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Man candles, male makeup and other Father’s Day business angles
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Man candles, male makeup and other Father’s Day business angles

Father’s Day still is a few weeks away; it falls on Sunday, June 16 this year. Already I’ve run across a couple of amusing promotions and products if you’re taking a retail approach to the observance, so figured I’d pass them along a bit early. Here’s a history of Father’s Day from the Old Farmer’s [...]

The job market: Check in with temporary and contract staffing agencies
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The job market: Check in with temporary and contract staffing agencies

If you’re casting about for a fresh take on jobs and the employment scene, pull up a seat for my annual suggestions for mining the temporary and contract markets. As well as being fertile ground for  a variety of stories, from career and personal finance how-tos, to colorful features on quirky and unique job niches, to [...]

Tornado follow-up stories, from preppers to personal finance
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Tornado follow-up stories, from preppers to personal finance

With the deadly Oklahoma tornados still top of mind — some meteorologists now say the storm had far more power than the atomic bomb the United States released on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II — you might want to contemplate another day or so of related business angles. Even if you’re far from the [...]

Wedding season small-business profiles and other angles
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Wedding season small-business profiles and other angles

Wedding season is arriving in many locales. It’s a nice opportunity to get some picturesque small business profiles, personal finance and hospitality stories onto the business pages.  And with weddings being among the biggest-ticket items most families spend on, you might find among nuptial trends some interesting economic indicators and other cues to your region’s [...]

Develop personal finance features from stock market headlines
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Develop personal finance features from stock market headlines

With stock market indices topping records and hitting psychological milestones like “Dow 15,000,” your audiences probably are wondering if it’s finally safe to peek at their 401(k) statements, and what else this bull run means for them.  And more to the point, “Can it last?” As CNBC reports, major indices are up by double-digits so far [...]

From horse racing to Mother’s Day: Seasonal financial angles to tackle
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From horse racing to Mother’s Day: Seasonal financial angles to tackle

May is one of those months bursting with seasonal topics that make for interesting and informative local business stories, especially small business and entrepreneur profiles. Taking it from the top: Cinco de Mayo.  Time is tight but if you are feeling energetic today, it’s an increasingly celebrated festival not only in Hispanic neighborhoods but at [...]

‘Furlough loans’ and more effects from the sequester
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‘Furlough loans’ and more effects from the sequester

It’s probably time for another look at the effects of the federal budget sequester on businesses and consumers. Here’s an eye-opening concept that is ripe for localizing:  Banks and credit unions are offering “furlough loans” as relief to workers forced to take unpaid leave from government agencies.   According to that Credit Union Times report, one [...]

Finance Friday: More resources for writing about kids and money
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Finance Friday: More resources for writing about kids and money

In our final Finance Friday, an April round-up of tips and resources for personal finance angles in honor of National Financial Literacy Month, I wanted to offer some additional ideas for writing about children and financial skills.  Many money missteps by adults might be averted if kids and teens had more exposure to personal finance lessons. [...]

Feds zoom in on payday lending: How will subprime borrowers fare?
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Feds zoom in on payday lending: How will subprime borrowers fare?

Wednesday’s report on payday loans by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a good prompt for a look at a variety of lending products that serve the subprime market, those consumers with poor credit.  Another news peg: California lawmakers just last week defeated proposed reining-in of payday loans, which the American Banker online publication says is [...]

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