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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Early voting results]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/16/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-early-voting-results/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/16/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-early-voting-results/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/16/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-early-voting-results/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/wmt/" rel="tag">Wal-Mart (WMT)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/sbux/" rel="tag">Starbucks (SBUX)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/f/" rel="tag">Ford Motor (F)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/gm/" rel="tag">General Motors (GM)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/siri/" rel="tag">Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/scandals/" rel="tag">Scandals</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/mcd/" rel="tag">McDonald's (MCD)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/shld/" rel="tag">Sears Holdings (SHLD)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/amgn/" rel="tag">Amgen Inc (AMGN)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/headline-news/" rel="tag">Headline News</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/recession/" rel="tag">Recession</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/financial-crisis/" rel="tag">Financial Crisis</a></p><p><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/best-worst-200x267-intro.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="1" />Voting continues in our <a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008"><strong>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</strong></a> feature, and it looks like early favorites include falling gasoline prices, Wal-Mart, Joe the Plumber, and former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Did they get your vote?</p>
<p>Close races include the <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-broke-out-in-2008-and-will-cash-in/">Breakout Person of the Year</a>, in which vice presidential contender Sarah Palin and Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps duke it out for first place, while poor Neel Kashkari, who is in charge of the U.S. Treasury's financial relief funds, is in last place with only about 6% of the vote. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-disturbing-consumer-trend/">Most Disturbing Consumer Trend</a> is another close race, with plunging retirement accounts and falling home values virtually a tie. It's also a very close race between Wall Street and Kmart for <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-in-need-of-a-makeover/">Most in Need of a Makeover</a>. Not much interest in making over <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/starbucks-corporation/sbux/nas">Starbucks</a> (NASDAQ: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/starbucks-corporation/sbux/nas">SBUX</a>), however, as it has only about 4% of the vote in that category.</p>
<p>Lower fuel prices are clearly the most popular <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-silver-lining-to-the-recessio/">Silver Lining to the Recession</a> with about 62% of the vote so far. Joe the Plumber, with 57% of the vote, has a clear lead over distant second place Rev. Jeremiah Wright as the <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-notable-15-minutes-of-fame-in/">Most Notable 15 Minutes of Fame</a>. And disgraced New York Governor Eliot Spitzer leads the <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-biggest-fall-from-grace/">Biggest Fall from Grace</a> category with about 56% of the vote.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/16/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-early-voting-results/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Early voting results</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/16/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-early-voting-results/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Early voting results</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:36:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/16/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-early-voting-results/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1401934/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/16/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-early-voting-results/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Amgen</category><category>AMGN</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>Eliot Spitzer</category><category>featured</category><category>Ford</category><category>gasoline prices</category><category>General Motors</category><category>GM</category><category>home prices</category><category>Jeremiah Wright</category><category>Joe the Plumber</category><category>Kmart</category><category>Linens n Things</category><category>MCD</category><category>McDonalds</category><category>Michael Phelps</category><category>Neel Kashkari</category><category>recession</category><category>retirement accounts</category><category>Reverend Wright</category><category>Sarah Palin</category><category>SBUX</category><category>Sears</category><category>Sharper Image</category><category>SHLD</category><category>SIRI</category><category>Sirius</category><category>Starbucks</category><category>Wal-Mart</category><category>Wall Street</category><category>Walmart</category><category>WMT</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Trey Thoelcke]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:36:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Money story of the year]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-money-story-of-the-year/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-money-story-of-the-year/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-money-story-of-the-year/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/housing/" rel="tag">Housing</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/recession/" rel="tag">Recession</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/financial-crisis/" rel="tag">Financial Crisis</a></p><p><em><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/best-worst-200x267-story-of-year.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="1" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature. </em></p>
<p>The year 2008 brought the word "greed" to new levels with major companies going bankrupt thanks to the greed of their top execs, who were more worried about lining their own pockets than about the interests of their customers and shareholders. This greed also helped to fuel the housing bubble that burst and sent home prices falling in what seems like an unending downward spiral. As the financial news continues to worsen, it's hard to pick the biggest money story of the year. We've pulled together our top four picks, and it's up to you to vote on the biggest money story of the year.</p>
<p><iframe align="right" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157428&amp;pollId=157708&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance" frameborder="0" width="205" height="200"></iframe>Here are our top four picks in alphabetical order: </p>
<p><strong>Collapse of Wall Street</strong><br />The world hasn't seen so many Wall Street firms go bust since the Great Depression, and we seem to be teetering on the edge of another worldwide depression. Top Wall Street execs pocketed millions, and in some cases, billions of dollars thanks to sales of complex financial instruments that it appears no one truly understood (or if they did understand their toxic natures they perpetrated a huge fraud on the investors who bought them). Now these same executives pocket millions in golden parachutes as they leave the firms they destroyed. And, while they enjoy their millions, investors, customers and employees of these now defunct or badly bruised firms face destroyed careers and/or portfolios.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-money-story-of-the-year/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Money story of the year</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-money-story-of-the-year/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Money story of the year</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-money-story-of-the-year/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1385525/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-money-story-of-the-year/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>depression</category><category>executive compensation</category><category>featured</category><category>fraud</category><category>fuel prices</category><category>greed</category><category>home prices</category><category>housing prices</category><category>mortgages</category><category>oil</category><category>recession</category><category>subprime</category><category>toxic assets</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lita Epstein]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Broke out in 2008 and will cash in the most]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-broke-out-in-2008-and-will-cash-in/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-broke-out-in-2008-and-will-cash-in/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-broke-out-in-2008-and-will-cash-in/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/consumer-experience/" rel="tag">Consumer Experience</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/presidential-elections/" rel="tag">Presidential Elections</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/headline-news/" rel="tag">Headline News</a></p><p><em><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/bw-2008-broke-out-200cm112608.jpg" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>The great media circus that so richly illuminates American life is constantly producing new stars to dazzle us, and this year has been no exception. In addition to the usual offerings from television (Tina Fey), sports (Michael Phelps) and books and film (Stephanie Meyer), 2008 saw new stars emerge from the presidential election (Sarah Palin) and the spectacular and ongoing financial crisis (Neel Kashkari). Of course no one knows what 2009 will bring, but we can be sure of one thing: that each of these new stars will likely try to cash in on their new-found celebrity in the new year.</p>
<p><iframe width="205" height="220" frameborder="0" align="right" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157405&amp;pollId=157685&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance"></iframe><strong>Tina Fey</strong> has been fairly well known for several years, first as the head writer and Weekend Update host on <em>Saturday Night Live</em>, then as the creator and star of the critically acclaimed show <em>30 Rock</em>. However, she ascended to a higher level of celebrity with her dead-on impersonation of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. (It's so good that if you search for the phrase "dead-on impersonation" on both AOL and Google, the first results that come up are clips of Fey doing her Palin shtick.) There was a lot of debate about whether Fey hurt or helped Palin, but it's pretty clear that all of the attention helped Fey enormously, making her one of the most famous female comedians in the U.S. Look for more TV and film deals for her in 2009.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-broke-out-in-2008-and-will-cash-in/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Broke out in 2008 and will cash in the most</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-broke-out-in-2008-and-will-cash-in/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Broke out in 2008 and will cash in the most</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-broke-out-in-2008-and-will-cash-in/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1388585/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/09/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-broke-out-in-2008-and-will-cash-in/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>30 Rock</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>featured</category><category>McCain</category><category>Michael Phelps</category><category>neel kashkari</category><category>Sarah Palin</category><category>SNL</category><category>Stephanie Meyer</category><category>tina fey</category><category>Twilight</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Rainey]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Best CEO for troubled times]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-ceo-for-troubled-times/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-ceo-for-troubled-times/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-ceo-for-troubled-times/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/management/" rel="tag">Management</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/wmt/" rel="tag">Wal-Mart (WMT)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/amzn/" rel="tag">Amazon.com (AMZN)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/brk-a/" rel="tag">Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/bac/" rel="tag">Bank of America (BAC)</a></p><p><em><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/best-worst-200x267-best-ceo.jpg" alt="" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>In these troubled times, there is only one CEO who operates with the best interests of investors in mind. Of course, that executive is Warren Buffett.</p>
<p>As <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/articles/01/071801.asp?viewed=1">Investopedia</a> notes, investing $100,000 with <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/berkshire-hathaway-inc-cl-a/brk.a/nys">Berkshire Hathaway Inc.</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/berkshire-hathaway-inc-cl-a/brk.a/nys">BRK.A</a>) in 1965, the year Buffett took over the company would be worth nearly $30 million by 2005. "By comparison, $10,000 in the S&amp;P 500 would have grown to only about $500,000," the site notes as if that return was just awful.</p>
<p>Buffett's successes are legendary. His missteps are few. The Oracle of Omaha is on the right side of many issues of interest to investors.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-ceo-for-troubled-times/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Best CEO for troubled times</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-ceo-for-troubled-times/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Best CEO for troubled times</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:42:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-ceo-for-troubled-times/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1388694/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-ceo-for-troubled-times/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Amazon</category><category>AMZN</category><category>BAC</category><category>Bank of America</category><category>Berkshire Hathaway</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>featured</category><category>Jeff Bezos</category><category>Kenneth Lewis</category><category>Lee Scott</category><category>Wal-Mart</category><category>Warren Buffett</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jonathan Berr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:42:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Biggest fall from grace]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-biggest-fall-from-grace/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-biggest-fall-from-grace/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-biggest-fall-from-grace/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/msft/" rel="tag">Microsoft (MSFT)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/yhoo/" rel="tag">Yahoo! (YHOO)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/jpm/" rel="tag">JPMorgan Chase (JPM)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/lvs/" rel="tag">Las Vegas Sands (LVS)</a></p><p><em><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/best-worst-200x267-fall-from-grace.jpg" alt="" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>In 2008, many big names took big face plants. Since this is a blog about money, I ranked them based on how much they lost and how far they fell. As you can see, the method is not exactly scientific. Here are the five biggest falls from grace:</p>
<ol>
    <li><strong>Richard Fuld, Lehman Brothers.</strong> The $639 billion bankruptcy is history's largest so far by a factor of at least six. And Fuld personally lost about $1 billion in his personal holdings of Lehman stock. And the repercussions of letting Lehman fail stretched from money market funds to Iceland. Ouch! </li>
    <li><strong>Jimmy Cayne, Bear Stearns CEO.</strong> Cayne lost plenty of his personal wealth when Bear Stearns stock stumbled. But at least shareholders were able to get out with something when <strong><a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/jpmorgan-and-chase-and-co/jpm/nys">JPMorgan Chase</a></strong> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/jpmorgan-and-chase-and-co/jpm/nys">JPM</a>) bought it. </li>
    <li><strong>Eliot Spitzer, New York governor.</strong> Spitzer destroyed his once promising political career by spending time with at least one woman other than his wife. He was trying to use his prosecution of Wall Street to boost his political career as Rudy Giuliani did. But his self-destructive urges got the better of him. </li>
    <li><strong>Sheldon Adelson, CEO,</strong> <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/las-vegas-sands-corp/lvs/nys"><strong>Las Vegas Sands</strong></a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/las-vegas-sands-corp/lvs/nys">LVS</a>). Adelson, a colorful character who was a consulting client of mine, has <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/26/the-worlds-10-biggest-losers/">lost $30 billion</a> on paper thanks to his excessive debt load and a decline in gambling. </li>
    <li><strong>Jerry Yang, </strong><strong>CEO,</strong> <strong><a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/yahoo-inc/yhoo/nas">Yahoo!</a></strong> (NASDAQ: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/yahoo-inc/yhoo/nas">YHOO</a>). Poor Jerry Yang suffered from delusions about his ability to revive his creation. He lost a chance to boost shareholder returns by selling to <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/microsoft-corporation/msft/nas"><strong>Microsoft Corp.</strong></a> (NASDAQ: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/microsoft-corporation/msft/nas">MSFT</a>) for <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2008/11/18/out-goes-yang-with-a-whimper/">$31 a share</a>. With the stock at $11.51, he left big bucks on the table, and the board kicked him out of the big chair. </li>
</ol>
<p><iframe height="200" frameborder="0" align="right" width="205" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157427&amp;pollId=157707&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance"></iframe>Let us know which one you would chose as the biggest fall of 2008.</p>
<p><em>Peter Cohan is president of <a href="http://petercohan.com/"><strong>Peter S. Cohan &amp; Associates</strong></a>. He also <a href="http://www3.babson.edu/Academics/Divisions/management/facultyprofile.cfm?pageid=391236"><strong>teaches management at Babson College</strong></a> and edits</em> <a href="http://petercohan.blogspot.com/2007/01/cohan-letter-up-15-in-2006.html"><strong>The Cohan Letter</strong></a><em>. He has no financial interest in the securities mentioned.</em></p>
<p><em>Share the reasons for your Biggest Fall from Grace pick in the comments, or let us know about any contenders we overlooked. Also be sure to see the rest of the <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong>.</em></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-biggest-fall-from-grace/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Biggest fall from grace</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-biggest-fall-from-grace/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1385444/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-biggest-fall-from-grace/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Bear Stearns</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>Eliot Spitzer</category><category>featured</category><category>Jerry Yang</category><category>Jimmy Cayne</category><category>JPM</category><category>JPMorgan</category><category>Las Vegas Sands</category><category>Lehman Brothers</category><category>LVS</category><category>Microsoft</category><category>MSFT</category><category>Richard Fuld</category><category>Rudy Guliani</category><category>Sheldon Adelson</category><category>Yahoo</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Cohan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most unexpected brand castoff]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-unexpected-brand-castoff/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-unexpected-brand-castoff/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-unexpected-brand-castoff/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/competitive-strategy/" rel="tag">Competitive Strategy</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/ge/" rel="tag">General Electric (GE)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/brk-a/" rel="tag">Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/xom/" rel="tag">Exxon Mobil (XOM)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/fdx/" rel="tag">FedEx Corp (FDX)</a></p><p><em><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/best-worst-200x267-brand-castoff..jpg" alt="" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>There have always been brand decisions that seem to come out of left field. Some make you wonder what they were thinking, while others make you wonder what took so long. The year 2008 was no exception.</p>
<p>It came as something of a surprise when in June <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/exxon-mobil-corporation/xom/nys">Exxon Mobil Corp.</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/exxon-mobil-corporation/xom/nys">XOM</a>) announced that it would <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/13/as-exxon-xom-exits-retail-gas-business-avoids-bad-pr/">sell off many of its retail gasoline stations</a> to local owners. While Exxon continued to post record quarterly earnings, and fuel prices spiked to all-time highs earlier this year, gasoline retailers in fact have faced razor-thin margins and fierce competition. It would take a significant boost in prices to make gas stations profitable, a notion that didn't seem to worthwhile back in June. Wonder what they think of that decision now that gasoline prices have fallen to a multiyear low?</p>
<p><iframe height="200" frameborder="0" align="right" width="205" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157426&amp;pollId=157706&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance"></iframe>I recall when Kinko's, the photocopying and faxing service provider with the catchy name, seemed to explode out of nowhere. And it seemed a little sad when <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/fedex-corporation/fdx/nys">FedEx Corp.</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/fedex-corporation/fdx/nys">FDX</a>) gobbled up the successful upstart. But it was probably inevitable that the <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/06/03/kinkos-it-was-nice-knowing-you/">Kinko's name would be phazed out</a>. It took quite a while, but FedEx finally announced eariler this year that it would just that. The newly christened FedEx Office (not so catchy, is it?) wants to shed itself of the image of a photocopying and faxing place to that of a back-office services provider for small to mid sized businesses. But will that turn out to be worth the $891 million they estimate the name change would cost? Time will tell.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-unexpected-brand-castoff/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most unexpected brand castoff</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-unexpected-brand-castoff/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most unexpected brand castoff</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-unexpected-brand-castoff/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1385795/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/08/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-unexpected-brand-castoff/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>appliances</category><category>Berkshire Hathaway</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>brands</category><category>BRK.A</category><category>Exxon</category><category>Exxon Mobil</category><category>featured</category><category>FedEx</category><category>FedEx Office</category><category>fuel prices</category><category>GE</category><category>General Electric</category><category>Kinkos</category><category>LG Group</category><category>Mars</category><category>Wrigley</category><category>XOM</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Trey Thoelcke]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Company of the year]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-company-of-the-year/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-company-of-the-year/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-company-of-the-year/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/wmt/" rel="tag">Wal-Mart (WMT)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/mcd/" rel="tag">McDonald's (MCD)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/fdo/" rel="tag">Family Dollar Stores (FDO)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/amgn/" rel="tag">Amgen Inc (AMGN)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/wfc/" rel="tag">Wells Fargo (WFC)</a></p><p><em><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/bw-2008-company-of-the-year-200cm112608.jpg" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature. </em></p>
<p>If you think the Company of the Year award should go to the best-performing stock in the S&amp;P 500, you have a clear choice (if you look at the r<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/26/year-to-date-winners-and-losers-of-the-sandp-500-index/">esults through November</a> at least). The winner on that score is <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/family-dollar-stores-inc/fdo/nys">Family Dollar Stores</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/family-dollar-stores-inc/fdo/nys">FDO</a>), which was up 34% as of Dec. 3. All dollar stores are doing well in the current recession-era shopping environment. But Family Dollar does particularly well since, unlike most dollar stores, few of the items for sale actually cost $1.<br /></p>
<p>I shopped at a Family Dollar myself last weekend and I spent a shocking $80 on Christmas trinkets and snacks for our long road-trip home from Grandma's. I think one item in the bunch cost only a dollar, but pretty much everything was under $10 and seemed like a good value at the time. I can understand why the company is doing well.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-company-of-the-year/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Company of the year</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-company-of-the-year/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Company of the year</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-company-of-the-year/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1387828/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-company-of-the-year/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Amgen</category><category>AMGN</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>Family Dollar</category><category>FDO</category><category>featured</category><category>MCD</category><category>McDonalds</category><category>Wal-Mart</category><category>Walmart</category><category>Wells Fargo</category><category>WFC</category><category>WMT</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Amey Stone]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Retail store we'll miss the most]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-retail-store-well-miss-the-most/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-retail-store-well-miss-the-most/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-retail-store-well-miss-the-most/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/consumer-experience/" rel="tag">Consumer Experience</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/competitive-strategy/" rel="tag">Competitive Strategy</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/recession/" rel="tag">Recession</a></p><p><em><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/best-worst-200x267-retail-store.jpg" alt="" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>As the economy slides into recession and struggling retailers and restaurants begin to lose the good fight, its inevitable that some favorites will disappear. Among those leaving us in 2008 are retailers Linens 'n Things, Mervyns, Sharper Image, and Steve &amp; Barry's.</p>
<p>I always liked <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linens_'n_Things">Linens 'n Things</a> for its reasonably priced, reasonably stylish offerings of such functional things as kitchenware and linens, not to mention the occasional useless but chuckleworthy items such as dancing Santas and big plastic barrels of pretzels. But I admit that I didn't shop at the New Jersey-based big-box retailer very often. After Linens 'n Things went private in 2006, the chain's expansion was offset by declining same-store sales, and the company operated at a loss. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2008, but in October said it would liquidate all remaining stores.</p>
<p><iframe height="200" frameborder="0" align="right" width="205" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157420&amp;pollId=157700&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance"></iframe>Being from the midwest, I've never shopped at a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mervyns">Mervyn's</a>. It appears to have been a store with a bit of an identity crisis. It was acquired by Dayton Hudson in 1978. Beginning in the '80s, Mervyn's tried unsuccessfully to expand into Georgia and Florida. From 1996 to 2001, the name was changed to Mervyn's California to identify with its West Coast roots. Then in 2004 , Mervyn's was sold to private investors. Store closings became a regular occurence. In July 2008, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. More store closings followed, and in October the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and began to liquidate its stores.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-retail-store-well-miss-the-most/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Retail store we'll miss the most</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-retail-store-well-miss-the-most/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Retail store we'll miss the most</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-retail-store-well-miss-the-most/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1386128/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-retail-store-well-miss-the-most/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>bankruptcies</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>featured</category><category>Linens n Things</category><category>Mervyns</category><category>Shaper Image</category><category>Steve and Barrys</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Trey Thoelcke]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: As-seen-on-TV product]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-as-seen-on-tv-product/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-as-seen-on-tv-product/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-as-seen-on-tv-product/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/products-and-services/" rel="tag">Products and Services</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/consumer-experience/" rel="tag">Consumer Experience</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/television/" rel="tag">Television</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/internet/" rel="tag">Internet</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/marketing-and-advertising/" rel="tag">Marketing and Advertising</a></p><p><em>This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>Does it say something about American society when we consider the broad acceptance of the infomercial? At the very least, it says quick-hit, impulse item merchandising is alive and doing well. It also tells us that potential snake oil salesmen will always find their marks. What was once a marketing style reserved for county fairs and roadside stands is now considered to be mainstream business as usual.</p>
<p>Which of the following infomercial offerings made you sit up and take notice this past year? Did <a href="http://www.pedegg.com/">PedEggs</a> get you up on your feet? Did you give in to a <a href="https://www.shamwow.com/index.asp">ShamWow</a> craving and find yourself all wet, or did you buy some <a href="https://www.buyaquaglobes.com/">Aqua Globes</a> and find yourself a bit dried out? Did <a href="https://www.greenbags.com/">Green Bags</a> make you green behind the gills, wishing you had kept your greenbacks to your self? In the video marketing temple of Billy Mays On High, we must be careful whence our consumerist tithes may flow.</p>
<p>There are a few things about these product offerings that I want to know. Such as, why does that ShamWow barker have a head set on anyway? Who are we supposed to believe that he's talking to? Why would I need a PedEgg to accomplish what a little sandpaper can do? Wouldn't letting the ethylene gas from a banana escape into the atmosphere preserve the fruit just as long as sucking that gas into the interior of a Green Bag? How does an Aqua Globe measure the percentage of water in the soil that surrounds it?</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-as-seen-on-tv-product/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: As-seen-on-TV product</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-as-seen-on-tv-product/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: As-seen-on-TV product</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-as-seen-on-tv-product/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1385235/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/07/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-as-seen-on-tv-product/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Aqua Globe</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>ethylene gas</category><category>Green Bags</category><category>infomercial</category><category>Ped Egg</category><category>Pedegg</category><category>Sham Wow</category><category>Shamwow</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gary Sattler]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most disturbing consumer trend]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-disturbing-consumer-trend/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-disturbing-consumer-trend/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-disturbing-consumer-trend/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/personalfinance/" rel="tag">Personal Finance</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/commodities/" rel="tag">Commodities</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/housing/" rel="tag">Housing</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/recession/" rel="tag">Recession</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/financial-crisis/" rel="tag">Financial Crisis</a></p><p><em><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/bw-2008-disturbing-trend-200cm112608.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="1" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>Consumers took it in the chin so many times this year, it's surprising many of us are still standing. Consumer credit for student loans, mortgages, car loans and just about everything else dried up completely by October. Oil prices soared, drained our pocketbooks, and then dropped like a stone after doing the damage. Food prices continue to soar as the prices for our homes and the value of our retirement funds plummet. So how does one decide, which is the most disturbing consumer trend? Let's look at our top four picks, presented in alphabetical order.</p>
<p><strong>Americans with good credit struggling to get loans at favorable rates</strong><br /><iframe align="right" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157408&amp;pollId=157688&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance" frameborder="0" width="205" height="200"></iframe>While rates are starting to come down thanks to the latest bailout by the Fed, good deals are hard to find. Most banks are hoarding their cash and only lending it out to those with credit scores over 760. Even then, rates are not that favorable. You can only think about applying for a mortgage or equity line if you have at least 90 percent equity in a home that has probably lost value and, in most cases, you must have 80 percent equity to get a home loan. How can the U.S. stop the downward spiral in home values until credit is available for qualified buyers?</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-disturbing-consumer-trend/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most disturbing consumer trend</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-disturbing-consumer-trend/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most disturbing consumer trend</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-disturbing-consumer-trend/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1385523/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-disturbing-consumer-trend/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>consumer credit</category><category>credit scores</category><category>featured</category><category>food prices</category><category>mortgages</category><category>oil prices</category><category>recession</category><category>refinancing</category><category>retirement</category><category>student loans</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lita Epstein]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most notable 15 minutes of fame in 2008]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-notable-15-minutes-of-fame-in/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-notable-15-minutes-of-fame-in/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-notable-15-minutes-of-fame-in/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/marketing-and-advertising/" rel="tag">Marketing and Advertising</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/scandals/" rel="tag">Scandals</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/entrepreneurs/" rel="tag">Entrepreneurs</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/presidential-elections/" rel="tag">Presidential Elections</a></p><p><em><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/best-worst-200x267-15-mins-of-fame.jpg" alt="" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>I am not familiar with Vince Offer so this is not a fair ranking; however, based on who got the biggest 15 minutes of fame <em>and</em> is most likely to fade from memory the most permanently, here's my ranking of the most notable 15 minutes of fame:</p>
<ol>
    <li><strong>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_the_plumber">Joe the Plumber</a>"</strong> (Sam Wurzelbach) -- a "representative of the middle class" frequently referenced by Senator McCain late in the 2008 presidential campaign </li>
    <li><strong>the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Wright_controversy">Reverend Jeremiah Wright</a></strong> -- excerpts of this former pastor's sermons received intense media scrutiny during the presidential campaign </li>
    <li><strong>Vince Offer</strong> -- <a href="http://www.shamwow.com/">ShamWow</a> pitchman who has been compared to renowned pitchmen Billy Mays and Ron Popeil </li>
    <li><strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Alexandra_Dupre">Ashley Alexandra Dupre</a></strong> -- the high-priced call girl at the center of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal </li>
    <li><strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katy_Perry">Katy Perry</a></strong> -- the singer-songwriter whose "I Kissed a Girl" became a controversial worldwide hit </li>
</ol>
<p><iframe height="200" frameborder="0" align="right" width="205" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157419&amp;pollId=157699&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance"></iframe>I think Ashley and Katy are not going to fade from memory because they'll still be around. Ashley will probably come out with a book and try to sell her music, and Katy has other popular songs -- like "Hot 'N Cold" -- that will keep her on the radio. Joe the Plumber will be history and so will Reverend Wright -- both share a distinction of being props in the failed Republican effort to demonize Barack Obama this year.</p>
<p>Do you agree?</p>
<p><em>Share the reasons for your pick in the comments, or let us know about any contenders we overlooked. Also be sure to see the rest of the <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong>.</em><br /></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-notable-15-minutes-of-fame-in/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most notable 15 minutes of fame in 2008</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-notable-15-minutes-of-fame-in/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1387141/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-notable-15-minutes-of-fame-in/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Ashley Dupre</category><category>Barack Obama</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>Eliot Spitzer</category><category>featured</category><category>I Kissed a Girl</category><category>Joe the Plumber</category><category>Katy Perry</category><category>McCain</category><category>Obama</category><category>Reverend Wright</category><category>Sam Wurzelbach</category><category>ShamWow</category><category>Vince Offer</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Peter Cohan]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Hottest in entertainment]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-hottest-in-entertainment/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-hottest-in-entertainment/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-hottest-in-entertainment/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/goog/" rel="tag">Google (GOOG)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/msft/" rel="tag">Microsoft (MSFT)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/ge/" rel="tag">General Electric (GE)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/twx/" rel="tag">Time Warner (TWX)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/dis/" rel="tag">Walt Disney (DIS)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/via/" rel="tag">Viacom (VIA)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/sne/" rel="tag">Sony Corp ADR (SNE)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/nws/" rel="tag">News Corp'B' (NWS)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/erts/" rel="tag">Electronic Arts (ERTS)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/atvi/" rel="tag">Activision Inc (ATVI)</a></p><p><em><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/bw-2008-hottest-entertainment-200cm112608.jpg" alt="" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>Well, 2008 has come and gone. If you were looking to be entertained over the past 12 months, you had a lot of choices. From Batman's battle with the maniacal Joker to Hannah Montana singing her little heart out in 3-D, there was something for everyone. Let's look at five of the hottest properties that made their way into the heart of the cultural mindshare in '08.</p>
<p>Up first is <em>The Dark Knight</em>, the second iteration of director Christopher Nolan's new vision of the Caped Crusader. That movie killed at the box office, and <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/time-warner-inc/twx/nys">Time Warner</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/time-warner-inc/twx/nys">TWX</a>) could not have been happier. <em>Knight</em> scored <a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=darkknight.htm">almost $1 billion</a> at the global box office. More than half that number was captured in the domestic marketplace. There's no question that the movie mesmerized the collective intellect of the audience. There's also no question that Heath Ledger, who tragically passed away earlier in the year, impressed everyone with his portrayal of the chaotic and cruel Joker villain. I, however, <em>do</em> have a question. Is it just me, or was <em>Knight</em> not as awesome a film as the hype makes it out to be? I saw it, thought it was okay. I don't know, I'm just not sure that this new entry in the cinematic Batman mythos would have brought in as many bucks if the notoriety of Ledger's death wasn't attached to these particular reels of celluloid. To be honest, I didn't think Ledger did that unique of a job. And I thought The Joker's voice was annoying, almost sounding like Sam Raimi -- did anyone else happen to think that? Maybe it's just me. Nevertheless, I salute the success of <em>Knight </em>and respect the project for the impact it had on theaters 'round the world.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-hottest-in-entertainment/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Hottest in entertainment</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-hottest-in-entertainment/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Hottest in entertainment</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-hottest-in-entertainment/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1385231/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/06/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-hottest-in-entertainment/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>barack obama</category><category>Batman</category><category>beijing olympics</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>Bill OReilly</category><category>Camp Rock</category><category>christopher nolan</category><category>DIS</category><category>Disney</category><category>featured</category><category>GE</category><category>General Electric</category><category>GOOG</category><category>Google</category><category>hannah montana</category><category>heath ledger</category><category>High School Musical</category><category>iCarly</category><category>Joe Biden</category><category>john mccain</category><category>Jon Stewart</category><category>jonas brothers</category><category>Microsoft</category><category>MSFT</category><category>nbc universal</category><category>Nintendo</category><category>NTDOY</category><category>obama girl</category><category>Ozzy Osbourne</category><category>sam raimi</category><category>sarah palin</category><category>SNE</category><category>Sony</category><category>The Dark Knight</category><category>The Joker</category><category>Time Warner</category><category>Tina Fey</category><category>TWX</category><category>VIA</category><category>Viacom</category><category>William Shatner</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Steven Mallas]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Best silver lining to the recession]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-silver-lining-to-the-recessio/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-silver-lining-to-the-recessio/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-silver-lining-to-the-recessio/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/housing/" rel="tag">Housing</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/recession/" rel="tag">Recession</a></p><p><em><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/best-worst-200x267-silver-lining-.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="1" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>Chicken Little's warning came as good news to astronomers hoping for a better view of the sky. In the same way, not all results of the economic morass of 2008 have been disastrous, at least in the short term. Which of these bits of silver lining do you think shone most brightly this year?</p>
<p><strong>Sales, sales, sales</strong></p>
<p>You've no doubt witnessed the deeper discounts available during the 2008 holiday seasons as retailers, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/12/confidence-in-global-economy-remains-near-record-low/">spooked by a drop in consumer spending</a>, are trimming prices to the bone, sometimes beyond, just to keep the cash flowing. The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/business/30dealer.html?em ">car industry</a> in particular has been caught between the hammer of consumer fear and the anvil of tight credit, so if you're in need of a new car, you'll find dealers, stuck with lots full of new models, ready to cut unheard-of deals.<br /></p>
<p><strong>Cheaper homes</strong></p>
<p><iframe align="right" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157424&amp;pollId=157704&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance" frameborder="0" width="205" height="200"></iframe>As <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/12/homes-lose-value-for-7th-straight-quarter/">Lita Epstein reported here</a> recently, houses have declined in value for seven straight quarters, which is bad news, as we've learned, for subprime mortgage holders. For those with good credit, or cash, shopping for a new house the market correction has been a godsend. Since the prices have tumbled furthest in some of the most desirable areas of the country, those retirees who don't need to sell their present home to fund a move to the sunny climes of California, Arizona, or Florida will find some great bargains. In <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/11/11/falling-home-prices-hit-california-town-hard/">Mountain Home, California</a>, for example, an estimated 90% of all mortgages are upside-down, and upside for buyers shopping in a down market.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-silver-lining-to-the-recessio/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Best silver lining to the recession</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-silver-lining-to-the-recessio/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Best silver lining to the recession</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:20:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-silver-lining-to-the-recessio/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1386483/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-best-silver-lining-to-the-recessio/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>car bargains</category><category>consumer spending</category><category>featured</category><category>fuel prices</category><category>gas bargains</category><category>gas prices</category><category>interest rates</category><category>mortgage rates</category><category>subprime</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Tom Barlow]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:20:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most in need of a makeover]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-in-need-of-a-makeover/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-in-need-of-a-makeover/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-in-need-of-a-makeover/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/wmt/" rel="tag">Wal-Mart (WMT)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/sbux/" rel="tag">Starbucks (SBUX)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/shld/" rel="tag">Sears Holdings (SHLD)</a></p><p><em><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/best-worst-200x267-need-of-a-makeover.jpg" alt="" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>As we undertake a hasty exit from the tumult of 2008 and plunge headlong into the mysteries of 2009, we might find it interesting to consider some business entities that could benefit from a little "freshening up." Four familiar names; Kmart, Playboy, Starbucks, and Wall Street, are each in need of a timely makeover, to varying degrees. But if you could chose just one of these big name operations to fix up for 2009, which one would it be, and how would you fix it?</p>
<p><iframe height="200" frameborder="0" align="right" width="205" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157423&amp;pollId=157703&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance"></iframe>First let's consider Kmart, the adopted son of <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/sears-holdings-corporation/shld/nas">Sears Holdings Corp.</a> (NASDAQ: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/sears-holdings-corporation/shld/nas">SHLD</a>). What are the changes that Kmart might need to remain competitive going into 2009? Should the company try playing the boutique angle, which failed to work for <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/wal-mart-stores-inc/wmt/nys">Wal-Mart Stores Inc</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/wal-mart-stores-inc/wmt/nys">WMT</a>)? Should the company tighten up and consolidate, while pursuing a deeper product value play, or should it attempt to spread out its market coverage and work over its wholesale vendors, while engaging Wal-Mart in a game of cut-throat retail price points? If you were CEO of Kmart, what would you change?</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-in-need-of-a-makeover/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most in need of a makeover</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-in-need-of-a-makeover/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most in need of a makeover</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-in-need-of-a-makeover/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1385236/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-in-need-of-a-makeover/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>featured</category><category>Kmart</category><category>makeover</category><category>merchandising</category><category>playboy</category><category>playboy magazine</category><category>playboy tv</category><category>retail</category><category>Sears Holdings</category><category>Spice Channel</category><category>Starbucks</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Gary Sattler]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Struggling company we're rooting for most ]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-struggling-company-were-rooting-f/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-struggling-company-were-rooting-f/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-struggling-company-were-rooting-f/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/f/" rel="tag">Ford Motor (F)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/gm/" rel="tag">General Motors (GM)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/siri/" rel="tag">Sirius Satellite Radio (SIRI)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/c/" rel="tag">Citigroup Inc. (C)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/cc/" rel="tag">Circuit City Stores (CC)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/shld/" rel="tag">Sears Holdings (SHLD)</a></p><p><em><img hspace="4" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/bw-2008-struggling-company-200cm112608.jpg" alt="" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>There have been big hopes for all the nominees in this category at one time or another, but they've also suffered from questionable management moves of various sorts. So what's to root for in any of these companies?</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_City">Circuit City</a> was founded in 1949; back then it was known as Wards Company. The big-box format and Circuit City name came as the result of a series of retail experiments, and became official in 1984. The company was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in the same year. In 1991, the company established a bank to operate its private-label credit card, and later offered a co-branded Visa. Big-box used car retailer <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/carmax-inc/kmx/nys">CarMax</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/carmax-inc/kmx/nys">KMX</a>) was also owned by Circuit City at one point. In 2005, the company's board rejected a buyout offer; the company was worth a reported $1 billion then. The next year, Philip J. Schoonover became chairman, and ... well, the rest is history. Circuit City is now in Chapter 11.</p>
<p><iframe height="200" frameborder="0" align="right" width="205" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157404&amp;pollId=157684&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance"></iframe><a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/citigroup-incorporated/c/nys">Citigroup</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/citigroup-incorporated/c/nys">C</a>) was formed in 1998 from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citigroup">one of the largest mergers</a> in history: banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate Travelers Group. The company holds over 200 million customer accounts in more than 100 countries, and includes the investment services brands Smith Barney and Primerica. The company owns prominent, renowned buildings in Manhattan and Chicago, and also won naming rights to the new ball park of the New York Mets. But it was the subprime mortgage crisis that was Citigroup's undoing, resulting in the need for the recent federal bailout.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-struggling-company-were-rooting-f/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Struggling company we're rooting for most </em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-struggling-company-were-rooting-f/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Struggling company we're rooting for most </a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-struggling-company-were-rooting-f/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1387673/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/05/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-struggling-company-were-rooting-f/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>big three</category><category>CarMax</category><category>Circuit City</category><category>Citigroup</category><category>Eddie Lampert</category><category>featured</category><category>Ford</category><category>General Motors</category><category>GM</category><category>Kmart</category><category>KMX</category><category>Philip Schoonover</category><category>Primerica</category><category>satellite radio</category><category>Sears</category><category>SHLD</category><category>SIRI</category><category>Sirius</category><category>Sirius XM</category><category>Smith Barney</category><category>subprime</category><category>Warren Buffett</category><category>XM</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Trey Thoelcke]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most shocking financial collapse]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-shocking-financial-collapse/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-shocking-financial-collapse/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-shocking-financial-collapse/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/jpm/" rel="tag">JPMorgan Chase (JPM)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/bac/" rel="tag">Bank of America (BAC)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/fnm/" rel="tag">Federal Natl Mtge (FNM)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/gs/" rel="tag">Goldman Sachs Group (GS)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/ms/" rel="tag">Morgan Stanley (MS)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/leh/" rel="tag">Lehman Br Holdings (LEH)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/financial-crisis/" rel="tag">Financial Crisis</a></p><p><em><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/bw-2008-shocking-collapse-200cm112608.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="1" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>In a year of financial chaos, how can one even narrow the choice of most shocking financial collapse to just five candidates? Financial collapses took down venerable Wall Street firms and government enterprises. Even an entire country fell on the weight of this worldwide financial storm. There were so many financial casualties that the task to narrow this down to just five was difficult. We have chosen these five and placed them in alphabetical order.</p>
<p><strong>Bear Stearns</strong><br /><iframe align="right" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157412&amp;pollId=157692&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance" frameborder="0" width="205" height="200"></iframe>Bear Stearns held a respected place on Wall Street dating back to before the Great Depression, but in March 2008, this once-respected Wall Street firm was bought by <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/jpmorgan-and-chase-and-co/jpm/nys">JPMorgan Chase</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/jpmorgan-and-chase-and-co/jpm/nys">JPM</a>) for just $2 per share (or about $236 million). The stock price had been $36.75 on March 14, 2008 -- just two days before the JPMorgan deal was struck. Bear Stearns had been the most aggressive player in packaging and selling mortgage-backed securities, and their hedge funds were heavily loaded with the junk they sold. Many saw the fall of Bear Stearns as justice because it was the only major Wall Street bank that did not work with the Fed and participate in the $3 billion bailout of Long Term Capital Management in 1998. Payback is a bitch.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-shocking-financial-collapse/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most shocking financial collapse</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-shocking-financial-collapse/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Most shocking financial collapse</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-shocking-financial-collapse/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1385524/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-most-shocking-financial-collapse/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>BAC</category><category>Bank of America</category><category>Bear Stearns</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>Fannie Mae</category><category>featured</category><category>Financial Crisis</category><category>FNM</category><category>FRE</category><category>Freddie Mac</category><category>Goldman Sachs</category><category>GS</category><category>Iceland</category><category>JPM</category><category>JPMorgan</category><category>Lehman Brothers</category><category>Merrill Lynch</category><category>Morgan Stanley</category><category>MS</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lita Epstein]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Breakout product of the year]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-breakout-product-of-the-year/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-breakout-product-of-the-year/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-breakout-product-of-the-year/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/products-and-services/" rel="tag">Products and Services</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/amzn/" rel="tag">Amazon.com (AMZN)</a></p><p><em><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/bw-2008-breakout-product-200cm112608.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="1" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>The digital revolution? The frugalista movement? Social networking? Or As-seen-on-TV products? 2008 has changed the landscape of how we recreate, communicate, shop, and dream. What product would you consider the Best Breakout Product of 2008?</p>
<p><strong>Amazon Kindle</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/amazon-com-inc/amzn/nas">Amazon</a>'s (NASDAQ: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/amazon-com-inc/amzn/nas">AMZN</a>) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MA">Kindle</a> is not the first attempt to replace the paper book with an electronic reader, but it has succeeded (and how -- even now, over a year since its launch, the wait time for a new unit is a couple of months) where others failed for several reasons. The first is the reading experience. The Kindle's cutting-edge electronic paper technology provides crisp, clean print in any light conditions. The device is thin and light enough to carry anywhere, and can store hundreds of books at your fingertips.</p>
<p><iframe align="right" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157403&amp;pollId=157683&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance" frameborder="0" width="205" height="200"></iframe>The second reason for its success is the access to a huge library of literature, which can be accessed via a built-in wireless link (no computer needed) through the Sprint cell phone system. Virtually all new books are available in Kindle format, and many, many others (190,000 and counting). Top newspapers such as the <em>New York Times</em> also offer Kindle subscriptions, and schools are beginning to adopt it as the <a href="http://thekindle.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/harvard-medical-school-implements-kindle-support-for-all-their-20000-educational-resources-at-hms/">platform for electronic versions of textbooks</a>. In the race to lead the transition to electronic books, Amazon's Kindle has broken free of the pack.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-breakout-product-of-the-year/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Breakout product of the year</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-breakout-product-of-the-year/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Breakout product of the year</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-breakout-product-of-the-year/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1386462/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-breakout-product-of-the-year/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>amazon kindle</category><category>Amazon.com</category><category>AMZN</category><category>Aqua Globes</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>e-books</category><category>Facebook</category><category>Goodwill</category><category>Green Bags</category><category>new austerity</category><category>PedEgg</category><category>QVC</category><category>ShamWow</category><category>thift store fashion</category><category>twitter</category><category>Vince Offer</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Tom Barlow]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:40:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Dumbest business move]]></title><link>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-dumbest-business-move/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-dumbest-business-move/</guid><comments>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-dumbest-business-move/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/management/" rel="tag">Management</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/competitive-strategy/" rel="tag">Competitive Strategy</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/msft/" rel="tag">Microsoft (MSFT)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/yhoo/" rel="tag">Yahoo! (YHOO)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/aig/" rel="tag">Amer Intl Group (AIG)</a>, <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/leh/" rel="tag">Lehman Br Holdings (LEH)</a></p><p><em><img alt="" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.bloggingstocks.com/media/2008/12/bw-2008-dumbest-business-move-200cm112608.jpg" align="right" vspace="4" border="1" />This post is part of AOL Money &amp; Finance's <strong><a href="http://money.aol.com/special/best-and-worst-2008">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008</a></strong> feature.</em></p>
<p>In the decades to come, business school students will be faced with a plethora of examples from 2008 in studying how not to do something.</p>
<p>Picking one business decision as the worst is sort of like choosing a favorite child. Each was wretchedly awful in their own unique way. They each deserve their own wing in the hall of shame, but there only can be one winner. In my mind, the company that consistently shot itself in the foot with a heretofore unknown precision was <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/american-international-group-inc/aig/nys">American International Group Inc.</a> (NYSE: <a href="http://finance.aol.com/quotes/american-international-group-inc/aig/nys">AIG</a>).</p>
<p><iframe align="right" src="http://webcenter.polls.aol.com/modular.jsp?template=1512&amp;view=157407&amp;pollId=157687&amp;channel=aol_us_personalfinance" frameborder="0" width="205" height="200"></iframe>Of course, AIG is now owned by the U.S. government, largely thanks to two bailouts. The government ripped up the first $85 billion deal after determining that the New York-based company needed an <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/us-government-grants-troubled-insurer-aig-150bn-in-new-bailout-1009837.html">even bigger life preserver </a>of $150 billion. Even then, it managed to post a <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&amp;sid=a__sWuaTWZXw&amp;refer=us">$24.5 billion loss</a>.</p>
<p>What set the standard for corporate hubris, though, were the junkets. There was a fun-in-the-sun getaway to a resort in California, only days after the $85 billion <a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gKGBkg4DguI_k2NcQm5JemW44fcA">bailout went through</a>. Recently, it was disclosed that another junket <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/tag/AIG+Junkets/">was held in Arizona</a>. Though the amount of money involved in the gatherings was piddly, the principle at stake was not. AIG was telling people -- especially members of Congress who approved the bailout -- that nothing had changed when, of course, everything had.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-dumbest-business-move/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Dumbest business move</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-dumbest-business-move/">Best &amp; Worst in Money 2008: Dumbest business move</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com">BloggingStocks</a> on Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:56:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-dumbest-business-move/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/forward/1387368/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/12/04/best-and-worst-in-money-2008-dumbest-business-move/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>AIG</category><category>Best and Worst 2008</category><category>Dennis Kozlowski</category><category>DIck Fuld</category><category>Jerry Yang</category><category>LEH</category><category>Lehman Brothers</category><category>Microsoft</category><category>MSFT</category><category>Yahoo</category><category>YHOO</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jonathan Berr]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:56:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
