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October 2009

February 08, 2012

Amazon to open real-world store this year: report

Amazon doesn’t need any PR bumps, but let’s give it one anyway, shall we?

A_com_logo_RGBMy favourite Amazon story goes like this: one weeknight in 2010, I caught a late-night showing of The Social Network. Certainly, it was the year’s best movie, and so inspired was I that I came home and said, Hey, I oughtta read the book that was made from.

So sometime after midnight, well into the a.m., I placed an order for Ben Mezrich’s “The Accidental Billionaires.” Before the end of the next work day, it was at my door.

I’m not a paid Amazon advocate, just a fan of its convenience. So why, then, would a service as punctual as the web retailer actually open its own bricks-and-mortar store?

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Posted at 12:36 PM in Consumer news, Current affairs, Shopping | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

October 30, 2009

When lay offs become permanent

Whether it starts with wage rollbacks, reduced workweeks or unpaid leaves of absence, being laid off is hard.

But being told you’re being downsized, when you’re really being fired, is much worse,

Too often, employers – either because it has a better ring to it, reduces the emotional pain, or implies that the decision actually had little to do with any one individual – prefer to characterize job loss as a lay off. 

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Posted at 06:47 AM in Career | | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

Madoff victims finally get first cut of repayment

While 71-year-old Bernie Madoff sits tight in a North Carolina prison till he’s, say, 221 … life goes on.

It might seem weird to think, because when the Ponzi scammer was sentenced to 150 years in jail earlier this year, much of the public closed that chapter. The bad guy got what he deserved, now let’s move on.

Well, for about 1,558 people, it’s not that easy.

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Posted at 05:23 AM in Current affairs | | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

October 29, 2009

Shopping on your cell phone: made easy by Amazon

Anyone who shops on Amazon swears by Amazon.

The site has anything you’d ever want, for prices that are – more often than not – better than those offered by local big box retailers.

But it’s the ease of Amazon that makes it stand out above the rest.

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Posted at 05:13 PM in Consumer news | | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

October 28, 2009

Sustainability hurts business? It's a myth

ConfessionsRadicalIndustrialist I earned the handle “Radical Industrialist” some time back in the late 1990s, when my company and I were beginning to chart our course up what we have called “Mount Sustainability”, and first began to talk about it with other businesses.

The idea that we could take our petroleum-intensive carpet manufacturing business and re-imagine processes, products, and even the way we went to market was considered “radical” in the context of business as usual.  Today, we’re 15 years into our journey and green is not necessarily a radical notion any more. Whether you think sustainability is the right or the smart thing to do (we’ve found that it is both) you can’t help but notice the business case we’ve been able to demonstrate at Interface:

1.Costs are down, not up, dispelling the myth that sustainability is expensive.  Our first initiative, a zero-tolerance waste initiative, has netted us over $400 million in saved or avoided costs, more than paying for all the costs associated with pursuing sustainability.

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Posted at 10:57 AM in Books | | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Retirement something of a lottery: report

Retirement is a lottery where the chance of winning is more dependent on just when you retire rather than the soundness of any investment plan, says Michael Nairne who head ups a Toronto firm that dubs itself a family office for “exceptionally affluent families.”

The truth is you’re probably better to leave work following an extended downturn rather than when times are booming, his research suggests – encouraging news for all those being forced out the door these days.

Here’s his analysis.   

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Posted at 05:51 AM in Personal finance | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

October 27, 2009

Would you live in a haunted house for cheaper rent?

People will do anything to save a buck.

Some skimp on haircuts. Some on child care. Some can’t even afford pants that reach their shoes.

But where resting your head is concerned, rent is often something you can’t cheap out on.

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Posted at 07:13 PM in Current affairs | | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)

Accused Madoff conspirator found at bottom of swimming pool

The intriguing trials of Bernie Madoff have taken yet another turn.

At a time when the Ponzi schemer’s every move had already become tabloid fodder, an associate of the disgraced financier was found recently at the bottom of his oceanside swimming pool.

Jeffry Picower, who is accused of netting more than $7 billion from the Madoff scam, died a short time later at a nearby hospital.

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Posted at 01:06 AM in Current affairs | | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

October 26, 2009

You're going to be retired for a very long time

“The good news is: we’re living longer. The bad news is: we’re living longer.”

That’s a central theme in author Terry Savage’s new book The New Savage Number: How Much Money Do You Really Need to Retire – a handy guide that walks you through the process of deciding how much more you need to save each month to reach your “magic number.”

It's a sobering read, particularly when you look at how long your money has to last – the top priority for investors, according to a recent J.P. Morgan study.

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Posted at 08:16 AM in Retirement | | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

October 23, 2009

Naming a building after yourself cheaper in the recession

This recession’s proven a tough time for the wealthy.

Yeah, they’re still sopping-wet with money, but the rich have seen their fortunes shrink. Country club benefits have been trimmed. Private jets have given way to unbearable first class flights. Trust funds have evaporated to mere millions.

But, hang on a second, let’s not break out our violins for the well-to-do just yet.

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Posted at 05:27 PM in Consumer news, Current affairs | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Car rental costs continue to rise

If you haven't rented a car recently, you'll be amazed at how much rates have increased –  despite the fact that airlines, hotels, and cruise lines have been cutting their prices all over the place.

The car-rental business is struggling big time. In fact, agencies are squeezed so tightly they can no longer maintain enough supply to meet demand, according to the Globe and Mail.

Companies are selling their fleets of vehicles and not buying enough replacements. The result: Rising rates and unhappy customers. Business travellers, the industry’s lifeblood, regularly report showing up at major airports only to find no cars, or only older ones, on the lot.

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Posted at 05:57 AM in Consumer news | | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

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AUTHORS
Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

Jason BucklandJason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...

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