KCTR: We’re Montana’s Own » Dollars and Sense

The Other Winner of That Big Powerball Prize? The I.R.S. — Dollars and Sense

Chris Chaberski — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:30:52 +0000

On Wednesday, the Powerball lottery reached a record $587.5 million. So far two winning tickets have been announced, one in Arizona and one in Missouri. But there's at least one more guaranteed winner: the Internal Revenue Serv

Where to Find the Best Cyber Monday Deals — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:30:12 +0000

For those holiday shoppers wanting a second chance at the deals they might have missed over Thanksgiving weekend, Cyber Monday awaits. And while there may be a bit less hand-to-hand combat involved, industry experts say that Cyber Monday is great for bargains—as long as you know where to look.

Which Companies Are on Consumer Reports' 'Naughty and Nice' List? — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:30:18 +0000

If you still need a list to check twice this holiday season, perhaps a good place to start would be the recently released annual Consumer Reports “Naughty and Nice” list. What determines how a company earns a slot on the naughty and nice list? According to Consumer Reports senior editor Tod Marks, the naughty list [...]

Higher Taxes and Higher Prices Are Coming in 2013 — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:30:16 +0000

Regardless of the American economy’s checkered enthusiasm, it appears as if consumers are currently aboard the fast track to higher taxes and rising prices on things like health care and grocery items scheduled to come around at the turn of the new year.

Now It's a Trend: Target Jumps on the Price-Matching Bandwagon — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:30:17 +0000

Earlier this week, Target announced that, like Best Buy and Toys R Us did recently, it would be joining the price-matching game this holiday season. The company said it plans to match the prices of online retailers as a way to stay competitive during the holiday shopping season.

Knowing Your Co-Workers' Salaries Makes You More Productive — Dollars and Sense

Jeremy Taylor — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 16:30:42 +0000

Discussing salaries is taboo in many workplaces, but maybe it shouldn’t be. New research suggests that knowing how your pay compares to your colleagues’ pay may make workers more productive. This finding, which was published in the paper “Tournaments Without Prizes: Evidence from Personnel Records,” took a look at an experiment done in a German wholesaler’s warehouse. The [...]

How Hard Is It to Get a Job if You've Been Out of Work for 6 Months? — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:30:18 +0000

They say the best time to look for a new job is when you already have one. Turns out there might actually be something to this phenomenon: New research suggests that the longer you're out of work, the harder it gets to find a new job.

What Colleges Have the Lowest- and Highest-Paid Graduates? — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:30:19 +0000

The dream of many college graduates—to earn a good-enough starting salary to pay off student loans without being rendered homeless or forced into starvation—comes easier or harder depending on where they graduate.

With that in mind, which American colleges offer the worst possible opportunity for a earning a decent entry-level salary, and which offer the best?

Two Major Companies Switch to Health Insurance Allowance — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:30:06 +0000

Last week, Sears and Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Red Lobster) announced that they were seriously entertaining the idea of doing away with their traditional health insurance programs and opting instead to provide their employees with a heath-coverage allowance.

The two major American companies plan to allow employees to select coverage through an online marketplace, where workers will have the opportunity to browse and purchase various employer-backed health plans.

You Won't Believe How Many Families Do Not Have a Bank Account — Dollars and Sense [POLL]

Mike Adams — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:00:48 +0000

It might seem almost impossible to operate in today’s economic world without the use of a bank account, but a new survey suggests that many Americans are actually doing it, opting to finance their daily lives with quick cash services and prepaid credit cards. A survey released earlier this week by the Federal Deposit Insurance [...]

What Are the Most Expensive Hotels in the World? — Dollars and Sense [PHOTOS]

Mike Adams — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:00:57 +0000

Would you consider spending an extra couple hundred dollars a night to avoid staying at a dingy hotel full of circus pimps and other sleazy variations of the dark side trading company? Perhaps. But even that extra cash wouldn't come close to getting you a room at the most expensive hotels in the world. A night at of those would cost you much, much more.

How much more?

Chipotle Mexican Grill Is Keeping Your Change — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 19:00:28 +0000

Saying the phrase “keep the change” has been a nice way of tipping a little extra for good service for many years, but recently the gourmet burrito-slinging Mexican grill known as Chipotle has taken it upon themselves to keep it without your permission. Patrons began noticing last month that their food receipts were not jiving [...]

Why Are People Buying So Many Lottery Tickets These Days? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:00:59 +0000

The economic downturn has been rough on a lot of businesses, but it’s been a boon for state lotteries.

Seems people who only have a few dollars to spare aren’t putting them away for a rainy day — they’re trying to parlay them into big bucks.

How Much Money Do Parents Shell Out in Allowance? — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:00:09 +0000

Lots of adults remember receiving an allowance when they were growing up — but chances are good it wasn’t what today’s kids get. A new poll reveals modern children pocket almost $800 a year from their parents. The survey, conducted by the American Institute of CPAs, found that among the 61 percent of parents who [...]

Restaurant Offers Discount to Customers Who Hand Over Their Cell Phones — Dollars and Sense [POLL]

Shauna Wright — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:00:15 +0000

In the past few years, it’s become increasingly common to see cellphones on restaurant tables alongside the standard napkin and silverware.

But one Los Angeles eatery wants to change all that — and playing along will save you money.

Survey Reveals Hotel Guests Turned Off by Poor Service and WiFi Fees — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 16:00:12 +0000

In the wake of the economic downturn, some hotels have cut corners to save money — and their customers have noticed. According to a new survey, satisfaction with hotel services is now at a six-year low.

New Survey Reveals Parents Are Not Teaching Kids How to Manage Money — Dollars and Sense

Mike Adams — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:00:41 +0000

This might not come as any surprise to a lot of you, but most teenagers do not have any idea what they are doing when it comes to the world of finances. Unfortunately, new research suggests that they blame the parents for not properly teaching them how to manage it. According to a new study, [...]

Show Them the Money! Majority of Women Now Earn Most of the Household Income — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 18:30:40 +0000

That age-old custom of men being the primary breadwinners may now officially be dead — a new study shows the majority of women now bring home most of the bacon. Prudential Financial, which polled 1,400 women and 600 men between the ages of 25 and 68, found a bit more than half of women are [...]

Best Buy to Close 50 Stores and Lay Off Hundreds of Employees — Dollars and Sense

Shauna Wright — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:00:54 +0000

In recent years, electronics retailer Best Buy has struggled to find its footing — and now the chain has announced it will close 50 stores and lay off scores of employees. More than 400 executive positions will be eliminated from the chain’s corporate headquarters in Richfield, Minn., and thousands of retail positions will also likely [...]