The Nightmare on Wall Street

by

jenesismagazine.comWow! It all seems so surreal. It’s kind of like watching a bad (or any) episode of Flavor of Love; we’re just waiting for the next train wreck to happen. But unfortunately it’s not a dream, it is the living drama that is the Nightmare on Wall Street, 2008 edition.

If I told you last year at this time that the following organizations would cease to exist as we know them: Countrywide, Bear Stearns, Indy Mac Bank, Washington Mutual, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG, Lehman Brothers and Wachovia you probably would have thought I was a St. Lunatic. As it turns out, that is exactly what happened and now a gaggle of formerly high flying investment bankers have gambled their way out of their jobs. Looks like there will be a flood of applications for I Want to Work for Diddy, Season 2.

So how did we get here? Well in short, we bought a bunch of houses that we couldn’t afford with money that the bank lent but couldn’t afford to lose, which was “insured” by another bank that couldn’t afford to pay up if something went wrong. Get it? Ok, let me explain it in another way.

[Read more...]

The First $70 Million is Always the Hardest

by

Jenesis October coverOkay folks, step into my office, I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been meaning to have this discussion with you.

I’ve been summoned here to help you learn how to work smart, play hard and live your best life. Said differently, Big Chips is about how to get, keep, and grow your cheese so you can live the kind of lifestyle that you want to live. Is that not why we came, if not then why bother? (Sorry, but I can’t quit bangin that Mr. Carter joint.) First, though, we need to get on the same, er, page. I know, technically if you are reading this we are on the same page. But you know what I mean Mr. Condescending Magazine Reader.

It’s been said that too often we “buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like.” That wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the “money we don’t have part.” Weezy said “it’s not trickin’ if you’ve got it”, not “it’s not trickin’ if you can borrow it and pay it back with interest and fees over time!” I know that we all want to pop a few bottles every now and then, but if you can’t pull a Randy Moss [“Straight cash homie”], it might not be the best idea.

Sure, this article shares its title with a song about ballin’ out of control made by Kells and Hov prior to the whole “bodyguard-sprays-R. Kelly-with-mace” incident. But don’t get it twisted, Jay and “R-uh” didn’t always have those flashy items that they describe to you in vivid detail in their songs. And trying to emulate them can get you a one way ticket back to your momma’s couch quicker than you can say Stanley Burrell. Case in point: Scott Storch.

[Read more...]

Come on Chase, Really?

by

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwW9rGgvlXs

I just had to comment on this commercial.  Everyone that has heard me talk about money management and investing has heard me mention the GHN complex….Gotta Have it Now!  The song in this commercial says it all.  We don’t save and invest because we’ve gotta have things now.

So, to make it even easier for you to do that, Chase will allow you to increase your impulse buying tenfold by allowing you to send them a text to get your balance.  No more sitting down with your checkbook to figure out what you can actually afford, all you need to know is how much more you can run up on your credit card.

Act now and they will also include a real time ticker for the iPhone that will show your FICO score plummeting with each purchase!

Great job guys!