Overall Economic Growth vs. Personal Finances
Does confidence in the direction of personal finances drive sentiment on economic growth, or is it the other way around?
General Business
Most Recent Releases
February 22, 2011
February 17, 2011
Voters Think They’re Far More Eager To Cut Spending Than Politicians Are
Voters clearly don’t have much confidence in their elected leaders to make the spending cuts necessary to reduce the nation’s historic-level budget deficit.
February 17, 2011
Only 39% Expect Federal Spending to Exceed $4 Trillion in Near Future
The documents the White House includes with President Obama's $3.7 trillion proposed budget for 2012 project that government spending will top $4 trillion in the next two to three years, but most voters aren't aware of that increase amidst all the talk of spending cuts.
February 15, 2011
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Turn Your E-Mail Messages Into Cash!
As frequent readers of this column know, I am not the biggest fan of e-mail.
February 11, 2011
Just 25% Recognize That Most Americans Are Investors
Half of all Americans own stocks, bonds or mutual funds, but most are also unaware of that fact.
February 10, 2011
43% Say Government Policy Mistakes Created Great Depression of 1930s, 26% Disagree
Economists still argue about what caused the Great Depression of the 1930s and what got the nation out of it.
February 8, 2011
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: "Allocating the Purchase Price" When Selling or Buying a Business
"I have been running a successful online company -- a limited liability company -- for several years, with a number of different lines of business. Another company has made an offer to buy one of my lines of business for a very attractive price, and I'm inclined to accept.
February 1, 2011
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: "Royalty Financing": The New, New Thing in Venture Capital
"I have a successful retail business that I want to take online with a killer website and a social media marketing campaign on Facebook and Twitter. The problem, of course, is money. I need to raise $100,000 to build the website and launch the campaign, but am having trouble finding the money.
January 27, 2011
Most Voters Oppose Letting States Declare Bankruptcy
States are currently not allowed by law to file for bankruptcy, but former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and others have argued that bankruptcy might be the least painful alternative for taxpayers in heavily debt-ridden states like California, Illinois and New York. Voters aren't thrilled with the idea, but they like it better than higher taxes, and they're even more supportive if told government employees might have their pensions reduced in the process.
January 25, 2011
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Raising Capital Is Tough When You've Got Nothing To Lose
"For the past couple of years, I have run a brick-and-mortar retail store specializing in customized merchandise. I really want to take this business to the next level by building a website that will enable customers nationwide, and maybe even internationally, to customize our merchandise online. We have a proprietary technology for customizing our clients' orders that our attorneys tell us can be patented. We also have one of the best software developers in America wanting to work with us to develop the website.
January 19, 2011
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Three Ways Technology Is Killing Businesses
It's been more than 30 years now since the first personal computers, and more than 15 years since the Internet, gave us all a digital life. Who today can remember what it was like to do business in the days before e-mail, PowerPoint, laptops, BlackBerries, iPhones, iPods, iPads, mobile apps, Facebook and Twitter?
January 18, 2011
50% Say Government Puts Wall Street Ahead of Main Street
Americans feel more strongly than ever that the government is more concerned with making Wall Street firms profitable than making the financial system work for the rest of us.
January 12, 2011
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Memo to the Incoming Congress (Part 2 of 2)
Now that we've tackled the economy, here are a few creative solutions to some of the foreign policy problems you will be facing as the 112th Congress gets under way.
January 12, 2011
57% Expect Higher Interest Rates A Year From Now
The number of adults nationwide who expect a rise in interest rates has reached its highest level in nearly two years.
January 11, 2011
Who Says There's No Inflation? Grocery Shoppers Think Otherwise
Most Americans continue to say they are paying more for groceries now compared to a year ago, and the number who expect to spend more a year from now is at its highest level in nearly two years.
January 10, 2011
Americans Still Lack Confidence in U.S. Banking Industry
Most Americans continue to lack confidence in the stability of the U.S. banking system, but they also remain unworried that they will lose their money due to a bank failure.
January 4, 2011
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: Memo to the Incoming Congress (Part 1 of 2)
As you take your seats in the new Congress, ladies and gentlemen, you will be under pressure to act very quickly to solve a large and growing number of problems.
December 31, 2010
For All Americans, Oil Leak Was Tops In Interest
American Adults shared one of the chief concerns of Likely Voters in 2010, the Gulf oil leak’s impact on the economy.
December 30, 2010
SUCCEEDING IN YOUR BUSINESS: One More Thing America Needs from Its Media
The feedback from last week's column on the need for more "slapstick comedy" from our entertainment media was really amazing. Thanks to all readers who wrote in to support my view that we need more Lucille Balls and fewer Jon Stewarts making us laugh.
December 21, 2010
Voters Say Businesses Should Spend To Create Jobs But Don’t Want Government To Force Them
President Obama in a meeting last week with top U.S. business leaders urged them to use some of their ample cash reserves to create new jobs, and most voters think that’s a good idea. But they draw the line at the government making the businesses spend their money that way.
