A 53-year-old man who used to cover the health insurance industry as a journalist purposefully decides that health insurance isn’t worth the money, and so he goes without it. He negotiates with doctors, haggles over the costs of services, and asks for discounts because he’s paying in cash. Over the course of a year, he’ll save $6,000.
Kraft Mag & Outrage
Food & Family, a magazine put out by Kraft Foods that features Kraft products and is mailed to 10 million Kraft Food consumers, used to sent out for free. Not anymore. Subscribers are now being asked to fork over $14 a year for what many folks consider little more than a marketing tool to sell Kraft food.
The Fed’s Wall Street pay fix
I was a little nonplussed this morning when I read the not-very-shocking WSJ article that came with the shocking headline, “Bankers Face Sweeping Curbs on Pay.” In the pre-Murdoch era that would have been a 600-word story on page A24, headlined “Fed Mulls Pay Guidelines.”
What’s happening is that the Federal Reserve is contemplating a …
Fast Food Burgers Go Big: 1/3 Pounders, 900 Calories, $4 and Up
Where’s the beef? If you have to ask, you haven’t been to a fast food establishment recently.
A bolder approach to credit-rating agency reform
Yesterday the SEC rolled out a bunch of new rules and proposals meant to purge conflict of interest and ineptitude from the credit-ratings agencies—that group of companies whose greatest hits include considering Enron investment-grade until four days before it went bankrupt and, most recently, the “AAA-rated” CDO.
$1.1 Million: Cost to Raise a Child, from Birth through College
A simply hilarious and insightful quote: “It is commonly said that buying a house is the biggest purchase most Americans will ever make. Having a baby is like buying six houses. Except that they don’t increase in value, you can’t sell them and after 16 years they’ll probably say they hate you.”
It’s a Deal: Virgin America Flights from $39
Virgin America has sale fares starting at $39 each way on routes such as San Francisco to Las Vegas and $99 on routes such as Boston to Los Angeles. Tickets must be purchased by September 21. More details here.
EBITDAR: the pirate’s financial metric
So I’m looking at what’s new on the old RSS, and I see Felix reminding me that tomorrow is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Just below it is a post from Long or Short Capital, with this gem from Las Vegas Sands’ second quarter earnings conference call:
Analyst Q: Can I ask about the Sands on the peninsula? All of the revenue
…
A List of Money-Saving Lists: 422 Ways to Save in Total
When it comes to tips for saving, the more the better, right? Here’s a list of lists that’ll help you save money around the house, out at malls or restaurants, in Starbucks, at the grocery store—just about anywhere.
New ‘Basic’ Credit Card: Basically More of the Same
Bank of America is introducing the Bankamericard Basic Visa, due in part to consumer requests for “products that offer simple and straightforward solutions,” according to a BofA exec.
It’s a Deal: 40% Off Timberland Purchases
From now through September 21, Timberland shoes, boots, clothes, and accessories are being discounted by 40% thanks to a special “Friends and Family” sale. Enter the discount shopping code FFSALE for online purchases at Timberland.com.
We’re rich again!
New numbers from the Federal Reserve show that American households* were $2 trillion richer at the end of June they were at the end of March. That’s a 4% jump over three months—and the first time household net worth has risen since the second quarter of 2007.
What accounts for the good fortune?