It’s now official: Sweet Briar College is staying open. There are other vulnerable small colleges out there, but this one was less vulnerable than most. One of the issues that was addressed in the court order was one of restricted endowments. What are they? Simple: they are money donated to an institution for use for… [Read More]
I’ve been writing a lot of about college finances, most recently for Belt, and most of the stories of trouble colleges follow a predictable combination of enrollment dropoff and financial shortfall. The announced closing of Sweet Briar College in early 2015 deviated from this. Enrollment was declining, but the financial position was okay. What was… [Read More]
One of the more interesting issues in financial management is that of absorption: how easily can an individual, organization, or nation handle an influx of cash? I’m involved with an organization called Impact 100 Chicago,. The members contribute $1000 each and then ask local organizations to apply for grants. The grant applications are reviewed, with the… [Read More]
One of the presentations at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week was entitled Haters Gotta Hate. It was about how small businesses should handle negative reviews in social media. In a way, the presentation was disappointing; the businesses represented have great reputations! But they had a few points. First, you may not want to allow reviews on Facebook because… [Read More]
Because I am self employed, I don’t have a lot of experience with delegation. I’m trying to get better at it, using paid assistance for work and home stuff, but I’m not an expert. I’m mentoring some younger members of the Junior League of Chicago, and one issue that they all noted was that people flake on their… [Read More]
Hedge Funds for Dummies, 2e
My first book has been completely revised! Updated to reflect changing markets, accessible strategies through ETFs, and new potential due diligence pitfalls.
Day Trading for Dummies, 5e
With five revisions, countless interviews with successful traders, and lots of research, this is the definitive guide to getting started, managing risk, and staying in the game.