wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Tuition fees for a college student, cost an average person an arm and leg, we know how expensive it is and to provide the necessarily things for the students, from the tuition fees, to the books and other materials needed in their school project etc. With the economy continue to slides downward, lower investment, and home equity dwindling or tapped out, people are changing their behavior along with the time. Most of them top priority is to save money. Some of them are force to cut spending in their clothes, furniture and even to the foods. A paradox is where there exists two conflicting truths, like if a good situation ends with bad results – like if you avoided getting payday loans, but ended up over drafting your account anyway, and end up paying more in fees than you would have with a payday loan. A similar situation is deflation within an economy – which is an economic situation in which the prices of goods drops and the value of currency rises. Now this sounds good, but there is a serious downside to it – in that those low prices are going to cause more unemployment, because employers can't afford to keep all the employees on the payroll. However, there is good news – payday loans are still available if you need them, and the odds that deflation will occur with the current recession are slim. But the Feds say things will get worse before they get better, so in the meantime, http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/01/06/paradox-of-deflation-article-by-your-payday-loans-source/.

Listening on podcast

while it is supposed to be a joke on April Fool's Marty is correct about how the FAFSA formula works.

That is so funny! Leonard did a great job of playing dumb!

A great joke, but there is some truth re having the money in the right hands. When my daughter was applying for financial aid, the form required listing parents' assets but said nothing about grandparents. Most of the students her age still had their (rich) grandparents, but nobody took that into consideration. Just the modest (for now) assets of the parents. My daughter's grandparents are dead and her parent had all the assets she will ever have, and that is what they look at. So we got less aid, even though we are poorer. Now, as a grandparent, I am keeping it all as long as possible.

at first, i couldn't quite believe what i was listening to.
maybe mr. siegel should be reborn a racial minority, in poverty with no way out and be stuck in a blue collar job, because he doesn't have access to education or opportunity.
his arrogance and lack of appreciation for the greatest gift of all - a good education - is sad. education teaches us how to think. perhaps he needs to go back to college.
i was raised with the philosophy that education is the most powerful acquisition in life and can never be taken away from you.
perhaps mr. siegel's access to education was a given and unfortunately not something he could covet and recognize its worth. sad. and a terrible message for young people. repeat - arrogant and sickening.
signed: dr. sandra rodman mann, life-long student

A great April Foos Day show! Chucked all the way thru and seeing these comments online I'm so surprised that there were folks that didn't get it. - karmaya

Laughed out loud. Loved it. Obviously the thing that makes this work is that it is mostly believable. Well done!

Very Interesting!!! Many people here don't see that this guy has pointed out a big thing here: Business is King!!! I work full time and run my own IT Consulting Business. The income has basically paid for my education. Had I been running own business sooner I would be even more prosperous. We are putting our kids in school to learn how to work for others. Why not turn them into entrepreneurs that can ultimately bring wealth to your family? I will be looking for that book. This guy is amazing!!!! If you don't understand his points you are just a zombie....

crack is CLEARLY a dangerous drug...

'just say no...crack is whack!!!'

I've had all these ideas myself. I only wish it were me who had written the book.
I think Marty Goldensohn, too.
Isn't it fun that we have the time to listen and write comments?

That voice...Marty Goldensohn perhaps?..seemed so familiar but I was hooked! Best yet!

By the way, if it --had-- been real, I noted that the FOOL with 4 children failed to notice that gains in productivity were eliminating jobs faster than he and his wife could produce children. Also that service jobs at fast food restaurants are probably going to decline during this recession and period of ever-higher fuel prices. And that eating in fast food restaurants in the long run kills off most customers prematurely.

But ironically the premise may be correct. I was frugal and saved like crazy for my two sons' "Ivy" educations and got no financial aid for them, whereas my neighbor with the same salary buys new cars every two years and vacations regularly and has no savings and high debt -- he gets scholarship aid for his kids. Might be a good program subject.

Will Marty be doing a "copy of the script" signing soon?

I agree on a few points - saving for college is pointless these days. I went to private school - $35k/yr - along side a student who was homeless. everything was paid for - his food, supplies, housing. Beats the loans I'm still paying. Damn my parents.

Its kind of ironic, because after 4 years of college, i have no degree anyway, yet i'm 26 years old and make more money than my graduate counterparts.

But in reality, the lessons i learned in college - about business, writing above a high school level, accounting, etc. - are invaluable.

This man hasn't considered a few points - A high school student with poor parents can't just open their own business and expect success with no money and no knowledge of managing a business.

He should consider talking to a few parents with children who cant afford college - or a dunkin Donuts or popeyes.

This is so funny. The crazy part is that some of it is true. Thank Goodness my daughter is a great basketball player!! She got a FULL Ride. Now I can take the money for college and spend it on my retirement! Which will be when I am 85 years old! But this is a good one Happy April Fool's Day!!

Eric's response made my day.
I loved it.

I cannot find this book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, where can it be purchased?

There's a better way, I sent my kids to the Zamibian Institute of Technology. It's not like the laws of physics are different in Africa. 2+2 is the same everywhere. The medical school assigns each student their own corpse EACH semester. All I have to say after paying $3000 per year for room, board, tuition and vaccinations is, Go ZIT Go. ZIT ZIT ZIT.

Whether the person is joking or not, the sad truth is that he's right about a lot of it. College is a waste of time and money for most people.

Great April Fool's Day Broadcast. I knew he was trying to be funny when he advised for a parent to quit their job and impoverish themselves. Sounded too good to be true.

Good job.

So would buying a beach house work? Does anyone know, do they consider that an asset towards tuition?

Obviously Eric doesn't get it!

brilliant. just brilliant!

you got me

Hmmm... Franchises are an idea....

THIS is GREAT and refreshing... I hope all the shows have at least ONE of these refreshing idealists on today!

Actually, the sad part is that it's not as much of a joke as you think. I know people who have done this. My own daughter has gotten a full ride to a great school because we are broker than broke.

Why are you idiots spoiling it? It's fun to listen to... Idiots.

Is this for real? If so this guy is a total moron!!!!!

Nice April Fools!

Nice ideas! I've never thought of it that way.

Revolutionary!

This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard on WNYC (and this includes all of those Dick Cheney excerpts). Furthermore I have several regression models that shows the positive effect on income total.

it's an April Fools joke!

uh...it's April 1...

Santa Monica Lewinsky College!!!!!

April Fool's joke.

Love it, Leonard! ;)

This guy is an idiot. Get him off the air. Is anybody buying this garbage?