When Fed Chief Ben Bernanke said he would hold short-term interest rates near zero for at least two more years, the stock market, at least initially, whooped it up. In the middle of the party, though, millions of retirees …
Affluent Parents Won’t Give Kids Free Rides for College
A new study from Bank of America reports that 47% of Americans with more than $250,000 in assets won’t pick up the full cost of their kids’ college degrees.
Is This — Dare We Say It — A Bear Market?
Can China Help Prevent a U.S. Tailspin?
The market tumult in recent weeks has inspired some pretty dire readings of the U.S. economy’s future. With the country’s anemic growth prospects back in the spotlight after a jolting credit downgrade, the biggest concern now is that neither Washington nor the Federal Reserve has the ammunition to reverse what feels like a bottomless …
Here Come the (Sorta) Solar-Powered Cars
In terms of sustainability and environmental friendliness, hybrids and electric cars are good. But cars powered at least partly by the sun? That’s even better. Here are two steps in that direction.
Gas Prices Are Expected to Drop Big Time, But When?
Since May, the national average for a gallon of gas has dropped from $3.95 to the current price of $3.63. The experts predict that you’ll save even more the longer you wait to fill up. Crude oil prices have dropped sharply over …
Airline Tax Question No Longer Up in the Air
Here’s the final chapter in the FAA shutdown that led to airline taxes not being collected for a couple of weeks. Congress reinstated the agency’s authority on Aug. 5, but plenty of confusion remained surrounding taxes not levied or not collected during that period. Were travelers who purchased their ticket prior to the shutdown but flew …
Jonathan’s Card: The Starbucks ‘Get a Coffee, Give a Coffee’ Social Experiment
The “take a penny, leave a penny” concept works pretty well at diners and convenience stores. But what if, instead of pennies, the currency being shared was digital, and the payments were made by mobile phone? That’s what one …
Paying by Phone Is Riskier Than You Think
Technological advances and the proliferation of smartphones have given consumers an increasing number of ways to pay for goods and services using their mobile phone. Many of these options are similar to online bill paying, in …
Comcast’s Internet Essentials: $10-a-Month Service for Low-Income Families
If you live in an area served by Comcast and your kids receive free lunches at school through the National School Lunch Program, you may qualify for a new Internet service from Comcast, which costs just $9.95 a month.
Best Wedding Gift Ever: A House Via the FHA Bridal Registry
Little-known HUD program allows couples, graduates and expectant parents to amass cash gifts from friends and family into a down payment on an FHA mortgage.
Looking for Style? Fashion Blogger Says Head to Walmart
Twenty-five-year-old Los Angeles-based stylist Shauna Miller has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, CNN, Good Morning America, Glamour, PerezHilton.com, and a slew of other major media outlets.