College graduation used to be filled with hope and excitement. Lately, though, it seems as if the feeling most likely experienced while dressed in cap and gown is that of dread, with visions of a future burdened by unemployment, …
Work/Life Balance
Graduation Day Advice: 5 Steps to a Great Career
A stirring commencement speech in the heartland lays out the path to business success. Keep learning and just do the right thing are a good start. But there is more.
A Mom’s Work Is Worth $113K Annually. Or Maybe About Half That
How much is a mom worth? The answer, of course, is — everybody altogether now — “priceless.” While that’s the safest response (and I swear it’s the truth, Mom!), it’s also boring and vague.
Why Face-to-Face Networking Still Trumps Social Networking
According to a new report from the “social discovery” site Badoo, 39% of Americans now spend more time socializing online than they do in person. In addition, nearly 20% prefer communication via text or the Internet over talking …
Why $50,000 May Be the (New) Happiness Tipping Point
A landmark 2010 Princeton University study showed that money really can buy happiness — up to a very specific point. The researchers (including Nobelist Daniel Kahneman) found that up to about $75,000, annual income closely …
Off the Road: 8 Reasons Why We’re Driving Less
In recent months, car sales have been booming at the same time that consumers have been paying more per vehicle. Because demand for cars is high, it would seem like a safe assumption that people need new wheels because we’re all …
7 Ways to Stretch Your Nest Egg
If you thought it was hard to grow a nest egg, try living off one in retirement. Here are seven ways to make what you have last the rest of your life.
Teacher’s Aide Fired for Refusing to Let Employer Shoulder Surf Her Facebook Page
The Facebook-related firings have begun: A teacher’s aide in Michigan was let go from her job after a school administrator demanded that she turn over her Facebook password and she refused. The aide, Kimberly Hester, is preparing …
How Companies Misfire on Flexible Schedules for Older Workers
Employers recognize that they need to develop flexible work schedules to retain valued older workers. So why can’t they get it right? A new report identifies four troublesome trends.
Lawmakers Try to Ban Facebook ‘Shoulder Surfing’ by Employers
Even in a marketplace where people routinely trade access to their personal data for small freebies like online games and coupons, some employers have provoked outrage by demanding to see job applicants’ private Facebook pages. Now, lawmakers are wading into the fray with legislation that would prohibit the practice of “shoulder surfing” …
You’ll Never Guess the New Big Thing in Housing (Think: Not Big)
The next big thing in residential real estate isn’t big at all. It’s small. Because of cost and aesthetic considerations, a strong “anti-McMansion attitude” has surfaced among home designers and buyers, according to one of the …
Being 30 and Living With Your Parents Isn’t Lame — It’s Awesome
Just how much of a bummer is it to be well past the age of adulthood and still living under your parent’s roof? As this living arrangement grows increasingly common, the perception is that it’s not so bad after all. In fact, …
