If you're relaxing at home enjoying a pancake breakfast this New Year's morning, savor it while you can. The brazen theft, over the course of a year, of millions of gallons of maple syrup from Canada's strategic syrup reserve (yes, there apparently is such a thing), could spell higher prices for the "liquid gold" in 2013.
California has repeatedly sued Safeway since 2003 for overcharging shoppers. Now, a new CBS San Francisco report says that the company is not only continuing that practice, but also disobeying a court order intended to provide customers with restitution.
The holidays are a time for nostalgia -- and stuffing your stomach to the brim. So why not combine the two by taking inventory of a typical Christmas dinner, from eggnog to fruitcake, and comparing today's prices -- and, in some instances, portions -- to those of yesteryear?
It's happened to all of us. You head into the drugstore to grab some aspirin or toothpaste and you walk out carrying a bag stuffed with impulse items -- even groceries. Those impulse buys will cost you -- a lot: A new report from finds drugstore prices average more than 36% higher than supermarket prices.
Over the past year, the prices of many commodities have risen at record paces to record highs. But recently, those prices have begun to plunge, and consumers should begin to see the effects of those declines fairly soon, in the form of less-expensive groceries and clothing.
The inflation bells are ringing. You've seen the jump in prices at the grocery store, and, maybe more significantly, at the gas pump. But are these price hikes a sign that inflation is about to take off, or are they just temporary increases?
Food prices are on the rise, with the USDA now anticipating increases of 3% to 4% this year. But there are some ways to minimize the damage to your grocery bill. From shopping smarter to avoiding processed foods, learn some tricks to help stretch your food budget.
Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler says when airlines last raised fares in 2008, most travelers kept on flying. But as Mideast upheavals send oil prices skyward and airlines hike fares again, the impact on the bottom line could be quite different.
With Mideast turmoil chasing oil higher and stocks lower, it's a good time to check the charts and see what price levels seem to be key "lines in the sand." Some indicators have been warning for months that the steep rally was preparing to reverse.
Given an economy gaining steam and a vast expansion in the money supply, it's easy to assume a wave of inflation is up next. The causes of inflation, however, are anything but straightforward -- which is something investors need to remember.
It's no surprise that consumer prices are rising -- the prices of commodities from corn to cotton to copper are near record levels, thanks to shrinking supplies and rising demand worldwide. The question is whether the Fed will raise rates to combat this price inflation -- and whether it should.
