Bank of America and Chase have abandoned controversial fees that were under consideration. But now banks are quietly calculating which other fees can take their place
What We Can Learn from a Legendary Fund Manager’s Retirement
In the end, Bill Miller was doing what he had always done. But it stopped working, and now the legendary mutual fund manager is retiring. His inglorious departure from Legg Mason Value Trust offers a telling lesson in the perils …
Think Black Friday Has the Cheapest Prices? Think Again
The only rational explanations for lining up outside the mall before the sun rises and putting up with monster crowds to go shopping on Black Friday are: 1) You just love the crazed, festival-like atmosphere; and/or 2) you assume …
Plastic or Plastic? Canada is Saying Goodbye to Paper Money
Our neighbor to the north is switching to plastic. No, not credit and debit cards. Plastic cash.
America’s Poor: Why a New Measure Shows More People are Living in Poverty Than we Thought
In this week’s magazine story on poverty in the U.S., I briefly mention that the way we typically count the poor is far from ideal. The official U.S. poverty line dates back to the 1960s, when Mollie Orshansky, an economist at the Social Security Administration, came up with a measure based on how much money a family had to spend on …
Jennifer Lopez Drives Fiat on Stage: Most Brazen Product Placement Ever?
At the American Music Awards last night, Jennifer Lopez shed her clothes, strutted back and forth on stage in a nearly nude body suit, and simulated sex with the rapper Pitbull. But because the performance featured a Fiat 500 at center stage for no sensible reason, JLo probably won’t be remembered for being raunchy, but for being a sell-out.
How Health Care Reform Can Create Jobs — and Cut Costs
Nobody would be surprised to hear that spending more on healthcare will result in new jobs. But a new program announced by the Obama administration last week seeks to create new healthcare jobs and at the same time reduce …
Nine Jobs of the (Near) Future
We hear a lot about industries that are the most likely to grow in the coming years. But which professions — in particular, which high-paying ones — will most benefit from these trends? Here are nine specific careers that we …
6 Black Friday Secrets Those Deal Sites Won’t Tell You About
Three Reasons the Super Committee Can’t Possibly Succeed
They’re aiming too low, they’re fundamentally divided on matters of principle, and they have no muscle. In the end, it’s Congress that will have to tackle U.S. economic problems.
From Dumpster Diving to Running a $50 Million Company
Ryan Allis talks about how he went from sleeping in his office and dumpster diving to running a $50 million online-marketing-software business
Despite Europe, U.S. Economy Appears to be Gaining Steam
Welcome to the real economic recovery, perhaps. And it appears Europe won’t spoil the party.