Our Business News

A recent blog post about fall maintenance mentioned having your furnace inspected/tuned up by a qualified heating contractor annually. One reader sent an email asking if this was really necessary – here’s his original question: “I have a question about furnace tune-ups. You say get one every year – is that really necessary? What do the HVAC guys actually do to the furnace to ‘tune’ it up? There’s no spark plugs to replace like a car tune-up, and my understanding is they basically vacuum out dust and inspect it. Couldn’t the homeowner do this himself? Or do I really need [...]

Dear Dave, I recently got engaged. Is it okay for us to go ahead and combine finances and start working on a budget before we get married? -Adam Dear Adam, No, it is not okay to combine finances with anyone to whom you’re not married. And by “okay,” I mean wise. I’m happy that you’ve found love, but all kinds of things can happen before the rings are slipped onto your fingers. I’m not wishing bad things on you, but what if you spend time paying off her debt, or vice versa, and then the relationship doesn’t work out? Bringing [...]

The first half of October has played out like a medical melodrama. A meningitis outbreak flared across the country, killing or sickening more than 250 people in 23 states. Doctors nationwide scrambled to warn patients that they could have received fungus-tainted injections. Then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a record number of deaths in the U.S. in 2011, more than 2.5 million. Two weeks of warnings: That’ll kill you! News about life-shortening problems collected Oct. 1-12 Air: Bad air from house mold can cause asthma. Airbags: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA) warns that tens of [...]

Medicare was thrust into the presidential campaign spotlight when Republican Mitt Romney chose his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the author of a plan to dramatically overhaul the federal health insurance program for older Americans. Now, rhetoric from the Romney campaign and President Barack Obama’s camp has created what the nonpartisan, nonprofit media watchdog FactCheck.org labeled a campaign season of “Mediscare,” with both sides offering plans to control Medicare spending while accusing the other of “hurting seniors.” By now, you’ve doubtless heard enough spin to make your head, well, spin. So let’s start with a few basic facts. Created [...]

You’ve purchased a new energy-efficient washing machine and refrigerator. So, will your utility bill reflect a huge savings? The easy answer is: It depends. It depends on the size and age of the appliance you’re replacing, as well as your definition of “huge” savings. The average U.S. household spends $ 2,200 per year on energy – nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling, according to Energy Star and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Of the rest, 14 percent goes to heating water, 12 percent to lighting and 13 percent to appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, dryers and [...]

The National Retail Federation says that the average back-to-school costs for American families will be $ 688.62 this year. At first, I thought that was way too high and hyped up. My daughters, eight and 10, do have a long list. My third grader — I’m looking at her list right now — has 23 items on her list, which includes glue sticks, Post-It notes, crayons and then more unusual items like Ziploc Bags and personal headphones to wear when she works on a computer. Still, $ 688? But then I realized that the NRF is including all families, from [...]

The annual physical has become an enshrined institution in this country, no matter how much we dread it. In the past, annual physicals were touted as a top way to stay healthy and provide a comprehensive health assessment to ward off any long-term illness.  But now the medical profession has become divided on the value of these costly yearly checkups. Family doctor Rick Madden  says the exams builds trust between the patient and doctor. Critics say the exams are often too costly for patients and that the disparity of services covered in the visit and the often false positives from [...]

What if right this moment your salary doubled in size? Imagine the possibilities: twice as many meals out, twice as much money for retirement and twice as many weekend getaways. Or heck, maybe that beach house you’ve always wanted would now be within reach. It’s easy to let your imagination run away with you, but would all of this bonus income add up to twice as much happiness? While most people would respond with a resounding yes, they’d be wrong: A new study conducted by the authors of the forthcoming book “Happy Money: The Science of Spending,” proves it’s not true. According to the [...]

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Despite a actuality which joblessness was thrown off to be means to 85% keep divided from 2011, a most appropriate joblessness price deliberation which Goal 2009, ultimate propagandize teachers sojourn unfortunate for pursuit in their sold attention continuous with analyze.   Yet college students in a little tools of investigate have been experiencing a little arrange of some-more severe impulse defence occupation. In suitability with a work simply by Georgetown University’s Focus upon Training as good as a Workforce, joblessness is by as well as vast increasing a along with certifications inside of non-technical fields; pattern premier confront a joblessness price continuous with 139%, people which have [...]