All Economy
Time to sell? Best Buy founder quits board, explores sale.It's the latest news to hit the Minneapolis company facing a CEO scandal and聽increasing competition from online retailers, and it removes one obstacle for a possible private equity takeover.
Taco Bell menu items: Fast food chain goes upscaleTaco Bell menu items target the Chipotle crowd, with slightly more upscale fare complete with an endorsement from a celebrity chef. But despite the new Taco Bell menu items, the chain isn鈥檛 forgetting its loyal core customers 鈥� young adults on the prowl for a cheap late-night snack.
On a wing and a prayer: Cautious optimism as market reboundsBarring further unexpected bad news, even the cynical Reformed Broker believes the Dow's big rally yesterday can continue on today. Just don't let President Obama go on television before the closing bell.
In defense of Mr. MarketThe reason we want a collapse on Wall Street is that it鈥檚 only way for the economy to get back on its feet. If the feds would just leave well enough alone Mr. Market would have handled the whole thing. And we鈥檇 be out of this Great Correction by now.
FocusHave consumer boycotts gone too far?Activists can wield power by targeting corporate sponsors of groups they don't like. But one group warns that such boycotts harm commerce and discourage companies and workers from getting involved in politics.聽
Speedo firing appeal: Should 'swimsuit cop' get job back?Speedo firing appeal features a Utah policeman who lost his job after he flaunted a green swimsuit at a school skit. Even if he wins the Speedo firing appeal and gets reinstated, Provo schools won't ask him back.聽
Why we have to end the Bush tax cuts and raise taxes on the richAmerica has a huge budget deficit hanging over our heads. If the rich don鈥檛 pay their fair share, the rest of us have to pay higher taxes 鈥� or do without vital public services like Medicare, Medicaid, Pell grants, food stamps, child nutrition, federal aid to education, and more.
US stocks: Rally unlikely to last. Buy gold?US stocks rising on 'hopes and prayers,' analysts says. If economic weakness continues, rally in US stocks likely to last hours or days, not months.
LinkedIn, eHarmony: Data thieves leak passwordsLinkedIn, eHarmony say users' passwords were stolen and leaked onto the Internet. LinkedIn, eHarmony didn't reveal extent of breach, but reports say more than 6 million passwords have been distributed online.
Efficient heater insulation puts dollars back in your pocketInsulating an inefficient hot water heater can cut the cost of running that heater by 5 percent to percent. Depending on the model, that can save you anywhere from $5 to $20 per year. It's not a lot at first, but all those bills eventually start to add up.
Happy Wednesday! Dow leaps 286 points, best day of the yearThe rally started early and gathered force in the afternoon. The charge turned the Dow positive for 2012 and erased the biggest loss of the year less than a week after it happened to close at 12,414..
Can you yell 'run' in a crowded bank?Many states have laws on the books prohibiting anyone from making disparaging comments about a particular bank鈥檚 financial condition. This talk is thought to be outside free speech because rumors can trigger a bank run, but a recent ruling has some banks worried.
Stocks jump in Europe and US on hopes of rescue for Spanish banksOn a day that Moody's downgraded the safety rating of six German banks over the eurozone debt crisis, major stock indexes that have been roiled by the crisis rose 2 percent on the Spanish rescue hopes.
Oil prices rise, drop, and rise again. Buckle up, Earth.Predicting global oil prices is not easy. Prices have more to do with global politics -- and supply and demand -- than with politicians, but voters take out their anger on the leaders they can reach.聽
If you live by the sword investors, remember you die by it, tooThe impressive luck of one hedge fund manager has The Reformed Broker reminding investors that the stated return should never be the focal point - it should always be a question of "how was this return produced."
Honda Fit EV gets record fuel-efficiency rating: 118 m.p.g.Honda Fit EV beats out other electrics, including the Mitsubishi i at 112 m.p.g. equivalent. EPA also gives 2013 Honda Fit EV a longer driving range than Ford Focus Electric and Nissan Leaf.
Long-term mortgage rates hit record low levels, survey showsThe聽Mortgage Bankers Association published this week the results of a survey that includes the purchase application index, which has been highlighted as particularly important for capturing the demand side of residential real estate.
Floating to Japan on a sea of bad debtThe Daily Reckoning's got nothing against Japan. But the Japanese economy has gone essentially nowhere in the last 22 years. And now, it has the largest pile of debt in the entire world. Who would want to emulate that?
In the age of super PACS, campaign dollars are becoming harder to traceBig corporations and Wall Street are also secretly funneling big bucks into front groups like the US Chamber of Commerce that will use the money to air anti-Obama ads, while keeping secret the identities of these firms.
Will central banks act? Markets say yes.Although the European Central Bank kept interest rates steady, stock and commodity markets were buoyed by optimism that central banks will provide stimulus to a weakening global economy.
