Kansas City Star: MoneyWise

Beware toxic gift cards

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:42 CST

On Wall Street, lawmakers are talking about how “toxic debt” threatens banks and lending. Out on Main Street, shoppers better start thinking about “toxic” gift cards from companies that could go bankrupt. They won't be worth the plastic they are printed on.

Borrowing for college is on the rise

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:42 CST

Higher college costs and steep losses in college savings plans are forcing students and their parents to borrow more to earn bachelor's degrees.

In brief: Despite woes at Merrill Lynch, there will be employee bonuses

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:42 CST

Despite five straight losing quarters and a 70 percent fall in its stock price in 2008, Merrill Lynch has set aside $6.7 billion for year-end employee bonuses, according to Bloomberg News.

Insider trading: Garmin

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:42 CST

Nov. 5	Gene M. Betts, director, purchased 5,000 shares. Cost: $108,250. Holds 6,000 shares directly.
Nov. 5, 6	Donald Eller, director, purchased 2,000 shares directly and 10,000 shares indirectly. Cost: $254,088. Holds 50,717 shares directly and 821,283 indirectly.

The contrarian view: Economy is stronger than you think

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:42 CST

Suppose that everything you know is wrong. Consider the commonly held belief that corporate America is headed into a recession, tapped out for cash.

A chance to turn the page

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:42 CST

Now comes the hard part. Come January, President Obama will inherit the weakest U.S. economy in 25 years, with output shrinking, unemployment rising, the federal deficit out of control and a financial system on government life support. The new president will probably spend his first year in office careening from crisis to crisis, throwing lifelines to hard-hit households, local governments, industries and developing countries.

Tips for purchasing a car

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:36 CST

It's not just a buyer's market for stocks right now. The recession is pushing down prices across the board. And while it is wise to be cautious about making major purchases in a time of economic uncertainty, let's be frank: A car is a necessity, not an option, for most people living in this community.

Flash forward/flash back

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:42 CST

Economic news and earnings reports about companies with regional interest: •MONDAY October industrial production

Street talk

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:42 CST

“Recently, as politicians are wont to do, Congress started to investigate the subprime meltdown, the housing mess, the credit crisis and the stock market crash. In the process, they called Alan Greenspan, the former Fed chairman, to testify before them. It warmed my heart to hear questioning, even disrespect, directed toward Sir Alan.”

Student athletes, you'd better learn how to handle money

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:42 CST

It's been about four years since professional basketball player Latrell Sprewell became a symbol of sports-world greed and incurred the wrath of scores of fans.

Kids & Money: Shopping lesson: Competition can pay off for customers

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:38 CST

I couldn’t say “no” to a deal this good. A few weeks ago, I was having a problem with my cable television company. I had ordered a college football game through pay-per-view, but when it came time for kickoff, my kids and I sat down to a dark screen. After about an hour with still no game, I canceled the order and asked for a credit on my bill.

Abusive credit callers are a growing problem

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

After several years in which Americans were buying stuff on credit they couldn't afford, a rapidly increasing number are complaining about getting harassed and abused by bill collectors.

Toymakers deal with product recalls

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

Pixos, a toy marketed by Spin Master Ltd. of Toronto, lets children arrange small beads into designs, then add water to make them stick together permanently.

Street talk

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

“In my opinion, look for 50 percent of the hedge funds to go out of business. As far as the housing market, 75 percent of the people in foreclosures were paying on the mortgages, so those will eventually be worked out.”

Bank aid plan was mishandled

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

It was only a few weeks ago that most right-thinking economists and left-leaning bloggers were jumping on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson for his plan to jump-start the markets in asset-backed securities by having the government buy them up.

Outside-the-box options are plentiful for the college-bound

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

Options. That's what high school seniors and their parents should be considering this time of year.

Flash forward/flash back

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

Economic reports and earnings news of companies with regional interest. •MONDAY Earnings: Ameristar Casinos, Cinemark, Clearwire Corp., Southern Union, Tyson Foods

The Motley Fool: What exactly is the Federal Reserve?

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

What is the Federal Reserve? — H.Y., Tulsa, Okla. The Fed is the central bank of the United States, founded by Congress in 1913. In its own words, its duty is “conducting the nation's monetary policy by influencing money and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit of full employment and stable prices, promoting the stability of the financial system, providing banking services to depository institutions and to the federal government, and ensuring that consumers receive...

Travel spending is predicted to rise 1.3 percent in 2009

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

The U.S. travel industry is feeling the economic slowdown, and the 2009 outlook is for more of the same, according to the Travel Industry Association.

Financial markets speculate on how the Obama team will alter fiscal policy

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

Barack Obama's historic electoral victory has much of Wall Street reconsidering the road ahead.

Age is biggest factor in determining investment mix

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

I thought you were an investment guru. Instead, you apparently park a lot of money in the bank. Do you recommend safety first and not getting involved in stocks and bonds?

Holidays are a time for home security

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:18 CST

The holidays will soon be here, and many of us will be heading off to Grandma’s house or to visit Uncle Tracey and Aunt Leslie. While making travel plans for your holidays, remember to keep your home safe while you’re away.

Tyson Foods looks to go global

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

SPRINGDALE, Ark. | Investors are waiting for Don Tyson's second act. Sitting in a quiet office in a long row of executive suites at the headquarters of the world's biggest meat company, Tyson promises he has one.

Insider trading: H&R Block

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

H&R Block Inc.

Being underwater in your home doesn't have to mean foreclosure

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

What does being “underwater” in your house really mean? The number of underwater homeowners — those who owe more on their mortgages than their home is worth — has been growing sharply since 2006 as real-estate prices have tumbled. By some estimates, between one in six and one in eight homeowners are in that position, most of them people who bought homes in the past few years or who put down small or no down payments.

Panics come and go, but the rules of wise investment hold steady

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

We are in a depressing mess. Let's call it the Panic of '08. Panics are new and unfamiliar to this generation of investors. We came of age amid a sea of investment bubbles. We know nothing of panics.

In brief: Pension shortfall

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:33 CST

The defined-benefit plans of companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 are now underfunded by a total in excess of $200 billion, according to an estimate by S&P. Even if equity markets are flat the rest of this year, these plans probably will end up being more underfunded than in 2002, when their deficit was a record $219 billion, according to a Financial Week report.

Flash forward/flash back

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:07 CDT

Economic news and earnings reports involving companies of regional interest: •MONDAY September construction spending

Higher insurance costs erode savings on small cars

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:13 CDT

This year's higher gasoline prices are prompting drivers to switch to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. The trouble is, some of the money they save may be going to higher insurance premiums.

GM stops contributions to workers' 401k accounts

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:27 CDT

As if your 401(k) hadn’t been through enough. American workers, forced to look on helplessly as the value of their 401(k)s sinks with the Dow, now have something else to worry about. General Motors told its non-union employees about two weeks ago that starting this month, it will stop matching their contributions to their 401(k) plans until business conditions improve.

KC area mom-and-pop stores build a devoted clientele

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:42 CST

There's no place like home for the holidays. And there may be no place like home to shop for the holidays, either.