DIALOGUEletters
YES. Being neat and tidy does not spur creativity. While there are degrees of messiness
that can be a health risk, people often ask me
why I have so much stuff in my office. It is
great to have lots of things to look at that
remind me of special times. This drives optimism and comforts me.
Jeffrey Gelder Lewis
Clearfield, Utah
hundreds or thousands of dollars in accounts
or inventory if you can’t manage your own
finances. This is important for everyone, not
just 26- to 39-year-olds.
Rebecca Woo
San Francisco, California
GETTY IMAGES
Debate goes on
In response to the June Debate,
“Is being neat and organized
overrated?”
Odds and ends
A state of grace
Regarding the financial section “Route to
riches” in the June issue, a section titled “Tips
for all ages” contains a paragraph titled
“Smoothing the Ride.” It mentions moving
to a different state [to maximize your standard of living in retirement]. Which states
are more retirement friendly? Which states
have no state income tax, lower retirement
taxes, lower real estate taxes, friendly sales
taxes, etc.? Where would I access an up-to-date list that would compare all this information and more?
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NO. It’s not about creating such a sterile environment in which you can’t live your life
comfortably, it’s about being able to access
information or items on demand so that you
don’t waste your time or money.
Gwynnae Byrd
Sacramento, California
Susan Gatch
Loveland, Ohio
Subscription
changes
Laurence J. Kotlikof, professor of economics,
Boston University, and contributor to “Route to
riches,” recommends this Web site: www.retire
ment living.com/RLtaxes.html.—Ed.
YES. I operate in organized messiness. The
sign above my computer says, “If a cluttered
desk signifies a cluttered mind, what does an
empty desk signify?”
Sheldon Smith
Scottsdale, Arizona
NO. Order frees your mind so you can be
more productive and creative.
Margie Feinberg
Denver, Colorado
Credit and credibility
Thank you for Tiffany Bass Bukow’s article in the June 2006 issue titled “The importance of maintaining good credit.” All the
consequences of poor credit that Ms. Bukow
addressed are valid, but she left out one very
important one—that poor credit can also affect your job prospects.
More likely than not these days, companies are running credit checks on job applicants. A lot of jobs involve handling money,
and nobody will hire you to manage their
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