The title Criminal Enterprise refers to a book by the same name by Owen Laukkanen published by GP Putnam & Sons, NY,  2013. The book focuses on two investigator one from the FBI and the other from the State of Minnesota or the setting is in that state. The premise of the book is someone who had a great paying job in the section of downtown where the “Robber Barons” used to live or from the outside all the trappings of financial success, losses his job but keeps the house. The character turns from a likable person to a psycho who goes from small bank robberies to armed cars. The problem for him is he never seemed to think there were any consequences. If you try to rob a bank, one or two investigators will begin to determine who you are and what patterns you left behind. If the first went well and the robber tries a second, more people join in to find you. If you rob armed cars,every police service will try to catch you. As a psycho you can likely do the robbery but getting away is going to take some advance planning unless you know where and how to change your identity and slip away from the location where you are in. In the book’s case the winter in Minnesota which is worth considering slipping away from. however going to the rougher side of town is not slipping away.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, there are ways and methods to hide illegal money, maybe 5% of the money in circulation is from illegal activities, depending of the economy sometimes it goes higher. If you are not involved in the 5% then what you do not know is better for you and you can live a longer healthier life. In the book, the criminal did not think how to run and spiraled out of control or was a psycho. In all aspects of investing ,planning or doing your homework which includes thinking about the consequences of your actions is the key. In the book, the criminal robs another criminal of his money, the person had to answer to someone above him who said to the effect – give me the money or your life, generally I prefer the money, the result was eventually a house call to the first criminal looking for the money. If you invest in dividend paying companies, the only house call you will receive is the monthly statement from brokerage firm informing you of more money or shares were deposited to your account. Those are visitors that are well worth receiving.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.