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Don't be afraid to discuss money with your friends!

Zac Bissonnette — Mon, 28 May 2007 16:20:00 EST

A recent piece in the New York Times discussed the number 1 cause of stress in America: money woes. It also offered a bit of advice on how to deal with it that might run counter to what is traditionally considered good manners: "Talking about it might be taboo, voyeuristic or impolite, but money is our No. 1 stress factor, according to the American Psychological Association, and guess what the research shows can help us enormously? Being open and honest about it. Not just with ourselves (that's a first step), but with other people."

Just as some religions advertise the cleansing power of confession, talking about your financial woes can help you feel better, and even get you on the path to a better place. Here's one reason why: People who are dealing with debt or other financial woes might feel alone and ashamed but the reality is that most people's lives are a financial mess. 70% live from paycheck to paycheck, and people are wracking up debt at record rates.

As Dave Ramsey told the reporter, "When you see Ken and Barbie sitting there, looking like the perfect couple, and then you hear they've had a big fight about money, and they're broke, too, it gives you encouragement."

One of the problems with money woes is that, in this era of consumer credit, it can often be hidden. You might not know that your neighbor leases his car and has a huge HELOC on his home. It's not like obesity, where people wear the signs of their struggle around their waists.

So take a chance. Next time you're feeling stressed about money, tell your friends. You might find that they have similar problems, and you can share war stories and learn from each other. At the very least, it should make you feel better.

Don't be afraid to discuss money with your friends! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 May 2007 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TWX after the bell 5-1-06: no love for the family-friendly

Sarah Gilbert — Mon, 01 May 2006 18:49:00 EST

Filed under: After the Bell, Products and Services, Blogs, Time Warner (TWX)

Time Warner moved almost not at all today, down only six cents on below-average volume of about 21 million shares. And at $17.34, the stock is smack dab in the middle of the company's very tiny 52-week range (low: $16.10, high: $19.00).

Everyone seems to be in a holding pattern awaiting the earnings release later this week. But that doesn't mean no one cares! Someone always cares about Time Warner. Today, it's the family-friendly lobby, who is up in arms over the new family-friendly packages cable companies, like Time Warner and Comcast are offering - and not marketing enough. They'd rather see a la carte options so each family can decide what, indeed, it deems to be friendly.

As Carlo at Techdirt points out, "Cable companies aren't completely stupid -- if offering a la carte, or spending more to market family tiers would pay off, they'd jump on it." Everyone who's been through a microeconomics course at a good business school has done the problem set where we learn that bundling cable channels maximizes revenue! And what do shareholders want more than maximized revenue? Certainly not cable companies parenting our kids (and choosing, for instance, whether our kids should watch Fox News, or Animal Planet, or neither of the above). Commenters at Techdirt riff on cable monopolies, extortion, and bad parenting but I think none of this matters: shareholders don't give a darn whether or not Time Warner markets family-friendly cable bundles. As long as that revenue stays maximized.

TWX after the bell 5-1-06: no love for the family-friendly originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 May 2006 18:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What Comcast giveth to families... they telleth not of

Sarah Gilbert — Mon, 01 May 2006 17:40:00 EST

Filed under: Products and Services, Management, Competitive Strategy

Everyone in the FCC and the powerful Christian Right lobby is pushing cable operators to create more family-friendly options. And they finally have. But just because something exists, does not mean that it's well-publicized.

My husband and I chuckled behind our hands when my brother-in-law told us to ask for the Spanish-language package on Comcast - but it saved us money on the channels we used most. The cable company's new Family Tier, priced at only $33.29 in the Denver, Colo. area, would be even better for us (and keep us away from the dreaded Fox News, which for some reason is considered non-family-friendly option - a topic for an entirely other post, I'm sure). But, as the Denver Post reports, Comcast isn't exactly being proactive about letting consumers know they can opt in to the kindler, gentler bargain content.

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What Comcast giveth to families... they telleth not of originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 01 May 2006 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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