Archive for April, 2009

Fictional Finances: Rick Castle from “Castle”

Comedian Steve Martin once said that to make a million dollars, the process was relatively easy: “First, get a million dollars.” Although making money is never as straightforward as that, for Rick Castle, the mystery writer-turned-detective in ABC’s Castle, money is never an object.

Castle Kills His Golden Goose

Played by actor Nathan Fillion, Castle says he got his very first plot idea from a daytime soap opera. Through the years, he also made a fortune from Derek Storm, the central character in Castle’s popular crime novels. The “Storm” books have allowed the author to lead a lavish New York lifestyle and also take care of his mother (Susan Sullivan) and level-headed daughter Alexis (Molly Quinn).

Whether it’s a sense of professional integrity or pride, Castle’s latest novel, Storm Fall, marks the end of the line for Derek Storm. Castle’s publisher, who also happens to be one of his ex-wives, is furious that he killed off their cash cow. At a poker game, another successful author criticizes Castle’s decision, saying that he’s going to keep his own character alive long enough to keep fuel in his private jet.

Two Ex-Wives and Two Mouths to Feed

King of his Castle
Castle’s fortune supports his daughter, his mother and his ex-wives, covering all expenses and bills (credit cards or otherwise). And his credit score allows him the convenience of credit cards for excellent credit–very helpful for impulse purchases to curry favor. Being well known and well financed, Castle may be high profile enough to have the elusive Amex Black credit card.

Castle, his daughter and mother live in a very spacious loft apartment in New York City; the kitchen by itself is larger than most Manhattan apartments. The Manhattan Lofts Web site lists a comparable 2,300-square-foot condominium with three bedrooms and two baths for $3,225,000 plus monthly maintenance fees.

With state-of-the-art appliances, Rick Castle has a bank account that would make Bill Gates turn green with envy. In one episode, Castle’s daughter asks for an increase in her allowance and so does his mother, meaning his wallet always is open for business.

Castle has two ex-wives, who most likely receive some of the revenue from his best-selling novels. Since one wife also is his boss, she’s literally the one who signs his royalty checks and gets a percentage of the profits.

Inspiration for a New Series

Although Castle seems pretty well off, Storm Fall is not off flying off the shelves. To make matters worse, a serial killer is using Derek Storm stories as inspiration for real-life murders. Castle tags along with Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and ends up providing some valuable insights into the case.

Impressed by the beautiful Detective Beckett, Castle decides to write a new series of novels based on the hard-boiled, cynical female officer. With a little help from New York City’s mayor, Castle gets to shadow Kate while she’s investigating murders.

Literary Boom or Bust for Castle

Banking everything on his new character, Castle signs some legal waivers without the benefit of legal counsel. In essence, if he is injured, disabled or murdered while working with Detective Beckett, he or his survivors will not be able to sue the city for damages. If Castle ends up in a crossfire with criminals, the medical bills could bankrupt him.

Castle Likes to Spend Money

With a fat bank account, Castle and his mother aren’t afraid to spend his money. To curry favor with the police department, Castle even uses his credit card to order an expensive cappuccino machine so the detectives can have a decent cup of coffee.

Fortunately, his daughter Alexis is the smart one in the family and doesn’t go off on wild spending sprees with daddy’s credit cards. Like his lawyer, who he keeps around to get him out of trouble, Alexis is more like the parent than the child in this relationship.

Steven Bryan

Fictional Finances: Alexandra Rover from “Nim’s Island”

In the movie Nim’s Island, Jodie Foster plays Alexandra Rover. This agoraphobic author spends her life in a townhome writing best-selling novels. She never leaves her home and has only the company of the Internet and her fictional alter ego, Alex, the main character from her books. In the midst of her Internet life, Alexandra is contacted by a girl named Nim, who lives on an island with her father. This girl is expecting her hero, Alex Rover, to come to her rescue because it seems her father is lost at sea.

Is Agoraphobia Good for the Budget?

According to SimplyHired.com, a typical best-selling author makes an average of $49,000 per year. Since Alexandra lives in a townhome, she most likely pays less per month for rent or a mortgage than if she owned a home. Monthly heating and lighting costs will also be lower. Since she doesn’t go anywhere, Alexandra has no gas or other transportation expenses. However, her household supplies and food may be slightly more expensive than the average person because everything has to be delivered.

Credit Cards and the Internet

Living Online
Since Alexandra buys everything online, she would be best served having a cash back credit card card. The Discover More card is one of the few remaining cards that offers 5% cash back. For bulk delivery of common items, the TrueEarnings card from Costco is a wise choice. At the very least, a prepaid debit card can be used anywhere credit cards are accepted, and most can be reloaded online or through direct deposit.

Because Alexandra is agoraphobic, she must rely on the Internet for her needs. If she hasn’t come out of her house in years, she must have credit cards to pay for all her supplies. Factor in the costs of shipping and doorstep deliveries and she may have some hefty balances on those cards. She might actually do all right, considering she only has to support herself. She’d be wise to have a savings account handy for emergencies.

Daring Budgeting Moves?

Spoiler Alert: Alexandra makes the daring move to leave her home and dash off to Nim’s Island to rescue the girl. This decision made in haste implies that she’s either got some cash to spare or she’s running on credit. By the end of the movie, Alexandra makes an even bolder decision than her first and ends up staying on the island with Nim and her father, with whom she has fallen in love. Nim’s father is a research scientist.

SimplyHired.com figures that a research scientist makes an average yearly salary of $76,000. Combine the two incomes and that would be a decent annual salary for a family of three. Living the island life can be cheaper than the city life, as food could be gathered from the island. There already is a nice solar-powered home that Nim’s father has built himself, so there are virtually no heating and electrical costs. Some things would still need to be ordered from the Internet or picked up in a nearby town, but for the most part, the family could live pretty comfortably and have money left over to send Nim off to college and still allow the adults a comfortable retirement.

Momie Tullottes

When Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs of NCIS isn’t arresting arms dealers or chasing serial killers, he’s working on a boat in his basement. Although he lives in Washington, D.C., he doesn’t seem to avail himself of the local nightlife or enjoy much of a social inclination. Obviously, he saves on many luxuries, but can Gibbs really afford his lifestyle?

Sniper to Special Agent

Gibbs is a former marine sniper, having served in Desert Storm, and he joined the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) after he was wounded in combat and discharged, presumably in response to the murder of his wife and daughter. When the NCIS series began in 2003, Gibbs was already a supervisory special agent.

Moving Up in the World

In the third season of NCIS, Gibbs was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for his work leading the investigative unit, and it is later revealed in the same episode that he has received many commendations, including a Silver Star for his efforts in Desert Storm. This indicates that Gibbs is successful in his career and is therefore awarded regular raises in pay.

According to the Department of Defense Pay Table, NCIS investigative agents can make anywhere from $26,461 to $133, 985. Assuming that the top of the pay scale is reserved for the brass, such as the NCIS director, Gibbs doesn’t take home the maximum.

Paying the Exes

The bottom of the third pay band is the high 70s, which is a healthy income for a single investigator whose only hobby involves woodworking. However, it is revealed throughout the show that Gibbs has been married four times, three of which ended in divorce.

Knowing that divorces are almost always messy, and since Gibbs mentions many times that he suffers under the burden of alimony, we can assume that Gibbs gives at least a portion of his income to his ex-wives.

Caffeine and Caf-Pow

Easy Does It
Not being a big-spender, and because he’s an all-around cautious guy, Gibbs doesn’t likely carry a lot of debt—or the cards that contribute to it. Look for a carefully-selected low interest credit card in his wallet, but don’t expect it to get abused.

Gibbs’ drink of choice is coffee, and he is rarely seen in an NCIS episode without a cup in his hand. He mentions a few times that the coffee served in the NCIS building isn’t worth the cup it’s poured in, so he leaves the naval yard to purchase his own java. Whether he’s drinking Starbucks or McDonald’s Premium Blend, he’s shelling out his own cash for caffeine.

Additionally, he rewards his forensic scientist, Abby Sciuto, with a fictional beverage called Caf-Pow, which is also purchased off-site, whenever he wants to motivate her. Other than a few indulgences in fine scotch, Gibbs doesn’t seem to have extravagant tastes.

The Bottom Line

Working for the government is considered by many to be a thankless job, but men like Leroy Jethro Gibbs focus on serving their country. Even if he only makes $50,000 a year, he does because he feels strongly about his purpose.

In real life, an NCIS special agent with three ex-wives and a mortgage would need to save every penny he earns. Countless trips to a coffee shop every day combined with eating out nearly every meal might bankrupt such an agent in just a couple of years.

The high cost of living in Washington, D.C., such as the median home price of $450,900, would also stretch an NCIS agent’s bank account.

Steve Thompson

Fictional Finances: Walt White from “Breaking Bad”

A life-threatening illness brings with it a host of problems, not the least of which are mounting hospital bills and spiraling credit card debt. After a grim diagnosis from his doctor, however, chemistry teacher Walt White (Bryan Cranston), the anti-hero of the AMC original series “Breaking Bad,” comes up with an unusual method of making some desperately needed cash.

Walt White Has Two Jobs, a Mortgage and a Baby on the Way

A dedicated family man, Walt works at both a local Albuquerque high school and a car wash to provide for his pregnant wife and a teenage son with special needs. When medical tests indicate that he has inoperable lung cancer, White worries that his wife and children won’t be able to survive financially once he’s gone.

Teaming up with a former student named Jesse, Walt draws upon decades of scientific experience to produce high-quality methamphetamine, which he then sells to local drug dealers. The teacher learns a lot about dealing with the criminal element and, at the same time, discovers what he’s willing to do for the sake of his family.

Mortgages, Medical Treatments and Meth

Walt and his family live in a comfortable, middle-class home on the outskirts of Albuquerque, a housing market that Realtytimes.com says is holding its value despite the current economic crisis. Based on the location and size of the dwelling, the Whites own a home valued at approximately $200,000.

Because Walt’s medical insurance is somewhat lacking, he has to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Instead of accepting a lucrative job offer with better health benefits, Walt decides to keep on making crystal meth to pay his medical bills.

Before starting his illegal chemistry experiments, Walt spent years as a teacher in New Mexico, which puts his estimated annual salary at about $43,000 per year. As for his part-time job at the car wash, Albuquerque’s minimum wage currently stands at $7.50 per hour, so if Walt worked 20 extra hours per week, that increased his gross salary by $7,800 until he quit. As a dedicated family man, the chemistry teacher also socked away what he could in a 401(K) retirement fund.

Walt’s Wallet
Being a conservative husband and father, Walt most likely has one MasterCard and Visa account in both his and his wife’s name; he also carries a debit card that’s tied to a joint checking account. But as the bills rise, transfering balances between balance transfer credit cards is a smart option–so long as Walt is cautious about the balance transfer process.

Life-threatening Illnesses and Credit

The United States government regulates what kind of personal financial information a creditor can obtain and report. Despite these regulations, credit card companies always are on the lookout for unusual transactions to ward off identity theft.

Most doctors and hospitals are glad to accept a credit card for payment of services, but if Walt did this on a regular basis, it could raise a red flag with his creditors and lead to a review of his accounts by credit card company auditors.

A Cash Only Business

Walt and Jesse’s transactions involve quite a bit of cash, which puts the family man in an awkward spot thanks to the Bank Secrecy Act, a government initiative that’s intended to stop drug trafficking and money laundering. According to this regulation, if a customer deposits $10,000 or more into a bank account, that transaction must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service.

Even if Walt made several smaller deposits into his account, these transactions would create a paper trail that law enforcement officials could easily follow. The IRS also would be interested to learn how and why Walt’s bank account suddenly became so large.

Even with the best of intentions, Walt White truly is creating a financial house of cards for his wife and children to handle when he finally succumbs to his illness.

Steven Bryan