It takes a certain breed of patriotism to be willing to pay six times more for a product simply because it’s manufactured in the U.S.A., especially in today’s hard-times economy. But even if you are willing to pay a hefty premium …
G8: Why Trade Fell Off the Global Agenda
So far, the G8 is all about getting a Marshall plan for the Arab world, a little juice for Japan, and a dose of sanity for Europe. But what ever happened to that global deal on trade?
It’s not like boosting trade isn’t on everyone’s minds. In a letter to the G8, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Tim …
Did Lobbying Cause the Financial Crisis?
The HBO docu-drama Too Big To Fail and the book by Adam Ross Sorkin by the same title are billed as the defining history of the financial crisis. But it may be time to rewrite history again.
Recently, there has been some griping about financial lobbying because it seems the big banks are attempting to roll back every regulatory change …
Which Would You Prefer: $1 Million or a Hot Body?
Talk about a million-dollar body: In a new poll, nearly one-quarter (22%) of Americans say they would rather have their dream body for the rest of their lives than win $1 million in the lottery.
It’s a Deal: Free Ice Cream This Saturday at Walmart
On Saturday, May 28, Walmart is hosting an ice cream social, in which participating stores are dishing out free samples of Edy’s ice cream with toppings to all customers.
Is the euro zone headed for an Arab Spring?
The title of this post may make some of you suspect that I’m smoking something. How can I think genteel Europe could see public upheaval massive enough to overthrow long-entrenched, democratic regimes, in the way Arab countries have witnessed popular movements upset the political order? Well, maybe the Europeans aren’t ready to storm …
The Tightwad’s Tablet: Finally, a Decent (and Cheaper!) Alternative to the iPad
Apple all but owns the tablet market: More than 80% of the tablets sold are iPads. Will it finally face some legit competition this summer?
Post-Recession Lingo: Need-to-Know Phrases for Today’s Consumers
Adding to the list of post-recession terms such as “unbanked” (individuals without checking or savings accounts), “anti-dowry” (student loan debt holding you back from getting married or buying a house), and “Groupon remorse” …
Protect Yourself Against Harmful Rip-offs
Just in time for summer, a nonprofit environmental watchdog group announces the 2011 Sunscreen Hall of Shame—and that only about one in five sunscreens passes muster for safety and efficacy.
New Tech Bubble? More Like Tech Nation
The eye-popping IPO for Yandex, a Russian search engine few Americans have ever heard of, which managed to raise $1.3 billion on the NASDAQ, is raising more questions about whether we’re in a new tech bubble. So are we? Probably, …
The World’s Worst Credit Cards
What’s in your wallet? Hopefully, not one of these credit cards.
Bailout Wonder: How the Government Turned a Profit on AIG
Remember the basket case that was AIG. The giant insurance company became known for everything that was wrong with Wall Street: unchecked risk-taking; complicated, unregulated derivatives; and, most importantly, huge, unearned bonuses.The cover of TIME carried the headline “AIG = WMD.” In order to save the company the government had to …