PlatKat.com

So Bush is finally backing legislation that I can agree with: tighter bankruptcy laws. I never liked how easy it is for careless spenders to absolve their debts, declaring they have nothing when they actually have a lot more than the average person needs, just no liquid assets. You have a brand new beamer and you can’t buy dinner tonight because all of your credit cards are maxed out? Tough tamales.

The forthcoming legislation prompted me to buy a modest amount of stock in both Capital One and Citigroup. I know I won’t make bank and retire in Tahiti, but both companies are pretty solid and will do quite well in the coming years. Even if I make just enough to take a short vacation to Tahiti, or perhaps buy only a poster depicting Tahiti, the money is being put to better use than sitting in a bank account.

In addition, a fairly recent viewing of Jim Cramer’s Mad Money has caused me to think a little harder about what I’m doing with my cash flow now so I can keep it going in the future. I doubt anyone can agree with every tip he gives, but his overall advice is sound. “Am I Diversified?” is a fun game and a good question that everyone with a little extra dough should strive to answer.

Watching my NI stock plumment in the recent weeks has also prompted me to pull my head out of the sand and get a leg up on the pile. Although NI has a diverse range of products and thus, a varied customer base, something there ain’t goin’ right. I don’t plan to sell, but I won’t buy more. (In my time there, I accrued enough NI stock for it to amount to a large percentage of my total assets. Plus, there are better tech stocks out there.)

If I buy more stock in the coming months, it is likely to be in consumer goods and services. Southwest Airlines is a popular one. I’m wondering if I’m too late to cash in on the Whole Foods organic b.s. craze. I think Wal-Mart might be trying to make their own version to compete, but I’ll have to do some more reading. I don’t care for Wal-Mart much and their produce section is currently abhorrent. I guess we’ll see.