Consumerist
videos
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dow 10,000
WSJ 1999: "If This Is A Bubble, It Sure Is Hard To Pop"
I just found this awesome Wall Street Journal front page from 1999 covering the first time the Dow broke 10,000. It's full of unintentionally hilarious crap that gives keen insight into how we got into this economic catastrophe in the first place. Full-size inside. More » -
stocks
How To Financially Benefit From The Mistakes Of Others
Monevator dishes out some general advice on stock investing to keep in mind as the economy (hopefully) starts to turn around and investing no longer becomes a bottomless money pit. More » -
science says
Either Have The Temerity To Hold Stocks Or Get Out Of The Market
One of the first studies of the recent market splat found that the investors most likely to be crushed thought they were investing for the long haul, only to be forced into cashing out at the worst possible time. According to the study, cleverly titled "When Everyone Runs for the Exit," there are only two good ways to react to a liquidity crisis: hold onto your portfolio and trust that it will recover, or fold immediately to limit your losses. More » -
economy
Daddy, Is The Recession Over Yet? Handy Chart Holds The Answer
When are we going to pull out of the recession? The Kiplinger Recovery Index thinks it can tell you, using a sophisticated system of red and green colored boxes and checkmarks and X's. More » -
stocks
The Best Way to Maximize Your Investment Return
There are three variables that impact the total return investors receive from an investment: the amount saved, the return rate, and the amount of time invested. Most investors spend a good amount of time and effort trying to increase all three. But what if we can't do all three, if we're inhibited by time, skill, knowledge, or ability (after all, many fund managers spend a lifetime trying to eek out an additional 1% return with limited success.) If we could only focus on one of the factors to impact, which is the best option? What is the best way to maximize investment returns? More » -
interest rates
Interest Rates Will Rise Within The Year, Markets Bet
As growing global economic optimism begins to build, the market is betting that the Fed will raise interest rates by the end of this year. This will mean mortgages will get more costly and credit card APRs will rise, but the interest you make off your savings account will go up. [Bloomberg] (Photo: Ben Popken) -
conflict of interest
Health Insurers Own Tobacco Stocks Worth Nearly $4.5 Billion
Major health insurance companies own nearly $4.5 billion worth of stock in tobacco companies, according to a Harvard University study. It kinda makes sense: health insurers know tobacco sickens people, and so as long as people are smoking, why not profit from the killer? It's what David Himmelstein, a co-author of the study, calls "the combined taxidermist and veterinarian approach: either way you get your dog back." More » -
sec
New Consumer Agency May Steal SEC's Thunder
After the bang-up job the Security and Exchange Commission did to prevent Wall Street shenanigans from plunging the economy into the abyss, the White House is looking to form a new commission to step in and do the SEC's job. More » -
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investing
What The Heck Is An ETF?
What's an ETF? This NYT article is a good introduction to exchange-traded-funds (ETFs). Mostly, ETFs are mutual funds that are pegged to financial indexes, but unlike a mutual fund, they can be traded throughout the day like a stock.The takeaway: More » -
corrections
Zecco Accidentally Increasing Some Customers' Buying Power Was Not Intentional April Fool's Joke
Yesterday we reported that online brokerage Zecco had accidentally increased the buying power of some of some of its customers accounts on April 1st in an apparent April Fool's prank. However, the company says on their blog that it was no joke:
On April 1, 2009, one of our vendors provided Zecco Trading with an incorrect data feed which caused some customers to see erroneously high buying power. This error was quickly corrected, but about 1% of our customers were impacted.
Furthermore, More »
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Online brokerage
Zecco Accidentally Increases Some Customers' Buying Power By Millions
Online brokerage site Zecco accidentally increased 1% of their customers' Buying Power balances by millions on April 1st, leading some customers to wonder whether it was a system glitch or some horrible April Fool's joke. It turned out to be the former. More » -
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bailouts
Markets Leap On Treasury's Troubled Asset Purchase Details
Markets jumped after the Treasury presented the fleshed-out details of its plan to buy troubled bank assets. The need for getting toxic assets off bank books has been around for quite some time, but has stalled because banks and investors couldn't compromise on the price. Banks didn't want to sell for less than 60 cents on the dollar, investors didn't want to pay more than 30. The Treasury plan makes the two ends meet by providing $75-$100 billion in financing for buyers. For it to work, private investors will have to step up, but with the S&P leaping up 7.1% the street is betting they will and it will unclog the credit markets.
Geithner Relies on Investors for $1 Trillion Plan [Bloomberg] (Photo: {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester})
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media whoring
Ben Popken On "To The Point" Today At 3
I'll be on "To The Point" later today from 3-4pm eastern. We'll be talking about how lost confidence in the financial cabal plays into people doing their own investing. From the show notes:
American capitalism's in crisis, and the public has lost confidence in banks, money managers and business reporters - even the Treasury Department. Friday, on To the Point, If the smartest guys in the room aren't reliable, who do you trust with your money? Will the US become a nation of online traders?
To The Point is on many NPR-affiliate stations or you can listen online here by clicking the "Live" button.
What do you think? Has the financial crisis lead you to become a more self-directed investor, or made you even more interested in the advice of a financial planner?
The Great Recession and the Erosion of Trust [To The Point]
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economy
Stocks Surge As Fed Prints More Money (Effectively)
Stocks surged today after the Fed said it would buy $300 billion in longterm Treasurys and hundreds of billions of mortgage-backed securities. Effectively, it's like an interest rate cut, or printing more money. By increasing the amount of money in the system, banks will be able to borrow more cheaply and could prompt lower mortgage rates and more lending. Remember when we told you what "quantitative easing" was? This is it, folks, and it's big.
Fed to Buy $300 Billion of Longer-Term Treasuries [Bloomberg] (Photo: Tjeerd)
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stocks
Stock Market Rally Continues For 5 Out Of 6 Days
The market has continued to rally for the past five out of 6 days (it took a break on Monday). Yippie! [WSJ] -
dirty tricks
Office Depot Employee Claims He Photoshops Price Tags
Who needs to lie about inventory when you can inflate the price directly? LAPTOP has uncovered more dirty secrets of Office Depot employees being dishonest to customers, this time by altering price tags on clearance items to incorporate the cost of an extended service plan. More » -
silver linings
Recession Best Thing Ever For Non-Graybeards
Ever notice how most of the people bitching the hardest about the recession are old people? Here's an alternative view, and how the economic meltdown might just be the best thing ever if you're under 35, have a job, and aren't strapped with debt. [MSN] (Photo: hanapbuhay)
