With the economy showing early signs of stabilizing, it's time to start wondering: What is the 'new normal' economy going to look like?
Call it one of the recession's silver linings — with each passing day, the purchasing power of each consumer dollar is getting stronger.
Oracle Corp.'s $7.4 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems Inc. would have minimal impact on technologies that most consumers notice.
If you've got a good job, solid credit and your home's value hasn't fallen dramatically, you're likely to benefit from the Federal Reserve's extraordinary action Wednesday to help drive mortgage rates to historic lows and revive the U.S. housing market.
Americans are lacking in basic knowledge about insurance that might help their finances during the recession, according to a new survey.
The U.S. government may be tightening its grip on the banking system, but don't expect it to change your branch's hours, tack fees onto your account or overhaul your bank's Web site.
Supermarkets should use their discount card programs that track customers' shopping habits to prevent illness by alerting people who have bought tainted foods, a leading consumer group urged Tuesday.
They were supposed to keep the good times going: Prakash Shetty, caught recently thumbing through "Singh is King" DVDs at a mall in India, and Zhu Xiaolin, who enjoys cute Adidas sportswear and Body Shop cosmetics in China.
The latest economic data provide mounting evidence that the collapse of the housing market and turmoil in financial markets have tipped the U.S. economy into recession. The question now on the minds of consumers, business owners and politicians: How deep is it going to be, and how long is it going to last?
The sale of Wachovia's deposits and other assets to Citigroup on Monday leaves the nation with three superbanks, reshaping the U.S. banking landscape in the midst of unprecedented financial upheaval.
Adrienne Radtke plans to keep riding her bike to work even if gas prices drop. Steve Pizzini got rid of his Cadillac Escalade in favor of a 16-year-old Acura and doesn't expect to have another gas-guzzler.
Despite the heavy headwinds of higher prices for food and gasoline, falling home prices and worries about losing their jobs, most American consumers are still finding a way to pay the bills. But as economists, business executives and government officials try to figure out where the economy is headed, they’re also wondering: How long can consumers keep this up?
“It’s just a different way of thinking.”Michelle MacKenzie was talking about the switch from shopping at Target or Safeway to buying clothes and toys at the thrift store and food at the farmer’s market. But the eco-conscious mother of two might as well have been talking about buying only American-made products, or eating only locally grown food, or deciding to buy as little as possible. Or she could have been speaking for anyone who has decided, for one reason or another, to put her money where her mouth is.
Let’s be honest. We all like to get something for nothing. Whether it’s a complimentary dessert or a hotel room upgrade – free is a darn good price.
House prices are falling, food and energy prices are rising and consumers are gloomier than they’ve been in decades. But the latest data on the U.S. economy shows it still has a feeble pulse.
Sprint Nextel Corp. has finally rounded up the financial backing it needs to build a faster wireless network. But for consumers and the electronics industry, speed may be the least important thing about the new network.
Shoppers surveyed shelves loaded with rice at the Ranch 99 Asian supermarket, chatting in languages from Mandarin to Portuguese as they hunted for their favorite varieties, checked brand names and compared prices before heaving 50-pound bags into their carts.
Cabbies here complain their take-home pay is thinner than it used to be. Trucking companies across the country are making drivers slow down to conserve fuel. Filling station owners plead that really, really, the skyrocketing prices aren't their fault.
A combination of Microsoft and Yahoo could reshape the Internet landscape for millions of Web users: Would the two companies join their online portals? Could they rethink the desktop computer to integrate Web content more directly?
The success of the federal $150 billion emergency economic stimulus plan will hinge on whether American consumers do what they do best — spend, spend, spend.
The Senate today overwhelmingly passed a bill that would sharply curtail credit card issuers' ability to raise interest rates and charge fees, taking a critical step in reforming an industry that has gone largely unregulated for decades.
There seems to be much concern for the future of the Commercial Real Estate Sector.
Some of this comes from deep rooted feelings I have had over the past 20 years or so. These feelings got pushed to the forefront the other day while discarding some packaging from a yard item my wife had purchased.
WHEN Jessica Prentice, a food writer in the San Francisco Bay area, invented the term "locavore," she didn't have Lay's potato chips in mind.
By S. Yvon Harper The truth is with the U.S. dollar declining, economic stimulus packages galore, and questionable bailouts on the horizon we are all at the mercy of the economy. The impact is felt from the gas pump to the burger joint. Can you say 'recession'?
They may look refreshing like a can of soda or an energy drink. But if you look closer, you may be surprised some drinks contains alcohol.
Recession-hit restaurants are helping themselves to your wallet by serving you an extra side of super sneaky charges. The Post last week found city eateries subtly billing customers for things usually free...
It's a well known fact that if you head over to Japan the chances of walking into a house with a 360 in it are far slimmer than in the states. However, sales aren't everything.
The CSA model is designed to deepen the connection between people and their food.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released the March, 2009 Consumer Price Index. No doubt the headlines will reflect the +.2% increase from month to month, or the year over year decrease of -.4%.
Several independent financial sector think tanks believe with good reason that the U.S. Economy may begin a turn around in the second quarter of 2009. That's right now!.
Recently the AMA filed class action lawsuits against Aetna, Cigna and Welpoint for underpaying out of network claims. The AMA was also recently awarded $350m against United Healthcare for the same allegations.
Still reeling from the national salmonella outbreak in peanuts, the Food and Drug Administration said central California-based Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc., the nation's second-largest pistachio processor, was voluntarily recalling a portion of the roasted nuts it has bee …
Let's try an experiment. You already know that consumer spending is a critical force in the health of our nation. In fact, it makes up an estimated 70 percent of the economy.
Angry passengers on a £200m cruise ship threatened to revolt, claiming they were "imprisoned" on the liner after stops at ports were cancelled to make up time spent on repairs.
Congress is considering legislation that would heavily tax bonuses paid to executives by companies that are receiving government assistance. But a lot of Americans wonder: Why don't these executives do what's right for the country and just give back the bonus money?
"Chanting "tax the rich, make them pay," protesters marched through London waving banners saying "People before Profit," at the start of a week of protests that reflected growing public anger over bankers' pay and their role in the crisis."
Consumer spending rose in February, rebounding for the second month in row after falling for 6 straight months, according to government figures released Friday.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - George W. Bush will mark his 100th day as President of the United States on April 29. Consumers Union (CU) has looked at major actions by the Bush Administration to date that affected the consumer issues monitored by CU.
It's that time of year again, folks. Brackets, Brackets, Brackets. Please help us out by emailing your nominations to us a tips@consumerist.com. Put "WCIA" in your subject or your nomination will not count.
...all, a team of scammers stole thousands of dollars from random bank accounts. "It's just very simple for them to do this," said Brothers.
Wall Street firms continue to hold US taxpayers hostage while demanding large ransoms are much like the Somali Pirates with one glaring difference.
Nuts and Bolts: Tools for Today's Economy – highlights consumer education efforts across the nation.
Banks around the world appear to be hemorrhaging. We're told that this is an unprecedented crisis and we must use public funds to "save the banks" and their related industries like credit card services.