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Franchise This
These five new business opportunities are ahead of the curve. These franchises are poised to capitalize on trends that will pay off now and in your golden years. From organic fast food to cooking school for kids, check out these ideas.
World's 11 Coolest New Products
Beauty is more than skin-deep. The winners of the 3rd annual design competition presented by Business 2.0 Magazine and Frog Design are also versatile, elegant, eco-friendly, and -- most important -- successful. Take for example the 4-foot-tall winery for your kitchen or these deluxe, high-end prefab homes.
Beauty is more than skin-deep. The winners of the 3rd annual design competition presented by Business 2.0 Magazine and Frog Design are also versatile, elegant, eco-friendly, and -- most important -- successful. Take for example the 4-foot-tall winery for your kitchen or these deluxe, high-end prefab homes.
Live Rich, Retire Richer
It just may be possible to have it all. Biz 2.0's guide shows you how to live large now -- and bankroll your future. See five affordable investment strategies - from overseas real estate to art collecting that can make it happen.
Glowing Orb Can Help Cut Utility Bills
Jill Amoni, 54, of Aurora Ill., knows her much her electricity is costing her minute by minute, by looking at a glass orb in her living room. It morphs into six different colors in response to wireless signals, from blue (lowest) to red (highest), to reflect shifting prices. She's among a growing number of power customers equipped with advanced, or "smart," electric meters that allow them to pay different prices at different times of the day. It's called "time-of-use" pricing, and it saves money for most people. In a California pilot program, 70% of consumers cut their monthly bills an average of about 10%. Some saved much more.
Jill Amoni, 54, of Aurora Ill., knows her much her electricity is costing her minute by minute, by looking at a glass orb in her living room. It morphs into six different colors in response to wireless signals, from blue (lowest) to red (highest), to reflect shifting prices. She's among a growing number of power customers equipped with advanced, or "smart," electric meters that allow them to pay different prices at different times of the day. It's called "time-of-use" pricing, and it saves money for most people. In a California pilot program, 70% of consumers cut their monthly bills an average of about 10%. Some saved much more.
College Just Got Cheaper
The knock on 529 plans, which let you invest for college tax-free, is that they're too darned expensive. But a spate of dramatic fee cuts by the investment firms that manage the money in 529s is a trend that parents of college-bound kids can applaud. "The competition for running these programs has boiled down to fees, and the market is very competitive," says Joseph Hurley, founder of the Savingforcollege.com Web site. The cuts, measured in fractions of a percentage point, could save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a decade.
Three Solid Rising-Dividend Funds
If you'd rather let a pro pick rising-dividend stocks, there are plenty of solid fund choices. Rising-dividend funds invest in strong, steadily growing companies that boost their dividends each year -- or at least are capable of doing so. Here are our three favorite low-cost dividend-growth funds.
If you'd rather let a pro pick rising-dividend stocks, there are plenty of solid fund choices. Rising-dividend funds invest in strong, steadily growing companies that boost their dividends each year -- or at least are capable of doing so. Here are our three favorite low-cost dividend-growth funds.
Closing Bell: Economic Catapult for Thanksgiving & Black Friday (WMT, TGT, GRMN, GOOG, MSFT)
Deere up on Q4 earnings performance
Reid Hoffman: LinkedIn will go public (at some point)
