Covering personal finance is part journalism and part counseling. Pamela Yip, reporter and columnist for the Dallas Morning News, is here to make sure you don't go into it unarmed.
Nomophobia — fear of being without one’s cell phone — is on the rise, according to a survey released earlier this year by the U.K. firm SecurEnvoy. Two-thirds of the people it polled said they have the phobia, with many owning a back-up phone just in case. Mobile technology has come a long way from [...]
As bathing suit season looms, I’ve noticed a second wave of the weight-loss and exercise ads that typically rear themselves right after Jan. 1. Dieters who fell off the wagon back around Jan. 21 are getting a second prodding from the many commercial interests that cater to the overweight.
With several major jobs reports to be released this week – including the grand finale on Friday of the labor department’s Employment Situation survey – it’s likely your readers and viewers will have a taste for another workforce or jobs market story. From the long-term unemployed to the underemployed to grads (and their parents) worried about getting a career [...]
The Census Bureau released its quarterly-housing survey on Monday, and the headline is that the rate of U.S. home ownership has dropped to 1997 levels in our stagnant post-recession economy. That statistic alone can spark a number of business and finance stories, and the report (indeed the entire Census housing portal) offers plenty of fodder [...]
Two festive party occasions share the calendar on Saturday, making this an apt week for a variety of marketing stories. The Kentucky Derby, in which three-year-old Thoroughbreds will race for the 138th time, also is a decent peg for taking a look at the equine and racing industries in your state. For such a niche interest [...]
Motor vehicle sales are expected next week to post the most robust figures since 2007, and that’s a pretty good premise for a look at vehicle sales in your market. Even if you’re not on the consumer or retail beats, think about technology, manufacturing, jobs and small business angles. Are service firms like plumbers, roofers [...]
Residential real estate is still a buyers’ market, as Thursday’s report on existing home sales showed; a slight dip from the month before was attributed to a slowdown in investors snapping up vacant home. Five years into the bust, it’s hard to see when the gridlock caused by millions of vacant foreclosures, established home buyers [...]
Well, between the upcoming first anniversary of Britain’s Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the news about “Brangelina’s” engagement, the faint peal of wedding bells is in the air. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling complete indifference to movie star marriage proposals, but a news peg is a news peg, especially heading into the [...]
The tornado alerts have waned for the time being after last weekend’s deadly storms. But given the track record so far this year, and severe spring weather outlooks from AccuWeather and other forecasters, it’s probably a good idea to determine how you’ll cover any outbreaks from a financial point of view. Storms, flooding, high winds, [...]
