MoneySmart

ALDI beats Porsche

The Porsche family, makers of the luxury sportscar, have fallen off the list of Germany's 10 wealthiest people. 

At the top of the list? Karl and Theo Albrecht, founders of deep-discount, no-frills grocer ALDI.

Sign of the times?

---Samantha Maziarz Christmann

How much is a trillion dollars, really?

We've heard some pretty big numbers getting tossed around lately. But have you ever really tried to wrap your head around how much a trillion dollars really is?

This video from free money management site Mint.com gives it a shot.

---Samantha Maziarz Christmann  

Give Me Liberty or Give Me New York State?

Political Scientists at the University at Buffalo and Texas State University have declared New York the state with the least individual freedom in America.

                                              

Jason Sorens, Fait Muedini and William P. Ruger published their findings in "Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom" through Mercatus Center at George Mason University. 

Their research named New Hampshire, Colorado and South Dakota the states with the most individual freedom in the country, combining scores for personal and economic freedom. The top states had low taxes and government spending along with moderate levels of regulation and "paternalism."

Alaska was named the state with the most personal freedom.

After New York, the least free states were found to be New Jersey, Rhode Island, California and Maryland.

States were evaluated against the following criteria, according to the researchers' data:

Most Personal Freedom: "decriminalizing marijuana, having fewer gun controls, having fewer regulations on home and private schools, permitting same-sex civil unions, abolishing "blue laws" on alcohol sales and having less restrictive rules on smoking on private property," etc.

Most Economic Freedom: "low taxes and government spending as a percentage of the economy, low prevalence of occupational licensing, strict rules preventing eminent domain abuse and few regulations on health insurance and labor contracts," etc.

---Samantha Maziarz Christmann

Survivor Guilt?

When the ax falls at work--and misses you--the initial reaction is often relief. But, experts say, that feeling of good fortune is only temporary and is soon replaced with a feeling of guilt that you made the cut when your co-workers did not.

The folks at staffing agency Office Team offer this advice on how to bounce back after company layoffs:

Make yourself indispensable. Focus your efforts on projects that help boost your firm’s bottom line. Take courses to learn skills that allow you to contribute in new ways.

Build visibility. In uncertain times, it’s important to be noticed for the right reasons. Volunteer for projects that no one wants to tackle or that fall outside your job description. Also provide periodic reports updating your supervisor on your achievements.

Adapt to change. Managers appreciate employees who can roll with the punches and maintain productivity when faced with adversity. Demonstrate your ability to stay positive, motivated and focused on doing good work. 

Conduct an audit. Now is the time to be nimble. Evaluate current processes and offer suggestions for cutting costs or saving your company time or resources.

Avoid the rumor mill. While increased water cooler chatter is inevitable after layoffs, avoid contributing to the gossip. Also, don’t believe everything you hear. If you have questions about your company’s direction, ask your manager but understand he or she may not have all the answers.

Be generous with praise. After downsizing, employees may begin to doubt their abilities and question their own future with the company. If you are a manager, you may not be in a position to make promises of job security, but you can give direct reports positive feedback on their performance in challenging times.

Reach out. Offer assistance to those who have experienced a job loss by introducing them to your professional network and helping them with their job search.

Look out for yourself. Layoff survivors often experience increased workloads, which can lead to burnout. Talk to your manager about setting priorities, delegating projects or bringing in temporary professionals. 

---Samantha Maziarz Christmann

Will Bankruptcy Protect Salmonella-Shipping Company from Punishment?

Peanut Corporation of America, the company shipping the Salmonella-tainted peanut paste that killed up to nine people and sickened hundreds, filed for bankruptcy Friday.

Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, said bankruptcy could shield the company from liability suits filed by victims of the outbreak. The agency called for tougher punishments and an overhaul of the Food and Drug Administration. Shipping tainted products is currently a misdemeanor under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

"It is unacceptable for corporations to put consumers' health at risk, and then simply declare bankruptcy and go out of business when they get caught," said Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives at Consumers Union, in a statement. "We must have an FDA that can oversee food processors so that unscrupulous behavior can be detected, prevented and deterred."

What do you think?

---Samantha Maziarz Christmann

Company Knew it Shipped Tainted Peanut Butter

It turns out the company  that distributed peanut paste infected with Salmonella was aware of the contamination.

Now that two people implicated in selling the melamine-tainted milk powder that killed six have been sentenced to death in China, and knowing Peanut Corp. of America's contaminated paste killed six people and sickened hundreds of others, how do you think punishment of company officials here will be conducted? 

How much burden does the Food and Drug Administration bear for not catching the problem sooner?

---Samantha Maziarz Christmann

Recession Proof Your Job

It's easy to feel helpless during the recession. Seeing long lines of jobseekers is depressing. Hearing daily about layoffs and business closings is scary. Cher Murphy, president of Cher Murphy PR, reminds us there are more people working than not, and offers advice on how to feel more in control.

1. Remain noticeably active on the job. Regardless of what type of field you work in, it is important that you let people see that you are busy. If you look like you aren’t doing much, it gives others the idea that you are not needed.    

2. Document your contributions. Keep a file of everything that you do to help the company, no matter how small you may think it is. That information can be quite handy later, if you have to defend your position by explaining your contribution to the company.

3. Help make cuts. Many businesses need to make economic cuts right now. Offer a list of ideas that you think can help your company lower their bottom line. They will appreciate your input and the fact that you care enough to help with this issue.

4. Reduce your overhead. If you own small business, consider taking it home if it can be done there, rather than from a rented space, which could save a great deal of money each month. Also, re-evaluate how you are getting your business name out to the public. Now is the time to utilize public relations, in order to increase brand-name recognition and sales.

5. Don’t complain.  The last thing your employer wants to hear is you whining about taking on additional tasks or having to be more flexible in order to help them stay afloat. Vent your complaints in the car as you head home, rather than to your employer.

6. Improve your skills.  If there is a class, degree, convention, or some other skill-building tool you can undertake or experience, you should do it. It will make you that much more valuable at your current job, and it can help with future ones, as well.

7. Network. While you may have heard it a million times before, it’s true that networking can help you in your career. You never know who is going to be instrumental in helping you when you need it most.

8. Switch careers.  If you are not happy in the field in which you work, you may want to choose a new path – one that is considered recession-proof. According to Kiplinger, those fields include health care, education (e.g., math, science, bilingual education), security, environmental sciences, globalization, and government positions.

9. Polish your resume.  Be sure to keep your resume polished and updated, so that if you need it right away (or someone you network with would like to see it), you have it ready to hand over.

10. Stay optimistic. Attitudes are like colds – they are very contagious. Keeping an optimistic attitude will keep you in much better graces than if you bring others down.

“While there is no absolute way to save someone’s job, there are things people can do to help avoid losing it,” said Murphy. “If people still lose their job after trying these suggestions, at least they can feel they did what they could to try to save it. But they may just be surprised at how far these suggestions can take them.”

Sources: Kiplinger. Recession-Proof Careers; Department of Labor. Economic News Release: Regional and State Employment and Unemployment Summary. December 2008

Consumers Union Urges a Tight Leash for Bailout Recipients

Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, is urging Congress to put specific regulatory reforms in place that it said would protect taxpayers and consumers from the negative impact of the current economic crisis.

A Consumers Union spokeswoman said the $700 billion Wall Street bailout "does nothing to address the root causes of the current crisis."

"Today's financial mess is the result of bad business decisions on Wall Street and the failure of our regulatory system to rein in bad lending practices and protect consumers," said Pam Banks.

Consumers Union suggests Congress make it illegal to offer loans to consumers who could not demonstrate their ability to pay them back at their peak rate, and also to reward loan brokers who make higher-priced loans. It called for a six to nine-month moratorium  on foreclosures and extra help for homeowners to restructure their loan terms, more oversight on credit card lending and all financial products, and urged Congress not to privatize social security.

The organization also called for higher standards and more transparency for any business benefiting from the bailout or other government support.

---Samantha Maziarz Christmann

What's in a Name?

Corporate lobbyists often masquerade as consumer advocacy think tanks. Similar front groups surface during election season, so that negative campaign attacks can be launched by hastily thrown together "advocates" with misleading names, such as the Black Republican Freedom Fund and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

Think you'll be able to spot a group's true motives by its name? Try your luck at ConsumerReports.org. They put together a quiz to see if you can match the group's goals with its moniker.

---Samantha Maziarz Christmann

Scrooge McDuck Gives an Economics Lesson

Scrooge McDuck gives a lesson in economics in this classic Disney cartoon. The folks at libertarian Web site CampaignForLiberty.Org edited it to create their own message for the Federal Reserve.