Articles written by Thomas Schipani

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About me - Thomas Schipani

Just a kid from Queens (NY) with a long history of working in the "boiler rooms" of financial institutions.

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Business > Staffing Issues Should leadership take the blame for staff errors?: 1 of 17
If you are in charge then you are accountable. It's that simple. In this article I use a software development project, with me as the buyer, as a case study, but the same lessons apply in any other field.To me at least, the only project manager worth his/her salt is the one who will do anything to get her/his project done. Ge... More..
Business > Nonprofits What are the critical characteristics a board of directors needs to succeed: 1 of 8
In addition to all of the things a Board needs to do in a commercial company, the Board of a non-profit must pay particular attention to beliefs of its stakeholders and to the measurement of results. These can be daunting tasks. In a commercial company the objective is to make money for the shareholders. The issues that the B... More..
Business > Nonprofits Should all nonprofits generate revenue?: 1 of 8
No, it is not a requirement that non-profits generate revenue, in fact one needs to be careful about revenue generation in a non-profit or the quest for revenue can lead to unwanted incentives for management. The amount of revenue (if any!), how it is earned, why it is earned, and how much is earned are critical policy questi... More..
Personal Finance > Banking Basics A guide to online banking and bill pay: 11 of 54
It's the greatest thing since sliced bread as long as you follow a few simple and common sense rules. Why Bank and Pay Bills On Line?Lots of reasons. Instead of waiting for your monthly paper statement from your bank you can check and reconcile your balance every day. You don't have to be home to pay your bills. You save post... More..
Business > Finance & Insurance Why foreign currency trading is popular: 2 of 6
Why is Foreign Exchange currency trading (FX) popular? Individual investors may be drawn to FX because it is a market that has only recently opened to the individual investor in a way that is convenient, easy, and simple. Twenty or even ten years ago, this market was closed to the individual because of high transaction costs ... More..
Personal Finance > Investing Basics How to avoid stock scams: 1 of 1
I think you can only be 100% sure of avoiding a stock scam by not investing at all. Given that you don't think total abstinence is in your future there are a couple of common sense things to keep in mind. A few examples can help illustrate these. I first heard about the LASER ARMS company from some friends while riding to ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Why the Electoral College rules US presidential elections: 11 of 13
The simple answer is that the Constitution says they do. The Electoral College rules US presidential elections for the same reason that whales have tiny little legbones. The electoral college is a political vestigial organ left over from the founding of the United States of America. It serves no useful purpose and is part of ... More..
Personal Finance > Budgets & Saving How to identify needs vs. wants when reorganizing costs: 24 of 26
Per Mr. Webster, "need" is defined as "the lack of something desirable, useful, or necessary." "Want" is defined as "To wish for or desire; to need; to fail to possess a required amount. The state of lacking a required or necessary amount." Not very helpful. "To need" is a definition of "want". When we say "need" we will mean... More..