Dear prospective clients, business partners and the Associated Press: I'm not bankrupt

I received a phone call a week or so back from a reporter wanting to ask me about blogging about money and the economy. Being a writer myself and having several friends who are journalists, I willingly agreed; it can be tough finding sources and people to interview. And I don't mind talking about money and finances. That's why I blog about it.

I told the reporter how so far, luckily, we're doing fine. But I'm nervous because, like far too many people I know these days, that could all change in an instant. And like everybody else, our investments are down and our real estate values have tanked, so our cushion isn't what it used to be.

I also told the reporter that a lot of people we know socially, even several who would be considered fairly affluent, are feeling the strain. I have friends with businesses that are seeing a sharp decline in revenues. Friends who have clients that are unable to pay their bills.

We talked about how I worry because I have rental property that I own with partners and when tenants fall on hard times, we have to cover the mortgages. And when my tenants and my partners fall on hard times, I have to cover everyone. So even though we're doing fine now, a bad economy is most definitely a concern.

Which is why I was surprised when the Associated Press article came out and and basically implied that I am facing foreclosure. Now I know lots of people are in this situation right now, but just so all my clients, business partners and prospective partners know -- we're all good. We've never even been late with a single payment.

And as for my blog, I usually write about the economy, finances and trying to find viable solutions for tight budgets. Not "money problems" as quoted in the article. Money and money problems are two different things.

Since this article is on the front page of CNN, in hundreds of newspapers and their respective web sites across the country, and since anyone from a client to any Google-stalking-friend-I-haven't-seen-since-grade-school will find this article before they find my profile on LinkedIn, I just thought I should set the record straight.

The moral of the story -- anyone can see everything you do, thanks to the Internet. When it comes to the Too Much Information Age, you can't be too careful. Whether it's a misquote or a misstep, a slip of the tongue or a minor slip in judgment, anyone from bosses to banks have instant access.

As for any other journalists looking for help with an interview, all I have to say is, "No comment." And you can quote me on that.

Have you ever had something posted - or widely spread, for that matter - across the Internet that could adversely impact your career or professional reputation? What do you do to protect your online image?