Author Archive

Originally published in Financial Profundities on December 17th

Being a dog lover all my life and indifferent to cats almost an equal amount of time, I’m not the likeliest of cat owners. But two years ago Nook (isn’t he cute?) came into my life when he was a four-month old kitten. Today, he’s a big “boy” and I cannot imagine him not being a part of my life. He’s affectionate (like a dog); he’s rambunctious; and, he’s totally smart and entertaining. I absolutely love his personality. What I do not love is his jumping on the table, counter-top, armoire, etc.

Admittedly, I am not the best disciplinarian. And I get teased all the time about my tone of voice when yelling at him. Apparently, I shouldn’t be too surprised that he often dismisses my proclamations of, “Nook, get down.” But one day, I don’t remember when exactly, it clicked: Cats jump; that’s what they do. I finally acknowledged a fact I had not been embracing. Later, I would realize my “aha” moment went far beyond the tension between my cat’s natural tendencies and my preferences. It illuminated an interesting dilemma.

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Originally published in Financial Profundities on September 28th

By now, you probably know that President Obama has

selected Elizabeth Warren to oversee the establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Like the major financial agencies that came before it (e.g., FDIC, Glass-Steagall (repealed in 1999) and the SEC), the CFPB is being created to correct policy ills that contributed to an economic crisis. With the CFPB, Ms. Warren has an opportunity to do what wasn’t done after the formation of these other agencies.

Personally, I think she is perfect for the role and the new agency’s mission, and I hope she eventually gets nominated and confirmed to actually lead CFPB. She has the perfect combination of knowledge, political savvy, and passion, ingredients she’ll definitely need as she takes on the unenviable and monumental task of fixing things that are broken while building things we aren’t even yet aware of needing. What Prof. Warren is preparing to do on a policy level is exactly what you and I need to do on a personal level: reflect, react and re-envision.

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