I really like this MasterCard commercial. It’s a good one: Short, simple, memorable. Oh, and adorable. And it’s on a timely topic — back to school.
It occurs to me that advertising ought to be targeted. You want to approach people from a place they can recognize. And right now, that place is back to school. Especially for the women that make up a large portion of the consumer public. So it’s smart to emphasize the back to school theme, without pushing it too much. A nice balance between reminding you, and hitting you over the head with it. MasterCard’s “priceless” …read more

Day 5 of my vacation has come and gone and I am turning my attention to home and ultimately work. There is a lot to do when I get home, and even more to do when I walk into my office on Monday morning. So, how in the world do I make the transition from vacation to back to work? I believe focus and planning are the keys to my successful re-entry into my work responsibilities.
Here are some KEYS to help you and me make a successful re-entry and focus on what’s ahead:
1. Plan an exit strategy from your vacation …read more

Michael Jackson and personal finance reading.

If you are looking for a way to condense a great deal of personal finance information into a plan of action for your money, The 1-2-3 Money Plan by Gregory Karp will probably be helpful for you. Karp himself admits in the introduction that there really isn’t anything earth-shattering or new in this book; rather, it is meant as a financial tool to aid your planning.
One of the interesting things about The 1-2-3 Money Plan is the way it is organized. As the title implies, Karp has set up the book so that it revolves around the “rule …read more