Personal finance from around the Web:
Commerce Department figures for fourth-quarter 2009 GDP may signal the end of the recession. [The Washington Post]
Unfortunately, other indicators suggest the recession may not be over... [Calculated Risk]
Amid the excitement accompanying the release of the iPad (check out how Apple's new tablet computer stacks up against the Kindle and netbooks), AT&T and Apple enable VoIP calls over the 3G network, a huge savings on domestic MORE
Tania Chen - Jan 29, 2010 5:08 PM ET
If you want your kids to learn how to balance a checkbook, understand credit-card fees and live within a budget, North Dakota could be the place for you.
Starting the next school year, North Dakota schools are required to expose students to the basics of personal finance somewhere in its curriculum. Passed last year, the law requiring these lessons reflects burgeoning national support for personal finance education in the wake of MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Jan 29, 2010 3:00 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
A debtor strikes back! Bill collectors complain that Craig Cunningham is a "credit terrorist," but the West Point grad has made $20,000 taking companies to court over their allegedly improper bill-collection practices. [Dallas Observer]
Too fat to fly: Poll results released by travel site skyscanner.net found that three-quarters of the 550 Brits surveyed are in favor of Air France's proposal to begin charging obese passengers for MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Jan 28, 2010 4:49 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
The new New England grocery list: milk, eggs, and a house? Supermarket chain Stop & Shop has announced plans to open Re/Max real estate offices in 15 Massachusetts locations. [Boston Herald] Pressed to boost their returns, public pension funds have started using leverage to increase performance. Critics say the strategy may be riskier than the funds believe. [The Wall Street Journal] The President will announce some middle MORE Beth Braverman - Jan 27, 2010 1:40 PM ET
As the real estate market continues to struggle toward recovery, a persistent increase in foreclosures remains a drag on home prices. But a new study from real estate Web site Zillow finds that in most markets, foreclosed homes and non-foreclosed homes constitute two entirely separate markets with foreclosed homes typically selling for at least 20% less than non-foreclosures.
The "foreclosure discount" is greatest in areas with the fewest foreclosures.
Beth Braverman - Jan 26, 2010 3:49 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Smaller waistlines, bigger discounts: Sparking controversy, Whole Foods is giving generous employee discounts to workers with low blood pressure, cholesterol levels and body mass indices. [Jezebel]
California's energy saving initiative has had unforeseen results: People aren't buying light bulbs that are more efficient; rather, they're reading under dimmer lighting. [Green Inc.]
How costly is medical school? It's so expensive, it's cheaper to take a trip into MORE
Ana Patricia Ferrey - Jan 26, 2010 1:19 PM ET
Bernanke's reconfirmation got a vote of confidence from Washington on Friday and the market on Monday. [The New York Times]
Monkey business could be the most profitable kind around. Lusha, a circus chimpanzee in Moscow, picked eight stocks from a list of thirty to determine the composition of a one-million-ruble portfolio. The result: Lusha's investments beat out 94% of Russia's mutual funds. [Wise Investing]
Class Crusader: On President Obama's agenda for Monday's MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Jan 25, 2010 12:25 PM ET
Having a hard timing landing a job? Here's one way to tell if the problem is more about you or where you live. Job search engine Juju.com has just published a Job Search Difficulty Index , which measures the challenge of finding employment in 50 major cities in the U.S., as well as in every state and the District of Columbia.
Donna Rosato - Jan 22, 2010 3:28 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Made a donation to Haitian relief efforts? You may be able to deduct it on your 2009 tax returns, thanks to swift action in Congress. If you haven't given yet, but want to, here's a list of top-rated charities and some pointers for smart giving. [Bucks, Charity Watch]
If you apply for a new credit card after February 22, the card company will base your approval MORE
Beth Braverman - Jan 22, 2010 12:17 PM ET
You probably know someone addicted to video games. After all, World of Warcraft has sucked away the lives of many a spouse or child. "What's the point?" you may have lamented. "It's not real! Your chain mail, that broadsword, those virtual maidens you flirt with...They're all just fiction!"
But now, a South Korean court has ruled that virtual money -- the onscreen gold that players use to buy their onscreen MORE
Joe Light - Jan 22, 2010 10:50 AM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Nosy about how your neighbors spend their dough? Bundle.com, a new personal finance site backed by Citigroup, Microsoft and Morningstar, analyzes your spending patterns (based on a simple quiz) and compares them to everyone in your backyard. [CNET]
If you're stressing about your student loan or your mortgage, it could be worse. Flexo at Consumerism Commentary outlines the five worst kinds of debt. [Consumerism Commentary]
YouTube isn't MORE
Ismat Sarah Mangla - Jan 21, 2010 5:59 PM ET
When Charles Schwab founded the brokerage that bears his name, he capitalized on the frustrations of investors sick of paying high commissions for stock tips they didn't need. That was surely an easier sell in a bull market. Nowadays -- especially after individuals got burned by two major crashes in one decade -- most of us don't want to tackle this investing thing completely on our own. Now, to borrow MORE
Lisa Gibbs - Jan 20, 2010 12:50 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Ever dreamed of farming your kids off to Baby Gap so you can fund their college tuition with modeling fees? You're not alone. Here's the how-to on breaking into the biz. [WalletPop]
132 rooms, 55,000 square feet, an underground bunker...and depreciating value? Find out what the White House is worth in today's economy. Hint: it's less than what it was a year ago. [Zillow]
If you didn't MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Jan 20, 2010 12:45 PM ET
Your 401(k) retirement plan is probably your single largest financial asset. But what is it costing you to invest? $100 a year? $1,000?
If you don't know, you're not alone. More than 80% of plan participants have no idea what their 401(k) charges, an AARP survey found.
That may be about to change.
Penelope Wang - Jan 19, 2010 3:06 PM ET
Personal finance from around the web:
Visualizing how much of your work time goes towards earning the money to repay your debts -- think your car loan or your home mortgage -- can be depressing. Nonetheless, here is a quick and entertaining way to do it (until you get to the depressing part). [Steadfast Finances]
In a reversal of fortune over the past few decades, married men are now better MORE
Ana Patricia Ferrey - Jan 19, 2010 12:55 PM ET
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