Unexpected: Mortgage delinquencies fall
In March 2020, when COVID-19 shutdowns spiked unemployment to 15 percent by the second quarter, a strange thing happened: Delinquency rates on consumer…
Category: Business
The best ways to express gratitude
How much do recognition and reward matter in business? According to research by consultant O.C. Tanner, 79 percent of employees who quit their jobs say…
Storied retailers limp through 2020
When is the last time you shopped at a Sears department store? Most Americans probably can’t recall their most recent shopping trip to the legendary…
Battle of the ‘marts: One chain booms; the other fades
It has been a slow, painful death, and unfortunately, it’s still ongoing. Kmart, the storied discount retailer that boasted thousands of locations, is…
How a Dick’s Sporting Goods thrived while others crashed
It’s a common tale these days — legacy department stores and famed luxury retailers going belly-up. But Dick’s Sporting Goods, the nation’s largest…
Historic Dow Jones run
The Dow Jones began an incredible record-setting run on Jan. 25, 2017 when the index hit 20,000 for the first time. This was followed by four more records…
A New Year message you can use (and change) for your personal or business newsletter
A note to 2020: What an unusual year In most years, New Year messages wonder what we will remember about the old year. As far as 2020 goes, you have to…
The late Tony Hsieh’s profitable solution to job satisfaction
One the most original thinkers in business, Tony Hsieh, died in November in a house fire in Connecticut. Hsieh, 46, left a vast legacy of…
How to knock out noise in open-plan office
The beauty of open-plan offices…no barrier to communication, flow of ideas, people connect, gossip ensues, conversations buzz . . . But what if you have…
The office after COVID-19 will look and feel different
Our experiences inside grocery and retail stores and restaurants have changed dramatically over the past few months, with many changes likely…