When trying to simplify something, the first rule is: Don’t make it more confusing. And yet, while one of the main focuses of JCPenney’s radical retail overhaul is a simplification of pricing, shoppers seem more confused than …
Personal Finance
Big Data Knows What You’re Doing Right Now
“Big Brother is watching you.” That’s a line from the dystopian classic 1984, but it’s also far closer to reality than most Americans realize. No, there’s not some totalitarian government spy in a trench coat following you, but …
Why Smartphones Won’t Be Replacing Wallets Anytime Soon
For quite some time, we’ve heard that smartphones will replace wallets. Instead of using cash or plastic, the day will come, likely soon, when consumers will simply wave, tap, or swipe their phones for payment. While there are …
Lifetime Income Stream Key to Retirement Happiness
A new study in a land of grumps reveals that retirees with a guaranteed lifetime income stream can find true happiness.
Drivers Have Embraced Small Cars – Will Minicars Be Next?
Given the popularity of small SUVs and subcompacts like the Chevy Sonic, today’s drivers appear to be buying the idea that downsizing can equate to an upgraded ride. Now that smaller vehicles are viewed as acceptable—smart, …
Big-Box Shrinkage: Retailers Embrace Sales on a Smaller Scale
While the big-box retail model is far from dead, stores such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Cabela’s are realizing that the enormous, one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for all shoppers—nor all locations. To grow, many …
New Score Says You Have Better Credit, But Will It Get You a Mortgage?
The recession and its aftermath, including stubbornly high unemployment, did a number on Americans’ credit scores. The average person’s credit score is 655, according to Credit Karma. Unfortunately, the average credit score you’ll need to get a mortgage is 764, or 770 if you want to refinance. Into this gap, two companies have partnered …
Making Personal Finance Cool to Kids
Financial education has garnered new attention in the post-recession world. Now schools, non-profits and financial institutions are partnering to find ways to make personal finance cool to kids, all the way from kindergarten to …
Baby Boomers Like Discounts – Just Not the ‘Senior Discount’
The senior members of the Baby Boom generation are turning 65 at a clip of roughly 10,000 per day. Even so, the generation famous for being at the center of the “youth culture” of the ’60s, doesn’t particularly like to think of …
Driver Consensus: It’s Silly to Upgrade Cars Every Couple of Years
Today’s car buyers are in it for the long haul. Earlier this year, a report indicated that drivers could be expected to hang onto a new car for an average of six years after purchase, up from four years not long ago. According to …
401(k) Loan Defaults Soar, Stirring Call for Insurance
Billions of dollars are leaking out of 401(k) plans as workers lose their jobs and cannot repay loans from their plans. This has stirred some to call for insurance policies that would restore 401(k) money lost through loans that …
Wanna Tick Off Hotel Guests? Charge for Wi-Fi
Turns out hotel guests don’t like getting charged for something they can widely get for free outside the hotel. In the latest hotel-satisfaction survey, properties that charge for wi-fi received significantly lower ratings than …