Blog — Jill on Money [ Archive]

Imagine a world without companies like Apple, or media outlets such as CBS or NBC, without all of the cars and trucks crisscrossing the country, without food provided by the farmer...that's what would happen if Wall Street did not exist...it would all go away, according to this week's Better Off guest, writer William "Bill" Cohan.

Imagine a world without companies like Apple, or media outlets such as CBS or NBC, without all of the cars and trucks crisscrossing the country, without food provided by the farmer…that’s what would happen if Wall Street did not exist…it would all go away, according to this week’s Better Off guest, writer William “Bill” Cohan.

If you’ve read some of his previous books, like “House of Cards,” or “Money and Power”, you know Bill is usually not one to shy away from going after Wall Street and its shortcomings. But in an interesting twist, Bill’s recent book, “Why Wall Street Matters,” is a defense of the industry that he has pilloried.

In our interview, Bill describes a poor decision by Elizabeth Warren as the catalyst that propelled him to write this latest book. He tells us what Wall Street has done well, like providing the necessary capital to companies, which in turn allows them to invest, expand and hire, thus propelling overall economic growth.

Don’t be mistaken: Bill knows that Wall Street and the institutions that occupy the space in Lower Manhattan are imperfect, but he believes that there is far more good than bad — and more importantly, the consequences would be dire if the essential role the industry plays were carelessly curtailed.

Bill had one goal when writing this book: for Wall Street to become understandable to the average American. In this easy to read book, Bill succeeded. I highly recommend you pick it up.

“Better Off” is sponsored by Betterment.

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It seems everyday there's a story in the news that involves hacking. Whether it's a big box retailer, the IRS or Russians hacking the DNC, cyber warfare has become one of the biggest threats in the 21st century and we are all vulnerable.

It seems everyday there’s a story in the news that involves hacking. Whether it’s a big box retailer, the IRS or Russians hacking the DNC, cyber warfare has become one of the biggest threats in the 21st century and we are all vulnerable.

To help you understand the current environment and to learn some of the simple steps we should take to prevent ourselves from becoming a victim, we had to find an expert…a professional hacker. I’m not talking about some random hack…I’m talking about the hacker of all hackers, Kevin Mitnick. This guy is the real deal. So real that after a well publicized pursuit back in the 1990s, he was arrested by the FBI and spent five years in prison, including eight months in solitary confinement.

Now a free man, he does consulting work for Fortune 500 companies and the government. Though I should point out that for business cards he uses metal lock pick sets with his name and number on them. Really. In his latest book, The Art of Invisibility, Kevin uses true-life stories to show exactly what is happening without your knowledge, teaching you online and real-world tactics to protect you and your family, with step-by-step instructions. After reading this book you will learn everything from password protection and smart Wi-Fi usage to advanced techniques designed to maximize your anonymity.

Despite what we’d all like to believe, our passwords really can be stolen, our data sold and our personal emails read. After listening to this interview, check out the book and learn the simple steps to help prevent it from happening to you.

A big-time presence in the social media world, you call follow Kevin on Twitter for updates and tips from the cybersecurity world.