The only thing better than a relaxing getaway is a relaxing getaway you don’t have to pay for. But sometimes chasing those freebies can cost you more than if you just ponied up in the first place. Recently, we took a look at the …
Real Estate’s in the Tank? Not in the Land of IPOs
It’s been what my grandmother would call “a month of Sundays” (i.e., a long, long time) since we’ve heard of a local housing market that wasn’t in the doldrums. In fact, much of the country is now officially in the …
Can Comcast Cut Waits for The Cable Guy?
As a consumer, nothing is more annoying than being told to wait for the cable guy during a ridiculously long window – yes, we’ll fix your system, but our repairman will arrive between noon and 4 p.m. When he’s then late, or doesn’t show up at all, smashing the set with a baseball bat sounds like a reasonable response.
Financial Crisis Payback: JP Morgan Pays Second Largest Housing Bust Related Fine
It appears JP Morgan Chase is a vampire squid as well.
JPMorgan will pay a $153 million fine to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges that it misled investors in a mortgage bond deal just as the housing market was about to crack. The SEC alleges that JPMorgan sold a type of risky mortgage deal called a collateralized debt …
One More Cigarette Warning to Add: Smoking Will Put You in the Poorhouse
The FDA just introduced a series of appropriately gruesome warnings to be placed on cigarette packaging and advertisements. One image, for instance, shows a man lying down, eyes closed, with a zipper of staples lining his …
Home Sales Plummet: How to Fix the Housing Market
It’s time for new housing market stimulus. But how? Home sales fell 3.8% in May. That might not sound like a big drop in sales. After all, real estate is double dipping. But for this time of year, it’s big. May and June are …
Is the High Cost of Healthy Food Really the Reason for Poor Nutrition?
The New York Times‘ Economix blog has an interesting post on new research on the “cost per calorie” of different foods and drinks.
How to Fix the Dire Housing Numbers
Time for more housing stimulus. The question is how.
According to numbers released today by the National Association of Realtors, home sales fell 3.8% in May. They were down 15% from a year ago. Home prices were down as well, 5% lower than a year ago. And while 4% might not sound like a big drop for sales, for this time of year it is. …
How to Get Decent Health Care Without Insurance
Monica Vigna-Bony was at the drugstore picking up a prescription for Advair, an asthma inhaler, when she finally lost her cool over the astronomical price of being uninsured. Because she works part-time at a retail store, …
Economic Doom, By the Numbers
Unemployment, misery, workplace dissatisfaction, the disappearing American Dream, forecasts of another Great Depression … Yikes!
Banks Are Hurting? It’s All Relative
The latest out of Wall Street-land is a warning by analysts at Citibank that profits at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley (and to a lesser degree at other banks as well) will show a sharp contraction for the second quarter of …
It’s a Deal: Southwest Airlines $40 40-Year Anniversary Sale
To celebrate 40 years in business, Southwest Airlines is discounting flights all over the country, with one-way fares of $40, $80, and $120. The $40 flights are shorter-haul routes such as Boston-Baltimore and Denver-Salt Lake City, while mid-range flights like Nashville-Austin and San Diego-Seattle are $80, and the longest journeys …