The problem with taking a vacation is that, alas, you eventually have to come home. And given the ubiquity of smart phones and wifi access, you’re never really “away” to begin with. This is good and bad, of course. When you have capital at risk, you need to be able to trade in a hurry...Read More

As I write this article, China has a slight lead on the United States in Olympic gold, 34-30, but anything can happen over the next week. But whichever country leaves London with the bigger stash of medals, Visa (NYSE:$V) will be accepted in either of them. In fact, Visa is accepted in virtually every country...Read More

If you are the adventurous sort and happen to find yourself strolling the streets of Tripoli, Libya, you may smell the familiar aroma of cinnamon buns baking. U.S. bakery chain Cinnabon opened a new café in downtown Tripoli, making it the first American franchise to set up shop in the country. You can bet that...Read More

“Gimme what I need, uh, MasterCard or Vi-suh.” From Wyclef Jean’s “Perfect Gentleman” The U.S. consumer is in a bit of a pickle.  Jobs are not particularly easy to come by—the June jobs report showed unemployment sticking at 8.2% and only 80,000 new jobs created for the month—and the economy remains sluggish.  True, the average...Read More

Have you ever noticed that new “premium” vodka brands seem to pop up every other year, yet the quality scotch brands you see on shelves today are the same ones you might have seen in your grandfather’s liquor cabinet? There is a reason for that. Vodka is colorless, flavorless and can be mass produced from...Read More