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Musings of Ankur

ank329
read my profile sign my guestbook Name: Ankur Location: New York City, New York, United States Birthday: 3/20/1985 Gender: Male Message: message meEmail: email me Website: visit my website AIM: Anks 329 Member Since: 9/7/2003

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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Ode to Young William

Rapping by L-Dawg

~Talking in a California Accent~
Oh my god
[Other person’s name], look at her comp (scoff)
It is so big (scoff)
Looks like one of those crazy Enron executives,
But y’know, who understands those executives? (scoff)
They only talk to her because she has a ton of options (’kay)
I mean her comp, it’s just so big (scoff)
I can’t believe it’s so in the money, it’s like out there
I mean - it’s so gross
Look, she’s just so loaded

~rap by L-Dawg~
I like big compsÂ and I can not lie
You other consultants can’t deny
And when a CEO walks in with an itty bitty base
And a round bonus in your face
You get sprung
Wanna pull up tough
Cuz you noticed that option was stuffed

Deep in the money she’s sporting
I’m hooked and I can’t stop granting
Oh, baby I wanna exercise my options with ya
And take your RSU’s

My coworkers tried to warn me
But with that base you got
Makes me so greedy

Ooh, rumple smooth volatility
You say you wanna get in my ISOs,
Well use me use me cuz you ain’t that average comparator groupee,
I’ve seen them grantin’,
To hell with shareholder
They’ve got no clue,
I’m tired of consultants
Saying flat comps are the thing
Take the average executive and ask him that
You gotta increase much back

So Fellas (yeah) Fellas(yeah)
Has your executive got the comp (hell yeah)
Tell ”˜em shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it shake that healthy comp
Baby got back

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9:11 AM - 109 views - email it

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Walmart.com does good!

I’m sure all of you remember the whole Super Smash Bro pre-order fiasco with Walmart. I just got an email from Walmart.com giving me a $10 gift card to make up for the whole thing. I had ordered GTA IV, not Super Smash Bro, so I might have gotten the gift card as a result of that

Here’s the text of the email

To: {redacted}
From: Walmart.com Gift Card
Sent: 19, Jan, 12:20 PM, 2008
Subject: Walmart.com bought a Walmart.com Online Gift Card for you!
Card Amount: $10
Card Number: {redacted}
PIN: {redacted}

Hello {redacted},

This Walmart.com Online Gift Card for $10 has been sent to you by Walmart.com for buying merchandise at Walmart.com. If you’re a Sam’s Club member, you can also use this Gift Card at samsclub.com.

The details of this Online Gift Card are below. Please save this email. It is the only record of your Gift Card information that you will receive. For your convenience, click “Save Card to Account” below to link this Gift Card to your account as soon as possible. The Gift Card information will be stored in your account for future online purchases.

Message from Walmart.com:
Thank you for your understanding regarding issues with your recent video game ordering experience. We value your business.
save card to account
How to use your Online Gift Card:
1. Shop for merchandise at http://www.walmart.com. The Web site offers fashionable furnishings, the latest in electronics and apparel, personalized gifts, top toys and sporting goods, thousands of books and CDs, and much more for you to enjoy.
2. On the Payment Method page during checkout, click “Pay With a Gift Card.”
3. Enter your card number and PIN, stated above.
Use of this card constitutes acceptance of the Gift Card Terms and Conditions posted on Walmart.com. The card can be used for online purchases at Walmart.com. It can also be used by members of Sam’s Club for online purchases at Samsclub.com. This card cannot be redeemed for cash and cannot be used at Wal-Mart stores or at Sam’s Club stores.
Order Date: January 18 2008
Order Number: {redacted}
Help
If you have questions about or problems with using your Gift Card, please visit Using a Gift Card in Help.
Sincerely,

Customer Service at Walmart.com
http://www.walmart.com

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4:38 PM - 99 views - email it

Friday, January 18, 2008

The Risk-Free Rate

The risk free rate is one of the most basic concepts that you need to know. This rate is the theoretical return of an investment with no risk. In theory, it is easy to define, but in practice it becomes slightly harder. Since all companies have default risk associated with them, we can’t use any of their bonds as a risk-free measure. This leaves with government debt. Typical practice is to use the yield from a ten-year US treasury note as the risk-free rate.

This works fine and dandy as long as you are valuing something in the United States. But with emerging markets such a hot topic now, what rate should you use in those cases? The best way to approach this scenario, is to apply a premium to a risk free rate. This premium is the default risk of the country as a whole. For example, you take the 10 year treasury yield and add to it the default risk of the country, and that would be the risk free rate for that country.

H ow do you figure out what premium to add? That is also straightforward to figure out. Almost every country is going to have some sort of bonds/debt outstanding. The yield on a ten year bond (same maturity as the risk free rate), or what ever the closest bond is to ten year, is your premium. This yield signifies how risky the country’s government is; this yield is the rate you need to achieve to invest in that country. By adding it to the US risk free rate you get the risk free rate for the country.

The risk free rate is very important. It is the lowest rate you should demand for any investment you make. Since all investments carry some risk with them, your investment return has to be greater than the risk free rate. The amount it has to be greater than is the topic for the next post.

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10:17 AM - 84 views - email it

Thursday, January 17, 2008

	Uranium Ore If you ever wanted to buy some Uranium Ore, Amazon can hook you up. They sell small samples of it for scientific testing. You can use it to test Geiger Counters. Enjoy! Leave / read comments
	10:30 PM - 61 views - email it

M1-5 Lounge

Heads up to everyone; I went to M1-5 Lounge last Friday. While there, I used my credit card a couple of times, and apparently someone managed to copy down the numbers. When I checked my account online today, I noticed several charges that I hadn’t authorized; I called Citibank and canceled the account. Thankfully, there were only three charges, all for fairly small amounts (it looks like it wasn’t a professional job, otherwise my card would probably have been maxed out by now).

I actually called one of the merchants that charged my account, and they hung up on me. I told the CSR that I wanted to get some information on a charge made with my credit card that I didn’t authorize. She said that she could look it up in the system if I gave her a phone number. I clearly don’t know what number was given to this company when my card was used, and when I tried to explain it, she hung up on me.

Either way, my card is now canceled; I should get a new one in the mail in the next few days, along with an affidavit where I can mark off the fraudulent charges. So, hopefully it should all be over shortly.

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2:04 PM - 56 views - email it

Next 5 >>

Ode to Young William

Walmart.com does good!

The Risk-Free Rate

Uranium Ore

M1-5 Lounge