Tomorrow is Bank Transfer Day. By this date, people all across America are shutting down their accounts at large, costly, name-brand banks and transferring their funds to new bank accounts at their local credit union or community bank. Here is an excellent video made in Portland that follows along with several different people as they close their bank accounts and give their reasons for doing so. One person wants to save money, another disagrees with the bank’s foreclosure practices, a third is mad about the bailouts, and the last is a union withdrawing its funds to show solidarity with holding Wall Street accountable. [More]
economy
1 In 15 Americans Classify As Poorest Poor
By 11.3.11
A record number of Americans classify as the poorest poor, according to a new report. Right now, 1 in 15 Americans live at least 50% below the official poverty level of $22,314 per annum for a family of four. That’s making do with about $11,000 a year split between four people. [More]
Triple Dip Predicted For Home Prices
By 10.31.11
Home prices are headed for yet a third bottom, their lowest yet, says a new report by financial analytics company Fiserv. [More]
Consumer Spending Went Up .6% In September
By 10.28.11
Even though they haven’t been making any additional money for the past three months, consumer spending ticked up 0.6% in September. Are people spending more because they feel that the low interest rates they get from the bank make it less valuable to save? [More]
What Are Americans Spending The Little Money They Have On?
By 10.27.11
Processed vegetables up, eating out at Applebee’s down. [More]
US Economy Grew 2.5% In Third Quarter, Department of Commerce Report Says
By 10.27.11
Buoyed by brisker consumer and business spending, The American economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.5% in the third quarter, according to a report released this morning by the U.S. Department of Commerce, [More]
Banks Agree To Take 50% Loss To Ease Euro Zone Crisis
By 10.27.11
European banks this morning agreed to take a 50% loss on Greek debt, a critical step towards ending the financial crisis gripping the euro zone. [More]
Copper Traded For Crack
By 10.26.11
Some enterprising drug dealers are helping copper thieves cut out the middleman. They’re accepting copper pipe as legal tender in exchange for crack cocaine. [More]
Spray Your Food Gold
By 10.26.11
What, chicken for dinner? Again? Turn those blahs! into yays with Food Finish, an edible colorizer that you spray on your food to make it look like it’s covered in gold. [More]
Borders Store To Be Turned Into Library System Nexus
By 10.24.11
Here’s another cool liquidated Borders store conversion story. The Pioneer Library System in Oklahoma is buying up a 25,000 square foot Borders store and turning it into their new book master control system headquarters. [More]
Man Reuses Letters From Borders Sign To Open "ODE" Bookstore In Same Spot
By 10.24.11
San Francisco is big into recycling and books, and both interests have combined in the form of a liquidated Borders bookstore that is getting reused as a used bookstore. The owner is even finding a place for the letters in the original Borders sign: spelling out the name of the new store, “ODE.” [More]
BofA Is No Longer Biggest Bank In America
By 10.21.11
After a recent round of selling off assets, Bank of America is no longer the biggest bank in America. [More]
Liquidated Borders Store Reincarnated As Temporary Halloween Shop
By 10.21.11
What happens to old Borders stores now that the book chain is bankrupt and liquidated? In Kennesaw, Georgia, one old Borders shop has been brought back from the dead as a temporary Halloween supply warehouse. It makes reader DW sad. [More]
Girl Scouts Add New "Good Credit" And "Finance" Badges
By 10.20.11
The Girl Scouts just finished their first redesign of their badges in 25 years, adding several new ones that will appeal to Consumerist readers. [More]
Goldman Sachs Loses Money For First Time Since Financial Crisis Began
By 10.20.11
For the first time since the advent of the financial meltdown, and for only the second time since 1999 when it became a publicly traded company, Goldman Sachs has — Gasp! Horror! Shock! — lost some money. [More]
Photographer Looking For People To Do Their Jobs For Free
By 10.11.11
Deciding to turn the tables, one Atlanta photographer has posted an ad to the talent gigs section of Craigslist looking for people to do their jobs for him for free. “I am a photographer and since people are always looking for free shoots I assume that they must also do their job, or provide their services, for free,” the post reads. “Just think, you will gain more experience, and I will put the word out for you and let everyone know what wonderful work you do.” Here’s the full ad. [More]
Economy: Used Car Dealer Becomes Used Horse Dealer Too
By 10.6.11
With the economy in the dumps, used car dealers are having to get creative with the trade-ins. There’s long been used car dealers advertising they’ll take any trade that’s “push, pulled, or dragged.” One dealership is adding trots to that phrase, as they’re now accepting horses. [More]
Car Sales Rise To Highest Levels Since Japan Disaster
By 9.30.11
Japan’s March tsunami and earthquake sent automobile production and sales into a tailspin that the industry has only recently started to recover from. Analysts project U.S. car sales increased 9 percent this month from September 2010, lifting car sales from their lowest per capita levels since World War II. [More]
