top stories in News Reel
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New Of -the -Month Clubs: Worth It?
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Grad School: Higher Degrees of Debt
10 things
10 Things Facebook Won't Say; Even post IPO, the social network that wants users to share everything may not always be quite so forthcoming.
SmartMoney.com1. "We were in the right place at the right time." In the hit movie The Social Network, a college student dumped by his girlfriend reacts by building a crude precursor to "Thefacebook" website. And while Mark Zuckerberg, the entrepreneur ...
10 Things Hollywood Won't Tell You; Now playing: sequels, 3-D reruns and long ads.
SmartMoney.com1. "The real nail-biter? Our balance sheet." Picture it: captains of industry struggling to stay relevant in a world they no longer understand. It may sound like a Citizen Kane-esque cinematic saga, but it's actually the story of today's ...
10 Things Flea Markets Won't Tell You; How to avoid getting fleeced at this favorite American pastime.
SmartMoney.com1. "You can find better prices." Barely a weekend goes by without a flea market visit for Terry Grahl, a Detroit-based interior designer and flea-market fanatic. She shops for her nonprofit work decorating women's shelters and to add to her ...
10 Things; 10 Things Your Hairdresser Won't Say; What customers need to know to get their fair shear at the salon.
SmartMoney.com1. "Money grows on you." Hairdressing is often described as "recession-proof" because it is one of the last purchases consumers give up during tough economic times. People will wear old clothes but find it difficult to skimp on a good ...
10 Things Open Houses Won't Tell You; Experts say the real-estate marketing tool rarely helps sell homes -- but often trips up buyers.
SmartMoney.com1."We're hopelessly out of fashion." Once a primary tool for real-estate agents looking to sell a home, experts say the traditional open house has lost its influence in the Internet age. Nearly 90% of buyers search online for homes, while ...
10 Things Seafood Restaurants Won't Tell You; With fewer fish in the sea, serving up selections from the desert -- and the lab.
SmartMoney.com1. "It's your fault our prices are rising." Americans are crazy about their fish -- maybe a little too crazy. U.S. seafood consumption has been rising steadily since 1960, and a recent study published in Conservation Biology reports that up ...
10 Things the IRS Won't Tell You; Think your taxes were complicated last year? It's even worse this year.
SmartMoney.com1. "Like it or not, you may need help with your taxes." When Cindy Hockenberry and her husband sent in a tax-penalty payment in 2007, they knew there was a chance their math might not jibe with the IRS's. When that turned out to be true and ...
10 Things Online Data Collectors Won't Say; They know your online browsing secrets. We reveal their hidden tactics.
SmartMoney.com1. "We're always watching you." If you're reading this on the Internet, chances are you're being followed. More than 200 data collection companies and ad networks use approximately 600 different tracking technologies to gather and sell ...
10 Things Your iPad Won't Say; We turn the tablets on the wildly popular gadget.
SmartMoney.com1."The 'i' isn't for 'inexpensive.'" A record 3 million people ordered the latest version of the iPad during the weekend after its debut on March 16 -- the strongest launch for the device yet. With prices ...
10 Things Your Employees Won't Say; We reveal all the lies and deceptions that go into an honest day's work.
SmartMoney.com1. "I'm not really sick ..." Jeremy Goldman would never have known his employee was lying when she called in sick had he not been checking Instagram, a social network where users post photos that anyone can see. It was the ...
10 Things Campaign Managers Won't Tell You; The truth from those who make the polls, the ads and the money.
SmartMoney.com1. We handle CEO-worthy budgets... While it's been growing for decades, campaign spending is set to reach new heights this year. In 2000, President George W. Bush broke records, raising $100 million before the primaries. But that's ...
10 Things NCAA Basketball Won't Tell You; With March Madness upon us, we look past the sidelines.
SmartMoney.com1. "We're the reason nobody got anything done last week." Gavin Landry isn't a big pro basketball fan, but he loves college hoops -- especially March Madness, the NCAA's three-week tourney to crown the best team in ...
10 Things E-Books Won't Tell You; Don't dismantle those bookshelves just yet. We reveal why e-reading is still far from perfect.
SmartMoney.com1. "We're not one-reader-fits-all." When her Sony Reader's battery stopped holding a charge, Kelly (last name withheld for privacy) decided to replace it with a Kindle Touch. But she says she had to use illegal cracking ...
10 Things the Oscars Won't Say; Our backstage pass to Hollywood's biggest night of the year.
SmartMoney.com1. "Studios are desperate to boost February ticket sales ..." The 84th Academy Awards Ceremony will bring downtown Los Angeles to a standstill this weekend, as hundreds of limousines carrying some of the most famous -- and valuable ...
10 Things Prepaid Card Issuers Won't Tell You; Suze Orman and A-Rod are pitching these popular products, but experts say beware of the pitfalls.
SmartMoney.com1. "Our fees are outrageous." Prepaid cards are the hottest things going in plastic these days. They allow consumers to load money onto the card and make purchases or cash withdrawals. Unlike a debit card, prepaid cards aren't ...
10 Things Baristas Won't Tell You; For starters, don't call them slackers or hipsters -- unless you want to get "decaffed."
SmartMoney.com1. "We didn't exist 30 years ago." Coffee is serious business: There are roughly 50,000 coffee shops in the U.S., posting $18 billion in annual sales, and according to a survey by the National Coffee Association, 24 percent of ...
10 Things Start-Ups Won't Tell You; We reveal some secrets of the American Dream.
SmartMoney.com1. "Our businesses will probably fail." Americans are creating more new businesses now than they have in the past 15 years. But half of those start-ups will fail within their first five years, according to the Small Business ...
10 Things the Super Bowl Won't Say; We blitz through the hype of America's favorite sporting event.
SmartMoney.com1. "Good luck getting a ticket." Close to 100,000 football fans will pack into the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Feb. 5 to see the New England Patriots battle the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. But as ticket prices have ...
10 Things Electronics Retailers Won't Say; We reveal what's behind all those gadget sales, and the truth about warranties.
SmartMoney.com1. "That item you just bought isn't really in stock." Chicago resident Andrew Schrage was thrilled to get the email from BestBuy.com confirming his order for a Black Friday door-buster -- a 42" Sharp 1080p LCD flat-screen ...
10 Things Customer-Service Reps Won't Tell You; A little light reading while you're on hold.
SmartMoney.com1. "You can't always get what you want." After an Apple store employee failed to help Amy Levine find an accessory for her old iPod, the indignant New Yorker dashed off a letter describing the poor customer service to the late ...
10 Things Pollsters Won't Tell You; Why you should think twice about those survey results this election season.
SmartMoney.com1."We'll keep you home on Election Day." Remember when Hillary Clinton was racing ahead in the polls during the Democratic Primary of 2008? Political analysts say that early lead was good news for one man: President Barack ...
10 Things Debit Card Issuers Won't Tell You; As fees continue to rise and rewards slide, are there incentives left for using debit cards?
SmartMoney.com1. "Debit-card fees are far from gone." The past few months have been a big win for consumers in the fight against debit-card fees as Bank of America, Wells Fargo and SunTrust Bank abandoned plans to charge debit-card usage fees. ...
10 Things Medicare Won't Tell You; The government's massive entitlement program is full of costly glitches.
SmartMoney.com1. "We fork over millions for unproven procedures." Medicare spends millions of dollars each year on treatments that many medical experts deem unnecessary. One example: Digital mammograms. These are often more expensive than ...
10 Things Vacation-Rental Sites Won't Say; How to keep your dream getaway from becoming a nightmare.
SmartMoney.com1. "We're growing so fast..." Since 2008, when Americans spent $24 billion on vacation rentals, the industry has undergone a veritable sea change, thanks to a new breed of travel-booking websites, like Airbnb, Roomorama, ...
10 Things Santa Won't Tell You; His hearty "ho-ho-ho" might scare the children and ruin your budget.
SmartMoney.com1. "Your wish list pays my bills." For three weeks of Santa appearances in Hong Kong malls, children's hospitals and orphanages, Jack Sanderson of Los Angeles estimates he'll earn about $16,000. "It's one of the ...
10 Things Broadway Won't Tell You; High prices, creative advertising and second-rate acts lurk on the Great White Way.
SmartMoney.com1. "Don't believe our rave reviews." Here's what the critics are saying about some Broadway marketing departments: "Out of context!" and "Stretching the Truth!" The reviews by veteran theater critics ...
10 Things Stores Won't Say About Black Friday; Read this before heading out on the toughest shopping day of the year.
SmartMoney.com1. "Black Friday's popularity is on the skids...so prepare for more marketing." Despite all the hype surrounding Black Friday, the number of consumers who plan to hit the stores and shopping malls on Nov. 25 may be down again ...
10 Things Steakhouses Won't Tell You; On the menu: 3,000-calorie sides and so-so steaks.
SmartMoney.com1. "We're too popular for our own good." Got beef? Despite the sluggish economy and dietary warnings about too much red meat, steakhouses have (pardon the pun) done well in recent years. For 2011, sales for the premium steak ...
10 Things Baby Boomers Won't Say; The aging Me Generation is still putting itself first.
SmartMoney.com1. "Paws off, Junior, this cash is mine." Don't expect a big inheritance from your boomer parents -- even if they are rich. Less than half of millionaire boomers say that leaving money for their kids is a priority for them, ...
10 Things the SEC Won't Tell You; Wall Street's watchdog isn't as fierce as you might think.
SmartMoney.com1. "We will never live up to your expectations." "Occupy Wall Street" protestors aren't livid with just the financial industry. They're also mad at the people who were supposed to be policing that sector. On ...
10 Things Trick-Or-Treaters Won't Say; This Halloween the candy's on you -- but so are the scares.
SmartMoney.com1. "We carefully picked your neighborhood." The average $21 or so the National Retail Federation estimates most Americans will spend on Halloween candy this year might only buy Susan Stroga enough to last through an hour of ...
10 Things Debt Collectors Won't Say; The truth behind all those threatening calls.
SmartMoney.com1."We'll say anything to get you to pay." "You just need to pay me $1,200 by 2 p.m. or I'm going to send the sheriff out to arrest you." That's what one debt collector told a client of credit counselor Jan ...
10 Things Amtrak Won't Tell You; Is America's passenger-train service going off the rails?
SmartMoney.com1. "We've never been in the black." First, the good news: Amtrak ridership has never been higher, up 6 percent to nearly 29 million rail passengers last year, and on track to hit 30 million in 2011. But when it comes to ...
10 Things Student Loan Companies Won't Say; Sure, they'll help pay for college. But good luck paying them back.
SmartMoney.com1.Your co-signer could do you more harm than good Before they will lend thousands of dollars to a college-bound 18-year-old, many lenders will require a cosigner. Approximately 80% or more of private loans have a cosigner, according to the ...
10 Things College Football Won't Say; The whole nine yards on America's obsession.
SmartMoney.com1. "You can't get a scholarship ..." For many high-school jocks, the dream of playing for their favorite college begins in Pee Wee. But the harsh reality is that only a lucky few get the letter. Of the roughly 1.1 million kids ...
10 Things Pension Plans Won't Tell You; Yes, they still exist. And some of them toy with taxpayer money.
SmartMoney.com1. "We're disappearing." Not long ago, many jobs came with a pension -- monthly checks paid upon retirement for the rest of an employee's life. But nowadays, workers frequently switch jobs and companies are struggling to ...
10 Things Social Security Won't Tell You; The secret of bigger benefits, and the truth about the agency's bottom line.
SmartMoney.com1. "Long-term deficit? We can hardly afford our bills today." Worried about the future of Social Security? You're far from alone. The Social Security Administration itself has said that unless something is done to reform the ...
10 Things Economists Won't Tell You; Why their forecasts should be taken with a shaker of salt.
SmartMoney.com1. "We won't predict the next crisis..." In recent turbulent weeks, investors have once again turned to economists to help them set their course. But an Ouija board may serve them just as well. From Federal Reserve chairman ...
10 Things Twitter Won't Tell You; The truth behind all those tweets.
SmartMoney.com1. "Want to make a big impact? Good luck." Twitter, the social-media platform that lets users communicate in short posts called tweets, has exploded since its launch in 2006, from 15,000 accounts then to 200 million today. ...
10 Things Your Parents Won't Tell You; Good news: Mom and Dad are loaded. Bad news: They love your brother best.
SmartMoney.com1) "We're rich." Andrew and Warren K. Johnson knew their dad Warren W. collected coins, but it wasn't until after he passed away in April that they discovered the full scope of his hobby. Stored away in boxes on shelves ...
10 Things Candy Makers Won't Tell You; A look at the not-so-sweet side of the confectionery business.
SmartMoney.com1. "The economy can't shake us." With consumer confidence low and unemployment high, Americans aren't buying cars, houses and appliances. But they're not giving up their Snickers, Reese's or M&M's. This ...
10 Things State Fairs Won't Tell You; Step right up -- just don't look too closely behind the scenes.
SmartMoney.com1. "This one's on you – whether you attend or not." Not a big fan of your state's annual fair? You still may be funding it -- even if you've never set foot in the midway or bought a funnel cake. While most state ...
10 Things Fantasy Camps Won't Tell You; Rocking with the Stones, rescuing hostages, riding bulls: Getting your ya-yas out, boomer-style.
SmartMoney.com1. "It's not just your fantasy." Ever want to strum with the Stones? Star in a TV show? Sharpen your wilderness survival skills? Whatever your passion, there's probably a grown-up's version of summer camp for that. ...
10 Things CEOs Won't Tell You; Protectors of shareholder value? Sometimes. Secrets of the corner office revealed.
SmartMoney.com1. "You're not the boss of me." Technically, a CEO works for a company's shareholders, and his job is to run the company in such a way that produces profits and strong returns for those owners. In reality, a public ...
10 Things Life Insurers Won't Tell You; The coverage you can skip, and what's buried in the fine print.
SmartMoney.com1. We won't try to find your family. Even if you paid every premium in full and on time, it may not be enough to ensure a payout will reach your beneficiaries when you're gone. A task force of the National Association of Insurance ...
10 Things Shopping Malls Won't Tell You; Come hungry, stay late, and pay no attention to those "for rent" signs.
SmartMoney.com1. "We're a dying breed." Not long ago, Zan Jones, 43, took a trip to a mall in her hometown, Plano, Tex., and came home slightly depressed. The mainstays were still there – Dillard's, Sears, and a diner she's known ...
10 Things Your Neighbors Won't Tell You; The people living next door aren't who you think they are.
SmartMoney.com1. "Complaining will cost you dearly." When Richard Laermer and his partner moved into a Manhattan co-op, his next door neighbor invited them over to dinner. "We had a lovely wine-infused time," recalls Laermer, a PR ...
10 Things Receptionists Won't Tell You; When looking for the seat of power, try the front desk.
SmartMoney.com1. "I'm often underestimated." Whether it involves visiting a doctor's office, hitting the local fitness center or just heading off to work, there's nary a day many folks won't find themselves interacting with ...
10 Things Zoos Won't Tell You; It's not just the animals that are wild.
SmartMoney.com1. "We can't tame our budget." When Patti Clark took over as executive director of the Austin Zoo and Animal Sanctuary in 2007, she inherited financial records stuffed into plastic bags, $60,000 in credit card debt and ...
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10 Things Hollywood Won't Tell You
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