Tapping into international markets is one way to expand your customer base and grow your small business exponentially. However, small businesses face many barriers to exporting including high shipping costs, unfair trade policies by other countries, cultural differences and other challenges. To help small businesses overcome these obstacles and mitigate the risk of exporting, the…
When it comes to providing, a parent’s job is never done. Food, shelter and clothing barely scratch the surface. What about college, weddings and help as children start their first careers? Balancing those latter costs with the priority of saving for your own future costs, like retirement, is tricky at best. I spoke with investors…
There aren’t many companies that consumers generally love, but whether it’s controversial operating practices, notorious executives or unpopular business models, there are plenty of companies that aren’t doing right by consumer perceptions. Every year, Consumerist offers up 32 candidates to see determine the business that is the most despised. Companies are paired up in tournament fashion,…
Early retirement sounds pretty good when you’re stuck in a cubicle counting down the hours until the weekend. If you don’t enjoy your job anymore and are looking forward to spending more time pursuing your own agenda, early retirement can be ideal. The challenge is that you need to save up for it and make…
Italy’s inflation-linked government bonds are outperforming conventional securities by the most in three years as investors disregard subdued increases in consumer prices in their hunt for value in euro-region debt markets. Italian index-linked bonds returned 8.6 percent this year through yesterday, exceeding the 7.5 percent gain on nominal securities, according to Bank of America Merrill…
For the past seven years, I’ve made money off of every online purchase I’ve made. It wasn’t because I’m incredibly talented at finding coupon codes, patient enough to wait for sales or secretly running an eBay business in my home. It was because I’ve been taking advantage of cash-back shopping, and often combined those savings…
Lori seems to have had bad luck with landlords. When she left her first apartment, she says she cleaned it thoroughly but her landlord charged her $1,200 for a cleaning fee. They kept her $500 security deposit toward that cost, then charged her another $675, which they turned over to a collection agency. In the second case, she…
Rising income inequality is starting to hit home for many American households as they run short of places to reach for a few extra bucks. As the gap between the rich and poor widened over the last three decades, families at the bottom found ways to deal with the squeeze on earnings. Housewives joined the…
Early retirement often seems impossible. It’s difficult enough these days to retire at age 65, so the thought of retiring early is a pipe dream for most people. Yet somehow this dream has become a reality for some diligent savers. In extreme cases, a few people have retired at an age when most of us…
Holiday shopping season is in full swing, and smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices once again top many shoppers’ gift lists. Given how expensive many popular gadgets have become, one big question many shoppers are facing is whether or not to tack on an extended warranty to protect themselves should their electronic devices come to…
