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Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That's not the place to become discouraged.
Thomas Edison Categories
Tag Archives: economy
Once bullish, contrarian Jim Grant likes cash now
Jim Grant quotes obscure dead economists at length. He pines for an earlier time of gas lights and top hats when the dollar was convertible to gold. He wears bowties. Read More
It’s not your father’s muni market
It wasn’t long ago that municipal bond funds provided a reliable refuge from stock market volatility. Read More
Lower growth, higher oil prices coming
Economists are dialing back their expectations for U.S. economic growth this year. A survey from the National Association for Business Economics predicts GDP will grow 2.8 percent this year — down from the group’s February prediction that it would grow 3.3 percent. Read More
Women face extra obstacles to secure retirement
It took the collapse of her marriage to jolt Luanne Schmidt into action.
After years of taking a hands-off approach toward money, the 50-year-old nurse from Lannon, Wis., only recently took charge of her finances. Read More
A primer on small-cap stocks hitting record high
It’s challenging to get a handle on where the economy is headed. The stock market rises on promising corporate earnings one day, only to slide on disappointing jobs data the next. Still, records are being set. Read More
Gas prices are about more than just oil
When Jay Ricker, owner of the BP gas station off Interstate 70 in Plainfield, Ind., set the price of unleaded gasoline at $3.44 per gallon on Monday of last week, it was 4 cents higher than the Friday before.
That alone might have been irritating to drivers paying the highest gas prices in more than two years. It was even more so because it happened on a day when the price of crude oil, which is used to make gasoline, fell almost $1 a barrel. Read More
Home prices plummet in most big US cities
Home prices are hitting new depths in most major U.S. cities and are expected to fall further over the next six months. In a majority of metro areas tracked by Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller, prices have fallen to their lowest points since the housing bubble burst.
High unemployment, stricter lending rules and fears that prices will continue to fall are among the reasons why few people are buying homes. A rising number of foreclosures are also weighing down prices. And as more people get stuck in depreciating homes, housing could slow the economy. Read More
Nasdaq nears 10-year high; should you be nervous?
The Nasdaq finished within 25 points of its highest level in a decade Friday, February 18, reminding investors of a time many would rather forget: The bursting of the dot-com bubble.
Today, tech is hot again. Facebook — which hasn’t even gone public yet — is worth some $50 billion. Online content company Demand Media rose 33 percent on the day of its initial public offering last month. The Nasdaq composite index closed Friday at 2,834, still only a little more than half its all-time closing high of 5,049 in March 2000. But the index of mostly tech stocks is up 26 percent over the past 12 months. Read More
Average 401k balances reach 10-year high
Most 401(k) accountholders continue to plug away at setting aside a portion of their pay. That consistency, along with a rising stock market helped push balances in plans managed by Fidelity Investment to a 10-year high, the retirement plan provider said Wednesday, February 23.
An analysis based on 11 million accounts showed the average balance rose to $71,500 at the end of December. Read More
Former restaurant goers learn to love their ovens
Eating at home may be one of the few behavioral changes from the recession that stick. Forced to eat more meals at home when money was tight, people learned new habits. Some discovered they enjoy cooking and dining in. As the economy improves and families have more spending money, they’re still saving restaurants for special occasions. Read More
State of US personal finance: How are we doing?
Just as President Barack Obama took a reassuring tone in the State of the Union address, there are reasons for optimism when it comes to our personal finances.
The stock market has come back, companies are starting to hire again and economists are increasingly upbeat about the future. But unemployment remains stuck at more than 9 percent, home prices are falling and the pace of foreclosures is accelerating. Read More
REIT outlook: reeling in real estate expectations
Real estate investors are getting mixed signals. Problems in the housing market persist, but real estate investment trusts have offered investors nearly 30 percent returns in each of the past two years. Could they do it for a third?
REITs offer an easy way to invest in commercial real estate, such as companies that own apartment buildings, shopping centers or office parks. REITs trade like stocks, but by law, they must pay out 90 percent of their taxable income to shareholders as dividends. Read More
