States are still grappling with the recession‘s fallout on their budgets, and it’s driving some to drink. Last week, New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law that lets microdistillers sell their wares at farmer’s …
Personal Finance
The Booming Business of “Divorce Parties”
Feather boas, sashes, tiaras… no, it’s not a beauty pageant. It’s not even a bachelorette party, although between the giddiness and the flowing Champagne, that would be an easy mistake to make. Party planners and manufacturers …
Nantucket Project: Small Island, Big Ideas for Fixing Our Economic Future
Prominent thinkers at this year’s Nantucket Project worried about flagging innovation and corruption in government. But they’re also developing technology that lets kids teach themselves to read and entrepreneurs to move …
Cars for Comic Book Geeks? Curious Auto-Selling Strategies from Kia, Toyota
It’s unlikely that Batman or Bruce Wayne would ever be seen driving a Kia. The practical, commuter brand just wouldn’t be rugged (or bulletproof) enough to suit Batman’s crime-fighting activities, and Kia’s reputation for …
Is the Stigma of Ditching Your Underwater Mortgage Fading?
A good five years after the subprime mortgage crisis and housing bubble collapse, more Americans are deciding that it’s okay to just walk away. In a new survey, roughly a third of respondents said it was socially acceptable
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When Did We Start Counting Down the Days Until Black Friday?
Only 42 days left until … the day you buy gifts that you’re supposed to hand out several weeks later. Black Friday used to serve as an unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season. The big day full of sales was a reminder …
7 Steps to a Higher Credit Limit
As the holiday marketing machine cranks into gear, more of us will start contemplating the upcoming season’s spending — and our credit limits. Credit card issuers have relaxed their lending policies, says CardRatings.com …
Why College May Be Totally Free Within 10 Years
Higher education is in transition and with a coming proliferation in online courses could be totally free for many within a decade. The status quo won’t yield easily. But this is looking like a real answer to runaway student debt.
Must-See Consumerism TV: New Shows for Obsessions About Saving and Spending
Two new TV shows debut the week of October 15. While both are focused on extreme consumer lifestyles, the groups of people featured couldn’t be more different.
Cheapskates and shopping addicts are the newest reality TV …
Waiting for Hours to Buy Stuff Is Totally Illogical – But We Love It!
According to the experts, the best explanation for why consumers wait in line just so that they can hand over money for the newest iPhone or a Black Friday doorbuster deal is that … it’s fun?
Salad Restaurant Chains Sprouting Up Even in the ‘Fat Belt’
Once, there were plenty of skeptics who thought that salad couldn’t be the main draw at American restaurants. After all, salad is generally listed as a mere appetizer on menus, and it’s an appetizer that many diners order because …
Retirement Saving: Working Longer May Be False Hope
Life is full of trade-offs, and boomers have made their share. One big one coming home to roost now: A generation that avoided saving in the face of a crumbling pension system has resolved to work longer instead. But things may not be that simple.