Month: November 2002

  • One learner at a time

    When I learned to drive I was required to have a fully qualified driver in the front seat passenger seat. That “black licence” was required to be sober and responsible. That is good risk management on behalf of the community. In poker if you can’t tell who the sucker at the table is, look in…

  • Hack Attempt #1

    Someone tried to hack the site tonight. I don’t know whether to be angry or flattered. So if you show up one day and it seems like I’ve moved into the porn-biz you’ll know: 1) I’m 0wn3d by script kiddies (i.e. the site has been defaced). 2) Don’t hire me as your IT security consultant…

  • Credit Card Danger

    I bought a strata unit with a credit card cash advance once. I’ve used the same technique for a deposit in a hurry. Until recently I was a fan of lots of credit cards with high limits — providing you knew how to manage a bank’s Debt Service Ratio (DSR) calculations. You see, banks assume…

  • Someone’s trying to screw you

    I just go home from listening to Peter Holmes à Court give a casual talk at the Sydney Chapter of Young Entrepreneurs Organisation. I won’t reproduce his entertaining, inspiring and insightful comments here — if you ever get a chance to hear Peter talk, take it. One point he did make was Someone’s always trying…

  • Horse Trading

    I sat in on an exchange between two very experienced businessmen today. What an education in five minutes. The Salesman and the Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur: We bought these from you last time at $1.62. Why do you want $2.25? Salesman: I have to pay MGM an 18% royalty on these. Entrepreneur (grabs a calculator): $1.62 +18%…

  • Small unit finance

    It seems that GE – Mortgage Insurance Services has decided that small units (<50sqm) are not good. This is a relatively new wrinkle as I have seen the lender summaries that brokers use to assess lenders. GEMIS used to do these loans. Anyhow if it was easy everyone would do it and I wouldn’t have…

  • Sell 1831 CSR @ 5.64

    I stretched for cash at the moment so I look a $0.18 (3%) gain on a 17 day holding. A shame because I wanted to hold it long term. Mind you the last dividend was 13c so it’s like I got the dividend anyway.