Friday 29 July 2011

Unusual Methods of Insider Trading

A recent story detailing a new method of insider trading was bought to my attention this week and I thought I'd share.

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Absence...

Firstly, my apologies for the recent lack of posting. The real world has conspired to prevent me putting my metaphorical pen to paper. There has been much going on in the world recently, so I shall get back to writing now. Check back soon...

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Weird things that sell on eBay

Since the dawn of currency, one of the first things people do when they are short of cash is sell their belongings. Pawnbrokers existed as far back as ancient Greece, Rome and China.

Whether you call it a yard or boot sale, hocking, pawning or flogging junk it's all the same. You sell something you don't really want to sell and inevitably for less than you'd like.

Monday 27 June 2011

Finding gold on the streets

Last week, news outlets around the world started reporting about a man in New York by the name of Raffi Stepanian who was making his living by literally finding gold on the streets. The media flocked to this, firstly because everyone loves to read about people making money from nothing and secondly because it gave EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM an excuse to write headlines using the cliched 'streets paved with gold' line.

Friday 24 June 2011

How To Sell Organs (and other unwanted parts)

We've all seen it in film and TV. A clichéd young man, usually deeply in debt, desperately needs cash to pay his overweight, deep voiced, loan shark. He struggles to think during a short montage and suddenly comes up with the most astoundingly original and consequence-free idea!

"I'll sell my organs!"

We laugh/sigh/turn off and the plot continues onwards to its laboured conclusion. But what if this was possible?

Why am I here?

There are more places on the internet writing about how people make and invest money than there are stars in the night sky.

Consumers look for good deals on car insurance and mortgage rates, they advance their careers and work hard for more money and they spend it wisely. Some do the complete opposite.
Investors analyse balance sheets, look at P/E ratios, analyse candlestick charts, moving averages, go with their instincts or merely flip coins.
Governments balance imports and exports, hedge currencies, impose tariffs, undermine foreign markets or spend money purely to gain votes.

What about the multitude of ways of making money for those with different ideals and morals? What about those living on the fringes of society? I'm not just referring to the illegal schemes but also the immoral, the distasteful, the risky, the unorthodox and the taboo.

Welcome

Welcome to DodgyMoney.
An insight into the alternative side of finance.

It is true that most people work hard at their 9-5, get promoted, get a mortgage, save money by searching for cheap deals on holidays, cars and insurance, put a little into cash savings and maybe invest in a few reliable shares and boring mutual funds.

Where's the fun in that? I did it for a while and soon became bored of it. I wanted out of the humdrum existence of most workers and I am now doing my best to be financially independent from my day job. I started to read about the other ways people make their livings and was fascinated.