Want a Comfortable Retirement? Move to Australia
Australia is not only the home of the koala, the kangaroo, and the duck-billed platypus, but may also be home to that other rare and exotic animal: the secure retirement.
Australia
Women and Money: Saving, Struggling and Teaching the Kids
A global survey on financial literacy confirms it: Men and women have different financial priorities. But what may surprise you is how styles vary from country to country.
World Stocks Surge; Dow Breaks All-Time High
World stock markets rose Tuesday as investors applauded China's pledge to stick to economic growth targets for its economy, the world's second largest. Outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao said the government would spend what it needs to meet the target of 7.5 percent enshrined in the latest five-year development plan.
Alone on Valentine's Day? Console Yourself With These Freebies
If you find yourself without a mate on Valentine's Day, don't despair: There are plenty of freebies out there to console you.
World's Most Expensive Cities
$9 for a loaf of bread in Tokyo? $2,100 for a dinner bill in Paris? To see which cities are the most expensive for residents and visitors, the Economist looked at the prices -- in U.S. dollars -- of everyday items in cities worldwide.
Markets Cautious Ahead of Debt Ceiling Vote
Stock markets traded cautiously on Wednesday ahead of a U.S. vote on raising the nation's borrowing limit temporarily. The House is set to vote on a motion to increase the nation's $16.4 trillion borrowing ceiling for three months.
U.S. Stock Prices Dip Ahead of Earnings Season Kickoff
U.S. stocks fell Tuesday as traders awaited the start of the corporate earnings season. Market-watchers expect the quarter's results could include many surprises because of events like Superstorm Sandy, the presidential election, and the narrowly avoided "fiscal cliff."
Freedom from Earsplitting Ads: The CALM Act Goes Into Effect
You may not have heard about the CALM Act before, but when you witness the results of the law, which goes into effect today, you'll probably want to applaud loudly. At last, TV commercials can no longer be broadcast at a higher volume than the programs they accompany.
How Much Weirdness Can You Buy for $5?
Welcome to a deeply bizarre corner of America's rapidly growing freelance economy: Fiverr, an online marketplace where nearly any small service you can imagine is available cheap, from tech support to Spongebob Squarepants imitations.
China's Trade Growth Slips Amid Global Economic Slump
China's trade growth plunged in June, hurt by weak U.S. and European demand and a Chinese slowdown, with a potential impact on economies as far-flung as Africa and Australia.
Look Who's Buying America Now!
While Americans are still reeling from the housing bust, people from around the globe are scooping up cheap American homes. Over the 12 months that ended in March, nearly 9% of all real estate spending in the U.S. was done by buyers from abroad. Is it "Rising Sun" all over again?
Stock Market Cuts Its Losses with a Late Rally
A late recovery on Wall Street wiped out most of the stock market's losses Thursday, leaving the Dow Jones industrial average down just 25 points. The Dow had been down as much as 177 points but came back sharply at the end of the day.
The World's Richest Woman: How Gina Rinehart Earns her Billions
Most of the richest women in the world have one thing in common: It was their husbands or fathers who actually earned the wealth. But while Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart inherited $75 million from her dad, it was by her own efforts that she multiplied that sum -- 386 times.
The 10 Happiest Countries in the World
Once again, 24/7 Wall St. has examined the OECD's report on life satisfaction. And once again, the United States fails to make the top 10 happiest nations in the world. Which countries do? Some may surprise you.
Friday the 13th's Worst Economic Disasters: Nightmares on Wall St.
Forget black cats, broken mirrors and unstoppable psychopaths in hockey masks -- on Friday the 13th, the biggest terrors sometimes hit our wallets. No, the Great Crash of 1929 didn't start on a Friday, but a fair number of financial disasters did.
China's New Supercomputer Means Business
China's race to space is the science and technology story grabbing the headlines these days. But it's China's down-to-earth move into semiconductor country that should worry investors most.
Scammers, Not Soldiers: Romance Cons on the Rise
Each year, a disturbing number of women fall prey to fraudsters posing as U.S. servicemen, who woo them long-distance, then ask for cash. "A couple of years ago we were getting hundreds of calls a year about this scam," says Christopher Grey of the Army Criminal Investigation Command. "Now we get thousands."
In Money Matters, 'Mentalist' Simon Baker Keeps His Head
Simon Baker plays a not-quite-psychic sleuth on The Mentalist and a shady brokerage boss in the new film Margin Call. But in real life, he's not trying to read the tea leaves of Wall Street to manage his money: His working class upbringing made him a very conservative money man.
Yvonne Strahovski: How to Manage Overnight Success
L.A. has been exceptionally kind to Yvonne Strahovski, the long, blonde spy-babe on NBC's Chuck and the lone pretty face in the new film Killer Elite. But if you don't get the help you need after your big break, Hollywood can kill you with kindness, so Strahovski had to adapt fast.
Vancouver Retains Title of World's Most Liveable City
For the fifth straight year, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, bested 139 other cities worldwide in ratings of "relative comfort" to hold onto the right to call itself the World's 'Most Liveable' City, according to new rankings by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
How to Stitch Cotton Into Your Portfolio?
Among the questions investors now face: How much rally is left in cotton since skyrocketing 171% already in a year? Among the variables to consider are weather, demand and how much more land gets devoted to cotton. Analysts point to better and worse ways to play this commodity.
Sugar Prices Surge on Australian Cyclone
Sugar prices hit three-decade highs of almost 36 cent a pound Wednesday due to the anticipated effects of the monstrous category 5 cyclone that just hit Australia, the world's third-largest sugar producer, which was already suffering from the effects of recent storms and floods.
Where Are Jobs Going Now? Peru, Bulgaria, Bangladesh. . .
The U.S. is hardly alone in losing work to cheaper skilled labor in foreign countries. Australia, Canada and Israel, among others, have dropped off Gartner's list of the top 30 countries for outsourcing. Here's where IT and business-processing jobs are heading.
Bill for Damage to Quantas's Airbus A380: At Least $70 Million
The Qantas Airbus A380 engine explosion earlier this month caused at least $70 million worth of damage to the plane, according to a new report from insurance-consulting company Aon. And the bill from the incident, which caused no injuries, could fly much higher.
Asia Leads the IPO Race as U.S. Drops Further Back
Over the last 11 years, Asia's IPO market has ascended while the U.S. market has imploded. Led by China, which has raised $76 billion through IPOs in 2010, Asia's share of global IPOs has increased from 12% in 1999 to 66%. Meanwhile, U.S. IPOs have declined from around 44% to 11% during the same time period, according to Bloomberg.
