WalletPop Blog http://www.walletpop.com/blog WalletPop Blog http://www.walletpop.com/blog/media/feedlogo.gif WalletPop Blog http://www.walletpop.com/blog en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Despite cost, homeowners prefer mortgages to landlordshttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/12/despite-cost-homeowners-refer-mortgages-to-landlords/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/12/despite-cost-homeowners-refer-mortgages-to-landlords/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/12/despite-cost-homeowners-refer-mortgages-to-landlords/#commentsFiled under:

In my Detroit-area neighborhood, there are almost no homes for sale. Out of more than 1,000 homes in a two-mile area there are probably only a half-dozen on the market.

Yes, you read that right. Downtrodden Detroit, Michigan, where real estate set new records for declines has neighborhoods where you can hardly buy a house because they've all been sold.

Seeing this makes me feel better about being a homeowner, even though the market value of my home has fallen. It gives me confidence in the opinion that I have long held -- that owning a home is smart.

A survey this week from Move.com suggested that home sales are up everywhere. According to the survey, nearly 10% of consumers nationwide say they plan to buy a home in the next two years, with 5.4 % planning to purchase in the next 12 months. Buyers say they are motivated by these factors:

Continue reading Despite cost, homeowners prefer mortgages to landlords

Despite cost, homeowners prefer mortgages to landlords originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>foreclosureshomeownershipreal estteRealEstterenting vs. owningRentingVs.OwningJennie L. PhippsThu, 12 Nov 2009 17:30:00 ESTCitiGroup Says good-bye to life insurer Primericahttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/06/citigroup-says-good-bye-to-life-insurer-primerica/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/06/citigroup-says-good-bye-to-life-insurer-primerica/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/06/citigroup-says-good-bye-to-life-insurer-primerica/#commentsFiled under:

CitibankThe best technique for selling life insurance is known in the trade as "driving the hearse up to the door."

When the salesperson drives the hearse up to the door, he describes at length all the horrible things that can happen if the family hasn't bought enough life insurance and leaves widows and orphans to starve.

Continue reading CitiGroup Says good-bye to life insurer Primerica

CitiGroup Says good-bye to life insurer Primerica originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>Citigroupgovernment bailoutsGovernmentBailoutsinsurance industryInsuranceIndustryPrimericaJennie L. PhippsFri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 ESTRecession tales: The price of growing old in a lousy economyhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/04/recession-tales-the-price-of-growing-old-in-a-lousy-economy/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/04/recession-tales-the-price-of-growing-old-in-a-lousy-economy/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/04/recession-tales-the-price-of-growing-old-in-a-lousy-economy/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I just bought my airline ticket for my friend's 100th birthday party, which she's anticipating with considerable excitement. Life has been quiet since she gave up competitive ballroom dancing at 85. Planning a party spices things up.

The oil wells that my friend's husband left her have kept her lifestyle comfortable - until the last couple of years when she developed a need for 24-hour care after the car she was riding in was broadsided.

Even a couple of active oil wells don't gush enough money to cover all the expenses of extreme aging. My friend and her children, who are old enough to be contemplating their own retirements, can see the day when it is all going to run out. If mom's still around - and the doc says she very well could be - longevity is going to be an expensive problem.

Continue reading Recession tales: The price of growing old in a lousy economy

Recession tales: The price of growing old in a lousy economy originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>recessionretireRetireeretirementretirement planningRetirementPlanningJennie L. PhippsWed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:00 ESTWho needs a pension when dogfood will do?http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/13/who-needs-a-pension-when-dogfood-will-do/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/13/who-needs-a-pension-when-dogfood-will-do/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/13/who-needs-a-pension-when-dogfood-will-do/#commentsFiled under: ,

retireesThe reward for working 35 years at a modestly paying job in the public sector has long been security and the promise of a pension that nearly equaled and occasionally exceeded what a worker was receiving when he accepted his gold watch. And in most cases, these pension promises were indexed for inflation so they'd grow as the worker aged.

These pension liabilities don't have to be accounted for like they are in the corporate world. No putting on the balance sheet what actuaries believe the municipalities, school boards, etc., will need to meet these pension obligations so that taxpayers can understand what they've committed to and workers can judge the odds that they'll get what they're owed.

Continue reading Who needs a pension when dogfood will do?

Who needs a pension when dogfood will do? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>pensionpension fundspension plansPensionFundsPensionPlansretirementJennie L. PhippsTue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 ESTBest places to retire, at least for a computerhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/01/best-places-to-retire-at-least-for-a-computer/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/01/best-places-to-retire-at-least-for-a-computer/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/01/best-places-to-retire-at-least-for-a-computer/#commentsretireesMaybe I'm just paying more attention since I'm closing in on retirement age, but it does seem like every day I read a new list of places that somebody thinks would make ideal spots for people contemplating relocation after hanging them up.

U.S. News & World Report released its picks in its October issue. When I read the list, I had to laugh. The 10 cities named there might be perfectly lovely places, but none of them is my idea of a retirement haven. For instance, one of them is Columbus, Ohio. I spent four years in Columbus, Ohio (Go Bucks). Unless it's changed a lot, it's cold and gritty.

Continue reading Best places to retire, at least for a computer

Best places to retire, at least for a computer originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>movingrelocationretirementretirement planningRetirementPlanningJennie L. PhippsThu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:00 ESTDuh: More people covered when insurers forced to sell to everyonehttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/22/aaron-working-duh-more-people-are-covered-when-insurers-have-to/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/22/aaron-working-duh-more-people-are-covered-when-insurers-have-to/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/22/aaron-working-duh-more-people-are-covered-when-insurers-have-to/#commentsFiled under: ,

The U.S. Census Bureau threw more fuel on the health insurance reform fire Monday when it released its statistics on which states have the most uninsured people.

Only 4.1% of people in Massachusetts don't have health insurance, making it the most-insured state, thanks, at least in part, to a law passed two years ago that requires residents to buy health insurance.

"Massachusetts is a microcosm of what the Democrats want to do on a national level," Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, told CNNMoney.com

Continue reading Duh: More people covered when insurers forced to sell to everyone

Duh: More people covered when insurers forced to sell to everyone originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>censuscensus bureaucensusbureauhealthinsurancekaiser permanenteKaiserPermanenteJennie L. PhippsTue, 22 Sep 2009 17:00:00 ESTGrandma's tips for a long and prosperous retirementhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/16/grandmas-tips-for-a-long-and-prosperous-retirement/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/16/grandmas-tips-for-a-long-and-prosperous-retirement/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/09/16/grandmas-tips-for-a-long-and-prosperous-retirement/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Money magazine in its September issue, lists four steps to "Worry-Free Retirement":
  1. Know the risks of stocks and bonds
  2. Crunch the numbers
  3. Worry less by downsizing your plans
  4. Control what you can including spending

The advice is laced with what are probably savvy suggestions for making the decision between stocks and bonds, calculating risk and evaluating the value of a pension, no matter how small.

As I read it, I couldn't help thinking about my 85-year-old mother-in-law, a recent widow. She and her late husband, a former draftsman, lived in retirement for 20 years - on his pension, banking most of their combined Social Security.

Continue reading Grandma's tips for a long and prosperous retirement

Grandma's tips for a long and prosperous retirement originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>grandmaretireretirementretirement savingsretirementplanningRetirementSavingsJennie L. PhippsWed, 16 Sep 2009 14:00:00 ESTDetroit gets a grocery ... but good luck getting there on public transportationhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/08/19/detroit-gets-a-grocery-but-good-luck-getting-there-on-public/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/08/19/detroit-gets-a-grocery-but-good-luck-getting-there-on-public/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/08/19/detroit-gets-a-grocery-but-good-luck-getting-there-on-public/#commentsFiled under: ,

Detroit could use a little economic good news. The announcement recently that the Shoppes at Gateway Park still has a pulse and Meijer, the Grand Rapids-based super store chain, will anchor this long-delayed project qualifies as worth cheering about. It should put revenue in the city's empty coffers.

The location is right on the Detroit city line at Eight Mile and Woodward Avenue. It's less than a mile from Palmer Woods -- probably the city's nicest neighborhood -- and just south of Royal Oak, the region's urban-chic restaurant, shopping, and entertainment district. The east-west expressway, Interstate 696, has an exit there, and there are no other large shopping centers in the immediate area.

Continue reading Detroit gets a grocery ... but good luck getting there on public transportation

Detroit gets a grocery ... but good luck getting there on public transportation originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>Detroitfeaturedfoodgrocery shoppingGroceryShoppingredevelopmentretailshoppingJennie L. PhippsWed, 19 Aug 2009 16:30:00 ESTNo chain groceries in Detroit - no money eitherhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/22/no-chain-groceries-in-detroit-no-money-either/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/22/no-chain-groceries-in-detroit-no-money-either/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/22/no-chain-groceries-in-detroit-no-money-either/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sociologists call the scarcity of urban grocery stores vs. the abundance in suburbia "the grocery store gap." It's particularly wide in Detroit, the nation's beleaguered 11th largest city, where there are no chain grocery store outlets within the city limits.

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) opined on this phenomenon recently, and then CNNMoney.com followed suit.

Detroit isn't alone. Last year, the Washington Post bemoaned the lack of conventional groceries in both Washington DC and New York City, and mentioned a similar situation in Philadelphia. In New York, the mayor's office appointed a "food policy coordinator" to encourage the opening of more grocery stores.

In Detroit, where the unemployment rate is 22.8%, the school system is considering bankruptcy and 30% of the population gets food stamps, the lack of conventional grocery stores doesn't get a staff position.

Continue reading No chain groceries in Detroit - no money either

No chain groceries in Detroit - no money either originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>Detroitfoodgrocerygrocery storesGroceryStorespovertyJennie L. PhippsWed, 22 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST20 most worthless pieces of junk: #3 -- The radar detectorhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/19/20-most-worthless-pieces-of-junk-3-the-radar-detector/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/19/20-most-worthless-pieces-of-junk-3-the-radar-detector/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/19/20-most-worthless-pieces-of-junk-3-the-radar-detector/#commentsFiled under: , ,

speed trapSpeed traps and I have a long history that owning a radar detector hasn't improved.

I used to have a Fuzzbuster that sat on the dashboard. It never squawked until I could see the cop and his radar gun -- and then it was too late.

Tickets, Fuzzbusters and opportunistic lawyers constitute a cottage industry in many places, but especially in upstate New York, where the state highway patrol on the New York State Thruway are particularly sneaky and arrogant.

Continue reading 20 most worthless pieces of junk: #3 -- The radar detector

20 most worthless pieces of junk: #3 -- The radar detector originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>25 most worthless pieces of junk25MostWorthlessPiecesOfJunkfuzzbusterradar detectorRadarDetectortraffic monitoringtraffic ticketsTrafficMonitoringTrafficTicketsJennie L. PhippsSun, 19 Jul 2009 09:00:00 ESTDetroit protests Colt 45, an equal opportunity highhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/08/detroit-protests-colt-45-an-equal-opportunity-high/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/08/detroit-protests-colt-45-an-equal-opportunity-high/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/08/detroit-protests-colt-45-an-equal-opportunity-high/#commentsFiled under:

The Detroit City Council is up in arms over dozens of big billboards all over the city featuring a cartoon of Billy Dee Williams holding up a 40 of Colt 45 with the tagline, "It works every time!"

Ice Cube actually said it better: "Get your girl in the mood quicker, get your jimmy thicker, with malt liquor."

These Williams ads for Colt are nothing new. In other parts of the country, the G. Heilman Brewing Co., the originator of Colt 45, introduced them in 1983, long before Miller Brewing Co. bought Colt 45 in 2000 and got big into the liquor- is-quicker business. Controversy over the ads has surfaced sporadically with critics in St. Louis and Philadelphia squawking over similar campaigns in the last couple of years.

Detroit City Councilwoman JoAnn Watson called the ads "an issue of racism and perversity." Perversity seems hard to prove, but even Miller doesn't deny that it's targeting a largely African-American audience with its Williams ads. According to a story published in 2000 in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (and not readily available online), quoting Miller's own figures, "African-Americans buy 66% of the nation's malt liquor, with Caucasians accounting for 27% of the market."

Continue reading Detroit protests Colt 45, an equal opportunity high

Detroit protests Colt 45, an equal opportunity high originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>advertisingalcoholColt 45Colt45DetroitfeaturedJennie L. PhippsWed, 08 Jul 2009 15:30:00 ESTWhy can't Gannett put the 'net' into news gathering?http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/02/why-cant-gannett-put-the-net-into-news-gathering/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/02/why-cant-gannett-put-the-net-into-news-gathering/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/07/02/why-cant-gannett-put-the-net-into-news-gathering/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Gannett Co., the largest newspaper company in the country, will lay off another 1,000 (1,400 according to Gawker) of its 41,500 employees to help combat declining revenues.

In the scheme of things, that's about 2%, an insignificant number, but it's one more piece of bad news about an industry that just can't seem to pull itself out of a hole.

Lots of things have been said about the failing newspaper industry, in large part because so many of us word wranglers have newspaper backgrounds and can't restrain ourselves. It's frustrating to see the business we know and love go down the drain.

Continue reading Why can't Gannett put the 'net' into news gathering?

Why can't Gannett put the 'net' into news gathering? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>careerGannettlayoffsnewspaper industryNewspaperIndustrytechnologyJennie L. PhippsThu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 ESTMarriott finds a way to slice the baconhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/06/26/marriott-finds-a-way-to-slice-the-bacon/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/06/26/marriott-finds-a-way-to-slice-the-bacon/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/06/26/marriott-finds-a-way-to-slice-the-bacon/#commentsFiled under: ,

The hotel company Marriott is cutting some fat out of its business by switching the breakfast meat to irregular cuts of bacon, according to a report in Fortune magazine.

The company says its executives pigged out on the odd-shaped pieces and were practically in hog heaven over this money-saving breakfast. It would be easy to roast Marriott for being piggish, but Fortune reports that times are tough at the company - as they are at most hotels now that legions of us are unemployed and don't travel any longer for business or pleasure.

For the first three months of 2009, Marriott's revenue per available room, an industry metric known as revPAR, fell by 17%. So it's understandable that they need to skinny down the costs and even a ham-handed approach to savings really isn't an oinky way to do business these days.

Continue reading Marriott finds a way to slice the bacon

Marriott finds a way to slice the bacon originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>baconmarriottmarriott hotelsMarriottHotelsmarriottinternationalJennie L. PhippsFri, 26 Jun 2009 10:00:00 ESTWhy argue about retirement? Keep working ... and keep your mouth shuthttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/06/23/why-argue-about-retirement-keep-working-and-keep-your-mouth/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/06/23/why-argue-about-retirement-keep-working-and-keep-your-mouth/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/06/23/why-argue-about-retirement-keep-working-and-keep-your-mouth/#commentsFiled under: , ,

On the eve of my friend Bill Frank's 80th birthday, his wife Winnie announced that if Bill made the decision to retire she would be forced -- after 60 years of wedded bliss -- to pack up and move in with her sister in Indiana.

I used to think Bill and Winnie were unique. But now as my husband and I approach retirement and the crabby-old-goat stage ourselves, it's clear that arguing over what comes next is hard to avoid.

A survey by Fidelity Investments featured in this USAToday.com story, concludes that 80% of couples don't see eye to eye on retirement.

Continue reading Why argue about retirement? Keep working ... and keep your mouth shut

Why argue about retirement? Keep working ... and keep your mouth shut originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>featuredFidelityfinancesmoney mattersMoneyMattersrelationshipsretirementsavingJennie L. PhippsTue, 23 Jun 2009 16:00:00 ESTOnly in Detroit: couple buys first home for $100http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/06/19/only-in-detroit-couple-buys-first-home-for-100/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/06/19/only-in-detroit-couple-buys-first-home-for-100/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/06/19/only-in-detroit-couple-buys-first-home-for-100/#commentsFiled under:

auctionWhen we moved to Detroit 12 years ago from South Jersey, we thought the city was a waste - beat up, crime-ridden and inhospitable. A dozen years later, we proudly call ourselves Detroiters and hope for better times to come. And now new homesteaders are lining up for auction deals that are starting at $5.

Housing prices here have crashed along with the automotive economy. This piece in the Detroit Free Press, focuses on a young couple who bought a Detroit house for $100 and are hoping to renovate and make it their home. Like so many others in the city, the property has been stripped of everything that could be resold, including all the metal and any woodwork with character. But it apparently hasn't been burned to the ground and the location is promising - Banglatown - on the edge of Hamtramck, a separate city within the borders of Detroit whose long-time residents, mostly Poles and Ukrainians, as well as Asian newcomers, have prevented the decline found elsewhere.

Continue reading Only in Detroit: couple buys first home for $100

Only in Detroit: couple buys first home for $100 originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>debateDetroithundred dollar houseHundredDollarHousereal estateRealEstateJennie L. PhippsFri, 19 Jun 2009 16:30:00 ESTBest Buy: Giving credit... where credit is duehttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/13/best-buy-giving-credit-where-credit-is-due/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/13/best-buy-giving-credit-where-credit-is-due/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/13/best-buy-giving-credit-where-credit-is-due/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Best Buy has snapped up Circuit City's list of store cardholders and welcomed them to the fold. If you're on the list of cardholders who were invited to swap, Dan Ray, editor-in-chief of CreditCards.com, which wrote about the switcheroo, says take the new card and be grateful.

If you didn't get the invitation -- or if you decline to switch, and shut down your card -- chances are you'll take a punch to the ol' FICO score.

You say you never use that card anyway? That's part of the game, Ray says: FICO wants you to use 30% or less of your available credit. Having a store credit card or two in your wallet means you have available credit. When you or the credit-card issuer shuts a card down, your credit ratio changes. Having fewer credit cards means having less credit available, so your debt becomes a higher percentage of your available credit. And that reduces your score. Yes, they get you coming and going.

Continue reading Best Buy: Giving credit... where credit is due

Best Buy: Giving credit... where credit is due originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>bankruptcyBest BuyBestBuyBig boxBigBoxCircuit CityCircuitCitycredit cardsCreditCardselectronicsfeaturedretailJennie L. PhippsMon, 13 Apr 2009 17:30:00 ESTMoney for nothing...and your house emptyhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/10/money-for-nothing-and-your-house-empty/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/10/money-for-nothing-and-your-house-empty/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/10/money-for-nothing-and-your-house-empty/#commentsFiled under: , ,

One in every nine homes is sitting vacant, according to the U.S. Census, as reported by USA Today. That's a lot of darkened windows.

Get out your calculator and do a little staggering math.

Housing units in the U.S. increased by 8.65 million from 2002 to 2007. During that period, the number of households rose by only 6.7 million. Subtract a half-million homes that were torn down or blown away by hurricanes or other disasters, and that leaves you with an excess of 1.3 million units -- not including vacation homes.

These vacancies produce winners and losers. These days I'm not sure which I am.

Continue reading Money for nothing...and your house empty

Money for nothing...and your house empty originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>featuredhousingmortgage messMortgageMessrecessionJennie L. PhippsFri, 10 Apr 2009 18:00:00 ESTAssociated Press wants users to pay uphttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/08/associated-press-says-it-wants-users-to-pay/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/08/associated-press-says-it-wants-users-to-pay/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/08/associated-press-says-it-wants-users-to-pay/#commentsFiled under:

The Associated Press, the news cooperative owned by 1,500 newspapers nationwide, as well as about 5,000 radio and TV stations, announced this week that it was going to demand payment from online publications that use its content without paying.

An article in The New York Times about the issue quotes William Dean Singleton, chair of the newspaper governing board of the cooperative and founder of MediaNews Group, which owns such papers as the Denver Post and the Detroit News. Singleton says that the AP plans to "seek legal and legislative remedies against those who don't" license and pay for AP content.

Good for the AP. It's about time.

Continue reading Associated Press wants users to pay up

Associated Press wants users to pay up originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>APAssociated PressAssociatedPresscontentDean SingletonDeanSingletonfeaturednewspapersreportersJennie L. PhippsWed, 08 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EST25 things Vanishing in America, part 2: Homes without cablehttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/06/25-things-vanishing-in-america-part-2-homes-without-cable/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/06/25-things-vanishing-in-america-part-2-homes-without-cable/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/06/25-things-vanishing-in-america-part-2-homes-without-cable/#commentsFiled under:

About 12.5 million U.S. households report not spending the average $55 per month required to have cable or satellite TV delivered to their television sets, according to information provided by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).

Nielsen breaks down how many people watch television over the air by race: white, 10 percent; African-American, 15 percent; Hispanic, 17 percent; Asian, 13 percent.

In other words, not very many people limit their viewing to over-the-air TV. Nielsen says some of the non-cable population live in remote places and some - mostly women - just aren't interested in TV.

All of this has been under scrutiny lately because Congress and the Federal Communication Commission have been pressuring the television industry to give up analog spectrum and convert to digital transmission, so the more versatile analog spectrum can be sold to other users for huge bucks. Converting to digital makes all the users who depend solely on rabbit ears on top of an old analog TV unable to receive the signal. Originally, the deadline for conversion was in February, but in light of the economic situation, the FCC delayed the final deadline for the DTV transition to June 12.

Continue reading 25 things Vanishing in America, part 2: Homes without cable

25 things Vanishing in America, part 2: Homes without cable originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>Jennie L. PhippsMon, 06 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST25 things vanishing in America, part 2: 401(k) company matcheshttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/06/25-things-vanishing-in-america-part-2-401-k-company-matches/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/06/25-things-vanishing-in-america-part-2-401-k-company-matches/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/06/25-things-vanishing-in-america-part-2-401-k-company-matches/#commentsFiled under:

The company match for employee 401(k)s is disappearing - just at the point where we need it most.

The Pension Rights Center has been keeping track of the phenomena. As of early March, 138 of the nation's largest and most prominent companies have ditched the 401(k) match.

That's too bad because not only do matches put more money in employees' pockets, they also motivate us to save more. Fidelity Investments, which is the country's largest provider of workplace retirement savings plans, released a study last month that said matching up to 3 percent of a workers' salary increased worker participation in retirement savings plans by nearly 10%.

In the long run, large companies have a vested interest in helping employees save for retirement. Otherwise, they may lose their older customers who without pensions will spend their golden years living in cardboard boxes - never buying much of anything.

Continue reading 25 things vanishing in America, part 2: 401(k) company matches

25 things vanishing in America, part 2: 401(k) company matches originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

]]>401K company match401k disappearing401kCompanyMatch401kDisappearingcompany benefitsCompanyBenefitsretirement savingsRetirementSavingsJennie L. PhippsMon, 06 Apr 2009 07:00:00 EST