Yesterday U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke was in Beijing meeting with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in China. He reiterated longstanding U.S. complaints about doing business in China: that China’s government isn’t doing enough to expand domestic demand and foster Chinese innovation. Foreign investors in China, said Locke, give up …
Fast Food Fight: The Battle for ‘Better Burger’ Supremacy
Is $6 too much for a fast food burger? Judging by how many quickly-served, higher-quality burgers are hitting the market lately selling for $5, $6, and up—strictly for the sandwich, not a whole meal—diners seem to be game for …
Nasty Cashier? Indifferent Waitress? Here’s Why You Should Complain
If you find that you're treated rudely when you patronize a store or other business, don't take it personally: A new study finds that one-third of consumers say they experience disrespectful treatment once a month. This uncivil …
A New ‘Poor Students Need Not Apply’ Policy at College?
The retailer’s favorite customer isn’t the bargain hunter who purchases goods on sale, but the shopper who happily pays full price. Same goes for colleges nowadays. Many American universities admit that they are actively trying …
Historical Thousand Island Homes
Before Palm Beach, Sun Valley and Aspen became the playgrounds of wealthy there were the Thousand Islands.
The Twist in the Fed’s Stimulus Plan: Banks
I have long been amazed how often people argue that low-interest rates don’t help the economy. And to be honest I once wandered over to the monetary dark side and wrote a post wondering, because of the confidence issue, whether keeping rates low for such a long period of time was helping the economy. But I have tried to repent since. …
Debt Tsunamis, Debt Snowballs, and Why the Conventional Wisdom About Defeating Debt is Wrong
When you’re in debt, one of the toughest problems is knowing where to start. It’s not that you have just one debt. You have several. Or dozens. Which debt should you pay off first?
Viewers Turn Off the TV … And TV Ad Prices Go Up?
For the first time in two decades, the number of U.S. households with at least one TV has declined. So why would the rates charged to TV advertisers be rising?
Apotheker Out: Another Hewlett-Packard CEO Is Gone
Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Apotheker may be ousted by the company’s board of directors after less than a year on the job and may be replaced – at least on an interim basis — by ex eBay CEO Meg Whitman, according to Bloomberg News
Ignore Housing Starts. The Real Story Is Existing Home Sales — and It’s Good News
Housing starts just hit their lowest level in three months. As observers of the real estate market, should we be worried?
Gambling Site Full Tilt Poker Alleged to Be a Ponzi Scheme
It’s easy to lose money by gambling. And it’s really easy to lose money by gambling when the house is basically using a stacked deck, and never plans on paying out all the winnings. According to attorneys who filed a civil suit …
“I’m a real believer in the power of free markets. But free markets need rules. If those rules aren’t sensible or if they go unenforced, then markets don’t work well.”