Fortune Watch

Corporations are notorious for being formal and stuffy, but not all big businesses are created equal. Over the last decade, more big-name companies are ditching the standard suit and tie and allowing their employees to wear khakis, jeans, and even (gasp!) flip-flops. These trend-setting companies have gone above and beyond the business norms to provide a comfortable and fun working environment for their employees, while providing awesome amenities like free gym memberships, complimentary dry cleaning, and on-site chefs to meet their daily needs. Check out these 10 big businesses with incredibly casual offices.

1. Google. Google was one of the first companies to adopt the laid-back corporate culture that emphasized creativity and achievements on an individual basis that add to the team’s overall success. One of the company’s 10 principle philosophies is “you can be serious without a suit.” This philosophy speaks volumes for the casual culture of Google. Not only is the dress code casual, but the overall look and feel of the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., is also laid back and fun. Google employees can enjoy ping pong, snacks in the break rooms, video games, and “huddle” rooms for everyone to take a break. Some additional office amenities include massage chairs, foosball and ping pong tables, an onsite gym, haircuts, and complimentary car washes.
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If you were to Google “Stock Market Volatility”, you would find a wide range of observations, conversations, reports, analyses, recipes, critiques, predictions, alarms, and causal confusion. Books have been written; indices and measuring tools have been created; rationales and conclusions have been proffered. Yet, the volatility remains.

Statisticians, economists, regulators, politicians, and Wall Street gurus have addressed the volatility issue in one manner or another. In fact, each day’s gyrations are explained, reported upon, recorded for later expert analysis, and head scratched about.

The only question I continue to have about all this comical hubbub is why don’t y’all just relax and enjoy it. Jon Methuen nailed it in his August 15, 2011 parody of the financial world’s ridiculous obsession with “volatility”. “A Reasonable Guide To Stock Market Volatility” is a must view — but only for mature adults with a semi-sick sense of humor.

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Social networking sites were originally created to connect people, but today’s sites do so much more. Everyone knows that successful careers are built on who you know. So, whether you’re looking for a new job or just wanting to move up in your field, these ten sites can help you move forward.

LinkedIn – The site for professional connections, leads, and jobs. These are all business people, and that’s what you’re looking for. Making connections is an essential part of any career, and, should you find yourself looking to change companies, start a new career, or simply move up in your field, you want a wide range of people to help you achieve your goal.
Facebook – The go-to site for everyone now, Facebook overtook MySpace as the most popular social networking site and caters to millions of users. The ability to make connections and renew acquaintances allows Facebook users to connect with current co-workers and potential employers they may never have come across in the real world. Be careful of what you post and who you friend though, employers will check you out. Join groups that show what kind of worker you are, and avoid things that could reflect negatively.
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This won’t take long, but think about the message and act accordingly.

Never, ever, in the history of the investment world has a major correction in the stock market not been a major buying opportunity — particularly in Investment Grade Value Stocks (IGVS).

Always, every time and without exception, the general media has predicted the end of the financial world, financial experts have pointed out the remarkable differences from the last correction, and investors everywhere have been encouraged to take their losses and sit on cash or gold until the smoke clears.

Every time, the short sighted fear mongers have been wrong. Not just most of the time mind you — absolutely all of the time. Similarly, the investing public has always been mesmerized into a take-no-further-action coma by whomever and whatever they listen to.

At the same time, every time, without exception, while the financial markets plummet out of control down the most recent “Double Black Diamond” Wall Street favorite, the few investors who practice Market Cycle Investment Management are collecting IGVSs in their cash rich shopping carts, preparing for the next “Silver Bullet” up the mountain.

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The true enemy is not necessarily Wall Street and its counterparts, it is the Federal Reserve. Wall Street’s greed created the housing bubble and subsequent collapse but it was saved by both the US Treasury and FR. The FR secretly loaned $1.2 trillion in public money to Wall Street firms before the Treasury even stepped in. The FR is the safety net for the criminals of Wall Street and until that source is cut, Wall Street will remain backed by the most powerful corporation in the United States.

Why aren’t these protest taking place where it needs to be: Washington DC. Where they piss away 90% of OUR money on bloated bureaucracies with regulations that encourage businesses to move overseas and entitlement programs that keep people reliant on govt. instead of earning a living and some self respect. I have no problem with govt. assistance when it’s needed, but it’s a way of life for too many people. At least Wall Street earned theirs.

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How much money should I withdraw annually from my portfolio when I retire?

I get that question a lot from friends and family. (Occupational hazard.) It’s also one of the most hotly debated issues in financial planning. Why? First, it’s important; we all hope to live happily in retirement. Second, every person’s situation is unique, so there’s no standard set of spending assumptions for retirement planning. Third, market returns may be mean-reverting over long time periods, but a person’s retirement happens over a specific time period, parts of which may deviate significantly from longer-term average returns that are used to forecast future asset values.

Let’s start with why the question is so critical. Ideally, you’ve been saving for four to five decades to build your nest egg. Now that you’ve stopped working, you want to use that hard-earned money for daily expenses, health care and the things you wanted to do while you were working — like taking a month-long African safari. But you also want to make sure your money lasts until you or your spouse dies, whichever comes later. Often, you want it to last even longer: Many people hope to pass along some of their assets to their children, grandchildren and other loved ones.

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Here is the plain truth for everyone, yet people will continue to do the same shit over and over again, voting for the same moron, having the same stupid arguments over two sides of the same corrupt coin, begging for the same entitlements.The West, esp the US, thinks they can have their cake and eat it too. They deserve the shitstorm that will be coming, they have been warned way too long and have ignored it like the arrogant idiots they are.

It’s not difficult to figure out how the job market works. The most secure, best-paying positions are the one’s with the least amount of applicants because either too few people are qualified, or nobody wants to take them. As anyone with an established career knows, there are times when you have to weigh salary versus general happiness, as the two don’t always coexist. To some, making $90,000 in exchange for putting in long, arduous hours in a terrible work environment is worth it; others are content with $45,000 and a mostly stress-free 40-hour work week. The following jobs have more characteristics pertaining to the former than the latter, which is why they probably aren’t worth the (relatively) high pay. Note: Salaries from payscale.com are for workers with 10 to 19 years of experience in the profession. Salaries from simplyhired.com are averages from all workers, regardless of experience.

1. Gastroenterologist, $122,339-$397,317

Being a Gastroenterologist comes without the usual glamour that’s associated with being a doctor, as, well, the job requires examination of the digestive system, specifically the intestines, stomach, esophagus, gallbladder, pancreas and liver. Dealing with the problems associated with those areas can be messy and quite unpleasant for the patient, with whom the gastroenterologist becomes intimately acquainted.

2. Surgeon, $96,204-$364,895

Routinely ranked as one of the most stressful jobs in existence, surgeons are afforded minimal margin for error during their unpredictable, tedious hours of work. In addition to the possibility of witnessing death and even facing lawsuits, they have to deal with hostile patients and family members, and sometimes embittered hospital staff workers who offer little help. Because they spend roughly 80 hours per week in the hospital, their social lives and family lives leave a lot to be desired, negating a lot of the benefits that come with the high pay.
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None of us really want to consider our very own passing, and that is most likely why those who ought to make a will usually do not get around to it. Wills online supplies a straightforward solution to going through what’s going to happen with your things when you die.

You can’t say everyone is convinced that online wills happen to be an effective way of to make your own last choices crystal clear to the individuals you leave after you die because not all wills are identical.

It is easy to ease the process of making a will while there are actually different types of wills from which to choose. Wills online recognise that not sll circumstances are the same and which means you will find four different kinds of wills that you could look at. Among the issues with a lot of wills that are written on the internet is they are definitely not authored by professionals. When using wills online you will find that no matter what will you choose it is compiled by a legal expert in that particular niche.

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