The idea of becoming a gourmet chef and maybe even owning your own restaurant someday is one of those enduring fantasies that percolate through each generation. And today, with the popularity of starmaking competition shows like …
The Catch for a Half-Priced Luxury Rental? You Have to Fix the Place Up
Banks in Florida are having a hard time selling the many abandoned luxury properties now in their possession due to foreclosure. To get the homes in better shape in order to attract buyers, the properties are being rented out for …
Why Do Investment Results Differ Dramatically By Race?
The Pew Research Center made a big splash this week with a new report highlighting the wealth disparity between Americans – specifically between white, black, Hispanic and Asian households. (For an overview of Pew’s …
Are Luxury Condos Back?
Why is Obama Opposed to a Short-Term Debt Deal? Politics
As the tortuous debt ceiling debate continues, with plot twists that even the most diehard political junkies are having a hard time keeping straight, one aspect continues to bedevil the process: the staunch refusal of both …
Oh, the Irony! To Get a Job, You Must Already Have a Job
Last summer, a few disturbing job ads surfaced requiring that candidates “must be currently employed” to be considered for the openings. Nowadays, the practice of hiring only those who already have jobs is commonplace.
Could a Debt Deal Lead to a Credit Crisis?
The biggest fear in Washington right now is that a standoff over the debt ceiling might lead to a swift U.S. default. But a growing chorus of economists and investors say they’re less worried about what happens on August 2 than what comes after. After all, politicians are bound to reach a compromise on the debt ceiling at some point, …
Stupid Airfare Tricks: Taxes Go Away, But Fares Stay the Same
A deadlocked Congress refuses to advance legislation and government functions grind to a halt. Sound familiar? Actually, this isn’t the debt ceiling debate. It’s a dispute that’s put the Federal Aviation Administration in an …
Great Recession Drives Financial Wedge Between Whites, Minorities
It’s no secret that the Great Recession has shattered the financial dreams of millions of Americans. It’s not just the 9.2% of Americans who are unemployed, or the 18.2% who are underemployed (that number includes part-time …
Get Ready for Cheaper Prices on Popular Drugs
The patents for 7 of the 20 best-selling drugs are set to expire over the next couple of years, and once that happens, manufacturers will be free to make and sell cheaper generic versions of the meds. Considering that an …
Housing Double Dip: Is it Over?
One of the oddities of the rebound from the recent recession is how much housing has lagged the rest of the recovery, and with the economy growing so slow that is somewhat of an achievement. While the economy has continued to limp along, housing has backtracked. After rising in 2009, with the help of tax incentives, real estate prices …
The Reason You’re in Love With Material Possessions? Loneliness
People are supposed to love other people (and perhaps, pets and local sports franchises). So why is it that consumers are prone to borderline-romantic infatuations with stuff ranging from cars to computers, and even guns? Why do …