Smartphones—and therefore, deals—are everywhere this holiday season. This means that shoppers should have an especially easy time getting the best price on gifts. Then again, it also means that retailers have an especially …
Black Friday 2011: By the Numbers
The most hype-filled shopping day of the year will soon be upon us. Here’s a roundup of alternately eye-opening, quirky, and confounding facts and figures about Black Friday 2011.
Are You Being Spied On While You Shop?
If you hit the mall on Black Friday, you could be under observation. Don’t look behind you, though; a signal emitted by your cell phone could be sending information to receivers that log your path from store to store. A pair of …
Poor Concentration: How Poverty Changes the Way You Think
One of the points I make in this week’s magazine story on American poverty is that being poor isn’t simply about not having enough income. Living on a slim financial margin often goes hand-in-hand with other destabilizing …
Pilgrims? Progress! Luxury Historic Homes for Sale in Plymouth, Mass.
It’s been nearly 400 years since the Mayflower landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts. As during the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated there, Plymouth remains the site of much abundance. We present a gallery of homes that prosperous …
Why China and Corporations are Alike
Why are the markets so schizophrenic? Bond spreads are rising, signaling rich country solvency fears. Yet stocks are up (except when political ineptitude like the failure of the super committee to reach a debt deal knocks them temporarily down). The mixed signals aren’t as strange as you might think — they reflect the large and …
Please, Stop Saying That Lending Standards Are Tight
The continued sluggishness of the residential real estate market is maddening and, very likely, holding back other sectors of the economy. We’d all like to find a solution, of course. But in our frustration, it seems, we have a …
Do Extended Black Friday Hours Actually Increase Sales?
Black Friday is a huge day for retail sales, so naturally, stores want to milk the sensation for all its worth. Every year, retailers try to make the day bigger than the last. This year, the decision makers at many national …
Takeout’s Attempted Takeover of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving has a long-standing tradition as the ultimate home-cooked holiday. But 14 million Americans are expected to dine out on Turkey Day, and another 16 million households will use ready-to-eat takeout foods for some or …
Was the Government Bailout of AIG Illegal?
Here’s what we have learned for sure during the past three years: No one likes bailouts. Not even, apparently, the people being bailed out.
In two lawsuits filed on Monday against the government and the Federal Reserve, a …
Survey: Americans Will Pull $185 Billion Out of Big Banks Next Year
A lot of Americans are ticked off at their banks, and a new survey puts some numbers to that sentiment. Consulting firm cg42 says big bank customers will collectively withdraw $185 billion in deposited funds in 2012, and a total …
Lawsuit Alleges Couple Was Arrested for Trying to Close A Bank Account
Dissatisfied customers or unruly protesters? That is the question. After being arrested in the wake of a protest at a New York City Citibank branch in October, Heather Carpenter and Julio Jose Jiminez-Artunduaga are now suing the city for false arrest.