There are so many commentators stressing the very obvious, very real and very important downside of the recent market tilt that in this Mind Over Money post we’ve decided to risk looking hopelessly Panglossian by discussing an …
Help, I’ve Been Downgraded by S&P
Just got word from Standard & Poors. I’ve been downgraded. So have you. The firm has blamed bickering politicians in Washington for forcing it to lower the rating on U.S. Treasury bonds to AA —U-S-A-A! U-S-A-A!— from the highest, triple A ranking, but in neighborhoods all over America, people are getting along just fine. And …
Surprise, U.S. Markets Aren’t Doing So Badly
This global equity snapshot by Bloomberg’s Michael McDonough is a great way to step back from all the crazy market gyrations and give your stomach a break (hat tip Felix Salmon). I’m not saying the daily churn is going away (in fact, I think just the opposite). But in the grand scheme of things, our stock markets are still faring better …
The EV Diaries: Firsthand Experiences with Electric Vehicles
What’s it really like to commute, run errands, and otherwise live and get around with a Nissan Leaf? How about smaller, lesser-known electric cars such as the Smart Fortwo ED or the Think City? Read on about the experiences of a …
Visa Puts Its Weight Behind New Smartphone Payment Systems
This week, Visa began campaigning to get retailers in the U.S. to upgrade their payment terminals — what we used to call cash registers — to devices capable of reading EMV chips, the technology behind “chip-and-pin” cards now …
As Regular Malls Struggle, Outlet Malls Are Booming
Roughly one out of every 11 store sites is empty at traditional malls around the country. That’s the highest mall vacancy rate in over a decade, even though rents at these properties are likely to have decreased or leveled off …
Europe Bans Short Selling. Will the U.S. Follow Suit?
Short sales plague Europe — but they're likely not coming across the Atlantic.
Study: The Rich Really Are More Selfish
“Lower-class” individuals—i.e., folks without much money or education—demonstrate more compassion and empathy than their wealthy counterparts, according to a series of psychological studies. In social scientist speak, …
Why the Fed Announcement Won’t Boost the Housing Market
The Federal Reserve’s announcement this week that it would keep a key interest rate near zero seemed designed to be a chill pill — a way to calm jittery stock market investors by showing that it recognized, and was trying to manage, economic weakness. Whether the announcement was good for real estate is another story.
10 Stores with Great Back to School Deals Right Now
Even before the recent drama on Wall Street dampened consumer sentiment, the National Retail Federation said it expected back to school spending to be flat this year, with families limiting their purchases of clothing, gadgets, …
Is Market Volatility Here to Stay?
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the global economy, and the markets have been torn asunder. On Monday, the VIX – a measure of the implied volatility in the stock market – shot up to its highest level since the depths of the 2008-09 financial crisis, up 50% to 48. Tuesday it dropped 27%, the biggest one-day drop in history. …
Insider Trading: Look Who’s Buying on Wall Street
Individual investors have learned this week that trying to predict the direction of the stock market is a fool's game. But there is one group of major league investors who may actually deserve our attention: CEOs and other …