Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player

Category Archives: Economy

Tuesday Top 5: Factors That May Affect Your Job Search

Welcome to this week’s edition of our Tuesday Top 5, Econ4U’s weekly tips post to help you manage your money in five easy steps. In a down economy and with so many people looking for work, job seekers should take every precaution to avoid giving employers a reason not to hire them. Make sure your application [...]

Tuesday Top 5: Staying Afloat While Jobless

Welcome to this week’s edition of our Tuesday Top 5, Econ4U’s weekly tips post to help you manage your money in five easy steps. If you’re unemployed at the moment, we don’t have to tell you that the situation out there is pretty grim. But you’re not alone: The Senate passed a bill last week extending [...]

Tuesday Top 5: How Jobless Teens Can Stay Busy

Welcome to this week’s edition of our Tuesday Top 5, Econ4U’s weekly tips post to help you manage your money in five easy steps. As we’ve blogged before, this is a tough summer to be a teenager. There are very few job opportunities for unskilled workers this year, as evidenced by the 26.4 percent national unemployment [...]

Homeowners Gamble by Not Paying Their Mortgages

Last summer, we touched on whether refusing to pay your debt at some point becomes a moral issue. In this week’s New York Times, the topic proves timely still. The article follows the Pemberton family in St. Petersburg, Fla., who have stopped paying their mortgage so they can put their money to more fun use, such as trips [...]

The Economics of Chicken Wings

Kiplinger.com has compiled this fascinating infographic about the evolving economics of chicken wings. For decades, the larger and leaner chicken breast has ruled the roost in the poultry aisle, but 2010 marks the first year that the almighty wing is commanding the highest price due to rising demand. Consider this economics at work. Below, a [...]

Flat Irons and Baby Formula the New Markers for Inflation

Ever wonder what goes into determining the inflation rate? The U.K. Office for National Statistics recently announced a change to the list of goods that it uses to calculate the annual uptick in inflation for the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). It’s interesting to see what made the cut: flat irons, Blu-ray DVD players, and powdered [...]

The ‘January Effect’ Stock-Market Phenomenon

Seasoned investors are likely aware of the “January effect,” a trend of the stock market to rise in January as people who sold losing stocks in December (to claim a loss for tax purposes) reinvest that money. But did you know the month can also be an economic predictor for the rest of the year? [...]

“Automatic savings” programs take the pain out of setting money aside

Not long ago, I received an email from Wachovia Bank advertising a new program called Way2Save. It’s one example of the automatic savings programs now being offered by a range of different banks. Here’s how it works at Wachovia: We’ll transfer $1 from your Wachovia checking account to your Way2Save account when you make everyday [...]

Correlation is not Causation: George Washington Professors Need a Refresher Course in Statistics

Every night, around the time the sun sets, my local television station runs an evening news broadcast. It’s been this way my entire life – a setting sun means that the evening news will be coming on shortly. But what if we said this: Since the sun always sets at about the same time as [...]

Tax, Savings Incentives Abound for First-Time Homebuyers

If you’ve been judiciously saving up for your first home but didn’t make it in time for the $8,000 tax credit deadline on November 30, here’s an early Christmas present for you: The incentive has been extended through April 30, 2010. The terms of the tax credit have been expanded to include current homeowners who [...]