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S&P 500 poised to break losing streakThe S&P 500 is set to break a four-day streak of losses, as US stocks opened higher Wednesday. The S&P 500 losing streak is the index's longest since May.
Trimming tax breaks to cut rates is a lot harder than it looksIt's not impossible for pay for individual tax rate reductions by cutting tax expenditures. But it is very hard. Congress could fix that huge distribution problem by聽 raising tax rates on capital gains and dividends 鈥� but it is a very unpopular platform.
Free Slurpee Day: Celebrate 7-Eleven's birthday (on 7/11)Free Slurpee Day is at 7-Eleven from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., to celebrate the convenience store chain's 85 years in business. 7-Eleven is offering free 7.11-ounce slurpees while supplies last during today's Free Slurpee Day.
Flying with a child? How to avoid unfair fees.Flying with a child in your lap shouldn't cost extra, but all too often, it does. Here's how to sidestep the 'international lap child fee.'
Oil prices near $85 per barrel as supplies dwindleOil prices rose Tuesday as US supplies fell for the second straight week. Benchmark oil prices for August were up 92 cents to $84.83
Common dollars and sense: Eating less fast food does a body goodWhen it comes to fast food, it's just common sense. The average American spends $232 per month eating meals prepared outside the home. With 18.2 meals eaten outside the home in an average month, these meals outside the home costs a person $12.75.
Bad news bears: Small business owners鈥� pessimism bad for AmericaThe NFIB Small Business Optimism Index is down sharply this month. Entrepreneurs have been an essential part of every past recovery.聽 If they are not optimistic they are not going to hire more workers, buy inventory or increase spending.
Gas prices jump, with summer vacations in full swingGas prices have risen about 5 cents a gallon in the past week to $3.38 a gallon. Drivers shouldn't be surprised if prices continue to go up this month.
Stocks fall for a fourth day as tech profits slumpStocks dropped over one hundred points for the fourth straight day Tuesday, following a profit slump at technology companies and steep decline in oil prices. The bad news even outweighed hopeful developments in Europe.
Do Canada's non-Germanic speakers have higher unemployment?In European countries where multiple languages are spoken, regions dominated by Germanic language speakers often have lower unemployment rates than non-Germanic areas. This pattern is not seen in similarly multilingual Canada, however.
Read my lips: Obama not trying to spark 'class warfare'The media and regressive Republicans seem to want Americans to believe that President Obama is proposing a tax increase on wealthy Americans. But Robert Reich disagrees, saying in fact under the plan everyone is treated exactly the same.
On the margins: Calculating the 'total unemployment' rateThere are effectively two unemployment rates, one including all discouraged and underutilized labor, and one a more restricted grouping. The 鈥渢otal鈥� rate of unemployment should include both traditionally unemployed and underutilized workers.
Neiman Marcus, Target team up for designer holiday lineupNeiman Marcus is collaborating with discount retailer Target on clothing this holiday season, featuring products from Diane Von Furstenberg and Oscar de la Renta, among others. The Neiman Marcus team-up is just the latest in a long line of partnerships with high-end fashion labels for Target.
How behavioral science can improve tax policyTax policy is ultimately about changing the way people behave. And to do that, you need to understand more than just economics. It's not enough to limit the "tyranny of lawyers." Effective reform requires to cooperation of both lawyers and economists.
Small business owners' optimism slides in JuneSmall business owners optimism is being taxed by a lagging economy and an uncertain political climate. According to a recent survey, small business owners are hesitant to expand, scaling back plans to hire and buy equipment.
Obama plays it safe on taxes. Too bad.Obama had an opportunity to at聽 least tie an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts to tax reform and deficit reduction next year in his address to Congress yesterday. But instead of using his platform to demand such a linkage, Obama offered little more than a rehash of past, unproductive arguments.聽
Pull that plug: Watching TV is more expensive than many assumeEvery calculated how much money it costs your family to feed your television habit? If the answer is no, don't worry, our personal finance expert has done it for you. And his findings might surprise the average television fan.
Crowding into the Board Room: A new way to investThe newly-approved JOBS Act broadens the pool of people who can invest in small businesses and offers an exciting new avenue for raising money for start-ups, by harnessing the power of the crowdfunding movement.
Stocks slide ahead of corporate earnings seasonStocks closed lower on The Street ahead of US corporate earnings reports and the continued instability of markets across the pond. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 36 points to close at 12,736, the index's third straight day of losses.
Wealth and the aggression factor: What makes a successful mogul?Wealth and aggression have been anecdotally linked before in discussions about what makes a successful businessman. But a new article in New York Magazine attempts to bring a more scientific approach to the debate.
