News about my 200.5K plan

The Setting: After several months of denial, disappointment, and despair, I finally broke down and checked my 401K.

It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Still bad, mind you, just not quite as bad as the devastation I felt around the end of last year. My funds have actually made some gains this year.

At this rate, I might actually be able to retire around... I don't know... say, 12 years after I die. Yaaaay!

Here's a related article on CNN Money.

"I always knew this day would come."

The Setting: Our good friend Bernard Madoff was kind enough to plead guilty to charges that he ran a ponzi scheme, swindling billions from investers. He faces up to 150 years in prison when he's sentenced on June 16.

Some of the investors have lost everything. We can make all the judgments we want to about them putting all their eggs in Bernie's basket, but he truly swindled them. Worse, many of the people he ripped off, were friends of his.

Madoff said in court, "I am ashamed for these criminal acts. I always knew this day would come." Well, you should be. And, yep, the day has come.

Don't worry Bernie. Maybe you'll only get, say, 50 years. You'll only be 120 years old when you get out.