It’s Happy Hour again, TGIF and all that. Time to kick back relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Or a cold one. This roundup is brought to you by Apple Sweatshops, the Super Bowl Indicator, and the ultra low rates of the Fed.
iPhone Sweatshops
A news story last week introduces the socially responsible side of Apple and its suit of iProducts. Is it okay to buy products made by companies that use labor practices that are illegal in the U.S.? With 37 million iPhones sold last quarter, it certainly seems to be an acceptable practice. But should it be?
The Super Bowl Indicator
The Super Bowl Indicator was something I discussed last year at this time. It states that when a team from the original NFL wins the market goes up and when a team from the original AFL wins the market goes down. The Giants are an original NFL team, the Patriots an AFL team. If you have money in the stock market, you’ve got money on the game. Lets Go Giants!
The Fed Meeting
The Fed meeting statement was released this week. It expects to keep rates exceptionally low through at least late 2014. This Fed statement was expected by many. But the extended forecast into late 2014 went further than most anticipated as we saw rates drop after the call. This is great for anyone looking to borrow money cheap, like a refinance or new mortgage. But terrible for savings account rates. That said, this is good for stocks and the housing sector, if Europe can keep the bad news to a minimum.
Last Call
- It’s not Happy Hour without a good vodka deal. Wisebread offers up alternative uses for the fine spirit. Vodka, it’s not just for drinking anymore!
- Good tax help is hard find. Amanda has the answer to that problem with free tax return help. A great resource for this time of the year.
- I know next to nothing on real estate investing. But Afford Anything gets into a reader’s question on how to decide which rental property is a good investment or not. Some great, easy to use, information about rental properties.
- In the evolving drama of Suze Sellout, the N.Y. Times points out Orman’s advertorial masquerading as an advice column in Oprah’s magazine.
- Not to make this all about the error of Suze’s ways but the Wall Street Journal had a nice piece on her newsletter business scheme which she has a 50-50 partnership.
