Most of our friends are in similar financial situations to our own. The people we work and play with come from similar groups, and generally have similar incomes. But most of us have a few friends who seem to be loaded, while …
Consumers Finally Figure Out That Law School is Overrated
Not so long ago, enrolling in law school was an almost guaranteed ticket to a six-figure salary. But with horror stories circulating through the media about six-figure debt loads and no jobs for recent law school grads, many students are reconsidering.
What Would the Founding Fathers Say About the National Debt? Don’t Default
One of America’s favorite pastimes is to play the “what would the Founding Fathers say” game. Just pick an issue du jour, and ask the question. Given that today’s world (Google, Twitter, television) is probably way beyond …
What the U.S. Can Learn from Uniqlo
Rich country, rising unemployment, sluggish growth, big debts. Sound familiar? Japan’s notorious “lost decade,” the long stretch of economic stagnation that followed its massive property bubble in the late 1980s, looms large in the American mindset today. A lot of people think we may be headed down the same path.
The parallels between …
Economy Appears to Have Improved in June, Slightly
And you thought the economy was headed for a double dip.
On Friday, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported that its gauge of manufacturing activity rose in June to 55.3. That was slightly higher than economists expected. Stocks shot up on the news, capping off a week where the Dow Jones industrial average is up about 5%. A …
Young Men Most Likely to Blow Money, Wind Up in the ER Over Fourth of July
Fourth of July weekend is meant for celebrating liberty, and that often translates into people feeling free to splurge on parties, drink to excess, and play with fireworks. By one estimate, underage males are more than twice as …
It’s a Deal: 40% Off Everything at The Limited
Use the coupon code FIREWORKS to get 40% off your entire order at The Limited. The code is valid for discounts on purchases made by Saturday, July 2. Free shipping for orders of $100 or more.
Absurd or Brilliant? How to Save Money, and Even Make a Little, As You Shop
Whenever a store has a sale, it points out how much the shopper would “save” by purchasing the discounted merchandise. This is ridiculous, of course. If the item is something you wouldn’t have otherwise purchased, you’re …
Sallie Mae’s Misleading and Dangerous Press Release
Our old friend Sallie Mae is up to her old tricks again: trying to sell students on extremely dangerous variable rate private student loans with this press release, which touts “changes in the law and improvements in the economy that translate into student loans at among the best interest rates in the last five-year period.”
The Fed’s QE2 is Over: Are we better off?
Federal Reserve’s Ben Bernanke (Reuters)
At the end of the day, the Federal Reserve’s program to purchase $600 billion of medium term bonds, which has been dubbed QE2 – because it was the Fed’s second round of trying to lower interest rates by buying bonds, which in economic terms is called quantitative easing – did complete the task …
How a Weak Dollar is Boosting Domestic Travel
This week, I’ve been treated to a visceral experience of the upside of a downside. Driving with my family through the Tetons and Yellowstone National Park, I have sat behind endless lines of RVs and assorted SUVs depositing …
Geithner to Exit?
Timothy Geithner may take the second half of the summer off.
Bloomberg is reporting that the Treasury Secretary is considering leaving his post after the debt ceiling debate is resolved. The deadline for that is August 2nd. After that, the government can’t pay its bills. That puts Geithner out the door sometime in the next few weeks. …