Archive for October, 2005

“Anybody who finds it easy to make money on the horses is probably in the dog food business” – Franklin P Jones

My philosophy regarding the avian flu virus is not too panic, but to be prepared. Whether it’s a H5N1 virus or some other yet unknown strain, the world is overdue for another pandemic. It’s the same as being prepared for other possible emergencies such as earthquakes. I don’t live in fear of them everyday, but [...]

I decided that I would purchase some I-Bonds for my niece for her college investments with $1000 of her funds. Currently I’m investing her money in Japanese antiques (and where I have most of my money invested), but since I usually turn the items I purchase over fairly quickly, I don’t see a need for [...]

There is a good reason that I don’t keep my savings in a Japanese bank — the interest they pay. While you may think that the percent interest that your bank pays is low, it’s nothing compared to Japanese banks. As you can see, the Japanese post office pays a whopping 0.02% (note that isn’t [...]

“The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.” – Kin Hubbard

If you have been speculating in real estate, there’s a good article to read over at Fortune.com about Tom Barrack,”The King of Real Estate.” Then Barrack launches into a parable. “I feel totally safe playing polo on a field full of pros,” says the bronzed 58-year-old. “But when amateurs are all over the field, someone [...]

I was interviewed by the Associated Press about gift cards the other day and my opinion on them. To be quite honest, I think they’re a terrible gift from a personal finance perspective, but I do understand why some people use them. It’s kind of like a convenience store. It’s not a place that I [...]

I was reading about American Standard and how its stock took a beating over at msnbc when I came across this paragraph: Furthermore — and I realize this is a strange thing to say — the toilets in most American homes are downright inferior to what you’ll find in the average Japanese home. We’re an [...]

“If a man has money, it is usually a sign, too, that he knows how to take care of it; don’t imagine his money is easy to get simply because he has plenty of it.” – Edgar Watson Howe

Today I had to go to the government office to re-register as a foreigner living in Japan. Since I had been talking about saving money being your best investment even though it is under appreciated, I figured this would be a good opportunity to show how you can save a significant amount if you take [...]