Yippee, the National Do Not Call Registry is here to stay. [Read more: Supreme Court Upholds Do-Not-Call Registry]
In case you hadn't heard, the Supreme Court, without comment, hung up on efforts by telemarketers to get rid of the registry. The judges didn't buy (hee, hee) the argument by telemarketers that the list violated their rights to free speech.
I'm so glad the justices saw it our way. We consumers have a right not to be annoyed by people hawking stuff (most of which we don't need).
If you haven't already, you should get on the list. My telephone, for the most part, has been blissfully silent since I signed up. You can register online at www.donotcall.gov or call toll-free, 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236), from the number you wish to register. Registration is free.
For more information on how to reduce unwanted telemarketing calls, visit www.ftc.gov/donotcall.
All Information Isn't Good
I asked readers: "Would you trade on insider information if you were presented with the opportunity?"
I promised not to name names and sure enough more than a handful of people said: "Absolutely."
"Of course I would do it. Wouldn't you?" asked one reader.
Nope. My moral compass doesn't point in the direction of doing anything that would get me locked up. The only bar I want to be behind is a candy bar.
Some people didn't believe for a minute that others wouldn't cheat, as the majority said in a survey I quoted.
"I think you're rather naive if you believe those 59 percent who say they would not trade on insider information," one reader wrote. "Would I? In a heartbeat. And I think most people would. If you believe these people would stop to consider the ethics of insider trading, then you must believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus."
Wait a minute.
There's no Santa Claus?
I was happy to see that there were many people who know better than to invest on a tip.
"I would never take anyone else's advice to sell or buy based on 'what I know and no one else does,' another reader wrote. "That just seems like opening myself up to being played."
And you probably would be played.
"I have done so, only to find that the information was not worth a plugged nickel," a reader e-mailed me. "I lost money. Never again."
In fact, we should all heed the warning of this reader: "Most tips from insiders are not kosher, either from lack of knowledge of certain factors, or from an attempt to boost the stock after the insider bought."
Paragons of Parsimony
Lois of Concord, Calif., was a little concerned about one penny-pinching tip I passed along.
She wrote: "I wanted to respond about the family who wipes their hands on their dog instead of using cloth napkins. Yuck! Using a washing product that is not harmful to the earth should take care of any concerns about polluting. Besides, the poor dog is being abused in this way. Shame on those cheapskates!"
Dear Lois, as a fellow dog lover, I too would be concerned about someone's Rover being used as a dinner napkin. But alas the tip was, I'm sure, a joke. I just thought my fellow comrades in frugality could use a laugh.
But hey, anybody else out there hear of any outrageous penny-pinching techniques? If so, send me an e-mail at [EMAIL PROTECTED].
You are welcome to e-mail comments and questions to [EMAIL PROTECTED]. They may be used in a future column or newsletter with the writer's name unless otherwise requested.
