Tag: Money Watch

5 Most Costly Lies in Finance (via Kathy Kristof at CBS Money Watch)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Kathy Kristof
I am not always kind to Ms. Kristof. I find her writing fluffy with topics better associated with one of those women’s magazines like “Seven Better Ways to Make Your Man Appreciate You.”

Nevertheless I like this one and she has a done a service by hitting the golden oldies in business lies. I teach college and am often surprised how few of my students understand the most basic lies, cons and fallacious offers in the business world.

Here’s an excerpt. –

Unfortunately this confusing Wall Street-speak could put you in in a fog when approaching financial transactions. And that can make you vulnerable to people who would like to trick you out of your money. When salesmen and con artists see that your normal radar for bad advice, toxic investments and outright scams is getting nothing but fog (the potential result of all the hot air on Wall Street), they ramp up clever lies to separate you from your cash.

I recommend you go to CBS and read the five lies. You might say something nice about Ms. Kristof while you are there.

James Pilant

Who’s The Most Profitable Dead Celebrity?

On By southwerkIn ethics

During this period of economic insecurity and multiple crisis. It is always surprising to turn to the novelty part of the news to see something odd. Those parts of the newspaper, magazine or web publication are clearly labeled.

They tend to go with descriptive names, “News of the Odd,” or “Strange News,” you know, stuff like that.

Well, it’s definitely clearly marked on the CBS web site.

They call it “Money Watch.”

Today, the top number one item on Money Watch asks “Who’s the Highest-Earnings Dead Celebrity?”

I (being the fool I am) am worried about the foreclosure crisis that is gathering steam with new revelations day by day. But that’s not newsworthy. Newsworthy is dead people earning money. Strangely enough, that has never made it onto my radar as a major issue (or a minor one).

So, once again I call attention to the ability of modern media to transfer our attention from the important to the trivial.

It’s not a big deal except it cripples democracy, damages thinking, and elevates the statistical anomaly to a kind of temporary annoyance.

James Pilant

(It’s Michael Jackson.)