Headlines were replete this week with talk of an imminent slowdown of the global economy. Combined with the pallid recovery of the United States and continued waves of debt crises in Europe, a lull in activity from Brazil to …
Economics & Policy
What Recovery? The Five Myths About the Economy
This is not your father’s recovery. It might not even be a recovery at all. For more, read this week’s cover story by TIME’s assistant managing editor Rana Foroohar on the state of the economy.
How Can Americans Get China To Do What They Want? For Starters, Shut Up
As global markets go through another week of selling and anxiousness, a new record was set yesterday: the Chinese yuan – that much maligned, politically charged national currency – hit a record high against the U.S. dollar.
The Evolution of Keeping Up With the Joneses, as Seen in 17th Century German Villages
When was consumerism, in the modern sense, born? Researchers say it was at least a century before the Industrial Revolution brought cheap, mass-produced goods to the world. Hoarding, and the popularity of storage units, came a bit later.
Billion-Dollar Swipe Fee Battle Inches Toward Senate
Senator Jon Tester, the Montana Democrat who kicked off a flurry of lobbying from retailers and bankers when he sponsored legislation to delay the implementation of a reform on debit interchange or “swipe” fees, took to the Senate floor along with his co-sponsors today to present a proposal.
What Can You Do To Help Greece? Go There
It now appears that Greece will once again be bailed out of its financial morass. A year ago at this time, the world was roiled by the prospect of Greece defaulting on its considerable debts, and only the reluctant decision of …
The Case for Financial Procrastination
Who’s Hiring: Why the Job Market Slowdown Might Not be Temporary
The Shame of the Ratings Agencies: How Moody’s Blows It Again
If the economic news wasn’t bad enough after the release of yet another anemic jobs report, the highly influential global ratings agency Moody’s just announced that it was contemplating a downgrade of the U.S.’s credit rating.
On Launching Moneyland in the Luce Tradition
More than two years after the near-meltdown of the global financial system, “the economy” remains the story of our day.
Patriotic Consumer’s Dilemma: Hard to Afford, Or Even Find Truly American-Made Products
It takes a certain breed of patriotism to be willing to pay six times more for a product simply because it’s manufactured in the U.S.A., especially in today’s hard-times economy. But even if you are willing to pay a hefty premium …
Which Would You Prefer: $1 Million or a Hot Body?
Talk about a million-dollar body: In a new poll, nearly one-quarter (22%) of Americans say they would rather have their dream body for the rest of their lives than win $1 million in the lottery.