Last month, megabanks Wells Fargo and Chase both announced pilot programs in which they will charge some customers a $3 monthly fee to use their debit cards. Additional banks, including SunTrust and Regions, have followed suit with plans for similar fees. Cue outrage. “A lot of it goes back to the history. Debit cards were supposed to [...]
With millions of people down on their luck the past three years, older folks have filled big voids and provided real economic value through volunteerism. Now we’re going to slash their benefits?
Great stocks have been knocked down a lot even in the strongest European countries – so it’s time to start looking for opportunities.
For well over half a century, the American dream has typically centered on life in the suburbs. A move to the idyllic suburbs—picket fences, sidewalks, cul-de-sacs, the whole deal—has traditionally signified success, a move up the economic ladder. Lately, however, the ‘burbs host millions more residents living below the poverty level than do America’s “poor” [...]
Netflix’s recent troubles, which began with a a new pricing plan that raised rates by 60% on many subscribers and continued as members fled, the stock price tanked, and the company decided to split its business in two, has given new life to a competitor considered on its last breath, Blockbuster. The once ubiquitous movie-rental [...]
It doesn’t seem to make sense: The Fed just announced a plan to lower long-term interest rates and is aiming to keep short-term interest rates at historic lows through mid-2013. So what are we to make of the news that credit card APRs just hit a record high?
We’ve noted before that many decisions would be improved with even a short amount of deliberation and discussion with knowledgeable and disinterested friends. But some brand-new research suggests that doing so will save you even more money than we suspected.
Gas was supposed to be a heckuvalot cheaper by now. For all sorts of reasons, the dip never occurred. But it looks like the extended, long-awaited price break at the pump is upon us.
As tends to happen, yesterday’s dramatic stock market decline has put some investors on edge. The other day, I talked with my friend who is a financial planner, and he told me that after the market dropped by 15% in early August, he couldn’t keep certain clients from selling. They were scared to be caught [...]
In what’s become an annual autumn tradition, Smithsonian magazine is sponsoring a day of free admission to more than 1,000 museums around the country. This Saturday, September 24, is the big day when normal entrance fees are waived.
When the Federal Reserve issues a statement warning about “significant downside risk” to the global economy, you don’t have to be Warren Buffett to guess what happens next – stock prices are going to take a dive. And they did, big time.
