Money: October 2007

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Where does all that cash really go?

The Women in Red take a fearless look at where they stand -- and map out what they need to do to get where they want to go.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

5 unloved stocks ready to shine

Here are a handful of troubled stocks that the MSN Money CAPS community thinks are now headed in the right direction.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

U.S. home prices fall again

Read full story for latest details.

Hollywood scripts its own Halloween horror

This must be some screenwriter's idea of a Halloween prank, setting the contract between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to expire on October 31. But can anybody in Hollywood appreciate how frightening the situation that's now coming to a head really is?

Saks sale: As pricey as its designer shoes

Saks, known for selling high-priced handbags and designer apparel to wealthy shoppers, may find its richly valued stock price a hindrance to its biggest sale yet: that of the company to a pair of foreign investors.

Help wanted: Merrill Lynch CEO

Taking on the top job at Merrill Lynch could turn an executive into a Wall Street legend, but it also has the potential to ruin anyone who takes the CEO post from the just-departed Stanley O'Neal. That stark choice may be one of the reasons Merrill hasn't lined up anyone just yet to lead the firm out of the crisis sparked by large losses from junk mortgages.

Why a Fed cut won't save Christmas

Could a Federal Reserve interest rate cut on Wednesday be the trick that treats tapped-out consumers to more spending money during the critical holiday shopping season?

Stocks struggle ahead of Fed

The Dow slipped and the broader market ended mixed Tuesday, after a choppy session in which investors mulled weaker economic news and lower oil prices ahead of an expected interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve Wednesday.

Google, Microsoft strength offsets an energy slump

Google jumps on news of a Google cell phone. Microsoft builds on last week's earnings momentum. The Fed is expected to cut interest rates Wednesday. Crude oil tumbles and slams energy shares. CEO Stan O'Neal isn't leaving Merrill Lynch hurting financially.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Tax break tug-of-war on tap

Lawmakers are looking to pass $71 billion worth of tax-break extenders this year. Most politicians support the extensions, but how to pay for them is another matter entirely.

The right math for your nest egg

Question: Why is it that most retirement calculators don't factor in the fact an investor would normally transition into bond and money market funds as retirement approaches? Moreover, few articles address how a flat or declining market in the year before retirement could affect the size of one's nest egg. What's an investor to do? - Peter Binoto, Pittsburgh, Penn.

Porn stocks worth, um, watching

In an industry that counts on impulse buys, video on demand and faster cell-phone Internet access should be a boon for publicly traded adult-entertainment companies.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Top-earning dead celebrities? Elvis, Lennon

The King reclaims his top spot on the list with a $49 million year, while settlements with Apple and EMI boost the Beatle to No. 2.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Inside the mind of the older investor

As pop culture portrays it, getting older means growing more conservative - in dress, politics and tolerance. In investing, the popular image is that of the little old man or woman living off dividends, bonds and CDs. And the advice of the financial planning industry for the most part has reinforced that idea - you can't afford a loss, so be conservative.

Oil: No longer a heavyweight

The days of rising oil prices alone threatening to knock out the economy may be over.

The $915B bomb in consumers' wallets

This past summer's subprime meltdown involved about $900 billion in now-suspect securitized debt, reckless lending, and consumers who buckled under the weight of loans they couldn't afford. Now another link in the consumer debt chain - credit cards - is starting to show signs of strain. And the fear that the $915 billion in U.S. credit card debt (an uncannily similar figure) may blow up has major financial institutions like Citigroup, American Express, and Bank of America strapping on their Kevlar vests.

Lawmakers may extend 'Do Not Call' list

Read full story for latest details.

The rising cost of Champagne

Thinking of getting Mom a new Fendi bag for the holidays -- or celebrating New Year's with Veuve Cliquot champagne? You might want to start buying now.

Lose $8 billion, pocket $160 million?

Stan O'Neal will be remembered for the massive write-down Merrill Lynch took under his watch. He leaves the Wall Street firm with his reputation in shreds but with a rich exit package.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

5 global stocks for a gloomy market

It's no time to throw your money around in the U.S. market, but I wouldn't shy away from some modest investments in companies with overseas angles.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

O'Neal walks with $161.4M

Read full story for latest details.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

BEA Systems 1 of 10 stocks to buy today

The maker of so-called middleware -- software that lets different types of programs share information -- appears on an MSN Money list of stocks poised for gains.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Plot twist: Hollywood writers may strike

Read full story for latest details.

Change careers without going broke

Switching professions late in your working life is a high-risk, high-reward move. Here's how to pull it off successfully.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Dowdy Holiday Inn to get $1 billion makeover

Faced with steep competition from Marriott, parent InterContinental Hotels tries to try to lure back business travelers. Upgraded hotels will sport a new logo, too.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Oil sets new record above $93

Read full story for latest details.

9 funds from the ETF bargain bin

We make our picks from the bottom up, checking to see which exchange-traded funds offer the biggest discounts from fair-value estimates.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Wall Street bets on rate cut

Stocks gained Monday, as bets that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates later this week distracted investors from record oil prices above $93 a barrel and another decline for the dollar versus the euro.

How a Fed rate cut raises oil prices

If you think oil price are high now, wait till Wednesday.

Citigroup: 'Gimme shelter'

This may sound silly, but let me ask you a question. Let's say that I maxed out my credit at Citigroup to speculate on a house whose market price is now less than what I paid. Citi wants its money, but instead I say, "Sorry, the house is selling for less than its true value. As soon as it sells for what it should, I'll send you a check." What do you think Citi's reaction would be? How about "Sir, where should I send the repo man?"

UBS warns: U.S. mortgages could sting

Read full story for latest details.

Is your 401(k) plan a clunker?

You probably already know you're in the driver's seat for funding your retirement. Here's how to tell if you're in a good plan -- and what you should do if you're not.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Dollar hits record low against euro

Read full story for latest details.

Top-earning dead celebrities? Elvis, Lennon

The King reclaims his top spot on the list with a $49 million estate, while settlements with Apple and EMI boost the Beatle to No. 2.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Greenspan: home prices will continue to fall

Read full story for latest details.

Supreme Court to review Exxon Valdez award

The Supreme Court will decide whether a $2.5 billion punitive damages award against Exxon Corp. -- now Exxon Mobil -- for its role in the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was excessive.

Boeing to repurchase up to $7B shares

Read full story for latest details.

The search for the next wonder drug

Investing in cutting-edge drug companies can reward you with both money and satisfaction; you could be funding a cure. But the risks are high. Elan offers a good case study.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Making good on a bad real estate bet

With a six-figure household income and good prospects, Heather and Todd Wade are off to a decent start in realizing their financial goals. But a few years ago, the young couple tried to speed things up by dabbling in real estate.

Oil, commodities push stocks higher

Crude oil tops $93, in part because of the falling dollar. Techs jump, helped by gains for Juniper Networks and Cisco Systems. Merrill Lynch rises ahead of CEO O'Neal's expected departure. The Fed is expected to cut rates on Wednesday. A bid for Saks Fifth Avenue?

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Vultures eyeing mortgage corpse

Since the subprime crisis erupted earlier this year, vulture investors looking for bargains have been circling battered securities backed by mortgages.

Tech stocks' pain proves they're vulnerable, too

Last week's roughing up of the technology sector indicates that the entire stock market is at serious risk due to recession.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

5 worldly stocks to weather the gloom

It's no time to throw your money around in the U.S. market, but I wouldn't shy away from some modest investments with overseas angles.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Merrill mum on CEO's fate

Stanley O'Neal was widely expected to step down from his positions of chairman and chief executive of Merrill Lynch & Co., even as the company remained silent Monday about his status within the firm.

Red Sox not the only Fenway champ

Even with a World Series sweep in hand, the offseason has yet to begin at Fenway Park. There's still money to be made by the owners of the Boston Red Sox, and much of it has nothing to do with baseball.

Time to refinance is now

Even if your loan isn't going to reset in the near future, there are good reasons not to wait. Sinking home values eat into your equity, making it harder to get a new loan.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Risky money market fund bets may be illegal

Did mutual fund companies fall afoul of a key federal regulation by allowing their money market funds to buy securities issued by the shadowy debt funds that are now struggling?

Will Merrill remain independent?

Could Merrill Lynch, wounded by huge bond losses in its just-reported third quarter, remain independent with a new chief executive to replace Stanley O'Neal, who is reportedly close to exiting the giant brokerage?

How to shrink your electric bill

After years spent watching his electricity bills climb skyward, entrepreneur Bill Wygal finally joined the green movement. The owner of five Ace Hardware stores in Northern California (Bill@billsacehardware.com), Wygal last year found a way to reduce the amount of energy used in two of his locations by at least a third. His bright idea: employing mechanized skylights that attract the sun's rays from dawn to dusk with solar-powered rotating mirrors to illuminate the interiors of his stores.

For sale: 2 million empty homes

The number of vacant homes for sale rose in the third quarter, according to the latest government reading that casts new harsh light on the weakness of the housing market.

After Friday's rally, watch the Fed

The Dow closes up about 135 points; crude oil briefly tops $92. Gains for Microsoft and Countrywide fuel the rally. Traders expect the central bank to cut rates again next week -- and trouble if the Fed doesn't. Reports suggest Merrill Lynch CEO O'Neal could be ousted.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Rare Bordeaux could uncork for $150,000

From a box of Franzia to a bottle of 1961 Chateau Petrus, there are few drinks with such a wide range of quality and cost as wine.

Baseball close to catching NFL as top $ sport

When it comes to sales, the National Football League used to dwarf Major League Baseball the way a defensive lineman towers over a batboy.

Wisconsin sobers up grocery stores

Read full story for latest details.

Big three credit-raters subpoenaed

Read full story for latest details.

First class gets a 'suite' makeover

As more airlines upgrade their first class offerings with soft sheets, big beds and a lot more privacy, the jet set may just be tempted to fly commercial.

Oil continues record run - tops $92

Oil prices hit fresh record highs Friday as traders fretted over global supplies and violence flared in the Middle East.

Paulson: Hot on India, cool on China

On Tuesday morning, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson gave a speech on China. It was called "Managing Complexity and Establishing New Habits of Cooperation" - a title that a therapist might borrow for a parents' lecture on coping with defiant adolescents.

Here comes $100 oil, and $3 gas

With oil prices setting records over $90 a barrel - and $100 looking ever more likely - experts say there's a good chance drivers will see $3 gasoline before the end of the year.

Wall Street banks on another rate cut

After reading the minutes of the Federal Reserve's September meeting, many on Wall Street concluded earlier this month that the central bank would not cut interest rates at its next meeting, a two-day session that wraps up Wednesday.

Wall Street's big rally

Technology led a broader stock advance Friday, as Microsoft's upbeat earnings and Countrywide's optimistic outlook overshadowed any potential worries about a plunging dollar and surging oil and gold prices.

What the Boss can teach CEOs

Two hours spent at a Bruce Springsteen concertyieldsinsights into how the best in the business can stay intimately connected to their market.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Friday, October 26, 2007

Microsoft's 'Halo' effect

Microsoft Corp. reported quarterly earnings Thursday that beat analysts estimates, citing robust demand for its Vista operating system as well as its top-selling new video game "Halo 3."

Baby seats recalled after 28 head injury reports

About 1 million baby seats sold at major U.S. retailers are being recalled after the Consumer Product Safety Commission received 28 reports of serious head injuries, including three skull fractures, after young children fell out of the seats when they were placed on tables.

Housing, financial losses are no surprise

Are any of us shocked any more by the fact that the housing numbers stink and that financial companies are being affected by all the bad loans? If this news does surprise you then maybe the best course of action for you is to put all your cash in a mattress.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

More pain than profits lay ahead for banks

Merrill Lynch stunned Wall Street this week when the company said it would take a loss totaling $8 billion, punctuating a particularly dismal earnings season for the banking sector.

Timing counts

Discipline and planning are the keys to successful investing, as one of our players proved this week.

Read More...

[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Stocks pare losses

Stocks ended lower for the second straight session Thursday as record high oil prices in addition to lackluster earnings and economic reports fueled investors' nervousness about the direction of the economy.

Facebook may be seeking more cash - reports

Facebook Inc. is looking to hedge funds and private equity investors for an additional $260 million in investments on top of the $240 million in funding it's already receiving from Microsoft, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Oil hits new record over $90

Oil prices hit a record high Thursday of more than $90 a barrel after reports indicated that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has no plans to increase production.

Is marriage a dumb move?

Michele Mann was doing just fine on her own, thank you. She had launched a successful interior design business, which now earns her about $100,000 a year. She'd nearly paid off the two-bedroom Phoenix condo she had bought for $450,000 in 1992. And she'd amassed a handsome portfolio.

Ditching a dreadful money manager

Question: After three years of negative returns, I need to find a new money manager. What should I ask and is there anything I can rely on that ranks the quality and returns for money managers?

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Friday, October 26, 2007

Blog Archive

About Me