High cellphone taxes
U.S. wireless consumers pay more than 17 percent on average in taxes and fees on their monthly cellphone bills. The highest tax rates are in Nebraska, Washington, and New York, while the least-taxed cellphone users are in Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon.
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Companies shore up pension funds
Companies are having to spend boatloads to shore up their pension funds, dragging down corporate earnings. The total estimated pension deficit at 400 large companies with defined-benefit plans now stands at $418 billion, 23 percent more than in 2011. Companies are bound by law to fund those obligations over time.
The Wall Street Journal
The bite of high gas prices
Even though Americans drove more fuel-efficient cars and consumed less fuel than ever in 2012, an Energy Department report says households spent almost 4 percent of their pretax income on gas—the highest percentage in 30 years.
Los Angeles Times
More dads stay home
The number of stay-at-home dads rose from 81,000 in 2001 to 176,000 in 2011. Among men aged 25 to 54, 83 percent were in the workforce last year; five years earlier, 88 percent were.
Fortune.com
Americans' scarce savings
Nearly 44 percent of Americans don’t have enough savings to cover basic expenses for more than three months in the event of a financial emergency like losing their job or paying for unexpected medical care. Almost a third have no savings accounts at all.
NPR.org
Clorox sales hit a peak
Clorox sales hit an all-time high of $1.33 billion last quarter, thanks to a nasty flu season that saw demand for the company’s disinfecting wipes leap.
MSN.com
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Music reviews: Chance the Rapper, Cass McCombs, and Molly TuttleFeature "Star Line," "Interior Live Oak," and "So Long Little Miss Sunshine"
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Film reviews: Eden and Honey Don't!Feature Seekers of a new utopia spiral into savagery and a queer private eye prowls a high-desert town
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Critics' choice: Three chefs fulfilling their ambitionsFeature Kwame Onwuachi's grand second act, Travis Lett makes a comeback, and Jeff Watson's new Korean restaurant
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The bottom linefeature Sedentary habits keep rising; A new home for Twinkies; Taco Bell's new hit; Companies stretch the workweek; Women's wages still fall short
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The bottom line
feature Where to stash your cash; Facebook's tax refund; The value of old phones; The wealth of America's megabanks; Grateful alumni
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The bottom line
feature Taxi drivers with college degrees; Morgan Stanley's revealing nicknames; Sleep deprivation and lost productivity; A retreat for Barnes & Noble; Signs of a stabilizing economy
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The bottom line
feature Companies cut spending because of fiscal cliff; Administrative bloat and tuition costs; Market for new and existing homes improves; Annual federal deficit as share of GDP decreases; Federal rules for contracts get flouted
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The bottom line
feature No-growth small businesses; Swift sales for Taylor's new album; Predicting doctors' costs; Airlines face shortfall in qualified pilots; Will Japan slip into recession?
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The bottom line
feature Apple's corporate tax rate; A housing market still in the tank; Boeing's Dreamliner earns rave reviews; Billions owed in child support; Goldman Sachs trims its ranks
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The bottom line
feature No new jobs in August for small business; Lowest corn harvest in 17 years; Louboutin wins battle over red soles; The growing American lower class; U.S.'s competitive ranking drops; The expanding wealth gap
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The bottom line
feature Facebook tries gambling; The not-so-rich Americans; Pauly D's banner year; Gibson Guitar pays a fine; Let's get women on board!