Seven Sneaky Taxes for 2014
Thinkstock2014 is already an unusual year, if only for the dozens of tax provisions that lawmakers on Capitol Hill allowed to expire at the end of 2013 – a move that is certain to…
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Mike Sauter
America’s Favorite Basketball Teams
ThinkstockThe NBA season is now well under way, and some teams are much bigger revenue generators than others. These teams drive up TV ratings when they play, and tickets at their arenas are among…
The Best and Worst Run Cities in America
ThinkstockA federal judge granted Detroit’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing earlier this month, making it the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Bankruptcy is frequently the product of a history of problems. The unrelenting decline…
The Worst Product Flops of 2013
The editors at 24/7 Wall St. reviewed products and redesigns that were launched with high expectations this year but that have flopped catastrophically. These are the worst product flops of 2013.
The Most Dangerous Holidays in America
ThinkstockAAA estimates that during this Christmas and New Year’s season, nearly 95 million Americans will hit the road, traveling long distances to visit friends and family. Unfortunately, during the end-of-year holiday travel period, nearly…
America’s Disappearing Restaurant Chains
ThinkstockSome of the country’s once iconic brands — in retail, consumer products and beer — are now shells of their former selves. Some of America’s restaurants, too, are not what they used to be.…
American Cities Adding (and Losing) the Most Jobs
ThinkstockU.S. payrolls rose by more than 200,000 in November as employers continued to hire at a steady pace. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate dropped to 7.0%, the lowest it has been since late 2008. While…
Ten Cities Where Poverty Is Soaring
ThinkstockDespite signs of economic recovery, the number of U.S. residents living in poverty remains stubbornly high. An average of 15.7% of the U.S. population lived below the poverty line during the three-year period of…
Eight Countries Where the Most People Suffer
Thinkstock During the global financial crisis, suffering increased globally. According to a survey recently published by Gallup, 14% of the world’s population was suffering in 2012, compared to 11% on average before the recession…
Ten Countries Where Salaries Are Soaring
ThinkstockNext year, U.S. wages will increase by about 1.5% after adjusting for inflation, according to ECA International estimates. In some parts of the world, wages will grow at double this rate, and in several…
The Best and Worst Run States in America: A Survey of All 50
Thinkstock How well run is your state? It can be difficult to objectively assess the quality of a state’s management. The economy and standard of living can be affected by decisions made decades ago,…
Ten Companies Paying Americans the Least
courtesy of Wal-Mart Stores Inc.This summer, thousands of fast-food workers in the United States went on strike in cities across the country, demanding their wages be increased to $15 an hour and the ability…
NFL Teams With Plunging Ticket Prices
ThinkstockAs the NFL season moves past the halfway point, most teams have already established themselves as either a playoff contender or an also-ran. Those teams that are winning games are generating excitement among their…
The Happiest Countries in the World
The residents of Switzerland are the most satisfied with their lives, according to the latest Better Life Index report, released this week by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Switzerland has moved…
Jobs with the Widest Pay Gaps Between Men and Women
ThinkstockThe gender wage gap has narrowed over the years. In 1979, women made an estimated 62% of what men earned. In 2012, the wage of a full-time female employee was roughly 81% of her…
Eight Hot Housing Markets That Are Cooling Down
ThinkstockThe national housing market is by most measures recovering at a healthy clip. Home prices in some of the hardest-hit markets — places like Reno, Nev., and Phoenix, Ariz. — were up by more…
Cities with the Widest Gap Between the Rich and Poor
The American middle class is shrinking. According to a report released earlier this year, an estimated 51% of the population was in the middle class at the start of the decade, down from 61%…
The Most Unfair Countries For Women
ThinkstockBy many measures, the United States is the wealthiest economy in the world. However, according to a recent survey, women do not benefit nearly as much as men. The U.S. ranked 23rd in the…
This Year’s Most Popular Halloween Costumes
ThinkstockAmericans will spend as much as $2.6 billion on their Halloween costumes this year, according to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation. The NRF reports that $1.2 billion of that will be…
The States with the Most (and Least) Affordable Colleges
ThinkstockAverage in-state tuition at public four-year universities rose by just 2.9% this year, the smallest increase in more than three decades, according to data released last week by College Board. When adjusted for inflation,…