I had a somewhat disturbing conversation yesterday with Steve Fussell, the senior VP of human resources at pharmaceutical maker Abbott. His basic message, which I may pursue in a column down the road, was that Abbott is going to be hiring tons of people for high-paying jobs over the next decade, but not many of them will be Americans …
A portrait of the tax cheat
Ever since UBS agreed to hand over the names on thousands of undeclared offshore accounts, U.S. taxpayers (or non-taxpayers, as it were) have been rushing to the IRS to confess their sins. The deal: come clean of your own volition, and you’ll owe a significantly reduced penalty and you won’t have to go to jail.
That partial amnesty ends …
Dow 10,000! Now go back to living your life
Well, we did it. Today we crossed Dow 10,000. Can Dow 36,000 be far behind?
The Cheapest New Car Sold in the U.S.
It has a sticker price under $11,000, runs on a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine, and gets 36 mpg on the highway. And surprise, surprise: It’s not made by an American car manufacturer.
Truly the last chance
This just arrived in the mailbox:
How to Cook Like the Frugal Foodie
“Chicken broth is the frugal cook’s best friend.” That nugget of wisdom and others come up in a conversation with Lara Starr, a.k.a. the Frugal Foodie.
It’s a Deal: Pay $40 for $50 iTunes Gift Card at Best Buy
Get $10 off of $50 iTunes gift cards from Best Buy—meaning a $50 card actually only costs $40. The offer ends October 17. More details here.
Retail sales down. JPMorgan profits up. Wall Street pay up. Hmmmm
The headlines this morning were a catchy juxtaposition: “Retail sales drop on fall in autos.” “JPMorgan profits surge six fold.” Oh, and “Wall Street on track to award record pay.”
The retail sales decline was actually a just a knock-on effect of the expiration of cash for clunkers. Retail sales excluding autos were up 0.5% on the …
Six Ways to Break Your Cell Phone Contract Early Without Penalty
The dreaded “early termination fee,” or ETF, can hit you with a fee of $100 or more if you dare try to get out of your cell phone contract before the contract runs out.
Gift Card Promotions: Gimmicks or Good Values?
To pull in customers during a tough economic climate, retailers are rolling out gift card promotions galore. On the surface, the deals seem like, well, deals.
Bernie Madoff gets into a prison fight over the stock market
I really can’t put it any better than the New York Post already has:
Bernie “The Bruiser” Madoff got into a prison-yard tussle with a fellow inmate over — of all things — the stock market, eyewitnesses told The Post.
And, by inmates’ accounts, the 71-year-old Ponzi schemer came out the winner.
It’s a Deal: Up to 40% Off at Land’s End
Sweaters, vests, and coats are among the in-season items being discounted up to 40% during the Land’s End Fall Sale, which lasts through October 20. More details here.