Yeske Buie Weekend Digest 03/28/2009
We so enjoyed the massive response to our “Live Big” email that we thought we’d roll out another edition of the Yeske Buie Weekend Digest for your delectation. Note the link below to the ever-growing web version of the list. As always, don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions about any of the topics covered in this digest or anything else for that matter.
New Webinar Scheduled
Our next webinar is scheduled for Thursday, April 2 at 9:00 AM Pacific Time and 12:00 PM Eastern Time. We will be discussing current economic conditions, how we got here, and the outlook going forward. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions during the presentation. Your invitation will arrive in your inbox at the beginning of next week.
And don’t forget to invite your friends!
Media Matters
Dave was quoted by syndicated columnist Janet Kidd Stewart in an article discussing the dangers of deferred-compensation plans in this economy.
Volunteer Work
The Financial Planning Association (FPA) has asked Dave to chair a new Research Center Team devoted to assessing research proposals submitted by academics and practitioners. The Financial Planning Association is the community that fosters the value of financial planning and advances the financial planning profession. Building the profession’s body of knowledge through rigorous research is one of the ways in which FPA pursues this mission.
Identity Theft
Just a reminder that we’ve posted an article on our website (“Guarding Against Identity Theft“) on how to protect yourself from identity theft.
How to Get Help
And don’t forget that our updated client page (https://clients.yebu.com/) offers a full list of who does what and who you should contact for help with various issues. Contact numbers and email links are available from that page as well.
Weekend Reading
Here are a few of the more interesting items that found their way into print over the past week.
An AIG employee who worked in the company’s notorious Financial Products unit had his resignation letter published in the New York Times this week. Read it and see if you think those 400 people got a raw deal “Dear A.I.G, I Quit!”
Fresh Air host Terry Gross conducts a fascinating interview with Frank Partnoy, author of “FIASCO: Blood in the Water on Wall Street.” Partnoy is a professor at the University of San Diego law school who started out as a derivatives trader at Morgan Stanley. In this 39 minute interview he explains derivatives, credit default swaps and how they led to the current financial crisis. Well worth a listen!
“Can capitalism survive? No. I do not think it can.” — Joseph Schumpeter, 1942
Robert Samuelson discusses the status of Schumpeter’s prediction in light of massive government intervention in the economy. American Capitalism is Besieged.
Very cool graphic. This chart by design firm Nicolas Rapp shows how the first $3 trillion of what will eventually amount to $12 trillion in government spending has been allocated. A picture is worth a thousand words!
What does it mean to Live Big in these trying times? We’ve been adding your responses to our “living list.” Please share any new ones you can think of.
Quote of the Day
“Americans should realize that the nation’s most successful export isn’t Coke or Boeing airliners or Microsoft software or even Hollywood films. It’s the dollar, which is accepted around the world as a store of value”
Randall W. Forsyth, writing in
Barron’s (“Is the Dollar Sunk?“)