I learned a few things this week at the economic outlook conference that I went to. I learned that there are an incredible amount of Eastern Europeans in Chicago, I learned that Chicagoans don't take to kindly to ribbing about the Colts stomping them in the Super Bowl, and I learned that corporate America is working against us.

You see, corporate America spends billions of dollars every year trying to figure out our buying habits. More often than not, they understand what we are going to do prior to us knowing what we are going to do. They strategically place advertisements so that you don't even know that your desire for their product is growing. This is tough enough (if not impossible) to overcome alone, but then enters financial institutions. While you would think that banks make things better, actually they only serve as an enabler. Banks are for profit as well, therefore, while they are giving you access to your money, they are also watching their bottom line. For instance, let's say that you have overdraft protection on your checking account. Basically you have that on your account so that when you are completely ignoring your financial standing, you don't bounce a check. The bank steps into help (for a fee of course).

Unfortunately many of us don't have a strategy on how to combat these onslaughts from corporate America (including our banks). We just go with the flow. We allow their advertising to dictate our financial futures.

You may ask, "what does the picture have to do with any of this?"

I would simply say to you, "that is a good question."
I just love the picture.