Last week, George Soros‘ firm announced it would stop managing money for outside investors, formally ending the legendary financier’s high-profile, 40-year career. With a personal net worth of $15 billion, his future will include …
Why QE3 Wouldn’t Save the Economy
Updated Aug. 9, 9pm EDT
The Federal Reserve’s much awaited statement following its August meeting offered some solace to jittery investors. The FOMC said it would likely keep interest rates steady for the next two years, which bolstered the market after an initial negative reaction. But it committed nothing in the way of new funding …
Are Consumers Over Buying DVDs?
A new entertainment industry report focuses on how consumers spent more on Blu-ray discs and players during the first half of 2011. But it can’t hide that overall DVD purchases were down 18.3%, at the same time that spending was …
Are Much Cheaper Car Prices Coming Soon?
For months, factors ranging from the rise in gas prices to the Japan earthquake-induced decline in supply have driven the selling prices of new and used cars alike to all-time highs. Now that vehicle production is mostly back to …
Handle With Care: Market Crash Underscores — and Perhaps Causes — Fragile Consumer Confidence
Wells Fargo stock market analyst Al Goldman, who’s followed stocks for 50 years, once said, “Two emotions rule the stock market. One is greed and one is fear.” Make no mistake, greed is still alive and well on Wall Street. But …
It’s a Deal: Extra 40% Off Sale Items at Neiman Marcus
Now through August 11, Neiman Marcus is offering an extra 30% off when you purchase one sale item, and an extra 40% off when you buy two or more sale items—meaning the total discount sometimes adds up to 75% off the original prices. Also, use the promotion code AUGFS to get free shipping on all orders.
What’s Great (and What’s Annoying) About the Demise of Paper Receipts
“Would you like the receipt in the bag, or in your email in-box?” Increasingly, this is the question shoppers are being asked at checkout at stores like Sears, Anthropologie, Whole Foods, and Gap.
Take This Job and Shove It: Why Most Workers Hate the Company They Just Left
In a new survey, roughly 75% of workers who left their jobs say they absolutely would not recommend the employer to other job seekers. In 2008, only 42% of employees in the same situation recommended steering clear of the companies they’d recently parted ways with.
U.S. Senator Proposes Renting Out Foreclosures
There’s an old Lily Tomlin joke where she says, “Wouldn’t it be great if all the people in New York who talk to themselves were paired off, so it looks like they’re talking to each other?”
In a similar spirit, apparently, …
Stock Market Plunge: Can the Fed Do Anything?
Will Ben Bernanke ride to the rescue? And how?
In recent months the Federal Reserve Chairman has given the impression that he and the other policy members on the Fed’s board have no plans to launch any new stimulus efforts. But the question now is whether the market gyrations, including a 600 point drop in the Dow Jones industrial …
Too Cute to Fail: Grandparents Bailing Out Their Grandchildren
When times get tough, big banks and auto companies have the government to bail them out. Kids have their grandparents.
Where Are Wall Street’s Value Investors?
Updated: 3:40 p.m.
Notwithstanding the modest bounce-back on Tuesday morning, Monday’s precipitous stock market decline probably won’t be the last of the ongoing meltdown, Wall Street seems to be saying.
One big reason for …