David Lidsky's Blog, page 45

Mortgage fraud explained and how to make sure you’re not committing it

The recent allegations of mortgage fraud against Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook have brought this rare financial crime into the spotlight.

Most types of financial fraud are relatively straightforward: the fraudster uses creative accounting, inflated numbers, or out-and-out lies to trick their victim into handing over money or valuables they wouldn’t otherwise part with, usually while twirling a villainous mustache. You can probably think of a dozen examples off the top of your head, from Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme to the phone scams that try to convince your Nana her Social Security benefits are in danger. But until allegations were recently brought against Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, most people had never heard of mortgage fraud—and for good reason.

From Kindle to Kobo and beyond, this free ebook depot will blow your mind

Whether you’ve got a dedicated reading device or you’re reading on your phone or tablet, you don’t want to miss out on this.

The first time I read The Count of Monte Cristo, I was astounded by how freakin’ cool it all was. Here’s a story about daring prison escapes, finding hidden treasure, and elaborately executed revenge. It felt alive—no matter that it was written 180 years ago.

5 tips to fix meetings that waste time

Employees say 70% of meetings are pointless. Meanwhile, they cost companies an estimated $37 billion in productivity losses per year.

Time and attention have become the most depleted resource in the modern workplace. Back-to-back meetings, calendar congestion, and constant context-switching crushing our ability to carry the daily cognitive load have created a time deficit that undermines performance, energy, and decision quality.

Sabotaging your own professional success? 17 roadblocks to overcome

According to the experts, every failure, setback, or challenge is a chance for realignment toward success.

Every career path has obstacles. Even the most accomplished leaders have faced moments where their goals felt out of reach. What separates the people who moved forward is how they responded—by adapting, learning, and finding new ways to progress.

Trump administration grounds Biden’s airline payout plan

Passengers were set to get $200 to $300 for airline-caused disruptions. Now, refunds remain your only guaranteed recourse.

The Trump administration is backtracking on a plan that would have forced airlines to give passengers cash as compensation for late flights.

TikTok is obsessed with this guy who bought an abandoned golf course in Maine

When a TikTok user couldn’t find a local course after picking up golf, he decided to build one himself.

Buying an abandoned golf course and restoring it from scratch sounds like a dream for many golf fans. For one man in Maine, that dream is now reality.

Ahead of Apple’s iPhone event next week, here’s how the big smartphones stack up

A look at the state of play among Apple, Google, and Samsung.

Apple’s annual iPhone event is happening next week, when the company is expected to unveil a range of new devices that includes its thinnest phone to date. It’s also the first iPhone event since the embarrassing Apple Intelligence flub earlier this year, which saw the company push back AI-powered Siri features announced last year all the way into 2026.

A revolution is brewing in how you save, spend, and invest

Five ways that stablecoins aren’t just for crypto nerds.

There’s a great clip from the Today Show back in 1994. Anchors Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel are trying to figure out what, exactly, “the internet” is. They’re confused by an email address. They’re not quite sure what @ means. It’s funny now, but also a reminder of how big changes often start.

4 questions to ask before hiring a PR agency

The right fit and connections are important.

There comes a time in every company’s journey when they need help sharing their story. And choosing the right partner to help tell that story is an important decision.

The new design imperative

How empathy, adaptability, resilience, and accountability became the new paradigm.

As the world muddles its way through this period of profound uncertainty, design must assume yet another mandate. Well beyond surface aesthetics and smooth usability, good design today calls for empathy, adaptability, resilience, and accountability. This new paradigm asks more of designers and challenges them to imagine solutions to pressing challenges.