Do government policies make it much easier to be a spender rather than a saver?
The most obvious upside to being a consumer this year was that you felt wanted, and you felt appreciated. In a bad year for business, retailers were very, very happy to have yours. You felt the love—though sure, they only “love” you for your money. It wouldn’t be the first time somebody was happy to [...]
Car dealerships are saying good riddance to 2009—which was a clunker of a year in more ways than one—by trying to get rid of as many vehicles as possible. As the year’s end approaches, there are tons of rebates available to car buyers, and sales managers are expected to be especially willing to negotiate in [...]
The Obama administration is looking very closely into the possibility of a program that would cover a big chunk of the cost to weatherize your home—meaning you’d save money right away on getting an energy audit and on projects like sealing windows and adding insulation, and you’d save down the line because those projects will [...]
You know what? That’s still nearly a thousand bucks more than you need to spend on a pair of pants—even a pretty nice pair of pants.
“If you give someone a free shopping certificate, they will spend it.”—Citigroup economist Steven Wieting, quoted in a WSJ story.
The Cash for Clunker clock is running out. The government incentive program officially expires on Monday, August 24, at 8 p.m., so this is the last weekend you can score up to $4,500 for turning in your old gas guzzler in exchange for a more fuel-efficient model.
For car owners with automobiles that fit the older-model-bad-gas-mileage profile, Cash for Clunkers is a good deal. That’s not to say it’s a good deal for just anyone trading in any old car.
We’ve collectively got cash on the brain. People want cash—and businesses want “cash” in the name of their companies. Preferably, the business name should start with the words “Cash for …” or, for those who favor numbers, “Cash 4 …”
The Cash for Clunkers program has worked all too well, burning quickly through the initial $1 billion allotted to consumers trading in old cars for more fuel-efficient models. Another $2 billion appears to have been approved for the program. But is this is a success for the economy? Or just for some car buyers who [...]
