How did you spend your stimulus check? If you’re like most Americans, you bought gasoline. Since President Bush signed the tax rebate into law Feb. 13, the average household has spent $1,500 filling the family car, according to research by Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG).

A surge in foreclosures is forcing more and more lenders to take a loss on bad loans, giving rise to a speculative real estate practice known as a “short sale.” Here’s how it works: When a homeowner is threatened with foreclosure, an investor negotiates with the lender to buy the mortgage for far less than is owed. If all goes well, the sellers reduce their debt, the buyer gets a good deal and the bank removes a non-producing asset from its books. But, in practice, the deals are notoriously difficult to piece together and too often are oversold as a way to turn a fast buck.

For every dollar you spend at a locally owned business, more than 68 cents stays in Milwaukee. That means more of your money is used to buy from other local businesses, service providers and farms, further strengthening the local economy and creating more jobs. Supporting local businesses helps create a “living economy,” according to Our Milwaukee, an alliance of 50 local businesses that is raising business awareness the week of July 7-13 with a film, prize drawings and special retail offerings.

Beware of a possible phone scam over the Fourth of July weekend, warns the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA). “Vishing”—a combination of “voice” and “phishing”—involves a recorded voice informing victims that their bank accounts are frozen and also provides a toll-free number to use in reinstating the account...

If you think that commuting to work is becoming too costly, consider what truck drivers are facing with $4-plus gas and diesel. “We’re just hanging on; it’s a struggle,” said Kathy Paul, office manager at Badger Freight Service Inc., which operates 12 refrigerator trailers out of Milwaukee. “It’s costing the guys a dollar...

The economic cost of buying something is not just the price you pay. Finding what you want and ensuring that it is competitively priced can be expensive. But making a purchasing decision without all the relevant information can result in inefficiency...

When people are misled by inflation into thinking that they are getting richer, when in fact the value of their money is declining. Whether, and how much, people are fooled by inflation is much debated by economists. (Source: Economist.com)

From a market-driven perspective, the fight against global warming hinges on creating demand for both energy-efficient technologies and renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. But these innovations come at a steep price, and cost-conscious businesses, already burdened by rising health care costs, want a relatively quick return on their investment in a facility upgrade or solar panels. If the payback is too long, most won’t commit.

Add “weak dollar” to the list of factors that drive up the cost of gasoline for Americans. War, political uncertainty, refinery shutdowns, speculation and rising demand are typically cited for causing our pain at the pump.

Gay equality is more than just a matter of fairness— it’s also good for the economy. The estimated 15.3 million gay adults in the United States have a combined buying power of more than $660 billion, and it’s estimated to grow to $835 billion by 2011, according to Witeck-Combs ...