November 16, 2009 – 5:04 pm
With the holidays approaching, many Americans will find themselves on airplanes en route to family and friends. And with air travel come the constant frustrations of long lines and baggage fines.
Some of our elected representatives have decided to take a closer look at the now-ubiquitous baggage fines (or fees, depending on how you see it).
Congress [...]
October 30, 2009 – 10:15 am
In this day of high fashion, it seems almost quaint to speak of an inexpensive pair of faded Levi’s jeans. Indeed, for proof that jeans have moved far beyond their role as the outfit of the working man, check out this Wall Street Journal article on “The Rise of Power Jeans.”
As designer denim became every [...]
October 29, 2009 – 11:27 am
Imagine you’re standing on a street corner in New York City, hand raised to hail a cab. Two cabs pull up to vie for your business; a beat-up late 60s sub-compact with no air conditioning, and a brand new mid-size sedan, with working air conditioner and an electronic meter.
It’s not hard to pick which door [...]
October 27, 2009 – 10:15 am
The clothing company H&M has made a name for itself providing high-fashion clothing at prices that most people can afford. (BTW – I am not paid by H&M; this is what my wife has told me.)
On occasion, H&M enlists the services of an otherwise exclusive designer, to produce a line specifically for the store. The [...]
October 23, 2009 – 9:15 am
In case you missed them, here are a few of our most popular recent posts. Be sure to check out two of our new recurring themes, the Tuesday Top 5 and Famous Financial Flubs.
Why isn’t college LESS expensive during a recession?
Tuesday Top 5: How to Write a Will
Avoid the Freshman Financial Fifteen
Famous Financial Flubs: Pamela [...]
October 22, 2009 – 3:10 pm
In the news today is AT&T’s decision to sue a number of major producers of liquid crystal displays (LCDs). These ubiquitous displays are used in televisions, cell phones, and – most likely – the computer screen you’re using right now.
AT&T is alleging something called “price fixing” in the market to buy and sell these displays. [...]
October 21, 2009 – 4:11 pm
It has been difficult to pick up a newspaper the past week without seeing a story on the rising cost of college tuition; these articles from the LA Times and the Washington Post are representative.
College costs are in the news because of the College Board’s “Trends in College Pricing 2009” report, which I would encourage [...]
October 15, 2009 – 4:56 pm
The Nation’s Report Card, released yesterday by the National Assessment of Educational Programs (NAEP), found that fewer than 4 out of 10 U.S. fourth and eighth graders are proficient in mathematics.
The report, which is highly regarded by most lawmakers and educators and widely used to measure state and national education levels, found that mathematics [...]
September 22, 2009 – 4:55 pm
The nonprofit Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) just put out its 2009-10 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard, which ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia according to the job, education, wealth-building, and homeownership opportunities afforded to families.
Each state was assigned a letter grade based on their performance on 92 policy and outcome measures and [...]
August 18, 2009 – 4:26 pm
Today we hosted our first webinar: What is a Credit Default Swap Anyway? The Financial Crisis for Capitol Hill Staffers.
We had a great group for the presentation (check out the presentation here).
For those that were interested and unable to attend we will be hosting a make-up session on Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 10:30am.
Have a [...]
