During the holidays, it’s expected that clothing, electronics, gift cards and, of course, toys will be hot sellers. But guns? I suppose many of them would fit nicely into a stocking. But still.
Digital Music Sales Finally Surpassed Physical Sales in 2011
Last year, for the first time in history, digital music sales exceeded physical sales, according to a newly released Nielsen/Billboard report cited by CNNMoney. In 2011, digital music sales climbed past physical sales to take a …
Look for Gas Prices to Hit $4 a Gallon by Summer, If Not Sooner
The priciest year ever for gasoline has just ended. In 2011, the average gallon sold for an all-time high of over $3.50, and the average household spent $4,155 gassing up their vehicles—also a record. And if you were hoping for …
TV Prices Just Keep Getting Cheaper and Cheaper
The TV was one of the hottest-selling purchases over the holiday season. That would seem like good news for TV manufacturers and retailers, right? Nope. The main reason TV sales were strong is cheap prices—prices so low that …
Welcome to the Paranormal Economy: Why One Investor Says the ‘New Normal’ Is Over
There have been a number of phrases that have grown out of our current economic malaise. The housing bust. Black Swans. The Mancession. Financial Contagion. The growth recession. QE2. But above all else the phrase that most …
The Loss of Upward Mobility in the U.S.
Economic mobility is becoming a more prominent issue in the 2012 Republican presidential race, and will likely be widely discussed in the general election. The GOP’s remaining top-tier candidates — Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, …
CFPB’s First Move with a Director in Place: Confront ‘Nonbanks’
One day after President Obama appointed Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over the objections of Senate Republicans, the bureau announced the launch of a new “nonbank supervision program.”
Strong Jobs Data Fuels Optimism for Economy, But Risks Remain
The U.S. economy showed increased signs of life Thursday as new data indicated that companies are hiring more workers and fewer people are filing for unemployment benefits. The positive signals are more evidence that the economy …
Why China’s Growth is Slowing
Economists have put forward a number of reasons why China has been slowing. Higher commodities prices and a fast growing economy are causing inflation. The government has moved to reign in China’s lending and credit bubble. Chinese housing prices have started to fall as vacancy rates have skyrocketed. The stock market has dropped. But …
Fewer Credit Cards Have Late-Payment Penalty Rates
The good news is that the number of credit card issuers who spike cardholders’ APRs if they miss a payment has fallen pretty significantly in only a year. But (there’s always a “but”) the flip side of that development is that …
The Cure for the Ailing Movie Business Is To … Raise Ticket Prices?
Last year was a bad one for the movie business, with the fewest tickets sold since 1995 and revenues that dropped 4.5% from the previous year. Analysts foresee a better year ahead in 2012, and what is it that’s expected to turn …
The Real Estate Market that Defies the Trends
The real estate market continues to flatline throughout most of the country. But in Washington, D.C., housing prices are up a smidgen (0.3%) from the previous month. More importantly, year-over-year prices have risen by 1.3%, a …