107.9 The River » Dollars and Sense

Your Taxes Will Almost Certainly Go Up in January, and Congress Won't Stop It — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:36:02 +0000

Regardless of who wins the presidential election, starting January 2013 some 163 million workers across the United States will be slapped with a significant tax increase. That is because the temporary reduction in the Social Security payroll tax will expire at the end of the year, and there does not seem to be a lawmaker around interested [...]

Walmart's New Pre-Paid Debit Card Is Basically a Free Checking Account — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:25:15 +0000

Walmart plans to unleash a new no-fee prepaid debit card by American Express later this week called Bluebird that will be offered nationwide at some 4,000 Walmart stores and through the Bluebird website. According to Walmart’s vice president of financial services, Dennis Eckert, the new Bluebird card is unlike other prepaid cards because there are no [...]

Why Are Dry Cleaning Prices About to Go Up? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 18:00:04 +0000

If you have a lot of your clothes dry-cleaned, you might want to set aside a little more of your monthly budget for the expense. Prices are about to go up, and — with our apologies to ‘Mommie Dearest’ — you can blame it on those darned wire hangers.

US Theme Park Attendance Is Soaring Higher Than a Roller Coaster — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:00:20 +0000

Americans may have fewer entertainment dollars to spend these days, but according to new attendance estimates, they seem to be spending more of them at theme parks — and the Harry Potter phenomenon has a lot to do with it.

Walmart Rolls Out Smaller 'Express' Stores — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Wed, 30 May 2012 16:00:43 +0000

Because Walmart doesn’t yet blanket enough of the US (and beyond), the retailer is now rolling out smaller versions of itself called Walmart Express stores. And they already seem quite profitable. The locations are a fraction of the size of their bigger, often behemoth-sized counterparts, and Walmart’s US President and CEO Bill Simon describes them [...]

Is Your Credit Score Good Enough for the Best Rates? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:30:36 +0000

Here’s the good news: Americans have better credit scores now than we have in the past few years. But there’s bad news, too: credit standards are now so high that it may not matter much. FICO scores range from 300 to 850, and are typically affected by paying your bills on time, not applying for [...]

Many Americans Expected to Be Too Broke to File for Bankruptcy — Dollars and Sense

Danny Gallagher — Tue, 08 May 2012 16:30:18 +0000

Some major companies and corporations such as MF Global and AMR, the parent company of American Airlines, have filed for bankruptcy. In the process, they may have, directly or not, caused some people to go bankrupt. Unfortunately, some of them won’t be able to seek the same level of protection if the worst happens. Economics [...]

Do Women Pay More than Men for Credit Cards? — Dollars and Sense

Don Deane — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:30:49 +0000

According to a new study by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, men and women aren’t equal when it comes to credit cards. It says that, on the average, women pay half a point higher on credit card interest rates than men do, even when income and level of education are factored in.

How Much Would Being a Stay-at-Home Mom Pay in Salary? — Dollars and Sense

Amy Sciarretto — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:00:53 +0000

While one might think that women in the workforce command more respect and big salaries, it turns out, stay-at-home moms are worth quite a bit themselves when you factor the tangibles and intangibles. But exactly how much is being a mom worth? TIME reports that data compiled by Salary.com indicates a mother’s work isn’t priceless, [...]

New Study Reveals Breastfeeding May Hurt Moms' Income — Dollars and Sense

Don Deane — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:00:09 +0000

The benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child have been well-documented. Among other things, it can boost a child’s immunity and help protect moms from several different types of cancer. However, a new study by the American Sociological Review says breastfeeding may hurt mothers in an unexpected way – in the pocketbook.

Would Single People Rather Be Rich or Have Love? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:30:28 +0000

According to a new survey from dating site Chemistry.com, love truly does conquer all — even money. But once singles are in a relationship, how do they handle the financial aspect of things? Chemistry.com polled 1,600 of its users and found three-quarters of men and almost that many women would choose love over a high-paying [...]

Nearly Half of All Teens Think They'll Never Be As Rich As Their Parents — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:00:40 +0000

You might think teenagers worry about nothing more important than their Friday night plans, but it turns out they’re worried about their financial futures, too — and they’re already incredibly pessimistic.

Where Are the Best Places to Buy a Home? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:00:40 +0000

With 15-year mortgage rates at an all-time low of just 3.11 percent, many people are thinking about making a home purchase. But where you buy could determine how good the investment will turn out to be.

Huge Blunder Drops Price at Gas Station to One Dollar Per Gallon — Dollars and Sense

Danny Gallagher — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:00:56 +0000

A lot of people are hurting these days because of the slow turn of the global economy. Few places are making them feel the pain of painfully slow growth more than the gas pump. But that doesn’t mean relief can’t unexpectedly happen. A Conoco gas station in Pasadena, Texas found itself with more than a [...]

Who Got Rich When Facebook Bought Instagram? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:00:23 +0000

News broke on Monday that Facebook had acquired the popular photo-sharing service Instagram for the princely sum of $1 billion in cash and stock.

It’s the biggest purchase in the history of the world’s largest social network, and it made new multimillionaires of Instagram’s chief executive and the company’s handful of employees.

What Important Steps Should You Take After You Win the Lottery? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:00:24 +0000

Odds are you don’t possess one of the three winning tickets in the $656 million Mega Millions lottery, whose numbers were drawn on Friday.

But if you are, or if you have the good fortune to come into a fortune by hitting a jackpot in the future, there are some things you need to know.

Best Buy to Close 50 Stores and Lay Off Hundreds of Employees — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:00:54 +0000

In recent years, electronics retailer Best Buy has struggled to find its footing — and now the chain has announced it will close 50 stores and lay off scores of employees. More than 400 executive positions will be eliminated from the chain’s corporate headquarters in Richfield, Minn., and thousands of retail positions will also likely [...]

How Much Has the Housing Market Improved? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:00:39 +0000

Seems there’s a bit of a bright spot on the decimated horizon of the real estate market — it looks a lot better than it did a few years ago. But how long before we see a full recovery? Economist Jed Kolko considered construction starts, existing home sales and the rate of delinquencies and foreclosures [...]

4 Subtle Tricks Restaurants Use to Get You to Spend More — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:00:50 +0000

When you eat at a restaurant, do you notice things like the size of the straws or the way the menu is laid out? You should — they could be costing you money. The restaurant industry, like any other, is in business to make a profit. And while simply serving more customers is one way [...]

How Can You Win the Lottery? Here Are Some Tips — Dollars and Sense [VIDEO]

Shauna Wright — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:00:33 +0000

The jackpot for the multi-state Mega Millions lottery now stands at $363 million, causing even those who don’t normally play to throw their hopeful hats into the ring for Tuesday night’s drawing.

Are there things you can do to boost your chances of winning?