Say cheese! The formula of speedy service, customization, and high quality practiced by fast-casual restaurant leaders Chipotle and Panera Bread is already being widely applied to better burger chains and
Personal Finance
Season of Giving? Holiday Shopping Hits New Heights of Selfishness with ‘Self-Gifting’
Six in ten shoppers will hit the malls during the always-expanding holiday season and engage in what’s rapidly becoming a holiday tradition: self-gifting. We’ll reward ourselves with an average of around $140 in self-gifts this …
The Upside of an Awful Season: Cheaper Major League Baseball Tickets
A bad season for a pro sports franchise results in disappointed fans, empty seats in the ballpark, and lost revenues due to slumping merchandise sales and playoff games the team never gets to host. Team owners also try to avoid …
The Straight Dope: Is Lance Armstrong Memorabilia Worthless Now?
Lance Armstrong’s legacy as a seven-time Tour de France winner went up in smoke last week. So might have the investments of a cadre of collectors who specialize in autographs and other sports memorabilia like signed jerseys and …
Top New Cars of 2013
Cars are Americans’ most trusted servants. For 2013, automakers are making them more efficient, yes, but also smarter: Various new models can now read e-mail, find addresses, shuffle through music, park themselves, and even avoid …
$47 a Month? Why You’re Probably Paying Double the ‘Average’ Cell Phone Bill
A new report from the CTIA Wireless Association has it that the average monthly cell phone is $47.16. So how does it feel to be well above average?
When Keeping Up with the Joneses Means You’ll Save More Money
Wanna boost your savings account? Get a buddy to prod you along. According to a new study, higher interest rates have little or no effect on how much a person saves. But when a peer group is involved and participants monitor each …
Ultra-Cheap Cars Are Coming – Even to the U.S.
The average price of a new car has been climbing for years. Thanks to technological advances, better gas mileage, new features for comfort and safety, and higher production costs due to wage increases, inflation, and a host of …
Yet Again, Analysts Forecast Cheaper Gas Prices Ahead
Maybe the fourth or fifth time’s a charm? After rising through mid-summer, gas prices were forecast to fall in August. But the decrease basically never came. Next, predictions called for a drop in gas prices by late September. …
6 Ways Adding a Trusted Child to Your Bank Account Backfires
Outliving your child is a gut-wrenching experience. It’s even worse when you’ve put their name on your financial accounts and owe tax on what you “inherit.” Here are 6 reasons to leave your accounts in your own name and get a …
Holiday Promotions Months Before the Holiday? Sign Us Up!
House Flipping Is Hot Again
Buying a home with the intention of reselling it at a profit in the near future made a lot of sense in 2005, when home values appreciated 20% nationwide. A couple of years later, as the real estate market collapsed and millions …