Forget gold futures. For many economists, small business lending is the safest gauge of the economic recovery’s strength. Too bad it’s headed in the wrong direction.
The 24 Most and Least Affordable Public Colleges
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education released a new web tool that lets users calculate the costs of getting a college degree. While much has been made of the highest and lowest tuition rates, you can also use the tool to …
Will America’s budget deficit bring an end to world peace?
Did you know that the U.S. still stations nearly 50,000 troops in Japan? That’s pretty amazing when you think about it. The war in the Pacific ended 66 years ago, and there hasn’t been a conflict in Northeast Asia since the Korean War of the early 1950s, but America still maintains a hefty military presence in the area. Another bunch …
Debt Ceiling: Could Ron Paul’s Plan Save Us From Disaster, twice?
Is Congressman Ron Paul our savior?
The Republican, and libertarian, who is running for President, again, in the past few days has been floating a plan that has the potential to end the debt ceiling standoff, for now, and eliminate the growing possibility that the U.S. government could have to default on its debt, which could cause …
Hello Corporate Profits, Goodbye Worker Pay
As another giddy corporate earnings season approaches, it’s worth keeping this in mind: Since World War II, there’s never been a worse recovery for jobs and worker pay. And never a better one for corporate profits.
Those are the findings of a new study out from Northeastern University, which looks at where U.S. national growth has …
“It’s that second paycheck that’s the real killer, demonstrably more deadly than the first.”
J.P. Morgan Chase Tight-Lipped About Credit Card Debt Lawsuit Dismissals
Mortgage lenders are under scrutiny for their foreclosure practices and record-keeping, including abuses like so-called “robosigning” and trying to foreclose on homes without proper documentation. Bank of America agreed to pay …
Is It Time to Start Stockpiling Bacon?
Pigging out is getting more expensive. Last fall, the retail price of bacon hit an all-time high of $4.77 a pound. Some are now forecasting that the B in BLT could soar to $6 a pound in the coming months, tragically coinciding …
It’s a Deal: JetBlue Flights from $32
During JetBlue’s latest sale, flights start at $32 one way between Long Beach and Las Vegas, while other routes start from $49 (Boston-Newark, Boston-Pittsburgh), $69 (Burlington-New York, Boston-Washington, D.C.), $114 (New York-New Orleans), and $129 (Long Beach-Anchorage). Tickets must be purchased by July 6, some advance purchase (7 …
One Really Bad Way to Overhaul the Student Loan Market
Jonathan Glater, a visiting assistant professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, and a former reporter at the New York Times, has published a paper called The Other Big Test: Why Congress Should Allow College …
Bank Branches Are Closing; People Using Nearby ATMs Don’t Notice
The typical town’s main drag seems to have a bank in every third or fourth storefront, often with branches from the same institution within a few blocks of each other. But do consumers really need banks to be as ubiquitous as …
9 Stocks That Will Thrive In Up and Down Markets
This simple portfolio with a dozen holdings offers steady income and low risk.