Here’s some math on the costs of staying cool this summer: A decent window A/C unit costs roughly 14¢ an hour on your utility bill. A larger central-air system will cost you about 36¢ an hour to run. The energy needed to keep a …
Big Cable Isn’t Scared of Netflix, or That People Are Too Poor to Pay Monthly Bills
At an industry event this week, cable executives laughed off the idea of large-scale “cord cutting,” or that Netflix and Internet video could one day replace their businesses. They also justified high prices charged for cable …
Some Say Pay Off ‘Bad Debt’ First. But Why?
There’s a lot of personal finance advice in the blogosphere that I wish didn’t exist. And one of the most annoying pieces of advice is the constant yammering about “good debt” and “bad debt” and how that bad debt must be paid off first.
When Metaphors Attack!
We're wired to understand complex concepts by grounding them in simpler ones. It's often an effective way to get by in a complex world–but can lead us astray when it comes to our finances.
Big Blue Turns 100: IBM’s Anniversary is One to Celebrate
Today, IBM officially marks its 100th anniversary. But the company today bears remarkably little resemblance either to the sleepy Computer Tabulating Recording Corporation that was formed on June 16, 1911, or to the more iconic …
Who Cares What the Experts Say, We’re Buying a Jetta
Like a summer action movie that’s panned by critics but a blockbuster at the box office, the Volkswagen Jetta is experiencing fantastic sales despite receiving mostly bad reviews by car experts. The fact that the Jetta’s 2011 …
How I Did It: Dan Schawbel on Becoming a Personal Branding Expert
The founder of Millennial Branding talks about establishing his position as the personal branding guru for Gen-Y.
“Money leads to autonomy but it does not add to well-being or happiness.”
It’s a Deal: Up to 70% Upscale Kids Stuff at Land of Nod
During the Land of Nod’s Super Duper Summer Sale, child furniture, toys, bedding, rugs, and assorted other gear for kids and babies is being discounted by up to 70% off, though most items seem to be marked down more in the range of 20% to 40%.
Inflation Picks Up: Are Rising Consumer Prices Good for the Economy
Today’s report on inflation is sure to cause some long faces among economy worrywarts. It should instead draw smiles.
The Federal Reserve’s favorite measure of inflation showed that prices rose faster in May than they have in three years. Overall, the consumer price index indicated that U.S. households are spending 3.6% more to buy …
‘Breastaurants’ and 7 Other Hot Restaurant Trends
The next time you consider going out to eat, you may have to contend with temptations in the form of burgers so good that can’t be called fast food, special blink-and-you’ll-miss-them deals, drinks poured out of unusual …
Are For-Profit Colleges Targeting Low-Income Students?
A new report that shows low-income students enroll in for-profit schools at four times the rate of other students once again raises questions over whether for-profit colleges target the most vulnerable students in order to line …