The peso is often criticized as being an internationally weak currency. Many countries all over the world use a form of 'the peso' as their unit of currency, each holding its own value and exchange rate compared to the American dollar. And, quite coincidentally as it turns out, some of the world's hottest women use these cute little bank notes in their home country.

Here at WallStreetFighter we are on a relentless pursuit for money and hot babes. So after doing some research and teaming up with our boys over at Chickipedia, we present to you the perfect unity of currency exchange rates and smoking hot chicks.

For further reading, additional pictures, and other random info the numbered links above the hotties will direct you to each fine lady's Chickipedia page, the best source on the internet for hot chick info.

Without further ado here are the world's weakest pesos and the women who love them:

8.) Carolina Ardohain, Argentina

3.021 Argentine pesos (ARS) = 1 US Dollar

Here at the start of our list you'll find the 'strongest' of the pesos. If you go down to Argentina with a shiny US greenback, you'll only be able to trade it in for 3.02 Argentine pesos. This is usually a sign that the economy is doing relatively well there. It also looks like the television media is doing relatively well in Argentina, with this selected Argentine hottie, Carolina Ardohain dominating the airwaves.

Carolina hosts her own variety show in addition to being a well known supermodel. She was also dubbed the national soccer team's 'Godmother' in their bid to win the 2002 World Cup. Hottest Godmother we've ever seen.

7.) Salma Hayek, Mexico

10.272 Mexican pesos (MXN) = 1 US Dollar

Mexico, our lovely neighbor to the South, has struggled with a weak peso for decades, but it is relatively strong compared to some other pesos on this list. And so it sits way up here at #7. Who better to represent 'America's beard' (Mexico), than the muy caliente Salma Hayek. Just saying her name makes our lives that much sexier.

Salma has been in tons of movies and you may also recognize her as being one of the hottest women on the planet. She's also been getting a lot of attention lately for her pregnancy boobs, which are quite impressive.

6.) Vida Guerra, Cuba

23.148 Cuban pesos (CUP) = 1 US Dollar

Cuba gets a bad rap in the United States. Not sure if it's because of that missile crisis, or the communism thing, or because of Fidel Castro falling off that stage. Either way, everyone loves their forbidden cigars and their beautiful women. The Cuban peso situation is a little strange. They actually have two pesos, the standard Cuban peso and the Cuban convertible peso. It seems kind of bizarre to us, but Cubans use separate currencies at different stores. Groceries get convertible pesos while other shops use standard pesos. Strange.

Anyway, let's not forget about Cuba's #1 export to the United States, Vida Guerra. You may recognize her from the Chapelle's Show sketch where Dave satirizes R. Kelly with an 'I Wanna Piss On You' song. Yup, that's right- smokin' hot Vida got 'pissed on'. She's also graced the covers of Maxim, FHM, and Playboy. But like every celebrity in the modern age, somehow private naked pictures of her were leaked onto the internet when her cell phone was hacked. Doesn't the internet suck?

5.) Natalia Oreiro, Uruguay

19.827 Uruguayan pesos (UYU) = 1 US Dollar

This Uruguayan peso note looks like a pink ripoff of our American dollar bill. Is that 10th president of the USA, John Tyler, they put on their 100 peso note?

I am willing to forgive these Uruguayan transgressions for offering us the chance to see Natalia Oreiro. Natalia is a model and Latin Grammy nominated singer from Uruguay who has been in commercials and magazines since the age of 12. She was the face of several Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Johnson & Johnson ads in her youth. Seeing her now really makes me hate all those polar bear and artistic bubbly coke ads we have here in America. Is there a shortage of hot babes in the US to feature in soda ads?

4.) Dania Ramirez, Dominican Republic

34.609 Dominican Republic pesos (DOP) = 1 US Dollar

Not too far east from our Cuban neighbors, lie the lovely islands of the Dominican Republic. As we get closer to the #1 spot on our list, you'll see how far the American dollar translates into these local pesos. In the Dominican Republic you could probably live like a king for a weekend for the same price as a tank of gas in the US. You've gotta love those currency exchange rates.

The Dominican Republic's own Dania Ramirez seems to have hit it big stateside with her recurring role in NBC's Heroes (which better come back on the air soon). If you're a bunch of nerds like us you'll recognize her as the girl who kills everyone in the immediate vicinity with her bizarre super power of bleeding some black chocolaty substance out of her eyes. So delicious.

3.) Christine Mendoza, Philippines

44.631 Philippine pesos (PHP) = 1 US Dollar

The Philippines, the only Asian country to make our list, does not pronounce their peso the same as most. And although it sounds more like "pee-so" rather than the traditional "pay-so", they can't fool us into thinking it should be valued any higher.

The islands of the Philippines might be best known for showing us that large groups of men in prison can do 'Thriller' pretty well. But we're equally impressed with Christine Mendoza. Even though her family moved her to California when she was young, she still speaks her native Tagalog fluently. And thank god for the "Import Tuner" auto magazine talent scout who saw her at a local car show and signed her up to a lifetime of public hotness. Give that man a medal.

2.) Leonor Varela, Chile

509.820 Chilean pesos (CLP) = 1 US Dollar

We could make lame jokes all day about the irony of incredibly hot women coming from a country whose very name is a homophone for cold, but we're classier than that. We can't overlook the 509 Chilean pesos you would get with each American dollar though. Keep in mind that doesn't speak to 'the buying power' of that dollar, but needless to say it must get annoying carrying around 5,000 dollar bills to pay for small items. How do they keep track of all those zeros?

You've probably seen this Chilean beauty on the big screen in her role in Blade II. You were one of the handful of people that saw Blade II, right? If not, maybe you've seen the beautiful Leonor Varela on the Stargate TV series? Wow, I'm really not impressed with her acting experience, I'm sorry. But she is definitely hot, so hopefully she'll start making barrel loads of Chilean pesos when she lands that big role. 4 wheelbarrows full of pesos should be enough to buy something nice in Chile, right?

1.) Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombia

1,772.620 Colombian pesos (COP) = 1 US Dollar

Congratulations to Colombia for having both the weakest peso and some of the hottest women! Hooray! I'm sure they prefer that arrangement to what they've got in England - women with horrible accents, screwed up teeth, and a strong currency (the pound).

Colombia, despite its incredibly weak peso, has a plethora of hotness radiating from its gene pool. The land that gave us Shakira (who ranked #2 on our Highest Earning Hotties list) has also graced us with Catalina Sandino Moreno. She is an actress nominated for an Academy Award for her work in the 2004 film Maria Full of Grace. And although it appears that she's dating or hooking up with 'lame-as-hell' Wilmer Valderrama, she's still pretty hot in our book.

Hope you enjoyed the list, please let us know in the comments section if there is anyone we left out. And with that, we say peace out to the peso.

All currency exchange rates calculated as of June 26, 2008.

You hear the phrase mutual fund tossed around a lot, and although it's not as sexy as a "hedge fund" or a "strip club", it's an investment tool where a better understanding would benefit you.

There are portfolio managers out there who think recessions and downturns in the market are the best time to go cherry picking for mis-priced stocks. They're essentially finding companies that are getting a bad rap and then buying them on the cheap.

On the other hand, there are also investors who feel now is the time to stay away and we should hoard our money like there might not be a tomorrow. Either way, it's better to be informed for whenever you plan on making your move into the market.

Take for example the mutual fund, these are 'technically' companies that offer an investor a chance to get into a piece of a variety of stocks. You give them your money, the invest in a bunch of different stocks, if the stocks do well, you get big returns. This is called 'diversification', not to be confused with an old, old, wooden ship from the Civil War era.

Diversification is the best way to invest because it protects you from the incredibly likely chance of one sector or company doing poorly and you losing all your money. However, unless you have a lot of money to invest, diversification is difficult to do by just investing in stocks. That's where mutual funds are your best bet.

Mutual funds can either be managed by an investment professional, hopefully some smart guy who knows which stocks to invest in, or they can be non-managed funds. An example of a non-managed mutual fund is one that is tied to an index like the Dow Jones Industrial Average. That's why you might hear a lot of important sounding people talking about 'The Dow losing 100 points today' or something like that (The Dow is just a list of the 30 largest and most widely held companies in the USA). Sometimes non-managed funds linked to big indexes perform better than managed funds run by meticulous professionals, other times they do not.

Although anyone that tells you an investment is 'safe' is totally full of crap, mutual funds are considered much less risky than other investments. And as always, learn from MC Hammer and Wesley Snipes and do all your own research before you hand over your money to some dude.

Weigh in with your opinion of the ole fail-safe mutual fund option in the comments section. Your sister was assaulted by 'a mutual fund' once? Let us know, we want to hear!

TheMotleyFool: Mutual Fund Center Truth

Client #9's most recent saga with Ashley Alexandra Dupre brought plenty of spotlight to the escort industry, and recently Portfolio mag has some numbers of the entire 'pricey hooker' industry.

Portfolio magazine's writers, Duff McDonald and Miriam Datskovsky, cite the National Health and Social Life Survey (which sounds totally legit, if you ask me) when revealing that over 700,000 American men frequent the services of a prostitute each year. That's a little more than the combined population of Alaska.

The vast majority of that number is perpetrated by 'johns' with dirty streetwalkers or brothel house workers. And as you may have guessed that's not where the real money is. The real big bucks come from the 5% of those 700k transactions which are perpetrated through the discreet venue of escort services.

These escort services can be broken down into three generalized groups:

Group 1 - 94% of All Escort Users
This is how the vast majority of escort service transactions play out. It's your run of the mill lonely businessman or corporate executive with some extra cash to blow. He'll search out the services of an escort company he finds on the internet, places a call, doles out $500 to the nice lady and also pays a $40 booking fee. Pretty simple but, not nearly as exciting as the following groups.
Total - $540

Group 2 - 5% of All Escort Users
Here's where Spitzer and other well-to-do politicians may fit in. Secrecy is key here. Most of the expense will be tied into keeping everything nice and low profile. The escort will cost around $3,200, which includes a $500 credit to 'reserve future bookings.' Two separate hotel rooms are also a must, and will run you around $938 for one night at the Mayflower in Washington. A train ticket for the lady to travel from NYC to DC will cost you around $138. And a couple of drinks from the hotel room minibar to loosen everyone up will amount to another $50.
Total - $4,326

Group 3 - 1% of All Escort Users
These guys are the cream of the crop. The kingpins of the escort industry, the 'money shot' if you will. These are your globe trotting billionaires with access to private jets. The escort herself will run a similar $4,500. Expect to pay $30,000 a night for a 4-star penthouse hotel room in a fun city like Miami. The private jet to get all interested parties together in one place will cost you another $15,400. Tack on an additional $1,000 for some top-notch wining and dining. Then don't forget about the "distracting spa weekend package" for your unsuspecting wife - $5,000. Throw in a diamond necklace for your new ladyfriend 'for all the trouble' - $3,000 and you're all set.
Total - $63,900

Based on these average numbers, Duff and Miriam did a little math and came up with the value of the total US escort economy as being worth around $109,668,808.

What else is worth around $110 Million? Sub-prime mortgage slinger, Angelo Mozilo's severance package. Britney Spears' annual economy. And Heather Mills' divorce settlement. Wow, among that list I can't decide which is more horrible. Maybe I'll just stick to the hookers.

Portfolio: The Escort Economy, May, 2008

An interesting letter in an advice column on CNNMoney.com today. A reader writes to an advice guru distraught over his wife blabbing to her money grubbing relatives about her family's personal finances. Sounds like there might be some other issues involved:

Question: I love my wife, but her inability to keep her mouth shut about money has become a real problem. She’s got a couple of relatives whose hands come out whenever they hear that I’ve gotten a raise or that we’ve treated ourselves, for example, to a big screen TV. I handle our finances, and I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t be telling Heather as much about them as I do. Under the circumstances, would this be wrong?

The typical 'communication is the key to any good relationship' crap is rolled out as an answer. The all-knowing advice givers explain that speaking honestly and being upfront is the best possible solution.

I'm not sure if this is the best technique, maybe using immaturity and rash thinking would be a better way to deal with Heather? How about divulging embarrassing personal secrets from the bedroom or unnecessary menstrual cycle details?

There's really nothing more uncomfortable than getting hit up for a few bucks by everyone's least favorite alcoholic, Uncle Al. And with all those July 4th, Memorial Day, and Softball Sunday family BBQs coming up, this is probably one of the most inopportune times to be trying to dodge the 'lend-me' bullet.

This man's situation builds a strong case for the 'separate family' strategy. You see, the trick here is to have two separate families going on at the exact same time. I'm not really sure the logistics of it, but it has something to do with a lot of golf trips and business travel. And fake names are probably a must as well. But either way if you can pull all of that off, I'm sure keeping financial matters a secret is real easy.

Got any other tips for this poor guy with the yappy wife? Let us know in the comments section.

CNNMoney: My Wife Can't Keep a Secret About Money, May 12, 2008

In these hard-fought recession days, every penny counts and there is no shortage of money-saving tips and lessons. Unfortunately, many of them are terrible. But have no fear, we've scoured the internet and dissected some of the absolute worst.

1. Stop Buying Alcohol- Well, how do they suggest we get it then? Steal it from somewhere? Now that's just advocating theft. If meeting up with a few friends for drinks after work is the only thing that gets me through the workday, then maybe I have a drinking problem. But if I don't, then it's totally fine. Some better ideas that will keep your sanity are to have updated lists of all the local Happy Hour specials. That way you're not the chump buying $7 Bud Lights on $2-Miller-Night.

2. Attend Free Events You Find In Your Local Newspaper- First off, a newspaper? What are we, stockbrokers from the 1930s? Get digital, baby. Second thing, those free events in the park are always a horrible idea. Most of the time they're nothing more than crappy local theater groups and pukey kid choirs. But if 'park cleanup event' or 'charity fundraisers' are on there, stop and think. Are you trying to save money or are you looking for a second job with a guilt trip?

3. Don't Pay For The Internet At Home, It's Free At The Library- The people who suggest this one are either psychopaths or shut-ins. Don't they know the only people using the computer at the library are perverted homeless men looking for some 'motivation' before 'using the facilities'? I wouldn't let my kid use the library's computer if his life depended on it.

4. Go For A Walk- I almost don't want to dignify this one with a response, but many people are proponents of going out for some fresh air rather than letting some expensive indoor hobby or gadget occupy their time. So to those people I ask, what's the point of going for a walk? You'll just end up back at your house later, and a bunch of people will probably see you on the sidewalk while they drive by and wonder if maybe you went insane or had your car stolen. If I'm going outside for a stroll it's going to be while wearing a pair of expensive anti-gravity boots.

5. Sign Up For Every Customer Rewards Card- Here's where those bright young cashiers try to pawn off theirs scams on you at the checkout. These cards can save you a couple of bucks at the register, but signing up for each one will guarantee you an inbox full of spam. And who knows where Best Buy will sell your personal information for the right price. Is sorting through every 'Barnes and Noble' Weekly Newsletter worth saving the $2 next time you buy something?

6. Buy Cheap Generic Medications- So instead of getting Tylenol, you'd rather just buy Tyleñol, which is made on a Mexican dirt farm with whatever similar ingredients they cooked up out back? The best way to get healthy is to go with a name-brand you trust. If you start dabbling with Ukrainian herpes medication, you only have your cheap self to blame for that third testicle.

7. Plan Your Meals Around Your Grocery Store's Flyer- You should only go this route if you have an acquired taste for week-old-sushi and out-of-season fruit. I'm also sure the grocery store 'coincidentally' planned that 50% discount on ground beef for a few days after the E. coli outbreak hit the headlines.

There are plenty of other ways to save money. Stop driving an SUV around the neighborhood and buying Starbucks coffee each morning strike me as good starts. But trust me, you can do way better than some of these other ones.

Heard any other horrible money-saving tips recently? Let us know in the comments section.

Is now the best time to pounce on refinancing options?

There is one major plus side to all the big problems on Wall Street (besides seeing Jim Cramer flip out), and that’s Uncle Ben Bernanke wailing away on the Federal funds rate. This is the interest rate level at which banks lend other banks money.

A few times a year The Almighty Federal Reserve, chaired by ‘Ole Graybeard’ Bernanke, likes to kick back and have a few beers with the bros while discussing whether to cut or raise the interest rate level.

From August 2006 till August 2007 the discount interest rate held steady at 6.25%. But all that hit the fan when the sub-prime loan meltdowns and credit crunch started to cause problems at the end of the summer 2007. There have been 8 planned and unplanned rate cuts since then. Going into today's meeting the rate was set at 2.25%.

Today 'da Fed' continued to lower that rate with another .25% (or 25 basis points) reduction, making things nice and even at 2%. This is good for consumer and business loans (car loans, student loans, etc.) because it caused the prime lending rate to also be reduced down to 5.25%.

The reason the Fed cuts these rates is to promote consumer spending and lending, something that has been severely lacking in these credit crunch/ sub-prime days. After this cut, most people are predicting we won't see any further until the Fed raises them again in mid-2009.

What's all this mean? Time to refinance!

If you've got adjustable loans, now is the time to go out and find a sweet fixed rate loan (if you can find one). Don't keep waiting around for another rate cut, because that looks unlikely.

The Fed will probably keep steady for a while in order to curb the fears of rising inflation. The lower the interest rate, the higher inflation tends to creep.

Do you have a different strategy or plan of attack for these rate cuts? Let us know in the comments section if so or if you think the Fed should keep cuttin'.

Fox Business: Fed Cuts Key Rate By .25%, April 30, 2008

The government stimulus checks are in the works as we speak. Some may receive their extra cash as early as next Friday. Happy Cinco de Mayo to them! Read onward for answers to all your questions about these soon-to-be additional funds.

Who Gets It? And How Much?

All single people earning less than $75,000 a year, will receive a check for $600, while couples earning a combined income of less than $150,000 will get a check for $1,200. For each child claimed as a dependent you will receive $600.

Pardon Me For Asking Too Many Questions, But Why?

Since the economy is disappointing the hell out of everyone, President Bush and Congress thought up this plan to increase consumer confidence with a little billion dollar influx. The US Treasury will dole out $110 billion to 130 million taxpayers. Why thank you, Mr. Treasury.


I Know What I'm GOING TO Do With It, But What SHOULD I Being Do With It?

That's a very conscientious question to ask, and I admire that. But seriously, as long as you don't roll it up and hide it in shoebox, you'll be doing the right thing with your stimulus check. Whether it's helping buy gas, pay off your mortgage, get an iPhone, or swim in a pool of candy corn, it will all add up to positive consumer spending and economic growth. At least that's what they're all hoping anyway.

How Will They Know How Much To Send?

Stimulus checks will be based on your 2007 filings. Which means there could be new additions, deductions, or higher income to be calculated for your stimulus check. Here's the cool part though: If they send you less than you should have gotten, they'll send you another check later with the additional amount, but if you get too much from Uncle Same, he won't come looking for the difference, you can keep the overpay. Sweet, right?

Last Question, When's Mine Coming?

If you filed your return by before April 15, then your check will be mailed out or direct deposited according to the follow Social Security# chart:

CNN Money: Here's Stimulus, April 25, 2008

The guy who said 'Bueller' a few times in a monotone voice knows what he's talking about.

In addition to having been an actor, game show host (Win Ben Stein's Money), ambassador for Clear Eyes brand contacts, and speech writer for President Nixon, Ben Stein is also a financially savvy investor who writes a smart column for the New York Times on personal finance. (He also went to grammar school with Sylvester Stallone, and I bet he got his ass kicked daily by him).

In a recent column, Benny Boy suggested having the majority of your assets in cash right now. His reasoning behind that:

No one ever went broke from too much liquidity. In volatile times like these, cash is your best friend, aside from your dogs and cats. True, you earn very little interest on cash these days. True, if the stock market has a huge move up and you are largely in cash, you will be sad. But it is also true that cash does not crash — although it does slowly but surely lose its value. You can pay your bills with it without having to sell it at a loss.

It seems like a sensible conservative strategy, but at what point do you draw the line? Is it when you realize you've become nothing more than an old lady with wads of cash stuffed in shoeboxes under your bed?

But Ben goes on to say that the heart of the problem is the out-of-control, living-beyond-our-means lifestyle that exists today. Without sounding too preachy, he's totally right. Massive credit card bills, second and third mortgages, 2nd car loans, vacation homes? If people want to be smarter with their money, they're going to need to hold onto it for a little while longer. Or if you want to keep up the outrageous spending, at least change your name and flee the country when the bill comes. I suggest using, 'Juan Realnameington'.

But that laying low also means biding your time before diving head-first into the market again. According to big Ben's (Stein, not Bernanke) research, the best time to buy stock or buy a house is when all the pundits are blue in the face from saying how hopeless and desperate the economy is.

Looks like we're pretty close to that right now. Let us know in the comments section if you agree or disagree with Ben's strategies.

New York Times: Time to Go On a Liquid Diet, March 30, 2008

1.) Dunkin' Donuts is giving away a free donut to every customer who purchases a hot coffee of any size today in honor of Tax Day.
2.) Chipotle, a great burrito chain restaurant, says if you purchase a burrito today and show the receipt tomorrow, you will receive another one for free.
3.) You can also get a pizza for $10.40, today only, at Papa John's.

That's a nice high-calorie breakfast, lunch, and dinner right there.

Just wondering if those donuts are decorated with a tax theme. Dollar sign sprinkles, maybe? IRS icing? The most accurate route would be to give a dozen of the freshest Boston Cremes to anyone earning over $500K-a-year.

And if all this is just reminding you now that you haven't done a lick of your taxes, you're going to want to file for an easy no-questions-asked extension. Make sure you don't give the whole tax-paying system a complete skip this year, or you won't get your government funded $600 economic stimulus check. (Most will be distributed in the first few weeks of May, while those filing extensions will receive theirs later.)

The guys over at billshrink.com think you're probably spending too much money on your cellphone bill each month. But instead of being all pretentious about it, they have a cool web service that will help you save money each month.

Fill in some information about your current plan, bill total, location, and whether or not you like getting dropped calls (only every second attempted call, right?) and the machine will spit out some recommendations for you. It'll take into account which providers offer the best signal strength in your area, which routes you take to work, and what type of termination fees you could face for changing plans.

Their slogan is "Our Science. Your Savings.", and although I'm not sure this qualifies as "Science" in the same way as curing cancer or exploring the moon, this site does offer a pretty helpful service.