Online discount service Groupon continues to grow at a rapid clip, but the company is still losing money, posting a $42.7 million loss for the fourth quarter of 2011. Groupon shares fell over 15% in after-hours trading Wednesday …
The “App Economy” Estimated to Contribute Nearly Half a Million Jobs to the U.S.
Hard to believe, but it’s been less than five years since the launch of the iPhone. Prior to its explosion in popularity, an ‘application’ was a tool for finding a job, but ask anybody what an application is today, and the …
How Apple’s iPhone Actually Hurts AT&T, Verizon and Sprint
Apple’s iPhone is the hottest mobile device around — so hot in fact that the major mobile service providers are willing to sacrifice their own profit margins just to carry it. The big three providers, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and …
Dividend Stocks Are Hot, But They Aren’t Bonds
The search for retirement income in today’s low-yield environment inevitably comes back to dividend paying stocks. How could it not? Money market funds and short-term bank CDs pay about .5%; the 10-year Treasury bond pays only about 2%.
Disloyal Customers: Most Consumers Switched Service Providers in 2011
If you stayed the course last year and never switched banks, wireless companies, pay TV services, or any other providers, then you’re in the minority. And if you actually feel “very loyal” to your providers, then you’re part of …
JPMorgan Chase Agrees to Pay $110 Million in Overdraft Class-Action Lawsuit
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is one step closer to a possible settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought against a number of banks over their so-called transaction-ordering practices. “We’re pleased to have reached an agreement in …
How to Get the Government to Cover Your Cell Phone Bill(s)
Last year, a federal program paid out $1.6 billion to cover free cell phones and the monthly bills of 12.5 million wireless accounts. The program, overseen by the FCC and intended to help low-income Americans, is popular for …
Colleges Are Selling Naming Rights to Restroom Stalls
Imagine a restroom stall, or even an entire men’s room, on the campus of your alma mater being named in your honor. Well, for just a few thousand dollars, that ludicrous and mildly disgusting dream can now come true.
Why the Future Depends on Today’s Discouraged Workers
The economy, the stock market and even the November elections will largely be determined by a group of people who are almost invisible to forecasters.
Even Counterfeiters Are Trading Down These Days
Faux luxury goods have been a scourge of high-end manufacturers for years. Consumers who want the look but not the price tag of designer names like Gucci or Louis Vuitton would fork over a fraction of the price and get an …
How ‘Shadow Inventory’ Is Killing the Housing Market
Recently, there have been lots of positive signs coming out of the real estate market. Foreclosure rates are down, housing starts are up, and homes have appreciated in value in some markets for the first time since 2006. Even so, …
Apple Faces $1.6 Billion Legal Challenge Over iPad Name in China
Apple’s products have been a huge hit in China, but the company is facing an increasingly annoying headache there over the use of the iPad name for its wildly popular tablet computer. A Chinese company that says it owns the …