Blog Profile / Political Economy
| URL : | http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-economy | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Business & Finance | |
| Posts on Regator: | 202 | |
| Posts / Week: | 1.7 | |
| Archived Since: | February 17, 2011 | |
Blog Post Archive
If you’re unemployed, how do you keep your work skills sharp?
We need your help. Have you been unemployed for an extended period? If so, have you been struggling to keep your skills sharpened or stay up on the new innovations that are changing your field? We'd like to talk to you about the skills and training that you think you may have missed out on during your weeks/months/years without a job. Read full article >>
NATO protest tweets: updates from the march
Thousands of protesters are planning to march in Chicago during the NATO Summit on Sunday to call for income equality and peace. Post reporter Annie Gowen is there and sending updates from the protest. Read full article >>
Are you considering coming out of retirement because of recession?
Staff writer Peter Whoriskey wrote Thursday about how more older Americans are employed than ever before. Are you retired or approaching retirement? Do you want to reenter the workforce? Or are you delaying retirement for financial reasons? Read full article >>
Here are my best savings tips. What are yours?
It’s so sweet when you find a good way to save money. I know I get giddy when I discover a way to spend less and still live well. There are a few things I do to shave money from my budget every month. To some it may seem like small savings, but as my grandmother, Big Mama, used to say, “You can’t have a dollar without a penny.” Read full article >>
Are you considering coming out of retirement because of recession?
Are you retired or approaching retirement? Financial staff writer Peter Whoriskey is interested in hearing from readers 55 years or older about their retirement plans as it relates to recession and work. Do you want to reenter the workforce?...Show More Summary
Are you a college graduate who’s looking for a job?
If you’re a college graduate, do you think your degree and the money invested in your education have paid off?
As recently as October 2011, the unemployment rate for college graduates ages 16-24 (there are 16-year-olds with college degrees?) was 8.1 percent — just 0.5 percent lower than the general jobless rate of 8.6 percent.
Read full article >>
What business or economics leader had the worst year in 2011?
The end of a year always brings with it a deluge of lists, rankings and and other rearview-mirror analysis about events of the past 12 months and explanations of why or whether they matter. Many of these pieces tend to focus on the year’s best or most influential people, creations and events. Show More Summary
Here are my best savings tips. What are yours?
It’s so sweet when you find a good way to save money. I know I get giddy when I discover a way to spend less and still live well. There are a few things I do to shave money from my budget every month. To some it may seem like small savings, but as my grandmother, Big Mama, used to say, “You can’t have a dollar without a penny.” Read full article >>
Safeway sandwich theft allegation: Charges dropped; what do you think?
Should an allegedly stolen sandwich really have led to a mother losing custody of her daughter? Is it always good practice to follow rules and regulations to the letter, even if they don’t seem appropriate to the situation at hand?
These...Show More Summary
Will Bank of America’s move change your banking habits?
Bank of America experienced a serious backlash after it announced in September that it would begin charging a $5 monthly fee to its debit card users.
Now, the company has changed course, saying Tuesday that it would not move forward with implementing the fee program.
Related content:
Read full article >>
Bank of America shares falls below $6, first time since ‘09
Bank of America shares fell below $6 for the first time since March 2009 Monday, going as low as $5.60 by Monday afternoon.
The dip in stock price comes as the bank faces customer gripes about the its decision to begin charging a $5 monthly fee for debit card transactions. Show More Summary
In wake of Bank of America’s new debit charge, tips on how to avoid fees
Bank of America’s announcement that it would charge customers $5 a month for using their debit cards has not gone over well on Wall Street or Main Street. The company’s stock tumbled Friday morning, and some consumers are pledging to boycott the bank.
So what can you do to avoid pesky fees? At least one consumer group is offering up some tips. Show More Summary
Bank of America’s debit card policy: Will you put away the plastic?
Bank of America announced Thursday that it would start charging customers a $5 monthly fee for using their debit cards. The policy would take effect next year and would apply to customers with basic accounts and relatively small balances.
The...Show More Summary
Mortgage rates fall to record lows again
Average mortgage rates fell to another record low this week, according to data released Thursday by Freddie Mac. The average on a 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to 4.01 percent from 4.09 percent last week. It was the lowest number since Freddie Mac started recording it in 1971. For a 15-year loan, the average was an eye-popping 3.28 percent. Read full article >>
Jobless claims drop to lowest level since April
Weekly applications for unemployment benefits dropped sharply to a seasonally-adjusted 391,000, according to figures released by the Labor Department Thursday. That is 37,000 fewer claims than were filed the previous week and is theShow More Summary
Home prices up in July in 17 cities
Home prices rose in 17 U.S. cities in July, according to the Case-Shiller Home Price Index, a closely watched measure of the health of the nation’s housing market. Nationally, prices were up 0.9 percent from the previous month, exceeding...Show More Summary
An economics lesson from George Shultz
Trying to make sense of the global economic malaise and the policy decisions that might impact it? This speech by George P. Shultz, a former treasury secretary and head of the Office of Management and Budget, is a good place to start: Shultz,...Show More Summary
Forbes’ richest Americans list: Who made the cut?
Evidence is mounting that even as the U.S. economy continues to struggle, America’s wealthiest individuals are getting richer, pulling further away from the middle class than ever before. This year’s edition of Forbes’ list of the 400 richest people in America is yet another example of this widening income gap. Show More Summary
GOP leaders tell Fed not to act on economy
Even by the standards of the long history of politicians trying to influence decisions by the Federal Reserve, the latest episode is surprising. On Tuesday night, when Fed policymakers were midway through a two-day, closed-door meeting...Show More Summary
Existing-home sales increase in August
Sales of existing homes rose 7.7 percent in August, according to data released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors.
The increase to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.03 million sales exceeded forecasts of economists surveyed by MarketWatch, who expected the rate to be 4.8 million. The increase follows July’s eight-month low of 4.67 million.
Read full article >>