Thursday, June 23, 2011

personal finance blog


Japanese Internment Cases: We just posted our story on an unusual statement made on the Justice Department's blog by Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal on Friday discussing the mistakes his office made during World War II in defending the Japanese-American internment program before the Supreme Court.


Republican Race: It was a busy weekend in presidential politics, with Mitch Daniels out, Tim Pawlenty in, and Republicans in general recalibrating their views on the candidates. Politico covers it all, including a look at the Daniels family veto.


Online Libel: A New York appellate court ruled that an online critique of Sandals, the resort operator, was opinion, not libel, in a decision that also asserts that readers give less credence to emails and online comments than other communications. Sibling publication New York Law Journal has the story.


TV Justice: New York Times columnist David Carr surveys the landscape of television treatment of true crime, from Nancy Grace to "America's Most Wanted."


Prop 8 and the Polls: With several polls now showing majority support for same-sex marriage, the Los Angeles Times considers the possible impact of public opinion on judges ruling on the issue. (Hat tip to How Appealing.)


Mets and Madoff: In this week's New Yorker, writer Jeffrey Toobin takes a long look at New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon, his relationship with Bernie Madoff, and the future of the Mets.


This piece on The New York Times' Bucks blog caught my attention the other day: "Debt has become a way of life for American college students. The average student loan debt among graduating college seniors was more than $23,000 in 2008, according to FinAid.org. In addition, the student lender Sallie Mae says the average graduating senior with at least one credit card had $4,138 in debt on the card.


Yet, instead of feeling stressed about owing all that money, many students actually feel “empowered,” says a new study from Ohio State University, based on data collected for the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The study, published in the journal Social Science Research, surveyed 3,079 students, the majority of whom were in their early- to mid-20s."


OK, as the self-proclaimed king of credit card reviews and personal finance blogging, two thoughts immediately come to mind:


1) Studies like this are notoriously flawed. Is 'empowered' a scientific, psychologically valid state of mind? Is it in the DSM-IV? Because it should be; these college kids aren't empowered, they are delusional. Also, they think the debt is OK because, hey, after you graduate you are guaranteed a six-figure job at a company that respects you and will look out for you. That was true thirty or forty years ago in America, at some companies -- it's not true today.


2) Of course you feel good when you first take on debt! Follow up with these college kids 10 years from today... ask them if the private school education, MacBook Air, and spring break trip to Cancun was worth abandoning your dream to take a menial day job and pay down those crushing high-interest debts.


Debt is never depressing when it's first taken on -- you get to see the rewards right away... The new car, the brand-name education, the apartment or house.


It's only years later that you regret it. (This coming from someone who, at one point, had far more than $23,000 of debt... and paid it all off.)


-- provided by Outlaw


P.S. Is there room in your wallet for a shiny new credit card? Of course there is. Check out Outlaw's newest lucrative card deals from American Express, Discover, HSBC, and other top issuers. No annual fee, and awesome rewards -- click here to check them out.



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