Taking "Fail Fast" to a whole… ‘nutha… level

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

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your word against theirs

I hate it when writers resort to dictionary definitions to make a point.

“The New Oxford American Dictionary defines ‘authentic’ as ‘relating to or denoting an emotionally appropriate, significant, purposive, and responsible mode of human life.’

“So true, so true, and that’s the perspective you must adopt to become adroit in social media.”

Yeah? ‘Cause from what I can tell “authentic” actually means “pretending to care about what other people think so that they’ll mention you on Twitter.”

But when I saw this thesaurus entry for the word “human,” I had to share (my emphasis obviously):

HUMAN — they’re only human — mortal, flesh and ..read more

Innovative online bank shuts down

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

Citizens Bank got lots of press when it opened in 1997. It was the first and only Canadian financial institution with a female CEO, Linda Crompton (who didn’t stay long). It also promised to bring a social conscience to all its operations.

But parent Vancity’s press release this week wasn’t as forthright as it should have been about the fate of Citizens Bank. The news was downplayed that customers were being left in the lurch.

Online banking has “become a crowded marketplace,” said Vancity CEO Tamara Vrooman. So, customers outside Vancouver will have to transfer their chequing and savings accounts to another institution. RRSPs will have to be transferred. Term deposits not in RRSPs can stay until they mature, but can’t be renewed.

The loan portfolio is ..read more

Can you ever stop shopping around?

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

In today’s column, I talk about a small business owner who believed in the values advertised by his Big Five bank. He thought that RBC had his best interests at heart.

He was turned down every time he asked for a Euro account to save on currency conversion charges until he said he was going to move his business elsewhere. Then, the bank offered to give him what he had been denied for two years before.

This kind of behaviour is commonplace in the business world. Companies fight to increase their market share by offering juicy incentives to new customers. Meanwhile, they ignore their existing clients, who only get their attention when they threaten to leave.

This means you have to change your behaviour as a customer. ..read more

Online Debt Consolidation Programs

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Many credit counseling companies have come up with debt consolidation programs to help people like you and me who are in over our heads with debt – find a way out. When you consolidate your debts, you simplify your life and take pressure off your back. A good program will work with your creditors to bring down your interest rates. They will then work with you to establish a monthly payment that you can afford. They payment will be sent to the consolidation company that will in turn pay back your debts. This helps your credit situation by showing that you are taking actions to improve it.

Debt consolidation programs are available online, and you can browse the Internet to find one that you think will ..read more

How Does Christian Debt Consolidation Help to Reduce Debt?

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Christian debt consolidation programs are gaining popularity in present times, as it is a better alternative to standard debt relief services. This program can help you get rid of your multiple debts. Though the Christian debt relief companies function more like a corporation than a religious establishment, yet the spiritual belief is incorporated into their debt relief programs.

Who offers Christian consolidation program?

There are some non profit organizations that follow the Christian belief in order to consolidate your debt; however, some standard debt relief companies also offer the same service. This program is usually offered against a certain fee; however, it is much less than that of standard debt relief services.

Is the Christian way of consolidating debt similar to others?

The Christian way of consolidating debt is ..read more