worse--the WRONG insurance.

And while we're on the subject of insuring and protecting what we've worked so hard and saved for, we need to insure the most important thing of all: ourselves.

Mike Ross of Budget Life has A Buyer’s Guide to Avoiding Life Insurance Fraud, and says "Here's a perfect guide for you to protect yourself from life insurance scams made by illegitimate insurance agents."

Now that we've become masters at scrimping and saving, making and hanging onto our money, we're Getting That Home Stretch Feeling (thanks, Debt Kid). Now we can afford to go to (or send a loved one to) college. Here's some helpful advice:

Cynthia Merritt of College Crunch alerts us to 10 Things College Students Need to Learn About Credit Cards. I only hope it's learned BEFORE ever getting to campus!

Wise Bread warns us of 5 Unexpected Moving Expenses.

And last, but not least, some comfort food for our college-bound student (before or after leaving home): Patti LeCron of French Education (another college?) sends us French Onion Soup on the Cheap!

Looking at it, it seems we're ending the Feast with the first course, but actually this is where the whole Feast list of offerings starts all over again. We'll have another Feast next month--hope to see you there. Send in your RSVPs (submissions) for a seat at the next table.

I had to submit to using InstaCarnival because Google ate my original post, and I deleted all the submissions from my inbox. I suppose I should be thankful there were posts to be found SOMEWHERE!

To make matters worse, Google apparently doesn't do daylight savings time--they told me YESTERDAY my Feast was overdue. It's due today.
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Lauren Dzuris presents 5 Tips to Better Afford Your Baby | FindMyCarSeat.com posted at Lauren, saying, "Learn helpful tips to cut the cost of having a child."

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Pigheaded Limerick posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents How To Save Money on Food & Groceries posted at The Digerati Life.

Stretching the One Income Dollar presents Top 10 Ways To Save Money On Your Groceries.

Warren presents Logistics of Fugal Living Arrangements, or Where to put your caravan? posted at Becoming Free.net.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Should You Get Low Cost Life Insurance? posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "How to get insurance for lower cost."

Kyle McNamara presents 20 Things You Can Do With Old T-Shirts posted at Web Design Schools Guide.

My 80-year-old wedding dress: behold! posted at Miss Thrifty, saying, "How I found my original 1920s wedding dress on eBay - for £25!"

Discover My Secret To Smart Spending posted at Atomm's Blog, saying, "Read through my article as I share with you a very powerful technique to make your money stretch much further than you thought it could!"

Mike Tye presents Boost your earnings by saving posted at Mikes Simple Blog, saying, "How I look at saving money as earning it"

Jeff Weber presents Avoid Balance Transfer Mistakes posted at Smart Balance Transfers, saying, "Tips to help people maximize savings with balance transfers."

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Man Can't Live By Bread Alone...Or Can He? posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog.

Jane Sanders presents The Benefits of Negotiating Debt Settlements Yourself posted at Debt Management.

FIRE Getters presents 15 Financial Failings That Will Prevent An Early Retirement! posted at FIRE Finance, saying, "For those of us who want to retire comfortably and do so while we still have the energy to enjoy our free time, personal vices must be kept to a minimum. Eliminate or at least put off indulging in bad habits that will cost you money in both the short and long term, and you will reach your goal of a relaxing retirement that much sooner ..."

CreditShout Kevin presents Are Balance Transfers Bad For Your Credit? posted at CreditShout.

Gal Josefsberg presents Do Frugality and Dieting Work? posted at Equally Happy, saying, "Frugality and diets are often linked hand in hand as "ways of depriving ourselves in an effort to save money or lose weight". Most people who think of them this way almost always claim that neither one will work because the feeling of deprivation will win out in the end. I disagree!"

Writers Coin presents Buying a New Cellphone: An Obsession posted at The Writer's Coin, saying, "Buying a new cellphone can be expensive, but there is a way to upgrade without paying any money..."

After a disastrous morning, here it is--not my usual work, granted, but at least Google didn't eat this one!

Our first entry comes from Ditch the Boss at Financial Independence: First step towards financial freedom – create your personal financial statement. He/She adds: "The first step is always the hardest. For whatever reason you have decided to take control of your finances in order to achieve financial freedom. That is a good start. The very first action you need to take is to understand your current financial situation in order to devise a plan of action to achieve your financial dreams. The following steps show you how to create your personal financial statement which will give you an accurate picture of where you are with your personal finances."

This is true--everyone needs a starting point, and this is why I chose to start with this entry. If you don't know where you are, you'll never know where you've been, or where you're going. Those who don't know (financial) history are doomed to repeat it.

Part of finding out where you are financially is getting copies of your credit report and FICO score--Praveen at My Simple Trading System knows where to get free credit reports and FICO scores.

If your reports need some improvement, Jeff at Smart Balance Transfers is your guy--he's got a quick tip to improve your credit score. I've also got one courtesy of Clark Howard: pay your credit cards off WEEKLY. This is the fastest way to raise your credit score, and takes as little as 30 days to happen--I've tried it personally, and it works. How many unemployed housewives do you know with a credit score in the 800's?

Now that you have an idea of where you are financially, or how to improve how you look on paper to a lender, let's venture into the grocery store and learn about using coupons (a thing I personally dread, but you might find useful) and saving money.

Me in Millions sends us Coupon-ing Start and says: "I talk about how I got my start couponing and finding deals." While we're at the grocery store, Silicon Valley Blogger at The Digerati Life tells us how to save money on food and groceries.

While you're wandering around the grocery store, you might be thinking about dinner and date night, and Leave Dent Behind has some tips on how to create a cheap date without looking like a cheapskate.

Now that we're done shopping and home again, you might be thinking about energy-efficient cooking for that food, and Quips, Travails, and Braised Oxtails has the scoop for you: "How to make the most frugal use of energy in your kitchen."

Okay--we've heated our food, and now it's time to heat our home. Fire Finance (no pun intended) has 12 tips to lower your heating bill.

Our belly is full, the house is warm and cozy, we can begin thinking about the future. What comes immediately to mind is Debt Kid telling us BUCKLE UP--THE HOLIDAYS ARE NEARLY HERE! Knowing this, we move over to the computer, get online, and discover that Marvin of Money-Rates knows 9 things your banker isn't telling you. His message: "Here's nine ways to make your banking experience a lot cheaper -- that your banker might conveniently forget to tell you."

Now that we know what our banker isn't telling us, we start noodling around with retirement calculators and decide it's all too much--we need a vacation. Erica from Tales From the Tracks shares 5 ways to save money on vacations, and Katie from Tripbase is hoarding the ultimate hotel booking guide: 62 tips that will save you money.

In true frugal spirit, we sleep on it before booking anything, and we look forward to the next Frugal Feast on November 10. Bring cutlery and a covered dish!

Good morning, Cavalcaders! How appropriate that I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon-time to break in a shiny new season of enrollment in a health care plan WITH NO CO-PAYS! That's something I have to get used to, since I go in for preventative care only (so far)--same health plan I've always had, but with new twists.

On with the show.

This morning, I'm going to start off with Health Care issues in honor of Open Enrollment Season.

Disease Care Management Blog sends us this warning: Coming Between You and Your Doctor--The Obama Administration Gets Into the Pre-Approval Business. I'd say the Progressive Democrats are also getting between you and your doctor, and they would rather have you take the shortest route to a funeral home so they don't have to come up with Universal Health Care money to cover you. I'm all for preventative care, but when I need a hip replacement, I don't want a bureaucrat choosing a wheelchair and lifetime pain for me because it's cheaper than a hip replacement--especially when I have my own coverage.

Dr. Jaan Sidorov adds this: "In this post, Dr. Sidorov points out that meddling in the decision making between a doctor and a patient isn't necessarily a bad thing and that managed care organizations have been doing it for years. Guess what: so is the FDA. The Disease Management Care Blog heartily welcomes the Obama Administration to the activity, despite their naive campaign slogans."

Political Calculations (I love this site!) asks this question: How Much Should You Stash Away in Your FSA? The web page contains a calculator for you to use (I love his calculators--in the past, he had one to tell whether or not you'd be better off dropping insurance and paying the penalty--I benefitted by paying the penalty).

Ironman adds: "The benefits of having a health-care Flexible Spending Account can pretty attractive, but you definitely don't want to be left on the hook if you don't spend every penny you set aside in any given year. Ironman at Political Calculations presents a tool for working out how much you should stash in your health-care FSA so you can get all the benefits without so much exposure to the risks."

The Healthcare Economist warns us of the fraud dilemma when it comes to Medicaid and long-term care insurance, and asks: "Should Medicaid prosecute fraudulent long-term care providers? The answer may not always be yes if the government runs the RISK of throwing helpless seniors out on to the street?"

Speaking of long-term care insurance, Hank of InsureBlog asks if LTCi Rate Hikes are Outrageous or Responsible?, and adds: "Long Term Care insurance continues to be an important risk management tool. InsureBlog's guest blogger Herman Bruns (an LTCi expert) explains why, even in the face of substantial rate hikes. "

I suppose that since we're living longer, the costs associated with living (or preserving life) should increase as well--especially when you throw in the coming inflation. I'm one of the millions of people denying the need for LTCi, simply because it's hard to wrap my head around the fact that I might need it.

Free Money Finance sends us this article with a rather funny name (to me, a layman): Toileting and Retirement--Should I Purchase Long-Term Health Care Insurance? Part 1, and adds: "Comprehensive (and scary) series on long-term-care insurance."

Okay--I'm reading. Can't wait for Part 2.

At first, I thought White Coat at TheNotWithstandingBlog was sending me an article about a new swear-word phrase (WTFM), but upon closer inspection, the post is titled RTFM and has a whole different meaning! This RTFM story deals with a hospital in Tennessee that is slated to lose Medicare payments because of violations of the participation agreement between the hospital and the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS).

What violations, specifically? You'll have to read the post for yourself. :)

Okay...let's take a break from all this health stuff--we need a vacation!

Wanderlust Journey asks "is vacation trip cancellation is worth it?" I remember Clark Howard saying something about travel insurance, but Wanderlust says it's expensive, and only needed if there's a greater than 5% chance the trip isn't happening for you.

As a former Navy wife, I don't plan to go on a cruise any time soon--I've had my fill of ships in my life, usually ones with Hubby going away for 6 months at a time. If I could've paid 5% to get him back home, I'd have done so (and so would many other Navy wives).

Speaking of cruise ships and sinking, Equally Happy sends us this article on the sunk costs idea, and says "Sunk costs are a a highly misunderstood concept and one which has caused numerous bad decisions. In this article I try to clarify the concept a bit."

Now for the various types of other insurances.

AUTO
Insurance Coverage Law in Massachusetts sends us this news bulletin: Jury awards $12 million against car owners who removed driver from their auto insurance policy. It's a sad tale of how an uninsured member of the family hopped into a car, caused an accident which left the victims severely hurt, and racked up one hell of a bill for his grandparents (car owners) for letting him have access to the keys. Simply leaving your keys out on a table or on a hook somewhere could cost you BIGTIME!

LIABILITY
Jeff Rose of Good Financial Cents says "You Never Know When It Might Rain, Better Have Your Umbrella (Policy) Handy." He adds: "Personal umbrella insurance policies are often misinterpreted by consumer and are surrounded by myths. Here are some important facts you need to know."

That concludes this edition of the Cavalcade of Risk. Join us next time at Workers Comp Insider for the October 20th edition.

For the past week, it's been hot enough here to cook dinner on the sidewalk. As of today, we're getting a week of respite from the high-90's temps.

We're also getting a respite from the non-relevant submissions that keep pouring in. Whoever invented the DELETE button deserves a medal!

Okay--onward with our none-too-small yet relevant carnival:

HEALTH

The Contamination of Policy-Making by Presidential Marketing from Jaan Siderov and Disease Care Management Blog. He looks at our President’s liberal use of marketing to promote his health reform by using the term “Patient Bill of Rights”. That was never envisioned in the health reform legislation. Our Chief Executive keeps trying to sell us a bill of goods: the name may change but folks don’t seem to be buying it.

I'm certainly not buying it. Here's what I'm doing instead.

International Health Care Models: An Introduction from Jason Shafrin and Health Care Economist. He says "Find out how countries around the world provide health insurance to their citizens in this series of posts by the Healthcare Economist."

New ACGME Resident Work-Hour Policies from the Notwithstanding Blog. "The governing body for American medical post-graduate training has released new guidelines for resident work hours. They aim to strike a balance between the risks posed by under-rested and under-supervised residents now, and under-trained and under-experienced doctors in the future."

I included this because overworked medical residents posed risks to their own health as well as the patients they treated. While I'm not from the risk community, please let me know if this does not really count as risk, so future similar submissions will be dealt with adequately.


LIFE

Life Extending Habits from Super Saver at My Wealth Builder. "In this study, eliminating four risks increased lifespan by 12 years."

6 Money-Saving Tips When You Prepare For Your Life Insurance Exam from Susan Howe at The Budget Life Blog. "Preparing properly for your life insurance exam is important to qualify for the best life insurance rates. Here are six things you can do in order to prepare for your life insurance exam."

How Much Does Life Insurance Cost? from Christien at How Much Does Everything Cost Blog. From the article: "The price of life insurance holds opposing views depending on factors such as the insured’s age, health, and career. For instance, the premium for a 30-year-old, male, non-smoker in excellent health will be far less costly than a similar policy for a 70-year-old male smoker. In the same way, a bungee jumping employee would have to shell out much higher premiums for life insurance than would a secretary."

LEGAL (a new category for me)

Guardianship: A Critical Protection for Your Child from Kim Luu at Money and Risk Blog. "People plan many things to protect their children but tend to forget a basic thing, who to take care of their child."

Court Ponders Complexity in Measuring Loss from Tred Eyerly and Insurance Law Hawaii. From the article: "The ambiguity was construed in favor of the insureds, entitling them to a recovery of up to policy limits, or $105,600.

Nevertheless, there was still the issue of a possible double recovery. An unresolved question was whether the appropriate measure of the insureds' actual loss was the cost to rebuild or actual cash value. Only if the fact finder determined the insureds intended to reconstruct their home would loss be measured by the cost to rebuild."

Colorado Governor Ritter at Odds With Attorney General Suthers from Louise of Colorado Health Insurance Insider Blog. "The Attorneys General who are trying to block the mandate are arguing that it’s unconstitutional to require people to purchase a product against their will. But by that argument, isn’t is unconstitutional to require private health insurance companies to accept all applicants, regardless of medical history?"

Sometimes I wish we could erase the entire Health Care Reform right out of existence--it causes more harm than good, in my non-expert opinion.

Malpractice Defense: Fetal Descent Stalled, With Variable Decelerations from David Williams at Health Business Blog. This looked like a serious article, and not being from the insurance world OR the medical world, I easily understood it. I also understood why our health care costs are so high--unfounded lawsuits and doctors having to practice defensive medicine against people like this.

"A difficult labor and delivery ended with a baby that had brain hemorrhages early in life. In the ensuing lawsuit, the defendants persuaded the jury they had managed the risks appropriately." I'm glad all ended well.

AUTO

The 20 Least Expensive Cars to Insure in 2010 from Susan Howe and Insure.com Blog. It isn't always the car that makes the insurance expensive--the driver's habits and record (including credit) also factor in, as well as location and company chosen for the policy.

As far as cars go, the more doors, wheels, safety gear, and weight a vehicle has, the less it costs to insure. As for the DRIVER...

HOME

Do You Need a Home Warranty? from Ryan at Cash Money Life Blog. "You may need a home warranty, which can cover home maintenance repairs and costs for appliances, plumbing, air conditioning & heating units, more." To me, that's what the home inspection's all about--to find out the rough lifespan of the appliances and systems BEFORE making an offer on the house, and deducting any possible replacement costs from the asking price. From the article: "With standard policies ranging from $200-$600 per year, the cost is fairly affordable and can certainly save you considerable money in the event a major repair or replacement is covered." I'd think the savings from a lowered purchase offer would yield more (and keep cash in the bank account for such eventual replacements) than the cost of one of these policies. You'd gain interest on the money you AREN'T spending every year on the policy, and on the appliance/system replacements you DON'T have to make just yet.

If something turns up dicey in the home inspection, you can lower the purchase offer by the amount it would take to replace it, then plan on replacing it when the offer's accepted and you close the deal. The one-time cost of a home inspection prior to buying is about equal to one month's premium on a home warranty policy, and it may reveal the futility in buying this kind of policy.

FINANCIAL (no casino, gold, or scam posts)

5 Secrets of Wall St., Part V: Risk Management Isn't a Science from Carlos and ONNtv blog. "Risk management isn't an exact science, but that doesn't mean you should ignore it. A look at black swans, volatility, and managing risk."

INSURANCE IN GENERAL

Supplemental Insurance: What I Learned From an AFLAC Employee Interview from Nathan Richardson and Complex Search.com Blog. This insurance is also known as accidental death and dismemberment insurance (or AD&D--not to be confused with the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons), and is usually cheap for the coverage. The trouble is you must have very specific losses for the policy to pay out, and even THOSE are subjective.

I believe (but may be wrong) this is why SSI (Social Security disability) and life insurance were invented. I'm interested in knowing if these policies pay out for a lifetime, or just a specific time (like 1 year).

The Seven Pillars of Financial Success, Pillar #6: Get Insured from Free Money Finance Blog. "Even the Bible details the benefits of owning insurance." Maybe God knows something we don't?

Insurance Broker vs. Buying A Policy Online: Which Option is Best? from Nathan Richardson and Complex Search.com Blog. From the article: "Tip--just because you start out shopping online does not mean that you have to finish in the same place. For instance, you can receive several quotes online from different providers and then contact an agent direct for more information."

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

Risk Management: Is Your Business Prepared? from Hank Stern and Insureblog. "Is your business *really* prepared for a disaster? InsureBlog reports on a little-known resource to help you plan for one."

Managing Risk in a Recession from Nancy Germond and All Business.com Blog. From the article: "Is your organization ready to lose up to 25 percent of its intellectual capital in the next few years? Add this flight to an average job stay of three-to-four years, and businesses in America are at risk. America is poised for an employment exodus so dramatic that many companies will find themselves unprepared."

It's hard for me to see an employment exodus when we have millions unemployed, but when you insert the terms "qualified" and "experienced", the picture changes dramatically. We're importing workers in boxcar lots NOW (via VISA programs) just to help keep the current science/math/high tech world pinned together--what happens when they aren't enough? Wages will certainly skyrocket for these fields, and benefits will probably become more generous than they were just five years ago.

On that profound note, I'll conclude my Cavalcade and send it on over to the Disease Management Care Blog.

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? :)