Designers and retailers are realizing that “aspirational” shoppers—who used to swipe their credit cards and pile on the debt to purchase whatever was trendy, and who might otherwise be known as wannabes—just aren’t buying like they were during the boom consumer times of a few years ago. These days, when shoppers are inclined to make …
Obama’s New Economic Advisor Defended Subprime Lending
Austan Goolsbee and President Obama (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
It has become taboo to defend anything having to do with subprime lending. Why would you? It’s clear now that banks and mortgage brokers handed out expensive loans to many people who had little ability to make the payments. It’s also clear that the result was not …
Tricky Ways to Get a Better Return from the Money You Put in the Bank
What with interest rates on CDs paying a measly 1% or 2% and bank savings accounts paying even less, sometimes you have to wonder what’s the point of trying to save money. But by paying close attention to the fine print of certain bank agreements, and even by using your ability as a smooth negotiator, you could be able to double your …
Cheapskate Wisdom from … Interior Decorator Nate Berkus
“I’ve never believed that living well was based on spending a lot of money. For me, high style has never been a question of snobbishness.”
It’s a Deal: 25% Off at Banana Republic
Use the coupon code BRSAVE25 to get 25% off regularly priced merchandise orders of $100 or more at BananaRepublic.com. The discount is valid for purchases made by Tuesday, September 14.
6 Questions About College: So Where Does the Money Spent on Tuition and Fees Really Go?
Also: How come some colleges are so unbelievably selective when deciding which high schoolers are accepted nowadays?
The Colleges Corporate Recruiters Really Love
There’s no need for students at state universities to envy the Ivies, or to assume that grads from pricey, prestigious schools have a leg up in landing jobs. In fact, when recruiting executives go hunting to hire students who are well-rounded academically and who are best prepared to enter the workforce, their first choices aren’t …
Will new banking rules slow global economic growth?
In one of the most significant reforms to global finance to emerge from the Great Recession, regulators from around the world agreed to new standards for banks on Sunday, called Basel III. The rules are aimed at making the world’s financial system safer and less susceptible to the sort of recession-inducing meltdown we endured in 2008 …
111 Frugal Tips for Smarter Buying and Serious Saving
This week’s link roundup covers fees no prudent consumer should ever pay, supermarkets that can save you big-time on grocery bills, reasons why you might want to splurge on a latte from time to time (OK, this isn’t just about saving money), and a no-excuses look at the real reasons you’re broke.
Investing In A Foggy World Economy
One of the hallmarks of a smoothly functioning ec0nomy is the efficient flow of capital to the most attractive opportunities. These can exist in stocks, bonds or direct investments. At other times nothing seems very attractive, either because it’s too risky or too pricey. That’s pretty much where we are today and it’s the mark of an …
Cheapskate Wisdom About … Hunger, Obesity, and School Lunches
“Hunger and obesity are the children of the same father. It is hard to eat healthy because it costs more. A gallon of milk is maybe $3.50, nearly $4.00, but a two-liter bottle of soda is only 99 cents.”
12 Signs of Continued Hard Times
Including more participation in food stamp programs and more people drinking beer at home, along with fewer people investing in stocks, buying videogames, going to the movies, and working at jobs that match their skill sets.