Jim over at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity asked us all what we thought of salary transparency.  I don’t know about you, but there’s always something intriguing about my coworkers salaries.  Are they making more than I am?  Am I making more? How much do they take out for retirement?  But alas, that is not for me to know.  We have no salary transparency.  And that’s probably a good thing.

Salary transparency can remove many of the problems that people have by letting them know exactly where they stand.  It can give people a clue as to how well they negotiated their salary and their last raise.  It can lend a hint towards seniority.  And it can expose any bits of favoritism.

One of the best examples of salary transparency would be any jobs where the workers are union-ized.  As part of their contract negotiations, all unions negotiate the pay of their members.  As such, they generally end up with a very structured pay scale.  Also, as such, you can usually know a persons salary within dollars of the actual salary.  There is very little differentiation between the workers.  Only through tenure (and strikes) can you income really rise.

Unions have transparency because it’s in their contracts, and since those are pretty much public to the employees, the salary structure is fairly public.  In any other case, it is my belief that salary transparency is bad.  It may cut down on nosy people, but it could lead to a great deal of salary jealousy.  Even if they all know why Bob is making more than they are.  Despite all the normal arguments against salary transparency, the most compelling is that it isn’t my coworkers business what I make.  If I successfully negotiated a better salary than the guy in the cubicle next to me, or got a better raise, that’s between me and my employer.  If my employer thinks that I’m worth what I make, that’s my business.

Plain and simple, my wage is exactly that.  Mine.  That thought is one of the reasons that I haven’t and have no plans to publish my salary here.  It’s also the reason that I made the decision not to publish any detailed financial details such as a monthly balance sheet or net worth here.

What are your thoughts on it?  Let me and Jim know!

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Did you know that you can scan a barcode at a store, run it through a program on your phone, and have it tell you whether the item is at a good price or not?  There are apps available for both the Apple iPhone and the G1 that allow just that.

These apps allow consumers to compare the prices of merchandise on a store’s shelf to competing stores in the area just by taking pictures with their smartphone’s camera. The prices are instantly retrieved and displayed on the mobile phone so consumers can know before they buy if they’re getting a good deal.

Pretty cool.  If only I had a phone that was that smart.  Of course, like anything that empowers the consumer, the stores are already thinking real hard about making their stores cell phone free zones through policies banning them or through cell phone jamming devices.  Use them while you can.

Have you been using one of these programs?  Let us know how it works for you!  Or give it a try and let us know!

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The cyber monday edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance is live!  Once again, Beating Broke is in the carnival.  My article on What is Freedom Worth? is appearing.

Be sure to head over and take in all the great personal finance articles that are a part of the carnival.  You’re sure to find a few that are right up your alley.

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Jim at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity has a nice YouTube video posted on his site today.  Go and watch it.  (it’ll open in a new window) They guy is horribly lucky, but am I the only one who’s first thought was to wonder how much the taxes are on something like that?  This is what [...]

It’s a bit of a cliche now, but we all know the scene from Braveheart where Mel Gibson’s character screams “FRREEEEDDDDDOOOOMMMM!!!” as some medieval device or another removes an offscreen part of his anatomy.  Despite the cost, he never gave up his fight for freedom. And really, can you put a value on your freedom?  [...]

ING Direct is still pushing their Electric Orange checking with check card in December. Last month, they pushed it but everyone who used their check card before the end of November 5 times for over $10 got a free $20 deposited in their account. (There’s still time to take advantage of that!) For December, they’ve [...]

If you’re tired of the commercial ties that have been bound to the holiday season, perhaps it’s time you make use of a new site out there called “No Christmas Gifts This Year”.  It’s a quick and easy site that gives you the ability to send a e-card to a friend or relative stating your [...]

Beating Broke is in another carnival this week.  It’s the Carnival of Personal finance again!  For the 180th episode of the CPF! You can check out our selection as well as lots and lots of other great articles as Living Almost Large hosts the 180th edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance.

Beating Broke Rule: Gift giving should be fun for all involved. Whether the occasion be a birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or some other special occasion, giving gifts should be fun.  We all know it’s fun to get gifts, but it really should be fun to give them as well. And it goes without saying that if [...]

What’s a Winter Financial Checkup, you ask? Winter, and more specifically, the time around the holidays is when most people have the most problems with their finances.  Gift purchases throw off their budgets.  Bonuses give them a unexpected bit of cash and they spend more than they expected. Whatever the case may be, your financial [...]