A slew of economic indicators out this week has ratcheted up fears of a double dip recession. Many think Friday’s jobs’ report could be the death knell of the U.S. recovery. But there’s a silver lining to the disappointing stats on housing, jobs, and manufacturing: No matter how bad it gets, the dollar will probably stay weak. And …
Foreclosure Watch: It’s Not as Bad as You Think
As the U.S.’s foreclosure crisis plays out, homeowners are slowly catching up on paying their mortgages.
How I Did It: Aaron Patzer on Creating Mint.com
The Mint.com founder talks about some of the challenges he faced while building his business.
Experiments in Making Your Own Peanut Butter, Pet Food, and More
Indulging your inner mad scientist may also wind up saving some money. But is the savings worth the time and hassle?
Why Your Checking Account Is Getting More Expensive
Long the workhorse of the financial mainstream, the checking account has undergone a radical evolution in recent months. Banks are shifting to the business model embraced by airlines, unbundling a product and adding fees on an a …
The State of the Economy, Investing, Housing, and Brazilian Bikini Waxes
Among other surprising factoids, 44% of Americans say they'll never put money in the stock market again.
It’s a Deal: $10 for $20 Worth of Old Navy Merchandise
With today’s national deal from Groupon, $10 buys a certificate worth $20 at any Old Navy store in the U.S. or Canada. (No online purchases allowed.) The offer is available for purchase only on Thursday, June 2, and the Groupon must be used by July 30—after that, it becomes worth a mere $10 again.
Should the euro zone be dissolved?
I was reading the ever-fascinating Martin Wolf in The Financial Times the other day as he bluntly laid out the stark choices facing Europe’s great experiment with the euro:
The eurozone, as designed, has failed. It was based on a set of principles that have proved unworkable at the first contact with a financial and fiscal crisis. It
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College Offers Degree in Multi-level Marketing (a.k.a. Pyramid Selling!)
Mocking students who choose impractical majors is a popular pastime in the blogosphere; HolyTaco.com has a list of the Top 10 Most Worthless College Majors, with fields like Music Therapy, English Literature, and Latin landing on …
My Turn for Medicare
After 23 years of covering — and giving advice about — Medicare, a veteran journalist wades into the system herself. Part 1 of a 5-part series.
Markets Plunge Because of Greece, China, and the U.S. (Or so they say.)
Another day, another market plunge. Yesterday was notably sharp, with all major indices declining more than 2% and getting worse as the day wore on. The story du jour – and it is an axiom of market declines that there must be a …
America’s Hottest Investment: Farmland
This is usually a slow time of the year for farm sales. It’s past prime planting season. Yet, Sam Kain, Des Moines area manager for land sales at Farmers National, is busy. He has 3 auctions this week. Most of the 30 or so bidders who show up will be farmers. But an increasing number of people buying land these days have no intention …