Splash out without drowning in debt - The Independent
Filling your wallet with all those grown-up-looking plastic cards is one of the joys of starting university. Matriculation card, bank card, drinking society card: you name it, there’s a card for it. But students could be carrying significantly

DriverSide Acquires fairBenjamin, Giving Consumers Even More - MSN MoneyCentral
The 196 Million U.S. Car Owners Can Now Get Improved Data on the Cost of Service SAN FRANCISCO , Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ — DriverSide, the first full service Web site dedicated to saving consumers time and money by making the ownership or lease

The Conference Board(R) Australia Business Cycle Indicators(SM) - MSN MoneyCentral
Australia Leading Economic Indicators and Related Composite Indexes for June 2008 NEW YORK , Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ The Conference Board announced this day that the leading index for Australia declined 0.5 percent and the coincident index remained

Rising fraud threats in virtual worlds - CNET News
Virtual worlds are playgrounds not just for people who want some online fantasy role playing, but for cyber criminals who are looking for places to launder money and steal data, according to a new whitepaper from McAfee . The in-game economies of

News - Security - CNET News
Virtual worlds are playgrounds not just for people who want some on the web fantasy role-playing, but for cybercriminals who are looking for places to launder money and steal data, according to a new white paper from McAfee (PDF) . The in-game economies

Jurors of Chicago inspections supervisor view alleged exchange of cash - Chicago Tribune
City inspector Travis Echols wandered toward his boss’ desk as he said he’d done before , telling the supervisor he was fresh from a building site with a pocketful of bribe money from a contractor who needed him to look the other way. “I got a

Exec behind male supplement Enzyte gets 25 years for fraud - USA Today
Steve Warshak, 42, founder of Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, also was ordered to pay $93,000 in fines. He was convicted in February on 93 counts of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering.

In Iraq, displaced families return to ruins - Los Angeles Times
HAY ASKARI, IRAQ — After the gunfire and explosions, after the panicked flight to an unfamiliar town, the Kadims had one more shock in store: the homecoming. When the family of 12 returned to Hay Askari in mid-July, tiny remained of the prosperous

Democrats confident relief money headed for Iowa - Chicago Tribune
DENVER - Democratic lawmakers say they believe Congress can pass a package of financial flood aid by the end of September. U.S. Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin told the Des Moines Register on Wednesday that they’re

‘Fast Money’ Recap: Natural Gas Glows - Street.Com
On CNBC’s “Fast Money,” Melissa Lee started the program by mentioning the “there was a jump in crude oil this day as a result of the Hurricane Gustav.” Many investors are speculating the hurricane will hit the Gulf Coast. Lee asked the panelist whether

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In my post yesterday about The Age Curve by Baby Boomer Kenneth Gronbach,  The subtitle is “How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm.”  The “storm” he’s talking about, I think, is the influx of baby boomers as an aging generation and its effect on many areas of economics.

Yesterday, I said Gronbach’s central premise is that you need to know two things about a group your business is marketing to:  (1) How massive is it?  (2) What are the group’s buying patterns?  If you know these two things, you can use them to profit in your business,  investing, and retirement planning.  For example, Gronbach speaks about many of the problems and issues of this day, so you can learn how to overcome them:

• He says Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme.”  Great analogy!  So how will you plan for the possibility that you won’t receive any?
• He explains the sub-prime lending crisis.  How will you plan for the possibility that your big home might not be saleable to a shrinking market?
• He says Boomers will force the U.S. into socialized medicine.  Can we live with that?
• He details why Wal-Mart’s days are numbered (they have targeted the wrong demographic) - so you might want to review your portfolio.
• He explains why assisted living facilities will fail in increasing rates (too soon for Boomers, not enough GI Generation and Silent Generation elderly), so you might want to wait to invest in one.
• He shows why the aging of Boomers to retirement will create a profound labor shortage.  One good example he discusses is the trucking industry.  There aren’t enough qualified truckers.  His description of the problem makes me nervous now when I get on the interstate.

While I didn’t agree with everything he said, Gronbach has many good points.  He also has an interesting writing style and he peppers his writing with “zingers,” like:

• Boomers will refuse to grow old.  They’ll not purchase “old people” services.  (He specifically mentions AARP, and I’ve to agree. I refuse to be associated with a group that’s for “retired persons” and which sent me my first offer just after I turned 50.  How dare they!
• “2% do the work; 2% cause the trouble; the rest eat the food.”
• He says most Americans are “math deprived.”  Gotta concur there.
• A perfect match of product and market — Baby Boomers and Erectile Dysfunction drugs!  (See what I mean?)

A final point and a chance to win a copy of The Age Curve, tomorrow.

Tags: baby boomers, Generation X, Kenneth Gronbach, The Age Curve

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Filed under: Estates

I’ve got a fun one to show you today. Lioncrest is a 30,000 square foot English Tudor manor home overlooking the James River in Maidens, Virginia. The castle-like home is on over 56 acres that include formal English gardens as well as more rustic space. It looks old but the MLS says it was built in 1995. It certainly aspires to a different age with its large stone fireplaces, stone arches, use of shields and crests and a massive beamed grand hall that could easily be a setting for a scene in Harry Potter. Some of the wood and stone dates back to the 1600s and there’s a concrete tiled roof. The large home includes a tavern area, elevator, library, multi-car garages and a full apartment. The lower terrace level is home to woodworking shop, garden shop, morning room, pub, three wine cellars, rec room, sauna and more. The listing pics don’t show much of the private spaces (the listing says there are nine bedrooms and 10.5 baths) and some are a bit blurry but I bet this is one fun house to tour. It is listed at $15 million.

For more prime properties and lush locations, see Luxury Homes and Mansions.

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Stocks open flat after durable goods orders rise - Forbes
Stocks are tiny changed in early trading as rising oil prices are again limiting the market’s upbeat reaction to economic data. Crude oil is up $2.51 a barrel at $118.78 on the New York Mercantile amid continuing concerns that Tropical Storm Gustav

US STOCKS-Wall Street gains on stronger data, financials - Reuters
NEW YORK, Aug 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks advanced moderately on Wednesday on an unexpectedly strong rise in orders for durable manufactured goods and resilience in the financial sector. Investors also welcomed remarks from Atlanta Federal Reserve

Euro Stocks Pare Losses on US Durable Goods Data - CNBC
European shares pared losses in afternoon trade on Wednesday to turn flat after U.S. durable goods data came in stronger than expected. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was 0.06 percent lower at 1,170.40 points, rising from 1,165.63

Oil tops $119 a barrel on worry about Gustav; stocks rise - USA This day
NEW YORK — Oil prices shot above $119 a barrel Wednesday, rising for a third day as Tropical Storm Gustav spun toward the Gulf of Mexico on a possible collision course with offshore oil and gas platforms. Stocks turned higher Wednesday after the

HEADLINE STOCKS-U.S. stocks on the move on Aug 27 - Reuters
The No. 4 U.S. investment bank, which has posted $7 billion in write-downs and losses, has asked three private equity firms to remain in the bidding for its asset management arm even though it has yet to decide on whether to sell it, the Financial

Stocks strengthen on durables - CNN Money
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Stocks pointed to higher open Wednesday, as a better-than-expected durable goods report offset a jump in oil prices. After drifting in negative territory for most the morning, futures were higher less than a half hour

BeaconEquity.com Issues Technical Trade Alerts on Agriculture Chemical - Forbes
DALLAS, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ — BeaconEquity.com announces the availability of Trade Alerts on stocks making news this day. Investors can view all of the daily trading notes for free by visiting: http://www.BeaconEquity.com/m Today’s Trade Alerts

7 Highly Rated Stocks on Sale - MSNBC
I’m always looking for a good deal, whether that means buying an extra box of Golden Grahams when they’re on sale, or pouncing on undervalued stocks. The idea that anybody would sell a stock for less than its worth may seem silly, but legendary value

Brazilian Stocks Gain Most in Week, Led by Banks; Bolsa Rises - Bloomberg
Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) — Brazilian stocks gained the most in a week as the first drop in wholesale prices in two years boosted retailers and banks while rising commodity prices sent energy and steel producers higher. Lojas Americanas SA and Banco do

Stocks open blended after durable-goods report - MSNBC
NEW YORK - Wall Street opened blended Wednesday after the government reported a larger-than-expected increase in orders for big-ticket manufactured goods. The Commerce Department says orders for durable goods jumped 1.3 percent in July compared to the

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I’ve a winner in the replay of the “50 things to do at 50″ contest (more about the winner after he/she is notified). The responses were FANTASTIC and I want to share them with you, in no particular order:

• Think about what you enjoy and then act on it! Start a hobby or business you never had time for and just enjoy.
• Get a new hairstyle - do you still have the same style as in your high school pic?!?
• Take time to really listen to your grandchildren
• Find a hobby you love and make money on it
• Sign up with a modeling bureau (I love this one! There are lots more opportunities for us Boomers to get small modeling or acting parts)
• Take time to do all the things you’ve dreamed of this day because you never know what tomorrow might bring (AMEN!)
• Start traveling -Go somewhere y ou have never been - discover new things
• Learn how to knit - ride a motorcycle - do crossword puzzles
• Do skydiving (mentioned George Bush Sr who skydived at 83) or parasailing
• Start walking 1/2 hour a day -Try a new exercise class
• Sign up for a college or technical course, like geneology, history; or find a symposium

…more tomorrow

Tags: baby boomers, contest, Mindset

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