Cowboy Economics News - February 2008 Archives

Group Demonstrates Security Hole in World's Most Popular Smartcard (2/29/2008)

If you hold a credit card issued in the past 18 months, or use a touchless keycard to open doors at your office, or ride the subway with a reusable fare card, chances are good that you have used a card or ticket with a tiny wireless security chip embedded in it. ...> Full Article

Are Retailers Wasting Billions Every Year on Loss Prevention Technologies? (2/28/2008)

New report highlights the need for retailers to radically improve the way they justify spending on loss prevention investments ...> Full Article

Property tax and economic stimulus plans boost consumer confidence (2/27/2008)

Passage of the national economic stimulus package and state property tax amendment helped boost Florida's consumer confidence by four points to 74 in February after last month's decline to its lowest level in 16 years, a new University of Florida study reports. ...> Full Article

China's success dashes Asian single-currency hopes (2/27/2008)

Hopes of a single-currency Asian Economic Union (AEU) are doomed because China will soon outgrow its neighbours, a leading economist has warned. ...> Full Article

New Research Shows January is Best Month to Invest in U.S. Stock Market (2/26/2008)

Investors looking for the best return in the U.S. stock market would be wise to invest in January, which generates the highest returns of any month of the year, according to a historical analysis of stock market returns conducted by two University of New Hampshire researchers. ...> Full Article

Time for change in real estate industry (2/23/2008)

The real estate industry cannot afford to insist the traditional model of selling property is beyond reproach, says a senior lecturer in property studies in the University's College of Business, Dr Susan Flint-Hartle. ...> Full Article

Accounting Professor Offers Last Minute Tax Tips (2/22/2008)

Before you file your taxes, you may want to consider several last-minute tips before sending your W-2s to Uncle Sam by April 15. ...> Full Article

Should Stockholders Look Beyond Earnings Per Share? (2/20/2008)

As a stockholder when you receive the company's annual report, do you typically look beyond the earnings per share? ...> Full Article

Study shows China's inflation does not threaten US and Japan (2/20/2008)

There is no strong empirical evidence that inflation in China has a significant impact on inflation in the US and Japan. According to a study in China and World Economy published by Wiley-Blackwell, the recent rise in Chinese prices is unlikely to affect Japan or the US. Conversely, there is evidence that the inflation in the US has had some impact on Chinese inflation. ...> Full Article

How Bad Is It Going To Get? (2/19/2008)

The gloomy national economic outlook raises concerns about the region's economic health. Although Larimer County's unemployment rate is relatively low, 600 more local residents were unemployed in December 2007 than a year earlier. ...> Full Article

Research suggests that companies should ask more than just 'would you recommend this product?' (2/18/2008)

A Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management professor is co-author of two award-winning papers that call into question a concept that has become central to marketing efforts in recent years: A customer's intention to recommend a product or service is the single most important predictor of future loyalty to the company. ...> Full Article

Chavez' Threats Would Hurt Venezuela, Expert Says (2/17/2008)

Threats by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to cut off his country's oil exports to the United States would be a foolish move on his part and would do far more harm to his country than to America, says a Texas A&M University economics professor who has studied world energy and oil prices for 30 years. ...> Full Article

Financial Savvy - Who Needs An Estate Plan? (2/16/2008)

Just a wild guess-I bet that you don't have an estate plan in place. You should, at a minimum, have a valid will and legally designate someone to take care of your financial decisions in the event that you are later incapacitated. ...> Full Article

The need for fossil fuels will last for decades, according to BP's chief scientist (2/15/2008)

Asia will play large role in driving up global energy demands ...> Full Article

People willing to pay extra for renewable energy production (2/15/2008)

Three out of four residents in the auto industry-dominated state of Michigan would be willing to pay for ways to increase the role of renewable energy sources, a new University of Michigan survey says. ...> Full Article

Economist refutes prevailing view on Social Security tax (2/14/2008)

More elderly men than previously believed reduce the number of hours they work or even stop working to avoid losing Social Security benefits - a trend that has a "sizeable effect" on the U.S. labor force, according to new research from a Michigan State University economist. ...> Full Article

Stocks of bad companies often outperform those of good ones (2/14/2008)

Reputable companies aren't always the best investments, says a University of Michigan business researcher. ...> Full Article

Study finds economic impact of ethanol to support many new jobs (2/13/2008)

Economist projects, in a new report, that when the 15 ethanol plants currently under construction in Iowa are brought online within a year or so, there will be 1,865 jobs in the state's 42 ethanol operations. ...> Full Article

Heavy market volume doesn't necessarily signal quick, easy trading (2/13/2008)

Playing a hunch is as ingrained in financial markets as short selling, margin buying and the opening bell. ...> Full Article

Changing face of journalism (2/9/2008)

The extent of the media's reliance on the public relations industry has been revealed in a new study. ...> Full Article

Nation's Poorest Cities Struggle Despite Benefits of Strong Economy (2/8/2008)

New research from the University of New Hampshire shows that the nation's poorest cities experienced a substantial drop in poverty rates during the economic boom from 1992 to 2003, but not enough to lift them out of their relative positions as the most impoverished communities in America. ...> Full Article

Researchers solve long-standing financial puzzle (2/7/2008)

Researchers have solved a financial problem that has puzzled researchers for more than 10 years. ...> Full Article

Attitudes on price have big impact of the purchase of organic food: report (2/6/2008)

Independent attitudes such as cost have the biggest impact on why consumers opt for organic fruit and vegetables ...> Full Article

New job growth update released (2/5/2008)

The National Consensus Forecast of Labor Employment, Compensation and Productivity is not forecasting a job contraction nationwide in 2008, and the projection for productivity remains relatively low. ...> Full Article

Super Bowl ads expensive and in high demand, but are they value-priced? (2/3/2008)

This is not your typical year for Super Bowl ads, according to John Antil, University of Delaware associate professor of business administration who tracks advertising for the big game. Antil said Fox television has most likely sold all of its available ads for Super Bowl XLII to be aired on Sunday, Feb. 3, adding that the network sold out of most of the inventory much earlier than is typical and at record prices--up to $3 million for a 30-second spot. ...> Full Article

Too much security reduces trust in on-line banking (2/2/2008)

The more security measures banks impose on internet banking the more customers lose faith in the system's ability to protect their money ...> Full Article

Marketing strategies for politics (2/1/2008)

How money and appearance influence the political campaigns ...> Full Article