Each month the Government and private organizations release dozens of statistics that help market participants and policy makers judge the health of the economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistic’s monthly Employment Situation Report …
In the Wake of the Costa Concordia Tragedy, Cruise Prices Drop By 12%
As images of the sinking Costa Concordia filled newspapers and TV and computer screens all over the world in mid-January, it seemed inevitable that the disaster would cause become a disaster for the cruise industry as a whole. By …
Fender, Iconic Guitar-Maker, Aims to Rock Wall Street With IPO
Fender Musical Instruments, the most famous guitar manufacturer in American history, is planning to crank up the volume on its business by selling shares in an initial public offering. Fender, whose signature Stratocaster model …
Drug Prices Up — or Not? Either Way, Treatments Will Chew Up Retirement Savings
A report on rising drug prices set off alarms among retirement planners. Pharmaceutical companies dispute the findings. But either way retirees must plan on an ever increasing outlay for health care.
Bank Launches an Experiment in Credit-Card Democracy
What if financial services were more like American Idol, say, where you had the choice of different options and could vote for which ones sound best? It’s a weird idea, but one bank is in fact applying this model to a new credit card.
To Reduce Stage Fright, Prepare
Good preparation reduces performance anxiety. Next time you need to present to an audience, follow these three steps:
McDonald’s Dollar Menu Shakeup: No More Fries and Drinks for $1
Two staples on McDonald’s Dollar Menu—small fries and small drinks—will soon cost more than $1. Replacing them on the chain’s Dollar Menu are two items that might be considered extras, rather than core parts of the McDonald’s …
Most Towns Would Kill to Host Facebook. So Why Is Menlo Park Playing Hard to Get?
Attracted by the promise of jobs and tax revenue, most towns would offer significant economic incentives to attract a large corporate headquarters. But being the home base of a corporate giant like Facebook has its challenges …
Facebook and Zynga May Escape The Latest “Patent Troll” Suit
A new patent troll last week fired a shot at Facebook, Zynga and others with a lawsuit that claims rights to in-game payments—the process that lets players buy and sell virtual items within a video game. But one lawyer says the …
Why You Want the New iPad So Badly
For a certain breed of consumers, the arrival of Apple’s third-generation iPad is an occasion of monomaniacal focus and intense anticipation. Visions of how the shiny new gadget will revolutionize their lives fill their heads. …
Are High Gas Prices Boosting Online Shopping?
For years now, consumers have grown increasingly comfortable with the idea of doing a fair amount of their shopping online. Over the most recent winter holiday season, e-commerce revenues increased an impressive 15%, compared to …
Pandora’s Sour Tune: No Profit For a Year, Tumbling Stock
Streaming music service Pandora lost almost one-quarter of its stock market value Wednesday after telling investors that it doesn’t expect to make money for at least another year. Pandora’s struggles illustrate the difficulty …