Many of us become visibly nervous before engaging in career negotiations, especially if we’re asking for a raise. So how can we make sure we don’t psych ourselves out before asking our boss for more money?
By most conventional metrics, it appears the U.S. economy is improving: jobless claims are down, consumer confidence is up and the stock market appears stable. But if you find some of that economic data baffling or are just looking for reasons to feel good about the economy, maybe some different measurements are in order. Here are six unorthodox ways of judging how the economic recovery is doing.
Last year, Americans took more than 10 billion trips on mass transit. It was the second highest rate ever. Now, with gas prices even higher this year — plus signs that more Americans are re-entering the workforce — this year may prove to be the best on record for public transportation.
Buy a new car, and the odds are getting better and better that you’ll still have it when it’s an old car. Not long ago, after buying a car new, the average driver kept it for four years before selling it or trading it for another model. Today, though, the average “flip time” for hanging [...]
The average amount given to sweet, adorable children by the Tooth Fairy last year was a mere $2.10. That’s down 17% from the year before, representing one of the largest declines in spending for the tightwad sprite since 1998. What gives?
While experts continue to warn that housing has not yet hit bottom, a slew of indicators suggest otherwise. The latest is a stellar quarterly earnings report from Home Depot, which is benefitting from hopeful owners sprucing up for the spring selling season.
Shares with above-average yields and rising dividends may well offer the best returns in 2012.
Tensions in the U.S. between rich and poor are at a 20-year high, according to a new study from Pew Research. This conflict now tops the discord between blacks and whites, young and old, and immigrants and the native-born.
The U.S. economy showed increased signs of life Thursday as new data indicated that companies are hiring more workers and fewer people are filing for unemployment benefits. The positive signals are more evidence that the economy is continuing its slow but steady comeback from the worst recession in decades.
Here are five consumer items that will get cheaper and five that will get more expensive as the new year wears on
Day to day, the stock market may feel like a roller-coaster, but in fact the U.S. is experiencing stagnation with a very, very faint upward trend.
