Thank You, Kelli!

My counseling colleague and blog partner, Kelli Turpin, is moving to North Carolina. Her last official day at City will be September 6, 2017. Kelli has worked in the counseling department at City for 17 years, and she has helped so many students. She is a dedicated counselor who has worked with active duty military at a local base and she has also guided veterans at City. She is someone I go to when I need to check the accuracy of information. In other words, she knows her stuff. But not only is she an outstanding counselor, she is a fantastic writer, editor, and blogger. If not for her willingness to give this blog idea a try, I probably wouldn't have launched it, so I give her credit for its existence. She has given of her own time to write articles for this blog, and she has an open invitation to post from out of state whenever she wants. That's how much I appreciate her writing and contributions to this blog. I hope we will continue to see her writing here.

We will miss her experience, dedication, and student advocacy. But most of all, we will miss her presence. It won't feel the same at City without her.

Raymond Wong
9-5-17

Low-Paying Jobs

The 33 Lowest Paying Jobs for College Grads appeared on MSN Money. This list doesn't bode well for counselors, social workers, teachers, and others who want to help people, but most of the students going into these fields aren't doing it for the money, right?

Teach English to Students in China by Streaming

If you like the idea of teaching, consider a country that has a lot of students who want to learn English by live streaming. Why Chinese Education Companies Are Chasing US Teachers appeared on MSN Money.

Boy Raises $15K To Buy Hearing Aids for Other Kids

You don't have to be an adult to make a difference. Just ask Braden Baker, who helped raise $15,000 to provide hearing aids to other children. Meet the Hearing-Impaired 10-Year-Old Who Raised $15,000 to Buy Ear Aids for Other Kids: He's 'So Proud!' appeared on MSN News.

Reduce Your Tuition!

9 Surprising Ways to Get a Discount on Your Tuition appeared in Student Loan Hero.

Can You Answer These Money Questions?

70% of Americans can't answer these three money questions. Can you?

Question 1

Suppose you have $100 in a savings account and the interest rate is 2 percent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
A. More than $102
B. Exactly $102
C. Less than $102
D. I don't know

Question 2

Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account is 1 percent per year and inflation is 2 percent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
A. More than today
B. Exactly the same as today
C. Less than today
D. I don't know

Question 3

Do you think the following statement is true or false: Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.


This article and answers to the above questions appeared on MSN Money.

Taylor Swift: Strength and Dignity by Raymond M. Wong

• A person is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds in America.
• 1 in 6 American women have been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.
• 9 out of 10 rape victims are female.
• From 2009-2013, 63,000 children a year were sexually abused.

Source: https://www.rainn.org/statistics/scope-problem (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network).

I spoke recently to my thirteen-year-old daughter, Kristie, about Taylor Swift’s court battle with former radio DJ, David Mueller, who allegedly groped Swift while posing for a picture at a promotional backstage meet-and-greet in 2013. I talked to Kristie because I want my daughter to know that sexual assault is serious and how someone reacts to it does matter. After the alleged incident, Swift conveyed what happened to the people closest to her, and Mueller was dismissed from his job by the radio station that employed him after they received a complaint from a member of Swift’s team.

Mueller filed a lawsuit in 2015 against Swift claiming he lost his job over an incident that didn’t happen and asked for three million dollars in damages. Swift did not settle out of court and counter-sued for a symbolic $1 to state her case in a courtroom.

100 Scholarships!

Need money for school? Apply for a scholarship. Here are 100 scholarships to choose from.

Job Interview Mistakes

The 3 Biggest Job Interview Mistakes appeared on MSN Money.

A 32K Car-Buying Mistake by Raymond M. Wong

If you're thinking of purchasing a car, read my article in the Penny Hoarder about how buying the wrong car cost my family over $32,000.

Costco Tips

If you shop at Costco, you have to check out the MSN articles below:

Does buying in bulk at Costco really save you money?

20 deals only at Costco.

15 items always cheaper at Costco.

11 foods not to buy at Costco.

Stop Procrastinating!

Do you have a problem with procrastination? Here are 15 solutions from MSN Lifestyle.

5 Mistakes Made by Job Seekers

"The adage that you can't get what you want till you know what you want is especially true when it comes to employment."

5 Common Mistakes That Can Cost Even Smart People the Job appeared on MSN Money. 

Shopping Secrets: Best Buy Employees

If you shop at Best Buy, here are some things you should know from employees. 6 Secrets from Best Buy Employees That'll Change How You Shop appeared in MSN Money.

Having Fun With YouTube by Raymond M. Wong

My sixteen-year-old, Kevin, is really into video games and he is drawn to one called Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO). While I’m not thrilled with him playing a first-person shooter game, I have reluctantly come to realize my son is old enough to choose the kind of recreation he wants to take part in as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone or land him in jail.

Recently, Kevin told me he wants to put together videos of himself playing CS: GO and post them on YouTube. Now you have to understand where I’m coming from: I’m almost old enough to qualify for senior discounts at the Goodwill, so when I was a child, there were no computers in the house.  People talked on a rotary dialed landline and the Atari video game “Pong” was making its debut when I was ten.  Yes, this makes me feel ancient, and technology is not my strong suit.  

Honoring A Heroic Dog

Marine Dog with Cancer Gets Tear-Filled Farewell appeared in MSN News.

Millennials and Work Life

"Your job is meant to pay your bills, but your side hustle pays you in self-respect." -- Ann Shoket, Former Editor-In-Chief of Seventeen.

Millennials Are Changing the Workplace—and Everyone Is Better Off for It appeared on MSN Lifestyle.

Doctor Lives Life Fully Without Extravagance

Here is the story of an anesthesiologist who makes six figures but spends money on what is truly important and still buys from Craigslist. I Just Visited Someone With One of the Highest-Paying Jobs in the US and Was Blown Away By How Little He Spends appeared on MSN Money.