cotton

Are you a fan of "the fabric of our lives?" Then you may be disappointed with the near-future prospect for cotton. Low production in China, India and Pakistan, and an increase in demand from these same growing markets, could result in a cotton shortage this winter, with higher clothing prices to...

Intended or not, the Fed's quantitative easing policies are destroying the dollar's value. That's pushing prices of commodities that Americans need -- such as food, cotton and oil -- ever higher. And it hurts companies as well as consumers.

Looking good isn't going to get any cheaper. Clothing makers plan to raise prices in 2011 as they struggle to absorb the impact of soaring cotton costs, The Wall Street Journal reported. It cites companies including Hanesbrands, Jones Group and VF as planing to raise prices by as much as 10%....

In Asia Wednesday Hong Kong's Hang Seng tumbled 1.9% to 23,165 and China's Shanghai Composite Index slid 1.5% to 2,997. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Index inched up 0.1% to 9,387.

Besides the unemployed, nobody is getting hurt worse in this economy than seniors. Prices on many commodities are skyrocketing, but the Consumer Price Index, which is the yardstick used to adjust Social Security for inflation, is virtually unchanged.

Cotton prices jumped to a record high on Friday on strong Chinese demand and the prospect of reduced supply. In New York, ICE December cotton futures touched 119.80 cents a pound, the highest price since 1995, The Financial Times reported. Sponsored Links Rising cotton prices will mean higher...

Here's news from the business world and other money matters to watch out for Tuesday (last updated at 7:28 a.m. Eastern time): Housing Finance Reform Set To Begin: Mortgages were at the heart of the 2008 financial crisis. And despite numerous pieces of legislation that have been debated and signed...

Cotton prices are nearing 15-year highs. Last week the price per bale for December delivery hit $85 -- up from $75 last month. High prices are good news for farmers, but it may mean consumers will pay more for T-shirts and jeans.

A severe food shortage is on its way, according to famed investor Jim Rogers. Food inventories are the lowest in decades and "[m]any farmers cannot get loans to buy fertilizer now, even though we have big shortages developing," he said.

That favorite t-shirt of yours could actually make you money. How? In this installment of Ask Jen, Jennifer Openshaw details how something as simple as a t-shirt can become part of your personal finance strategy. Jennifer Openshaw, author of The Millionaire Zone, is co-founder and president of...