Taxable Income is…

June 3rd, 2011

Taxable income equals the portion of your earnings the government is allowed to tax. Most income is taxable, so if you have a job, odds are that whatever money you make at that job counts as taxable income.

Things that are tax-deductible, like most charitable donations, reduce the amount of your taxable income and so may reduce your tax bill.

A Social Security Number is…

June 3rd, 2011

A social security number (SSN) is a nine-digit number issued by the Social Security Administration to every United States citizen, plus permanent residents and temporary working residents. Its main purpose is to track individuals for taxes, but it’s also used as an official national identification number.

Precious Metals are…

June 3rd, 2011

Precious metals are metals that are rare and valuable. For example, gold, platinum, and silver are all precious metals.

A Whistleblower is…

June 3rd, 2011

A whistleblower is someone who finds out that a person or organization is doing something wrong and reports it to the authorities.

For example, if you’re working at a coffee shop, and you see your co-worker stealing from the cash register, telling your boss about it would make you a whistleblower. There are laws that say that you can’t be fired for being a whistleblower – so even if you get someone really important (like your boss) in trouble, they can’t fire you for telling the truth.

An Investment Vehicle is…

June 3rd, 2011

An investment vehicle is basically any structure or place where you put your money to try to make more money. Some examples of investment vehicles are stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

A Director is…

June 3rd, 2011

A director is someone who makes blockbuster hits, true, but the kind of director we’re talking about is someone who helps run a company. A company or organization normally has a board of directors, which is a group of men and women who are elected by shareholders or other members of the organization to oversee its activities and make major decisions about how it operates. A director is one of those board members.

The word is used in a lot of different ways, though, and it can also refer to someone at the management level in charge of… directing things!

Being a Billionaire’s Daughter

June 2nd, 2011


(© Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a kid with a horse and a dream and a billion dollar inheritance, now’s your chance to find out. Georgina Bloomberg, the 28-year-old daughter of the mayor of New York City, has just published a young adult book that is technically a work of fiction, but clearly based on her life in the inner circle of Manhattan heiresses.

While it’s not fair to read too far into Georgina’s life based on her book, there are some interesting themes – mostly around the unwanted fame that comes with wealth and good old arguments with dad. What do you do when your father’s fortune allows you to excel at an expensive sport – horse riding – but his business sensibility dismisses it as a career because it doesn’t pay?

It’s kind of nice to see that the tension between parents who want the best for their children and the children who want to follow their bliss is pretty much universal. No matter what your net worth.

Being a Billionaire’s Daughter

June 2nd, 2011


(© Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a kid with a horse and a dream and a billion dollar inheritance, now’s your chance to find out. Georgina Bloomberg, the 28-year-old daughter of the mayor of New York City, has just published a young adult book that is technically a work of fiction, but clearly based on her life in the inner circle of Manhattan heiresses.

While it’s not fair to read too far into Georgina’s life based on her book, there are some interesting themes – mostly around the unwanted fame that comes with wealth and good old arguments with dad. What do you do when your father’s fortune allows you to excel at an expensive sport – horse riding – but his business sensibility dismisses it as a career because it doesn’t pay?

It’s kind of nice to see that the tension between parents who want the best for their children and the children who want to follow their bliss is pretty much universal. No matter what your net worth.

Still trying to find your bliss? Watch our interviews with Pretty Young Professional or Ron from CareerCore to get started!

Hot? Take Off Your Suit!

June 1st, 2011
hawaiian-shirt-friday.jpg

(photo: Lazurite on flickr)

Remember those frigid winter mornings when Dad would tell you to quit whining already and put on a sweater if you were so cold? Well if you haven’t figured it out by now (which, duh), he was trying to save energy (i.e. money) by keeping the thermostat low.

Today, the Japanese government is doing essentially the same thing. But… kookier.

They’re pushing a new program called “Super Cool Biz.” Participating companies are encouraged to save energy by keeping their thermostats set to 82 degrees Fahrenheit this summer. After all, the nation is still trying to manage with reduced energy availability after some of its nuclear power plants were destroyed in the tsunami. But a nice side effect will be lower electricity bills for participating companies and a smaller carbon footprint for the entire nation.

The super cool part? Shorts, sandals, and Hawaiian t-shirts are all suddenly upgraded to “business casual.” We want pictures of super cool board meetings.

How are you staying cool this summer without contributing to a scorched earth?

Hot? Take Off Your Suit!

June 1st, 2011
hawaiian-shirt-friday.jpg

(photo: Lazurite on flickr)

Remember those frigid winter mornings when Dad would tell you to quit whining already and put on a sweater if you were so cold? Well if you haven’t figured it out by now (which, duh), he was trying to save energy (i.e. money) by keeping the thermostat low.

Today, the Japanese government is doing essentially the same thing. But… kookier.

They’re pushing a new program called “Super Cool Biz.” Participating companies are encouraged to save energy by keeping their thermostats set to 82 degrees Fahrenheit this summer. After all, the nation is still trying to manage with reduced energy availability after some of its nuclear power plants were destroyed in the tsunami. But a nice side effect will be lower electricity bills for participating companies and a smaller carbon footprint for the entire nation.

The super cool part? Shorts, sandals, and Hawaiian t-shirts are all suddenly upgraded to “business casual.” We want pictures of super cool board meetings.

How are you staying cool this summer without contributing to a scorched earth?