Best Business Commentary

Milking the banks

Forget parking all your money in one bank, says Jonathan Clements in The Wall Street Journal. For optimal “cash management, 2007-style,” you’ll want to “cherry-pick” the best accounts from different banks. The goal is “sidestepping fees, piling up credit-card rewards, earning extra interest, and building a great credit score.” First, look for a “no-fee, no-interest checking account” with no minimum balance. Next, pick a savings account that offers 4 to 5 percent interest. Finally, carefully choose a no-fee credit card that offers cash back or other rewards. But “be careful not to overspend” -- the charges will wipe out your work.

Fashion’s knockoff paradox

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Fashion designers are taking a hit from knockoffs, says Gioia Diliberto in the Los Angeles Times, but piracy is necessary for their survival. It speeds up the fashion cycle. This “piracy paradox” isn’t stopping U.S. designers from pushing a bill that would give “original” designs “the same legal protection that writers have for their books,” but that would be counterproductive. Are courts really equipped to judge if “a neckline or a hem is original?” Regardless, “it seems absurd to copyright any dress that doesn’t have a novel printed on it.”