Monday, July 23, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Q & A
How much cash do you usually carry in your wallet?
I don't carry much cash on me at all, usually just enough to pay for lunch and dinner during the week. Besides, food, I don't really use cash on much else. For gas, groceries, and entertainment expenses, I generally use my credit card and just pay it all off at the end of the month. Otherwise, I'd just burn through cash like there was a hole in my wallet. Oh, and I hate all the loose change that ends up in every nook and cranny around the house. I need to accumulate all those loose change and convert it into bills. I bet it all adds up!
How much is in your wallet right now?
$14! Time to hit an ATM machine again.
What's your favorite bill/note ($1 or $2 or $5 or $10 or $20 or $50 or $100)?
I like $5 bills. Things get difficult when you need to pay people, split a bill, and when no one has change. Take a large gathering for a bday dinner for example. Everyone's scrambling to get change for a big bill. With a multiple $5 bills on hand, you have the flexibility to cover what you need w/o going overboard.
Are you a silver, or gold or platinum person?
I like Platinum due to the benefits it offers.
Do you "credit-union"? If not, why not?
Yes, I do due to the higher CD that it provides. Its a safe investment vehicle. I know that when I'm ready to trade in my car for another, the credit union will provide the best rates around and help me through the auto loan purchase process.
Have you ever found a penny and picked it up? Why?
Not all the times, but sometimes I have. Penny saved is a penny earned.
Are you an online banker?
Yes. Once you go online, there's no way I'd go back to traditional check writing/bill paying. The price of postage really adds up!
Have you ever wondered or read into what those crazy designs are on the dollar bill?
Don't really care, as long as it can help us spot the fakes. The last thing you want is to be stuck w/ a counterfeit bill that'll put you in a bind.
Why the heck is everything financial-related so boring and uninteresting? or is it?
People focus on the ends, not necessarily on the means. Financial related stuff, as a means, is a bit of a chore. Albeit an important one!
Die broke or pass it on?
Ideally, I'd pass it on. That means that I'd have accumulated enough to the point where the money will always be there if a need arises throughout my lifetime. There is a lot of power from having the money but consciously choosing not to spend it just because friends, family, media or young Hollywood promotes excess spending. To me, that is financial freedom in a nut shell and is definitely something to strive for.
I don't carry much cash on me at all, usually just enough to pay for lunch and dinner during the week. Besides, food, I don't really use cash on much else. For gas, groceries, and entertainment expenses, I generally use my credit card and just pay it all off at the end of the month. Otherwise, I'd just burn through cash like there was a hole in my wallet. Oh, and I hate all the loose change that ends up in every nook and cranny around the house. I need to accumulate all those loose change and convert it into bills. I bet it all adds up!
How much is in your wallet right now?
$14! Time to hit an ATM machine again.
What's your favorite bill/note ($1 or $2 or $5 or $10 or $20 or $50 or $100)?
I like $5 bills. Things get difficult when you need to pay people, split a bill, and when no one has change. Take a large gathering for a bday dinner for example. Everyone's scrambling to get change for a big bill. With a multiple $5 bills on hand, you have the flexibility to cover what you need w/o going overboard.
Are you a silver, or gold or platinum person?
I like Platinum due to the benefits it offers.
Do you "credit-union"? If not, why not?
Yes, I do due to the higher CD that it provides. Its a safe investment vehicle. I know that when I'm ready to trade in my car for another, the credit union will provide the best rates around and help me through the auto loan purchase process.
Have you ever found a penny and picked it up? Why?
Not all the times, but sometimes I have. Penny saved is a penny earned.
Are you an online banker?
Yes. Once you go online, there's no way I'd go back to traditional check writing/bill paying. The price of postage really adds up!
Have you ever wondered or read into what those crazy designs are on the dollar bill?
Don't really care, as long as it can help us spot the fakes. The last thing you want is to be stuck w/ a counterfeit bill that'll put you in a bind.
Why the heck is everything financial-related so boring and uninteresting? or is it?
People focus on the ends, not necessarily on the means. Financial related stuff, as a means, is a bit of a chore. Albeit an important one!
Die broke or pass it on?
Ideally, I'd pass it on. That means that I'd have accumulated enough to the point where the money will always be there if a need arises throughout my lifetime. There is a lot of power from having the money but consciously choosing not to spend it just because friends, family, media or young Hollywood promotes excess spending. To me, that is financial freedom in a nut shell and is definitely something to strive for.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Considering an MBA?
Yeah, applying for the MBA is no small task, w/ the GMAT to worry about, Letters of Rec, and so on. You need to really think about whether it's really right for you.
From my perspective: It's tons of work & takes up just about all my free time after work and the weekend, it really has altered my lifestyle. For example, it's harder and harder to go to the gym like I did before, play bball, go out, etc.
That being said, I'm really enjoying b-school w/ so many activities to attend. I've met some really good people in the program, whom I'd consider to be life-long friends. Considering that I've kept in touch w/ only a handful from my undergrad days, and they're all from the dorms my freshman year at Marks Tower, it's kind of hard to remember how few people I knew back then vs. now. It's really allowed me to expand my network with people that graduated from UCLA, USC, Cal, & Harvard.
The program has given me a chance to really hone in on my leadership skills & team work w/ all the groups & clubs I've been involved with.
An MBA is really what you put into it. There are some that just go to class & go home. And 3 years later, they get their diploma. If you do that, I think you'd really miss out on the whole experience.
From my perspective: It's tons of work & takes up just about all my free time after work and the weekend, it really has altered my lifestyle. For example, it's harder and harder to go to the gym like I did before, play bball, go out, etc.
That being said, I'm really enjoying b-school w/ so many activities to attend. I've met some really good people in the program, whom I'd consider to be life-long friends. Considering that I've kept in touch w/ only a handful from my undergrad days, and they're all from the dorms my freshman year at Marks Tower, it's kind of hard to remember how few people I knew back then vs. now. It's really allowed me to expand my network with people that graduated from UCLA, USC, Cal, & Harvard.
The program has given me a chance to really hone in on my leadership skills & team work w/ all the groups & clubs I've been involved with.
An MBA is really what you put into it. There are some that just go to class & go home. And 3 years later, they get their diploma. If you do that, I think you'd really miss out on the whole experience.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Looking for a job? Here's a helpful link...
I S A B O N T - Keep track of the positions applied for, resumes you've sent out and contacts you've established while job hunting. A must use tool for all post college graduates and serious career searches. Click here and hop to it.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Student Loans: How The Heck Am I Supposed to Pay For All This?!
As an undergraduate, I was never worried about the financial obligations that I would have to deal with after graduation. All I knew was that I was in college, I was having a chill time, and I never wanted it to end. I knew I was able to attend USC because of the Financial Aid that I was given; and I knew that I had signed some “papers” that I was supposed to sign in order to receive this aid. But I did not know what kind of aid I had signed up for, which may or may not have been for my soul.
I was more like an ostrich with its head in the sand when it came to student loans. Eventually, my undergraduate years at USC did come to an end and I was left even more vulnerable, as I did not know what loans I had or who was lending them to me. I did not do my research before hand nor did I seek a trusted source like the USC Credit Union, to help me understand my options.
Before I knew it, I was getting offers in the mail to consolidate my loans. I had no idea how I was supposed to pay back my loans and wasn’t sure of the total amount owed, let alone what a consolidated loan was. I finally got my things together and started to make phone calls that were reliable and informative.
Talk to the right people and make sure consolidation is right for you at this point in time. Is fixing your rate the right answer for you right now? If you don't know, I encourage you to call up USC Credit Union at 213 821-7100 to at least get started in the right direction. The longer you put it off, the harder it may be for you down the road!
I was more like an ostrich with its head in the sand when it came to student loans. Eventually, my undergraduate years at USC did come to an end and I was left even more vulnerable, as I did not know what loans I had or who was lending them to me. I did not do my research before hand nor did I seek a trusted source like the USC Credit Union, to help me understand my options.
Before I knew it, I was getting offers in the mail to consolidate my loans. I had no idea how I was supposed to pay back my loans and wasn’t sure of the total amount owed, let alone what a consolidated loan was. I finally got my things together and started to make phone calls that were reliable and informative.
Talk to the right people and make sure consolidation is right for you at this point in time. Is fixing your rate the right answer for you right now? If you don't know, I encourage you to call up USC Credit Union at 213 821-7100 to at least get started in the right direction. The longer you put it off, the harder it may be for you down the road!
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