Curious CapitalistEconomy & Policy
I wish there were a class called China 101 that every member of Congress had to attend. This would be the first lesson: if you really want the Chinese to do something, never pressure them about it in public. Loss of face is anathema in the Middle Kingdom. Which is why when the U.S. Senate passed a bill hinting at tariffs on Chinese …
There are reasons that layaway went away. As more Americans gained access to credit, most stores got rid of layaway plans, which allow customers to pay off big purchases over the course of a few weeks or months. Stores preferred …
Tom ran a public opinion survey a while back where some of the respondents were asked if they believed they could save 20% of their income. Only half said yes. But when the other respondents were asked if they thought they could …
Tech stocks are still being underestimated, even though they’re cheap and America remains the world’s technology leader.
With all of the ire Americans are directing toward big banks these days, a lot of people are talking about making a change. Protests like the Facebook-driven “Bank Transfer Day” urge consumers to pull up stakes and switch their …
How about just a jelly sandwich? A peanut shortage means that food manufacturers are paying roughly double what they paid for peanuts last year. In the coming weeks, that price increase is expected to be passed along to consumers …
If the recent Dexia bank collapse showed the fragility of the euro zone’s financial system, then the shocking collapse of Slovakia’s government on Tuesday shows the fragility of its political system. Slovakia’s parliament unexpectedly voted against a decision reached by euro zone leaders in July to expand the powers of its $1 …
Back in 2007, America was experiencing a mini-baby boom. The recession brought that to a quick halt. As early as 2008, the country saw a significant drop in birth rates. Baby booms and busts do tend to follow economic cycles. But …
After Bank of America and Citibank said they would charge for debit card use and raise fees and balance requirements, respectively, consumers went online to proclaim that they would change banks rather than pay. But talk is cheap (and switching banks can be a pain), so TIME Moneyland talked to Todd Sandler, head of product strategy at …
If you give away free flights, they will come. A South American airline and Japan’s tourism bureau are attracting the attention of the media, not to mention travelers, by giving away airline tickets by the planeload.
Could vitamins do more harm than good? Experts advise that if you eat well, vitamins are unnecessary, and therefore a waste of money. Now, a new study holds that death rates are higher for older women who take a daily vitamin …
With interest rates at historic low levels, an adequate retirement-income stream has become difficult or expensive to secure. Increasingly, baby boomers say they will count on rental income to fill gaps.
