Americans seem to have a love/hate relationship with the penny. The purchasing power of a penny has become so irrelevant that most people will not bother to pick one up off the street. Yet despite the penny’s low value, most Americans will admit that they save pennies. There probably aren’t that many homes in America […]
Have Your Assets and Net Worth Increased Since 2005?
Have your assets and net worth increased since 2005? According to the Federal Reserve, if your assets and net worth have not increased, you probable have a balance sheet dominated by housing, are in a lower income group, a member of a minority and have a lower than average educational attainment. As seen in the […]
10 Colleges With Horrendously Low Graduation Rates
With the cost of college outside the reach of the average middle income family, more and more people are wondering if the cost of financing college is worth the investment. We have all heard the numerous horror stories about students who graduate from college only to wind up working at low or minimum wage jobs […]
Amazing Amazon Undercuts Walgreens Prices By 86%
I recently decided that it would be a great idea to buy a car charger for my iPhone . Although the battery in the iPhone usually lasts a full day with almost constant use, I typically find myself in the red zone when I am on the road and need the phone the most. Just […]
The Case For Gold
By Axel Merk In our previous white paper on gold, we discussed two key reasons investors typically cite as critical decision making factors supporting an investment in gold: as a form of protection against inflation and as a safe haven investment. We showed that current dynamics may support these investment theses over the foreseeable future: […]
Are Children Who Move Back In With Their Parents Losers?
It has been widely reported that an increasingly large number of children are moving back in with their parents, some after completing four expensive years of college. Pew Research conducted a recent study that examines the circumstances associated with the decision by many young people to move back in with their parents. If there’s supposed […]
Debt Settlement Firms Often Put Consumers In Worse Position
It seems so compelling – make a simple phone call and a debt settlement company will take it from there by negotiating down your debts and making you debt free in just a couple of years. Most consumers, at their own peril, never seem able to remember the maxim that “if it sounds too good […]
If You Shop At Wal-Mart, You Probably Live Paycheck To Paycheck
Wal-Mart recently announced an increase in both sales and profits for the second quarter. Earnings increased to $1.18, up 8% from the prior year’s quarter and total quarterly revenue increased 4.5% to $114.3 billion. Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) is the world’s largest retailer and its annual sales of almost $500 billion exceed the gross domestic product […]
Europe Sees The Light On CFL
Europe Bans 100W Light Bulb A European Union ban on the manufacture and import of 100 watt and frosted incandescent light bulbs, in use since the 19th Century, has come into force. The EU wants the bulbs to be replaced mainly by longer-lasting compact fluorescent lamps. The Energy Saving Trust says fluorescent lighting uses 80% […]