Road Crew Swears It Couldn?t Help Painting Yellow Line Over That Dead Raccoon

yellowlineroadmbWe're sure the dead raccoon didn't mind as he was no longer of this world by the time a road crew in Pennsylvania painted a yellow line over him, but now that crew's got some cleanup work to do, not to mention a fresh paint job. A spokesman for the state's Department of Transportation says [...]

Source: http://consumerist.com/2012/08/road-crew-swears-it-didnt-see-that-dead-raccoon-before-painting-yellow-line-over-it.html

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The Cost Of Debt Consolidation

Best Credit Card Consolidation Companies Opting for a debt consolidation can be a great solution if you are looking for a way to settle your debts, get lower monthly payments or maybe low interest rates. Don’t just sign any documents without reading and understanding the terms. Be sure you have read every clause and you [...]

The post The Cost Of Debt Consolidation appeared first on legal debt help online.

Source: http://www.legaldebthelponline.com/2012/06/30/the-cost-of-debt-consolidation/

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Pop Quiz: Are Small Businesses Really Driving the U.S. Economy?

 Bruce Watson is a senior features writer for DailyFinance, focusing on the political and cultural effects of economic events. His publications include Military Lessons of the Persian Gulf War, A Chronology of the Cold War at Sea, and Primal Picnics.  You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com or follow him on twitter at @bruce1971.

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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/08/11/pop-quiz-small-business-economy/

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What the Death of Savings Account Interest Means to Me as a Parent

Interest and Parenting
I often have a hard time explaining to my kids why they should put some of their money in the bank.

My 9-year-old daughter -- the crafty genius of the family, really -- had me at one point when she asked how much she'd be paid for trusting the bank with her cash. The honest answer is that she'd get paid basically nothing.

That naturally led to her asking what the point was in putting her money in the bank, making it harder to get to, especially when she isn't already a spendthrift.

My answer was essentially what it had to be: because putting money away for later is a good habit. Rates will rise at some point and she'll be paid more. For now, let's just build the habit, I argued.

"But honey, you'll earn a whole 9¢ in interest!"

Let's be clear that I'm not talking about college savings in this article. My wife and I sock away some money in 529 accounts for each of our kids whenever we can. Instead, I'm talking about a savings account my daughter owns: a mechanism designed to help her save for stuff she'd like to have.

Therein lies the problem. Record-low interest rates make for laughable returns for the average savings account: The very best savings deal published by Bankrate (RATE) offered just 1.05% for balances above $25,000 as of this writing, and just 0.90% for other accounts.

Many big-name banks offer 0.10% or even less. Among the better-known names, American Express (AXP) and Discover Financial (DFS) offer accounts that pay 0.85% and 0.80%, respectively, Bankrate reports.

Banks aren't doing me -- or any parent -- a favor by offering my kids essentially nothing for their cash. Under the best of circumstances, my daughter's $100 would earn her just $0.09 per year -- nowhere near enough to buy anything matters to her or any kid.

But it's worse than that. Bankrate shows that most mortgages now cost about 3% annualized, which means the vast majority of institutions that pay well below 1% on deposits earn 3% or more on the funds they've borrowed to lend to others.

Tim Beyers

What's the Point?

Banks have a right to make money, of course, so that delta shouldn't surprise me or anyone else. Yet I have a hard time arguing that saving is a wonderful thing to do when I know from experience that there are plenty of other ways to earn more.

It wasn't always this way.

My parents opened a passbook savings account for me when I wasn't much older than my daughter is now. Double-digit interest rates were the norm then, transforming every $100 or so I stored away from income earned as a newspaper carrier into $10 or more for every year that I kept the cash squirreled away.

My problem wasn't a lack of savings options. My problem was that, in spite of the remarkable rates I was being offered, I too often chose to spend on fast food, movies, and comic books. Only one of those (i.e., the comics) still has any meaning or value to me.

I Fear for Her Future

That's why it matters to me that my daughter comes to appreciate savings as a habit now, while she's still young, in order to avoid growing up as a spendthrift who struggles with debt as I have.

I'm also concerned about external forces. Between deficits, deflation, and the incessant political bickering among politicians who at least partially control the financial future of the United States, I wonder if any of the financial systems that have been in place to support prior generations -- Medicare, Social Security, tuition assistance, etc. -- will even survive to her adulthood.

Paranoia, you say? I suppose that comes with being a parent. But if I'm right that long-held safety nets are in the process of failing, my kids will need to cultivate the savings habit as a means of survival. And I've got to do all I can to help.

My next article for DailyFinance will explore some ideas for helping parents build the savings habit in their kids. Care to contribute? Leave a comment below to share your own struggles, suggestions, and successes.


Motley Fool contributor Tim Beyers didn't own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this article at the time of publication. The Motley Fool has created a bear call spread position in American Express. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended writing a covered strangle position in American Express.



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Source: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/08/11/savings-account-interest-parenting-money-values/

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Chipotle?s Stock Is Stuffed With Value And Here?s Why

We expect the average spend per visit to rise at an annual rate of 4% mostly due to Chipotle?s strong pricing and a general increase in menu prices with time, which is roughly in line with the industry so we don?t that will be a deterrent for the consumers.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2012/08/10/chipotles-stock-is-stuffed-with-value-and-heres-why/

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An Inside Look At Manchester United's Financials ? And Its Sponsors (MANU)

manchester united

It's been a heck of a week for Manchester United.

First it unveiled a staggering $559 million sponsorship pact with General Motors that will place the Chevy logo on the team's shirts in 2014—one of the largest in football.

Then the GM marketer who struck that deal, Joel Ewanick, was ousted from the company after whistleblowers claimed he hid its details from management.

And then, on Friday, the club went public on the stock exchange. As a result, all United's most recent financial information—including the budgets of its various sponsors—was made public in disclosures with the SEC.

Among those disclosures: That United does not have 659 million fans, as it has previously claimed.

This slideshow hits the highlights of United's business in terms of sponsors, TV broadcasting, social media presence, mobile advertising, and its debts and taxes.

First things first: Here are the top and bottom lines, with revenues from sponsorships ("commercial"), TV broadcasting and ticket sales broken out. Total revenue was £331 million in fiscal 2011.

United has a lot of fans. Its Facebook following has grown and grown.

This is United's total sponsorship revenue growth over the last three years. When the GM contract kicks in, revenue will be more than double the 2010 fiscal year.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/1RkMrCJlSe4/manchester-uniteds-financials-and-sponsors-2012-8

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George W. Bush Endorses Paul Ryan For VP: 'This Is A Strong Pick'

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Former President George W. Bush weighed in on Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick today, praising House Budget Chair Paul Ryan as the right choice for the GOP ticket

"This is a strong pick," Bush said in a statement circulated by the Romney campaign. "Governor Romney is serious about confronting the long-term challenges facing America, and Paul Ryan will help him solve the difficult issues that must be addressed for future generations."

It is a rare public endorsement from Bush 43, who has avoided the spotlight since leaving office and stayed out of the fray in the 2012 election cycle. The statement is also one of the first formal acknowledgments of Bush by the Romney campaign, which has largely avoided association with the former president, who remains unpopular with liberal and conservative voters. 

Bush has actually been on the Ryan bandwagon for quite a while  — a fact that Democrats are likely to jump on as they try to tie Romney to the former president's economic policies. No. 43 even asked Ryan to be his budget director, a position that was filled by Rob Portman, another V.P. shortlister, after Ryan declined.

Bush's praise today— and the Romney campaign's willingness to tout it — underscores the party unity that the Ryan pick brings to the Republican ticket. The Tea Party wave, and this year's vitriolic Republican primary have left the GOP deeply divided. Ryan is the rare candidate who can bring together the Establishment and anti-Washington elements of the party back together. 

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/-dBsELn8noM/george-w-bush-paul-ryan-mitt-romney-vp-vice-president-strong-pick-2012-8

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Here Are The Biggest Fails Of NBC's Olympic Coverage

Missy Franklin

NBC has received a ton of flak for its handling of the London Olympics.

Its live stream is horrendous, major gold medal events aren't being broadcast live, we're finding out who wins gold hours (and minutes) before the event is shown on NBC, etc. The list of complaints goes on and on.

Some people will jump out of their seats to defend NBC's Olympic coverage, and rightly so.

Whether it was online or on TV, NBC did provide its viewers with the opportunity to watch any event live.

With so many events to broadcast live and pay attention to, though, NBC was bound to drop the ball on its coverage from time to time.

From spoiling Missy Franklin's gold medal finish to its baffling decision to not air a touching tribute to the victims of the 7/7 London bombings, NBC certainly had its fair share of fails.

First, the Opening Ceremony -- NBC should have shown the tribute to victims of terrorism and the 7/7 attacks

NBC hilariously spoils Missy Franklin's gold medal win in the women's 100-meter backstroke

More on the Missy Franklin spoiler HERE >>

NBC not-so-hilariously airs a monkey commercial right after Bob Costas talks about Gabby Douglas and African-American girls

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/businessinsider/~3/Djzu9u0U7Sk/here-are-the-biggest-fails-of-nbcs-olympic-coverage-2012-8

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What?s To Come Of All The Space Left Over By Shrinking Big Box Stores?

emptylotIn recent years, a number of big box retailers and department store chains have begun the process of closing stores and cutting the size of some existing outlets. But since there isn't exactly a huge rush by other retailers to snap up those spaces, are we going to inundated with empty ghost stores that stand [...]

Source: http://consumerist.com/2012/08/what-should-happen-to-all-the-space-left-over-by-shrinking-big-box-stores.html

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