Sales are everywhere. It doesn't seem like anyone is paying full price for anything anymore. But how can consumers tell if they really are getting a good deal?

Consumer organisations are concerned that creditors are turning to the services of bailiffs in order to recover debts - but what legal rights do bailiffs actually have?

Continue reading Latest Legal News: Vivendi Loses; Hope May Take the Fifth

Latest Legal News: Vivendi Loses; Hope May Take the Fifth originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:51:00.

Filed Under: Company News, People

American manufacturers of weapons and aerospace systems could face a backlash over a $6.4 billion defense systems deal between the U.S. and Taiwan, which the China claims could hurt its national security. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi went so far as to say the U.S. should "truly respect China's core interests and major concerns, and immediately rescind the mistaken decision ... in order to avoid damaging broader China-U.S. relations," according to the Xinhua news agency. The Chinese consider Taiwan a rogue province of China with no national standing of its own.

Continue reading War of Words Over Arms Sales to Taiwan

War of Words Over Arms Sales to Taiwan originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:55:00.

Filed Under: Company News, Technology, Economy, Google , Boeing

It's time to do what the late, great New York Governor Al Smith would do, and cut through the rhetoric and the hype and "look at the record" to evaluate the economic players in Washington. Investors have probably read a lot about the drop in President Barack Obama's job-approval rating. And they're correct. It has declined to about 50% in the first quarter of 2009 from about 63% at the start of his presidency, according to a Gallup Poll. But what many investors probably don't know is that the job-approval rating for every president declines in his first year in office.

Continue reading Obama and the Democrats Are Down, But Hardly Out

Obama and the Democrats Are Down, But Hardly Out originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:00:00.

Filed Under: Columns, Economy

Bearish analysts are roaring following the sharp, high-volume sell-off last week, even in the face of some strong economic data. Some see a long-awaited reckoning for the market on the horizon, and chatter is increasing that January's bruising may be a sign of what's to come for the rest of the year. But investors should look past the growling bears and focus on concrete developments like soaring corporate profits and a strengthening dollar instead.

Continue reading Behind the Sharp Sell-Off, Some See Signs of a Robust Recovery

Behind the Sharp Sell-Off, Some See Signs of a Robust Recovery originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:54:00.

Filed Under: Economy

Bank earnings season is under way, and with the financial results will come disclosures about average per-employee compensation that politicians seeking support for additional regulations or taxes on big banks will pounce on. Some of the proposals may make their way in some form into President Obama's financial reform plan.

Continue reading Why Politics Makes It Hard to Fix the Banks

Why Politics Makes It Hard to Fix the Banks originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:00:00.

Filed Under: Economy, Bank of America

On Thursday, President Obama and Vice President Biden announced the recipients of almost $8 billion in stimulus grants that are designed to begin development of high-speed rail (HSR) networks. The money will go to 13 "travel corridors," and will include lines in Oregon-Washington-Canada, California, Wisconsin-to-Chicago, Iowa, Detroit-to-Chicago, St. Louis-to-Kansas City, St. Louis-to-Chicago, Cleveland-to-Cincinnati, Texas, Tampa-to-Orlando, Charlotte-to-Washington, and the Northeast Corridor.

Continue reading Obama's Rail Plan: A Drop in the Bucket

Obama's Rail Plan: A Drop in the Bucket originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:00:00.

Filed Under: Technology, Economy

Whole Foods Markets (WFMI) CEO John Mackey (pictured), unsurprisingly, is passionate about health. Leading the country's largest and most respected chain of natural groceries, he's often credited with bringing natural-foods stores to the mainstream. On a personal note, he has been a vegan for many years and has adopted a diet free of vegetable oils, sugars and almost any processed food. So when he launched a plan to give his employees discounts on health insurance if they maintained lower readings for blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index, it should have barely made a blip in the annals of corporate wellness.

Continue reading Whole Foods CEO John Mackey to Staff: Get Slim, Save Money

Whole Foods CEO John Mackey to Staff: Get Slim, Save Money originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:00:00.

Filed Under: Company News, People, Whole Foods

Amid the media frenzy over Tiger Woods and Bengals receiver Chris Henry, a key aspect of both stories slipped through the cracks: Like millions of other men, Woods and Henry were -- allegedly at least -- the victims of domestic violence perpetrated by their wives or girlfriends. Beyond its brutal physical and psychological costs, domestic violence against men exacts a cruel economic toll at the personal, societal and national levels.

Continue reading A Hidden Crime: Domestic Violence Against Men Is a Growing Problem

A Hidden Crime: Domestic Violence Against Men Is a Growing Problem originally appeared on DailyFinance on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:30:00.

Filed Under: Healthcare