This past weekend’s monumental $52 billion shopping binge notwithstanding, that most American of retail institutions—the mall—hasn’t fared particularly well in recent times. Especially not when compared to their low-budget …
How the Lost Decade is a Boon for Your Portfolio
The lost decade has a silver lining: investors who accumulate shares during long market dry spells end up with twice as much money, new research shows.
The Big Mac Big Deal: LivingSocial’s Half-Priced McDonald’s Special
Tapping into the bargain-hunting mentality that resulted in an epic spending frenzy over the holiday weekend, fast food outlets are hoping that consumers have built up an appetite—for their food, of course, as well as more …
Lipitor Already Cheaper After Patent Expiration
Drug prices almost always fall after a manufacturer’s patent expires and generics hit the market. But with its blockbuster cholesterol-fighting drug Lipitor going off-patent this week, drug maker Pfizer has launched an all-out …
Student Loans: A Call for Creative Solutions
Universities raise tuition faster than the vast majority can afford. That leads to more government grants and government and private loans, which flow to universities. They then construct lovely new buildings, largely on the …
Prices for New Cars Are Cheaper. So Why Are Drivers Paying More?
Could new car prices mimic those of cell phones and other tech products—which get cheaper and cheaper with each passing day thanks to innovation and more efficient manufacturing techniques? On the surface, this looks to already …
American Dream Deferred: We Now Embrace More Modest, Personal Goals
The Tragic Death of the Temporary Tax Cut
I love the holidays in Washington. Christmas trees at the Capitol, carols at the National Cathedral–and another partisan catfight over taxes.
The Hottest Thing at the Supermarket: Generic Store-Brand Foods
Not long ago, supermarket house brand foods were easily detected by their lame packaging, if not the groans they elicited from kids forced to eat the cheap knock-off goods. Times have changed.
Europe’s Race to the Bottom: How Austerity Is Killing the Euro
Stock markets may have soared after central banks around the world, led by the Fed, got together in a rare coordinated action to provide more dollars to Europe’s strained financial sector. But we also got an indication of just …
Why The Latest Euro Bank Bailout is Bullish for America
The bottom-line truth about today’s Federal Reserve-led coordinated effort by six of the developed worlds’ central banks to ease the liquidity problems of European financial institutions is this: It doesn’t change anything. …
In the Market for a Used Car? Then Be Ready to Act Soon
After used-vehicle prices reached a 16-year high last June, values for used cars have dropped by an average of 10%. Prices for fuel-efficient used automobiles, which were especially in demand while gas prices soared, have dipped …