All Economy
With end of long strike at Caterpillar, a blow to US labor movementMachinists striking against Caterpillar since May 1 have voted to accept a new labor contract that calls for concessions on benefits and a virtual freeze on wages. It's not much to cheer for manufacturing workers, analysts say.
As Patriots (and pro sports) go solar, will fans follow?The New England Patriots are just the latest to turn to solar energy to power their vast complexes. From Boston to Los Angeles, teams are taking advantage of the falling price of solar panels. But for their fans, it's a bigger financial leap.聽
Apple stock makes it the most valuable company everApple stock propelled the company's value to $621 billion Monday, beating the record previously set by Microsoft. Apple stock has hit new highs recently due to buzz about the potential iPhone 5 and cheaper iPad.
College students: high in self-confidence but low in basic work skillsFor today's college students 鈥� facing a tough economy and diminishing prospects 鈥� the goal of education is earning power, according to a new national study. But employers say some college graduates are not well prepared for the world of work.
Housing prices: How much house can you afford?Housing prices are low right now, and it's a good time to buy. But just because you can afford current housing prices doesn't mean you necessarily should.
Small business revenues are the most important predictions you can makeWhen starting up a business, too many entrepreneurs are overly optimistic about how much money they'll make. Here's how to avoid the trap of bad revenue forecasting.
Mitt Romney's 13 percent tax rate is shamefulMitt Romney boasts that he's paid at least 13 percent of his taxes every year. Is that supposed to be a defense?
Facebook stock: the biggest Ponzi scheme in history?Facebook stock had a meteoric rise and quick collapse that reeks of a scam. But is Facebook stock a Ponzi scheme? Not quite.
It's all in the neighborhoodYou may think that you need to live in the "best" neighborhoods, but if you make a list of what you really need from an area, you might be surprised at how many communities, many of them with lower pricing, actually fit your minimum requirements.
Faux populism, and a renewed appeal to the 'hardworking taxpayer'Paul Ryan has been making a lot of speeches lately extolling the value of small government and lower taxes. But small government under the influence of big money would still be dominated by the interests of high rollers such as Sheldon Anderson and the Koch brothers.
Bloggers riff on similariites between the music, investment 'biz'Musicians and investment professionals have a lot in common. But, our resident investment expert claims, to say the best investors, like the best musicians, made it to the top through luck is wrong. Try telling Led Zeppelin they were just lucky, and see what happens.聽
Layoffs, pay cuts. Troubled firm? No. 'The Tonight Show.''The Tonight Show' is laying off at least 20 workers in major budget restructuring. Host Jay Leno, other staffers accept pay cuts to avoid more layoffs.聽
GM reorganization aimed at eliminating 'fiefdoms'GM reorganization needed to bring the automaker in the 21st century, CEO Akerson tells employees. GM reorganization means streamlining the management.
Cooking as entrepreneurshipCooking, entrepreneurship theory, and Austrian economics have a lot more in common than many people might believe. In honor of the late, great Julia Child, the Circle Bastiat's contributors have written a piece combining the three.
Will Romney's veep choice help focus the rhetoric on 'big issues?'There has been a lot of (hopeful) talk in the past week that Romney's choice of Paul Ryan, a so-called "thinker" in the Republican party, will lead to more substantive debate. But Robert Reich thinks聽Romney鈥檚 choice won鈥檛 usher in a 鈥渞eal debate鈥� about much of anything.
Chinese city offers hybrid subsidy to boost salesNew-car buyers in China are very price-sensitive, this attitude has caused hybrid sales to stagnate in the country, due to the high sticker price. The city of聽Guangzhou is now offering price subsidies to try to boost sales of the cars.
Don't have a payment? You should rent, too.Down payments are part of the home buying process. But if you don't have the cash in hand, you may be required to buy private mortgage insurance. That expense is going to add up. You might actually be better off renting.
Stocks edge up: Apple hits record high; Facebook, record lowStocks on the S&P 500 index are close to a four-year high while a closely watched fear index briefly touches five-year low.
Oil prices hit three-month high. US eyes oil reserves.Oil prices jump to $96 a barrel, the highest level since May, on improved prospects for the economy. Obama administration says tapping strategic oil reserve is an option.
Have we survived the Facebook lockup expiration?While the Facebook IPO launch was less than the smash success no doubt CEO Mark Zuckerberg hoped it would be, the price of stock has sunk in such a way that it might actually be ready to start rising again.