Scams

I've talked about lots of ways to make money besides a 9-5 job but even I have my limits! Based on recent news stories and what I've heard about some celebrities doing I've compiled my top 10 list of things not to do for money in the recession.

Top 10 Things Not To Do For Money In the Recession

1. Rob a convenience store at gunpoint with your 9 year old beside you(?!)
2. Star in a reality show like "I Love Money"
3. Have 14 children to so that you can pitch a TV show to the Discovery Channel
4. Sell your children's "exclusive" baby photos for money
5. Run a ponzi scheme (a la Bernie Madoff and others)
6. Stage sham funerals to collect the insurance money
7. Commit insurance fraud like having your car "disappear"
8. Get creative on your taxes like suddenly claiming 5 children
9. Pit your employees against each other in a Fox reality show
10. Start squatting in a foreclosed home

Just stay pretty clear of anything where you might end up in jail or in Tijuana.

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I read an article on the NY Times website that left me so angry that I had no choice but to share it with you. Everyone knows that we're all having rough times and people are dying with debts and little to no assets. What we sometimes don't know is that bill collectors are attempting to collect money from the families of the deceased and people are paying these collectors not knowing that they are not responsible for the dead person's debts!. It is a shady a practice that debt collectors get away with because people do not know their rights.

We're not talking about people who die with an estate that can afford to pay for things. We are talking small debts, credit cards debts (which by the way are often insured for a death before repayment) and the like. These are people with little to no assets and their survivors are being hounded for money while in the middle of their grief.

So here's the article. I implore you to read it and share it with your friends and family today.

That lady over there ------> is Suze Orman. You've seen her. You know you've seen her. She's friends with Oprah and if that don't count for somethin' well I don't know what doesn't! Okay so I don't really think that Suze is the devil but MSN Money is making such a case today at this article. They're basically saying that Suze doesn't practice what she preaches and is instead making millions off of watered down advice and selling products that give people a false sense of security. That I can agree with.

Anytime someone who is a millionaire tells me that I need to buy their book or whatever product they are selling to be just as rich as them I tend to pause. To me it's the same as those classes that Donald Trump was giving for some outrageous fee on how to get rich in real estate like him. Ahh, isn't my thousand dollar fee making you rich? Anyway I say all this to say take advices of financial "gurus" with a grain of salt. You have to know what works for you and what doesn't. So while Suze wants me to keep investing in the stock market, I've lost over 30% of my portfolio value and she has most of her money in government bonds. Things that make you go hmmm.