A landmark 2010 Princeton University study showed that money really can buy happiness — up to a very specific point. The researchers (including Nobelist Daniel Kahneman) found that up to about $75,000, annual income closely …
The Top Ten Fastest-Growing Industries in America
Facing up to the Ethical Dilemmas in the Healthcare Debate
The U.S. has been evading the economic problems posed by healthcare, but the ethical dilemmas that will accompany rising costs are even more daunting.
Need a Mortgage? Better Hope Your Credit Record Is Almost Perfect
Credit requirements for home loans have remained very restrictive even as banks are offering credit cards and car loans to riskier borrowers. This has been pretty well-documented, but until now, nobody had actually crunched the …
The Crazy Way We Think About Taxes
Taxpayers like to say one thing and do another. They also have some interesting requests as the filing deadline hits. Here’s how crazy we are.
Keep Your Cool When Getting Feedback
No one likes to hear that they aren’t performing well. Yet, everyone can improve. Next time you receive constructive feedback, do these three things:
Should We Stop Referring to People as ‘Consumers’?
The term “consumers” is routinely used in place of “people” and “citizens.” While most people (consumers?) don’t notice or care much about the terms being used interchangeably, there are those who resent being labeled as …
Warren Buffett’s Cancer Raises Questions About Berkshire Succession
Warren Buffett revealed to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders in a letter yesterday that he has been diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer. Buffett assured shareholders that the condition was not “life threatening or even …
Prepaid Debit Cards: The Lesser of Two Evils?
“I’d take the $3.95 any day over the $35 overdrafting or for some other fees.”
This statement, from a focus group participant, neatly sums up America’s evolving attitude prepaid debit cards. We don’t like the fees, but we like banks even less — and trust providers of prepaid cards more than we trust mainstream banks, according to …
Inside Yesterday’s Stock Market Rally
The markets got back their mojo Tuesday, with the S&P 500 gaining 1.6%, the Nasdaq climbing 1.8%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping 1.5%. Apple, the stock that broke the market’s back in recent days, rocketed 5.1% …
Introducing the $60 Light Bulb
The Associated Press reports that the Phillips LED light bulb that won the government’s L Prize—a $10 million contest to replace the traditional incandescent bulb—will go on sale as of Earth Day with a full retail price of …
LinkedIn Will Outlive Facebook. Here’s Why
Facebook’s latest $1 billion acquisition smacks of a desperation that LinkedIn consistently manages to avoid.