Lest you focus just on looking for the market's cheapest stocks or the biggest stock bargains out there, here's a brief recap of some of the more unusual financial news out there:
- First off, you've probably heard about the many fees that banks such as BB&T
(NYSE:BBT) , JPMorgan Chase(NYSE:JPM) , and SunTrust(NYSE:STI) are charging us these days. Well, stop complaining about them, because it could be worse. You could owe your bank $23 quadrillion (yes, 23 million billions of dollars) -- that's what happened to Josh Muszynski of New Hampshire. Looking at his Bank of America(NYSE:BAC) account, he thought that, "somebody had bought Europe with my credit card." Fortunately, it was a mistake -- and the bank reversed the $15 overdraft fee, too. - Meanwhile, banks in America have been tightening their lending practices -- but in Latvia, a loan company is now permitting people to offer their "immortal souls" as collateral for small loans. If our mortgage industry ever gets out of control again, it might consider this new way to get more people borrowing.
- Finally, environmentally minded investors should remember to look beyond the usual suspects for potential problems. For example, Fairfax County in Virginia has accused Krispy Kreme
(NYSE:KKD) of clogging up public sewer pipes with grease from a doughnut plant. The county is looking to collect some $19 million. - In life, we need to remember that the unexpected can happen. I was reminded of this when reading about how the 2,200-square-foot house that Al Byrd's dad built with his own hands in Atlanta was demolished -- apparently by mistake. The wrecking company blamed a GPS system (look out, Garmin
(NASDAQ:GRMN) !). Among other things, Byrd's story is a good reminder for us to keep our insurance current.
Enough silliness, though. We at the Fool aim "to educate, amuse, and enrich." I invite you to read any other article in Fooldom for at least a little education and perhaps some enrichment, as well. Maybe start with the best stock to own.
