Jeff Bell Blog

 The buzz around nonfungible tokens (NFTs) is reaching a fever pitch. Enthusiasts claim NFTs will permanently alter how we buy and sell everything from artwork and music to fashion and real estate. Skeptics say they are yet another overhyped bubble destined to burst — the Dutch tulips or Beanie Babies of the 2020s.  It’s too early to tell which camp will prevail, but there’s no denying that NFTs are sparking fascinating conversations about technology, art, culture and authenticity across a wide range of industries. I recently wrote a simple guide to NFTs from a consumer perspective, asking pertinent questions related to legal, financial and even environmental issues. Now let’s look at the other side of the token and explore the considerations for sellers.  How NFTs Work   NFTs are digital assets that exist on a blockchain — usually the cryptocurrency Ethereum blockchain — and are used to represent collectibles, such as videos, images, music and memes. Each NFT h...

 An artist from Wisconsin known as Beeple made international news this year when a piece of his digital artwork sold for $69.3 million at Christie’s, a record-breaking amount paid in a new category of assets called nonfungible tokens (NFTs). Immediately afterward, you could almost hear millions of people around the world simultaneously Googling, “What is an NFT?” Like most stories related to blockchain or cryptocurrency, this one seemed to bring up more questions than answers. What do NFTs actually do? If you buy one, what exactly do you get, and what is it worth? What are the pros and cons?  This is an emerging technology, and I’ve been asking the same questions myself as I learn more. I’ve put together a basic guide to NFTs from a consumer perspective: what the tech does, how NFTs can be used and important issues to consider before purchasing.  What Is An NFT? How Is It Used? Perhaps you were skeptical about bitcoin a decade ago, but now it's worth close to $60,000, and...

 We find ourselves at a critical moment in the world’s history. Our country has weathered a global pandemic and economic collapse just a decade following a catastrophic financial crisis—the Great Recession. We have survived, but is that enough? Don’t we want more for every citizen and our communities? For ourselves and our families? A sense of urgency can serve as a catalyst to improve our lives, but we must avoid falling prey to the hysteria trap set by many in politics and the media. The world is not ending. And clearly, the 2020 coronavirus pandemic has accelerated many changes and advancements in the way we work, including greater flexibility in where and when. This, in turn, has created tremendous workplace diversity from a geographic perspective. The global pandemic has also energized innovation and progress in the way we obtain professional services. Perhaps the biggest example is telemedicine, which leverages technology to make a board-certified profession available to ever...

 Student loan debt affects roughly 44.7 million Americans at an average of about $37,584 per borrower.[1] That’s nearly $1.7 trillion owed collectively. Shockingly, this amount has grown more than six times faster than the US economy. The current student lending system is a field of land mines. Lenders often encourage students to take on loans that are extremely disproportionate to what is affordable. Furthermore, they market loans as ‘financial aid’ or ‘assistance,’ or even as ‘grants and scholarships,’ purposely obfuscating students’ obligations to the debt they incur. Congress is now talking about student loan forgiveness and it’s a hotly debated issue. As in my previous writings on controversial topics, I’ll mix a bit of history and context, spicing it up with a splash of counterpoints where I can.  How did we did get here? Student loans are a relatively recent issue for the American people. In the 19th century, higher education was mostly free or expensive and was widely ...