Economics
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Regarding The 2013 Federal Budget
A month into his Presidency, Obama knew there was a big problem he needed to address. Via.
How Much Is Spent On The Super Bowl?
On Sunday, February 5th, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will battle it out in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl XLVI championship while consumers also battle it out and compete for the top Super Bowl party. This is good news for retailers and advertisers since Super Bowl Sunday is the most important snack, electronic, and ad purchase day of the year. Consumers impress their friends with the biggest parties, the most snacks, and often the latest and greatest big screen TVs, increasing retail sales and sales tax revenue. Check out our infographic to see how much America typically spends on the Super Bowl.
The Art of Getting (And Giving) A Raise
For many, the most nerve-wracking conversation for both the employer and employee is a discussion about a salary raise. Nationally, employees will receive an average 3 percent wage increase this year. With this in mind, employers must carefully decide who gets a raise and when, while employees must perfect the art of salary negotiation. Consult this guide to become fully versed in the ins and outs of the salary raise. (Via: MindFlash. H/T: Tagged.com)
Rich Index: What It Takes To Be Considered "Rich" In America
How much money do you need to be rich? It seems that like beauty, wealth is in the eye of the beholder. A recent Gallup poll found that Americans’ perceptions of what it means to be “rich” vary by demographic group. Click “Launch Infographic” to see a visual guide on how other Americans define wealth. (Via: Tagged.com. H/T: Fife Nissan Dealers).
Shopping Our Worries Away: The Rise of "Retail Therapy"
Therapists are expensive. If you're going to spend the money, you might as well get a gadget or a new pair of shoes out of it, right? That's the theory, at least, behind "Retail Therapy". Click to enlarge.
Which College Degrees are Worth the Debt?
For years, tuition rates have far out-paced the rate of inflation. College students are now borrowing twice as much as they did just a decade ago. This year the total amount of student loan debt will exceed $1 trillion, the highest amount ever. This steep rise comes at a time of stubbornly high unemployment and economic frailty, creating a perfect storm. The combination of record student loan debt and high unemployment has put a severe burden on millions of young people. So, how can new college-bound debtors fight back? By choosing the degrees that are most likely to lead to jobs with high entry-level salaries. Click to enlarge.
The Holiday Obstacle Course: Navigating the Credit Maze
Surviving the holidays is a feat — but surviving the holidays debt-free is something to be truly proud of. During the holiday season, retailers try to squeeze every last dime from our pocket books and credit cards. But if we know what to watch out for, we could (easily or not) survive debt-free. The infographic below will help you navigate — and survive — the typical obstacle course that retailers and credit card issuers set for their customers, during the holiday season and beyond. Good luck! (Via: Credit Sesame. H/T: Conservative Haven)
As Holidays Approach, Which Gifts Will Get Returned?
We all know that the holidays are here. We also know in a down economy it's time to be frugal. Will you be returning gifts this year to put a little extra cash in your pocket? Will any of your gifts be returned? Should we even care?
Understanding the National Debt
It's hard for people to understand $15 trillion. To put it into perspective, here's what would have had to happen for the last 2011 years for it to be paid down. (Via)
What Are People Buying In Fall?
From September to November, shoppers head to stores in droves to pick up their favorite electronics, sporting goods, and more. But not all businesses thrive this time of year. Below, we examine what retail sectors get the biggest fall boost and what sectors fall flat. Via.
Use It Or Lose It: Small Business and the Time Factor
For small businesses, time is money. Even for expert multitaskers, there never seems to be enough time in the day for small business owners to accomplish everything on their to do lists. In fact, saving time in the back office is the top pain point we hear from small businesses, which is why we focus each new release of QuickBooks on shaving off valuable minutes and even hours in the workday (see what’s new in QuickBooks 2012 here). In this infographic, we look at how small businesses use their time and how they save it, by boosting productivity. (Via)
What Taxing the Super-Rich Would Look Like
The wealth difference between states demonstrates that certain states had much stronger increases in affluent taxpayers. Warren Buffett recently called to raise tax rates on taxpayers making more than $1 million and proposed an additional increase on taxpayers whose income exceeds $10 million. Where do the “super-rich live and what would it look like if they were given additional taxes?” Take a look. (Via)
The ROI of Studying Abroad
While freshmen are acclimating to their new college campus, many sophomores, juniors and seniors are learning the ropes of a new environment: the study abroad program. The most recent IEE report (released last November) indicates that 260, 327 American students elected to study abroad for credit during the 2008/2009 academic year. But studying abroad is expensive and in a struggling economy where tuition is already astronomical, many students must consider whether the investment in an international academic experience is really worth the extra money. In our latest infographic, we take a look at the ROI of studying abroad to evaluate whether it’s all fun and games or if there are real long term benefits to studying in another country. Click to Enlarge.
Fashion and Finance: How We Spend to Look Good
The last gasp of summer is here, which means many will be packing up their flip-flops and tank tops and trading them in for new jackets and sweaters. We opened up Mint.com’s data vault to get a better idea of just how much users are spending on their clothing purchases. U.S. Minters spend on average $161 on apparel purchases, but many city-dwelling users spend significantly more and also make more frequent shopping trips than the national average of 1.9 transactions per month. Source: Mint - Via: Automotive SEO.
Interviewing Etiquette (Infographic)
The first step to career victory is to prepare for an interview. Use these etiquette tips for interviews to ensure you are making the best impression possible to your prospective employer. Click to enlarge.
Smoothness In Discomfort: Running A Proper Exit Interview
Employees and employers agree that exit interviews are incredibly useful (as illustrated above, three-quarters of executives say they "always" or "somewhat frequently" act on comments collected during exit interviews) and there are many tools available online to help you run an effective interview. Hopefully this summary gives you a good head-start on the process if you don't already have your interviews formalized. Click to Enlarge.
Short Sale: What Exactly Is It?
If you’re one of the nearly 23% of homeowners whose properties now are worth less than the underlying mortgage loan and you find yourself in a situation where you have to move (a new job, perhaps, or because you can no longer afford the payments on this house and are hoping to downsize), the only way to sell your house successfully is either pay the bank the difference between the sales price and your mortgage balance out of your own pocket… or convince the lender to accept less cash than you actually owe. Click to enlarge.
The Realities of Food Trucks
For foodies who quickly grow tired of the same lunch spots surrounding their offices, their humdrum lunchtime routines have been delightfully shaken up by the food truck craze. For local restaurant owners who want to experiment with different locations without the pricey rent bill, their prayers have been answered by the food truck revolution. With low startup costs and the ability to try out location after location, food trucks seem like a can’t-lose, low-risk option for entrepreneurs looking to get into the restaurant game. But mobile noshing offers more than meets the eye. In this infographic, we explore the challenges of owning a mobile restaurant. Via - Click to Enlarge.
Flowchart: Should You Buy a Fixer Upper?
There are many factors that go into determining whether or not a fixer-upper is right for you — and while the flowchart below may seem like a lighthearted way of tackling this serious question, it’s a good way to get started thinking about this important decision. (via)
Why People Become Freelancers (Infographic)
In a recent survey of current freelancers, almost 63% said if given the choice they would continue freelancing over a full-time job. They reasons for this range from better working conditions to overall improvement in happiness and security. Below is an infographic look at why people choose to be a freelancers courtesy of our friends at Freshbooks.