>> being poor is a very bad business policy > I contend the reverse is more often the case: bad [personal] business policy is a primary (though not exclusive)

>> being poor is a very bad business policy > I contend the reverse is more often the case: bad [personal] business policy is a primary (though not exclusive) cause of poverty. Yes, I agree actually -- I was being a bit ironic in my original post. There's plenty of personal responsibility in poverty, at least in Western, democratic countries. People could take a number of constructive steps to better themselves, like shred their credit cards, don't fall for some of the more obvious economic traps like borrowing money for unnecessary possessions, thinks like that. And I also completely agree with your other point -- that understanding how money works is critical.