Keeping Up with the Dow Joneses

Keeping Up with the Dow Joneses PDF Author: Vijay Prashad
Publisher: South End Press
ISBN: 9780896086890
Category : Consumer credit
Languages : en
Pages : 252

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Book Description
In this short but powerful book of interlinked essays, noted cultural critic Vijay Prashad examines the contradictions of the American economy. Prashad assesses a range of related issues: the oft-vaunted US economy, propped up by the rising debt of poor and middle-class workers; welfare policies that punish those attempting to escape the grip of debt and poverty; and a prison industry that regulates and houses the unemployed, as well as a reserve army of laborers. In Keeping Up with the Dow Joneses, Prashad argues that the advent of mass production and advertising has converted citizens into consumers whose desires are captured by the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses." Yet, as Prashad so persuasively demonstrates, keeping up with the Joneses is a trap: Americans have gone into massive consumer debt, with the poorest forty percent of the public borrowing money to compensate for stagnant incomes, not to spend on luxuries. Only the richest twenty percent borrow money to invest in stocks. Not surprisingly, in the last few years, income and wealth differentials have risen to record highs. By making crystal-clear connections between the economy, welfare reform and the profit-driven prison industrial complex, Prashad offers a vision for a sustainable and vital anti-imperialist movement. Vijay Prashad is Associate Professor and Director of International Studies, Trinity College. He is the author of several books including Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting: Afro-Asian Connections and the Myth of Cultural Purity, Fat Cats and Running Dogs and The Karma of Brown Folk. Each was included in the Village Voice’s "25 Best Books of the Year" list.

Keeping Up with the Dow Joneses

Keeping Up with the Dow Joneses PDF Author: Vijay Prashad
Publisher: South End Press
ISBN: 9780896086890
Category : Consumer credit
Languages : en
Pages : 252

Get Book Here

Book Description
In this short but powerful book of interlinked essays, noted cultural critic Vijay Prashad examines the contradictions of the American economy. Prashad assesses a range of related issues: the oft-vaunted US economy, propped up by the rising debt of poor and middle-class workers; welfare policies that punish those attempting to escape the grip of debt and poverty; and a prison industry that regulates and houses the unemployed, as well as a reserve army of laborers. In Keeping Up with the Dow Joneses, Prashad argues that the advent of mass production and advertising has converted citizens into consumers whose desires are captured by the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses." Yet, as Prashad so persuasively demonstrates, keeping up with the Joneses is a trap: Americans have gone into massive consumer debt, with the poorest forty percent of the public borrowing money to compensate for stagnant incomes, not to spend on luxuries. Only the richest twenty percent borrow money to invest in stocks. Not surprisingly, in the last few years, income and wealth differentials have risen to record highs. By making crystal-clear connections between the economy, welfare reform and the profit-driven prison industrial complex, Prashad offers a vision for a sustainable and vital anti-imperialist movement. Vijay Prashad is Associate Professor and Director of International Studies, Trinity College. He is the author of several books including Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting: Afro-Asian Connections and the Myth of Cultural Purity, Fat Cats and Running Dogs and The Karma of Brown Folk. Each was included in the Village Voice’s "25 Best Books of the Year" list.

Love Your Life Not Theirs

Love Your Life Not Theirs PDF Author: Rachel Cruze
Publisher: Ramsey Press
ISBN: 1937077977
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
In Love Your Life, Not Theirs, Rachel Cruze shines a spotlight on the most damaging money habit we have: comparing ourselves to others. Then she unpacks seven essential money habits for living the life we really want--a life in line with our values, where we can afford the things we want to buy without being buried under debt, stress, and worry. The Joneses are broke. Life looks good, but hidden beneath that glossy exterior are credit card bills, student loans, car payments, and an out-of-control mortgage. Their money situation is a mess, and they're trying to live a life they simply can't afford. So why exactly do we try so hard to keep up with the Joneses? Are we really living the lives we want, or are we chasing someone else's dream, just trying to keep up appearances on social media, at church, and in our community? Why are we letting other people set the pace for our own family's finances? In Love Your Life, Not Theirs, Rachel shows you how to buy and do the things that are important to you--the right way. That starts by choosing to quit the comparisons, reframing the way you think about money, and developing new habits like avoiding debt, living on a plan, watching your spending, saving for the future, having healthy conversations about money, and giving. These habits work, and Rachel is living proof. Now, she wants to empower you to live the life you've always dreamed of without creating the debt, stress, and worry that are all too often part of the deal. Social media isn't real life, and trying to keep up with the Joneses will never get you anywhere. It's time to live--and love--your life, not theirs. "I've never read a book about money that takes this approach--and that's a good thing! Comparison has a way of weaving itself throughout all aspects of our lives, including our money. In Love Your Life, Not Theirs, Rachel Cruze outlines the seven money habits that really matter--and they have nothing to do with keeping up with the Joneses!" Candace Cameron-Bure Actress, author, and co-host of The View "Love Your Life, Not Theirs is full of the kind of practical, straightforward advice we've come to expect from Rachel Cruze. She offers guidance on paying down debt, smart saving, and the right way to talk to your spouse about money. These indispensable tips can help with day-to-day spending decisions and put you on a path to establishing healthy financial habits." Susan Spencer Editor-in-Chief for Woman's Day "Cruze's self-deprecating and honest voice is a great resource for anyone wanting to take charge of their money. With humor and approachability, she helps her readers set themselves up for success and happiness, no matter what current financial state they may be in." Kimberly Williams-Paisley New York Times best-selling author of Where the Light Gets In "In today's world of social media, the temptation to play the comparison game is stronger than ever. Love Your Life, Not Theirs is the perfect reminder that, when it comes to money, comparison is a game you can't win. A terrific--and much needed--read." Jean Chatzky Financial Editor, NBC TODAY and Host of HerMoney with Jean Chatzky Podcast

Economic Inequality and Income Distribution

Economic Inequality and Income Distribution PDF Author: D. G. Champernowne
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521589598
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description
Economic inequality has become a focus of prime interest for economic analysts and policy makers. This book provides an integrated approach to the topics of inequality and personal income distribution. It covers the practical and theoretical bases for inequality analysis, applications to real world problems and the foundations of theoretical approaches to income distribution. It also analyses models of the distribution of labour earnings and of income from wealth. The long-run development of income - and wealth - distribution over many generations is also examined. Special attention is given to an assessment of the merits and weaknesses of standard economic models, to illustrating the implications of distributional mechanisms using real data and illustrative examples, and to providing graphical interpretation of formal arguments. Examples are drawn from US, UK and international sources.

Borrowing to Live

Borrowing to Live PDF Author: Nicolas P. Retsinas
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 0815701721
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
A Brookings Institution Press and Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies publication Americans are awash in debt, and the U.S. economy is in trouble. Credit undergirds daily life more than ever—it has become one of the defining aspects of American life, and the ramifications are becoming clearer by the day. The already considerable damage from a depressed housing market has been exacerbated by the subprime lender implosion, sending shock waves through the financial sector, international economies, and government at all levels. Most low- or moderate-income people borrow, but that should not be construed as uniformly poor judgment or lack of disciplines—Americans are not borrowing merely to keep up with the Joneses, but too often simply to stay afloat. In Borrowing to Live, the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University brings together a group of experts drawn from the best of academia, research, and public services. Together with editors Nicolas Retsinas and Eric Belsky, they dissect the worrisome current state of consumer and mortgage credit in the United States and help point the way out of the current struggles. Contributors: Michael S. Barr, Eric S. Belsky, Raphael W. Bostic, Shawn Cole, Amy Crews Cutts, Kathleen C. Engel, Ren S. Essene, Elaine Kempson, Patricia A. McCoy, William A. Merrill, Sendhil Mullainathan, Anthony Pennington-Cross, Elizabeth Renuart, Eldar Shafir, Edna R. Sawady, Jennifer Tescher, John Thompson, Peter Tufano, Susan M. Wachter

The White Coat Investor

The White Coat Investor PDF Author: James M. Dahle
Publisher: White Coat Investor LLC the
ISBN: 9780991433100
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
Written by a practicing emergency physician, The White Coat Investor is a high-yield manual that specifically deals with the financial issues facing medical students, residents, physicians, dentists, and similar high-income professionals. Doctors are highly-educated and extensively trained at making difficult diagnoses and performing life saving procedures. However, they receive little to no training in business, personal finance, investing, insurance, taxes, estate planning, and asset protection. This book fills in the gaps and will teach you to use your high income to escape from your student loans, provide for your family, build wealth, and stop getting ripped off by unscrupulous financial professionals. Straight talk and clear explanations allow the book to be easily digested by a novice to the subject matter yet the book also contains advanced concepts specific to physicians you won't find in other financial books. This book will teach you how to: Graduate from medical school with as little debt as possible Escape from student loans within two to five years of residency graduation Purchase the right types and amounts of insurance Decide when to buy a house and how much to spend on it Learn to invest in a sensible, low-cost and effective manner with or without the assistance of an advisor Avoid investments which are designed to be sold, not bought Select advisors who give great service and advice at a fair price Become a millionaire within five to ten years of residency graduation Use a "Backdoor Roth IRA" and "Stealth IRA" to boost your retirement funds and decrease your taxes Protect your hard-won assets from professional and personal lawsuits Avoid estate taxes, avoid probate, and ensure your children and your money go where you want when you die Minimize your tax burden, keeping more of your hard-earned money Decide between an employee job and an independent contractor job Choose between sole proprietorship, Limited Liability Company, S Corporation, and C Corporation Take a look at the first pages of the book by clicking on the Look Inside feature Praise For The White Coat Investor "Much of my financial planning practice is helping doctors to correct mistakes that reading this book would have avoided in the first place." - Allan S. Roth, MBA, CPA, CFP(R), Author of How a Second Grader Beats Wall Street "Jim Dahle has done a lot of thinking about the peculiar financial problems facing physicians, and you, lucky reader, are about to reap the bounty of both his experience and his research." - William J. Bernstein, MD, Author of The Investor's Manifesto and seven other investing books "This book should be in every career counselor's office and delivered with every medical degree." - Rick Van Ness, Author of Common Sense Investing "The White Coat Investor provides an expert consult for your finances. I now feel confident I can be a millionaire at 40 without feeling like a jerk." - Joe Jones, DO "Jim Dahle has done for physician financial illiteracy what penicillin did for neurosyphilis." - Dennis Bethel, MD "An excellent practical personal finance guide for physicians in training and in practice from a non biased source we can actually trust." - Greg E Wilde, M.D Scroll up, click the buy button, and get started today!

Pound Foolish

Pound Foolish PDF Author: Helaine Olen
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101575301
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 358

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Book Description
If you’ve ever bought a personal finance book, watched a TV show about stock picking, listened to a radio show about getting out of debt, or attended a seminar to help you plan for your retirement, you’ve probably heard some version of these quotes: “What’s keeping you from being rich? In most cases, it is simply a lack of belief.” —SUZE ORMAN, The Courage to Be Rich “Are you latte-ing away your financial future?” —DAVID BACH, Smart Women Finish Rich “I know you’re capable of picking winning stocks and holding on to them.” —JIM CRAMER, Mad Money They’re common refrains among personal finance gurus. There’s just one problem: those and many simi­lar statements are false. For the past few decades, Americans have spent billions of dollars on personal finance products. As salaries have stagnated and companies have cut back on benefits, we’ve taken matters into our own hands, embracing the can-do attitude that if we’re smart enough, we can overcome even daunting financial obstacles. But that’s not true. In this meticulously reported and shocking book, journalist and former financial columnist Helaine Olen goes behind the curtain of the personal finance industry to expose the myths, contradictions, and outright lies it has perpetuated. She shows how an industry that started as a response to the Great Depression morphed into a behemoth that thrives by selling us products and services that offer little if any help. Olen calls out some of the biggest names in the business, revealing how even the most respected gurus have engaged in dubious, even deceitful, prac­tices—from accepting payments from banks and corporations in exchange for promoting certain prod­ucts to blaming the victims of economic catastrophe for their own financial misfortune. Pound Foolish also disproves many myths about spending and saving, including: Small pleasures can bankrupt you: Gurus popular­ized the idea that cutting out lattes and other small expenditures could make us millionaires. But reduc­ing our caffeine consumption will not offset our biggest expenses: housing, education, health care, and retirement. Disciplined investing will make you rich: Gurus also love to show how steady investing can turn modest savings into a huge nest egg at retirement. But these calculations assume a healthy market and a lifetime without any setbacks—two conditions that have no connection to the real world. Women need extra help managing money: Product pushers often target women, whose alleged financial ignorance supposedly leaves them especially at risk. In reality, women and men are both terrible at han­dling finances. Financial literacy classes will prevent future eco­nomic crises: Experts like to claim mandatory sessions on personal finance in school will cure many of our money ills. Not only is there little evidence this is true, the entire movement is largely funded and promoted by the financial services sector. Weaving together original reporting, interviews with experts, and studies from disciplines ranging from behavioral economics to retirement planning, Pound Foolish is a compassionate and compelling book that will change the way we think and talk about our money.

Stop Acting Rich

Stop Acting Rich PDF Author: Thomas J. Stanley
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118011570
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Book Description
The bestselling author of The Millionaire Next Door reveals easy ways to build real wealth With well over two million of his books sold, and huge praise from many media outlets, Dr. Thomas J. Stanley is a recognized and highly respected authority on how the wealthy act and think. Now, in Stop Acting Rich ? and Start Living Like a Millionaire, he details how the less affluent have fallen into the elite luxury brand trap that keeps them from acquiring wealth and details how to get out of it by emulating the working rich as opposed to the super elite. Puts wealth in perspective and shows you how to live rich without spending more Details why we spend lavishly and how to stop this destructive cycle Discusses how being "rich" means more than just big houses and luxury cars A defensive strategy for tough times, Stop Acting Rich shows readers how to live a rich, happy life through accumulating more wealth and using it to achieve the type of financial freedom that will create true happiness and fulfillment.

Income Inequality in America: An Analysis of Trends

Income Inequality in America: An Analysis of Trends PDF Author: Paul Ryscavage
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317468171
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
What is income inequality? How is it measured? Is the middle class really declining? How does it relate to poverty? How long has inequality been rising in the US? Have there been other periods in history when income differences were as large as they are today? What are the causes of growing income and wage inequality? The author addresses these and other conceptual issues in eight carefully reasoned and clearly presented chapters. Concluding with an analysis and comparison of trends in wage inequality in other developed countries, he asks the final speculative question: How much more growth in inequality can our society withstand?

Consequences of Economic Downturn

Consequences of Economic Downturn PDF Author: M. Starr
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230118356
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
The 2007-09 financial crisis and economic downturn inflicted considerable hardship on the U.S. population. This book argues that the financial crisis and ensuing recession reflected not just a malfunctioning of the financial system - but also inequalities and insecurities in access to livelihoods that favor well-off groups and leave ordinary people shouldering undue burdens of downside risk. This book, a collection of original papers by leading social economists and scholars in related fields, examines social, distributional, and ethical dimensions of the downturn. It should be of broad interest to the social-science and economic-policy communities.

Planning a Successful Future

Planning a Successful Future PDF Author: John E. Sestina
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119187982
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
A deeply insightful guide to goal-based financial planning and wealth management Planning a Successful Future empowers advisors and clients to take control of their money and manage their income to achieve their financial goals. Written by the father of fee-only financial planning, this book features real-life stories and examples from over three decades in the industry to illustrate how financial planning works and the best way to create your strategy. You'll learn how to identify and prioritize your goals, and why they're important—and how to get where you need to be for retirement, education, home ownership, and more. Practical exercises get you started on the right track, and useful checklists keep you organized and focused along the way. You'll get expert insight on risk management, allocation, tax reduction, estate planning, and more, as you develop your strategy and put it into action. The financial services industry undergoes frequent changes, and financial planning specifically is affected to a high degree. Keeping up with the latest news and distinguishing trend from legitimate methodology can itself be a fulltime job. This book gives you the background you need to create a plan, and make the smart choices that will help you grow and protect your wealth. Create a realistic and goal-based financial plan Take a more proactive approach to your finances Identify your goals and how to achieve them Allocate investments appropriately for your situation Financial planning is complex, with many variables to analyze and outside forces that can derail even the best laid plans. Planning a Successful Future gives you the information, tools, strategies, and insight you need to make the best decisions for your financial future.