Month: August 2008

By: Roshawn Watson Yesterday, we discussed why European shoppers are taking over New York. That begs the question though: where have all of the American New York shoppers gone? Image Credit: crizlai Americans are becoming increasingly more inclined to spend less as we distance ourselves from stores such as Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo, and Best… Continue reading Changing American Economics: The New Wave of Frugality Sweeping America

By: Roshawn Watson Whether it’s in American bistros , Apple stores, Bloomingdales, or the trendy boutiques, you will find that Europeans are increasingly spending their money in America, especially New York City. That’s correct, right in the city with the greatest number of millionaires. As a recent New York Times article suggests, NYC is becoming… Continue reading The Cheap America: Why Europeans Are Taking New York

Ever since I started Watson Inc, I get tons of financial questions. Check out the question and my response below Dear Roshawn, I may be too paranoid a view with my emergency fund, so please help me figure out how much I really need. I’ve been desperate to remodel my kitchen,…and I’d like to use… Continue reading Should I do that kitchen remodel?

By: Roshawn Watson In preparing to write my posts, I often come across noteworthy and sometimes bizarre financial and business news. Below are links to some of these sites. Enjoy! I also wanted to thank all of you who are voting for articles from this site on social bookmarketing sites such as stumbleupon, reddit, delicious,… Continue reading Uncommon Money News (Vol 24)

By: Roshawn Watson Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are great investment vehicles. They are index funds that are tradable like stock with low costs and taxes. One of their strengths is that they give your portfolio diversification. Image Credit: ringydingydo However, over the past few years, a troublesome trend has emerged: too many ETFs. More specifically,… Continue reading The Death of Fancy ETFs

By: Roshawn Watson First, I should say that I have nothing personally against SUVs (although I do hate when people wield them as weapons). Given that gas is still almost $4 per gallon in many places, many people are considering trading in their gas-guzzling SUVs for newer hybrids. After all, with the savings in gas,… Continue reading Stupid Gas-Guzzling SUV?

By: Roshawn Watson This recent article from Money Magazine highlights the Lipovitches’ struggle to invest on their own. Their family consists of Wayne and Michele and their two sons (their youngest son has Downs Syndrome). Their Financial SituationWayne (a veterinarian) and Michele (runs a part-time massage therapy business) have a combined annual income of $120,000.… Continue reading Cleaning Up Your Finances BEFORE You Invest

By: Roshawn Watson Many of the manufacturers of our favorite brands of food products have recently faced unprecedented cost hikes. Apparently, several costs in the manufacturing process have increased: from the packaging to the product ingredients. Consequently, profits have recently declined for these companies, and they are about to past it on to consumers. According… Continue reading Why That Grocery Bill Is Increasing, Again