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Bill Maher: End Abusive Relationships With Your Bank

An important message about the Move Your Money Project from Bill Maher, with his usual wit and humor:

The New Identity Theft Trifecta

Merry Christmas!

Thank you for your readership. I truly appreciate your taking the time to read blog posts and submit comments. And, I want to wish you and your family a safe, enjoyable Christmas and holiday season.

Last, since Mark Zuckerberg received a very timely Christmas gift (sorry for the pun), I thought that I'd share the video below. Enjoy!

George

Internet Appeal

Google Opt-Out Feature Lets Users Protect Privacy By Moving To Remote Village

Perhaps, the executives at Facebook should have used an approach like this, so their users can opt-out of Places.

The United States And Energy Independence

Several pro-oil pols and pundits have criticized President Obama for demonizing BP, the $20 bill escrow account to help oil disaster victims, and using the BP oil disaster to push his energy agenda. Obama's energy agenda? Geez, how quickly some Americans forget:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
An Energy-Independent Future
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Why has the USA failed to secure energy independence? Simply, we are a nation of oil addicts lacking the will to change our ways. Plenty of pols and pundits (invested in the old ways) are quick to tell oil addicts what they want to hear: we can drill our way out of the energy problem.

On Facebook, one person wrote to me saying she doesn't want to change her [oil-based] lifestyle, and that the BP oil spill was an accident comparable to an airplane crash. WTF? In her opinion, accidents happen. By her logic, the pollution of the Gulf and lost livelihoods by Gulf residents is just the consequence of drill-we-must.

I reject that. The era of cheap, easy oil has passed. Gone. Time to face facts. Pollution of the environment does matter. The BP oil disaster in the Gulf proves that. Time to find a better way than drill-we-must. Energy independence and clean, renewal energy sources both matter.

My experience with addicts: they either change and get sober, or go insane. What's your choice?

Retirement Plan Flow Analysis For Corporate Executives

Today is April Fools day, but this is no joke. According to Bankrate:

"In 2007, the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration, or EBSA, the agency charged with enforcing 401(k) regulations, investigated more than 1,326 cases of 401(k) mismanagement or malfeasance, resulting in more than $51 million in restitution and penalties."

Do the math: that's $38,460 per case. That's not small change.

So, it seems that the senior executives at many small, medium and large companies have "mugged" their employees. These executives seem to manage their employee 401(K) retirement plans using the flow below:

How Credit Cards Work: The Daily Show

The new credit card rules are now in effect. The video (~ 10 minutes) below explains what that means with humor:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Make it Rain - Bank of America
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Now you know why I do not have a credit card with Bank of America. Move your money today to a local bank or credit union.

Rings to Remember This Winter

[Editor's Note: this post was originally published on August 25, 2008 during the Summer games. Given the increase in debit card usage by consumers and skimming devices by criminals, I thought that I'd share it again.]

May the above help you avoid identity theft and identity fraud while shopping.

The U.S. Supreme Court Suggests Some Constitutional Changes

If you read this blog regularly, then you know that I regularly write about and advocate for consumers'  rights against corporate greed and abuses involving identity theft, corporate responsibility, and corporate data breaches. Today's topic definitely includes corporate responsibility and consumers' (voters') rights.

Last week's SCOTUS decision on campaign finance suggests some changes to the U.S. Constitution are necessary:

"We the Corporations of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the corporate Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution also requires an update:

"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the Corporations of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. No Corporation shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years in business, and has maintained a headquarters for at  least the seven latest consecutive Years in the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen."

Article 1, Section 3 of the Constitution also requires an update:

"The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote... No Corporation shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and has maintained a headquarters for at least the nine latest consecutive Years in the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen."

And, Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution also requires an update:

"No Corporation except a U.S.-based Corporation, or a corporation that has transferred its headquarter location into the U.S. for at least seven years, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Corporation be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and has maintained a headquarters fourteen consecutive Years within the United States."

A couple friends on Facebook summed up very well this SCOTUS decision:

"Corporations are not people, and money is not speech. And hey, where did all those people complaining about activist judges go?"

If this SCOTUS decision annoys you (and I sincerely hope that it does), take action:

• Learn more about the Fair Elections Now Act (FENA): Senate version and House version
• To learn more read, A Campaign Funding Mess
• Visit www.fairelectionsnow.org
• Visit my.barackobama.com/FairElections
• Sign the MoveOn petition today!
• Contact your elected officials today and tell them to support the FENA

Credit Smart Consumers

Understanding Corporate Executives' Double-Speak

I've worked in Corporate America for more than 30 years. That has included both large, multinational  Fortune 500 corporations to small 40-person firms. I have found that the language in the video below is consistent throughout.

And, you'll find much of the same language in corporate breach notification letters. Enjoy!

Truly Luckless Consumers

Smart Online Shoppers

Meet The Banks And Credit Card Industry

Are banks the new loan sharks for the 21st century? Despite the new law as some banks slowly loosen credit, so far in 2009 we consumers have experienced huge increases in credit card interest rates, lowered card limits, higher fees, more fees, and constantly changing due dates --  all of this after bailouts and bonuses in 2008.

For more humor about banking and other topics, visit Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoonists Index.

The Places Where Stolen Card Data Will Go