You don’t have to look very hard to find proof that over the past five years Americans have evolved into a very pessimistic bunch. Far more of us think the country is headed in the wrong direction than think it’s on the right …
Billionaire Raider Carl Icahn: Just What Chesapeake Energy Needs?
The pugnacious activist investor wants the natural-gas giant to address its cash crunch and improve corporate governance.
Sandwich Generation: Old Story, New Problem
Boomers were the first to struggle en masse with both the financial needs of kids in college and retired parents outliving their nest egg. Now, the kids may be out of college—but moved back home. Meanwhile, mom or dad has not …
Why Doesn’t Apple Get More Respect In the Stock Market?
Let’s talk about that other technology stock, shall we? You remember. Apple.
Apple has a problem. The opposite of Facebook’s problem. It’s undervalued and likely to stay that way. That’s pretty surprising given that, even …
Book Review: What America’s Banana King Teaches Us About Capitalism
Americans puzzling over the role of today’s powerful corporations — Bain Capital, Goldman Sachs, Google — may profit from considering the example of the United Fruit Company.
It seems almost quaint to think that a …
Why Companies Can No Longer Afford to Ignore Their Social Responsibilities
In 1970, the economist and Nobel laureate Milton Friedman published an article in The New York Times Magazine titled, “The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits.” In the article, he referred to corporate …
For Start-Ups, Getting the Basics Right Isn’t Easy
Things like pricing and finding your market and niche are extremely important to the success of a new startup – but getting those basics right is a lot harder than you think.
L.A. Parents Pony Up For Kids’ V.I.P. Lounge Access at Sixth-Grade Dance
Most middle-school kids have better things to think about than whether or not they’re members of the 1%. But one Los Angeles charter school upped the ante on the usual social anxieties of its annual dance when it installed a …
Too Much to Drink? AAA’s ‘Tipsy Tow’ Offers Free Rides for You & Your Car This Weekend
To prevent drunk driving, AAA clubs around the country are offering free rides to folks who’ve celebrated too much to safely get behind the wheel over Memorial Day weekend. They’ll also tow your car home—again, free of charge. …
Scan This! Target Encourages Shoppers to Scan Items with Smartphones Nationwide
Some shoppers have felt the need to stealthily scan items in stores with their smartphones. They’d rather not be accused of “showrooming,” the practice in which one scopes out merchandise in a brick-and-mortar store, only to …
Hire for Passion, Not Just Talent
People are more creative when they feel passionate about their work. Whether they are driven by interest, enjoyment, satisfaction, or a sense of personal challenge, they are more likely to take risks, look for multiple solutions to a problem, and seek out the best one rather than the easiest. These are the people you want on your team. …
‘Self-Employment Assistance’: How We’re Helping Americans Help Themselves
In June of 2008, Adam Lowry and Michael Richardson found themselves unemployed. The tech startup where they worked in Portland, Vidoop, had just closed its doors, and employees were being offered company laptops in lieu of
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