After 23 years of covering — and giving advice about — Medicare, a veteran journalist wades into the system herself. Part three of a 5-part series.
10 Companies That Radically Transformed Their Businesses
IBM turned 100 today, the rare company to thrive a century after it was founded. But in the 1980s and 1990s, many people had written the company off. So IBM pivoted. The company that was synonymous with computer hardware mostly …
Inflation Picks Up: Why Rising Prices are Good for the Economy
Today’s report on inflation is sure to cause some long faces among economy worrywarts. It should instead draw smiles.
It’s a Deal: 50% Off Apparel at Coldwater Creek
Use the coupon code SUNNY50 to get 50% off orders of woman’s apparel and fashion at Coldwater Creek. The code is valid for discounts on orders placed by Sunday, June 19.
Why We’re All Greeks This Week
The economy doesn’t suck as much today as it did yesterday, apparently. How do we know this? Initial claims for unemployment fell by 16,000 to 414,000, according to the Labor Department. That other weak spot, housing, got some good news in that housing starts rose 3.5% and building permits rose 8.7% in May vs. April. (Keep in mind …
Big Fan
Here’s some math on the costs of staying cool this summer: A decent window A/C unit costs roughly 14¢ an hour on your utility bill. A larger central-air system will cost you about 36¢ an hour to run. The energy needed to keep a …
Big Cable Isn’t Scared of Netflix, or That People Are Too Poor to Pay Monthly Bills
At an industry event this week, cable executives laughed off the idea of large-scale “cord cutting,” or that Netflix and Internet video could one day replace their businesses. They also justified high prices charged for cable …
Some Say Pay Off ‘Bad Debt’ First. But Why?
There’s a lot of personal finance advice in the blogosphere that I wish didn’t exist. And one of the most annoying pieces of advice is the constant yammering about “good debt” and “bad debt” and how that bad debt must be paid off first.
When Metaphors Attack!
We're wired to understand complex concepts by grounding them in simpler ones. It's often an effective way to get by in a complex world–but can lead us astray when it comes to our finances.
Big Blue Turns 100: IBM’s Anniversary is One to Celebrate
Today, IBM officially marks its 100th anniversary. But the company today bears remarkably little resemblance either to the sleepy Computer Tabulating Recording Corporation that was formed on June 16, 1911, or to the more iconic …
Who Cares What the Experts Say, We’re Buying a Jetta
Like a summer action movie that’s panned by critics but a blockbuster at the box office, the Volkswagen Jetta is experiencing fantastic sales despite receiving mostly bad reviews by car experts. The fact that the Jetta’s 2011 …
How I Did It: Dan Schawbel on Becoming a Personal Branding Expert
The founder of Millennial Branding talks about establishing his position as the personal branding guru for Gen-Y.
