After Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for scamming people out of billions while operating what has been described as the large Ponzi scheme in history, you would think people would be a bit smarter about …
Can the Amish Teach You to Be Rich? A New Book Says Yes
Lorilee Craker might be the most versatile journalist in America.
Why another Greek bailout is a stupid idea
The entire financial world was watching Athens today to see whether or not the Greek government would survive a no-confidence vote. Thankfully, it did. More importantly, the government now has to push a new slate of severe austerity measures through parliament next week to try to control its escalating debt. If the package gets rejected, …
The 6 Best Travel Reward Credit Cards Right Now
It's practically impossible to keep up with all the fine print on credit card offers that promise big rewards on airfare, hotels and other summer vacation essentials. We got three experts to sift through the latest travel reward …
The New “New Normal”: Are We in a “Growth Recession”?
Remember the days when one catch phrase could sum up our entire economy? In the 1970s, it was “stagflation,” the idea that inflation could be high even when economic growth was low. In the early 90s, the “jobless recovery,” a term coined during Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, referred to the lingering recession that …
Serious Cash Back: Chase Freedom Card Ups Ante with $200 Cash Back Intro Offer
Chase’s Freedom credit card first became popular when it began offering a $100 bonus for new customers who spent a certain amount of money in three months. Now there’s an additional $100 bonus tempting consumers to sign up.
Tips on Controlling Your Impulse Buys
A lot of people believe they're immune to advertising and marketing. A lot of people are wrong.
In Many Cities, Jobs Recovery Could be a Decade Away
Remember when we used to talk about a V-shaped recovery. Yeah not so much. A new economic report commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which is meeting this week, predicts that at least 50 metro areas, or about one-in-seven cities, in this country won’t see a return to pre-recession employment levels until 2020. Among the …
It’s a Deal: Free Admission to National Parks on June 21
The only fee-free day at national parks this summer is the first day of summer, Tuesday, June 21. All national parks and monuments that usually charge admission waive all entrance fees on this day, and several other dates throughout the year.
Workplace Purgatory: Hating the Job, But Reluctant to Quit
Overworked and poorly paid, today’s workers increasingly wish they could march up to the boss and drop the classic line, “Take this job and shove it.” Given high unemployment rates and the uncertainties in the economy, however, …
Mortgage Giants Wells Fargo and Bank of America Opt Out of Reverse Mortgage Business
At the height of the real estate market, I recall driving past a Bay Area billboard for an apparently conservative financial advisory firm that read something like: “Your home is not a retirement plan.” At the time, the …
The Summer of the $5 Ice Cream Cone
It’s a perfect storm for ice cream lovers: Because of factors including everything from droughts in Russia to rising prices of cattle feed, dairy products, and gas, the ice cream cone that used to run $3 or $4 is now likely to …