Archive for the ‘economy’ Category

Wal-Mart CEO: Recession Has Changed Consumers for the Better

Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

Suggesting that retailers “are closer to working men and women… than any other industry,” Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott addressed the public once more in his farewell address after ten years at the helm of the retail megastore. Scott offered a candid take on the country’s current economy and where it’s ...

5 Reasons to Buy a Home Now

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

There’s a brief exchange I had a few years ago with a friend’s father that I’ll never forget. We were sitting outside a Washington DC lunch spot talking about what I was going to do when I got out of college when I asked Mark, who’s been a real estate ...

Recent Gas Price Hike Could Forecast the Future

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Gas prices rose for the sixth consecutive day Monday, putting the national average at $1.842 a gallon. It’s a figure that’s 3 full cents higher than Friday’s figures. Gas Comparisons Over the Last Year Despite the temporary jump in prices, gas is still selling for 39% of what it sold for last ...

Quick Exchange Rate Tip for Foreign Travelers

Monday, January 19th, 2009

If you’re financially stable enough to have trips to foreign countries planned in the coming months you might want to be keeping an eye on the foreign exchange rates. The value of the American dollar has been in steady decline for the past few years, and current figures put the ...

Are Republicans Risking Economic Collapse to Maintain Control?

Saturday, January 17th, 2009

Just months ago McCain was dogging Obama as non-partisan. Just weeks ago Republicans were stressing the need for both parties to work together in order to pull us out of our financial downward spiral. Seems they have short memories. The first jab came just minutes after the presidential oath was flubbed. ...

Struggling Retail Industry Causing Major Slips on Wall St.

Friday, January 16th, 2009

That optimistic stock report we brought you a couple weeks ago is now officially old news. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped for the sixth day in a row yesterday, with its 250 point loss pitting the Dow at its lowest point since December 1. The same can be said about ...

Tax Returns Get User-Friendly This Year

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

In light of the messy economic situation and the hardships our government is expecting Americans to endure in the coming months, the IRS has loosened its generally tight grip on the way it does business. Taxpayers should expect a little more leeway when it comes to paying their taxes, among ...

Wells-Fargo Takes Control of Wachovia

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

Wells-Fargo & Co. completed their $12.7 billion acquisition of Wachovia Corp. this past Friday. The California-based bank now heralds itself as “one of the strongest financial companies in the nation and America’s #1 small business leader” and can now lay claim to over $14 trillion in assets. The move puts Wells-Fargo ...

Must Read: Bailout Cheatsheet – The Trail of Tax Dollars

Monday, January 5th, 2009

CNNMoney.com has a great outline of where and when money has been allocated for this economic bailout we’re paying for in tax dollars. Check it out here. We’re beginning to wonder what the figures for Citigroup loan-loss backstops and Auto industry energy efficiency loans will look like when all’s said and ...

2009 Senior Savings Get a Boost from Congress

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Senior citizens across the country got good news in December when reports out of Washington stated that Congress suspended the law that requires those 70 ½ or older to withdraw funds from their retirement plans in 2009, even if they don’t need the money. Traditionally, senior citizens have had to ...