Confessions of A Scam Artist

Here's a pretty interesting interview of convicted investment con man Eric Stein. It makes for a pretty good story, and also contains a lot of helpful tips on how to avoid being taken advantage of by these crooks.

HT: Michael Covel

The Check's Not In The Mail

The New York Times gives us this article on the increasing use of electronic payment systems and dissappeararance of the paper check:

Mr. Lyons and other young adults may belong to the first check-free generation as they choose to handle transactions almost entirely by debit card, credit card and computer. The number of checks written in the United States peaked sometime in the mid-1990's; it has been falling precipitously for the last four years, according to the Federal Reserve. At the same time, the number of electronic payments has risen swiftly.

Click here for the whole piece.

The article also is a good example of how technological change forces companies to reallocate resources - both within banks and without. It's a very nice piece for a financial markets and institutions class (for a segment on electornic payment systems).