Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

05 Jan 2010 09:44

tags

Biz, Tech: Apple spends big bucks to follow Google’s mobile ad dreams

  • $350 million amount Apple agreed to spend on Quattro Wireless, a mobile ad firm, just last night
  • $750 million amount Google agreed to spend on AdMob, another mobile ad firm, in November source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Jan 2010 21:03

tags

Biz: Nice way to start 2010: Stocks have a pretty awesome Monday

  • 1.5% increase in the Dow Jones Industrial today; hip
  • 1.6% increase in the S&P 500 today; hip
  • 1.7% increase in the NASDAQ today; hooray! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Jan 2010 12:47

tags

Biz: Political pubs HuffPo and Politico are profitable, but not massive

  • $12-16 million The Huffington Post’s estimated profit in 2009, which is peanuts considering its massive size
  • $20
    million     Politico’s estimated 2009 profits, which largely came from its print publication source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Jan 2010 12:39

tags

Biz: UBS ugh: Whistleblowers don’t get any love anymore, it seems

This guy, Bradley Birkenfeld, was responsible for cracking the door open for UBS’ tax fraud case. A judge didn’t give him leniency. He’ll serve 40 months. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Jan 2010 12:24

tags

Biz: Manufacturing rates are at their best since before the recession

  • 55.9 the December factory index according to the Institute for Supply Management
  • 50 the number the rate needs to be above to note a growing sector; so we’re doing good!
  • five straight up months; it’s at its best level since the heady days of April 2006 source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jan 2010 17:36

tags

Biz: Debit vs. credit: Some quick notes on using bank cards

  • With the new credit laws taking place in February and later this year, now’s a good time to start thinking about how to react to the changes now. As a result, debit cards will be in heavier use. But before you get started, here are some things to consider:
  • Introductory points:
  • 40% of credit card users pay their balances monthly – something important to note. Paying off said debt can help you avoid some of the larger interest charges
  • opt-in a change coming to overdraft fees in mid-year; the often-costly fees on debit accounts are responsible for $25-$38 billion each year in bank profits
  • Usage tactics:
  • debit Debit cards are easier for many consumers to acquire, and are a good cash replacement. They’re better to use for small purchases, but tend to have many fees.
  • credit The better your score, the better the credit. It’s easy to rack up heavy debt, but when used properly, they’re advantageous for larger purchases in particular.
  • Safety considerations:
  • In cases of theft By and large, you have more protections with credit – Visa and MasterCard protect consumers from all liability above $50. Debit cards will credit accounts as well, but it’s up to the bank, who takes responsibility for the loss.
  • In cases of disputes Again, users of credit have the legal advantage here – if a charge is disputed, you don’t have to pay while the charge is disputed. With debit cards, this is in the hands of the banks, not the consumer.
  • General protip If you use a debit card to make a purchase, don’t use the PIN. Instead, sign for the purchase. You get many of the same protections you would with credit cards, and you pay fewer fees for the privilege.
  • Other things to consider:
  • scores Paying back credit cards has a direct effect on your FICO score – important for large loans.
  • benefits Overall, you get stronger benefits – such as points – with credit cards than debit cards.
  • buffer Debit overdraft fees can come in handy if you’re short, but they can quickly add up. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jan 2010 16:40

tags

Biz: Happy New Year! Banks are figuring out new ways to screw you

  • $50B the amount of income banks stand to lose due to the Credit Card Act of 2009
  • 43% of bank execs feel that consumer trust has eroded in the last six months; no, really
  • fees the solution banks plan to offset losses – let the nickel & diming commence source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

02 Jan 2010 15:57

tags

Biz: Big-box retail survivors eating the corpses of the deceased

  • cause A bunch of retail spaces have closed during the recession – including 8,000 stores expected in the first half of this year alone.
  • effect Chains still doing well – including Forever 21, Kohl’s and Staples – are taking advantage of cheap rents to launch new concepts. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

02 Jan 2010 15:38

tags

Biz: Time Warner and News Corp. come to a deal, freaking finally

  • We’re happy to have reached
    a reasonable deal with no disruption in programming for our customers.
  • Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt • Regarding the deal made between his company and News Corp. over content. News Corp. wanted a dollar per subscriber for its content each month; Time Warner wanted to pay them closer to twenty cents. They found a happy medium or something. Customers still lose because it means higher cable prices either way. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jan 2010 11:22

tags

Biz: Did News Corp. and Time Warner Cable settle their differences?

  • NO but they’ll give some more time to their money spat source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>