The average car repair job costs $265 in one part of the country, $420 in another. But that’s nothing compared to the screwball state of affairs with health care expenses: A pelvic CT scan, for example, could cost anywhere …
Homeownership: Still Popular But Not Seen as a Smart Investment
Americans have long overindexed on the value they place on owning a home when compared with people in other western countries. That white picket fence in the age-old imagery of the American Dream? That stands for real estate.
Could China Be the Next Greece?
There’s a lot of finger wagging going on in the world about America’s profligate ways. And a lot of comparisons between the budget troubles of the U.S. and the horrors facing Greece. The West, the story goes, stupidly spent beyond its means while emerging markets wisely saved their pennies for rainy days like these. But the West isn’t …
New Reward Programs Coming to a Card Near You
Traditionally, banks have paid for reward programs with fees they earn elsewhere in their business. But the Credit CARD Act of 2009 and interchange and overdraft fee reform all cut into this revenue. The type of reward program …
“We want to gorge night after night on affordable Thai fare and to guzzle Merlot at wine bars seemingly more numerous than all the grapes in America, and then to drop hundreds of dollars on removing the dental stains and fleshly dimples that result. ”
It’s a Deal: Buy Two, Get One Free at Old Navy’s ‘Land of the Free’ Sale
Now through July 4 at Old Navy, when you buy two items you can get a third item of equal or lesser value for free. Valid for in-store purchases only, no coupon required.
Impulse Shopping: New! Improved! More Impulsive! With Facebook and Hulk Hogan!
Traditional TV shopping is so inefficient, what with the need to jot down phone numbers and call to order the product that just dazzled the viewer in a deep state of couch potato stupor. The process might take all of … a couple …
Man Throws Molotov Cocktail Through Window Over $5 Unpaid Debt
When I first saw the headline that a man had burned down someone’s house over a $5 debt, I assumed that it was a press release from Capital One honoring its employee of the month in the collections division. Nope.
When Billionaires Move
Alexander Rovt, a Ukrainian billionaire who made his money in fertilizer, just bought one of Manhattan’s most storied mansions off Central Park for some $30 million. As a result, he’s selling his “old” house — which he spent …
Fed Ticks Off Retailers With Debit Interchange Ruling
The Federal Reserve Board isn’t really known for being shocking, but banks and retailers were shocked — and fighting mad — when the agency delivered its verdict on the contentious battle over debit interchange fees, capping fees at 21 cents per swipe — roughly half of the 44 cents banks currently collect every time a consumer uses …
Credit Scores: Is 750 the New 680?
Buried in the housing data of the past few days (housing volume is down over the last month while prices are slightly up) was the most interesting release: the performance report of the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Federal Reserve Cuts Debit Fees Less Than Expected: A Defeat for Financial Reform?
The Federal Reserve decided to cut the amount banks could charge on debit card transactions in half. The Fed, which was required under the financial reform bill Dodd-Frank to set a limit for what banks could charge retailers to process debit card transactions, capped the so-called swipe fees at $0.21 to $0.24 – depending on the size of …