The people in the business of profiting from movies don’t seem particularly troubled that theater attendance has dipped by 10% since 1999. And why aren’t they worried? Because during this same time period, ticket prices have …
How to Make $1 Million (or More) Per Year Playing the State Lottery
Is there a way to game the lottery? Without ever winning a jackpot, a small group of bettors have managed to milk a game called Cash WinFall for millions. The key part of the strategy, which resulted recently in just three …
Do You Bank Online? You Probably Pay More for the Convenience Than You Think
Online banking has moved from the early-adopter fringe into the mainstream, and analysts say this trend is on track to continue. According to Fiserv, a financial services technology company, 80 percent of all U.S. households with …
What the U.S. debt deal means for the global economy
When U.S. President Barack Obama announced Sunday night that he and Congressional leaders had finally reached an agreement to raise the government debt ceiling, the world breathed a collective sigh of relief. Stock markets in Asia jumped on the news. Yes, the pact still has to pass through the Senate and unruly House of Representatives …
Family Finance Lessons From the Budget Battle in Washington
The two sides are locked in a seemingly endless tug-of-war over budget issues. Again and again they say they’ll work together for the greater good. But when it comes down to making actual decisions about money, it’s a …
Things Are Bad Unless You’re Amazon, Starbucks or Expedia
The markets have been sinking steadily, fed on a diet of weak economic data — GDP growth in the second quarter came in at an anemic 1.3% — and debt ceiling deadlock (which, finally, appears to have been broken). Yet, in the …
Bulldoze: The New Way to Foreclose
UPDATED (5:29 PM)
Banks have a new remedy for America’s ailing housing market: bulldozers.
There are nearly 1.7 million homes in the U.S. in some state of foreclosure. Banks already own some of these homes and will soon repossess many more. Many housing economists worry that a near constant stream of home sales by banks could keep …
Brother, Can You Spare a Billion? Apple Has More Cash Than Uncle Sam
An iPod in every pot? The Statue of Liberty holding an iPad in her left hand? Steve Jobs’ on Mount Rushmore? Don’t laugh, considering Apple (Stock Quote: AAPL) now has more cash on hand than the U.S. government.
How I Started a Web 2.0 Social Media Site
Kristen Ruby, the founder of Ruby Media Group, talks about how working as an entrepreneur compares to being employed by a corporate company.
Did President Obama’s Remarks Move the Markets?
The financial markets paid little attention to remarks by President Obama on the debt ceiling debate this morning. Stocks and bonds basically treaded water even after a bombshell report from the U.S. Commerce Department that …
GDP Report: What It Tells Us About the Debt
The bad news just keeps coming.
The U.S. economy grew even less than expected in the second quarter, at a rate of 1.3%, down from what many economists predicted would be 1.8% or higher. The reasons for the continued lackluster performance haven’t changed. Consumers, squeezed by higher gas and other prices, are buying less of …
Alas, Gay Marriage Will Yield Gay Divorce. So Prenups Are in Order
As gay couples in New York gear up for the first full weekend during which they’re eligible to tie the knot, someone they hope they’ll never run into has a few words of caution: be careful. That someone is the divorce lawyer.
