“Any mother would rather have a line of the worst scribble from her son or daughter than any fancy greeting card.”
Homebuyer Tax Credit Cost Rises to $16 Billion
There’s updated data on the cost to taxpayers of the Homebuyer Tax Credit, which expired at the end of April. The U.S. Treasury reports that through March 27 some 2.2 million people had filed for the credit and the cost to the Treasury was nearly $16 billion. That’s up from 1.8 million filers through late February at a cost to Treasury …
It’s a Deal: Admission to 10 Kids’ Movies for $5
With Cinemark’s Summer Movie Clubhouse, admission to 10 movies—older ones like Monsters vs. Aliens, Planet 51, and Kung Fu Panda, not new releases—is available for just $5 when you buy a package in advance. The $5 price is valid for both kids and adults at Cinemark theaters around the country, and it’s half the walk-up rate, which is …
What the Greek crisis means for you
The debt crisis in Greece is sadly becoming a human tragedy. Not only have people perished in protests against government austerity measures, but the entire population is likely looking ahead to a protracted period of reduced economic opportunity and welfare. That should be enough to make all of us care about what’s going on in …
Livin’ La Vida Groupon
Groupon, the group-buying site in which members get discounts on everything from bike tours to spa treatments so long as enough people sign up, has just selected a “Groupawn.” The ‘pawn will live for a year solely on merchandise, food, and services available through Groupon. And the prize for successfully “grouping on” for a full 365 …
It’s a Deal: Buy One Jos. A. Bank Suit, Get One Free, Plus a Bonus Blazer
Buy any suit at regular price at Jos. A. Bank and you’ll get a second suit of equal or lesser value for free. You’ll also get a sports coat or blazer free. The offer is available through May 11.
Amusing Phrase of the Day: ‘Expensive Urine’
You know, like as opposed to that cheap generic stuff.
8 Ways to Teach Kids about Money
Before scaring them with concepts like debit card overdrafts and bank foreclosure, you can start by taking them shopping and making them aware that advertising exists to try and part fools with their money.
Why Europe is still in meltdown
The hope after the European Union and the International Monetary Fund finalized a $146 billion bailout for heavily indebted Greece was that such a grand display of resolve would stop the contagion beginning to seize financial markets from rampaging through Europe, and from there, the rest of the world. Well, that hope now looks more like …
Why Jamie Dimon is Afraid of Elizabeth Warren
There are a lot of reasons to like the idea of a consumer financial protection agency. My colleagues Barbara Kiviat and Michael Grunwald have named the more substantive ones here, here and here. But I think I have stumbled across possibly the most telling data point yet on why the CFPA is a good idea: Jamie Dimon is scared of debating …
Stock Markets Caught in a Greek Tragedy
Shaken by the prospect that the Greece rescue package might not be enough, and worried about Euro contagion as new concerns arose over Spain, investors sent the Dow down more than 245 points on Tuesday. The decline was spread across every major sector; overall, 96% of stocks took a tumble. The Nasdaq took an even steeper drop, falling …
If More Businesses Operated Like Goldman Sachs
A funny take from Tom Tomorrow on the idea of selling of “a useless product that will probably blow up” in the faces of consumers who purchase it.