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Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

Dear Eli Hoffmann,
I like to read your column, but would find it much more enticing to open it if you had a varying title--at least in part. I don't open it as often as I should just because the title doesn't vary. The portion "Must-Know News" could be altered to a thematic phrase or word to indicate the overall concept of the content of your writing for that day. Or take "Must-Know News" and make that your title with an attention-getting word or phrase after the colon. And, again, I do like your writing and have signed up some time ago to receive your column each day. Now motivate the readers to open it. Thanks for your good work.

The Best of the Deal - Cramer's Stop Trading (7/29/08)

Point well taken on being treated well as a customer, mixter and Blue collar guy. As customers we should go to the smaller banks for personal treatment. The smaller the better, possibly. My little bank has only branches in a two or three state area (maybe thirty) and it is privately held, but the personnel are courteous and the rates have been very very good. Also, instead of selling my house loan to some other company, who might have sold it on to someone else, they maintained it in their system. We should pull up stakes at any business wherever the treatment is impersonal or unprofessional and go to another establishment. Trial and error may be the best method until we find the right fit. Then I believe in staying tight with that company.
It's probably like that with your doctor and clinic, too. Too often we stay where we always went when we should be looking for cordiality and professionalism bundled together. Combining them doesn't take away from either of them.

Best and Worst Dow, S&P 500 Performers YTD

Although I hold Wal-Mart stock, I feel Kranky has comments of worth. In a free forum, each of us has the write to express our thoughts. It may not have numbers, but the article does show some thoughts influencing the numbers of Wal-Mart, perhaps in a more significant way than one would consider. I have friends who wouldn't buy anything in Wal-Mart as long as there is a mom and pop shop around where they can make their purchases. I respect that, although I will go to Wal-Mart to purchase goods. I sincerely try to avoid the products from China, precisely because of the comment Kranky makes about the people in China being virtual (or in some cases actual) slaves. The negative comments about WMT will affect bottom lines and do have merit in being expressed. It's America, not China, where a point of view that may seem a digression to some should be tolerated for the benefit of knowing that we are all free to express our thoughts civilly, because they will be different than someone elses. So, I guess those who don't like the content have to practice skimming, as probably many people did with this post.

The Coming Crash of 2008: A Result of Overleveraging

Congratulations, Matt! You got a discussion going.
I am amazed at the comments people write. (And scared, a little, too, by what they write.)
Your videos--I saw all three--sound to be and honest throughtful effort to help. I think I'd better go the Suzi Orman route and start paying down debt. Would that be part of the answer--everyone paying back debt as efficiently as possible? Sorry, that sounds like some of the facetious comments and questions above. Well, thanks for giving a sincere effort to alert us to the problem.