Economy and Business
‘Tis the Season to Shop at Tiffany’s
The economy is expanding, the unemployment rate is down, and consumers are spending again. The National Retail Federation expects holiday season sales to be up 3.8 percent over 2010, and other organizations predict increases of 3.5 percent to 4 percent. It all sounds like it’s shaping up to be a happy holiday season for America’s retailers.
Chained COLAs and the Battle over Social Security
Like something out of a bad movie, the failed congressional supercommittee plotted to use “chained COLAs” to cut future Social Security benefits for America’s retired workers.
Too Many American Children Live in Poverty
The Census Bureau recently delivered some disturbing news about how the Great Recession and its aftermath are affecting the most vulnerable among us — America’s school children.
Move Your Money to a Better Bank
During a key scene in the classic holiday film It’s A Wonderful Life, savings-and-loan proprietor George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, memorably explains to the townspeople how his business works – that he’s not sitting on piles of money just because he runs a small, local bank.
At Peace with Christmas
It’s now officially too late to do your Christmas shopping early.
The 10 Greediest Americans of 2011
You don’t have to make millions to rate as an all-star greedster. You do have to be ruthless, self-absorbed, and insensitive to others. Here’s my top 10 greediest of 2011.
Wealth is the Gift that Keeps on Giving
The holiday season exerts a lot of pressure to spend what you don’t have and go deeper into debt in the name of “giving.” This year, let us all support each other to be financially responsible and engage in building wealth instead of destroying it.
The Other 99 Percent: How the U.S. Compares
Occupy movements have now sprung up in at least 20 countries, and probably more. They all speak, in one way or another, for the other 99 percent. But the other 99 percent means different things in different places. In some countries, the other 99 percent are truly oppressed. In others, they manage reasonably well.
The Rich Don’t Need a Free Ride
Despite popular fascination with the rich and famous, most working people have little understanding of the finances of the wealthy. And the rich use that unfamiliarity to their advantage as they wield their outsized influence over public policy.
Hardly Working
Many people know that some 14 million Americans, officially about 9 percent of the nation’s work force, are unemployed. Another 12 million are under-employed. That means they’d like full-time work but can’t get it, or maybe they’re working two or three jobs without benefits in a desperate struggle to make ends meet.
