Search results for economy
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Posted
Sep 24 2007, 11:01 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
The Fed's decision to lower short-term interest rates last week stimulated fear among some money managers that prices for consumer items could rise. Investors are watching carefully as the Fed tries to steer a course between inflation and recession.
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Posted
Oct 05 2007, 10:42 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Lots of experts are openly worrying about a slowdown in the U.S. economy . How would a recession affect you and your pocketbook? Blueprint for Financial Prosperity says most people probably wouldn't suffer. But just in case a recession causes you to become frugal-not-by-choice, AKA unemployed , now's the time to pump up your emergency fund. Blogger Young and Broke tells you how.
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Posted
Oct 12 2007, 07:27 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Hidden in my apartment is a slowly growing collection of small bills. I’ve been setting aside ones and fives toward the goal of having cash on hand for emergencies.
Some Smart Spending message board readers do this, too. Whether they call it pin money, bail money, “gittin’ out of town” money or just a collection of presidential quarters, having a little ready cash makes them feel, well, ready.
The U.S. government wants us to be ready. One of the Department of Homeland Security’s Web sites, www.ready.gov, recommends keeping some folding green on hand, right alongside the food, water and bucket toilet.
After all, some emergencies mean power failures -- bye-bye, ATMs.
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Posted
Oct 17 2007, 04:00 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
The new Consumer Price Index shows noticeable increases in the cost of food and energy. So why doesn't that necessarily mean we're experiencing inflation? Philip Brewer at Wise Bread explains the difference between the CPI and the "core" CPI (which doesn't include food and energy prices ), and why the core is a valuable tool in the Federal Reserve's efforts to predict inflation. The new core doesn't indicate inflation, Brewer writes. But the CPI contains sour news for us common folks: Rising food and energy prices cause our standard of living to decline.
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Posted
Oct 24 2007, 07:42 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
My Wealth Builder notes that Newsweek has reported on a new trend in American consumerism in an article called " The latte era grinds down ." "It's now cool to try to live within one's means," rejoices MWB, who doesn't bemoan the potential passing of the debt-riddled high life. Are Americans really downsizing their spending habits, going for affordable over ostentatious? "I'll know that frugal living is a major trend when mainstream media begins interviewing frugal bloggers more than bloggers who are in debt," MWB jokes.
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Posted
Oct 25 2007, 11:25 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Are you suddenly having to train others to do your job even though you're not getting new responsibilities? Are you no longer invited to meetings you used to attend, even though you don't have a scheduling conflict? These may be indications that you're no longer needed or wanted on the job. Flexo at Consumerism Commentary lists five signs that you are about to be kicked to the curb by your employer. If you're getting blamed for tiny problems or your co-workers are taking bets on your demise, it's probably time to start looking for a new job .
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Posted
Nov 05 2007, 02:57 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
JLP chimes in about news of casualties of the subprime mortgage debacle in a short but sweet post at AllFinancialMatters called "I don't understand severance pay." He notes the huge compensation of Stan O'Neal, the ousted CEO at Merrill Lynch ($161.5 million in restricted stock, options and retirement benefits) and Charles Prince, who quit as head of Citigroup Inc. (and "appears to be eligible to depart with cash and equity valued at roughly $31 million," said The Wall Street Journal). "When most people get fired from a job, they walk out with a box full of their stuff, not a nice monetary gift. Why is it not the same for a CEO?" JLP asks.
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Posted
Nov 06 2007, 06:41 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post is from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity . There's a ton of talk that we're moving toward a recession. That's right -- a recession. Isn't that horrible? Well, sort of, but what exactly is a recession? A recession, by definition, is when the gross domestic product declines for two or more consecutive quarters. It's a period of economic slowdown when companies earn less and pay less -- and life is generally a little less prosperous. How does that affect you? What should you do to prepare if a recession, specifically a prolonged recession, hits? It's quite simple: You should prepare for the possibility that you could lose your job. In a recession, companies often scale back operations as sales lag, and jobs are often one of the things to hit the chopping block. To prepare for this: Keep your ear to the ground and make sure the first you hear of your job loss isn’t when your boss calls you to the office to deliver the bad news. Pull back your spending and boost your
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Posted
Dec 10 2007, 01:56 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Who's to blame for the subprime-mortgage debacle? Personal-finance bloggers are casting a wide net, and home buyers who borrowed more than they can afford are not slipping through the holes. No Credit Needed doesn't own a home. It's provided by NCN's employer as part of a compensation package. From that detached perspective, NCN offers a clear-eyed examination of how so many people got into such severe debt. "What amazes me -- and what continues to frustrate me -- is that when I watch television reports about the mortgage mess, or when I read an article about the subprime situation, no one ever suggests that the underlying problem is that people are addicted to borrowing money," NCN writes. "Is it really surprising that we find ourselves in this situation?"
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Posted
Dec 14 2007, 01:29 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Jim at partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity recalls when the list price of a house was the minimum a seller could expect to get in his part of the country. Those days are gone, and he suspects now might be the time for buyers to get the best deals. The future is, of course, unknown, he writes, but "I think we're at the lowest possible point a seller can be and still keep their home on the market." Not so fast, said a number of readers who left comments about his post, beautifully demonstrating the educational give-and-take of blogging.
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