Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — just the companies’ names sound like characters out of a Brothers Grimm fable. But their financials from the last few years read like something from Stephen King. Here’s a look at what will and …
Why You Should Prepare for Inflation
High inflation erodes the purchasing power of savings, pushes up interest rates and undermines future economic growth. Everyone agrees, in short, that it’s bad. Very bad. What experts can’t agree on is whether the risk of …
China’s Latest Export: Stock Fraud
Chinese software company Longtop Financial Technologies did everything it could to make U.S. stock buyers believe it was a safe investment. Perhaps it was doing too much.
The company regularly reported income that was slightly higher than what executives had predicted the company would earn months earlier. On its balance sheet, …
Will Obama’s Campaign Funding Kill Financial Reform?
Here we go again. The Obama administration is itching to woo back its highest rolling donors for its 2012 re-election bid, according to a piece out by the New York Times. Indeed, campaign season is inspiring a much softer tone with Wall Street, after Obama’s many months of harping on the private sector for making our jobs and deficit …
The Nation’s Favorite Low-Cost Grocery Store Is …
A retailer that may not be a household name but is one of the fastest-growing chains in the country, with smaller stores, a more limited selection, and much cheaper prices compared to the average mega-grocer. The chain is called …
Economists Survey: Unemployment Weighing Down Chances of U.S. Recovery
Sluggish hiring is the biggest threat to an economic rebound, according to the latest Wall Street Journal economic forecasting survey. But there is a hint of good news: the economists thought the chances of a double-dip recession …
Why Do We Cheer for NBA Stars But Not for Bankers?
There was something dramatic and striking about the Dallas Mavericks’ victory over the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals on Sunday. No, it wasn’t the caliber of play – which was high – nor the sight of the vaunted Miami “Dream …
“Employees are taught situational tactics to extract as much money as possible from a potential customer.”
Obama’s Jobs Czar’s Plan : Will it Lower Unemployment?
How do we jump start a jobless economic recovery? According to the President’s Jobs and Competitiveness Council, it’s a combination of the familiar, the difficult and yesbut. In an op-ed piece in today’s Wall Street Journal, General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt and American Express CEO Ken Chenault present a 5-part jobs program. The …
It’s a Deal: Buy One, Get One Free at Men’s Wearhouse
Nearly everything at Men’s Wearhouse is on sale on a buy one, get one free basis this week—which just so happens to be leading up to Father’s Day. When you buy one item at regular price, you can get a second item of equal or …
Why OPEC Isn’t What it Used to Be
You’d think that OPEC would be laughing it up right now – all the way to the bank. With oil prices at a lofty $100 a barrel, OPEC’s oil exporters are sucking in petrodollars on a grand scale. But all is not happy in the world’s …
Perhaps Debt Collectors Aren’t Scum of the Earth?
They make a living by hounding deadbeats (or presumed deadbeats) to pay off debts. Reports have surfaced that they routinely break the law in pursuit of payoffs. Now, debt collectors are asking for your respect, and even a little …