How’s this for an unorthodox economic indicator: Stores selling secondhand merchandise on the cheap are absolutely booming.
The Art of Cooking with Ingredients Most People Throw Out
Turns out the stuff that is normally thought of as useful only for the compost heap—broccoli stalks, watermelon rinds, potato peelings, leaves around peaches and tomatoes—is not only edible, but some chefs consider them among …
Does the Debt Ceiling Make Deficits Worse?
As the debt ceiling debate marches on, politicians are under more and more heat from bond investors and rating agencies to reach a deal that would avoid both a crippling default and a credit downgrade. The legal debt limit driving the deal has forced a conversation Washington has long managed to avoid, which, all in all, seems like a …
Top Chef Dreams: Are Cooking Schools a Rip-Off?
The idea of becoming a gourmet chef and maybe even owning your own restaurant someday is one of those enduring fantasies that percolate through each generation. And today, with the popularity of starmaking competition shows like …
The Catch for a Half-Priced Luxury Rental? You Have to Fix the Place Up
Banks in Florida are having a hard time selling the many abandoned luxury properties now in their possession due to foreclosure. To get the homes in better shape in order to attract buyers, the properties are being rented out for …
Why Do Investment Results Differ Dramatically By Race?
The Pew Research Center made a big splash this week with a new report highlighting the wealth disparity between Americans – specifically between white, black, Hispanic and Asian households. (For an overview of Pew’s …
Are Luxury Condos Back?
Why is Obama Opposed to a Short-Term Debt Deal? Politics
As the tortuous debt ceiling debate continues, with plot twists that even the most diehard political junkies are having a hard time keeping straight, one aspect continues to bedevil the process: the staunch refusal of both …
Oh, the Irony! To Get a Job, You Must Already Have a Job
Last summer, a few disturbing job ads surfaced requiring that candidates “must be currently employed” to be considered for the openings. Nowadays, the practice of hiring only those who already have jobs is commonplace.
Could a Debt Deal Lead to a Credit Crisis?
The biggest fear in Washington right now is that a standoff over the debt ceiling might lead to a swift U.S. default. But a growing chorus of economists and investors say they’re less worried about what happens on August 2 than what comes after. After all, politicians are bound to reach a compromise on the debt ceiling at some point, …
Stupid Airfare Tricks: Taxes Go Away, But Fares Stay the Same
A deadlocked Congress refuses to advance legislation and government functions grind to a halt. Sound familiar? Actually, this isn’t the debt ceiling debate. It’s a dispute that’s put the Federal Aviation Administration in an …
Great Recession Drives Financial Wedge Between Whites, Minorities
It’s no secret that the Great Recession has shattered the financial dreams of millions of Americans. It’s not just the 9.2% of Americans who are unemployed, or the 18.2% who are underemployed (that number includes part-time …