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Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-14-2007, 10:27 AM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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Speaking of financial mistakes...
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Numbers is hard
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-14-2007, 11:19 AM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,860
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo!
When I look at my business and personal financial screw ups against this disaster, I've got nothing to be ashamed of.
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You may be able to lose a little on a transaction, but it takes a true Megacorpse to really make it up on volume.
I can't believe how many careers & jobs were savaged by the last decade's "synergy" experiments. An American autoworkers union triumphing over German management-- that really was the irresistible force hitting the immovable object!
I'm intrigued by the thought that Cerberus now owns 51% of GMAC and 80% of Chrysler. I see another huge round of cheap vehicle financing heading our way...
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Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-14-2007, 11:21 AM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Lawn chair in Texas
Posts: 14,183
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Cheap vehicle, or cheap financing... :P
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Have Funds, Will Retire
...not doing anything of true substance...
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-14-2007, 01:38 PM
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#4
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: San Diego
Posts: 5,267
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
I bet Daimler thinks they got off easy.
What vehicle in the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep lineup gets you all hot and bothered? Exactly.
A running car is necessary for many in the U.S. of A., but everyone knows you can keep the same car running for decades. So what drives a person to a showroom and to begin rationalizing taking on a new payment? Passion, they fall in love with a car.
Nobody is falling in love with a Sebring. Some gangster elements got into the 300, but that's fading fast, too. With gas prices up major $$$, the one strong suit, trucks and suv's, is taking a beating with U.S. automakers.
No amount of lobbying is going to turn around a company that sells vehicles people don't want that cost an extra $5k to build due to retired union worker health costs etc. There is no magic to it, the Japanese don't have a secret formula, they just have an extra $5k in production costs to play with and still be competitive.
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-14-2007, 02:55 PM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 18,085
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by HFWR
Cheap vehicle, or cheap financing... :P
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Heh, maybe both?
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"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
- George Orwell
Ezekiel 23:20
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-14-2007, 04:38 PM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,072
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
That'll teach those foreigners...
The Japanese bought our real estate at the top of the 80's bubble. They wanted some trophy properties. They took a beating!
Now a Europeans thinks they are going to own/fix one of our troubled car companies and it sucked the life out of em.... Heck, they probably just got saddled with a bunch of pension obligations.
Who else in the world wants to own some prime US trophy investments. I wonder what investments the Chinese are eyeballing... How about some nice office buildings in Manhattan
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-14-2007, 07:33 PM
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,125
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
We have a Dodge Grand Caravan. Great for our trips but doesn't impress the chicks, which the DW appreciates.
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Angels danced on the day that you were born.
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-14-2007, 08:57 PM
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#8
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,860
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by chinaco
Now a Europeans thinks they are going to own/fix one of our troubled car companies and it sucked the life out of em.... Heck, they probably just got saddled with a bunch of pension obligations.
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As far as I can tell the pension obligations stay with Chrysler, but Daimler's having to pony up the funding to keep them covered.
Just what the UAW would want-- a German car company responsible for orphaned American pensions...
__________________
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Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 08:46 AM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
I wonder if there are any ongoing synergies in platform sharing. I know some of the "new" Chrysler models are using old Mercedes stuff. It would never justify the cost difference, of course. A $37.5 billion lesson indeed. German arrogance meets Detroit intransigence.
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For the fun of it...Keith
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 10:29 AM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,032
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nords
Just what the UAW would want-- a German car company responsible for orphaned American pensions...
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Hey, if the UAW had to pick one country that was all for running their economy into the ground in order to pay totally unrealistic pension obligations Germany would be a top pick!
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 11:04 AM
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#11
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Northern, Florida
Posts: 925
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laurence
What vehicle in the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep lineup gets you all hot and bothered? Exactly.
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Viper. Crossfire.
And the PT Cruiser has been very popular for several years.
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Retired in 2006 at age 49.
"Who among us is smart enough to learn from the mistakes of others?" - Voltaire
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 11:06 AM
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#12
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 718
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by saluki9
Hey, if the UAW had to pick one country that was all for running their economy into the ground in order to pay totally unrealistic pension obligations Germany would be a top pick!
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Pretty much any European country would be
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 11:38 AM
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#13
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 688
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laurence
...What vehicle in the Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep lineup gets you all hot and bothered? Exactly.
...
So what drives a person to a showroom and to begin rationalizing taking on a new payment? Passion, they fall in love with a car...
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I'm a die-hard GM man, but Chrysler has had some of the best vehicle designs of the last 5 years or more.
I would hardly say the Camry or Accord inspire passion... but their quality speaks for itself.
The big three are making some very solid cars, but are fighting an uphill battle of consumer perception and staggering legacy costs.
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Diggin' my way to financial freedom, one buck-at-a-time
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 12:27 PM
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#14
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,032
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick
Viper. Crossfire.
And the PT Cruiser has been very popular for several years.
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Viper - Fun car but tiring to drive. We have one in the family and I've spent a fair amount of time in it both on the street and on the track. The construction quality is poor at best and the interior makes a vette look like a Bently
Crossfire - 1990's benz rebadged, American built, and slapped with the most awful ugly ass body they could find. It gets people so hot and bothered that they have to give incentives equal to 15% or more of the cars MSRP to get rid of them
PT Cruiser - You get hot and bothered by the PT Cruiser?
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 01:29 PM
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#15
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: San Diego
Posts: 5,267
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by bow-tie
I'm a die-hard GM man, but Chrysler has had some of the best vehicle designs of the last 5 years or more.
I would hardly say the Camry or Accord inspire passion... but their quality speaks for itself.
The big three are making some very solid cars, but are fighting an uphill battle of consumer perception and staggering legacy costs.
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So my phrasing was poor, but you hit it on the head, the american branding is just not there. When talking in the coffee room, and cars come up, a person can say "I have a Camry" and everyone will nod their head as if to say, "smart guy, very sensible, good job" - so that's not hot and bothered, but if you said any american car, people will turn their head and inquire "why?". The branding is so strong for Honda/Toyota, it will take a ton of work to turn it around for american car makers, and I don't know if they have enough time.
People trust American trucks, but if gas hits $4, that may be the nail in the coffin.
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 01:52 PM
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#16
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,798
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Laurence
So my phrasing was poor, but you hit it on the head, the american branding is just not there. When talking in the coffee room, and cars come up, a person can say "I have a Camry" and everyone will nod their head as if to say, "smart guy, very sensible, good job" - so that's not hot and bothered, but if you said any american car, people will turn their head and inquire "why?". The branding is so strong for Honda/Toyota, it will take a ton of work to turn it around for american car makers, and I don't know if they have enough time.
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On that line, one of my ex-coworkers went out, splurged, and bought a Saab. I thought there was going to be a knock down drag out fight, when I told him it was nothing but an over priced GM when he started bragging about it. Fortunately one of our GM fans was standing there and assured him it wasn't an over priced GM....it was a fairly priced GM.
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You don't want to work. You want to live like a king, but the big bad world don't owe you a thing. Get over it--The Eagles
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 01:56 PM
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#17
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: San Diego
Posts: 5,267
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
I mean, the Mustang is still cool, but it's a specialty car. When I daydream about taking care of DW I imagine her in an E-Class, not a Cadillac.
( I tell DW I wish I could give her big diamonds and fancy cars and a house overlooking the ocean - she points out that she doesn't care about those things and she does get to stay home - I'll keep her).
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 08:09 PM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the City of Subdued Excitement
Posts: 5,588
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Viper - Fun car but tiring to drive. We have one in the family and I've spent a fair amount of time in it both on the street and on the track. The construction quality is poor at best and the interior makes a vette look like a Bently
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Maybe, but it goes like stink! Like the old Cobra. Carrol Shelby was the Viper's godfather, I read. Ol' Shel rocks. First lotto check buys me one (after I pay off the house).
Quote:
Crossfire - 1990's benz rebadged, American built, and slapped with the most awful ugly ass body they could find. It gets people so hot and bothered that they have to give incentives equal to 15% or more of the cars MSRP to get rid of them
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I kinda like the way it looks. Don't know what is under the skin, though.
Quote:
PT Cruiser - You get hot and bothered by the PT Cruiser? Huh
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Here, we agree.
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I have outlived most of the people I don't like and I am working on the rest.
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 08:13 PM
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#19
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Northern, Florida
Posts: 925
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by saluki9
PT Cruiser - You get hot and bothered by the PT Cruiser?
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I don't, but apparently millions of other people have.
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Retired in 2006 at age 49.
"Who among us is smart enough to learn from the mistakes of others?" - Voltaire
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
05-15-2007, 08:26 PM
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#20
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,032
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Re: Speaking of financial mistakes...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick
I don't, but apparently millions of other people have.
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Maybe a few people got hot and bothered. However I doubt many Vette or Boxster sales were scrapped in favor of the PT
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