It's not difficult to figure out why sales of smartphones have taken off nationwide. After all, the average price of one is $155, more than 30 percent lower than last year‹and today's models let you talk, e-mail and surf the Internet quickly. But making money off those hot handhelds can be much trickier than just texting your best friend about last night. Some savvy pros are ignoring the phone makers and service providers entirely and focusing on the wireless tower operators, the firms that
Most house hunters spend months juggling numbers like mortgage rates, list prices and broker fees. Here’s another figure they should keep in mind: 68. That’s the number of days left to snag the $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time home buyers ... The credit expires on Nov. 30 – a deadline that’s putting pressure on would-be homeowners trying to take advantage of a real-estate market on the mend ... “Most first-time home buyers understand that time is running out. Now they need to
Bank of America today announced several changes to its checking account options and services that will help customers avoid excessive overdraft fees and better manage their finances ...
Investors poured $8.5 billion into TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities) funds in the second quarter, double the amount in the same period last year, according to researcher Strategic Insight. It’s easy to see why: When inflation rises, so does the face value of these bonds. In this case, inflation is measured by the Consumer Price Index, better known as the CPI, a representative basket of goods and services purchased by Americans. But that calculation is precisely why some money
Two of the country’s largest banks are overhauling their overdraft programs, touting simpler terms and stronger consumer protections. But the days of the $35 charge on the $3 latte are far from over ... JP Morgan Chase (JPM) announced Wednesday that, beginning in the first quarter of 2010, it will eliminate overdrafts for debit card use, giving customers the option to opt in for the service. The bank will also reduce the maximum number of overdraft fees from six to three per day, and will not
Market Wrap-Up ... Stocks and exchange-traded funds were buffeted Wednesday by sharp swings in sentiment after the Federal Open Market Committee said interest rates would stay unchanged, pushing the dollar down to its low point for the year ... Indexes whipsawed Wednesday afternoon after news that a key interest rate will stay near 0% ... The Dow Jones Industrial Average gave back mid-double-digit gains and closed down 18 points at 9811. The Nasdaq swung down 3 to 2144, and the S&P 500 ebbed 2
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is weighing several costly -- and never-before-used -- options as it struggles to shore up the dwindling fund that insures bank deposits ...
In my working-class neighborhood in New York City, most restaurants have empty tables this year at peak hours and are deserted anytime else. But one old diner that was remodeled recently into a chic bistro has a line at the door most for dinner most days, for brunch on the weekends, and for the bar starting at 3:00 a.m., when nearby bars close. Whether by skill, location or sheer luck, the place is cashing in 24/7, proving that even 2009 – with its cautious consumer spending – is a boom year
Market Wrap-Up ... Stocks retained gains Tuesday afternoon ahead of the Federal Reserve's latest statement on interest rates, leaving most exchange-traded funds in positive territory ... Although rates are unlikely to change when the Fed hands down its statement Wednesday, investors are keenly tuned to signals about future rate directions relative to the threat of inflation ... The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 51 points at 9830. The Nasdaq climbed 8 to 2147, and the S&P 500 picked up
IT’S A TYPICAL MEETING FOR THE DOZEN OR so men and women convening at a conference table in the Philadelphia suburb of Blue Bell, Pa. Doctors by profession, they’re dressed casually in fleece jackets and sweaters, peering at their laptops and making the occasional wisecrack. They run through the cases in their files one by one—a cancer survivor who’s trying to get new CAT scans, a New Jersey man with a long history of seizures and Bell’s palsy. The language is technical, and the mood